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The invention relates to a disk storage drive for receiving at least one storage disk having a central opening, with an outer rotor type driving motor having a rotor casing mounted by means of a shaft in a bearing system so as to rotate relative to a stator and on which can be placed the storage disk for driving by the rotor casing, as described in U.S. Pat. application Ser. No. 353,584, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,438,542, issued Mar. 27, 1984.
The content of this patent is incorporated herein by reference to avoid unnecessary repetition. It relates to a disk store and storage drive for receiving at least one storage disk having a central opening. The driving motor extends coaxially at least partly through the central opening of the storage disk, and means are provided for connecting the storage disk and the driving motor rotor. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The present invention is in the field of promotional or advertising devices that are also ancillary to games using tangible projectiles, and specifically to the game of golf. More particularly, the present invention relates to a promotional device that is also a combination player manipulated turf repair tool and golf ball marker.
In playing golf, a large variety of accessories are used to help enhance the enjoyment of the game. Among these accessories are divot or turf repair tools. Turf repair tools are used to lift up grass on a golf green that has been depressed by the impact of a golf ball or golf club. Repairing the divot allows the turf to recover more quickly from the impact, which promotes the integrity of the green and allowing for a smooth putting surface. Ball markers are also used on the golf green to mark the location of a golf ball on the green, allowing play by following players. In order to minimize the number of items a player must personally carry and keep track of, the field has been motivated to develop combination divot repair tools and ball marker holders.
Examples of such combined divot repair and ball marker holders include those disclosed by England, U.S. Pat. No. 6,033,322 and Tate, U.S. Pat. No. 5,295,683. Both patents disclose a golf tool consisting of a divot repairer, a magnetic marker holder and a metallic ball marker. A metallic golf ball marker with or without a stem or post is held in place in the magnetic holder. However, a magnetized golf tool has a potential disadvantage. In present times, with the high probability that a golfer is carrying magnetic sensitive media (e.g., a credit card or a computer disk), there is the risk of compromising the magnetic media if the magnetized material of the golf tool is placed in proximity of the magnetic media (e.g., in the same pocket, purse or brief case).
Larson, U.S. Pat. No. 5,110,123 also discloses a golf tool combining a turf repair tool and a pair of ball markers. The pair of ball markers consist of two individual markers that latch together through a series of legs and undercuts. The divot repair tool is made of stiff wire with a bent-back, V-shaped portion and undulated prongs (legs). The bent-back, V-shaped portion of the tool forms a space or slot with the prongs for receiving the assembled ball markers. The assembled ball markers are releaseably held in this slot by passing the prongs through the space in between the assembled ball markers. Although the Larson device may be useful for its intended purpose, it requires the extra step of joining of a pair of ball markers to form a marker assembly, before of the repair tool can be inserted into the marker assembly and accomplish the combination device.
Hatch, U.S. Pat. No. 3,620,426 discloses another turf repair tool combined with a ball marker and a carrying case. The repair tool is a flat body member having a first end portion to function as a handle, and a second end portion that tapers into a fork shaped pair of prongs. The ball marker has a circular head and central stem or post which fits into a grommet mounted in the intermediate portion of the body. The ball marker of the Hatch device only has a single post for engaging the turf when used to indicated the position of a golf ball on the green.
Other combination golf tools include Kennedy, U.S. Pat. No. 5,393,052 and Hammond, U.S. Pat. No. 4,114,878. Kennedy describes a combination divot repairer, club holder and ball marker holder. The ball marker is received in a recess or slot at the handle end of the tool, and retained there until use apparently by friction fit. Hammond discloses a golf tee with an attached divot repair tool which contains a ball marker. The Hammond device utilizes a golf tee of any suitable design connected by a high tensile flexible cord to an anchor/green groomer. The ball marker is held in an aperture or through-bore in the body of the tool by the single center post or shaft of the ball marker.
Although each of the above devices may be useful for its intended purpose, it would be beneficial to have an alternative combination divot repair tool and golf ball marker system which is simply constructed of only two components and of a safe, non-magnetic material. It would be further beneficial if the safe material was not only non-magnetic, but also would not damage mower blades when lost tools are run over by grounds keeping equipment. A still further benefit would be to have a message surface incorporated into either or both components of the combination device, to allow the device to also be easily utilized as a promotional or advertising item.
The present invention is a promotional device and safety golf tool system for use in the game of golf. The system is the combination of a golf ball position marker and a turf repair tool in a single device that is transportable on one""s person, for example, in a pocket, purse or in a bag or case. The system is accomplished by having the ball marker incorporate features for receiving and holding a turf repair tool. Therefore, the device consists of only two component parts: a unitary ball marker and a unitary turf repair tool. The safety features of the present invention are that its two component parts are constructed of materials that are non-magnetic and less likely to damage the mower blades of greens keeping equipment should a lost device be run over by such equipment.
The present device has multiple uses. The body of the device is a divot or turf repair tool and is useful for that purpose either as a separate component or in combination with the ball marker. The ball marker component is removable from the turf repair tool component, and separately useful for that purpose. The features of the device that removably attach the two components of the device together are integral to the ball marker component. The attachment features also serve the purpose of helping to anchor or maintain the position of the ball marker when it is placed on the turf to mark a golf ball location. For use to as a turf repair tool, the device is grasped by the loop section (with or without the ball holder in place at the loop section) and the arm pins are inserted into the ground to raise the divot and flatten the surface of the turf.
Another use of the present device is as a promotional or advertising device. One or more message display surfaces are included on the device for presenting a promotional or advertising message. The message surfaces are a surface that is integral to the ball marker or the turf repair tool.
The turf repair tool component of the present device is rod-like and has a hairpin-like configuration or shape. The hairpin shape has a base portion and two arms. A section of the hairpin shape proximate the base is indented or constricted to form a loop in the base portion of the hairpin shape. The arms are relatively parallel and extend away from the constriction section and each terminates in a blunt end. The loop section of the repair tool lies in a single plane, and the ball marker is removably attachable to the loop section from either side of the plane of the loop section. The outer surface of the rod-like shaped may serve as a message display surface where a promotional or advertising message may be displayed. The message may be printed, stamped, engraved or the like on the outer surface of the turf repair tool, for example, on the arms or the loop section.
The turf repair tool is constructed of a safety material. The safety material should be non-magnetic so as to not compromise any magnetic sensitive media (e.g., a credit card or a computer disk) that it may come in proximity with. Also, the safety material should be light weight and relatively soft, such as a plastic or relatively soft, light weight metal. Aluminum, plastic, brass, copper and any soft, non-magnetic metal are examples of materials that can be used to practice the present invention.
The arms of the repair tool have a reach dimension. The reach dimension is the length of the arm from the constriction section to the terminal end of the arm. The reach dimension ranges from about 4 centimeters to about 7 centimeters, depending on the physical characteristics of the material used to construct the tool, the intended function of the tool (deep turf repair versus shallow), and the desired degree of personal portability for the tool. The terminal ends of the arms are blunted to avoid damage to clothing and the like when the present device is carried on one""s person.
The turf repair tool is rod-like having a substantially uniform cross-section. The cross-section of a turf tool has a cross-sectional dimension ranging from about 2 millimeters to about 5 millimeters. The size of the cross-section depends primarily on the material of which the tool is constructed. Weaker materials may require the tool to have a larger cross-section to provide sufficient structural integrity to the tool to reduce or prevent its bending or breaking in use. Typically, the turf repair tool has a cross-sectional configuration that is substantially circular in shape. However, other shapes, such as ovals, squares, oblongs and the like are also practicable in the present invention. The hairpin shaped repair tool has an overall length from the base to the tool to the blunt ends of the arms ranging from about 7 centimeters to about 10 centimeters.
The ball marker of the present invention has a wafer shape with a front surface and a back surface. The front surface of the ball marker includes a message display surface. An advertising or promotional message may be displayed on the message surface by printing, molding, embossing or adhering the message to the message surface. The back surface of the ball marker is where the attachment means is disposed for attaching the ball marker to the loop section of the turf repair tool. The attachment means is comprised of a set of detent posts integrally disposed on the back surface of the ball marker. The detent posts not only serve as an attachment mechanism between the repair tool and the ball marker, the posts also serve as an anchor post for engaging the turf when the ball marker is removed from the turf tool and used to mark a golf ball location on a green. The height of the post (how far they extend away from the back surface of the ball marker) may be selected to provide the degree of purchase or anchoring of the ball marker with the turf as desired. The longer the posts, the greater the purchase or anchoring. Optionally, a specific anchor post may be included on the back surface of the ball marker, in addition to the detent posts.
The attachment means set of detent post was specifically developed for practice in the present invention. The set of detent posts comprises at least one inner detent post and at least two outer detent posts. One or more inner detent posts contact and receive the turf repair tool on at a surface inside of the loop section of the tool, proximate the base. At least two outer detent posts contact and receive the repair tool at its surface outside of the loop, proximate to and one detent on either side of the constriction section. The described configuration of the locations of the detent posts was specifically designed to be practiced on the repair tool of the present invention. The present attachment means design proved to be functional even when other designs failed due to distortion of the hairpin shape or spreading of the arms of the repair tool with continuing use. In fact, the disclosed design provided to help maintain the proper spatial relationship between of the arms of the tool. The practice of alternative attachment means in the present invention by one of ordinary skill in the art must take the same functional requirements into consideration. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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There is a need for a fence panel installation system that is allows one person to easily install fence panels in a fence.
It is difficult and time consuming for a single person to install fence panels and their support brackets. Panels are heavy, awkward, and hard to align in the brackets. When installing brackets, there is nothing to hold them in place while measuring, centering, leveling, drilling, and tightening screws.
Current fence panel installation systems do not solve the problems. Nothing currently exists to hold the fence panel brackets in place while installing them to fence posts having various widths. In addition, there is nothing made to also lift, move, stabilize, or align panels prior to installation.
There still is a need for a fence post installation system that is allows one person to easily, accurately, and quickly install fence posts. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to cutting boards that are used for cutting food items and ingredients.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Cutting boards are commonly used for food preparation and provide an acceptable cutting surface that does not cause dulling of knives and prevents food from slipping on the cutting surface. Conventional cutting boards are usually wooden boards that a user would use to cut different types of food. Unfortunately, this could lead to cross-contamination. For example, raw vegetables should not be prepared on the same surface as uncooked meat. Cooked meats should not be sliced on surfaces that have been exposed to raw meat. Ideally, different surfaces should be used for different food preparation tasks, but it is expensive and inconvenient to purchase and use multiple cutting boards for use.
Efforts have been made to address this problem. One approach has been to provide replaceable cutting surfaces for a cutting board, such as those shown and described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,984,294 and 6,651,970. Another approach has been to provide multiple cutting boards within a cutting board assembly, such as those shown and described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,036,809 and 7,125,011, and U.S. Pub. Nos. 2004/0217533, 2003/0067105 and 2002/0195763.
Thus, there still remains a need for providing multiple surfaces for a cutting board assembly in a manner which is cost-effective, and convenient to use. | {
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This invention relates to the separation of organic compounds having closely related boiling points which as a result are difficult to separate. More particularly it relates to an established process for separating such close boiling compounds, i.e., extractive distillation. Even more particularly the invention relates to furfural extractive distillations.
Basically extractive distillation involves distilling the mixture to be separated in the presence of a relatively higher boiling solvent which is selective for a component of the mixture. Extractive distillations are in general performed by causing the solvent to flow down the distillation column as the distillation proceeds, and as vapors ascend from the kettle at the bottom of the column. Thus the vapors are scrubbed by the solvent in a first zone, which selectively dissolves the more soluble component and the resulting fat solvent is partially stripped in a second zone by vapor coming from the distillation kettle and having a higher temperature than the vapor in the first zone. As in ordinary distillation a portion of the overhead product is returned to the distillation column after condensation as reflux, the reflux inlet being positioned several plates above the solvent feed entry. The component dissolved by the solvent may be removed from the solvent by distillation or any other suitable means in order to produce a lean solvent which may be recycled to the extractive distillation.
Extractive distillation is used extensively in the commercial separation of hydrocarbons having 4 to 5 carbons, more particularly the analogues of a particular class of hydrocarbons in this range. For example, C.sub.4 hydrocarbon analogues comprising one or more of butadiene, butenes and butanes. The more unsaturated compound in the mixture is more soluble in the solvent, hence the solvent is selective for the more unsaturated compound of the mixture being separated. Thus in the example given, the normal extractive distillation selectively removes butadiene from the vapors having a mixture of butadiene, butenes and butanes. In a similar manner the C.sub.5 hydrocarbons are selectively separated. The same selective solubility relationship applies between the butenes and butane if these are the components of the mixture with the butenes being selectively dissolved in the solvent.
The sources of the C.sub.4 -C.sub.5 hydrocarbons are quite diverse such as oxidative dehydrogenation, catalytic or thermal cracking, Fisher-Tropsch reactions and other sources well known to the art. Generally in addition to the hydrocarbons, there are other condensable and non-condensable gases in the feed streams. Thus, the extractive distillation is usually one portion or segment of an overall refining operation which is directed to obtaining one or more of the hydrocarbon components of the feed as product.
There are a number of variations in process equipment and solvent systems proposed in the art and in existence. Foremost among the solvents disclosed in the art and employed in commercial operations is furfural. Furfural may be so prevalent because of its availability and low cost as well as its excellent absorptive separative properties. In any event a large number of existing operations are designed and operated for furfural solvents, similarly a vast amount of technical information has been accumulated in regard to furfural systems. The principal effort of the art in regard to furfural solvent systems has been to improve the efficiency of the system by modification of the manner of operation and not a great deal of success has been achieved in modifying the solvent system to improve the operation of the system. One widely recognized modification of furfural is the addition of minor amounts of polar, lower boiling materials to the furfural, such as water, methanol, ethanol, propanol, acetaldehyde, acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, ether, propyl ether, ethylene dichloride, ethyl acetate, methyl formate, and the like. Water and similar materials are not cosolvents and serve other purposes in the process, principally in regard to providing lower temperatures for stripping solublized hydrocarbon out of the furfural and improving the preferential selectivity of furfural.
A particular problem encountered in adding cosolvents or non-solvents to the furfural system is a possible detriment to solvent selectivity and capacity. It has been found that the addition of most materials, even other solvents to the furfural acts in the same manner as the solvation of hydrocarbon therein, hence reducing the solvent capacity of the furfural.
Another problem relating to the use of cosolvents is the potential for reaction between furfural and the proposed cosolvent. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,366,360 to Semon, discloses a number of selective solvents for butadiene such as nitrobutane, nitrobenzene, aniline, dichlorodiethyl ether, ethylene chlorhydrin, dioxane, crotonaldehyde, alpha-ethyl hexanol, cyclohexanone, acetaphenone, mesityl oxide, diethyl oxalate and the like which may be substituted for furfural. The unknowing may misinterpret this teaching to mean that these materials may be partially substituted for furfural. To so misinterpret Semon's teaching can be hazardous. The first substitute disclosed by Semon, i.e., nitrobutane, reacts with carbonyl compounds, such as furfural, to yield unstable nitro alcohols, H. B. Hass and E. F. Riley, Chem. Rev. 32, 373 - 430 (1943). The second member of Semon's list, nitrobenzene exhibits similar properties. The third member of the Semon listing, aniline is also reactive with furfural, at room temperatures to yield anils (Schiffs bases).
It is an object of this invention to provide a furfural cosolvent system for extractive distillation which is more efficient than the corresponding furfural system. Another object is to provide a furfural-cosolvent system with no diminution of selectivity for the more unsaturated hydrocarbon than the corresponding furfural system. Another object is to provide a furfural-cosolvent system which can be operable in present furfural equipment. An additional object is to provide a furfural-cosolvent system which will tolerate water in about the same proportions as furfural alone. These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following discussion. | {
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1. Field of the Invention:
This invention relates to corsage frames. In one aspect, the invention relates to corsage frames which can readily be prefabricated and maintained in inventory until required for use. In another aspect, the present invention relates to corsage frames which can be repeatedly used by mere substitution of fresh flowers. In yet another aspect, the present invention relates to a multi-flower corsage frame which can be modified to a single flower corsage frame without damage to the original multi-flower frame.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
The making of corsages is a tedious, time consuming practice required of every full-service florist. This is particularly true when a large number of corsages must be assembled for a community event, such as a school prom, or on special occassions, such as Mother's Day. In an effort to overcome the difficulties of corsage making, numerous corsage frames have been proposed by the prior art. However, such prefabricated frames have not been well accepted by the florists because of the difficulty of maintaining the flower on the frame. For example, a major concern of the florist is that the flowers of the corsage will become detached when the wearer is at a dance or prolonged party. Further, the prefabricated frames of the prior art are not readily adapted to be used with any flower, whether same be a carnation, a rose, an iris, or a hybrid or cymbidium orchid. In addition, most of the prior art frames are not constructed in a manner to provide a custom design appearance, thus causing the florist to spend much time and materials to substantially modify the prefabricated frame prior to use. | {
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While Computer-Tomographic(CT)-based Computer Assisted Surgery (CAS) systems are widely known in the art, CT-less CAS systems are slowly emerging as the technology of choice for North America and Europe. It is desirable to cut down the pre-operative time a surgeon must spend to prepare a surgery. It is also desirable to provide applications that can use other media than CT-scans, when these are not available. The CT-less system reduces pre-operative time and instrument calibration time, especially in simple surgeries, and in the case of more complex surgeries, the CT-less system can be combined with CT-based applications.
A CT-less intra-operative bone reconstruction system advantageously provides a surgeon with visual confirmation of the tasks he is performing during the surgery. In pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/345,403 to the present applicant, there is described a method and system for intra-operatively presenting an approximate model of an anatomical structure by collecting a cloud of small surfaces. The cloud of small surfaces is gathered with a registration pointer having an adapted tip capable of making contact with the surface of an anatomical structure and registering the normal at the point of contact. Reconstructing and registering anatomical structures intra-operatively is at the core of CT-less CAS systems.
When performing surgery to the lower limbs, it is important to determine the mechanical axis of the leg. The mechanical axis refers to the axis formed by a line drawn from the center of the femoral head to the center of the knee joint and a line drawn from the center of the knee joint to the center of the ankle joint. In perfectly aligned leg, the mechanical axis forms a straight line.
Determining the mechanical axis of a leg comprises locating the center of the femoral head. It is known in the art of computer-assisted surgery to locate the center of the femoral head by dynamically registering the relative position of the femur while rotating the proximal end in a circular pattern. However, this technique is vulnerable to noise, thereby affecting the quality of the readings by the position sensing system. The level of accuracy obtained also varies depending on how long the rotation is maintained for and with how much precision the system can register the points while the bone is in motion. Furthermore, the motion of the femur for the registration process may cause the hipbone to move and this can introduce further errors into the measurements.
Detecting the femoral head is a crucial process that will influence the end result of the surgery. There is therefore a need to develop a system and method of femoral head detection that overcomes the drawbacks of the state of the art and guarantees a certain level of accuracy. | {
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In recent years tremendous technological strides have been made in the area of high capacity memory storage. Such strides are best illustrated by semiconductor memory systems utilizing field effect transistors to store information therein in the form of capacitive charges. Such memories have great potential for use in inexpensive large capacity memory systems due to their small size, low power consumption and ease of fabrication as integrated circuits. However, this type of memory suffers from the disadvantage that the capacitive storage of information is essentially volatile and, accordingly, must be periodically restored or refreshed in order to maintain the viability of the stored information. Moreover, because such memories are often formed by combining a plurality of chips into arrays to form a plurality of memory planes, numerous decoders are required to indicate the column and row of the desired chip as well as the column and row of the desired cell in the chip to which access is desired. Because of the complexity of the semiconductor memories, the access circuits utilized to control access to the memories are also hard to diagnose. However, to ensure the operability of a semiconductor memory system, effective diagnosis must be made of the control circuitry therein to ensure that such control circuitry is applying the proper control signals to the semiconductor memory arrays. Several prior art arrangements as discussed below have been designed to diagnose such memories.
In one prior art arrangement as disclosed in J. A. Weisbecker U.S. Pat. No. 3,599,146, issued Aug. 10, 1971, each word stored in the semiconductor memory contained a parity bit indicating the parity over the address at which that word was stored. By first computing the actual parity over the outputs from the address register, and then by comparing that computed parity with the parity bit in the retrieved word, it could be ascertained whether the memory had been accessed at the proper address. This arrangement appears to be effective; however, the use of the memory for storage of additional diagnostic information is costly and the arrangement is limited to detecting addressing errors.
In another prior art arrangement disclosed in C. M. Nibby U.S. Pat. No. 3,814,922, issued June 4, 1974, a maintenance status register and associated apparatus were utilized to identify and store information relating to errors arising in a semiconductor memory module. This arrangement produced error correcting code signals for stored information, which code signals were also stored in the memory module. These stored error correcting code signals were then combined with the information signals to form a group of location identifying signals. This arrangement appears to be effective but like the abovementioned Weisbecker arrangement, the storage of diagnostic information is costly and, moreover it appears that complicated logic operations are required to detect malfunctions.
It is an object of this invention to perform effective and thorough, yet simple, diagnostic operations on the access circuits utilized to acess memory elements without storing any related diagnostic information in the memory; however, diagnostic information such as parity information may still be stored in the memory for use in other diagnostic operations.
It is a further object of this invention to perform such diagnostics on a noninterfering basis so that the error-free operation of the access circuits is verified without interfering with normal memory utilization.
It is a further object of this invention to use the refresh operation in semiconductor memories as a diagnostic tool. | {
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The process industry uses a variety of devices to monitor and control industrial processes. Such devices include process variable transmitters, process actuators, process alarm devices, and process control modules.
Process variable transmitters are used to monitor process variables associated with industrial processes. Such variables include pressure, temperature, flow, level, pH, turbidity, density, concentration, chemical composition and other properties. Process actuators are used to control valves, pumps, heaters, agitators, solenoids, vents, and other such devices. Process alarm devices are used to remotely monitor a specific process variable provided by a process variable transmitter, among other things, and provide an alarm if the process variable deviates unacceptably from the process norm. Process control modules receive information related to the process from process variable transmitters, perform analyses upon the received process information and initiate corrective action through process actuators. Generally, a process control module is located in a control room to facilitate user interaction.
Due to the volatile nature of the process field environment, process devices should not generate a spark that could couple to and ignite explosive atmospheres and flammable material. Process devices generally satisfy this design criteria by either having explosion-proof housings as specified in NEC Sections 500-503, dated 1996, or by having intrinsically safe circuits. When a process device is intrinsically safe, it operates on such low power levels that it is generally not able to generate a spark with enough energy to cause ignition even under fault conditions. This design criteria is further complicated by the fact that additional external power sources are often not available to power a process device in the field. Thus, the process device must rely upon power supplied from the process loop itself while being either explosion-proof or intrinsically safe. Low power process devices are able to meet intrinsic safety criteria while still operating solely upon power received from a process control loop.
In the process industry, rapid and reliable communication between the process devices is very important. In the past, such communication involved a process variable transmitter controlling the amount of current flowing through a process control loop based upon a process variable. Current was supplied from a current source in the control room and the process variable transmitter controlled the amount of current from its location in the field. For example, a 4 milliamp (mA) signal could be used to indicate a zero reading while a 20 mA could be used to indicate a full-scale reading. As technology progresses, there is an ever-increasing demand to provide more and more information about the process and the process devices themselves.
Foundation(trademark) Fieldbus and Profibus-PA (referred to collectively as fieldbus) are multi-drop serial digital communications protocols intended for connecting field instruments and other process devices such as monitoring and simulation units in process control systems. The physical layer of the fieldbus protocols are defined by Instrument Society of America standard ISA-S50.02-1992, and its draft 2 extension dated 1995; or IEC 1158-2 dated 1993. Fieldbus allows enhanced digital communication over previous process control loop methods while maintaining the ability to power process devices coupled to the fieldbus loop and while meeting intrinsic safety requirements.
The introduction of fieldbus initially provided a digital process loop capable of allowing communication at 31,250 bits/second. Later, revisions of fieldbus allow 1 megabit/second and 2.5 megabits/second rates of digital serial communication. Other communications rates are also contemplated.
Fieldbus now provides significant capabilities for digitally communicating immense amounts of process data. Thus, there is a continuing need to develop process devices capable of maximizing fieldbus communication effectiveness while minimizing power consumption, cost, and device size.
A method and apparatus are provided to allow at least portions of two fieldbus messages to be stored in a fieldbus device. The fieldbus device includes a media access unit, a fieldbus communication controller, and a controller. The media access unit is coupleable to a fieldbus loop to receive fieldbus signals and provide a digital bitstream related to the fieldbus signals. The fieldbus communication controller assembles data segments relating to at least portions of two fieldbus messages from the bitstream and stores the segments in a receive FIFO memory. The controller is adapted to read the segments from the receive FIFO memory and act upon fieldbus messages. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to the preparation of mono-olefins by catalytic dehydrogenation of paraffinic hydrocarbons. In particular, the invention concerns certain improvements of industrial dehydrogenation processes for the preparation of mono-alkenes from corresponding alkanes having the same number of carbon atoms.
2. Description of the Related Art
The general reaction scheme in those processes can be expressed by the equilibrium reaction EQU C.sub.n H.sub.2n+2 .revreaction.C.sub.n H.sub.2n +H.sub.2 ( 1),
which is thermodynamically unfavourable towards formation of alkenes. Because of the high energy required to cleave a C--H bond, the reaction takes place at high temperature with extensive thermocracking and combustion of hydrocarbon feed. To minimize formation of by-products at desired production rates, industrial dehydrogenation processes employ catalysts, which allow the above equilibrium reaction to proceed at lower temperatures. Catalysts, conventionally used in the processes, are supported platinum catalysts, or catalysts comprising chromic oxide impregnated on activated alumina and platinum-tin-zinc aluminate in the form of cylindrical or spherical pellets.
An essential process variable in the catalytic dehydrogenation process is pressure. Since the process is thermodynamically limited, reduced pressure results in increased equilibrium conversion. Thus, a higher alkene concentration can be obtained when removing gaseous hydrogen from the process gas leaving reaction (1).
Oxidative hydrogen removal from dehydrogenated or oxygenated hydrocarbon feed in presence of a catalyst or a hydrogen retention agent is known in the art.
Removal of hydrogen by contact with a dehydrogenation catalyst being capable of adsorbing hydrogen is mentioned in EP 543,535. At the disclosed process, the feed is contacted with the catalyst above 500.degree. C. and hydrogen being formed during dehydrogenation is adsorbed on the catalyst. Catalysts, being able to adsorb hydrogen, are reducible metal oxides selected from Group IB, IIB and VIII of the Periodic Table. The hydrogen adsorbed on the catalyst is, subsequently, removed by applying heat, vacuum or by contact with an oxygen containing gas.
Dehydrogenation of hydrocarbons in separate beds of a dehydrogenation catalyst or in intermediate beds with a hydrogen selective oxidation catalyst is mentioned in U.S. Pat. No. 4,599,471 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,739,124. During the above processes, a dehydrogenated effluent stream from a bed of dehydrogenated catalyst is reheated and hydrogen is removed by passage through a subsequent bed of the hydrogen selective oxidation catalyst.
Use of alternating dehydrogenation and oxidation catalyst layers is further described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,855,330, U.S. Pat. No. 4,435,607 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,418,237. Formed hydrogen in the product gas is, thereby, removed by reaction with oxygen to steam in the presence of an oxidation catalyst.
In the known hydrogen removal processes, the employed catalysts are supported on highly porous inorganic support of alumina or ceria.
It has now been observed that catalyst activity and selectivity during catalytic hydrogen oxidation is limited by diffusion of reactants on the catalyst surface. Activity and selectivity of the catalysts are, thereby, strongly influenced by the number and size of surface pores. It has further been observed that even small changes in porosity of the catalyst surface result in considerable changes in activity and selectivity. Thereby, oxidation catalysts supported on highly porous support material show low selectivity at high temperatures.
In the dehydrogenation of alkanes, it is, however, required to carry out the process at high temperatures to provide practical dehydrogenation rates. At lower temperatures, the dehydrogenation equilibrium is, as mentioned before, unfavourable for the desired production of alkenes.
It has now been found that catalysts selected from the group of noble metals either in their pure metallic form or as alloys show improved catalytic activity and selectivity for the reaction of hydrogen with oxygen in a dehydrogenated carbonhydride process stream at high temperatures, when being used in their massive form.
Based on the above observations, it is believed that the low porosity of massive catalysts counteracts diffusion limitations and suppresses cracking and oxidation of carbonhydrates in such process gas. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field
Embodiments of the invention generally relate to a method and apparatus for encapsulating an organic light emitting diode.
2. Description of the Related Art
Organic light emitting diode (OLED) displays have gained significant interest recently in display applications due to their faster response time, larger viewing angles, higher contrast, lighter weight, low power and amenability to flexible substrates such as compared to liquid crystal displays (LCD). However, OLED structures may have a limited lifetime, characterized by a decrease in electroluminescence efficiency and an increase in drive voltage. A main reason for the degradation of OLED structures is the formation of non-emissive dark spots due to moisture or oxygen ingress. For this reason, OLED structures are typically encapsulated by an organic layer sandwiched between inorganic layers. The organic layer is utilized to fill any voids or defects in the first inorganic layer such that the second inorganic layer has a substantially uniform surface or deposition.
FIGS. 1A-C illustrate a conventional process for depositing the encapsulating layers, typically including a first inorganic layer 106 (shown as 106a and 106b), an organic layer 108 (shown as 108a and 108b) and a second inorganic layer 116 (shown as 116a and 116b). The process begins by aligning a first mask 109 over a substrate 100 such that an OLED structure 104 is exposed through an opening 107 unprotected by the mask 109, as shown in FIG. 1A. The first mask 109 defines the opening 107 having a distance 110 from the OLED structure 104 to the edge of the first mask 109. The first mask 109 is typically made from a metal material, such as INVAR®. As illustrated in FIG. 1A, the first mask 109 is utilized to pattern the first inorganic layer 106 (shown as 106a, 106b), such as silicon nitride or aluminum oxide, over the OLED structure 104. The first mask 109 is positioned such that a portion 105 of a contact layer 102 adjacent to the OLED structure 104 is covered by the first mask 109 so that the inorganic layer 106 does not deposit on that portion 105. As illustrated in FIG. 1B, the first mask 109 is removed and replaced by a second mask 114 having an opening 111 smaller than the opening 107 of the first mask 109. The second mask 114 defines the opening 111 having a distance 112, which is shorter than the distance 110 as defined by the first mask 109, from the OLED structure 104 to the edge of the second mask 114. By utilizing the second mask 114, an organic layer 108 (shown as 108a, 108b) is deposited over the first inorganic layer 106. As the second mask 114 has the opening 111 smaller than the first mask 109, the organic layer 108 does not completely cover the underlying inorganic layer 106. The encapsulation of the OLED structure 104 is finished by depositing at least a second inorganic layer 116 (shown as 116a and 116b) over the top of the exposed portion of the first inorganic layer 106 and the organic layer 108 utilizing the first mask 109 as illustrated in FIG. 1C. The second inorganic layer 116 fully encapsulates the organic layer 108 with the first inorganic layer 106, thereby encapsulating the OLED structure 104 while leaving the portion 105 of the contact layer 102 exposed.
The conventional process flow described above has significant challenges preventing commercially viable scaling for use with larger area substrates, such as substrates having a top plan area greater than about 1,500 centimeters square. For example, the two metal masks 109, 114 required for implementing the above described process for such large area substrates are very expensive, and may each exceed $40,000.00 in cost. Additionally, very tight alignment tolerance of each metal mask 109, 114 to the OLED structure 104 is required, generally within 100 μm. As these masks 109, 114 often exceed one meter in length, the masks 109, 114 undergo significant thermal expansion when heated from ambient temperatures to processing temperatures of about 80 degrees Celsius. This significant thermal expansion provides a major challenge for OLED fabricators as to how to prevent alignment loss between the openings 107, 111 formed through the masks 109, 114 and the OLED structure 104. Loss of alignment may result in incomplete encapsulation of the OLED structure 104, which in turn leads to shortened life and diminished performance of the OLED device 104.
Therefore, an improved method and apparatus for encapsulating an OLED structure is needed. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The present application relates to capacitive microphones with a sealed gap between the capacitor's conductive plates, and more particularly to capacitive Micro-machined Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) microphones with a sealed gap for receipt of air-mediated sound.
Note that the points discussed below may reflect the hindsight gained from the disclosed innovative scope, and are not necessarily admitted to be prior art.
Microphones in consumer devices generally comprise pressure compensated MEMS microphones and pressure compensated electret microphones. An overview of pressure compensated microphones—that is, microphones which do not have a sealed gap—is provided below.
FIG. 1 schematically shows a cross-section of an example of a pressure compensated MEMS microphone 100. As shown in FIG. 1, a pressure compensated MEMS microphone 100 comprises an acoustic sensor 102 fabricated on a semiconductor substrate 104, the acoustic sensor 102 comprising a moveable, suspended membrane 106 (a vibrating plate) and a fixed sensor back plate 108. The back plate 108 is a stiff structure comprising perforations 110 that allow air to easily move through the back plate 108. Both the membrane 106 and the back plate 108 are connected to the substrate 104. The membrane 106 is located between the back plate 108 and the substrate 104, with a cavity 112 (a “gap”) between the membrane 106 and the back plate 108. The perforations 110 enable pressure compensation of the gap 112, that is, they equalize the pressure on each side of the back plate 108. The membrane 106 is suspended over a front chamber 114 formed in the substrate 104.
The vibrating plate in a microphone can be called a membrane or a radiation plate, depending on the ratio between the radius and thickness of the membrane or radiation plate, as further described with respect to FIG. 3.
The substrate 104 is mounted on a carrier 116, which can be, for example, a lead frame or a printed circuit board. There is also a back chamber 118, which is surrounded by the carrier 116 and an enclosure 120 (e.g., a metal casing). An integrated circuit 122 for charging electrodes attached to the membrane 106 and the back plate 108, and for the interpreting the signal produced by the acoustic sensor 102, is coupled to the membrane 106 and the back plate 108 by wire bonds 124. A soldering pad 126 coupled to the integrated circuit 122 enables external input to and output from (e.g., power and signal, respectively) the microphone 100.
The membrane 106 is a thin solid structure made of a compliant (not stiff) material, such as a perforated solid material suitable for micromachining, that flexes in response to changes in air pressure caused by sound waves passed by the perforations 110 in the back plate 108. The membrane 106 does not fully seal the gap 112. Also, perforations in the membrane 106 (not shown) increase the membrane's 106 responsiveness to air-mediated sound waves by reducing membrane 106 stiffness (increasing flexibility), and by helping to equalize pressure on both sides of the membrane 106 (the side facing the back plate 108 and the side facing the substrate 104). As described above, the perforations 110 in the back plate 108 enable pressure compensation of the gap 112. In pressure compensated MEMS microphones 100 (and similarly in pressure compensated electret microphones 200, described below), the air pressure in the gap 112 is equal to the ambient static pressure, that is, the atmospheric pressure (thus the description “pressure compensated”). A pressure compensated gap 112 enables a more flexible membrane 106, because a static pressure difference between the gap-facing and substrate-facing sides of the membrane 106 is reduced. This means that there is effectively no static force against the membrane 106 due to air pressure.
The “ambient” is the medium (acoustic environment) through which acoustic waves are conducted to intersect a membrane, causing the membrane to vibrate, resulting in a signal being emitted from the microphone. For example, in microphones included in smartphones, the relevant ambient will generally be the atmosphere (air). As used herein, an “airborne” microphone is defined as a microphone for which the primary intended ambient is air.
FIG. 2 schematically shows a cross-section of an example of a pressure compensated electret microphone 200. An electret is a stable dielectric material with a permanently embedded stable electric dipole moment—that is, a permanently polarized piece of dielectric material. An electret microphone is a type of electrostatic capacitor-based microphone which uses an electret, and can thereby avoid using a polarizing power supply (used in a MEMS microphone 100 to apply charge to electrodes).
As shown in FIG. 2, an electret microphone 200 comprises an acoustic sensor 202, which in turn comprises an electret membrane 204 (e.g., a polymer electret membrane 204). A front chamber 206 is located on a front chamber 206 side (a first side) of the electret membrane 204. The front chamber 206 side of the electret membrane is electroded, and is clamped to a metal washer 208 at the electret membrane's 204 rim. The electret membrane 204 is separated from a back plate 210 to create a gap 212 on a gap 212 side (a second side) of the electret membrane 204. A constant gap 212 height is maintained by, for example, plastic washers 214. The back plate 210 comprises perforations 216 so that the gap 212 is pressure compensated. An amplifying transistor 218 is fixedly coupled to a carrier 220 (e.g., a lead frame or printed circuit board), and the amplifying transistor's 218 gate pin is coupled by a wire 222 to the back plate 210. The connection between the amplifying transistor 218 and the back plate 210 conveys received signal from the acoustic sensor 202 to the amplifying transistor 218. The amplifying transistor 218 interprets the signal produced by the acoustic sensor 202. The carrier 220 is coupled to the back plate 210 by a casing 224 (e.g., plastic casing). The carrier 220 is also fixedly coupled to a housing 226 (e.g., a metal housing), which holds the carrier 220, the casing 224, and the acoustic sensor 202. This coupling also electrically connects the electret membrane 204 and a source lead 228 of the amplifying transistor 218. A hole 230 in the housing 226, located proximate to the front chamber 206, gives acoustic waves access to the electret membrane 204. The hole 230 and the front chamber 206 are covered by a dust cover 232, which does not seal the electret microphone 200. That is, air, as well as humidity and other contaminants, can access the interior of the electret microphone 200. Contamination can be mitigated, but not prevented, by the dust cover 232. The transistor 218 is located in a back chamber 234. The back chamber 234 is also proximate to the back plate 210 on a side of the back plate 210 distant from the gap 212. To maintain pressure compensation, the back chamber 234 is not sealed. Access to the source lead 224 and a drain lead 236 of the amplifying transistor 218 are provided at an outer surface of the carrier 220 (a surface distant from the back chamber 234) to enable external electrical connections for signal acquisition.
MEMS microphones 100 and electret microphones 200 detect sound by placing a fixed charge across the gap 112, 212, and measuring voltage variations caused by changes in the capacitance between the membrane 106, 204 and the back plate 108, 206 as a result of the membrane 106, 204 flexing in response to sound waves. MEMS microphones 100 apply the fixed charge using a bias voltage, and electret microphones 200 induce a fixed charge using an electret.
Typically, MEMS microphones 100 used in mobile phones are biased at 10 volts to 14 volts DC, generated using voltage doubler circuits to produce the appropriate voltage from a battery supply outputting 1.8 volts to 3.6 volts.
Typical electrets used in microphones are made of dielectric materials such as polymers used as membrane 204 material, or silicon oxide or silicon nitride in the back plate 210. Electrets can trap electrical charge in their bulk material or on their surface. Circuits including an electret are generally terminated using a terminating impedance. When the surfaces of an electret layer are properly electrically terminated, the trapped charge can yield, for example, a total charge corresponding to (which can be modeled as) a bias voltage of 150 to 200 volts polarizing the gap 212.
As discussed, pressure compensation means that the gap is open to ambient air in order to equalize gap pressure with ambient atmospheric pressure. A pressure compensated gap is therefore vulnerable to contamination by dirt, humidity or other foreign matter carried by the air that moves to and through it. Contamination of the gap can compromise microphone performance due to clogged gap vents, back plate perforations, and/or membrane holes, which cause noise. Membrane hole contamination reduces membrane compliance, which corresponds to a loss in microphone sensitivity. Also, material buildup in the gap can lower gap height, also lowering microphone sensitivity.
Signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is the main competitive performance issue in the commercial microphone market, which encompasses microphones for devices such as smartphones, in-ear headphones and hearing aides. Typically, the SNR of commercial MEMS microphones ranges between 55 and 65 dB for a sensor area of approximately 1 mm2. In microphones, SNR is measured when the input acoustic signal level is 94 dBA. The unit dBA refers to A-weighted decibels, which accounts for the human ear's different perception of loudness at different frequencies.
SNR is defined as the ratio of: the root-mean-square (rms) voltage across the terminals of the microphone, when the microphone is placed on a rigid baffle and a free field pressure wave of 1 Pa rms amplitude at 1 kHz frequency is incident on the microphone; to the rms voltage across the terminals of the microphone, filtered using A-weighted filters, when the microphone is completely isolated from any sound sources, such as in an anechoic chamber. The sound level at 0 dBA, which corresponds to about 20 μPa rms, is accepted as the hearing threshold of the human ear (though clinically measured threshold levels are much louder). The maximum possible SNR is about 94 dB, because the inherent noise induced by acoustic radiation physics (the radiation resistance, described below, which provides a generally-applicable noise floor) is about 0 dBA in a microphone with 1 mm2 area.
A rigid baffle is an infinite, perfectly reflecting surface around the boundary of an acoustic aperture of a microphone. If a microphone is mounted on a rigid baffle, the incoming acoustic wave will create twice the free field pressure on the microphone's vibrating element that it would in empty space.
Noise in a microphone, which reduces the maximum possible SNR of the microphone, predominantly comes from one of three sources: radiation resistance of the membrane; mechanical losses caused by molecular friction in the material of vibrating parts, and/or by macroscopic friction of mechanical parts in the microphone moving against each other; and in pressure compensated microphones, mechanical losses caused by fluid friction, including the friction of air moving through perforations (holes) in a membrane or substrate, and the squeezed film friction effect in the gap. There can be other losses, such as electrical energy loss from dielectric loss in the insulator layer. Some pressure compensated MEMS microphones have a noise floor of about 30 dBA, with pressure compensation contributing most of this noise. The noise floors in pressure compensated electret microphones are generally higher than in comparable MEMS microphones.
Radiation resistance is the real component of radiation impedance (a complex number). Radiation impedance relates to Newton's third law of motion: every action has a reaction of equal magnitude and in the opposite direction. A transmitting acoustic transducer (such as a loudspeaker) applies a force onto the medium (pushes the medium, such as air, to and fro) at its aperture during transmission. The medium also exerts a reaction force on the transducer surface. The reaction force is equal to the product of the velocity of the transducer surface (the aperture) and the radiation impedance. Radiation impedance is a complex number with two components: radiation resistance (the real component) and radiation reactance (the imaginary component). Part of the reaction force, corresponding to the radiation resistance, generates acoustic waves, which radiate out from the aperture into the medium. The energy comprising the radiated acoustic waves (corresponding to the radiation resistance) is lost with respect to the transducer (the transducer does not recover the energy used to create the acoustic waves).
Acoustic transmission and acoustic reception are reciprocal phenomena. Therefore, radiation impedance is also present in acoustic reception (microphones). Radiation resistance is a source of noise in acoustic reception. The noise generated by radiation resistance is the noise floor of a 100% efficient microphone with no other sources of mechanical or electrical energy loss.
When an acoustic wave is incident on the microphone membrane, the acoustic field energy is included in the transduction and a force is applied on the membrane surface, which moves the membrane. The reaction force of the membrane, applied onto the medium (the ambient), is equal to the product of the radiation impedance and the velocity of the membrane. The incident acoustic energy is first partly dissipated by the resistive part of the radiation impedance. Remaining energy is then available to the transduction mechanism (that is, acoustic reception in a microphone). Radiation resistance is an energy dissipative factor in transduction, and therefore generates noise during reception.
The squeeze film effect refers to two consequences of air periodically squeezed between a vibrating membrane and a static substrate: (1) increasing air pressure forces air to escape from the gap through available outlets, e.g. holes, causing friction, which dissipates (loses) energy; and (2) increasing air pressure in the gap increases the temperature of the temporarily compressed (squeezed) air (following Gay-Lussac's Law), which causes energy loss by converting mechanical energy into heat.
Some typical integrated commercial MEMS microphones used in mobile phones are operated with a dc bias voltage of 10-14 volts, with an approximately 28-30 dBA noise floor in their audio bandwidth. This amount of self noise corresponds to an SNR of 66 dB or less at the transducer output before pre-amplification, when the incident signal level is 1 Pa. Such commercial MEMS microphones typically have about −38 dB re V/Pa maximum OCRV (open circuit receive voltage) sensitivity.
A Capacitive Micromachined Ultrasonic Transducer (CMUT) is a capacitive transducer. CMUTs can be used to transmit and receive ultrasonics. CMUTs have a wide bandwidth in water and in a frequency range near their first (lowest) resonance frequency. Microphones generally have many resonances. At a resonance, the amount of applied force, external pressure or electromechanical force required to induce high-amplitude vibration of the membrane is reduced. Ultrasonic transducers (such as CMUTs) are usually operated near their first resonance frequency. This enables the transducers to be highly sensitive; however, for efficient transmission and/or reception to be maintained, the transducer will have either a narrow operation bandwidth, or increased internal loss and consequent increased noise (lower SNR). Internal loss is power loss, and is the sum of power lost through mechanical and electrical energy loss mechanisms other than radiation resistance.
In some examples, CMUTs can have a pressure compensated gap, resulting in a compliant radiation plate and a relatively wide bandwidth. In some examples, CMUTs can have a sealed gap, resulting in low internal loss (in some examples, less than their radiation resistance in air). CMUTs are typically characterized as receivers when operated at a resonance frequency, and as microphones when operated off-resonance. A sealed gap can contain a sealed-in gas, or a vacuum (a “vacuum gap”). Internal loss in CMUT transducers is typically small with respect to the noise introduced by radiation resistance—small enough to be difficult to accurately measure. In some examples, losses and radiation impedance in sealed gap airborne CMUTs generate about 0 dBA in the audio bandwidth, which is slightly more than the noise contribution of the CMUT's radiation resistance in a 1 mm2 microphone operated off-resonance in an audible range (generally, about 10 Hz to 20 kHz).
A pressure compensated MEMS microphone comprising a transducer, sealed membranes and a sealed volume is disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 6,075,867.
An integrated and programmable microphone bias generation system is described by U.S. Pat. No. 8,288,971.
An implantable microphone which uses a housing to hermetically seal the microphone is described in U.S. Pat. No. 9,451,375. This microphone compensates for noise artifacts caused by the housing by using two highly compliant parallel membranes, compliance of the membranes being enhanced by respective pressure compensated gaps.
An implantable microphone which uses a perforated membrane for pressure compensation is described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,955,250. The perforation in the membrane makes the membrane more compliant, and thus increases sensitivity. U.S. Pat. No. 9,560,430 also describes a microphone with a perforated membrane.
A microphone module which uses vents to enable pressure compensation, and for driving water out of the system, is described by U.S. Pat. Pub. No. 2015/0163572.
A pressure compensated microphone module for a phone watch that uses a hydrophobic plate covered by an “impermeable” membrane—which allows passage of gasses—to enable pressure compensation, and to keep water out of the microphone, is described by Pat. Pub. No. 2001/0019945.
Some microphones use hydrophobic and/or oleophobic materials to cover microphone components to protect them from fluids. For example, a microporous composite material containing polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) is described in Pat. Pub. No. 2014/0083296 for use in filters, vents or protective membranes. PTFE is gas permeable such that it can both be used as a protective membrane and enable pressure compensation. A hydrophobic mesh (umbrella-shaped, covering an acoustic port), is described in U.S. Pat. No. 9,363,589. However, PTFE, hydrophobic mesh, and other methods of “waterproofing” microphones with pressure compensated gaps will generally degrade performance (due to isolation of sound-detection membranes from sound sources), and will fail to protect transducers from water given a relatively small static pressure difference between the external environment (e.g., immersion in water at a depth of a meter) and the gap, or given repeated submersion.
A MEMS microphone with a piezoelectric (rather than capacitive or electret) membrane, which can be covered by a Parylene film for waterproofing, is described in U.S. Pat. Pub. 2014/0339657. Piezoelectric MEMS microphones are fabricated using different production processes than capacitive microphones.
The inventors endeavor to disclose new and advantageous approaches to a capacitive MEMS microphone with a sealed gap, and methods for designing such microphones, as further described below. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a signal processing circuit for processing an analogue signal and, more particularly, to those for processing an output signal produced from an image sensor.
2. Brief Description of the Related Art
Up to now, an image reading apparatus, which detects an objective picture such as an original manuscript by use of an image sensor to transmit an image signal, has been known.
As the image sensors thereby used for obtaining aforesaid image signals, there exist Charge Coupled Device (referred to as xe2x80x9cCCDxe2x80x9d hereinafter)-type image sensors and Metal Oxide Semiconductor (referred to as xe2x80x9cMOSxe2x80x9d)-type image sensors. The CCD-type image sensors, which have many advantages such as a high sensitivity, a high integration density and low noise characteristics, have been particularly used.
Actually, an example of color CCD-type linear image sensors is illustrated in FIG. 6. In FIG. 6, the color CCD-type linear image sensor 1601 is formed of a three-lined color CCD-type linear image sensor, wherein three pieces of CCD chips 1602-1604 provided respectively with a red, a green and a blue (referred to as xe2x80x9cRxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cGxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cBxe2x80x9d hereinafter) on-wafer-type color filters are disposed on a silicon wafer in parallel to each other.
Because each constitution of the R, the G and the B CCD chips is common in FIG. 6, the chip constitution is described only about the R chip. A light receiving part 161 formed of photoelectric transducing elements 1-5006, which transduce the optical energy to the electric energy in response to incident luminous quantities are aligned in a row. The R, the G and the B color separation filters are provided in an on-wafer status covering the CCD sensor elements constituting the light receiving part 161. In a forefront of the light receiving part 161 formed of the CCD sensor elements aligned in a row, there exists further a light-shaded pixel which is formed by masking a pixel with an aluminium mask for shading an incident light, namely, the dummy element thereby to generate an output signal during a dark status.
Transfer gates 162 and 163 are to transfer charges, which have been accumulated in the light receiving part 161 in response to the incident luminous quantities, to CCD-type shift registers 164 and 165 when they receive a shift gate pulse PHI-TG. The charges, which have been accumulated in the pixels having odd numbers of the light receiving part 161, are transferred through the transfer gates 162 to the CCD-type shift register 164 in use for the odd-numbered pixels. On the other hand, the charges, which are accumulated in the pixels having even numbers of the light receiving part 161, are transferred through the transfer gate 163 to the CCD-type shift register 165 in use for even-numbered pixels.
The CCD-type shift registers 164 and 165 transfer the charges, which have been applied from the light receiving part 161, to an output part. The CCD-type shift registers 164 and 165 are two phase-driven by a clock signal PHI-1 (PHI-1R, PHI-1FR, PHI-1G, PHI-1FG, PHI-1B, PHI-1FB) in use for driving the odd-numbered pixels and another clock signal PHI-2 (PHI-2R, PHI-2FR, PHI-2G, PHI-2FG, PHI-2B, PHI-2FB) in use for driving the even-numbered pixels.
Furthermore, an output gate 166 is to transmit each of the pixel charges stored in the CCD-type registers 164 and 165 into output capacitive ports 167a and 167b, which are to transform the transferred charges into voltage signals. Source follower amplifiers 168a and 168b each having two stages serve as circuits which prevent noises from accompanying with output signals by reducing output impedances. The output capacitive ports 167a and 167b together with the source follower amplifiers 168a and 168b constitute a Eloating Differential Amplifier (referred to as xe2x80x9cFDAxe2x80x9d hereinafter).
Herein an output signal terminal OSBR is a signal terminal thereby detecting a signal applied from the odd-numbered pixels of the red color chip. Another output signal terminal OSAR is a signal terminal thereby detecting a signal applied from the even-numbered pixels of the red color chip. Similarly, output signal terminals OSBG, OSAG, OSBB and OSAB are respective output signal terminals thereby detecting signals respectively applied from the odd-numbered pixels and the even-numbered pixels of the green and the blue chips, respectively. On the other hand, PHI-RBR, PHI-RAR, PHI-RBG, PHI-RAG, PHI-RBB and PHI-RAB are reset pulse terminals while PHI-1R, PHI-1G, PHI-1B, PHI-2R, PHI-2G and PHI-2B are clock terminals of the CCD-type shift registers. Similarly, PHI-TGR, PHI-TGG and PHI-TGB are clock terminals of the transfer gates while PHI-ODR, PHI-ODG and PHI-ODB are drain terminals of the source follower amplifiers.
In the color image sensor 1601 constituted as mentioned above, rays of the lights incident to the light receiving part 161 are transformed into electric charges, of which quantities are proportional to the luminous energies. Those electric charges are transferred to the CCD-type shift registers 164 and 165 by applying the clock pulse PHI-TGR to the transfer gates 162 and 163, being separated into the odd-numbered image pixels and the even-numbered image pixels.
Subsequently, CCD pixel signals are applied bit by bit through the output gate 166 to the output capacitive ports 167a and 167b of the FDA in response to the driving clock pulses PHI-1 and PHI-2. The output capacitive ports 167a and 167b transform the output signals produced as the charge signals into the voltage signals, which are then transmitted respectively through the two-staged source follower amplifiers 168a and 168b and through the output terminals OSB and OSA. As mentioned above, to read-out the charges stored in the CCD-type line sensor integrated in a high density by separating into two pixel groups, wherein one has the odd numbers and another has the even numbers, reduces a reset time and a signal processing time of the pixel.
Next, a signal processing circuitry shown in FIG. 2 is used to process the ODD and EVEN image signals transmitted from aforesaid color CCD-type linear image sensor till a stage for converting into digital signals. FIG. 4 is a timing chart during signal processing in the circuitry shown in FIG. 2.
As shown in FIG. 2, an analogue signal processing system 38, which transmits its own output signal to an analogue to digital (referred to xe2x80x9cA/Dxe2x80x9d hereinafter) converter 39 by receiving the output signals produced from the CCD-type sensor 37, is constituted of correlated dual sampling circuits 40 and 41, amplifiers 58 and 59 and a multiplexer circuit 60. The two output signals, which are transmitted from the CCD-type sensor 37 and have the same phase (Herein ODD signal means an output signal produced from pixels having the odd numbers of the CCD-type sensor while EVEN signal means another output signal produced from pixels having the even numbers.), are respectively subjected to two independent and equivalent analogue signal processings until they are sequentially selected and synthesized in the multiplexer circuit 60. So the signal processing operation is described only about the circuit, which deals with the ODD signal.
As can be seen from FIG. 4, each pixel of the CCD output signal 94 has a reset period 86, a feedthrough period 87, a CCD clock component transmitting period 88 and a signal component transmitting period 89. The CCD-type sensor 37 applies the signals, which have different off-sets with respect to a reset potential 90, to each image pixel. The correlated dual sampling circuit 40 serves as a constitution which removes the off-sets and extracts precisely the signal components. This correlated dual sampling circuit 40 is composed of a sample-hold circuit 46, which performs a sampling operation by applying a control signal 61 during the feedthrough period 87, of another sample-hold circuit 49, which performs another sampling operation by applying another control signal 62 during the signal component transmitting period 89, and of a still another sample-hold circuit 53 in use for transfer, which prevents the clock component 92 included in the CCD output signal from propagating toward the following amplifier and other circuits located on the subsequent stages. A differential circuit 56 is included in the sampling circuit 40 and extracts a potential difference between two signals obtained by samplings respectively during the feedthrough period and during the signal component transmitting period. Consequently, the sampling circuit 40 eliminates unnecessary off-sets generated during the reset period to extract the precise signals by use of the differential circuit 56.
An amplifier 58 located on a subsequent stage is to amplify the output signal transmitted from the correlated dual sampling circuit 40 to a signal level adequate for a dynamic range of an input port of the A/D converter 39.
The signal processing operations have been described with reference to the ODD signal processing circuit up to now. As to the EVEN signal, the same signal processing operations are to be performed.
Finally, the multiplexer circuit 60 selects the ODD signal and the EVEN signal transmitted from the respective amplifiers, which correspond to the respective pixels, to synthesize the image signal having an one-line length of the CCD-type linear image sensor to apply the output signal to the A/D converter 39. A relative moving of the objective picture with respect to the CCD-type linear image sensor can attain the image signal of a whole area covering the objective picture.
However, the constitution, wherein the ODD signal and the EVEN signal are transmitted respectively in the same phase from the output signal of the CCD-type sensor and the multiplexer circuit re-synthesizes an image signal out of the two signals to be subject to the A/D conversion, has encountered with a problem that the selections of the ODD signal and the EVEN signal cannot be performed on the same timing. This constitution has further encountered with another problem that it is difficult to set up a duty ratio of the ODD signal component relative to the EVEN signal component to be 50:50 during the synthesis in the multiplexer circuit.
An object of the invention is to render it easily enabling to control phase shifts in plurality of image signals.
To satisfy the purposes mentioned above, an embodiment according to the present invention provides an image signal processing circuit, whereto a first image signal and a second image signal are applied, comprising:
a first correlated dual sampling circuit which samples the first image signal;
a second correlated dual sampling circuit which samples the second image signal; and
a phase shifting means which shifts a phase of the first image signal:
wherein the phase shifting means is constituted to be provided within the first correlated dual sampling circuit.
By constituting the present invention as mentioned above, the present invention makes it easily possible to adjust the phase shifts of the plurality of the image signals as well as to adjust simultaneously the amplitude levels of the image signals. | {
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The present invention relates to a composition for oxidative dyeing of hair based on a combination of developer and coupler substances and based on a yellow to yellow-orange azo dye compound.
Oxidation hair dyes have attained substantial importance in hair dye practice. The hair dye is produced by oxidative coupling of developer substance and coupler substance on the hair shaft. This leads to a very intensive hair dyeing with very good color fastness.
Advantageously 2,5-diaminotoluene, 1,4-diaminobenzene, 2-(2'-hydroxyethyl)-1,4-diaminobenzene, 4-aminophenol, 4-amino-2-aminomethylphenol and 4-amino-3-methylphenol and substituted 4,5-diaminopyrazoles can be used as developer substances.
m-phenylenediamine and its derivatives, such as 2,4-diaminophenoxyethanol, 2,4-diamino-5-fluorotoluene and 2-amino-4-(2'-hydroxyethyl)aminoanisole, or pyridine derivatives such as 3,5-diamino-2,6-dimethoxypyridine as blue couplers; 1-naphthol, m-aminophenol and its derivatives, such as 2-amino-4-chloro-6-methylphenol, 5-amino-2-methylphenol, 4-amino-2-hydroxyphenoxyethanol, 4-amino-5-fluoro-2-hydroxytoluene and 4-amino-5-ethoxy-2-hydroxytoluene as red couplers; and resorcinol, 4-chlororesorcinol, 4,6-dichlororesorcinol, 2-methylresorcinol, 4-hydroxy-1,2-methylenedioxybenzene, 4-(2'-hydroxyethyl)amino-1,2-methylenedioxybenzene and 4-hydroxyindole as couplers for brown-blond shades; are all advantageously used as coupler substances in oxidation hair dye compositions.
Many different color shades or tones which fulfill the standard requirements for hair dyeing can be obtained by a suitable combination of individual developer and coupler substances.
Certain color shades however can be obtained only with great difficulty using oxidation hair dye compounds. It is extraordinarily difficult to obtain fashionable shades in the gold region with oxidation hair dye compounds.
According to the hair structure and dyeing conditions, which in practice necessarily fluctuate, color shifts occur in hair dyeing with oxidation hair dye compositions. The resulting different hair colors, which are usually green tinged and/or orange tinged, are unpleasing to customers and partially unacceptable. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrochemical cell and process for converting essentially anhydrous hydrogen halide to essentially dry halogen gas. The process of the present invention is useful for converting anhydrous hydrogen halide, in particular, hydrogen chloride, hydrogen fluoride, hydrogen bromide and hydrogen iodide, to a halogen gas, such as chlorine, fluorine, bromine, or iodine. In particular, in the present invention, the electrochemical cell has a mass flow field that increases the diffusion resistance of a fluid within either a cathode or an anode compartment of the cell.
2. Description of the Related Art
Hydrogen chloride (HCl) or hydrochloric acid is a reaction by-product of many manufacturing processes which use chlorine. For example, chlorine is used to manufacture polyvinyl chloride, isocyanates, and chlorinated hydrocarbons/fluorinated hydrocarbons, with hydrogen chloride as a by-product of these processes. Because supply so exceeds demand, hydrogen chloride or the acid produced often cannot be sold or used, even after careful purification. Shipment over long distances is not economically feasible. Discharge of the acid or chloride ions into waste water streams is environmentally unsound. Recovery and feedback of the chlorine to the manufacturing process is the most desirable route for handling the HCl by-product.
A number of commercial processes have been developed to convert HCl into usable chlorine gas. See, e.g., F. R. Minz, "HCl-Electrolysis--Technology for Recycling Chlorine", Bayer AG, Conference on Electrochemical Processing, Innovation & Progress, Glasgow, Scotland, UK, 4/21-4/23, 1993.
Currently, thermal catalytic oxidation processes exist for converting anhydrous HCl and aqueous HCl into chlorine. Commercial processes, known as the "Shell-Chlor", the "Kel-Chlor" and the MT-Chlor" processes, are based on the Deacon reaction. The original Deacon reaction as developed in the 1870's made use of a fluidized bed containing a copper chloride salt which acted as the catalyst. The Deacon reaction is generally expressed as follows: ##STR1## where the following catalysts may be used, depending on the reaction or process in which equation (1) is used.
______________________________________ Catalyst Reaction or Process ______________________________________ Cu Deacon Cu, Rare Earth, Alkali Shell-Chlor NO.sub.2, NOHSO.sub.4 Kel-Chlor Cr.sub.m O.sub.n MT-Chlor ______________________________________
The commercial improvements to the Deacon reaction have used other catalysts in addition to or in place of the copper used in the Deacon reaction, such as rare earth compounds, various forms of nitrogen oxide, and chromium oxide, in order to improve the rate of conversion, to reduce the energy input and to reduce the corrosive effects on the processing equipment produced by harsh chemical reaction conditions. However, in general, these thermal catalytic oxidation processes are complicated because they require separating the different reaction components in order to achieve product purity. They also involve the production of highly corrosive intermediates, which necessitates expensive construction materials for the reaction systems. Moreover, these thermal catalytic oxidation processes are operated at elevated temperatures of 250.degree. C. and above.
Electrochemical processes exist for converting aqueous HCl to chlorine gas by passage of direct electrical current through the solution. The current electrochemical commercial process is known as the Uhde process. In the Uhde process, aqueous HCl solution of approximately 22% is fed at 65.degree. to 80.degree. C. to both compartments of an electrochemical cell, where exposure to a direct current in the cell results in an electrochemical reaction and a decrease in HCl concentration to 17% with the production of chlorine gas and hydrogen gas. A polymeric separator divides the two compartments. The process requires recycling of dilute (17%) HCl solution produced during the electrolysis step and regenerating an HCl solution of 22% for feed to the electrochemical cell. The overall reaction of the Uhde process is expressed by the equation: ##STR2## As is apparent from equation (2), the chlorine gas produced by the Uhde process is wet, usually containing about 1% to 2% water. This wet chlorine gas must then be further processed to produce a dry, usable gas. If the concentration of HCl in the water becomes too low, it is possible for oxygen to be generated from the water present in the Uhde process. This possible side reaction of the Uhde process due to the presence of water, is expressed by the equation: EQU 2H.sub.2 O.fwdarw.O.sub.2 +4H.sup.+ +4e.sup.- ( 3)
Further, the presence of water in the Uhde system limits the current densities at which the cells can perform to less than 500 amps/ft.sup.2, because of this side reaction. The side reaction results in reduced electrical efficiency and corrosion of the cell components.
Another electrochemical process for processing aqueous HCl has been described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,311,568 to Balko. Balko employs an electrolytic cell having a solid polymer electrolyte membrane. Hydrogen chloride, in the form of hydrogen ions and chloride ions in aqueous solution, is introduced into an electrolytic cell. The solid polymer electrolyte membrane is bonded to the anode to permit transport from the anode surface into the membrane. In Balko, controlling and minimizing the oxygen evolution side reaction is an important consideration. Evolution of oxygen decreases cell efficiency and leads to rapid corrosion of components of the cell. The design and configuration of the anode pore size and electrode thickness employed by Balko maximizes transport of the chloride ions. This results in effective chlorine evolution while minimizing the evolution of oxygen, since oxygen evolution tends to increase under conditions of chloride ion depletion near the anode surface. In Balko, although oxygen evolution may be minimized, it is not eliminated. As can be seen from FIGS. 3 to 5 of Balko, as the overall current density is increased, the rate of oxygen evolution increases, as evidenced by the increase in the concentration of oxygen found in the chlorine produced. Balko can run at higher current densities, but is limited by the deleterious effects of oxygen evolution. If the Balko cell were to be run at high current densities, the anode would be destroyed.
In an electrochemical cell, the conductivity of a membrane is directly related to the water content in the membrane and decreases at low water content. Limiting current density occurs when the concentration of water within the membrane reaches a value that will no longer support additional proton conduction. Therefore, limiting current density can develop when the conductivity decreases due to low water concentrations. It is important to regulate limiting current so that the components of the cell are not destroyed.
Use of a thin, foraminous flexible sheet such as fine mesh stainless steel, nickel screen, stainless steel or graphite paper interposed between an electrode and a compressible current collector in an electrolytic cell which processes an aqueous sodium chloride solution is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,343,690 to de Nora. The purpose of this sheet is to protect the electrode from the collector. It also provides a greater total contact area than would be provided by the current collector alone, since the current collector in this patent, being an open mesh metal wire screen, is more open in its construction than known current collectors. In this de Nora patent, there is no recognition of a desire to increase the diffusion resistance of the fluid in the electrode compartment.
There exists a need for directly producing essentially dry halogen gas without having to first dissolve the hydrogen halide in water, and for decreasing the diffusion resistance of water in the membrane during such a process. This would allow the limiting current density of the cell to be increased and/or controlled, so that the cell components would not be destroyed. It would be especially desirable to provide a self-regulating mechanism within a cell which would internally control limiting current, without having to externally adjust the parameters of the cell. | {
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1. Technical Field
The embodiments described herein relate generally to measuring the osmotic pressure of fluids and, more particularly, to collecting tear film for measuring the osmolarity of tear film using an ergonomic tear collection device with superior tear collection properties.
2. Related Art
Tears fulfill an essential role in maintaining ocular surface integrity, protecting against microbial challenge, and preserving visual acuity. These functions, in turn, are critically dependent upon the composition and stability of the tear film structure, which includes an underlying mucin foundation, a middle aqueous component, and an overlying lipid layer. Disruption, deficiency, or absence of the tear film can severely impact the eye. If unmanaged with artificial tear substitutes or tear film conservation therapy, these disorders can lead to intractable desiccation of the corneal epithelium, ulceration and perforation of the cornea, an increased incidence of infectious disease, and ultimately pronounced visual impairment and blindness.
Keratoconjunctivitis sicca (KCS), or “dry eye”, is a condition in which one or more of the tear film structure components listed above is present in insufficient volume or is otherwise out of balance with the other components. It is known that the fluid tonicity or osmolarity of tears increases in patients with KCS. KCS is associated with conditions that affect the general health of the body, such as Sjogren's syndrome, aging, and androgen deficiency. Therefore, osmolarity of a tear film can be a sensitive and specific indicator for the diagnosis of KCS and other conditions.
The osmolarity of a sample fluid, e.g., a tear, can be determined by an ex vivo technique called “freezing point depression,” in which solutes or ions in a solvent, i.e. water, cause a lowering of the fluid freezing point from what it would be without the ions. In freezing point depression analysis, the freezing point of the ionized sample fluid is found by detecting the temperature at which a quantity of the sample, typically on the order of about several milliliters, first begins to freeze in a container, e.g., a tube. To measure the freezing point, a volume of the sample fluid is collected into a container, such as a tube. Next, a temperature probe is immersed in the sample fluid, and the container is brought into contact with a freezing bath or Peltier cooling device. The sample is continuously stirred so as to achieve a supercooled liquid state below its freezing point. Upon mechanical induction, the sample solidifies, rising to its freezing point due to the thermodynamic heat of fusion. The deviation from the sample freezing point from 0° C. is proportional to the solute level in the sample fluid. This type of measuring device is sometimes referred to as a freezing point depression osmometer.
Presently, freezing point depression measurements are made ex vivo by removing tear samples from the eye using a micropipette or capillary tube, expelling the tear samples into a cup, and measuring the depression of the freezing point that results from heightened osmolarity. However, these ex vivo measurements are often plagued by many difficulties. For example, to perform freezing point depression analysis of the tear sample, a relatively large volume must be collected, typically on the order of 1-5 microliters (μL) of tear film. Because no more than about 10 to 100 nanoliters (nL) of tear sample can be obtained at any one time from a KCS patient, the collection of sufficient amounts of fluid for conventional ex vivo techniques requires a physician to induce reflex tearing in the patient. Reflex tearing is caused by a sharp or prolonged irritation to the ocular surface, akin to when a large piece of dirt becomes lodged in one's eye. Reflex tears are more dilute, i.e. have fewer solute ions than the tears that are normally found on the eye. Any dilution of the tear film invalidates the diagnostic ability of an osmolarity test for dry eye, and therefore make currently available ex vivo methods prohibitive in a clinical setting.
A similar ex vivo technique is vapor pressure osmometry, where a small, circular piece of filter paper is lodged underneath a patient's eyelid until sufficient fluid is absorbed. The filter paper disc is placed into a sealed chamber, whereupon a cooled temperature sensor measures the condensation of vapor on its surface. Eventually the temperature is raised to the dew point of the sample. The reduction in dew point proportional to water is then converted into osmolarity. Because of the induction of reflex tearing and the large volume requirements for existing vapor pressure osmometers, they are currently impractical for determination of dry eye.
The Clifton Nanoliter Osmometer, available from Clifton Technical Physics of Hartford, N.Y., USA, is a freezing point depression osmometer and has been used extensively in laboratory settings to quantify the solute concentrations of KCS patients, but the machine requires a significant amount of training to operate. It generally requires hour-long calibrations and a skilled technician in order to generate acceptable data. The Clifton Nanoliter Osmometer is also bulky and relatively expensive. These characteristics invalidate its use as a clinical osmometer.
In contrast to ex vivo techniques that measure osmolarity of tear samples removed from the ocular surface, an in vivo technique that attempted to measure osmolarity directly on the ocular surface used a flexible pair of electrodes that were placed directly underneath the eyelid of the patient. The electrodes were then plugged into an LCR meter to determine the conductivity of the fluid surrounding them. While it has long been known that conductivity is directly related to the ionic concentration, and hence osmolarity of solutions, placing the sensor under the eyelid for half a minute likely induced reflex tearing. Moreover, the electrodes are difficult to manufacture and pose increased health risks to the patient as compared to simply collecting tears with a capillary. Moreover, many DES patients exhibit a discontinuous tear lake, such that the curvature of the discontinuity would substantially alter the measured conductivity using an exposed probe, increasing user-to-user variability.
It should be apparent from the discussion above that current osmolarity measurement techniques are unavailable in a clinical setting and can't attain the volumes necessary for dry eye patients. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Static charges (e.g., static positive or negative charges) may accumulate on objects and result in a stored capacitance between objects of opposite charges. An electrostatic discharge (ESD) results in current flow between these objects. For example, a human hand and a doorknob may have opposite charge and result in an electrostatic discharge (i.e., current flow) between the hand and the doorknob when distance is closed between the hand and the doorknob. In some cases, such electrostatic discharge may occur involving electronic equipment and techniques are needed to minimize detrimental results. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Intravascular diseases are commonly treated by relatively non-invasive techniques such as percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) and percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA). These therapeutic techniques are well known in the art and typically involve the use of a balloon catheter with a guidewire, possibly in combination with other intravascular devices such as stents. A typical balloon catheter has an elongate shaft with a balloon attached proximate the distal end and a manifold attached to the proximal end. In use, the balloon catheter is advanced over the guidewire such that the balloon is positioned adjacent a restriction in a diseased vessel. The balloon is then inflated and the restriction in the vessel is opened.
There are three basic types of intravascular catheters for use in such procedures including fixed-wire (FW) catheters, over-the-wire (OTW) catheters and single-operator-exchange (SOE) catheters. The general construction and use of FW, OTW and SOE catheters are all well known in the art. An example of an OTW catheter may be found in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,047,045 to Arney et al. An example of an SOE balloon catheter is disclosed in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,156,594 to Keith.
Manufacturers are constantly in search of materials and designs that enhance the performance of their intravascular catheters. One particular source of improvement has been the incorporation of performance enhancing polymeric materials into their intravascular catheter designs. Certain polymeric materials enable the catheter to be more lubricious, thereby aiding the advancement of a guidewire within the body of the catheter. Other polymeric materials make particular sections of the catheter more rigid, thereby aiding the catheter in its advancement through the patient's anatomy. The primary drawback to using specialized polymeric materials is that often the individual polymers forming the structural components are incompatible with one another. This is a particular problem for manufacturers who must combine the individual components to form a single operable intravascular catheter.
One solution to the use of incompatible polymers has been to place a layer between the two incompatible polymeric structural components that is sufficiently bondable to either component. In effect, this distinct layer “ties” the two structural components together, thereby receiving its commonly referred to name as a tie layer. Tie layers have been extruded over the length of intravascular catheters. This added layer, regardless of its thickness, affects the performance characteristics of an intravascular catheter shaft incorporating the tie layer.
Several performance characteristics that are important to intravascular catheters include pushability, trackability and crossability. Pushability refers to the catheter's ability to transmit force from the proximal end of the catheter to the distal end of the catheter. Trackability refers to the catheter's ability to navigate tortuous vasculature. Crossability refers to the catheter's ability to navigate the balloon catheter across narrow restrictions in the vasculature, such as stenosed vessels or fully and partially deployed stents. All of the above performance characteristics are interrelated and depend on the design of the catheter shaft over its length.
It is a manufacturing goal to reduce the profile of a manufactured intravascular catheter. A reduced profile catheter is less likely to positively engage the surrounding vascular walls. Additionally, a reduced profile catheter is also more likely to cross and re-cross over a stenosed region or a deployed stent. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The present invention is directed to a system for use with an internal combustion engine and, more particularly, to a system for use with an internal combustion engine that is effective for increasing power and improving the fuel usage of the engine.
Standard internal combustion engines rely upon a pressure differential to move the fuel/air mixture into the combustion chamber associated with each cylinder. During the intake stroke of the piston of a conventional engine, the piston recedes in the cylinder bore and the inlet valve is simultaneously opened at the inlet port to admit the fuel/air mixture. The receding piston creates a partial vacuum in the combustion chamber and throughout the intake manifold. This vacuum draws air through the carburetor where, in the typical jet-type carburetor or fuel injector systems, liquid fuel droplets are sprayed into the intake air to create a misty fuel/air mixture.
The nature and quality of the combustion of the fuel/air mixture in the combustion chamber depends upon numerous factors. One of the most significant of these factors is the degree to which the fuel droplets released by the carburetor or fuel injectors are atomized and vaporized on their way to or within the combustion chamber. Ideally, the fuel/air mixture in the combustion chamber should be in a gaseous state. However this is not typically achievable in conventional internal combustor engines. Fuel in a liquid state, suspended in the combustion chamber as a mist or droplets, will often not ignite. Such unvaporized fuel that does not burn completely during the combustion stroke of the cylinders is expelled into the exhaust system where it either continues to burn, heating the engine and requiring surplus pollution control devices or is vaporized and exhausted out into the atmosphere.
Water injection, has been known and used for many years to increase the power output of the engine without the need of additional fuel, as well as for use in increasing gas mileage, reducing engine knocking, reducing engine operating temperature, reducing carbon deposits in the engine, and for reducing detrimental emissions such as nitrous oxide emissions (N2O), commonly referred to as NOX. Prior art water injection systems have included both complex and expensive systems and relatively simple and inexpensive systems. Unfortunately, all such systems have required the use of relatively large reservoirs for containing and providing supply water for injection into the fuel intake of the engine. This requires that vehicle manufacturers must provide a substantial amount of space in already space limited areas of most passenger vehicles as well as significantly increasing the weight of the vehicle. Further, the user must refill the reservoirs with water after a relatively short period of use. With more stringent and demanding state and federal fuel mileage regulations, automobile and truck manufacturers have been under pressure to develop vehicles having significant increases in fuel mileage performance often resulting in more demanding limitations on space and weight considerations.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to have a system that for use with an internal combustion engine that increases the efficiency of the engine, reduces pollutants, reduces the amount of unburnt fuel from being expelled into the atmosphere, increases the power and reduced fuel consumption of the engine while minimizing the amount of space and weight increases. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a miniature hinge, and more particular to the miniature hinge for being used in the flip type or folder type phone.
2. The Related Art
Portable devices, such as the notebook, cellular phone, hand-held phone, and personal communication service phone, are widely used. Generally, the portable device has a flip cover, a base body and a miniature hinge adapted to mechanically couple the flip cover and the base body.
A conventional hinge 200, as shown in FIG. 7, includes a hinge cover 11, a hinge shaft 12, a spring 13, a first cam 14a, a second cam 14b and an E-clip 15. A circular hole is formed through one end wall of the hinge cover 11 in order to allow the hinge shaft 12 to pass through. The first cam 14a has a pair of mountain-shaped portion extending forwardly along the rotating axis direction. The second cam 14b has a pair of mountain-shaped portion defining a valley-shaped portion therebetween. A circular groove 12a is formed at one end of the hinge shaft 12 for engaging with the E-clip 15.
When assembling the hinge 200, firstly, the spring 13 is placed in the hinge cover 11, and then, the hinge shaft 12 sequentially passes through the first cam 14a, the second cam 14b and the spring 13. The first cam 14a and the second cam 14b have the similar shape as the inner shape of the hinge cover 11, so that they are assembled together in the rotating axis direction. At last, the E-clip 15 is engaged with the groove 12a of the hinge shaft 12.
After the hinge 200 is assembled in the portable device, the mountain-shaped portion of the first cam 14a is biased against the valley-shaped portion of the second cam 14b, so that the flip cover of the portable device rotates in accordance with the rotation of the hinge 200 to open and close the portable device.
In the assembling process, the inner diameter of the E-clip 15 is smaller than the diameter of the hinge shaft 12, so that a larger force is needed in order to insert E-clip 15 into the groove 12a for securing the hinge shaft 12. Furthermore, when the hinge 200 is used for many times, the E-clip 15 is easy to be damaged. Thereby, the E-clip 15 would fall out from the groove 12a. | {
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In a machine, such as a wheel loader or track type tractor, for example, an engine supplies power for propelling the machine in the forward or reverse directions as well as supply power for machine implements. A transmission is coupled to the engine and transmits power from the engine to the drivetrain to propel the machine. It is desirable to utilize a continuously variable transmission and manage the transmission ratio to thereby save engine power for the implements and also to provide a continuously variable power flow through the transmission to improve machine productivity. Because machines operate at relatively low speeds and in cyclical work routines, there is a need to control speed precisely at low speeds and to be infinitely adjustable throughout the full range. One of the problems associated with such an arrangement is to match the hydromechanical transmission arrangements to the type of work being performed by the machine using a transmission having four members and two planetary gear sets.
The present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems as set forth above. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Nanoparticulate compositions, first described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,145,684 (“the '684 patent”), are particles consisting of a poorly soluble therapeutic or diagnostic agent having adsorbed onto the surface thereof a non-crosslinked surface stabilizer. The '684 patent describes the use of a variety of surface stabilizers for nanoparticulate compositions. The use of a copolymer of vinyl pyrrolidone and vinyl acetate as a surface stabilizer for nanoparticulate compositions, or any other component of such compositions, is not described by the '684 patent.
The '684 patent describes a method of screening drugs to identify useful surface stabilizers that enable the production of a nanoparticulate composition. Not all surface stabilizers will function to produce a stable, non-agglomerated nanoparticulate composition for all drugs. Moreover, known surface stabilizers may be unable to produce a stable, non-agglomerated nanoparticulate composition for certain drugs. Thus, there is a need in the art to identify new surface stabilizers useful in making nanoparticulate compositions. Additionally, such new surface stabilizers may have superior properties over prior known surface stabilizers.
There is a need in the art for new surface stabilizers for nanoparticulate compositions of poorly soluble drugs. In addition, there is a need in the art for surface stabilizers useful in preparing nanoparticulate compositions of drugs, in which prior known surface stabilizers are ineffective. The present invention satisfies these needs. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Generally, non-volatile memory devices may be classified as either floating-gate type memory devices or charge-trap type memory devices in accordance with a structure of a unit cell incorporated therein.
The unit cell of a typical floating-gate type non-volatile memory device includes a tunnel oxide layer, a floating gate, a dielectric layer and a control gate sequentially formed on a semiconductor substrate. The floating-gate type non-volatile memory device may store information by charging/discharging electrons into/out of the floating gate.
In contrast, the unit cell of a typical charge-trap type non-volatile memory device includes a tunnel insulation layer including silicon oxide, a charge-trapping layer such as silicon nitride, a blocking layer such as silicon oxide, and an electrode such as doped polysilicon sequentially formed on a semiconductor substrate. In the typical charge-trap type non-volatile memory device, information may be programmed in the charge-trap type non-volatile memory device by storing charges in the charge-trapping layer between the electrode and the semiconductor substrate. Information may be erased from the charge-trap type non-volatile memory device by discharging charges from the charge-trapping layer.
Recently, resistive memory devices with high capacity, capable of operating at a relatively low voltage have been developed. Resistive memory devices are also referred to as “resistive RAMS” or “RRAMS”. The RRAM takes advantage of controllable resistance changes in thin films of variable resistance material, such as thin binary metal oxide films. Integrated circuit resistive memory devices are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,849,891 to Hsu et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 7,282,759 to Kim et al.
The resistance node of a resistive non-volatile memory device may vary from a higher resistance state to a lower resistance state according to a voltage applied to both terminals of the resistance node. A conductive path in the shape of a filament may be form on the resistance node, and a current flowing through the resistance node may flow via the conductive path in the shape of the filament. Unfortunately, however, the resistance nodes may have different resistances. Further, performing several processes for changing the resistance at the resistance node may deteriorate reproducibility of manufacturing the non-volatile memory device. | {
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U.S. pipeline gas is generally very lean, with heating values ranging from 1000 to 1070 Btu/scf, and more recently, FERC (the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission) has established guidelines and specifications for natural gas import. These guidelines require the Wobbe Index of the import gas to be within +/−4% with respect to the local gas quality, with a maximum value of 1400. California, which traditionally uses a very lean gas, requires a significantly lower Wobbe Index for the import gas. For example, the local air emission agency SCAQMD (Southern California Air Quality Management District) specifies a maximum Wobbe Index of 1360.
Unfortunately, the heating value of unprocessed import LNG is often significantly higher due to the relatively high ethane and propane content, which is not only incompatible with local rules and regulations, but also incompatible with many residential, commercial, and industrial burners. Examples for the wide variations in LNG composition, heating value, and Wobbe Index for LNG export terminals in the Atlantic, Pacific basins and the Middle East are shown in FIG. 1. As can be seen from FIG. 1, only Alaska's LNG can meet the gas quality specifications without nitrogen dilution for import to California while the remaining LNG requires nitrogen blending and/or NGL (natural gas liquids) extraction.
FIG. 2 illustrates the reduction in Wobbe Index before and after nitrogen dilution for the various LNG sources, up to a maximum 3 mol% N2 limit. As can be taken from FIG. 2, less than half of the LNG sources meet the California Wobbe Index even with maximum nitrogen dilution. Moreover, due to the relatively tight margins on meeting the California Wobbe Index specification, changes in Wobbe Index due to weathering in the LNG storage may result in off specification product. The weathering effect of LNG from natural boil-off from the storage tanks enriches LNG in heavier components (i.e., C2+) over time, eventually rendering the weathered gas unacceptable as a pipeline gas with a higher Wobbe Index. While the weathering effect typically increases the Wobbe Index by a relatively small amount (e.g., about 3 to 6 points), such increase is problematic for marginal LNGs.
In various presently known LNG processing configurations to meet the Wobbe Index, non-methane components are removed from the LNG in a process that vaporizes the LNG in a demethanizer using a reboiler and re-condenses the demethanizer overhead to the sendout liquid that is then pumped and vaporized (see e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 6,564,579). While such configurations and methods typically operate satisfactorily for heating value or Wobbe Index control, they will require markets for the extracted NGL products, which are not always available. Moreover, in most cases where LNG terminals are configured for BTU delivery to commercial and residential users, there are no economic incentives for NGL extraction.
Alternatively, anti-weathering configurations can be implemented to reduce increase of Wobbe index as described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,201,002. Here the boil-off vapor is condensed within the confines of the tank using LNG refrigeration and pressure regulation. Similarly, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,530,241, boil-off vapors can be reliquefied on board to control Wobbe index and product loss. However, such configurations are typically limited to either on-board systems that are inflexible with respect to changing and relatively large vapor loads, and/or will require cryogenic equipment and relatively large capital cost. Other systems and methods with similar difficulties are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,894,856 and 4,675,037, U.S. Pat. App. No. 2008/0308175, and WO 2005/047761.
Therefore, while various LNG heating value control methods are known in the art, all or almost all of them suffer from one or more disadvantages, especially where import LNG is used, where NGL markets do not exist, and where the Wobbe Index of the import LNG only marginally meets local specifications. Thus, there is still a need for improved configurations and methods for maintaining the Wobbe Index while providing operating flexibility for the LNG regasification terminals with lower energy consumption. | {
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Games of many types are played in bars, arcades, homes, and other public and private establishments. In bars, taverns, and like places, games can be provided on bar tops, side tables, and other areas. These games typically include a video screen and buttons or other controls for the player to influence objects and events portrayed on the video screen. Common “bar-top” games include card games (poker, blackjack, solitaire, and the like), quiz games, sports games, and the like. Bar-top games typically provide a score based on the player's performance during the game and may also provide a high score list, which provides incentives for players to perform well.
In game arcades, convenience stores, and the like, more involved games are often offered, such as stand-up arcade video games, pinball games, and mechanical or carnival games. Some of these types of games are offered as redemption games, which dispense redemption tickets to players based on player performance during the game and/or a game score that the player achieves. A player can exchange dispensed redemption tickets for prizes available at a prize display area, such as a prize booth or a prize vending machine, where such prizes as stuffed animals, models, other toys, small music devices, T-shirts, food, and the like are available. Each prize has an associated cost or “price” in terms of redemption tickets, which the player can pay to redeem the prize. A player may collect tickets over time to save up for larger prizes that may have higher ticket prices.
One problem with the redemption games in the prior art is that maintaining a redemption system can be very involved for the operator of the arcade, to the point of being burdensome. For example, operators must maintain a prize booth or vending machine, which displays all the prizes the operator wishes to make available. Requiring even greater maintenance is the setting and adjustment of ticket costs or prices of the prizes. The operator must determine how many tickets are paid, on average, by each game in the arcade and then determine the price of each prize in terms of tickets and in view of a desired profitability level. The operator knows the cost of the prizes that he or she paid, can come up with a crude estimate of average ticket payouts to players, and can thus estimate ticket costs with a rough profitability in mind. But the task can become overwhelming when a large variety of prizes are offered and many different types of games can be played, each game having a different ticket payout and difficulty level. Many arcade operators end up simply providing very gross estimates of what prizes should be worth in tickets, with no exact or global level of profitability in mind. This may lead to extra or unknown costs which can be magnified over time when large numbers of prizes are redeemed by players.
In addition, the prior art redemption games and redemption systems are not suitable for bars, taverns, and other, non-arcade public places, such as stores, hotels, food establishments, and the like. There is a very large potential pool of redemption game players in such places. This is because the games typically offered in bars and like places often have low appeal to players due to the absence of any sort of tangible award or prize that is received by playing the game. For example, the bar-top and other games typically found in bars may quickly get uninteresting if the only reward a player receives is to put his or her name on a high-score list.
However, non-traditional gaming environments such as bars are not very suitable for supporting redemption systems like those found in gaming arcades. The proprietor or bartender of the non-arcade environment often does not want to provide a booth or area to display available prizes for players due to the additional maintenance and staff needed for such a display area. More importantly, the proprietor typically does not have the knowledge to properly adjust payouts of redemption games and offer prizes with proper and profitable ticket costs. Even if the proprietor has such knowledge, the small numbers of games and/or the secondary role of games in non-traditional gaming environments does not warrant providing a prize display area. It does not warrant the abovementioned overhead by providing and counting the many tickets that players may accumulate and provide/maintain ticket costs for various prizes in view of a desired profitability of the games.
Other gaming environments for players include homes or other private places. Players have been able to play board games, computer games, video games, and the like, at home or other private environments for a long time. However, with the widespread use of standardized large-scale networks such as the Internet and World Wide Web in recent years, players of video and computer games at home are offered an environment to compete with each other which was not widely available to game players before. A player can connect a home computer, video game console, set top box, or other device to the Internet using telephone lines, cable TV lines, or other connections to the home. The player can thus play games offered to the player from a remote server or other source. The player can also compete or otherwise interact in a game with hundreds or even thousands of other players who are also connected to the Internet.
However, although a wide array of options is available for home game players, players typically cannot play games from home to receive prizes. Players may often desire to receive a prize after playing a game or participating in a tournament, but no standardized prize redemption system is provided to home players. Any administrator of such a prize redemption system faces the same problems and overhead as described above when attempting to organize ticket winnings and offer prizes at ticket costs adjusted for a desired profitability.
With the widespread use of standardized large-scale wide area networks, such as the Internet and World Wide Web in recent years, video and computer games that were previously limited to play at the location where they were located can now be offered in a new type of environment. Such environment allows a game provider to afford access to a network gaming system with numerous games of a tremendous variety to a vast number of remotely located players having diverse demographics and profiles.
There are many variables when implementing a network gaming system on the Internet and World Wide Web. In the past, providers have been restricted to a “one-size-fits-all” approach to implementing a network gaming system, which has made it very difficult when attempting to tailor many variables in order to satisfy a multitude of diverse players located in a large number of different locations.
One variable that network gaming system providers encounter includes the choice of games provided to players of the system. Games can come in a variety of forms including games with different theme genres, games of skill and chance, and even games targeted to particular ages and genders of players. Many issues arise when choosing games to suit a diverse pool of players. Some games featuring violence, nudity, or certain types of adult themes may not be suitable to players under a certain age. Further, playing games of chance may also be illegal for underage players and for players residing at particular locations. Because of these factors, network gaming providers are challenged to find good ways for controlling access to such games by players of certain ages and in certain locations.
Selecting and presenting advertising for a wide range of products and services is another set of variables that providers may encounter when implementing a network gaming system. In the past, it has been very difficult for providers of network gaming systems offering a large number of games and having a diverse selection of users to effectively target advertising to particular segments of their users.
In order to better attract users to a network gaming system, a provider may wish to offer prizes to users for playing games on their system. However, a provider is forced to overcome several more difficulties when trying to implement an effective prize awarding and redemption scheme for a network gaming system having a large number of games and a diverse selection of users. Now, for example, the provider must manage a multitude of other variables including the types of prizes to be awarded, the number of prizes to awarded, the value of the prizes to be awarded, and the amount of prizes awarded, the criteria for awarding prizes, and the procedures for redeeming prizes awarded through play on the system.
With respect to prize redemption, providers encounter several problems in satisfying a large, diverse, user base and providing a sufficient impetus to prompt users to continue purchasing games. Decisions as to which types and amounts of prizes to award can become very problematic when trying to provide incentives, which entice players to continue to play. For example, a middle-age male may not be enticed to play a game when available prizes are limited to toys. In a similar fashion, a teenager may not continue to purchase games when what is at stake is an electric razor or cufflinks.
Decisions relating to prize rewards are not limited to the types of prizes that are awarded. Distribution of prize rewards also plays a role in maintaining a large satisfied user base. It is in the best interest of the game provider to maintain an even distribution so that as many players as possible reap a reward for continued play. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a device for ascertaining a measure of a calorific value of a gas and a method for ascertaining a measure of a calorific value of a gas.
2. Detailed Description of Prior Art
Spark ignition engines operated with petrol or diesel as the fuel can be converted to operate with compressed natural gas (CNG). The gas usually has different components in different countries. In particular, the proportion of nitrogen or carbon dioxide reduces the calorific value of the gas. For correct regulation of the engine it is advantageous to know the calorific value of the gas. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Cathode ray tubes (CRTs) have been widely used for display devices, such as televisions and computer monitors. However, CRTs have the disadvantages of being large, heavy, and requiring a high drive voltage. As a result, flat panel displays (FPDs) that are smaller, lighter, and require less power have grown in popularity. Liquid crystal display (LCD) devices, plasma display panel (PDP) devices, field emission display (FED) devices, and light emitting diode (LED) devices are some of the types of FPDs that have been introduced in recent years.
The LED device may either be an inorganic LED device or an organic LED (OLED) device depending upon the source material used to excite carriers in the device. OLED devices have been particularly popular because they have bright displays, low drive voltages, and can produce natural color images incorporating the entire visible light range. Additionally, OLED devices have a preferred contrast ratio because they are self-luminescent. OLED devices can easily display moving images because they have a short response time of only several microseconds. Moreover, such devices are not limited to a restricted viewing angle as other LED devices are. OLED devices are stable at low temperatures. Furthermore, their driving circuits can be cheaply and easily fabricated because the circuits require only a low operating voltage, for example, about 5V to 15V DC (direct current). In addition, the process used to manufacture OLED devices is relatively simple.
FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram of an active matrix OLED (AM-OLED) device according to the related art.
In FIG. 1, one pixel region of an AM-OLED device is composed of a switching TFT T1, a driving TFT T2, a storage capacitor Cst, and an OLED 10. A gate electrode of the switching TFT T1 is connected to a gate line GL, the source electrode of the switching TFT T1 is connected to a data line DL, and the drain electrode of the switching TFT T1 is connected to a gate electrode of the driving TFT T2. The source electrode of the driving TFT T2 is connected to a power line VDD, and the drain electrode of the driving TFT T2 is connected to an anode of the OLED 10. A cathode of the OLED 10 is grounded. The storage capacitor Cst is connected to the gate and source electrodes of the driving TFT T2. When a scanning signal is applied to the gate electrode of the switching TFT T1 through the gate line GL and an image signal is applied to the drain electrode of the switching TFT T1 through the data line DL, the switching TFT T1 is turned ON. The image signal is stored in the storage capacitor Cst through the switching TFT T1. The image signal is also applied to the gate electrode of the driving TFT T2. As a result, a turn-on rate of the driving TFT T2 is determined. The current that passes through the channel of the driving TFT T2 in turn passes through the OLED 10 causing the OLED 10 to emit light in proportion to the current density. Since the current density is proportional to the turn-on rate of the driving TFT T2, the brightness of the light can be controlled by the image signal. The driving TFT T2 may be driven by charge stored in the storage capacitor Cst even when the switching TFT T1 is turned OFF. Accordingly, the current through the OLED 10 is persistent until a next image signal is applied. As a result, light is emitted from the OLED 10 until the next image signal is applied.
In FIG. 1, for example, the switching TFT T1 and the driving TFT T2 correspond to a positive channel metal oxide semiconductor (PMOS) TFT.
Meanwhile, since a driving current is applied to the OLED device through the power line, a pixel current always flows into the power line. Accordingly, the value of the driving current is increased as the number of pixels is increased.
For example, when the number of pixels is “n” along a row direction and the OLED device is driven as a full white, the driving current may refer to “nIpixel.” Therefore, a drop of the driving current may occur due to a line resistance of the power line VDD. Further, when a line resistance in each pixel refers to “Rpixel” and a driving current in each pixel refers to “Ipixel,” the drop of the driving current in an Nth row of the row direction may refer to [n(n+1)/2]Rpixel*Ipixel. Therefore, since a gate voltage of each of the driving TFTs may be different from each other with respect to a same data voltage, a drop in the OLED current occurs. This drop of the driving current is increased with larger-sized OLEDs. Consequently, image quality degradation may be a problem.
In other words, the electric charge capacity charged in the storage capacitor Cst depends the gate voltage, so uniformity of the brightness may be depressed by changing the driving current applied to the OLED device. Accordingly, the drop capacity of the driving current is increased along the row direction, thereby reducing the brightness.
Moreover, problems such as brightness deviation due to the drop of the driving current may increase with larger and higher resolution OLED devices. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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In recent years, as information processing systems for which high reliability is demanded, an information processing system has been known in which, in order to increase the failure tolerance, control devices including hardware, such as a processor, are provided redundantly and both the control devices are caused to perform information processing. Such an information processing system has a function of continuing information processing using an input/output signal to a backup control device that is operating normally even when an error occurs in a control device that is being used as an active control device.
Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 62-191299 discloses an example of a related art. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The present technique relates generally to electrical connectors and, more particularly, to input/output and communication connectors. The present technique provides a system and method for reducing space consumption of an electrical connector by utilizing a collapsible connector assembly.
This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art, which may be related to various aspects of the present invention, which are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present invention. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.
Electrical connection assemblies are utilized in electrical systems, computer systems, and various other electrical and computing components and devices. These electrical connection assemblies typically have a fixed geometry and configuration that utilize a male/female attachment mechanism to provide an electrical connection. For example, the connection assemblies may have a male connector that is insertable into a receptacle or female connector. Unfortunately, many of these electrical connectors have a geometry or configuration that may not be suitable for compact applications, such as personal digital assistants (PDAs), laptop computers, notebook computers, and various other electronics and computing devices that have a limited space for electrical connectors and ports. For example, an RJ11 or RJ45 connector may be desired in a particular computing component or device, yet the space limitations of the device may not permit the utilization of the desired connector due to the size and configuration of the connector.
Accordingly, a system and method is needed for reducing the size and space consumption of electrical connectors to facilitate use in compact electronics and computing components.
Certain aspects commensurate in scope with the originally claimed invention are set forth below. It should be understood that these aspects are presented merely to provide the reader with a brief summary of certain forms the invention might take and that these aspects are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Indeed, the invention may encompass a variety of aspects that may not be set forth below.
An aspect of the present technique provides a communication connector. The communication connector comprises an electrical connector panel having an electrical contact and a conductor coupled to the electrical contact. A mechanical connector panel is also collapsibly coupled to the electrical connector panel.
Another aspect of the present technique provides a space saving system for providing a communication connection. The space saving system comprises a collapsible communication connector. A communication cable is also coupled to the collapsible communication connector.
The space saving system also includes a reel assembly having the communication cable removably wound about the reel assembly.
Another aspect of the present technique provides a method of forming a communication connector. The method comprises the act of collapsibly coupling an attachment assembly to a communication contact assembly to form a collapsible communication connector.
Another aspect of the present technique provides a method of using a communication connector. The method comprises the act of manipulating a collapsible communication connector between a collapsed configuration and an open configuration. The collapsed configuration has a compact profile, while the open configuration has a mechanical attachment portion oriented for coupling with a counterpart communication receptacle. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field
This disclosure relates generally to charging a battery and more specifically, but not exclusively, to a multi-rate battery charge.
2. Description
Mobile computing devices rely on a variety of batteries for power. As the mobile computing devices become more complex, the power consumption of the mobile computing devices increases. As a result, the batteries that provide power to the mobile computing devices may have larger capacities because the batteries may be rapidly discharged. Therefore, various methods for decreasing the amount of time to charge a battery have been developed. For example, one method of charging a battery entails sending a constant current to a battery for a period of time. However, the batteries can take a significant amount of time to receive a full charge. Additional battery charging methods can attempt to charge the batteries at a higher charge rate to reduce the charge time. However, charging a battery at a higher charge rate can damage the battery and reduce the life of the battery. Therefore, a process to charge a battery in a faster amount of time without damaging the battery would help maintain power to the mobile computing devices, while preserving the life of the battery. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The preclinical assessment of agents for the treatment of heart failure has been hampered by the lack of appropriate animal models. Previous models have either utilized non-clinically relevant insults to induce the disease state, or have failed to produce controllable, stable and predictable damage. Pressure overloading to induce ventricular hypertrophy and failure, produced by a variety of techniques including corticosteroid administration, renal artery occlusion, unilateral nephrectomy with contralateral occlusion of the renal artery, and most extensively banding of major outflow tracts such as the aorta, has been used in a variety of species including rat, cat and dog (Smith and Nutall, Cardiovascular Research 19: 181-186, 1985).
However, acute severe fixed afterload augmentation in animal models probably differs significantly from the gradual events that occur with pressure overload failure in man. The major limitation of animal pressure overload models include the propensity for the development of hypertrophy but not failure and/or a protracted time frame for the development of failure. Volume overloading produced by arteriovenous fistulae and valvular incompetence has been used to induce heart failure in dogs; however, this method has been limited by difficulty in controlling the degree of cardiac damage (Smith and Nutall, Cardiovascular Research 19: 181-186, 1985).
Cardiotoxic agents, including doxorubicin, have been used in several species including rat and dog to induce heart failure. This approach is limited by difficulty in controlling dose of cardiotoxic agent to induce sufficient but not excessive damage, extracardiac toxicity and the production of calcium overload-injury that may render the model unsuitable for the assessment of positive inotropic agents (Czarnecki, Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology 79C: 9-14, 1984; Smith and Nutall, Cardiovascular Research 19: 181-186, 1985). Several experimental procedures have been utilized to effect coronary artery occlusion, myocardial ischemia and resultant heart failure primarily in rats and dogs. These procedures include direct coronary ligation, embolism with liquid mercury, injection of preformed thrombus, wedged catheters, and sequential coronary microembolization with microspheres (Khomaziuk et al, Kardiologiya 5: 19-23, 1965; Rees and Redding, Cardiovascular Research 2: 43-53, 1968; Lumicao et al, American Journal of Medical Science 261: 27-40, 1971; Millner et al, Annals of Thoracic Surgery 52: 78-83, 1991; Sabbah et al, American Journal of Physiology 260: H1379-H1384, 1991). Problems associated with coronary artery ligation/ischemia models of heart failure include the inability of ischemic rodent models to develop myocardial dysfunction which meets the hemodynamic criteria of heart failure, as well as a high degree of malignant arrhythmia and mortality associated with myocardial ischemia. Damage to the heart from repeated DC shocks has been shown to induce heart failure in dogs (McDonald et al, Journal of the American College of Cardiology 19: 460-467, 1992); however the clinical relevance of this method of damage is uncertain.
Recently, several laboratories have adopted the method of rapid ventricular pacing-induced heart failure in dogs (Riegger and Liebau, Clinical Science 62: 465-469, 1982). One prominent criticism of the pacing-induced dog failure model is that while it does induce a predictable, controllable degree of myocardial failure, this condition is reversible with the termination of pacing. Also, the underlying mechanism for the development of failure in the pacing model is not understood at this time. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates in general to the field of portable data carriers and the creation of software for such data carriers. In particular, the invention relates to the field of generating program code for a portable data carrier, loading the program code into the data carrier and providing the program code for execution by a processor of the data carrier. For the purpose of the present document, portable data carriers may take the form of chip cards (smart cards) or of compact chip modules and in some embodiments of the invention also of resource-limited systems in other types of construction.
2. Description of Related Art
In recent years portable data carriers have become increasingly powerful in the course of continuous technical development. This is true both of the computing power made available by the hardware and the storage space and of the functions provided by the operating system. Modern portable data carriers exhibit a functionality allowing the post-loading of program code—i.e. the loading of program code during operation of the data carrier. Data carriers into which application programs may be post-loaded have already been known for some time. At present, however, data carriers are also being developed which allow post-loading of parts of the operating system, e.g. of drivers, libraries or functional modules. It is to be expected that this post-loading option will develop in future into an important part of flexible operating systems for portable data carriers.
In general, important factors in relation to portable data carriers are the aspects of security and spy protection, because portable data carriers are often used for security-critical applications and considerable damage could arise as a result of unauthorized use or spying. A particular problem of data carriers which allow post-loading of program code is that the internal workings of the data carrier must as far as possible not be exposed. In particular, it must be ensured that the external developer of the program code to be post-loaded does not require or cannot acquire information about the internal structure and internal program structures of the data carrier. Thus, for example, platform-dependent functions of the data carrier must as far as possible remain hidden, even if the program code to be post-loaded ultimately makes use of these functions. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to gaskets generally and, more particularly, to a novel compound gasket which is especially useful in high temperature and high pressure service.
2. Background Art
Gaskets are well known devices for sealing between mating surfaces of opposing members such as flanges and typically are formed of a resilient or semi-resilient material, frequently of metal, asbestos, rubber, or a synthetic. The gasket material deforms slightly as the two mating surfaces are drawn together, in order to conform to imperfections in the surfaces, to compensate for non-parallel alignment of the surfaces, and, thereby, to seal the joint between the surfaces.
One problem with conventional gaskets for high temperature service is simply finding appropriate materials for the temperatures and pressures encountered. High temperatures and pressures under consideration here are pressures of about 900 psi and temperatures of about 1000 degrees Fahrenheit, or greater. A further, and related, problem with gaskets is that of controlling the degree of deformation of the gasket as the mating surfaces between which the gasket is placed are drawn together. Too little deformation can result in leakage past the gasket. Too much deformation can result in destroying the resiliency of the gasket so that cyclical temperature changes can produce leaks, as the gasket cannot expand to accommodate slight changes in distance between the mating surfaces resulting from thermal expansion and contraction or resulting from mechanical stresses.
One type of compound gasket employs a center core of asbestos with annular rings of copper or stainless steel on each surface of the gasket and having ridges around the opening in the gasket. This type of gasket is relatively satisfactory for high pressure service, since the annuli prevent the asbestos from being blown out from between the mating surfaces. However, since the asbestos takes most of the compression and it is permanently deformed, the gasket not particularly satisfactory for high temperature service and cannot be reused. Also, copper is not satisfactory for use at high temperatures.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide a gasket suitable for pressures of about 900 psi and temperatures of 1000 degrees Fahrenheit, or greater.
It is a further object of the invention to provide such a gasket which is reusable.
It is another object of the invention to provide a gasket with which the degree of deformation thereof is inherently controlled.
It is an additional object of the invention to provide such gaskets which are easily and economically manufactured.
Other objects of the present invention, as well as particular features and advantages thereof, will be elucidated in, or be apparent from, the following description and the accompanying drawing figures. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to fluid drain structure at the bottom of beds of media through which the fluid passes. More particularly, the invention relates to placing conduit segments of a manifold for the fluid in the lower portion of the media bed with distribution perforations in the segments isolated from the media so the media is not bearing directly on, or over, the apertures.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Beds of granular media are commonly placed inside vessels and fluids passed through the media. Most of such units are more or less simple filters to remove undesirable material from the fluid. However, there are many different materials to be removed from fluid streams and many different materials useful as bed media.
The problem of present concern is in distributing fluid over the horizontal face of the media bed. The prior art is replete with distribution systems whose essential elements are plates with spaced apertures or porous bodies. These perforated plates and porous bodies are usually placed to span their vessel containing the media near its bottom. Fluid is conducted into, or removed from, the vessel below the plate and bodies.
In the prior art, the media bed has rested directly over and on the plate openings of porous bodies. The bed is supported by the plate or body structure. Of course the particles of media must be sized larger than the holes in the plate or porous bodies or the particles will pass through the holes and be lost downstream. If there is a rupture of the plate, its holes enlarged accidently, or the media particles fragmented, media will be lost. It is desired, therefore, that the media be supported but not have direct contact with distribution apertures for fluid. Rupture of porous support structure for the media should not result in direct loss of media particles downstream of the vessel from the media bed. All improvements to support structure should improve fluid distribution horizontally over the cross section of the bed with structure which is simple to fabricate and assemble. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a stretcher fixture which fixes and holds a stretcher within a vehicle such as an ambulance.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
In the prior art, a stretcher fixture as disclosed in JP-Y 2-33773 is known well.
The stretcher fixture in the prior art comprises a main body pipe fixed substantially in horizontal state within a vehicle, a front side locking pawl fixed to a front part of the main body pipe for locking one leg pipe at front side or rear side of the stretcher, a positioning piece fixed to a rear part of the main body pipe for determining the locking position of other leg pipe at front side or rear side of the stretcher, an operation grip which is arranged at the rear side of the main body pipe and on which the forward operation force is exerted from the outside, a working rod the rear end of which is connected to the operation grip and which is arranged within the main body pipe so as to be moved forward and rearward, bias means arranged within the main body pipe for normally exerting the rearward bias force on the working rod, and a rear side locking pawl which is connected to the working rod and is moved forward and rearward according to the motion of the working rod and which pushes the other leg pipe against the positioning piece by the biasing force of the bias means while moved rearward so as to lock the other leg pipe.
According to the stretcher fixture in the prior art, however, a problem exists in that when the stretcher is fixed to the stretcher fixture or the stretcher is detached from the stretcher fixture, since the operation force must be continuously exerted on the operation grip, the burden of the worker is large.
Also since the operation force must be continuously exerted on the operation grip, the bias force of the bias means can not be set to so large value considering the burden of the worker. Therefore the force for the rear side locking pawl and the positioning piece to lock the other leg pipe is weak, and a problem exists in that the rear side locking pawl is vibrated in the longitudinal direction and abuts on the other leg pipe intermittently and a noise is produced due to the vibration of the vehicle or the like. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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HIPS resins are well known in the synthetic organic polymer art as a class of thermoplastics which offers excellent mechanical properties as well as good chemical resistance. The general characteristics of HIPS resins are described, for example, in "Modern Plastics Encyclopedia," McGraw-Hill, New York, N.Y., 1990, p 96. HIPS resins are "rubber-modified" copolymers or homopolymers of styrenic compounds. They are known for their ease of processing, good dimensional stability, impact strength, and rigidity. They generally are prepared by dissolving an elastomer in a styrenic monomer before polymerization of the latter, but the elastomer can also be incorporated in other ways.
For purposes of the instant invention, a HIPS resin is a thermoplastic which can be a homopolymer or random or block copolymer produced by polymerizing one or more vinyl aromatic monomers such as styrene, alkyl-substituted styrenes, halo-substituted styrenes, or alpha-alkyl styrenes or substituted styrenes, in the presence of an elastomer monomer or polymer, such as polybutadiene, for example. Further, a formulated HIPS resin, for all purposes herein, comprises at least about 50 wt % HIPS resin. The remainder of the formulated HIPS resin comprises various monomeric or polymeric additives which modify the properties of the HIPS resin. These additives include, for example, various impact modifiers, stabilizers, processing aids, pigments, flame retardants, synergists, etc. Such additional additives can be incorporated into the HIPS resin in various ways.
Incorporation of the various additives is not a trivial matter, and the properties of articles made from the formulated HIPS resin can be affected by the manner in which it is done. When the additives are solids, dry-blending can be employed. For example, the solids can be mixed and heated to soften and homogenize the mass, which can then be sheeted, chopped, and pelletized.
A flame retardant, such as a halogenated organic compound, is often incorporated into a formulated HIPS resin so as to constitute as much as about 20-25 wt % of the formulation. Such incorporation can adversely affect the properties, other than the flammability, of the formulated HIPS resin. For example, a flame retardant having a high melting point range, such as decabromodiphenylethane, or decabromodiphenyl oxide will have a filler type effect on the HIPS resin formulation, whereas a flame retardant having a lower melting point range will have a plasticizer effect on the formulation. Because of the effect flame retardants have on articles containing such HIPS resin formulations, improvements in such formulations and formulation techniques are highly desirable and of significant commercial importance. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Item of Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for reducing harmonic error power, and more particularly, relates to an apparatus and method for reducing harmonic error power in a self-calibration digital-to-analog converter (DAC).
2. Description of Related Art
Current mode digital-to-analog converters (DAC) are popular in high-speed application. Currents are switched to outputs or ground by switches. The output currents are transformed into voltages by resistors and amplifiers. Open/short operations of switches are controlled by digital signals. However, glitch and harmonic power occur in state transition of switches. There are several approaches for reducing glitches. For example, one approach is to limit bandwidth, by adding a capacitor in a resistor across the amplifier coupled to outputs. Another approach is to “sample and hold” output signals. Or, in still another approach, the output signals are decoded by binary decoding or thermometer decoding. Thermometer decoding is more popular.
Thermometer decoding is not minimal. On the contrary, an N-bit input matches up to 2N outputs in binary decoding. Thermometer decoding has other advantages, such as lower differential nonlinearity (DNL) errors, monotonicity and reduced glitch errors.
Dynamic calibration by current switches is useful in making stable current sources with up to 16-bit precision in audio-frequency DAC. In circuit design, current sources are mismatched because of mismatch transistors and charge injection. For match between current sources, all current sources are periodically calibrated by a reference current source via a shift register. For example, if a current source outputting current Id1 is calibrated, the reference current source calibrates another current source outputting current Id2 as Id1, and so on.
However, in self-calibration, all unit current sources are calibrated to a reference value. After calibration, the currents from the calibrated unit current sources are attenuated linearly. If an offset between one output current and the reference value reaches a half of LSB (least significant bit) or more, that unit current source has to be calibrated again. However, large harmonic power exists in outputs. The harmonic power is related to the calibration periods. That's because the unit current sources are selected by simple and conventional thermometer decoding. | {
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The present invention relates to coating compositions containing polysiloxane resin-forming precondensates and to articles coated with such compositions.
Various polysiloxanes have been used as major or minor constituents of coating compositions, normally blended with other materials which affect the properties of the coatings. See U.S. Pat. No. 3,655,565--McDonald (1972) and U.S. Pat. No. 3,062,764--Osdal (1962) for disclosures of the technology of polysiloxane-containing composites. Osdal uses small amounts of polysiloxane resins to prevent mud cracks in fluorocarbon coatings. However, it has been found that polysiloxane-based resin coatings have a tendency to stress craze or form cracks when they are applied in relatively thick coatings for increased durability, such as with thicknesses above 20 microns (.mu.m).
Polysiloxane homopolymer resins and more costly copolymer resins such as those reacted with epoxies are sometimes used as nondurable food release coatings in combination with substantial proportions of silicone oils. The oils are fluids which facilitate application of the coatings and improve release of burned-on food residues. Such coatings are often formulated for relatively low temperature cure. Applications for such coatings include bakery pans which can be recoated frequently or even before each use. See U.S. Pat. No. 3,419,514--Hadlock (1968), U.S. Pat. No. 3,308,080--Haenni (1967) and U.S. Pat. No. 3,801,522--Vasta (1974). The polysiloxane fluid improves release performance of such coatings, but coatings relying on the fluids have limited durability and may not be used many times without recoating. Typical applications of durable coatings are household cookware for top-of-the-range cooking or oven baking which are provided with a nonstick coating that lasts for the life of the item of cookware.
Special siloxanes, homopolymers and copolymers and mixtures of organopolysiloxanes with such organic materials as polyethers are sometimes used for nonstick coatings for bread pans or for consolidated materials resistant to thermal and environmental stresses such as molding compounds. See U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,672,104 and 2,672,105--both Clark (1954). U.S. Pat. No. 3,423,479--Hendricks (1969) discloses polyether coating compositions containing up to 30% polysiloxanes, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,536,657--Noshay et al. (1970) discloses coating compositions containing polyethers and polyether-polysiloxane copolymers. In both patents, the polyethers include particulate polysulfones, and the coatings are generally thermoplastic.
Carbon black and powdered graphite have been added to thin polysiloxane coatings to improve the heat transfer characteristics, U.S. Pat. No. 3,078,006--Price et al. (1963).
Some attempts to make a durable coating for cookware are described in Defensive Publication No. T937,005--Vasta published Aug. 5, 1975 by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. A solution of polysulfone resin is mixed with up to 25% by weight of the total of a silicone oil or a silicone resin to produce coatings typically 50 .mu.m thick, about 2 mils, but up to 250 .mu.m (10 mils).
It would be desirable to have a more durable polysiloxane-resin based coating which could be applied in thick layers without being subject to craze cracking and without the necessity of using multiple thin layers. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Computer networks and systems have become indispensable tools for modern business. Modern enterprises use such networks for communications and for storage. The information and data stored on the network of a business enterprise is often a highly valuable asset. Modern enterprises use numerous tools to keep outsiders, intruders, and unauthorized personnel from accessing valuable information stored on the network. These tools include firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and packet sniffer devices. However, once an intruder has gained access to sensitive content, there is no network device that can prevent the electronic transmission of the content from the network to outside the network. Similarly, there is no network device that can analyze the data leaving the network to monitor for policy violations, and make it possible to track down information leaks. What is needed is a comprehensive system to capture, store, and analyze all data communicated using the enterprises network. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The present invention relates generally to computer on-line diagnostics systems, and more specifically, to a graphical representation of system information displayable at a remote location.
Product vendors and technical support services are often looking for new ways to provide more accurate and efficient technical support for computer systems. As part of such support it is, at times, essential for a technician or other support staff to access system information from a remote computer in order to aid in diagnosing problems or configuring a system. In addition, it is preferable that system information be displayed in a manner that is familiar and easy to interpret. A familiar format can reduce time required to train new support personnel and ease of interpretation can facilitate expeditious resolutions of a user's problem.
Providing customer service involves a cost of doing business to a vendor or service provider. The goal of a business is to provide an optimal amount of customer service, resulting in a satisfied customer base, at the lowest possible cost. Service costs and customer frustrations often increase as the time to reach a resolution of a customer's problem increases. Time to resolution can be dependent upon a variety of factors. One problem arises from the proliferation of different computer models and configurations available. This is further implicated by a multitude of options and software that may be installed. Each model and configuration introduces additional variables that must be considered in problem solving. The more variables a support person must consider, the more complex troubleshooting can be. Therefore, it is important that a support person get all of the pertinent information before them in a manner that is timely and user friendly.
Pertinent information comprises hardware and software components and settings. Typically, this information would include, but not be limited to, a list of hardware components such as a system timer, programmable interrupt controller, keyboard, communications ports, sound and multimedia circuitry, video drivers, printer ports, hard drive controllers, floppy drive controllers, mouse ports, clock, numeric data processor, and the corresponding Interrupt Requests (IRQ) and Direct Memory Access (DMA) settings. This information can be critical to providing competent advice on resolving performance issues.
Performance issues may relate to devices or programs that will not operate. In addition, some devices or programs may operate sporadically or simply not meet a user's expectations.
It is well known to compile and display system information on a computer from which they are gleaned. Diagnostic type programs and operating systems are known to make system information available to a technician when a technician has physical access to a computer involved. Many diagnostic programs can display information and even perform diagnostic routines checking for conflicts, inoperable components, and the like. However, since physical access is required, a technician must make an on-site call or a computer must be shipped to a depot for service. With a recent proliferation of computers, and in particular, proliferation of low cost computers at a multitude of sites, it has become impractical to send a technician to every location for on-site service. It is also preferable to avoid the inconvenience and cost of shipping a computer to a remote depot as well as incurring the loss of productivity sustained while a computer is thus removed. In order to maintain customer satisfaction it becomes important for vendors and service providers to effect an expeditious means of conveying required information to support personnel at a remote site. Therefore, it is desirable to gather system information effectively and transfer it to a remote site from which a diagnosis may be performed.
One method of performing diagnostics remotely is to utilize a dedicated software package to enable a remote technician to connect via modem and essentially control a computer from a remote site. However, that solution typically requires that proprietary software be running at both the remote site and the service location. In addition a learning curve for teaching a user at the remote site how to set up and operate the proprietary software must also be considered.
Another approach is to have a support person “walk through” a routine with a user during a telephone conversation. However, this is inefficient because users are often unfamiliar with the types of routines that must be performed and the technical information that must be conveyed to the support person. Often an obvious problem that would be apparent to a skilled person viewing a screen goes unnoticed by a user taking verbal instructions from a remote support person and reporting back the results. Requiring in depth user interaction can also increase customer frustration and jeopardize a vendor or service company's client base.
It would be useful to have a means of quickly compiling system information from a user's computer and efficiently sending such compiled information to a support location for display and diagnosis. It would be most useful to have system information displayed in a graphical manner at a remote support location wherein the system information is easily interpreted by a support person thereby aiding quick resolution to a computer problem. | {
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The present invention relates to a fluid control valve with butterfly-type flow control element with high operating reliability.
It is known that fluid control valves with a butterfly-type flow control element are generally constituted by a valve body which is formed monolithically and is crossed by a passage which has, on the valve body, an inlet and an outlet which can be connected to the two branches of a duct for a fluid to be controlled by means of the valve. The valve body accommodates, in an intermediate region of the passage, a butterfly-type flow control element which can be actuated in order to open or close the passage.
In some valves, in an intermediate region of the passage the valve body supports an annular gasket which is fixed to the valve body and can be engaged by the flow control element when it is moved into the closure position.
In these valves, the annular gasket is coupled to a circumferential protrusion of the valve body which lies inside the passage and has, in radial cross-section, a dovetail profile.
In these valves, the connection between the annular gasket and the valve body reduces the actual passage section for the fluid, owing to the fact that the annular gasket necessarily protrudes inside the fluid passage. Moreover, in order to give the annular gasket a rigidity which ensures the required seal when the butterfly-type flow control element is moved into the closure position, a metal core is provided inside the annular gasket. The presence of the metal core has the drawback that it requires a considerable force in order to close the valve, since it reduces the deformability of the annular gasket and therefore contrasts, with a strong force, the final closure movement and the initial opening movement of the flow control element, i.e., when the flow control element is in contact with the annular gasket.
In order to solve the problem of an excessive reduction of the passage for the fluid inside the valve body, in some valves, particularly in valves designed to be fitted on ducts having a small cross-section, the body is formed in two parts so as to be able to have a duct which has a larger cross-section at the region occupied by the butterfly-type flow control element. Although these valves solve the problem of fluid passage reduction, they still have the drawback of requiring considerable force in order to be able to move the butterfly-type flow control element at the end of the closure movement and at the beginning of the opening movement.
In other valves, the gasket, instead of being fixed to the valve body, is fitted on the flow control element and protrudes from its perimeter.
With these valves, the annular gasket is much more exposed, with respect to the previously cited valves, to the action of the fluid that flows through the valve. The action of the fluid produces wear and deformation of the gasket, which can reduce the sealing effect of the gasket when the valve is closed.
In all of the above-described valves there is also the problem of separation of the annular gasket from the butterfly-type flow control element or from the valve body during closure and opening, since the movement of the flow control element produces a deformation of the annular gasket and fluid can seep between the annular gasket and the region of the valve body or of the flow control element to which the annular gasket is applied.
This seepage of fluid has the effect of causing separation of the annular gasket and therefore of reducing or even eliminating the sealing effect of the annular gasket.
The aim of the present invention is to solve the above-described problems, by providing a fluid control valve provided with an annular sealing gasket which is associated with the valve body and is designed to cooperate with the butterfly-type flow control element when it is moved into the closure position, and in which the possibility of separation of the annular gasket from the valve body is excluded with absolute safety.
Within this aim, an object of the invention is to provide a fluid control valve with a butterfly-type flow control element in which the presence of the annular gasket does not reduce excessively, in the open condition, the passage section available to the fluid.
Another object of the invention is to provide a fluid control valve with a butterfly-type flow control element which excludes the possibility of seepage of fluid between the annular gasket and the valve body.
Another object of the invention is to provide a fluid control valve with a butterfly-type flow control element in which the annular gasket is protected against excessive wear on the part of the butterfly-type flow control element and on the part of the fluid that flows through the valve.
This aim and these and other objects which will become better apparent hereinafter are achieved by a fluid control valve with a butterfly-type flow control element, comprising a valve body which is crossed by a passage with an inlet and an outlet which can be connected to two branches of a duct for a fluid to be controlled by means of the valve; said valve body accommodating, in an intermediate region of said passage, a butterfly-type flow control element which can be actuated in order to open or close said passage; said valve body supporting, in said intermediate region of the passage, an annular gasket which can be engaged by said flow control element in the closure position, characterized in that said valve body is provided in at least two parts which are mutually coupled at a region that is occupied by said annular gasket and lock said annular gasket between said parts in a mutual coupling position. | {
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In the current communications industry, voice services are still main support services. Constantly improving voice quality of a call of a terminal user is an objective pursued by operators and manufacturers.
In an existing technology for improving voice quality of a call, different call scenario modes are preset in a terminal, and different call parameter combinations are set for each call scenario mode. The call parameter combination is one or a combination of at least two of microphone setting, handset setting, and echo suppression. A user selects a corresponding call scenario mode according to a call environment. Voice quality of a call in the call environment is improved through a call parameter combination in the selected call scenario mode.
In a process of implementing improvement of the voice quality of the call, the inventor finds that the prior art has at least one problem. Before a call and during the call, a user needs to select or change a call mode, which increases inconvenience of a call operation of the user. | {
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The wrist watch has proved itself a very practical, workable and, even, an ornamental device to the point that its popularity makes it virtually a universal appliance owned and worn by everyone. It has been refined to the highest imaginable state of precision in the form of thermometers and movements and the case has been refined to the finest expression of the jeweler's art. Unfortunately, there are many people who with the refinement in the appearance of the wrist watch lose the ability to read it, not because of the watch, but, simply, their vision loses acuity and the nominal markings, or the non-markings, in the faces of the more stylish watches are invisible to them. This has not been cured by the digital watches, because the problem is one of visibility and the loss of vision is not connected with the watch.
By translating the time signal to an audible one it is possible to give a time signal to the ear. This is done in architectual monuments and in some monuments to the watchmaker's art in the form of large grandfather type clocks. That is, the time signal is in terms of a ring and coded time signal which occurs at each quarter hour. Thus, the blind person after once observing the hour through the audible sounding of the bell can follow the time to within 15 minutes.
No device, however, exists in the art, particularly no device of wrist watch size exists in the art which would provide the user with an audible readout.
It is accordingly a basic object of this invention to provide a small personal timepiece for use by an individual which will tell the time audibly on demand to the nearest minute.
It is another object of the invention to provide a wrist watch in which the time readout is in the form of a spoken audible signal, available on demand by the user.
It is another object of the invention to provide a timepiece of a form such that it can be worn as part of a hearing aid and activated merely by finger pressure to give the user a time reading.
It is another object of the invention to provide a timepiece in form such that it can be used as tie tack, or pen, to give the time audibly on demand by the user, or wearer.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will in part be obvious and in part appear hereinafter. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to locks and has particular reference to electrically controlled door locks such as those controlled by a magnetically encoded card or a push button combination in which buttons must be pressed in a predetermined order to effect release of the lock.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Door locks, particularly of the key controlled type, are generally of standard size and fit in a standard size opening in a door. Thus, they are generally interchangeable.
On the other hand, electrically controlled door locks, are of particular advantage in high security situations, hotels, etc., where keys normally used to open the usual key locks, may be readily copied, or the locks may be readily picked, to enable unauthorized access to otherwise secure locations. However, such electrically controlled locks are generally quite bulky and are of a larger size than key controlled locks, requiring special size door lock openings, so that they are not easily interchangeable with key locks. Further, electrically controlled locks normally require relatively large power supplies thus rendering it impractical to provide a self contained lock unit with batteries incorporated therein, but require instead, electrical power from an external source with conductors leading to the lock unit.
In our copending applications, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,754,625, issued on July 5, 1988 and 4,736,970, issued on Apr. 12, 1988. We have disclosed and claimed electrically controlled locks which require only relatively low powered electrical pulses for operation, using miniature or so called "AA" batteries or the like. This allows the lock unit to be interchangeable with a standard key lock.
Although such latter locks operate satisfactorily, they require electromagnets to effect the unlocking functions, and we have discovered that when the batteries have been discharged to a certain level, say 50% or less of their fully charged capacity, the resulting drop in voltage tends to make the electromagnets unreliable, apparently due to the relatively large magnetic gap between the pole pieces of the electromagents. We have further discovered that the use of a miniature electric motor in lieu of an electromagnet will enable the lock unit to be operated at much lower battery charge levels and thus tolerate a greater degree of exhaustion of the batteries before becoming unreliable. Certain other problems, however, are presented. For example, if the motor should become stalled due to advertent or inadvertent manipulating or holding of the lock release spindle knob by the operator, a heavy current drain of the batteries will ensue.
Accordingly, a principal object of the present invention is to provide a self contained electrically controlled lock unit which overcomes the above noted problems.
Another object is to provide an electrically controlled lock unit utilizing miniature batteries which can be reliably operated even when the batteries are appreciably discharged.
Another object is to provide an electrically controlled lock unit, utilizing an electric motor, which will fit within a standard size key lock door opening.
Another object is to provide an electrically operable control unit which can be incorporated in a commercially available door lock mechanism with a minimum amount of modification.
A further object is to provide an electrically controlled door lock unit which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture and install.
According to the invention, and in a door lock unit of the type comprising a pair of coaxially extending interior and exterior door knob spindles, each effective to actuate a lock bolt retractor independently of the other, a novel electrical lock control is provided comprising a locking pawl for one of the spindles. The pawl is driven between locking and unlocking positions by a miniature motor drive mechanism through an energy storing spring. The motor operates in one direction only and the mechanism operates through a cycle each time an actuating signal is received from a control device such as a magnetic card reader, a combination push button circuit or the like.
The cyclic drive mechanism operates through a split cycle, and during the first phase of the cycle, it normally actuates the pawl to an unlocking position but if the operator should attempt to rotate the knob spindle during such time, the pawl will usually be held in locking position by frictional engagement with the knob spindle but the drive mechanism will continue to operate through its first phase to a mid point of the cycle, storing energy in the spring without stalling the motor. At such time the motor will be deenergized and when the operator releases the knob spindle, the spring will become effective to move the lock pawl to unlocking position.
After a predetermined time period, the motor will again be energized to rotate in the same direction to actuate the drive mechanism through the second phase of its cycle to normally return the lock pawl to locking position. However, if the operator should hold the knob spindle in lock opening position during the second phase, the pawl will be prevented from moving into its locking position by the spindle but the drive mechanism will, nevertheless, continue to the end of its cycle without stalling the motor, thus storing engergy in the spring until the operator releases the knob spindle, whereupon the spring will return the pawl to locking position. | {
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The Stirling engine derives energy from a continuous external combustion process. All of the heat supplied from the combustion process has to be transferred through metal walls (heater tubes) to a pressurized hydrogen working fluid. The pressure-volume (P-V) and temperature-entropy (T-S) diagrams of the ideal Stirling cycle help in understanding the derivation of power for the engine. These diagrams (see FIGS. 6 and 7) illustrate that heat is transferred to the working fluid during the constant-volume phase 2-3 and during the isothermal expansion phase 3-4. Heat is rejected during the constant-volume phase 4-1 and during the isothermal compression phase 1-2. During the isothermal expansion of phase 3-4, heat addition occurs at the same rate at which work is produced by the fluid expansion. Therefore, to maintain maximum possible power out of the engine, the temperature of the working fluid must be maintained at a constant level and as high as possible, taking into consideration the metallurgical heat limit of the materials. Typically, a Stirling engine designed for automotive use is optimized for a hydrogen temperature of 710.degree. C. or higher.
An air/fuel control system is required to maintain such a constant hydrogen temperature. Such control system should also be capable of varying the ratio between air and fuel in response to a change in engine load, and also to provide a change in the air/fuel ratio as a function of fuel flow which may be varied as a result of exhaust gas recirculation. Air flow itself is a variable commodity since it is generated by a blower which is engine driven after the engine has been started. The air/fuel control system thus must respond to at least three superimposed parameters.
Varying the air/fuel ratio is necessary, apart from the desire to seek a constant hydrogen temperature, to control exhaust emissions and to improve engine efficiency. Unburned hydrocarbons in the exhaust, due to a rich fuel mixture, represent an energy loss; however, an air rich mixture results in less efficient heat transfer, and, therefore, a less efficient heating system. Varying amounts of exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) is required for dilution and to reduce the generation of nitrogen oxide emissions.
The prior art has attempted to provide an air/fuel control system for an automotive Stirling engine principally according to two concepts: (a) a closed loop system wherein the sensed hydrogen temperature was used to directly control a fuel metering device; or (b) an open loop system wherein a sensed change in the hydrogen temperature was utilized to control an air flow throttle valve which would modulate air flow, and then a fuel metering system was operated in response to a change in the air flow. The closed loop control system has proven deficient in spite of the fact that the fuel metering device employed dual pumps for improving the range of air/fuel ratios that could be administered. This resulted principally from low flow stability in the fuel injection rate range of 0.4-0.9 grams per second. Such system also required a motor which would operate the fuel injection device while operating at a constant low rpm; this was difficult to devise.
Open loop control systems have experienced comparable problems. One system employs a hydro-pneumatic fuel metering device responsive to an air flow measuring device consisting of a spring loaded flapper and a specially designed orifice. The flapper valve is located in the air inlet system between the air cleaner and the air throttle valve. The air flow signal is transmitted to a signal amplifier and it is designed so that the pressure drop in the device is proportional to the two-thirds power of air flow. This fuel metering assist is deficient because it is unable to compensate for the hysteresis of the open loop metering, and is not able to operate over a broad enough air/fuel range required of the engine. Another metering device typically used with the open loop system is a spool valve which in certain positions can bypass fuel. This latter device is not able to operate with a broad enough air/fuel ratio range. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a dielectric ceramic composition and a multilayer ceramic capacitor having the same, and more particularly, to a dielectric ceramic composition having a high dielectric constant and superior high-temperature reliability and a multilayer ceramic capacitor having the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, ceramic electronic components using ceramic materials, for example, capacitors, inductors, piezoelectric devices, varistors, or thermistors, include a ceramic sintered body made of ceramic materials, inner electrodes provided inside the ceramic sintered body, and outer electrodes provided on the surfaces of the ceramic sintered body to contact the inner electrodes.
As one of various ceramic electronic components, a multilayer ceramic capacitor includes a plurality of stacked dielectric layers, inner electrodes facing each other in which each pair of inner electrodes has one of the dielectric layers interposed therebetween, and outer electrodes electrically connected to the inner electrodes.
Multilayer ceramic capacitors are being widely used in mobile communications devices, such as laptop computers, PDAs mobile phones and the like, due to their compactness, high capacitance and ease of mounting.
A multi-layer ceramic capacitor is usually manufactured by stacking a paste for inner electrodes and a paste for dielectric layers using a sheet method, a printing method, or the like and co-firing the stack.
When a dielectric material used in a conventional multilayer ceramic capacitor is fired in a reduction atmosphere, it is reduced to thereby have semiconductive properties. For this reason, a material used for inner electrodes employs precious metals such as Pd that are not melted at a sintering temperature of the dielectric material and are not oxidized even when fired under the condition of high oxygen partial pressure, the condition in which the dielectric material is not to be semiconductive.
However, since precious metals such as Pd are expensive, this disturbs the achievement of low manufacturing costs of multilayer ceramic capacitors. Therefore, a base metal such as Ni or a Ni alloy, which is relatively cheap, is mainly used as a material for the inner electrodes. However, in the case where the base metal is used as a conductive material for the inner electrodes, when firing is performed at the ambient temperature, the inner electrodes are oxidized. Therefore, the co-firing of the dielectric layers and the inner electrodes are required to be performed in a reduction atmosphere.
However, when the firing is performed in a reduction atmosphere, the dielectric layers are reduced to thereby decrease insulation resistance (IR). Accordingly, a non-reducing dielectric material is being proposed. Also, there is an increase in demand for a dielectric ceramic composition for temperature compensation which has a small temperature coefficient of capacitance (TCC) and is controllable in the range of approximately −150 ppm/° C. and +150 ppm/° C. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of Invention
The invention relates to waste-processing systems for processing manure.
2. Background Prior Art
Many prior art waste-processing systems are designed for low-solids waste, such as municipal waste, that has a solids content of approximately one percent. High-solids wastes such as manure that have a solids content of approximately twelve percent either clog the system or are insufficiently processed. The processing of high-solids waste has typically been performed using a plug flow process that is characterized by a straight-through system.
Prior art waste-processing systems for either high- or low-solids waste use large amounts of purchased energy in the form of electricity or natural gas to generate heat and run pumps to process the wastes because these systems typically exhibit inefficient heating of the waste as it is processed. In addition, prior art waste-processing systems have the added problem of disposing of the products of their processing. It is anticipated that stricter environmental regulations will limit the amount of waste than can be applied to fields as fertilizer because of the phosphates and nitrogen content of the waste. As fields reach their limits, other fields must be found. As the amount of unfertilized land dwindles, either other outlets for waste must be found, or a disposal method that meets the stricter environmental regulations must be developed and used.
The apparatus and method embodying this invention provide a waste-processing system capable of processing high-solids wastes such as manure. Total process flows are controlled in substantially-closed systems to minimize end waste products and maximize energy efficiency. The apparatus and method embodying this invention provide a compact U-shaped digester that allows for recycling of activated sludge to improve the efficiency of the process. Efficiency is also improved through a sludge heating design that creates a current in the digester and efficiently heats the sludge. Resource use is optimized to preclude the need to purchase outside energy, and to minimize the outflow of water that is unusable without further processing. For example, sludge is dried using waste heat from the processes, rather than using heat generated with energy from outside sources. Finally, a composter is provided to further process the sludge through aerobic digestion to create usable fertilizer, thus minimizing the output of unusable waste products.
A digester for processing high-solids waste is provided comprising a mixing chamber, a clarifier, and a generally U-shaped digester. The mixing chamber is located adjacent the clarifier such that activated sludge may be recycled to the mixing chamber. A heater is provided in the digester such that thermal agitation of the waste causes controlled mixing of wastes in the digester.
In another embodiment, gas jets are provided in the digester such that agitation of the waste by the gas jets causes the waste to be mixed.
In another embodiment, a gas turbine is provided that is fueled by biological gases produced in the waste-processing system.
In another embodiment, a composting tank mounted in a water tank is provided to aerobically digest the waste.
In another embodiment, the composter is replaced with a solids dryer using waste heat to dry the sludge.
In another embodiment, a combination of a fluidizing bed dryer and an air/air heat exchanger replaces the solids dryer to dry the solids and recapture heat produced by the turbines that would otherwise be lost in the turbine exhaust. The heated air in the fluidizing bed dryer evaporates water carried in the effluent from the solids press. The latent heat of vaporization carried by the moisture in the air leaving the fluidizing bed dryer is substantially recaptured in the water condenser.
Other features and advantages of the invention are set forth in the following drawings, detailed description and claims. | {
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The use of transdermal patches for time-released drug delivery is well known in the medical community. Transdermal patches are used to deliver a wide variety of pharmaceuticals including estrogen, nicotine, lidocaine and other molecules that are able to pass through the skin (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,965,154, 5,972,377, 6,207,182, and the like). The controlled release of drugs offers advantages over oral and/or injected medications in terms of convenience and more importantly, the maintenance of a steady therapeutic concentration of medicament.
Oral doses of lithium salts including lithium carbonate and lithium citrate are well known for the treatment of bipolar disorder. Unfortunately the blood concentration of lithium ion (Li+) changes rather sharply over time after ingestion of the lithium salt. The typical blood volume for a human is about 5 liters. According to the National Institute of Health (NIH) (see, e.g., website://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/about.cfm), the target value for treatment of bipolar disorder is approximately 0.6 to 1.2 mEq/l. Given a total blood volume of 5 liters, the total lithium dosage for treatment of biopolar disorder is about 3 to 6 mEq which translates to 21 to 42 milligrams of lithium (metal). Assuming an average uptake of 30 mg Li+ every 12 hours (60 mg/day), a lithium patch supplying Li+ for one week (14 doses) would need 420 mg of lithium metal (less than half a gram). If the lithium source were a lithium carbonate salt (mol wt.=73.89), one would need 111 to 222 mg of Li2CO3 to achieve the therapeutic concentration of 3 to 6 mEq, respectively. So a one-week lithium patch having a Li2CO3 salt as the source of lithium would require at least 1554 to 3108 mg of salt.
When taken orally, a typical dosage is around 300 mg of Li2CO3 to achieve the therapeutic target of 3 to 6 mEq of Li+. Unfortunately, the therapeutic value for lithium is very close to the toxic threshold, and there is no known antidote for lithium poisoning.
The idea for a lithium transdermal patch is described in Raimondi (U.S. Pat. No. 6,207,182), where a simple adhesive patch containing a lithium salt is used for delivery of lithium. There are problems with this approach, notably the large amount (volume) of lithium salt necessary for treatment of bipolar disorder, leading to a cumbersome patch. Also, using the simple patch in Raimondi lithium uptake rates may not be sufficient to provide effective treatment.
The use of iontophoresis for transdermal lithium delivery is described by Nemeroff et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 6,375,990). However, this device suffers from the same problem as the adhesive patch described by Raimondi (supra.) in that a large reservoir of lithium salt is needed, and in direct contact with skin, leading to a cumbersome patch that limits the duration of drug delivery related to practical volume restrictions. Moreover, these devices do not have control over the rate and/or quantity of Li delivered. These devices also require the use of an external battery, which further complicates their design and use. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to improvements in carrier devices and more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to a child carrying harness.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The transporting of small children or infants by carrying of the child by hand presents many problems for mothers or others, particularly when the child is being carried while the mother is shopping, or is trying to accomplish other deeds or acts. The advantages of carrying of the child by supporting the child from the body of the mother, or other person, in a manner wherein the hands of the mother are free from holding the child have been recognized, and several attempts at providing devices for supporting the child in this manner have been made. For example, the Kehlenbeck U.S. Pat. No. 522,018, issued June 26, 1894, entitled "Baby-Carrier;" Sutter U.S. Pat. No. 781,033, issued Jan. 31, 1905, entitled "Baby Carrier;" Averill U.S. Pat. No. 1,039,009, issued Sept. 17, 1912, entitled "Baby Carrier;" Lippincott U.S. Pat. No. 1,196,003, issued Aug. 29, 1916, entitled "Baby Carrier;" Wood U.S. Pat. No. 2,409,331, issued Oct. 15, 1964, entitled "Baby Carrier;" Thompson U.S. Pat. No. 2,689,672, issued Sept. 21, 1954, entitled "Infant Carrier;" and the Bolton U.S. Pat. No. 3,841,543, issued Oct. 15, 1974, entitled "Infant Carrier." These devices have certain disadvantages, however, in that generally they do not provide sufficient support for the child in order to be safe for the carrying of the child, and the position in which the child must be carried while supported in the device is inconvenient and restrictive for the child itself. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Archery arrows are used with a bow for shooting, typically for target practice or game hunting. Many such arrows include a hollow shaft and in recent years have been made of lighter materials such as composite carbon fiber shafts. When used with an arrowhead, the shaft end is subjected to impact forces when the arrow hits the desired target. These forces can potentially damage lightweight materials of the shaft, necessitating repair or replacement of the arrow shaft.
Furthermore, in use, it is important to align and balance the arrowhead axis and weight with the central axis of the arrow shaft to maintain the desired flight of the arrow without wobble or drift from the expected trajectory.
An adaptor to mount an arrowhead to a shaft which provides strength at the junction of the arrowhead to the shaft and which maintains longitudinal alignment of the arrowhead with the shaft axis is desired.
Objects and attendant advantages of this invention will be readily appreciated as the same become more clearly understood by references to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals designate like parts throughout the figures thereof. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the viewing of maps on electronic devices.
Background Art
To efficiently travel from one geographic location to another, it generally is beneficial to have directions. A number of interactive Internet-based mapping portals are available to generate such directions, including Yahoo!® Maps, MapQuest, and Google™ Maps. An electronic device (e.g., a desktop computer, a handheld computer, etc.) may be used to access a mapping portal. To use a mapping portal to generate travel directions, a user typically submits a start location and a finish location (e.g., in the form of a business name, mailing address, etc.). The mapping portal processes the start location and finish location, and generates a map with travel directions from the start location to the finish location overlaid thereupon. The travel directions may be followed by the user to travel from the start location to the finish location.
In addition to travel directions, a variety of further types of information may be generated when people interact with electronic devices. Such information includes information regarding applications used, social network information, physical and online locations visited, etc. However, most of this information is effectively abandoned due to deficiencies in the way such information can be captured. For example, and with respect to a mobile phone, information is generally not gathered while the mobile phone is idle (i.e., not being used by a user). Other information, such as a presence of others in the immediate vicinity, a time and/or frequency of messages to other users, and activities of a user's social network are also not captured effectively.
Techniques have not been developed for effectively using such information to enhance the lives and routines of users, including by enhancing the presentation of travel directions by electronic devices. What is desired are ways of enhancing the presentation of travel directions by electronic devices based on information generated when people use electronic devices. | {
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Over the years, several methods of administering biologically-effective materials to mammals have been proposed. Many medicinal agents are available as water-soluble salts and can be included in pharmaceutical formulations relatively easily. Problems arise when the desired medicinal agent is either insoluble in aqueous fluids or is rapidly degraded in vivo. Alkaloids are often especially difficult to solubilize.
One way to solubilize medicinal agents is to include them as part of a soluble prodrug. Prodrugs include chemical derivatives of a biologically-active parent compound which, upon administration, eventually liberate the parent compound in vivo. Prodrugs allow the artisan to modify the onset and/or duration of action of an agent in vivo and can modify the transportation, distribution or solubility of a drug in the body. Furthermore, prodrug formulations often reduce the toxicity and/or otherwise overcome difficulties encountered when administering pharmaceutical preparations. Typical examples of prodrugs include organic phosphates or esters of alcohols or thioalcohols. See Remington's Pharmaceutical Sciences, 16th Ed., A. Osol, Ed. (1980), the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein.
Prodrugs are often biologically inert or substantially inactive forms of the parent or active compound. The rate of release of the active drug, i.e. the rate of hydrolysis, is influenced by several factors but especially by the type of bond joining the parent drug to the modifier. Care must be taken to avoid preparing prodrugs which are eliminated through the kidney or reticular endothelial system, etc. before a sufficient amount of hydrolysis of the parent compound occurs.
Incorporating a polymer as part of a prodrug system has been suggested to increase the circulating life of a drug. However, it has often been determined that when only one or two polymers of less than about 10,000 daltons each are conjugated to certain biologically active substances such as alkaloid compounds, the resulting conjugates are often rapidly eliminated in vivo, especially if a somewhat hydrolysis-resistant linkage is used. In fact, such conjugates can be so rapidly cleared from the body that even if a hydrolysis-prone ester linkage is used, not enough of the parent molecule is regenerated in vivo to be therapeutic.
As an outgrowth of the work in the prodrug field, it has been thought that it would be beneficial in some situations to increase the payload of the polymeric transport form. This technique was offered as an alternative to the many approaches in which a single molecule of a therapeutic moiety containing a substitutable hydroxyl moiety is attached to a terminal group found on the polymer. For example, commonly-assigned PCT publication WO96/23794 describes bis-conjugates in which one equivalent of the hydroxyl-containing drug is attached to each terminal of the polymer. In spite of this advance, techniques which would further increase the payload of the polymer have been sought. In addition, technologies for forming prodrugs of therapeutic moieties having a substitutable amino group have also been sought. The present invention addresses these needs. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to transflective liquid crystal devices. In particular, the present invention relates to multi-gap type liquid crystal devices in which the thickness of a liquid crystal layer between a transmissive display region and a reflective display region in each pixel is changed to a suitable value.
2. Description of the Related Art
In various types of liquid crystal devices, those which are capable of displaying both in a transmissive mode and in a reflective mode are referred to as transflective liquid crystal devices and are used in all scenes.
As shown in (A), (B), and (C) of FIG. 24, a transflective liquid crystal device has a transparent first substrate 10 having a first transparent electrode 11, a transparent second substrate 20 having a second transparent electrode 21 opposing the first transparent electrode 11, and a TN (twisted nematic) liquid crystal layer 5 held between the first substrate 10 and the second substrate 20. The first substrate 10 has a light-reflecting layer 4 defining a reflective display region 31 in a pixel region 3 where the first transparent electrode 11 opposes the second transparent electrode 21. An opening 40 in the light-reflecting layer 4 defines a transmissive display region 32. The outer surfaces of the first substrate 10 and the second substrate 20 have polarizers 41 and 42, respectively, and a backlight device 7 opposes the polarizer 41.
In the liquid crystal device 1 having such a structure, light emitted from the backlight device 7 and entering the transmissive display region 32 enters the liquid crystal layer 5 through the first substrate 10. The light is modulated in the liquid crystal layer 5 and emitted from the second substrate 20 to serve as transmissive display light to display images (transmissive mode), as indicated by Arrow L1.
On the other hand, light entering the reflective display region 31 through the second substrate 20 reaches the reflecting layer 4 through the liquid crystal layer 5. The light is reflected at the reflecting layer 4 and emitted from the second substrate 20 through the liquid crystal layer 5 to serve as reflective display light to display images (reflective mode), as indicated by Arrow L2.
In the first substrate 10, the reflective display region 31 and the transmissive display region 32 are provided with a reflective-display color filter 81 and a transmissive-display color filter 82, respectively, so that color images can be displayed.
In such optical modulation, if the twist angle of liquid crystal is set small, the change in polarization is expressed as a function of the product of the difference Δn between refractive indexes and the thickness d of the liquid crystal layer 5 (retardation Δn·d). Therefore, by appropriately setting this value, the visibility of images can be improved. In the transflective liquid crystal device 1, however, while the transmissive display light passes through the liquid crystal layer 5 only once, the reflective display light passes through the liquid crystal layer 5 twice. Therefore, it is difficult to optimize the retardations Δn·d of both the transmissive display light and the reflective display light. Specifically, when the thickness d of the liquid crystal layer 5 is set so that the visibility in the reflective mode is improved, images in the transmissive mode are degraded. In contrast, when the thickness d of the liquid crystal layer 5 is set so that the visibility in the transmissive mode is improved, images in the reflective mode are degraded.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication 11-242226 discloses a structure in which the thickness d of the liquid crystal layer 5 in the reflective display region 31 is set smaller than the thickness d of the liquid crystal layer 5 in the transmissive display region 32. This structure is referred to as a multi-gap type and is realized, for example, by providing a thickness-adjusting layer 6 having an opening 61 formed in the region corresponding to the transmissive display region 32, under the first transparent electrode 11 and above the light-reflecting layer 4, as shown in (A), (B), and (C) of FIG. 24. Specifically, since the thickness d of the liquid crystal layer 5 in the transmissive display region 32 is larger than that in the reflective display region 31 by the thickness of the thickness-adjusting layer 6, the retardations Δn·d of both the transmissive display light and the reflective display light can be optimized. In order to adjust the thickness d of the liquid crystal layer 5, the thickness of the thickness-adjusting layer 6 formed must be large. Such a thick layer is formed of a photosensitive resin or the like.
When the thickness-adjusting layer 6 is formed of a photosensitive resin, photolithography is used. However, the thickness-adjusting layer 6 inevitably has slopes 60 diverging upward at the boundary between the reflective display region 31 and the transmissive display region 32 because of the low exposure accuracy and side etching caused by development during the photolithography. As a result, the thickness d of the liquid crystal layer 5 changes continuously at the boundary between the reflective display region 31 and the transmissive display region 32, and the retardation Δn·d continuously changes accordingly. Also, the initial orientation of liquid crystal molecules contained in the liquid crystal layer 5 is determined by alignment layers 12 and 22 formed on the innermost surfaces of the first substrate 10 and the second substrate 20. However, since the alignment strength of the alignment layer 12 acts in tilted directions in the slopes 60, the orientation of the liquid crystal molecules is disordered in these areas, as schematically shown in FIG. 25, and thus disclination occurs.
For example, if the known liquid crystal device 1 is designed for use in a normally white mode, the entire image should be displayed black while an electric field is applied. However, light leaks from the region corresponding to the slopes 60 and, thus, display failures, such as contrast degradation, occur. FIG. 26 (A) shows the results of a simulation for estimating the distribution of the reflected light intensity for each rubbing direction from the reflective display region 31 to the transmissive display region 32 when the entire image is displayed black. As shown in FIG. 26(A), light leaks at the boundary between the reflective display region 31 and the transmissive display region 32. This continuously variable light leakage is caused by an unsuitable retardation Δn·d and the sharp peak of the light leakage is caused by an alignment failure of liquid crystal. FIG. 26 (B) shows the results of a simulation for estimating the distribution of the transmitted light intensity for each rubbing direction from the reflective display region 31 to the transmissive display region 32 when the entire image is displayed black. As shown in FIG. 26(B), light leaks at the boundary between the reflective display region 31 and the transmissive display region 32. This continuously variable light leakage is also caused by an unsuitable retardation Δn·d and the sharp peak of the light leakage is caused by an alignment failure of liquid crystal. The leakage level of the transmitted light is notably lower than that of the reflected light.
Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to provide a multi-gap type liquid crystal device in which the thickness of the liquid crystal layer is changed to proper values from the transmissive display region to the reflective display region in one pixel region and to provide an electronic apparatus using the liquid crystal device. In the structure of the liquid crystal device, even if the retardation is not proper or the orientation of the liquid crystal molecules is not aligned, high-quality images can still be displayed. | {
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Autonomous robots that perform household functions such as floor cleaning and lawn cutting are now readily available consumer products. Commercially successful robots are not unnecessarily complex, and generally operate randomly within a confined area. In the case of floor cleaning, such robots are generally confined within (i) touched walls and other obstacles within the rooms of a dwelling, (ii) IR-detected staircases (cliffs) down; and/or (iii) user placed detectable barriers such as directed IR beams, physical barriers or magnetic tape. Walls provide most of the confinement perimeter. Other, much less ubiquitous robots may try to localize or to map the dwelling using a complex system of sensors and/or active or passive beacons (e.g., sonar, RFID or bar code detection, or various kinds of machine vision).
There are examples of consumer robotic lawn mowers that use a similar “invisible” barrier—a continuous guide conductor boundary proposed for confining random motion robotic mowers by the early 1960's (See, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,128,840; 3,550,714). Examples include commercial products by Electrolux, Husqvarna, Zucchetti S.A., Belrobotics, and Friendly Robotics. The guide conductor is intended to confine the robot within the lawn or other appropriate area, so as to avoid damaging non-grassy areas of the yard of intruding onto a neighboring property. The conductor is one continuous loop around the property to be mowed. Although the guide conductor can be drawn into the property in peninsulas to surround gardens or other off-limits areas, it remains a continuous loop, and is energized with an AC current detectable as a magnetic field at a few feet. The guide conductor must be supplied with power, usually from a wall socket. Within the bounded area, the known robots may “bounce” randomly as the robot nears the guide conductor, or may follow along the guide conductor. Some of the mowers also touch and bounce from physical barriers. More complex commercial mowers may try to localize or to map the mowing area, again using a complex system of sensors and/or active or passive beacons (e.g., sonar, encoded optical retro-reflector detection, machine vision). | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to near field communications.
2. Background Art
Near field communication, or NFC, is a set of short-range wireless technologies, typically requiring a distance of 4 cm or less. NFC generally operates at 13.56 MHz and at rates ranging from about 106 kbit/s to 848 kbit/s. NFC always involves a reader (or initiator) and a tag (or target); the reader actively generates an RF field that can power a passive tag. This enables NFC tags to be configured so as to have very simple form factors such as tags, stickers, key fobs, or cards that do not require batteries. NFC peer-to-peer communication is of course possible, where both devices are powered. Devices that contain both reader and tag capabilities are called controllers.
Near field communications (NFC) devices can be integrated into mobile devices, such as smartphones, for example, to facilitate the use of these mobile devices in conducting daily transactions. For example, instead of carrying numerous credit cards, the credit information provided by these credit cards could be stored onto a NFC device. The NFC device is simply tapped to a credit card terminal to relay the credit information to it to complete a transaction. As another example, ticket writing systems, such as those used in bus and train terminals, may simply write ticket fare information onto the NFC device instead of providing a ticket to a passenger. The passenger simply taps the NFC device to a reader to ride the bus or the train without the use of a paper ticket.
Generally, NFC requires that NFC devices be present within a relatively close proximity to each other so that their corresponding magnetic fields can exchange information. Typically, a first NFC device transmits or generates a magnetic field modulated with the information, such as the credit information or the ticket fare information. This magnetic field inductively couples onto a second NFC device that is proximate to the first NFC device. The second NFC device may respond to the first NFC device by transmitting or generating its own modulated magnetic field and inductively coupling this magnetic field to the first NFC device.
The present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Generally, the drawing in which an element first appears is typically indicated by the leftmost digit(s) in the corresponding reference number. | {
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1. Field
Embodiments relate to a display device and a method for fabricating the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
A liquid crystal display, which is a type of display device that has been widely used, can adjust the quantity of penetrating light by applying a voltage to electrodes (a pixel electrode and a common electrode) formed on two opposite substrates and controlling an arrangement of liquid crystal molecules of a liquid crystal layer interposed between the two substrates. | {
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This invention relates to optical elements, such as optical recording media, e.g., optical discs, to methods for producing such discs and to molding compositions for producing them. Articles such as optical discs have generally been made from materials such as polycarbonates or polymethylmethacrylates. In recent times attempts have been made to produce such articles from ring-opened polymers. In order to obtain reasonable optical clarity, it was necessary to hydrogenate such polymers subsequent to polymerization. However, such polymers have not proved entirely suitable for use in optical applications. For example, molded products of such polymers do not exhibit an optimal spectrum of properties, such as good birefringence, melt-flow properties, and related properties which may render them not as suitable for use in optical applications as are already accepted polymers, e.g., the polycarbonate polymers discussed above.
Polymers obtained by the ring-opening polymerization of cycloolefins are well known. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,136,247; 4,136,248; 4,136,249 and 4,178,424, all assigned to the B. F. Goodrich Company, describe such polymers and their preparation and each is incorporated herein by reference.
The ring-opening polymerization of cycloolefins produces unsaturated polycycloolefins. Polycycloolefins obtained from polycycloolefin monomers, i.e., monomers containing more than one ring structure, e.g., dicyclopentadiene, are of particular interest. Monomers such as dicyclopentadiene provide a 1,3-cyclopentene repeat structure in the polymer, which is obtained by a ring-opening polymerization and cannot be obtained by addition polymerization. These unsaturated polymers are known to be reactive (sulphur vulcanizable) and they are known to exhibit a profile of properties suitable for, e.g., automotive parts, such as decorative trim.
It is known that saturated hydrocarbon polymers, e.g., polypropylene and polyethylene, exhibit improved dielectric properties, hydrolytic stability, oxidative stability, and reduced water absorption when compared to polymers containing ester, amide, alcohol and other functional groups. The dielectric properties of such saturated polymers are desirable for electrical applications when used as insulators. The high oxidative stability of saturated hydrocarbon polymers renders them particularly desirable for applications in harsh environments, as does their hydrolytic stability. When unsaturated polymers are saturated, i.e., when saturated polymers are prepared from unsaturated polymers, the saturated polymers exhibit a dramatic improvement in oxidative stability. However, often that improvement is attained at the expense of a significant reduction in the heat distortion temperature for the saturated derivatives of the unsaturated hydrocarbon polymers. This reduction in heat distortion temperature may often render the polymers thermally inadequate for end-use in electrical and electro-optical systems, despite an improvement in oxidative stability.
Generally, saturated derivatives of ring-opened polymerized cycloolefins exhibit lower glass transition temperatures, and thus lower heat distortion temperatures than their unsaturated precursors. Hydrogenated polymers of certain cycloolefins have been employed, either in blends, or in particular applications as homopolymers or copolymers. For example, Japanese Kokai Patent No. 60[1985]-26024 discloses hydrogenated "cracked" homopolymers of tetracyclododecene and its copolymers with bicyclic norbornene. These polymers are disclosed as being useful for optical materials having good transparency, water-proofness (low water absorption), and heat resistance, which renders them suitable for compact discs, video discs, computer discs, etc.. However, if the teachings of this document are employed to produce polymers disclosed therein, a product exhibiting an inferior spectrum of properties results. For example, high glass transition temperatures needed for certain applications cannot be obtained with these copolymers without sacrificing other properties. Moreover, in addition to the fact that tetracyclododecene is a relatively expensive monomer to make, the materials of this patent do not exhibit optimized properties.
Japanese Kokoku Patent No. Sho. 58[1983]-43412 discloses hydrogenated homopolymers of dicyclopentadiene wherein the dicyclopentadiene is first "cracked" and polymerized, followed by hydrogenation. The resultant polymers are disclosed as having improved solvent resistance. Methods for hydrogenating the dicyclopentadiene polymers are provided and methods for polymerization are shown in the examples.
Thus, although attempts have been made to prepare optical materials with saturated polynorbornene-type polymers, the art still lacks such materials which exhibit an optimum spectrum of properties. There has been a continuing need for improvement.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,557,072 discloses nonhydrogenated polynorbornenes of general interest which may be of use in applications wherein a transparent polymer is desired. | {
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Conventionally known as compounds having an epoxy group and hydroxyl group are glycidol and the like.
However, these compounds have poor storage stability because they are unstable in the presence of a slight amount of an acid or alkali, so that the epoxy group readily reacts with a hydroxyl group and a polymerization reaction thus proceeds, and further, side reactions are apt to take place when these compounds are subjected to various reactions.
On the other hand, as another compound having an epoxy group and hydroxyl group, the compound ##STR4## is known.
However, although stable as compared with the above-described glycidol and the like, this compound has been unsuited for use in various applications because the following intramolecular reaction takes place. ##STR5##
This may be because the compound becomes stable in entropy due to the formation of the 6-membered rings within the molecule.
Further, since the above compound (II) is poor in flexibility, it poses problems when used in applications such as, for example, coating compositions. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a predecoder for decoding the address of a memory register in a register file, and more particularly, to a predecoder for converting n pairs of true/complement address inputs into 2n memory select lines for selecting banks of memory registers of the register file while also minimizing the number of required pull-down FETs in the decoder.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Recently, floating point processors have been designed which allow concurrent execution of a floating point multiply, divide, add and load or store instructions, thereby significantly increasing the processing efficiency of a floating point processor. For example, DeLano et al. describe in an article entitled "A High Speed Superscalar PA-RISC Processor", Proceedings of the Compcon Spring 1992Digest of Papers, San Francisco, Calif., Feb. 24-28, 1992, a central processing unit comprising an integer processor and a floating point coprocessor which achieves exceptional performance and structural density. The floating point coprocessor consists of a register file, a floating point ALU, a floating point multiplier, and a floating point divide/square root unit and is integrated onto the same chip as the integer processor. The speed and density characteristics of such a circuit was exploited by implementing a system of dynamic, self-timed logic.
Self-timed logic or so-called "mousetrap" logic is distinguished by the generation of glitch free signals of the type described by Yetter in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/684,720, filed Apr. 12, 1991, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,208,490 and assigned to the same Assignee as the present invention. As described by Yetter in that patent application, "mousetrap" style logic circuits are timed by transitions in the data itself rather than clock edges. Such a self-timed system implements logic paths for encoding respective "vector logic states" which are specified by collectively conceptualizing the individual logic states or "vector components" on the logic paths. In particular, an "invalid" vector logic state is defined as the case when all vector components are at a logic low (a logic "0" or low electrical signal level). On the other hand, each of the "valid" vector logic states is specified via a variety of schemes such as one in which one and only one of the vector components of a vector logic state exhibits a logic high (a logic "1" or high electrical signal level). Encoding of the vector logic states can then be handled by defining a valid vector logic state by more than one logic path while still defining an invalid vector logic state when all logic paths exhibit a low logic level.
The present inventor set out to build a register file for a system of the type described by Delano et al. for use in a floating point data path comprised of logic circuits requiring a periodic electrical pre-charge phase and an evaluate phase in order to maintain and properly perform the intended logic function. Since the register file of Delano et al. has thirty-two 64-bit registers (four registers are reserved for floating point exception data) and 5 read ports and 3 write ports to allow concurrent execution of a multiply, an add and a load or store, it was the goal of the present inventor to design a register file which maximizes speed while minimizing the area required for implementing the 32 registers in the register file and in particular the address decoders used for accessing the 32 registers in the register file.
In the register file of the type described by Delano et al., thirty-two 64-bit registers are provided, where each register has 8 ports (3 write and 5 read). There is thus a total of 32*8=256 address decoders in the register file, where each decoder selects 1 of 32 registers. As a result, 5 pairs of true/complement address lines are needed for each port to uniquely specify which of the registers is to be read from or written to. Generally, the decoder outputs are used to select a register for reading or for writing. A register is written during a first clock and read on a precharged bus during a second clock. Thus, during the first clock, a glitch-free register write enable must be provided by the write address decoders to the register file. Such a system for use in conjunction with floating point exception flags is described, for example, by Mason et al. in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/899,202, filed Jun. 16, 1992, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,257,214 and assigned to the same Assignee as the present invention. As described therein, if the write enable is allowed to glitch, the register contents can be disturbed. Likewise, during the second clock, glitch-free register read signals must be provided by the read decoders to the register file. As in the case of the write enable, if the read enable is allowed to glitch, the precharged register output can be disturbed. Domino-style logic has been used to provide such glitch-free operation.
As illustrated in FIG. 1, a known 5 input AND gate domino decoder 100 may be used to select 1 of the 32 registers based on 5 read port address inputs. As shown, 5 input AND gate decoder 100 consists of a PFET precharger 102 responsive to the input clock signal CK, 5 NFET transistors 104-112 in the NAND pull-down string, and an output inverter 114. The respective NFET transistors 104-112 receive 5 true/complement address pairs ADDR0-ADDR4 and NADDR0-NADDR4 as illustrated such that 10 wires must be routed through the decoder stack. Each address line is loaded by 16 of the 32 address decoders.
In the embodiment of FIG. 1, since no predecode is provided, the pull-down circuit has 5 NFETs 104-112, one for each true/complement address. Such long pull-down strings, in addition to having more transistors, also require more area for each transistor, for in order to have the same effective width/length ratio as a single pull-down transistor, each FET needs to be roughly five times wider than a single transistor. Hence, the decoder 100 illustrated in FIG. 1 takes up a relatively large amount of chip space. A smaller and faster decoder is desired.
The domino-style logic used in the embodiment of FIG. 1 also is not free from charge sharing problems, especially for long pull-down strings. During the precharge phase, nodes internal to the NAND pull-down string may not be precharged high because the inputs are low and hence the intermediate nodes are isolated. This can allow zero logic levels to be trapped on the intermediate nodes. Charge sharing can occur when the topmost transistors in the pull-down string turn on but the bottommost transistor is off. For long pull-down strings, internal nodes can be pre-charged to eliminate such charge sharing problems. However, the addition of these prechargers has obvious area disadvantages. It is thus desirable to shorten the pull-down string of the NAND decoder 100 so as to minimize the effects of charge sharing which would otherwise occur when domino-style logic is used.
Accordingly, an improved decoder for a register file is desired which can provide glitch-free read and write enables to the register file without the necessity of a long pull-down string of the type used in the prior art. The present invention has been designed to meet this need. | {
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Cell lines have become a valuable tool for vaccine manufacturing. The production of some important vaccines and viral vectors is still done in embryonated chicken eggs or primary chicken embryo fibroblasts. Primary avian tissue for virus replication is provided by SPF (specific pathogen free) production plants. SPF derived tissues are expensive and the quality of the supply material is often hard to control. Therefore, inconsistency and shortage in supply are the most predominant disadvantages of the technologies based on SPF eggs. The same is true for approaches where primary fibroblast monolayer cultures are used. To multiply cell lines indefinitely, the cells need to be immortalized. Most immortalized cell lines currently in use are descendants of cancer cells or of fused hybridoma cells. However, the later technology is limited to fusion with myeloma cells. No general technology exists that can generate immortalized cells of different types. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to data processing systems including one or more hosts and one or more data storage systems, such as a disk array, or direct access, storage device, with multiple physical disk drives and more specifically to a method and apparatus for enabling multiple hosts to issue optimized overlapping input-output, or I/O, requests to a particular logical device in the data storage system.
2. Description of Related Art
As the capabilities of data processing systems have increased, applications for use in those data processing systems have become more sophisticated. Now a data processing system may contain multiple hosts operating with independent host applications that access data in a large capacity data storage system either directly or over a network. Today, data storage systems are generally divided into logical devices or into blocks called by other names, such as logical volumes, data sets, files, etc. It is highly desirable that a data storage system in which a single logical device, that may store multiple files, be enabled to handle multiple concurrent requests for access to different files even from one or more different hosts and host applications.
A conventional data processing system includes a main frame computer or host including multiple central processors that interact with a data storage system. The data storage system generally includes a xe2x80x9cdisk array storage device,xe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cdirect access storage devicexe2x80x9d (e.g., a xe2x80x9cDASDxe2x80x9d) in which multiple physical disk drives are organized in multiple logical devices. The host communicates with the DASD through I/O requests provided by the operating system associated with the host. The host operating system heretofore has generally limited accesses to a given logical device to a single access at a time. For example, in the known MVS operating system, one unit control block (UCB) is assigned to each logical device. When a first I/O request identifies a file or dataset in a logical device, a UCB assigned to that logical device is set to a busy state until the entire I/O request is completed. Any following requests for the same logical device generated during the interval of the first request were queued to await the availability of that one UCB even though the I/O request was to a different file or dataset. Consequently, this feature forced all the I/O requests to a single logical device to be handled in seriatim.
There are some applications in which such an I/O request serialization may not adversely effect all operations. For example, in data storage systems that incorporate cache memory with the physical disk drives write operations merely transfer data to the cache memory. Read operations that identify data within the cache memory are handled in a minimal time so there is a minimal delay until a next read or write operation can be started. If it could be assured that all such requests could be handled in the cache memory, serialization would impose a minimal penalty. However, in most applications data will be required that is not in the cache memory, so access to a physical disk drive for the data will be necessary. The resulting interval for transferring data from the physical disk drive to the cache memory is significantly longer than the time to transfer data between the host and the cache memory. Consequently, other write and read requests, that might otherwise access data already in the cache, are delayed until the read miss operation has been completed. In these situations serialization adversely affects host processing significantly.
In accordance with one new approach an operating system that normally uses one unit control block, or UCB, defines that UCB as a xe2x80x9cbase UCBxe2x80x9d. A number of unassigned UCB""s are allocated to the same logical device. These are known as alias UCB""s. In accordance with this approach a host can issue concurrent or overlapped I/O requests by assigning each different request to one of the base or alias UCB""s up to the total number of UCB""s allocated to the logical device.
In the MVS operating system an I/O request takes the form of a number of channel command words (or CCW""s). An access method in MVS responds to an I/O request by generating, as its first CCW, a Define Extent CCW that defines the total range of locations that will be locked during any given I/O request. Some prior software tends to assign a default value in the Define Extent CCW that includes the entire logical device as the extent. Following channel command words in the I/O request specify read or write operations which identify the starting and ending locations of one or more blocks of data or whole tracks to be actually transferred. Typically this xe2x80x9crequired extentxe2x80x9d is significantly smaller than the size of the defined extent established by the Define Extent CCW. When this occurs, it becomes very difficult to realize the full benefit of the parallel access activity. Locking large portions of or the entirety of a logical device effectively serializes operations in the DASD as successive I/O requests are generated by the operating system.
Multiple reads to the same logical device can be readily accommodated particularly when the data being read lies in the cache memory. Such situations generally occur when multiple host systems have access to the same data. When a write operation occurs, it is necessary to block any subsequent read operations to avoid any overlaps that could generate corrupt data. In accordance with the prior art, the entire extent established by the Define Extent command is blocked for a write operation. Consequently, the introduction of a write operation can materially effect the throughput of subsequent read operations. What is needed is a way to optimize the extents to minimize any delays that are produced and to enable a greater flexibility in handling multiple I/O requests, especially when writing data.
Therefore, it is an object of this invention is to provide a method and apparatus for optimizing multiple input/output requests directed to a single logical device in a data storage system.
Another object of this invention is to provide a method and apparatus for optimizing multiple input/output requests to a single logical device in a data storage system capable of accommodating multiple concurrent or overlapped accesses.
In accordance with this invention an input-output request from a host application to a data storage facility includes a first command with an initial address extent defined by initial starting and ending addresses. At least one second command in the input-output request contains command starting and ending addresses for affecting a transfer of data to the data storage facility. Optimization occurs by intercepting the input-output request before a command transfers to the data storage facility. The first and each second command in the input-output request is scanned for determining each of the scanned starting and ending addresses. The scanned addresses are converted into starting and ending addresses for an address extent that is coextensive will the starting and ending addresses associated with all the second commands of the input-output request. The address extent is transferred with the first command to the data storage facility, and may incorporate fewer addresses than are present in the initial address extent. | {
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The present invention relates to compositions for optical fiber coatings and fiber optic ribbon matrixes, optical fibers that contain a secondary coating prepared from such compositions, methods of making such optical fibers, and fiber optic ribbons that contain a matrix prepared from such compositions.
Optical fibers have acquired an increasingly important role in the field of communications, frequently replacing existing copper wires. This trend has had a significant impact in the local area networks (i.e., for fiber-to-home uses), which has seen a vast increase in the usage of optical fibers. Further increases in the use of optical fibers in local loop telephone and cable TV service are expected, as local fiber networks are established to deliver ever greater volumes of information in the form of data, audio, and video signals to residential and commercial users. In addition, use of optical fibers in home and commercial business environments for internal data, voice, and video communications has begun and is expected to increase.
Optical fibers typically contain a glass core and at least two coatings, e.g., a primary (or inner) coating and a secondary (or outer) coating. The primary coating is applied directly to the glass fiber and, when cured, forms a soft, elastic, and compliant material which encapsulates the glass fiber. The primary coating serves as a buffer to cushion and protect the glass fiber core when the fiber is bent, cabled, or spooled. The secondary coating is applied over the primary coating and functions as a tough, protective outer layer that prevents damage to the glass fiber during processing and use.
Certain characteristics are desirable for the secondary coating. Before curing, the secondary coating composition should have a suitable viscosity and be capable of curing quickly to enable processing of the optical fiber. After curing, the secondary coating should have the following characteristics: sufficient stiffness to protect the encapsulated glass fiber yet enough flexibility for handling (i.e., modulus), low water absorption, low tackiness to enable handling of the optical fiber, chemical resistance, and sufficient adhesion to the primary coating.
To achieve the desired characteristics, conventional secondary coating compositions generally contain urethane-based oligomers in large concentration, with monomers being introduced into the secondary coating composition as reactive diluents to lower the viscosity. Because conventional oligomeric components are, in general, much more expensive than the monomeric components, the use of oligomers in high concentration has the effect of increasing the cost of producing secondary coating compositions as well as the resulting optical fiber. Despite the cost of using oligomeric components in high concentration, it is believed that there are no commercially viable secondary coating compositions that either contain a low concentration or are completely devoid of oligomeric components.
Thus, there remains a need for suitable secondary coating compositions which can be prepared at lower cost than conventional secondary coating compositions and yield secondary coatings with a suitable modulus and other physical properties. The present invention is directed to overcoming this deficiency in the art.
There is also a need for a coating that will reduce the sensitivity of the fiber to bending, particularly microbending. This is especially relevant for high data rate optical fiber. A high data rate fiber is typically a single mode fiber with a large effective area. Fibers with a large effective area have an increased signal mode transmission capacity in comparison to non-large effective area fibers. However, fibers with a large effective area have a greater sensitivity to stresses, such as stresses caused by bending the fiber. These stresses can lead to distortion of the optically active region of the fiber and result in microbend signal attenuation.
The present invention relates to a composition for coating optical fibers and optical fiber coated with the composition. One aspect of the invention comprises an optical fiber coating composition. The coating composition comprises an UV curable composition and when cured exhibits a Young""s modulus of about 950 MPa or more and a film to film coefficient of friction of less than about 0.44. A second aspect of the invention comprises an optical fiber having a core and a cladding coated with the aforementioned coating.
A third aspect of the invention comprises a coated optical fiber comprising an optical fiber having a core and a cladding, and a coating composition and when cured the coating exhibits a Young""s modulus of at least about 950 MPa or more and a fiber to fiber coefficient of friction of no more than about 0.74. Preferably the fiber to fiber coefficient of friction is measured at a speed of about 0.423 cm/sec and with a weight of about 100 grams.
The composition of the present invention has suitable characteristics which enable its use in preparing the outer coating material on optical fibers and the matrix material on fiber optic ribbons. Moreover, when cured, the composition results in a coating or matrix material that possesses desirable characteristics with respect to water absorption, reduced microbend sensitivity, and extraction, as well as strength or modulus. Thus, suitable coating or matrix materials can be prepared from a composition that contains little or no oligomeric components, which significantly reduces the cost of preparing such compositions as well as the optical fibers and fiber optic ribbons that contain the cured product of such compositions.
An optical fiber coated with the inventive UV curable composition has the advantage of exhibiting reduced xe2x80x9cslip-stickxe2x80x9d behavior to desirable levels, preferably eliminating slip-stick, without compromising the mechanical properties of the coated fiber. xe2x80x9cSlip-stickxe2x80x9d behavior includes at least when a fiber is either being wound onto a spool or paid off of a spool and the coated fiber repeatedly sticks to the adjacent fiber below the fiber and then slips over the adjacent fiber below and then sticks again. xe2x80x9cSlip-stickxe2x80x9d behavior is further described below with respect to FIG. 3.
A fiber coated with the inventive UV curable coating composition has also exhibited desirable optical time domain reflectometry (xe2x80x9cOTDRxe2x80x9d) results. The favorable OTDR results include desirable wind-induced attenuation results. Favorable wind-induced attenuation results correlate to a fiber with improved handability in the rewinding, ribboning, and cabling processes.
Another advantage of the inventive composition is that the composition minimizes, preferably eliminates, the xe2x80x9cblooming effectxe2x80x9d of uncured coating components, such as a monomer, or unreacted coating components. An example of the blooming effect is when a monomer or other coating component migrates to the coating surface. One reason for blooming effect is the migration of non-fully cured components which migrate or result on the surface of the optical fiber coating.
Preferably the inventive coating protects the fiber from handling and environmental abuse. Preferably, the inventive minimizes wind-induced attenuation. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus, an image processing method, and a program. More particularly, the invention relates to an image processing apparatus, an image processing method, and a program such that when an image signal before interpolation is cleared, the image quality of the image signal following interpolation is improved.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1 schematically shows a typical structure of an ordinary image processing apparatus 1.
In FIG. 1, the image processing apparatus 1 is made up of an image clearing section 11, an OSD multiplexing section 12, a frame rate converting section 13, a panel driving section 14, a display panel 15, and a control section 16. Illustratively, the image processing apparatus 1 displays chronologically ordered frame-by-frame images of a TV program by raising the frame rate of image signals that are the digital signal of each pixel.
In response to an image clear command signal supplied by the control section 16, the image clearing section 11 clears the image signal of an externally input TV program. More specifically, the image clearing section 11 turns the level of the image signals for all pixels to black (i.e., zero). The image clearing section 11 supplies the OSD multiplexing section 12 with the image signal having undergone the image clearing operation or with the input image signal without modification.
In accordance with a multiplex command signal coming from the control section 16, the OSD multiplexing section 12 multiplexes the image signal supplied by the image clearing section 11 with an image signal representative of OSD (on-screen display) images such as channel numbers and menus. The OSD multiplexing section 12 supplies the frame rate converting section 13 with the multiplexed image signal or with an unmodified image signal as supplied from the image clearing section 11.
Given the image signal from the OSD multiplexing section 12, the frame rate converting section 13 carries out a frame rate enhancement process for raising the frame rate (i.e. cycle) of the received image signal. More specifically, the frame rate converting section 13 first performs a frame interpolation process on the image signal supplied from the OSD multiplexing section 12. The image signal resulting from the interpolation is output to the panel driving section 14 as an image signal that is interposed chronologically between the externally input image signals. The process makes the frame rate of the input signal to the panel driving section 14 higher than the frame rate of the signal entering the image clearing section 11.
The panel driving section 14 performs D/A (digital/analog) conversion and other processes on the image signal supplied from the frame rate converting section 13. The resulting analog signal is used by the panel driving section 14 to drive the display panel 15 such as a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel whereby frame-by-frame images are displayed.
The control section 16 receives from a user such commands as an input change command for changing input sources of image signals, a channel change command for changing TV channels conveying image signals, and an OSD image display command. In response to the input change command or channel change command from the user, the control section 16 feeds an image clear command signal to the image clearing section 11. The operation makes it possible to prevent the image display from getting distorted upon input change or channel change. The control section 16 further supplies the OSD multiplexing section 12 with the multiplex command signal in accordance with OSD image display instructions.
The frame rate enhancement process performed by the frame rate converting section 13 in FIG. 1 is indispensable for improving the image quality of chronologically ordered image signals. The same holds true for frame interpolation used in the process for compensating the motions of such chronologically ordered image signals.
One way to implement the frame interpolation process involves first detecting a motion vector from chronologically input image signals and then using the detected motion vector to interpolate image signals at certain points in time between chronologically ordered image signals (as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-42831).
The motion vector is detected illustratively using the so-called block matching method whereby chronologically ordered image signals are compared with one another. In this case, the frame rate converting section 13 compares an image signal that has been cleared of its image with an image signal yet to be cleared at the beginning or at the end of an image clearing operation. As a result, an inaccurate motion vector is detected and used to generate an incorrect image signal, which leads to deterioration of the image quality of image signals subsequent to interpolation.
Illustratively, suppose that with an image clearing operation started as shown in FIG. 2A, the image signal of an uncleared image 21 having a black donut-shaped circle against a white background is fed to the frame rate converting section 13 followed by the image signal of a cleared image 22. In such a case, as shown in FIG. 2B, the ideal is that the frame rate converting section 13 interpolates the image signal of an image 23 identical to the image 21 and that the identical image 23 is kept displayed immediately up until the cleared image 22 is displayed.
In practice, the frame rate converting section 13 detects the motion vector by comparing the image signal of the uncleared image 21 with the image signal of the cleared image 22. The motion vector thus detected is used to interpolate the image signal of an aberrant image 24 having a black-and-white striped donut-shaped circle against the black background as shown in FIG. 2C. The result is a deteriorated quality of the image immediately before the cleared image 22.
Although not shown, the image signal of the cleared image is compared likewise with the image signal of the subsequent uncleared image at the end of the image clearing operation. The result is a similarly degraded quality of the image immediately before the uncleared image. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to batteries and particularly to lead-acid batteries and manufacture thereof. In such batteries liquid acidic electrolyte must be sealed inside the battery case to prevent leakage of the electrolyte from the battery case around a battery post or terminal extending through the case and via which electrical energy is withdrawn from the battery. While the primary thrust of the invention is towards the battery art, particularly the lead-acid battery art, the invention has applicability wherever an electrically conductive, generally metal member must be provided with a liquid-tight seal where the metal member passes through a wall, particularly a wall of an electrically insulative case, containing liquid of high or low pH or an environment otherwise corrosive to conventional sealing materials and techniques.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Mechanical fluid sealing, in the electro-chemical, corrosive environment within a battery, at lead-acid battery terminals or posts, particularly at the positive terminal post or electrode, has presented a serious problem to the battery industry for many years. Post failure structural and/or leakage at the post seal cannot be tolerated.
Over thirty years ago G. W. Vinal, in noting the problem, summarized the seals and techniques which were then used in Storage Batteries, published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, N. Y., copyright 1955. As Vinal observed, "the method of sealing the terminal posts at the point where they pass through the cover is a matter of great importance. Unless the posts are satisfactorily sealed, they are likely to work loose in the cover and cause leakage of the electrolyte."
At that time annular sleeves or flanges were typically used about the battery post to provide a seal between the post and the cover or case. If the case was hard rubber, the sleeve or flange could be force-fitted into place, but only with exercise of great care to avoid damage to the soft lead metal post. Another approach was to fit the post with an externally threaded annular sleeve which threadedly engaged a tapped hole in the hard rubber battery case. Yet another approach was to provide threads on the lead post itself and a tapped hole in the battery case or in an insert fitted into a bore through the battery case. Still another approach was to provide threads on the post with a nut thread-engaging the post and pressing down tightly on the battery case top as the nut was tightened. Sometimes the threaded battery post was further provided with a flange around the post portion inside the battery case; tightly threading the nut on to the post pulled the post flange upwards, into tight engagement with the underside of the case top. A soft gasket could be provided between the flange and the case top as additional structure to protect against electrolyte leakage at the post.
As an alternative to the various thread arrangements, a metal ring, selected from an alloy which was harder than the lead post, was burned about the exterior of the post, sealed with grease and urged against a soft gasket positioned between the metal ring and the battery cover exterior. The portion of the post inside the case was then deformed to retain the post in position with the ring squeezing the gasket against the case.
While these constructions have proved less than satisfactory, some of them remain in use even today, for want of a better post seal.
A more recent approach to the problem has utilized a relatively rigid epoxy polymer resin applied to a very well cleaned lead post over a large post area. The epoxy polymer is surrounded with a shrink-fitted, flexible, inflatable rubber tube which may also be secured to the epoxy by a suitable adhesive. The lower portion of the rubber tube forms a bag secured using suitable adhesive to an annular flange of the battery case surrounding and extending inwardly from the battery case post orifice. There may also be provided a rib or dam inside the rubber tube so that the epoxy polymer resin may be applied to the post with the dam serving to limit downward flow of epoxy polymer resin along the post. When the rib or dam is used, the tube is not shrink fitted to the post but is merely positioned about the post prior to pouring the epoxy, in order to leave a void for the epoxy to occupy; in this case the flexible, inflatable tube acts as a mold for the epoxy polymer resin. In either case, the flexible, inflatable tube is physically separated from the battery case along most of the axial length of the flexible, inflatable tube by the epoxy polymer resin; the seal intended to prevent escape of electrolyte is provided by adhesive between the flexible, inflatable tube and the case. This flexible, inflatable tube approach is generally disclosed the Bell System Technical Journal, volume 49, number 7, page 1405, copyright 1970 and in U.S. Pat. No. 3,652,340. While this approach has had some acceptance, the approach has not proven sufficiently reliable, particularly in small batteries where the area of rigid epoxy polymer resin-post contact is necessarily relatively small. The poor reliability of such epoxy seals has apparently been due at least in part to poor bonding at the rigid epoxy polymer resinpost interface, between the rigid epoxy polymer resin and the lead or lead alloy of which the post is fabricated.
A variation on the old threaded post approach disclosed by Vinal is presented in U.S. Pat. No. 4,245,014 in which the post itself is not initially threaded; rather a self-threading or self-tapping, sealant-containing member or nut is forceably threaded onto the post, cutting threads into the lead or lead alloy post and releasing sealant while engaging the post. This is combined with a case cover having a depression formed about the post orifice, which depression is filled with epoxy after the sealant-containing member is threaded into engagement with the post. The post is also equipped with a sholder for abutting the underside of the case cover depression; a rubber O-ring is positioned around the post, squeezed between the post shoulder and the underside of the case cover depression.
Yet another approach to the problem is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,522,899 where a synthetic plastic, preferably a modified polyolefin having elastomeric characteristics, is initially injection molded in an annular, toroidal O-ring-like configuration about a tapered post. The U.S. Pat. No. 4,522,899 approach relies on shrinkage of the injection molded synthetic polyolefin to provide a seal at the O-ring--post interface. Once the initial O-ring injection molding operation is complete, a second injection molding operation is performed, surrounding the annular, toroidal O-ring configured elastomeric polyolefin with a pot or cylindrical mass of a less elastic material, preferably the same plastic material as the battery case, specifically polyethylene or polypropylene. The pot or cylindrical mass of material is then heat or untrasonically bonded to the battery case.
While the approach of the U.S. Pat. No. 4,522,899 has superficial attraction, the approach has not proved to be a satisfactory solution to the post sealing problem. The injection molding process by which the annular, toroidal, synthetic plastic O-ring is fabricated about the post does not produce a good seal at the post--synthetic plastic O-ring interface. Indeed, injection molding, being a fabrication process as opposed to a bonding process, has not yielded a satisfactory bond and associated seal between the molded-in-place synthetic plastic O-ring and the metal post. Moreover, the elastomeric materials specified, such as polypropylene, tend to pull away from the battery post as these materials solidify during post-molding cure.
Lead and lead alloys are difficult to bond to other non-lead based metals and to non-metallic materials. Lead oxidizes freely and, hence, always has a small film of lead oxide present, which inhibits bonding. Material selection for post seals is limited because lead corrodes in base environments. The post sealing problem is particulary acute at the positive terminal post in a lead-acid battery because porous lead peroxide forms at that terminal. The sulfuric acid electrolyte easily creeps through the porous lead peroxide. (Surface tension of the acid electrolyte causes the acid to creep across and along all kinds and configurations of surfaces.) The sulfuric acid eventually finds its way through the epoxy polymer resin--lead or lead alloy post interface provided in the newer post seal constructions or creeps around the gaskets and the like used in the older techniques. This results in a leak and/or crevice corrosion, leading to degraded battery performance and battery failure. Leakage about the post with currently used seal techniques may also result from damage to the post seal during battery handling, from gassing in the event the battery is overcharged or from capillary rise of electrolyte along the post.
Batteries are increasingly being used in stand-by applications, to supply power in emergencies for computer systems, telephone switching equipment and the like, in the event of a power dropout or failure of the electric utility. Such stand-by batteries represent a significant capital investment and must have a useful life of many, as opposed to several, years. The required extended life aggravates the problem of providing an adequate, reliable and long lasting post seal because of the longer period over which the corrosive environment in the battery has access to the post seal construction. | {
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Traditionally, tankers used to transport liquefied natural gas (LNG) are off-loaded in protected waters. Once reaching their destination, these LNG tankers are typically moored alongside a quay where the connection of a quay-mounted articulated steel loading arm to the LNG tanker begins the off-loading process of the LNG.
From a safety, efficiency, and cost standpoint, it would be desirable to both off-load the LNG and transform the LNG from a liquid state to a gaseous state at an offshore location; that is, away from protected waters. The natural gas, having now been transformed from a liquid state into a gaseous state, is then readily transportable by an existing natural gas transportation system, such as through undersea pipelines as exist off the coast of the U.S., to an onshore location for temporary storage, further transport inland, processing, and/or use. Despite the increasing use and growing demand for natural gas in response to the escalating cost of oil, and the fact that the volume of natural gas being transported into the U.S. increases the need for an offshore off-loading and regasification system, no commercially viable system for the offshore off-loading and gasification of LNG in unprotected waters is presently available.
Accordingly, a need remains in the art for a system and method which allows conventional LNG tanker vessels of any size or configuration to first moor at an offshore location away from unprotected waters and then discharge their cargo of liquefied natural gas, in its liquefied state, to a regasification plant. Once the LNG has been off-loaded from the tanker vessel, the LNG tanker vessel is then made ready to depart en route to pick up another load of LNG. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to negative-working diazotype photoreproduction and, more especially, relates to a negative-working diazotype photoreproduction system adapted to utilize conventional diazonium salts in combination with a blocked-coupler which is activated by acid.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Diazotype photoreproduction is of course a standard in the graphic arts. The touchstone of the diazography processes is the light-sensitivity of aromatic diazo salts and the fact that such salts undergo two different types of reaction: [1] replacement or decomposition, in which nitrogen is lost or evolves as nitrogen gas and some other atom or group attaches to the benzene ring in its stead; and [2] "coupling", wherein the nitrogen of the diazo function is retained and the salts react with certain couplable color-forming components, i.e., a "coupler" or "azo-coupling component", to effect formation of an azo dye species.
The photochemical sensitivity of the compounds typically employed in diazotype photographic reproduction ["photoreproduction"] materials resides in the near-ultraviolet region of the spectrum, and is centered about 400 nm [nanometers, one nm being equal to a millimicron or 10.sup.-9 meter]. Photographic diazo processes may be divided into two basic categories: positive-working processes and negative-working or reversal, processes. In the former category, the action of light causes photochemical decomposition of the diazo compound. An image is developed in the unexposed areas by the combination of the diazo compound with a "coupling" component, which is generally an aromatic amine, phenol, or aliphatic compound containing active methylene groups, to form colored oxyazo or aminoazo compounds known as azo dyes.
The positive-working material is imaged by first exposing it through a master transparency or original. The light in the exposure step must supply sufficient energy to destroy the diazo compound in the areas corresponding to the clear background of the original. High-pressure mercury vapor lamps are generally used in performing this step. That part of the diazo coating which is unprotected from the ultraviolet radiation by the image on the original becomes a colorless substance, incapable of coupling to form a dye. The unaffected diazo compound which remains in those areas where the light has not struck is able to form an azo dye by reaction with a coupling component when the medium is made alkaline. Thus, wherever there was an opaque line on the original, a dye-line appears on the copy. Positive-working, diazotype photoreproduction material is generally made alkaline, or pH adjusted, either by impregnating the material with ammonia vapors or passing it through an alkaline developing solution. See generally U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,444,469; 1,628,279; 2,217,189; 2,286,701; 2,429,249; and 2,694,009; German Patentschriften Nos. 56,606; 111,416; 487,247; and 515,205; British Pat. Nos. 234,818; 281,604; and 521,492.
In the negative-working or reversal process, a dye is formed in the exposed areas, but not in the areas protected from light. See U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,034,508 and 2,095,408; German Patentschriften Nos. 53,455 and 82,239. Thus a negative, or reversed, copy of the original transparency results. Among the processes employing diazo compounds to produce reversal copies are those employing diazosulfonates. Illustrative thereof is U.S. Pat. No. 2,854,338 to Herrick et al., wherein a neutral or acid photosensitive material is exposed to actinic light and developed in ammonia vapors. Residual diazosulfonate is removed from the unexposed areas and the background cleared by washing in water. In accordance with a more recent process, disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,479,183 to Habib et al, an alkaline imaging material is exposed to actinic illumination to convert the diazosulfonate to an active diazonium compound which combines with a coupling component to provide a reverse dye-image. Since the generation of the imaging diazonium is thus accomplished principally by the incident radiation, powerful light sources must be used for exposing the diazotype material. After imaging, the material is acidified and the unreacted diazosulfonate is light-cleared by exposing it to overall actinic illumination, thereby forming colorless decomposition products of the diazosulfonate to produce a stable, negative dye-image against a clear background. Cf. the U.S. Pat. No. 3,713,825 to Girard; U.S. Pat. No. 1,926,322 to Van der Grinten.
Another negative-working process which utilizes diazo compounds to produce azo dye images is the diazo-oxide mode of photoreproduction.
The basic operating differences between the diazosulfonate and diazo-oxide reversal processes are as follows, reference being made to "Decomposition of o-Hydroxy-Diazonium Compounds by Light," J. DeJonge and R. Dijkstra, Recueil, 67, (1948) pp. 328-342:
[1] The irradiation product of o-hydroxy benzene diazonium compounds is a cyclopentadiene carboxylic acid while the irradiation product of benzene diazosulfonate is the structurally isomeric diazo compound itself. As a result of the light decomposition, the practical and significant difference between the negative diazosulfonate process and the diazo-oxide reversal process is the fact that a wide variety of azo dye colors may be produced from diazosulfonate coupler combinations whereas only one azo dye may be produced from each diazo-oxide. The cyclopentadiene-carboxylic acid decomposition product couples much more rapidly than phenolic, naphthol or pyrazalone couplers [see page 335, paragraph 2 of the aforementioned article].
[2] The cyclopentadiene carboxylic acid formed as a result of decomposition under actinic light is a very active coupling component and forms red azo dyes with the diazonium compound.
[3] The fixing or prevention of image formation in the unexposed portions of diazo-oxide coated support requires that there be complete elimination of moisture or adjustment of the coated support to extremely high acid levels. This requirement need not be met with certain of the diazosulfonates.
Nonetheless, it too is well known to this art that negative-working diazography based on either diazosulfonate or diazo-oxide chemistry leaves much to be desired in terms of product imaging characteristics, namely, the diazosulfonate films required long exposure times to effect isomerization of the noncoupling trans-isomer to the reactive cis-form needed to provide an azo dye image. Additionally, the need for impractically lengthy fixing exposures likely shall continue to militate against widespread use of this approach. Insofar as the diazo-oxide based films are concerned, same, in effect, generate coupler in situ through partial decomposition of the diazo moiety. The film is cleared by postdevelopment exposure to destroy background diazo. The diazo-oxide films are also apparently quite limited in density and re-exposure schemes for enhancing image density by several successive re-exposure/cycles have been proposed. Cf. U.S. Pat. No. 4,108,664 to deBoer et al; U.S. Pat. No. 4,094,681 to Habib et al.
Yet another negative-working system features a "vesicular" film which is exposed to actinic radiation to form a latent nitrogen gas image therein from a preselected master image. The nitrogen gas evolves upon the light decomposition of the diazonium salt, and upon storage, the nitrogen would slowly diffuse out of the film. However, upon heating, the nitrogen expands and forms small visible bubbles or vesicles in the film. Thus, vesicular imaging is, in reality, a foaming process of sorts; same is essentially confined to single-component systems applicable to projection imaging, or microfiche/reader uses. Compare, for example, the U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,149,971; 3,355,295; 3,779,768; 3,779,774; 3,841,874; and 3,979,211.
In the U.S. Pat. No. 4,055,425 to Mustacchi, a diazotype material is described comprising a light-sensitive, water-insoluble diazoamino compound, an azo coupler, and an alkaline material, said diazoamino compound, when exposed to ultraviolet light, being reactive with said azo coupler to form a visible dye product only at a pH greater than 7. Such diazotype material can be used for diazotype reproduction processes resulting in either negative or direct positive images. Such material necessitates use of rather exotic equipment and, in the negative-working mode, treatment with an external acid source is mandated, and can be corrosive to the equipment. In addition, the processing entails an extra step in the photoreproduction sequence.
"Thermal" processes are also common to the art; U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,303,028; 3,499,760; 3,695,885; and 3,899,335.
Compare also the negative-working variant disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 3,765,895 to Fox wherein free-radical precursors are activated by photodecomposition of a diazonium salt. This patent features the ability of diazoniums to yield a free-radical by homolytic cleavage of the C-N bond, does not entail the formation of azo dyes or ammonia development, and, indeed, such process is operable even in the absence of diazo salt.
Other variations on the theme are suggested by, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,857,920; 2,095,408; 2,381,984; 2,416,021; 2,516,931; 2,976,145; 3,140,180; 3,307,952; 3,331,689; 3,563,744; 3,620,740; 3,769,018; and 3,793,033; British Pat. No. 975,457.
In view of the above noted technology and in response to the need to develop a simple negative-working diazography process a number of formulations were discovered which are disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 66,401, of E. W. Bennett, filed on Aug. 14, 1979, the disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference.
The primary components of this formulation comprise (1) at least one diazonium compound, (2)an inactive blocked-coupler and (3) a specifically defined photolabile, or light-sensitive acid progenitor.
In a preferred embodiment, the diazo compound and light-sensitive acid progenitor constitute the same compound. This is achieved when the diazonium compound is a diazo salt comprising a complex anion of an inorganic Lewis acid. Thus, in this embodiment the diazonium compound functions as either a reactant source for the formation of an azo dye species upon reaction with an activated coupler, or as an acid generating compound wherein a controlled amount of light decomposes the diazonium salt thereby releasing nitrogen and a Lewis acid.
The above described formulation is employed in a negative-working imaging process wherein the formulation is typically provided in the configuration of a film. The film is subjected to an imagewise exposure of light in a manner sufficient to generate catalytic amounts of acid from, for example, the photolabilie diazonium salt. Preferably aided by heating, the liberated acid reacts with the inactive blocked-coupling agent to unblock its functional group, and impart to the unblocked coupler the potential to react with the diazonium salt. The reaction between the diazonium salt and the coupling agent is induced in a developing stage wherein th film is subjected to an alkaline environment, preferably, at elevated temperatures, to form the azo dye.
The unreacted diazonium compound is preferably decomposed in a clearing step by exposing the developed film to actinic light, e.g., for about 60 seconds.
While the above processes and formulations employed therein have many advantages over those of the prior art described herein, the search has continued for ways to improve the D-min and line acuity of the resulting image.
The present invention was developed as a result of this search.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to improve (i.e., reduce) the D-min of images derived from certain negative-working diazography formulations described herein employing acid activated block-coupling components to thereby improve the visual appearance of the same.
It is a further object of the present invention to improve the line acuity of images provided from certain negative-working diazography formulations described herein which employ acid activated blocked-coupling components.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a means for decreasing the photo speed (i.e., increase the duration of the imaging step) of certain negative-working diazography formulation.
These and other objects and features of the invention will become apparent from the claims and from the following description. | {
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In recent years, advances in technology have led to substantial changes in the design of automobiles. One of these changes involves the complexity, as well as the power usage, of various electrical systems within automobiles, particularly alternative fuel vehicles. For example, alternative fuel vehicles such as hybrid vehicles often use electrochemical power sources, such as batteries, ultracapacitors, and fuel cells, to power the electric traction machines (or motors) that drive the wheels, sometimes in addition to another power source, such as an internal combustion engine.
Such traction machines typically include a rotor assembly that rotates on a shaft within a stationary stator assembly. The rotor and stator assemblies each generate magnetic fields that interact with each other to cause the rotor assembly to rotate and produce mechanical energy. The stator assembly typically includes a core having multitude of ferromagnetic annular layers (or laminations) arranged as a stack. Each lamination has several openings that, when aligned, form axial pathways that extend through the length of the core. Conductive elements such as rods, wires, or the like, typically made from copper or a copper alloy, are wound around the lamination core through these openings. Current passing through these conductors driven by a power source such as a battery or fuel cell generates electromagnetic flux that can be modulated as needed to control the speed of the motor.
Conductive elements are typically insulated to prevent shorting between each other and with adjacent stator core laminations. Such insulation generally includes both a non-conductive coating applied to the surface of each conductive element, and an insulating layer placed around a portion of each element's periphery. However, an insulating layer that more completely circumscribes the conductive elements in a stator core is desirable to further reduce the possibility of shorting and increase the overall reliability of electric machines.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide an assembly for electrically insulating conductive elements in the stator core of a vehicular electric machine having improved insulating characteristics. Further, other desirable features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the foregoing technical field and background. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to lifting and mounting devices and, more particularly, to a maneuverable device for raising, lifting and tilting a large commercial vehicle wheel into a position for ease of repair.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is common knowledge that, after a period of use, wheels and/or associated components of large commercial vehicles require maintenance and repair. Most commercial vehicles used for commercial trucking, transportation, and the like require large, bulky, and heavy wheels. Because of the size, weight and confined space in which a mechanic must work, handling of such wheels to maneuver into a convenient orientation is strenuous and could be dangerous to, or impose injury on, the mechanic.
Typically, when removing large vehicle wheels, a mechanic will properly jack up the vehicle and the selected wheel to be removed off the ground. The mechanic will thereafter slide a conventional wheel dolly under the wheel. Conventional wheel dollies typically carry a wheel cradle which can be vertically raised to engage and support the wheel during its removal. After the wheel has been removed from the vehicle, the dolly carrying the wheel may be rolled away to position the wheel for access to the components thereof by the mechanic.
Conventional wheel dollies are typically restricted to only vertical lifting capability to assist the mechanic in positioning the wheel or wheel components for repair. A dolly having only vertical lifting capability requires a mechanic, in many instances, to crouch or bend over to have access to the wheel components during repair and maintenance. This frequently requires the mechanic to then remain for long periods of time in a contorted stooped or bent position while working which contributes to fatigue and frequent injury stemming from exerting force from an anatomical awkward position. Therefore, it is desirable to have a wheel dolly including an additional feature to rearwardly tilt the wheel back into an inclined position to give improved accessibility to the wheel and its components while alleviating the necessity for a mechanic to work in contorted or uncomfortable positions.
Therefore, it is the object of the invention to provide a wheel dolly capable of lifting a wheel to support it during removal and thereafter tilting such wheel and its associated components in a rearward inclined position to provide better access and improved workability on such wheel. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system and method employing algorithms and protocols for optimizing carrier sense multiple access with collision avoidance (CSMA/CA) in wireless communications networks. More particularly, the present invention relates to a system and method for providing enhanced CSMA/CA which improves channel availability and quality of service (QoS) in a wireless communications network, such as an ad-hoc wireless communication network.
2. Description of the Related Art
In 1987, Apple was awarded U.S. Pat. No. 4,661,902, the contents of which is incorporated by reference herein, for a CSMA protocol for wired LANs based on a request to send/clear to send (RTS/CTS) exchange (referred to as “AppleTalk”). The CSMA scheme allows multiple devices to share a common resource (i.e., the same physical cable) for communication. Such a scheme is very effective when the communication takes the form of bursts of packets rather than a constant stream of data, such as time division multiplex (TDM) voice.
In 1991, Proxim was awarded U.S. Pat. No. 5,231,634 entitled “Medium Access Protocol for Wireless LANs”, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference, that describes an enhanced carrier sense multiple access with collision avoidance (CSMA/CA) protocol for a wireless local area network (LAN). The protocol specifically addresses the hidden terminal problem that exists in wireless networks, in which not all terminals are aware of each others existence and the transmissions that each other are making. The protocol also includes an attempt to derive a fairness of access so that the terminals closest to each other do not monopolize the radio link.
The ITT HandHeld Multimedia Terminal (HMT) system as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,943,322 to Mayor, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference, also uses a form of enhanced CSMA/CA protocol which includes the RTS/CTS as defined by Apple. The HMT technology allows each wireless terminal to function as an independent, intelligent router and repeater. Its ad hoc networking provides for a self-organizing and self-healing network structure. The HMT system is a significant improvement over the protocol described in the Proxim patent in a number of ways. Specifically, the HMT system is designed for use by a self forming/self healing network of highly mobile devices in which a simple RTS/CTS is insufficient as described below. Also, the HMT system introduces the concept of three data channels with a common reservation channel to optimize the use of the radio frequency (RF) spectrum. The Proxim protocol does not do this presumably because of the low mobility of the terminals in a wireless LAN and the probability of a large number of interferers being limited by lack of free space propagation. That is, wireless LANs are typically deployed in buildings where walls create natural barriers to RF propagation. However, in the highly mobile open air environment, this assumption is not reasonable.
The Proxim protocol also uses an RTS/CTS and data packet exchange in a common channel. In accordance with this process, no other terminal can use the radio resource while the exchange is occurring or during the back-off period that they define, which results in very low efficiency of the radio resource. As discussed above, the HMT system employs a mechanism with a single shared reservation channel on which all RTS/CTS communication occurs, and three data channels are used for the actual sending of data. As part of the RTS/CTS exchange, the terminals agree on a data channel to use. Accordingly, while a single pair of terminals is transmitting a data packet on one data channel, other terminals can correspond over the reservation channel to set up a packet exchange on another data channel. The result is that the overall efficiency of the network in terms of packets sent per second is much higher.
Although the HMT system operates well for its intended purpose, the system was designed for a military application where all terminals knew about all others (i.e., an all informed network). However, it would be beneficial to employ these techniques in a network in which each terminal does not necessarily have information about each other terminal. Accordingly, a need exists for an improved CSMA/CA protocol suitable for use with such a network. | {
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This invention is directed to switching circuitry which may, for example advantageously be employed for selectively actuating or deactuating the stereo expansion circuitry of an audio system.
Stereo expansion in audio systems is well known in the art and has been available for many years. In such systems, the right and left channel signals are processed in a manner which makes it appear to the listener that the separation of the speakers is much greater than the actual physical separation. Stereo expansion is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,495,637 of Bruney.
FIG. 1 is a simplified block diagram showing the selection of an expanded stereo system. The right (R) and left (L) audio signals are received on input lines 1 and 1a respectively. A selection switch 2 is shown as a double-pole double-throw switch for purposes of illustration. In an actual stereo receiver, the switch 2 would be an electronic switch. When expanded stereo is not desired, the switch is coupled to lines 1 and 1a and the R and L signals pass directly through the switch 2 to output lines 8 and 9. The input lines 1 and 1a are also coupled to a stereo expansion circuit 3 having output lines 4 and 5. The expansion circuit 3 combines the R and L audio signals for producing the expanded audio signals L+X(L-R) and R+X(R-L) which are available on output lines 4 and 5 of the expansion circuit 3.
FIG. 2 is the schematic diagram of another switching arrangement for selectively providing stereo or expanded stereo signals and will be described in detail below. Briefly, it uses a transmission gate coupled between inputs of operational amplifiers. As shown, the transmission gate may comprise a field effect transistor. Such a switch arrangement is much simpler than switch 2 shown in FIG. 1. However, the present inventor has recognized that depending on the type of FET utilized, the transmission gate itself may introduce signal distortion. | {
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This invention relates to flexible ceramic fiber boards containing a latex binder.
Ceramic fibers are widely used in the fabrication of blankets, felts and boards for high temperature insulation. These are used primarily for lining furnaces. Such products may contain non-crystalline aluminosilicate fibers, crystalline high alumina fibers or a mixture of the two types of fibers. Non-crystalline or amorphous fibers are ceramic fibers formed from a melt. The molten composition is fiberized by spinning or blowing and then quenching rapidly to retain a non-crystalline structure. Crystalline ceramic fibers are generally produced by heat treating a precursor fiber containing chemical compounds which convert to high temperature oxides upon heat treating. The precursor fibers are made by textile processing techniques such as dry spinning of solutions or by spinning of a viscose solution through orifices of a rotating disc. The heat treating process is usually a complex process involving decomposition, oxidation, rearrangement of molecular structure and sintering. This long heat treating process results in a crystalline form of ceramic fiber. The non-crystalline aluminosilicate fibers generally have high mechanical strength and comparatively high shrinkage while the crystalline high alumina fibers have lower mechanical strength and lower shrinkage. Mixtures of the fibers are used to obtain the benefits of each type.
Boards formed from ceramic fibers with a latex binder have also been used in the past. These boards are formed by a wet process whereby the fibers and binder are dispersed in water to form a slurry. The slurry is brought into contact with a porous mold and a vacuum is drawn on the other side of the mold to attract the fibers to the mold surface. This forms a shape of the fibers and binder on the mold. The shape is then removed from the mold and dried to form the board. | {
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Gasoline compositions have traditionally been formulated to improve the performance of carburetor and throttle body injected engines. Beginning in about 1984, electronic port fuel injected engines were commonly introduced by automobile manufacturers. Shortly thereafter, in about 1985, problems began to be reported with intake valve deposits in electronic port fuel injected engines, which problems are characterized by hard starting, stalls, and stumbles during acceleration and rough engine idle.
Conventional commercial gasoline additives contain nitrogen. The nitrogens are attached to a polymer, and the nitrogens are separated by two or three carbons. This structure provides a potential for chelation. However, steric hinderance reduces chelatability in conventional additives since the polymer is attached through one Of the nitrogen atoms.
Without limiting the invention by theories of operation, it has now been discovered that chelatability is advantageous for its deposit reducing tendencies. Accordingly, it would be desirable to have a new gasoline additive for unleaded fuel compositions which have increased chelatability and thus reduce or eliminate undesirable intake valve deposits in electronic port fuel injected engines. Also, since some carburetor and throttle body injector engines will still be in use for the foreseeable future, it would be desirable if such fuels could also be compatible with these engines. | {
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Fluid driven motors are known in the art which utilize elevated pressure or elevated velocity gases, such as air, to cause a shaft to rotate so that work can be done. Some prior art devices date back to around 1873, when steam power systems were being developed. In general, the high velocity fluid driven motors include a fixed vane rotor and a fixed vane stator. A nozzle directs the high velocity air against the fixed vanes of the rotor, causing rotor rotation. Such fixed rotor fluid driven motors generally exhibit extremely high free speeds, speeds exhibited when no load is placed on the motor, especially when sized to be hand held.
Many different types of fluid motors are known in the art that have been used with many different liquids and gases, including steam, compressed air and water. One type converts a high velocity stream of fluid (kinetic energy type) into mechanical rotation. These range from large water turbines that are used in hydroelectric generating plants and aircraft jet engines to very small dental drills that are used in filling teeth. The speed of a turbine dental drill ranges from 500,000 to a million RPM, and produces a very low torque. The jet engine typically turns at approximately 25,000 RPM and produces a high torque by having many stages of redirection of the gas stream and many expansion stages.
Another common type of motor uses static fluids under pressure to produce mechanical motion (potential energy type). Typical motors of this type use pressure against pistons to produce motion. Examples of this type include automobile engines and steam locomotives. Another type of static fluid pressure motor does not require a crank or similar mechanism to convert the fluid pressure to shaft rotation. In these motors, often referred to as a vane type, the pressure is applied directly against the vanes, which are coupled to the shaft. In contrast to pistons which have a fixed area exposed to the fluid pressure, the well known vane motor presents an area that ranges from zero to a maximum, in half of a revolution.
These prior art rotors which rely on static fluid pressure include a dynamic rotor having flat vanes which slide away from and toward a geometric center of the rotor. The rotor is located asymmetrically within a cylinder such that air passing from an inlet to an outlet within the cylinder causes the rotor to rotate in only one direction. The vanes slide away from and toward a rotational axis of the rotor as the rotor rotates. Because such sliding flat vane rotors contact a wall of the cylinder, friction exists which determines a maximum free speed of the rotor for a given air pressure. Such motors also exhibit relatively high torque at lower speeds than high velocity air motors.
While such sliding flat vane rotors are useful for many applications, some applications require higher torque at still lower speeds than those obtainable with flat sliding vane rotors. bearing the output shaft to obtain desired speeds is often excessively complex or expensive for many applications. The sliding vanes are also constrained geometrically to exhibit only slight extension, to prevent excessive shear stress on the vanes. Additionally, flat sliding vane rotors require some form of system to extend the vanes away from the rotor at start up, before centrifugal forces can be utilized to maintain the vanes against a surrounding cylindrical wall. The fluid pressure does not inherently cause the vanes to extend. Finally, such flat sliding vane rotors must be formed with multiple pieces and to precise tolerances to ensure that the vanes can effectively slide within slots in the rotor. Accordingly, a need exists for a fluid driven motor or fluid reaction device which has high torque at low speeds but which is sufficiently easily manufactured to facilitate economical disposability and has vanes which extend readily when the device is started. Additionally, a need exists for a fluid reaction device which has a high torque at low speeds without the use of gears.
The following prior art reflects the state of the art of which applicant is aware and is included herewith to discharge applicant's acknowledged duty to disclose relevant prior art. However, it is respectfully submitted that none of these prior art devices teach singly, nor render obvious when considered in any conceivable combination, the nexus of the instant invention as especially claimed hereinafter.
______________________________________ INVENTOR PATENT NO. ISSUE DATE ______________________________________ Schmitz 263,814 September 5, 1882 Current 1,343,115 June 8, 1920 Kochendarfer 1,601,397 September 28, 1926 Swisher, et al 1,999,488 April 30, 1935 Wiseman 2,017,881 October 22, 1935 Roelke 2,025,779 December 31, 1935 Monnier, et al. 2,128,157 August 23, 1938 Blair 2,135,933 November 8, 1938 Smith 2,226,145 December 24, 1940 Goldenberg 2,300,828 November 3, 1942 Shotton 2,315,016 March 30, 1943 Greenberg 2,328,270 August 31, 1943 Moore 2,463,118 March 1, 1949 Wiseman 2,789,352 April 23, 1957 McFadden Re. 24,391 November 12, 1957 Kern 2,937,444 May 24, 1960 Quackenbush 3,043,274 July 10, 1962 Wiseman 3,163,934 January 5, 1965 Winkler 3,192,922 July 6, 1965 Hoffmeister, et al. 3,229,369 January 18, 1966 Burnett 3,376,825 April 9, 1968 Brehm, et al. 3,421,224 January 14, 1969 Smith 3,510,229 May 5, 1970 Graham 3,727,313 April 17, 1973 Brahler 3,740,853 June 26, 1973 Booth 3,855,704 December 24, 1974 Campagnuolo, et al. 3,856,432 December 24, 1974 Killick 3,877,574 April 15, 1975 Balson 3,955,284 May 11, 1976 Danne, et al. 3,987,550 October 26, 1976 Flatland 4,053,983 October 18, 1977 Gritter 4,1,71,571 October 23, 1979 Girard 4,182,041 January 8, 1980 Lewis 4,248,589 February 3, 1981 Warden et al. 4,259,071 March 31, 1981 Melcher 4,261,536 April 14, 1981 Warden et al. 4,266,933 May 12, 1981 Bailey 4,365,956 December 28, 1982 Karden 4,465,443 August 14, 1984 Geller 4,693,871 September 15, 1987 Buse 4,767,277 August 30, 1988 Choisser 4,795,343 January 3, 1989 Choisser 4,842,516 June 27, 1989 Stefanini 4,863,344 September 5, 1989 Moreschini 4,929,180 May 29, 1990 Kimura 4,941,828 July 17, 1990 Huang 5,020,994 June 4, 1991 Witherby 5,028,233 July 2, 1991 Falcon et al. 5,040,978 August 20, 1991 Rosenberg 5,062,796 November 5, 1991 Bailey 5,094,615 March 10, 1992 Butler 5,120,220 June 9, 1992 Bailey 5,156,547 October 20, 1992 FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS DOCUMENT SUB- FILING NUMBER DATE NAME CLASS CLASS* DATE ______________________________________ 12584 03/1903 Munson 418 225 (Sweden 646,193 06/1937 Durhager 30b 202 5/1937 (Germany) 803,306 07/1949 Hollmann 418 225 (Germany) 102,433 05/1951 Callaghan 433 132 (New Zealand) GB 2 209 284-A 05/1989 Kalsha A61C 1/05 07/1988 ______________________________________ | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to nonreciprocal circuit devices for use in high-frequency bands including the microwave band, such as isolators and circulators, and more particularly, to nonreciprocal circuit devices which allow mobile communication units to be made compact and inexpensive when used in them.
2. Description of the Related Art
Nonreciprocal circuit devices such as lumped-constant isolators and circulators have characteristics in which attenuation is very low in the direction in which a signal is transferred and it is very high in the reverse direction. FIG. 9 shows a configuration of such an isolator.
This isolator includes a magnetic closed circuit formed mainly of an upper yoke 2 and a lower yoke 8; a permanent magnet 3; a spacer member 4; a magnetic assembly 5 formed of three central conductors 51, 52, and 53 and a ferrite 54; and a resin case 7. The port sections P1 and P2 of central conductors 51 and 52 are connected to input and output terminals 71 and 72 provided on the resin case 7 and matching capacitors Co. The port section P3 of central conductor 53 is connected to a matching capacitor Co and a terminating resistor R. An end of each capacitor Co and an end of the terminating resistor R are connected to ground terminals 73.
The spacer member 4 is disposed between the permanent magnet 3 and the magnetic assembly 5. When the upper yoke 2 fits in the lower yoke 8, the spacer member 4 presses and secures the magnetic assembly 5 and the resin case 7 to the lower yoke 8, and the matching capacitors Co and the terminating resistor R to the resin case 7. In addition, the spacer member 4 presses and secures the port sections P1 to P3 of the central conductors 51 to 53 to the matching capacitors Co, the terminating resistor R, and the input and output terminals 71 and 72, all of which are disposed in the resin case 7. In other words, the spacer member 4 fills an internal gap of the nonreciprocal circuit device and is used for stable holding and fixing of the components disposed inside the nonreciprocal circuit device, such as the magnetic assembly 5, the matching capacitors Co, and the terminating resistor R.
FIG. 10 is an equivalent circuit diagram of the isolator. As shown in FIG. 10, in the conventional isolator, the ports P1, P2, and P3, the tips of the central conductors 51, 52, and 53, are connected to the matching capacitors Co serving as matching circuits, and port P3 is connected to the terminating resistor R. Each inductance L corresponds to an equivalent inductance formed by the ferrite 54 and one of the central conductors 51, 52, and 53.
FIG. 22 shows a second conventional isolator. This isolator includes a magnetic closed circuit formed mainly of an upper yoke 2 and a lower yoke 8; a permanent magnet 3; a magnetic assembly 5 in which three central conductors 51, 52, and 53 overlappingly intersect each other on a ferrite 54; and a resin case 7. On the lower surface of the lower yoke is a terminal board 9 on which input and output electrodes 91 and 92 and a ground electrode 93 are formed. The port sections P1 and P2 of central conductors 51 and 52 are connected to input and output connection terminals 71 and 72 provided on the resin case 7 and matching capacitors Co. The port section P3 of a central conductor 53 is connected to a matching capacitor Co and a terminating resistor R. An end of each capacitor Co and an end of the terminating resistor R are connected to ground terminals 73. The input and output connection terminals 71 and 72, and the ground terminals 73 are connected to the input and output electrodes 91 and 92, and the ground electrode 93, respectively.
The terminal board 9 increases the degree of freedom in designing the signal input and output sections of the isolator by changing the shapes and positions of the signal input and output sections, as required, and assures stable and positive connection to a mounting board on which the isolator is to be mounted. The input and output electrodes 91 and 92, and the ground electrode 93 are formed as respective pairs of electrodes formed on corresponding main surfaces of the terminal board 9. Each pair of electrodes formed on both main surfaces are connected to each other by a through hole or an end-face electrode.
FIG. 23 is an equivalent circuit diagram of the isolator. As shown in FIG. 23, in the conventional isolator, the ports P1, P2, and P3, i.e. the tips of the central conductors 51, 52, and 53, are connected to the matching capacitors Co serving as matching circuits, and port P3 is connected to the terminating resistor R. Each inductance L corresponds to an equivalent inductance formed by the ferrite 54 and the central conductors 51, 52, and 53.
This isolator for use in a transmission and receiving circuit section of an antenna sharing circuit in a mobile communication unit such as a portable telephone or an automobile phone. The isolator is surface-mounted to a mounting board of which input and output transmission lines and a ground electrode are formed on the front surface and a ground electrode is formed on almost all areas of the rear surface.
An amplifier built into such a communication unit is nonlinear in general, and it causes extraneous emissions, that is, spurious signals, such as signals having frequencies which are multiples of that of the fundamental wave, especially the second harmonic and the third harmonic. Since these extraneous emissions may cause radio interference and malfunctions in the power amplification sections of other communication units, it is required to suppress the emissions to a certain level according to a standard.
An isolator also functions as a band-pass filter due to its transmission-direction characteristics. Therefore, attenuation is large even in the transmission direction in frequency bands away from the pass band. Since the main purpose of an isolator is not to obtain attenuation outside its frequency band, however, the desired attenuation cannot be obtained at the frequencies (especially those of the second harmonic and the third harmonic) of extraneous emission in the conventional isolator. Therefore, an additional filter is employed in the conventional communication unit to attenuate extraneous emissions.
In other words, when the conventional isolator is used, a filter for attenuating extraneous emissions is required as described above. The cost of components used increases by that of the filter, and the communication unit becomes large in size. The unit cannot be made compact or inexpensive. | {
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The term “flop,” or “flip-flop,” is generally used to describe or to refer to a clocked electronic circuit having two stable states, which is used to store a value. A flop generally comprises two latch circuits. The term “retention” flop is generally used to describe or to refer to a flop that is capable of retaining data while a portion of the circuit, e.g., input and/or output portions, is powered off.
Under the conventional art, a retention flop is generally formed by adding an additional, or “third” latch to a flop, sometimes known as a “balloon” flop. For example, the third latch retains a data value while portions of the rest of the flop are powered down. Unfortunately, such conventional art designs require an undesirably large die area, deleterious increases in a number of circuit elements, an unfavorable increase in the number and complexity of control signals required to operate the third latch in a “power down” mode, and a disadvantageous increase in power requirements, in both “normal” and “power down” modes of operation. | {
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This invention relates generally to immersion lithography and, more particularly, to apparatus and methods for providing fluid for immersion lithography. Specifically, this invention relates to improving fluid flow during immersion lithography.
An exposure apparatus is one type of precision assembly that is commonly used to transfer images from a reticle onto a semiconductor wafer during semiconductor processing. A typical exposure apparatus includes an illumination source, a reticle stage assembly that retains a reticle, an optical assembly, a wafer stage assembly that retains a semiconductor wafer, a measurement system, and a control system. The resist coated wafer is placed in the path of the radiation emanating from a patterned mask and exposed by the radiation. When the resist is developed, the mask pattern is transferred onto the wafer. In microscopy, extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation is transmitted through a thin specimen to a resist covered plate. When the resist is developed, a topographic shape relating to the specimen structure is left.
Immersion lithography is a technique which can enhance the resolution of projection lithography by permitting exposures with numerical aperture (NA) greater than one, which is the theoretical maximum for conventional “dry” systems. By filling the space between the final optical element and the resist-coated target (i.e., wafer) with immersion liquid, immersion lithography permits exposure with light that would otherwise be totally internally reflected at an optic-air interface. Numerical apertures as high as the index of the immersion liquid (or of the resist or lens material, whichever is least) are possible. Liquid immersion also increases the wafer depth of focus, i.e., the tolerable error in the vertical position of the wafer, by the index of the immersion liquid compared to a dry system with the same numerical aperture.
Immersion lithography thus has the potential to provide resolution enhancement equivalent to the shift from 248 to 193 nm. Unlike a shift in the exposure wavelength, however, the adoption of immersion would not require the development of new light sources, optical materials, or coatings, and should allow the use of the same or similar resists as conventional lithography at the same wavelength. In an immersion system where the final optical element and the wafer (and perhaps the stage as well) are in contact with the immersion fluid, much of the technology and design developed for conventional tools in areas such as contamination control, carry over directly to immersion lithography.
One of the challenges of immersion lithography is to design a system for delivery and recovery of an immersion fluid, such as water, between the final optical element and the wafer, so as to provide a stable condition for immersion lithography.
For example, injecting immersion fluid under an optical element that is inconsistent or non-uniform throughout the immersion area can adversely affect the lithography process. In addition, as immersion fluid moves in and out of the immersion area, air can be trapped under the optical element that can also affect the lithography process. Furthermore, residue immersion fluid left over in the immersion area from a previous immersion process can raise the temperature of the immersion fluid under the optical element. That is, immersion fluid left over from a previous process, which has been exposed to light again, can raise the temperature of the immersion fluid in a subsequent process under the optical element. This can adversely affect the wafer and lithography process. Therefore, what is needed is improved immersion lithography techniques for the flow and removal of immersion fluid. | {
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The present invention relates to a semiconductor device and a process for producing the same, and a tape carrier used in the process.
Among the various types of semiconductors, there are semiconductors produced according to a so-called tape carrier system. Such a semiconductor device is produced by use of a tape carrier, with techniques such as a wire bonding, the tape carrier having a plurality of leads (wiring pattern) with a predetermined shape formed thereon by use of, for example, a copper foil. The tape carrier is made of a tape (film) manufactured by use of an insulating material such as polyimide. Namely, an electrode of a semiconductor pellet in which an integrated circuit (IC) or a large-scale integrated circuit (LSI) is formed is bonded to an end of the lead by use of a simultaneous, multipoint bonding, namely, by the gang bonding, and thereafter the other end of the lead is cut off and is linked to a wiring electrode of a wiring board such as a printed circuit board, thereby manufacturing the semiconductor device.
The tape carrier is of a long size including a plurality of tape carrier units each formed by locating a lead pattern corresponding to an external lead of a semiconductor pellet on a tape manufactured by use of an insulation material. With the semiconductor pellet being bonded to the tape carrier unit, the tape carrier can be wound up on a reel for storage. As a consequence, semiconductor devices using the tape carrier system are quite suitable for automation, for the production of semiconductor devices for e.g., watches and calculators, namely, so-called chip-on-board type semiconductor devices.
Incidentally, the tape carrier system is described in "IC JISSO GIJUTSU (IC PLACEMENT TECHNOLOGY)", Japan Electronics Association; K. K. Kogyo Chosa Kai, Jan. 14, 1980 (page 107 and subsequent pages). | {
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This invention relates to the art of fluid measurement, and more particularly, to apparatus for producing an output directly proportional to the ratio of the densities of two gases.
The word "gravity" is hereby defined for use herein and for use in the clamis to mean either the ratio of the densities of two fluids or the ratio of the density of a gas of any type to the density of air at the same temperature and pressure. As will be explained hereinafter, the gravity of a gas is otherwise substantially independent of temperature and pressure.
In the past, it has been practice to measure the gravity of a gas by loading a gas tight cylinder with a gas and placing it on a balance with a gas tight cylinder of air. This apparatus is expensive and combersome to use. Moreover, gravity is obtained by performing a batch process which cannot run continuously with flowmeter apparatus to indicate instantaneously what the rate of volume flow and the total volume flow in a pipeline is. | {
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An eye can have various disorders which affect the crystalline lens of the eye. One of the most common disorders is cataracts, which is a clouding of the crystalline lens. The conventional treatment for cataracts is removal of the crystalline lens and replacement of the lens with an artificial or intraocular lens (IOL).
Once an IOL is implanted, however, it generally has a fixed refractive power. This presents a problem with respect to both far and near vision. With respect to far vision, the diopter power of the IOL is generally not capable of perfect vision—i.e. 20/20. This problem is due to the fact that the refractive power of the IOL must be chosen prior to implantation and thus can only be approximated. Since the diopter power can only be approximated, most patients will require at least a ±1.00 diopter power correction along the optical path to provide perfect vision. With respect to near vision, an artificial lens results in a loss of accommodation (i.e., the process of focusing the eye between far objects and near objects).
In an attempt to avoid loss of accommodation, a technique has been developed that involves removing the crystalline lens and leaving the capsular bag that holds the crystalline lens substantially intact. Once the lens has been removed, a new lens is created in situ by filling the capsular bag with a liquid material and polymerizing or curing the liquid to form an IOL in situ. The newly formed lens has characteristics that approximate the function of a crystalline lens. By leaving the capsular bag substantially intact, the newly formed IOL will be able to focus the eye between near and far objects better than if the capsular bag is removed since the capsular bag is attached to the interior of the eye by the zonular ligaments.
This in situ replacement of a crystalline lens has been referred to as a phaco-ersatz procedure. U.S. Pat. No. 6,598,606 B2 to Terwee et al. discloses a method of forming an IOL in situ using a photo-curable polymerizable material, and is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.
One drawback to the phaco-ersatz procedure described in the Terwee patent is that the shape of the lens, after creation, is not particularly controllable. That is, the shape of the lens is largely dictated by the shape of the capsular bag, and a surgeon has little control over the shape of the lens. Consequently, the newly formed lens is unlikely to provide the exact refractive power necessary to provide perfect vision. Therefore, as with a conventional IOL at least a ±1.00 diopter power correction will be required to obtain perfect vision. Furthermore, the newly formed lens will not compensate for any optical aberrations located elsewhere in the eye, such as astigmatism in the cornea. | {
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The subject matter disclosed herein relates to turbines. More particularly, the subject matter relates to an assembly of turbine static structures.
In turbine engines, such as steam or gas turbine engines, static or non-rotating structures may have certain clearances when placed adjacent to one another. The clearances between adjacent structures allow for movement caused by temperature changes or pressure changes. For instance, in a gas turbine engine, a combustor converts chemical energy of a fuel or an air-fuel mixture into thermal energy. The thermal energy is conveyed by a fluid, often air from a compressor, to a turbine where the thermal energy is converted to mechanical energy. High combustion temperatures and/or pressures in selected locations, such as the combustor and turbine nozzle areas, may enable improved combustion efficiency and power production. In some cases, high temperatures and/or pressures in certain turbine structures may cause relative movement of adjacent structures, which can cause contact and friction that lead to stress and wear of the structures. For example, stator structures, such as rings or casing, are circumferentially joined about the turbine case and are exposed to high temperatures and pressure as the hot gas flows along the stator.
It is desirable to improve turbine performance by reducing turbine clearances. In some cases reducing clearances requires accounting for eccentricity, out of roundness and part variation. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an integrated circuit designing support apparatus and a method for the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Rapid increase of personal computers and cellular phones leads increase of demand of semiconductor devices, together with higher reliability of the semiconductor device. A defect in an operation circuit such as ALU (Arithmetic and Logical Unit) is important since it causes a fatal problem in the semiconductor device.
Recently, design and manufacturing technique of a semiconductor device, especially LSI (Large-Scale Integrated circuit), has been remarkably and rapidly advanced. In a design stage of LSI, duplication of a circuit portion is carried out to produce a dual circuit of a first circuit and a second circuit so as to improve the reliability of the device. For example, in Japanese Laid Open Patent Application (JP-A-Heisei 11-102386), outputs of the first circuit and outputs of the second circuit are compared, and the design is changed when a difference is detected between the outputs
Such a method of duplicating the circuit portion is effective to improve the reliability of LSI. In this method, there is a case that the first circuit and the second circuit are integrated into one circuit in a process of a logical synthesis in the design stage. The logic of the second circuit is basically same as that of the first circuit. For this reason, the first circuit and the second circuit are integrated erroneously when the circuit is optimized in the process of the logical synthesis in the design stage. FIG. 1 shows a state that the first circuit and the second circuit are integrated.
In conjunction with the above description, an integrated circuit designing apparatus is disclosed in Japanese Laid Open Patent Application (JP-A-Heisei 9-204460). In this conventional example, the integrated circuit designing support apparatus is used to support the designing of an integrated circuit by using a hardware description language. First and second circuit design data are divided in units of modules to generate a plurality of first and second module design data. Specified one or more of the plurality of first and second module design data are extracted and the extracted first and second module design data are compared with each other between corresponding modules to check whether the corresponding modules are logically same. In the other modules, it is checked whether cells and signal lines are completely same between the modules. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to adjustable gas cylinder controls and particularly to adjustable chair controls.
2. Description of the Piror Art
The use of a gas-operated cylinder and piston combination is well known in the art. Also known is the use of such a combination in connection with a chair base and seat and the use of means for adjusting the overall length of the combination thereby adjusting the height of the chair seat. The following is a list of relevant patents in this regard:
______________________________________ Pat. No. Issue Date Inventor ______________________________________ 3,656,593 4/18/72 Bauer 3,756,654 9/04/73 Bauer 3,711,054 1/16/73 Bauer 3,790,119 2/05/74 Bauer 3,837,704 9/24/74 Bauer 3,762,514 10/02/73 Freitag 3,787,019 1/22/74 Freitag 3,828,651 8/13/74 Dorner et al. 3,788,587 1/29/74 Stemmler 3,388,883 6/18/68 Axthammer et al. 3,760,911 9/25/73 Porter et al. 3,744,844 7/10/73 Nomaki et al. 3,739,885 6/19/73 Bainbridge 3,712,429 1/23/73 Otto 3,628,637 12/21/71 Axthammer 3,407,909 10/29/68 Seckerson et al. 3,326,604 6/20/67 Billingham et al. 3,528,532 9/15/70 Moskow 3,533,658 10/13/70 Gropp 3,765,720 10/16/73 Sakai ______________________________________
However varied the cylinder and piston designs in the above references, several general characterizations can be made. First, the majority of designs are intricate and complex arrangements. Several involve more than one cylinder chamber or bore while others divide a single cylinder bore into more than two separate compartments using a variety of walls and partitions. The adjustable controls in such references are also generally intricate arrangements involving the combination of various pins, valves, members, discs, seals and springs. The manufacture of these intricate cylinder and piston arrangements is often detailed and very costly both in terms of time and production expenditures.
Second, as to the prior art cylinder controls specifically adapted for use in a chair, such controls generally require additional structure such as a guide tube in order to adequately support the chair seat and individual, as shown in Stemmler, Bauer U.S. Pat. No. 3,790,119, Bauer U.S. Pat. No. 3,711,054, Bauer U.S. Pat. No. 3,837,704, and Bauer U.S. Pat. No. 3,756,654. Furthermore, the handle or lever provided for adjusting the height of such controls is generally mounted within the housing on the underside of the chair seat thereby complicating removal and preventing the control from being readily interchangeable with various other chair seats and bases.
The present invention alleviates the above disadvantages. A single tube and single piston arrangement is provided wherein construction and manufacture is very simple. The valve means and lever means provided for allowing gas flow between the two compartments in the tube avoid the complexities of the prior art while providing a ready means of adjusting the height of the control. The adjustable chair control comprising the preferred embodiment of the present invention further resolves the problems of prior art controls by providing a structurally sound support which is adapted to fit a variety of chair seats and bases. | {
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The use of wireless devices is increasing at a rapid rate. A majority of the people living in large metropolitan areas use one or more wireless devices on a daily basis. These people communicate with each other or access information on the Internet using, among other devices, wireless telephones, interactive pagers, personal digital assistants, and handheld computers. As technology continues to improve, wireless devices will become more useful; at the same time, they will decrease in size and weight, making them more portable than ever. Consequently, consumers may carry their wireless devices wherever they go. For some people, their wireless devices will become indispensable.
The widespread use of wireless telephones in the United States has prompted the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to promulgate new rules related to emergency call processing. The FCC's wireless Enhanced 911 (E911) rules require certain Commercial Mobile Radio Services (CMRS) carriers to begin transmission of enhanced location and identity information in two phases. The first phase, starting on Apr. 1, 1998, required wireless service providers to transmit a 911 caller's number and section of the cell site from which the call is originated to a public safety answering point (PSAP). The second phase, starting on Oct. 31, 2001, requires all wireless service providers to locate two-thirds of all 911 callers within 125 meters of their physical locations. In other words, for all 911 calls received, a PSAP must be able to pinpoint 67% of the callers within 125 meters.
Under the FCC rules, wireless communication networks and wireless telephones (or any wireless devices that can be used to call 911), must provide both the identity and location of the caller to a 911 dispatcher. To provide a caller's identity, the wireless device will furnish a device identification, e.g., a mobile identification number (MIN), indicating in most instances the telephone number of the device. To provide a caller's location, the wireless communication networks and wireless devices will use a network-based location system or a handheld location system installed within the wireless devices, or a combination of the two systems. An example of a handheld location system is a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver. U.S. Pat. No. 5,663,734, which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses a GPS receiver and a method for processing GPS signals.
The E911 mandate has accelerated technological advances in location technology. Many new innovations have been achieved to provide solutions to a wide range of problems. However, many problems remain unsolved. One of the problems that has not been solved is to count the number of people attending an event that does not require admission tickets. For example, no one knows how many people gather at the National Mall in Washington, D.C. to enjoy the fireworks display on the Fourth of July. Similarly, no one knows how many beach-goers are sun bathing on a particular section of a popular beach on a particular day.
There are a number of existing methods for counting people. One frequently used method is to count the number of people present within a small unit area, and then multiply that count by the total number of unit areas. For example, if there are 500 people counted within a 10,000 square-foot area, and there are one million square feet, the total number of people present within that one million square-foot area is estimated to be 50,000. This method is inherently inaccurate because it erroneously assumes that the density of people throughout the whole area is constant. Indeed, at the Fourth of July gathering, for example, areas with a better view of the fireworks display tend to be more crowded than other areas. This method of counting could also be expensive if aerial photographs must be taken to delineate the area in question. In addition, this method takes many hours, and sometimes days, to complete.
A reasonably accurate count is useful for several purposes. For example, historians and the media need it to document an event while the police and event organizers use such data to better prepare for future events. In addition, a business entity may depend on the count as a basis to justify its advertising campaigns. For example, an advertiser may find it worthwhile to hire an airplane to pull an advertisement banner along a beach if there is a sufficiently large crowd of people on the beach.
Until now, wireless communication technologies have not been adapted to obtain an estimate of the number of people congregated within a geographical area, Until now, no wireless devices have been used to survey the opinion of people gathered within a certain area. Until now, there is no method for delivering an instantaneous result for a query broadcast to all people located within a specific location. In short, there is not a wireless communications service that can perform a variety of surveys via wireless devices. | {
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The invention relates to an attachment for a power tool.
To increase the usage possibilities for a power tool, such as a screwdriver or drill screwdriver, it is known from the prior art to mount an attachment detachably on the power tool. For the detachable mounting of an attachment on the housing of a power tool, various types of fastening are known. Conventional attachments are for instance firmly clamped to a clamping neck of the power tool or are clamped in the axial direction against the housing of a power tool by means of a bayonet mount.
From the prior art, angled attachments are for instance known, whose output shaft is at an angle to the drive shaft of the power tool. Eccentric attachments are also known, in which the output shaft is offset from but parallel to the drive shaft of the power tool. Once the attachment is mounted on the power tool, the output shaft of the attachment and the drive shaft of the power tool are in driving communication with one another, so that the drive shaft, via the output shaft, drives a tool bit, such as a screwdriver bit or drill bit, that is received in a tool receptacle of the attachment. | {
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The present invention relates to a spacer, particularly for coaxially sheathed fuel pipes of an aircraft. The intermediate space obtained via the spacer is used for ventilation and drainage of leakage liquid and condensed water, particularly for fuel pipes in aircrafts, in which such coaxially sheathed fuel pipes are required and/or prescribed in the fuselage region.
Coaxially sheathed fuel lines comprise an internal line and an external line, which encloses the internal line. In order to ensure a uniform distance between internal and external pipes under all circumstances, spacers are necessary between the internal and external pipelines. Internal and external lines may be manufactured from identical or different materials. These may be pipe, hose, or cable systems.
A spacer is known, i.e., from German Patent DE 26 47 235 C2. The spacer disclosed herein consists of several ring segments which are which are closed with individual tensioning wedges.
EP 1 431 642 A1 discloses a spacer in order to position an inner pipe in an outer pipe.
Furthermore, DE 2 048 424 discloses a fuel line with a spacer. The spacer has gliding cams and is closed by using separate clamping devices such as, i.e., a rivet or a screw.
Further, known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,441,082 A is a spacer which is held together by using additionally attached flanges.
EP 0 784 179 discloses a spacer for media tubes which are lead through tubular cable protection.
Currently, plastic spacers are disadvantageously used, which are fixed in a slip-proof way on the internal pipe using complex screw fasteners. This type of mounting may only be performed in a cumbersome way. The danger exists that damage to the internal pipe will occur because of the high pre-tension force of the screw. The internal pipe may, for example, be dented by the high force. During the mounting, one must work with special care in order to avoid contact of the screw fastener with the external pipe. If contact with the screw occurs, the external pipe may be damaged. In addition, multiple components (main body, screw, washer, nut) must be assembled during mounting, which is disadvantageous. Therefore, the greatest care is required during mounting, because of which mounting becomes complex.
New requirements for implementing special pipe diameters and especially small spaces between internal and external pipe lines may not be implemented using screw fasteners because of the space required. | {
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In current society, people have a higher demand for personal sanitation and care, and it is inevitable to use public health equipment in the daily life. No matter going to work, school, shopping, taking outdoor activities, commuting, etc., or even travelling aboard, they are often used. Although a part of public toilets provide disposable paper toilet mats to avoid users from directly contacting the toilet seat, or disinfectant to allow users to use after cleaning the toilet seat themselves, this cannot satisfy demands of people who have a high demand for personal sanitation, and cannot ensure preventing infection of bacteria.
However, in fact, hot all public toilets provide the above facilities. Even if available, not everyone can use them comfortably, and people often fears of infecting virus by using or contacting public equipment. Prior art includes usage of disposable papers or chemical disinfection products. This is contrary to pursuing environmental protection now and reduction of waste. Public equipment are available for everyone, and their cleaning and disinfection frequencies are low. And nowadays, bacteria spreads and virus rages, such as, hand-foot-and-mouth disease, and even after cleaning/disinfection, not everyone, especially the children and the old who have poor immunity, can use comfortably and prevent virus from raging by one hundred percent.
The foldable and portable sanitary seat plate in the prior inventions only simply considers the problem of folding method and receiving, but it is still inconvenient in use. Moreover, it does not carefully consider the problem of contamination after use and disinfection and sanitation of treating the sanitary seat plate in repeated use. In addition, it is also not easy to be acceptable in appearance, and poor portability and appearance are also important factors.
In conclusion, the existing portable toilet device obviously has inconvenience and defects in practical use, so it is necessary to make improvement. | {
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Computers have traditionally used cathode ray tubes (CRTs) for displaying information. CRTs are inherently analog in nature, and thus traditional video interfaces use analog signals to convey display data from a computer system to a display device. A popular standard is the Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) RGB standard for analog display devices. VESA compliant analog monitors support VESA Display Data Channel (DDC) protocol for communicating the monitor functionality to a graphics control card.
With the increasing popularity of flat panel display (FPD) technologies, (such as, for example liquid crystal displays (LCDs)), digital video interface standards have been developed. One such standard is the Digital Visual Interface (DVI) developed by the Digital Display Working Group (DDWG), a consortium of computer industry manufacturers. The DVI standard provides a high speed digital connection for display monitors that is independent of display technology. This standard provides for “plug and play” functionality, enabling a host system to automatically determine the capabilities of a monitor connected to it, and then properly format information for display on the monitor. As is well known in the art, the DVI specification currently supports two types of physical connectors: DVI-Digital (DVI-D) and DVI-Integrated (DVI-I).
The DVI-D connector supports a single digital display, and has 24 pins organized in three rows of eight contacts. The signal pin assignments are listed in the table of FIG. 1. The DVI-D connector can accommodate one or two digital links driven by Transition Minimized Digital Signaling (T.M.D.S.), which provides DC balanced signals. These digital links are used to transmit graphics data to the display. With reference to the table of FIG. 1, a first digital link consists of Data channels 0, 1 and 2 (“T.M.D.S. Data0−”, “T.M.D.S. Data0+”, “T.M.D.S. Data1−”, “T.M.D.S. Data1+”, “T.M.D.S. Data2−”, “T.M.D.S. Data2+”, (pins 17, 18, 9, 10, 1, 2)) as well as “T.M.D.S. Clock-” and “T.M.D.S. Clock+” (pins 24, 23). Plug and Play functionality is provided by a DDC signaling channel: “DDC Clock” and “DDC Data” (pins 6, 7) with the associated “+5V” and ground (pins 14, 15). For high resolution displays (especially high pixel format digital CRTs), the second T.M.D.S. link can be used to augment the bandwidth of the first link. The second digital link consists of Data channels 3, 4 and 5 (“T.M.D.S. Data3−”, “T.M.D.S. Data3+”, “T.M.D.S. Data4−”, “T.M.D.S. Data4+”, “T.M.D.S. Data5−”, “T.M.D.S. Data5+”, (pins 12, 13, 4, 5, 20, 21)) The two T.M.D.S. links share the same clock and DDC channel.
For the purposes of the present invention, a “channel” is defined as a single path for conveying electrical signals. For example, the T.M.D.S. “channel O” is a path for conveying digital blue video information. This channel consists of a balanced pair of conductors “T.M.D.S. Data0−” (pin 17) and “T.M.D.S. Data0+” (pin 18). By contrast, the “DDC Data” channel uses a single conductor (pin 7) referenced to ground. Therefore a “channel” can represent one or more conductors for conveying one signal.
The DVI-I connector has two digital links as in the DVI-D connector and in addition, an analog link, and can support a digital display, or an analog display. This connector has 29 pins that are divided into two sections. The signal pin assignments are listed in the table of FIG. 2. The first section is organized as three rows of eight contacts and is compatible with DVI-D. The second section of the DVI-I connector contains five contacts that are designed specifically for analog video signals. With reference to the table of FIG. 2, the analog link consists of pins C1 (“Analog Red”), C2 (“Analog Green”), C3 (“Analog Blue”), C4 (“Analog Horizontal Sync”), C5 (“Analog Ground”) and 8 (“Analog Vertical Sync”). Pins 6 (“DDC Clock”), 7 (“DDC Data”), 14 (“+5V”) and 15 (“Ground”) are used by either the digital monitor or the analog monitor, which ever is connected.
Thus, a single DVI-I connector can support current and future digital display devices as well as maintain compatibility with legacy analog displays as follows: A DVI compatible display device can be connected to the DVI-I system-side connector via either a DVI-D or DVI-I connector, or An RGB (VESA Video Signal Standard) analog display device can be connected to the DVI-I system-side connector using a DVI-I connector.
A limitation of the DVI-I standard interface is that dual head operation is not supported for analog displays. Thus, even when a graphics card has sufficient bandwidth to support two displays, the DVI-I interface limits the usable bandwidth, for analog displays, to a single display.
Accordingly, a system for providing analog dual-head support using a single DVI-I connector remains highly desirable. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention relate to a computer program product, computer system, and method for smart election of a storage module to be excluded when a connection between two storage modules is broken in a mesh storage cluster. In addition, embodiments of the present invention relate to a computer program product, computer system, and method for smart selection of a storage module to be excluded in a mesh storage cluster upon intra-module connection failure.
2. Description of the Related Art
Grid (or “cluster”) storage includes multiple storage modules for providing storage. In a grid based storage system, a cluster topology may be a mesh cluster, especially for a low cost entry level offering for smaller customers and proof of concepts. A mesh cluster may be described as a cluster in which every storage module is directly linked to any other storage module in the cluster.
Each of the storage modules in the cluster is connected to the other in a point to point topology. In an event in which a connection (i.e., an intra-module connection) between any two storage modules is broken (“an intra-module connection failure”), one approach is to exclude one of the two connected storage modules and continue with the rest, N−1 storage modules. This is to avoid a system performance degradation of the cluster because communicating via a third module instead of a direct connection slows system responsiveness and performance degradation as compared to expelling one of the two storage modules from the cluster.
In some cases, the selection of the storage module to be excluded is determined based on the first storage module that complains that there is a broken connection to an adjacent module. A cluster manager excludes the adjacent module. A broken connection indications that the two storage modules cannot transfer data to each other. “Adjacent” may be described as two adjacent storage modules having a point to point connection.
However, in some cases, this approach is not optimized, especially in cases where it is more suitable to exclude the first storage module that complained in order to avoid a performance degradation, for example. | {
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Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) is a family of lipid kinases that phosphorylate phosphatidylinositol at the 3′ position of the inositol ring. PI3K is comprised of several classes of genes, including Class IA, IB, II and III and some of these classes contain several isoforms (reviewed in Engelman et al., Nature Review Genetics 7:606-619 (2006)). Adding to the complexity of this family is the fact that PI3Ks function as heterodimers, comprising a catalytic domain and a regulatory domain. The PI3K family is structurally related to a larger group of lipid and serine/threonine protein kinases known as the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase like kinases (PIKKs), which also includes DNA-PK, ATM, ATR, mTOR, TRRAP and SMG1.
PI3K is activated downstream of various mitogenic signals mediated through receptor tyrosine kinases, and subsequently stimulates a variety of biological outcomes; including increased cell survival, cell cycle progression, cell growth, cell metabolism, cell migration and angiogenesis (reviewed in Cantley, Science 296:1655-57 (2002); Hennessy et al., Nature Reviews Drug Discovery 4:988-1004 (2005); Engelman et al., Nature Review Genetics 7:606-619 (2006)). Thus, PI3K hyper-activation is associated with a number of hyper-proliferative, inflammatory, or cardiovascular disorders; including cancer, inflammation, and cardiovascular disease.
There are a number of genetic aberrations that lead to constitutive PI3K signaling; including activating mutations in PI3K itself (Hennessy et al., Nature Reviews Drug Discovery 4:988-1004 (2005); reviewed in Bader et al., Nature Reviews Cancer 5:921-9 (2005)); RAS (reviewed in Downward Nature Reviews Cancer 3:11-22 (2003)) and upstream receptor tyrosine kinases (reviewed in Zwick et al., Trends in Molecular Medicine 8:17-23 (2002)) as well as inactivating mutations in the tumor suppressor PTEN (reviewed in Cully et al., Nature Reviews Cancer 6:184-92 (2006)). Mutations in each of these gene classes have proven to be oncogenic and are commonly found in a variety of cancers.
The molecules defined within this invention inhibit the activity of PI3K, and therefore may be useful for the treatment of proliferative, inflammatory, or cardiovascular disorders. Cases where PI3K pathway mutations have been linked to proliferative disorders where the molecules defined within this invention may have a therapeutic benefit include benign and malignant tumors and cancers from diverse lineage, including but not limited to those derived from colon (Samuels et al., Science 304:554 (2004); reviewed in Karakas et al., British Journal of Cancer 94: 455-59 (2006)), liver (reviewed in Karakas et al., British Journal of Cancer 94: 455-59 (2006)), intestine (reviewed in Hennessy et al., Nature Reviews Drug Discovery 4:988-1004 (2005)), stomach (Samuels et al., Science 304:554 (2004); reviewed in Karakas et al., British Journal of Cancer 94: 455-59 (2006)), esophagus (Phillips et al., International Journal of Cancer 118:2644-6 (2006)); pancreas (reviewed in Downward Nature Reviews Cancer 3:11-22 (2003)); skin (reviewed in Hennessy et al., Nature Reviews Drug Discovery 4:988-1004 (2005)), prostate (reviewed in Hennessy et al., Nature Reviews Drug Discovery 4:988-1004 (2005)), lung (Samuels et al., Science 304:554 (2004); reviewed in Karakas et al., British Journal of Cancer 94: 455-59 (2006)), breast (Samuels et al., Science 304:554 (2004); Isakoff et al., Can Res 65:10992-1000 (2005); reviewed in Karakas et al., British Journal of Cancer 94: 455-59 (2006)), endometrium (Oda et al., Can Res 65:10669-73 (2005); reviewed in Hennessy et al., Nature Reviews Drug Discovery 4:988-1004 (2005)), cervix (reviewed in Hennessy et al., Nature Reviews Drug Discovery 4:988-1004 (2005)); ovary (Shayesteh et al., Nature Genetics 21:99-102 (1999); reviewed in Karakas et al., British Journal of Cancer 94: 455-59 (2006)), testes (Moul et al., Genes Chromosomes Cancer 5:109-18 (1992); Di Vizio et al., Oncogene 24:1882-94 (2005)), hematological cells (reviewed in Karakas et al., British Journal of Cancer 94: 455-59 (2006); Hennessy et al., Nature Reviews Drug Discovery 4:988-1004 (2005)), pancreas (reviewed in Downward Nature Reviews Cancer 3:11-22 (2003)), thyroid (reviewed in Downward Nature Reviews Cancer 3:11-22 (2003); reviewed in Hennessy et al., Nature Reviews Drug Discovery 4:988-1004 (2005)); brain (Samuels et al., Science 304:554 (2004); reviewed in Karakas et al., British Journal of Cancer 94: 455-59 (2006)), bladder (Lopez-Knowles et al., Cancer Research 66:7401-7404 (2006); Hennessy et al., Nature Reviews Drug Discovery 4:988-1004 (2005)); kidney (reviewed in Downward Nature Reviews Cancer 3:11-22 (2003)) and Head and Neck (reviewed in Engelman et al., Nature Reviews Genetics 7:606-619 (2006)).
Other classes of disorders with aberrant PI3K pathway signaling where the molecules defined within this invention may have a therapeutic benefit include inflammatory and cardiovascular diseases, including but not limited to allergies/anaphylaxis (reviewed in Rommel et al., Nature Reviews Immunology 7:191-201 (2007)), acute and chronic inflammation (reviewed in Ruckle et al., Nature Reviews Drug Discovery 5:903-12 (2006); reviewed in Rommel et al., Nature Reviews Immunology 7:191-201 (2007)), rheumatoid arthritis (reviewed in Rommel et al., Nature Reviews Immunology 7:191-201 (2007)); autoimmunity disorders (reviewed in Ruckle et al., Nature Reviews Drug Discovery 5:903-12 (2006)), thrombosis (Jackson et al., Nature Medicine 11:507-14 (2005); reviewed in Ruckle et al., Nature Reviews Drug Discovery 5:903-12 (2006)), hypertension (reviewed in Ruckle et al., Nature Reviews Drug Discovery 5:903-12 (2006)), cardiac hypertrophy (reviewed in Proud et al., Cardiovascular Research 63:403-13 (2004)), and heart failure (reviewed in Mocanu et al., British Journal of Pharmacology 150:833-8 (2007)).
Clearly, it would be beneficial to provide novel PI3K inhibitors that possess good therapeutic properties, especially for the treatment of proliferative, inflammatory, or cardiovascular disorders. | {
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This invention relates to a hand-operated press for reloading cartridges used in pistols and rifles. In particular, the press is for removing spent primers from cartridges, inserting new primers, sizing the cartridges, refilling them with powder and inserting bullets in them. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to corrosion inhibition and more particularly to a new technique for inhibition of corrosion applicable to a wide variety of systems and metals.
2. Description of Prior Art
A solution has long been sought to the widespread and troublesome problem of corrosion. Corrosion has been an intractable problem with respect to various metal surfaces in a wide variety of systems. For example, corrosion of ferrous surfaces in oil refinery overhead streams, heat exchangers, towers and tower pump-around systems (in particular, of the crude distillation unit and vacuum distillation tower) and other distillation towers has not been solved to complete satisfaction. Likewise, corrosion of other metals and corrosion associated with other systems, whether such corrosion is oxygen corrosion, carbon dioxide corrosion, acid corrosion or otherwise, remains a serious problem.
An example of one particular situation in which oxygen or hydrogen sulfide corrosion is especially troublesome is refinery overheads. It has been difficult to solve the problem of corrosion in refinery overheads because such streams are highly acidic, typically having a pH of from less than 1 to about 3, and are maintained at temperatures exceeding about 200.degree. F. (93.degree. C.). By contrast, conventional corrosion inhibitors typically are employed in environments that are characterized by far less severe conditions. For example, corrosion inhibitors employed in oil field pipelines generally are not considered satisfactory corrosion inhibitors for refinery overhead streams and distillation towers, first because the disparate nature of the oil field pipeline and refinery/distillation technologies results in a failure to consider application of corrosion inhibitors from one art to the other art, but also because oil field pipeline fluids ordinarily are not strongly acidic (rarely, if ever, having a pH below about 4) and are at generally ambient temperatures. Thus, oil field corrosion inhibitors are not recognized as effective in highly acidic, high temperature conditions, which conditions themselves increase corrosion rates dramatically.
Accordingly, whereas the refinery and distillation streams include a strong acid, HCl, with which the corrosion therein is associated, and are maintained at a temperature of at least about 200.degree. F. (93.degree. C.), and often as high as 300.degree. F. (149.degree. C.) or more, oil field pipeline corrosion is associated with weak acids due to the presence of hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide and typical pipeline temperatures are under 100.degree. F. (38.degree. C.).
Because corrosion inhibitors have not been found to be satisfactory under the low pH, high temperature conditions of refinery overhead streams and distillation towers, it has been common practice to attempt to resolve at least the acidity problem by neutralizing the stream by addition of ammonia or certain organic amines, such as ethylene diamine, to raise the pH above 4 (generally to about 6) before addition of the corrosion inhibitor. This technique has been found to be unsatisfactory not only because of the extra treatment step and extra additive required, but also because the amines added to the stream tend to form corrosive HCl salts, which tend to exacerbate the problem and to corrode. Efforts to find suitable corrosion inhibitors for such applications typically have not produced entirely satisfactory results. Moreover, many inhibitors currently in use contain phosphorus, which affects catalysts downstream deleteriously.
According, while U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,332,967 and 4,393,026, both to Thompson et al., mention that the particular compounds disclosed therein might be applicable to refineries or distillation towers, corrosion inhibitors for oil field pipelines are not recognized to be applicable generally to refinery overhead streams, especially without first neutralizing the HCl in such streams. Thompson et al. also mentions (at co. 20, lines 29-33 of '967 and col. 20, lines 4-8 of '026) that the corrosion inhibitors described therein are effective in systems of "high temperature, high pressure and high acidity, particularly in deep wells, and most particular in deep gas wells." However, the acidity of such wells usually is not below about pH 3.5, generally not below pH 4, especially in wells that are not of high temperature and high carbon dioxide content. Thus, Thompson et al. do not suggest that the compositions described therein would be effective at lower pH's (as found in refinery overheads), or that their use in refineries would be in a manner other than the standard, conventional technique, which calls for addition of ammonia or an amine to increase the pH above 4 (with the problems connected therewith). And more generally, conventional corrosion inhibitors have been found to be either ineffective or susceptible to entering into undesirable side reactions in the highly acidic conditions of refinery overheads.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,770,906, 5,106,691 and 4,900,627 to Harwell and O'Rear mention in passing the possibility of the formation of a corrosion barrier, but disclose no more in that respect.
Thus, corrosion inhibitors that are effective in the low pH, high temperature conditions of refinery overhead streams without the need for neutralizing the HCl in such streams are needed.
Likewise, other corrosion inhibitors are system specific or not as effective as desired. Thus, corrosion inhibitors that can treat a wide variety of systems and that are even more effective at inhibiting corrosion are still being sought. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Field of the Invention
This disclosure relates generally to methods and apparatuses for calibrating clocks in clocked digital devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many modern electronic devices operate based on clock signals that are provided to the device from an external source and/or generated internal to the electronic devices. Such devices are referred to herein as clocked digital devices.
Because of their nature, clocked digital devices can and do exhibit a range of different performance characteristics based on the manufacturing and operating conditions associated with the devices. For example, multiple units of the same model of a clocked digital device may exhibit different operating characteristics due to variance in the processes used to create the units and in the characteristics of the materials used in the manufacturing processes. As another example, the same unit of a given clocked digital device can exhibit a first set of operating characteristics when operating at a first voltage and a second set of operating characteristics when operating at a second voltage. Still further, the same unit of a given clocked digital device can exhibit one set of operating characteristics when operating at a first temperature and a different set of operating characteristics when operating at a second temperature.
One set of operating characteristics that can vary depending on process, voltage, and/or temperature is the set of characteristics related to the timing performance of a clocked digital device. One such exemplary characteristic is the precise amount of time required for a clocked digital device to provide a valid output signal after receiving an active edge on a clock signal whose transitions produce the output in question. Another such exemplary characteristic is the precise length of time that an input to a clocked digital device must remain stable (in the same logical state) prior to receipt of an active edge on a clock signal used to capture (receive) the input signal. Yet another exemplary characteristic is the precise length of time that an input to a clocked digital device must remain stable (in the same logical state) following receipt of an active edge on a clock signal used to capture the input signal. Each of these exemplary characteristics, as well as other characteristics of a clocked digital device, can vary depending on process, voltage, temperature, or other operating characteristics.
Because of the variability of clocked digital devices, adjustments must often be made that can reduce the predictability and/or performance of systems including such devices. For example, in an ideal situation, a clocked digital device intended to capture a digital input signal in response to a given clock signal would capture the input digital signal precisely at the active edge of the clock signal. This ideal situation is illustrated in FIG. 1A, which depicts a clock signal 100 with the active edge defined to be the rising (low-to-high) edge of the clock signal. Also illustrated in FIG. 1A are lines 110 representing the time interval during which valid data must be present at the input to the idealized clocked digital device in order to facilitate proper reception of the input signal. Because it is assumed in this example that the clocked digital device samples its input precisely at the active edge of the clock, there is only a very limited period of time (ideally a time interval of 0 centered at exactly the low-to-high transition point of the clock signal) during which the input data must be valid.
In practice, clocked digital devices are not ideal. As such, a clocked digital device will not sample its input value precisely at the active edge of the externally-generated clock supplied to the device. In real operation, the input data may ultimately be sampled at a point that occurs either earlier or later in time relative to the active edge of the relevant clock. Moreover, because of variations in manufacturing processes, construction materials, temperature, voltage, and other operating conditions, the precise time at which a clocked digital device samples an input will not typically be consistent, but will vary from unit to unit, device to device, and from one operating condition (e.g., temperature or voltage) to another operating condition for a given unit or device.
To account for the variable operating conditions as described, it is often necessary to regulate and control the manner in which such devices are used. For example, in the above example, it was noted that the actual time at which a given clocked digital device may sample a desired input can vary from a time prior to the active edge of the relevant clock to a time after the active edge of the relevant clock. Thus, to ensure that such a device consistently receives valid data, it will be necessary to ensure that the inputs to the device remain valid and constant for a time interval spanning all possible sampling points. This time interval must begin before the active clock edge (in case the sampling occurs earlier) and end after the active clock edge (in case the input is sampled later).
The time interval during which an input to a device must remain valid and stable prior to the receipt of an active edge of the relevant clock is commonly referred to as the “setup time” and is often designated as Tsu. The time period after the active clock edge during which the input to a device must remain valid and stable is commonly referred to as the “hold time” and is often designated Th. FIG. 1B illustrates an exemplary Tsu time 120 and Th time 130 for one input of a clocked digital device with respect to exemplary clock signal 100. Tsu and Th may be negative quantities. A positive setup time and negative hold time defines a time interval prior to the active edge of the relevant clock. Likewise, a negative setup time and positive hold time defines a time interval after the active edge of the relevant clock. Based upon the preceding definition of Tsu and Th, a given input signal should not simultaneously exhibit negative values for both Tsu and Th.
Another important operating parameter for a digital device is commonly known as the clock-to-output time, often designated Tco. For a given output of a clocked digital device and a given clock signal, Tco typically represents the longest expected amount of time required for a valid output signal to appear following the active edge of the given clock. Like the Tsu and the Th values, the value of Tco for a given clocked digital device is subject to variation as a result of process, voltage, temperature and other operating conditions. Tco may also be a negative quantity, although this will occur only when an “early” version of the clock signal is available inside of the device, e.g. when using a phase-locked loop (PLL) or other similar clock management resource. A negative Tco value does not imply a non-causal relationship between an output signal and its corresponding clock.
Ideally the Tsu and Th values for a clocked digital device's inputs, and the Tco value for its outputs, would be zero. Practically, however, these values are set to account for the maximum range of possible delays that the associated clocked digital device may encounter in expected operation. As a result, to ensure predictable and robust operations, systems utilizing such devices must typically account for the range of potential operating conditions, which generally results in slower system operation than would be possible if the Tsu, Th and Tco values were at, or nearly at zero, and if the Tsu, Th and Tco values were not subject to variation as a result of differing manufacturing and/or operating conditions. Accordingly, there is a need and benefit to providing apparatuses and methods that can dynamically control and adjust the Tsu, Th and Tco values to compensate for operation and manufacturing variations and to hold the values of Tsu, Th, and Tco constant, independent of those variations.
Because of the potential benefits of having the output of a clocked digital device be valid at, or shortly after, the active edge of the relevant clock, attempts have been made to develop and utilize active circuits to try to provide some form of clock-to-output time or Tco compensation to try to ensure that the apparent clock-to-output time, Tco, for a device including the circuit is equal to zero, as determined from the active clock edge. If the relevant clock signal is free-running and periodic, then similar benefits may also be obtained from the less stringent requirement that Tco be an integral multiple of the relevant clock period, as determined from the active clock edge. In situations where the apparent Tco is an integral multiple of the period of the relevant clock, a valid output from the device will occur coincident with an active edge of the relevant clock. Since the relevant clock will be a periodic signal, having Tco be an integral multiple of the clock period as determined from the active clock edge is functionally equivalent to having a Tco of zero.
FIG. 2 illustrates a simplified representative version of a conventional approach used to adjust and control Tco. Referring to FIG. 2, portions of a digital device 200 are illustrated. The exemplary simplified device 200 includes an externally accessible input pin 210, a digital clock manager (“DCM”) circuit 220, and a clock distribution buffer 230. The conventional approach involves the use of an input pin 210 to receive an externally-supplied clock signal, a dual data rate (“DDR”) flip-flop 240, and an externally accessible output pin 250. Pin 250 may be a bi-directional input/output pin and may be associated with appropriate buffer and driver circuitry. In operation, an externally-supplied periodic clock signal (not illustrated) is provided to the input pin 210. While not necessarily reflecting any specific structure, boxes 260 and 270 are provided to reflect sources of signal propagation delay encountered in transmitting the various signals described herein.
In operation, as mentioned above, an externally supplied periodic clock signal is provided at the input pin 210 of the clocked digital device 200. The received clock signal is then connected from the input pin 210 to the input (IN) of DCM circuit 220. Because the clock signal will be subject to various internal delays, delays that may vary depending on manufacturing or operating conditions, the clock signal received at the input (IN) of DCM circuit 220 will not typically be exactly aligned with the clock signal actually received at the input pin 210. The DCM circuit 220 receives the clock signal at its input (IN) and generates and provides an output clock signal at its output (OUT). The clock output signal from the DCM circuit 220 is provided as an input to a clock distribution buffer 230. The clock distribution buffer 230 distributes the received clock signal internally to portions of the digital device 200 in such a manner that the distributed clock signal is aligned, or substantially aligned, at every destination point within the device (low skew). In the example of FIG. 2, the clock signal from the clock distribution buffer 230 is used to clock one or more output registers of the digital device 200.
In FIG. 2, the output of the clock distribution buffer 230 is provided as the clock input to an output DDR register 240 configured with constant values for its rising-edge and falling-edge data inputs. Because of its configuration, and because it treats both the rising and falling edges of its received clock as active, the output of register 240 alternates between a logic “1” high level and a logic “0” low level to produce a periodic clock signal having a period that is substantially the same as the period of the supplied clock signal received at pin 210.
The clock signal provided by the DDR output register 240 is provided to bidirectional (IO) pin 250 and the clock signal at IO pin 250 is provided to the feedback input (FB) of the DCM circuit 220. The clock signal provided to the feedback input of the DCM circuit 220 will be subject to some delay (represented by block 270) such that the clock received at the feedback input to the DCM circuit 220 will not be exactly aligned with the clock signal provided to pin 250.
In operation, the DCM circuit 220 will adjust its output clock signal (OUT) until its input (IN) and its feedback input (FB) receive frequency-matched clock signals having coincident active edges (time-aligned). If the routing delay 260 to which the supplied clock signal is subjected is equal to the routing delay 270 to which the clock at pin 250 is subjected, then the output signal at pin 250 will be aligned with the input signal at pin 210 and the apparent clock-to-out of the digital device 200 will be zero or nearly zero relative to the input clock signal at pin 210. Since the clock distribution buffer 230 is designed for low-skew signal distribution, any other output signal sourced from an output register using the same clock will also exhibit a Tco of zero or nearly zero relative to the input clock signal at pin 210. The net result of this technique is a Tco for output signals, relative to the supplied clock signal received at pin 210, of zero or nearly zero. And because of the dynamic adjustment implemented by the DCM circuit 220, this value of Tco will exist independent of variations in process, temperature or voltage.
There are several drawbacks to the simplified compensation circuit of FIG. 2. As one example, the ability of the circuit to produce a Tco that is at, or nearly at, zero hinges on the assumption that the routing delay 260 experienced by the supplied clock signal received at pin 210 is identical to the routing delay 270 experienced by the clock signal provided to pin 250. In practice, such routing delays are almost never identical. Moreover, for a given clocked digital device, it can be difficult or impossible to identify an unused output pin that would be subject to routing delays that are the same, or substantially the same, as those for the supplied clock signal. Even if the routing delays are initially the same or similar, they may not be subject to the same variations as a result of manufacturing and/or operating conditions. As such, there will be differences between the routing delays 260 and 270 and the illustrated representative circuit will not be able to compensate for those variations. Further still, this simplified compensation technique does not provide any mechanism to calibrate Tsu and Th characteristics for a given device.
Accordingly, what is needed is a more effective and efficient way to dynamically adjust and control the clock-to-output time, setup time, and hold time for one or more outputs of a clocked digital device. | {
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Over the course of aging, the functioning of the central nervous system of dogs, like other mammals, shows a general deterioration. Behaviorally, this deterioration is manifested in a variety of ways, which include decreased exploratory behavior, disturbances in sleep, deficits in housetraining, general restlessness, difficulties in attention, and an overall decrease in motivation. In severe cases, these deficits constitute a canine form of dementia. Behavioral problems in elderly dogs impair the quality of life of the dog, and also decrease the enjoyment of the dog by its master.
The presence of these problems has resulted in the recognition and diagnosis of age-dependent behavioral problems in dogs. The potential importance in sensencent dogs was indicated in a survey by conditions (Chapman, et al., 1990) of 26 aged dogs, greater or equal to 10 years of age. The most common complaints from pet owners were destructive behavior in the house, inappropriate urination or defecation and excessive vocalization. In some cases, pet owners noticed an increase in separation anxiety. In each instance, these dogs were normal when younger. Moreover, these behavioral problems could not be linked to any other medical condition. In fact, one sign of canine senility frequently used by veterinarians is the existence of urinary incontinence, which typically results in the pet owner's decision to euthanize their pet (Mosier, et al., 1988).
These age-dependent behavioral problems also have problematic effects on service dogs. These are highly skilled dogs that are specially trained to carry out a uniquely important function. They include: seeing eye dogs which are trained to help the blind; hearing dogs, which help physically disabled individual who seek increased mobility and independence; special skilled dogs, who are trained on an individual basis based on the person's special needs; and military working dogs, which are trained for a variety of special military functions. The value of these dogs stems in part from the cost of their training. For example, the Lyons foundation in Oakville, Ontario, Canada estimates that the cost to train a single dog is about $20,000. These dogs are typically retired between 7-8 years of age because they become less attentive and slow down.
Age-dependent behavioral problems can be evaluated objectively by neuropsychological tests. The inventors have conducted several studies that were aimed at analyzing learning and memory processes of aged canines. They initially reported that aged dogs performed more poorly than young dogs on a variety of visual base neuropsychological tests (Milgram et al., 1995) and on a spatial memory test (Head et al., 1995). The inventors have subsequently found that aged dogs do particularly poorly on size discrimination learning and reversal task (Head et al., 1998).
More recently, the inventors reported on the basis of an extensive analysis of 54 dogs that level of behavioral functioning of aged dogs could be further broken down into subsets of successful agers, animals with mild impairment, and animals showing severe impairment (Adams et al., 1999). The inventors are able to distinguish two different subcategories of behavioral impairments learning impairment, which is manifested by difficulty in acquiring neuropsychological tasks, and memory impairment, which is manifested by difficulty in performance of tasks that include a delay interval, in which animals must retain a particular set of information. Animals showing severe impairment show both learning deficits and difficulty in retaining information for interval, longer than about 30 seconds.
These changes in behavior and cognition reflect corresponding age-related changes in the central nervous system (CNS). At a molar level, aged dogs show cortical atrophy (Su et al., 1998), and a corresponding increase in the size of the lateral ventricle. Other degenerative changes also occur in the canine brain over the course of aging. At a more molecular level, age dependent changes include distorted soma, loss of dendritic spines, shrinkage of dendritic branches and tortuous apical dendrites (Mervis et a., 1978). DNA damage is another potential indicator of neuronal dysfunction (this is often precursor to apopototic cell death) (Anderson et al., 1997).
Additionally, the aged canine brain develops pathological deposits of beta amyloid protein, which is similar to that seen in the aged humans. The morphology of A.beta. deposits in aged dog brain is that of a diffuse subtype. These plaques are thioflavin S negative and therefore probably lack .beta.-pleated sheet formation (Cummings, et al., 1993). These diffuse deposits appear to contain intact neurons These observations have been made in a variety of breeds (Wegiel, et al., 1996, Yoshino, et al., 1996), although breeds probably differ in their rate and age of onset of A.beta. deposition (Bobik, et al., 1994).
The inventors have further shown a direct link between these age-related pathologies and dysfunction in learning and memory. One study of the relationship between cognition and neuropathology examined the extent of A.beta. deposition in a group of behaviorally characterized dogs (Cummings et al., 1996). A group of 29 dogs ranging in age from 1.6 to 12-3 years had been tested for reward and object approach learning, visual discrimination and reversal, spatial and object recognition memory. The prefrontal cortex, hippocampus and entorhinal cortex was examined for the extent of A.beta. deposition using image analysis techniques. A discriminant analysis of the test scores indicated that two major clusters were present in the behavioral data, one that was termed procedural-type tasks (reward and object approach learning) and the second termed declarative-type tasks (visual discrimination, reversal and memory tasks). The declarative-type tasks, but not the procedural-type tasks were strongly correlated with A.beta. deposition in both the prefrontal and entorhinal cortices. In fact, up to 68.97% of the variability in test scores could be accounted for by the amount of A.beta. deposition.
In a second study (Head et al., 1998), a more detailed examination was made of 20 beagle dogs ranging in age from 4.5 to 15.3 years of age. These dogs were tested for object and reward approach learning (which the inventors previously established to be independent of A.beta. deposition), object discrimination learning using either a preferred or nonpreferred object and size discrimination learning along with long term retention. Based on the nonhuman primate literature, the inventors predicted that some tasks would be sensitive to frontal lobe pathology (reversal learning, object discrimination learning with a nonpreferred object) and that others would be sensitive to temporal lobe function (size discrimination task). Dogs were first classified as being impaired or unimpaired based upon individual error scores obtained from the learning and memory tasks listed previously. An impaired dog was defined as an animal that obtained an error score falling outside the range of error scores obtained by the young dogs. If dogs were separated on this basis then those old dogs that were impaired had significantly higher amounts of A.beta. deposition. In addition, dogs with impairments in reversal learning and in object discrimination learning with a nonpreferred object accumulated significantly more A.beta. in the prefrontal cortex than unimpaired dogs. This was also true for size discrimination and reward approach learning; impaired dogs had higher amounts of A.beta. in the entorhinal cortex (Head, et al., 1998).
In view of the foregoing, there is a need in the art for a treatment for age-related behavioral problems in dogs. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, and more particularly to a thermo-transfer type image forming apparatus which produces a copy of image information shown on a document by reading that image information and performing the thermo-transfer of dyeing materials (ink) of different colors onto the read image information medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a multicolored image forming apparatus includes: an image-reading section for reading image information, e.g., character and graphic data, shown on a document; an image-processing section for converting image information into electric signals in such a manner as to enhance the quality of the image such as sharpness, resolution, tone reproduction, color reproduction, and edge enhancement; an image-forming section for transferring the image information onto an image-bearing medium, i.e., a paper sheet or the like.
The image-reading section is provided with a control panel. A printing start signal, and printing condition-designating signals, such as a signal for designating the number of printing to be produced, a printing magnification signal, and a printing mode signal, are entered from the control panel. The image-reading section is also provided with a document table on which a document is mounted; an illuminating device for illuminating the document mounted on the document table; and a photoelectric conversion unit for converting the light reflected by the document into electric signals. The light reflected by the document represents the image information shown on the document.
The image-processing section is provided with a plurality of electric circuits and control units. For example, the image-processing section is provided with an image-processing circuit for supplying the electric signals obtained by the photoelectric conversion unit to the image-forming section as printing signals, and a main control unit for driving the image-processing circuit and controlling the operation of the entire image-forming apparatus.
The image-forming section is provided with a printing unit for transferring dyeing materials (ink) of different colors onto a paper sheet in accordance with the printing signals supplied from the image-processing section. The image-forming section is also provided with a material-delivering mechanism for delivering the paper sheet to the printing unit, and for discharging the paper sheet from the printing unit after the printing unit transfers the dye materials.
In the above multicolored image-forming apparatus, the image-reading section incorporates a color separation mechanism. This color separation mechanism is made up of optical elements (such as color separation filters of three types, corresponding to the three primary colors of light, focusing lenses, and folding mirrors); and an image-reading device constituted by a CCD sensor. After being read by the image-reading section, the image information shown on the document is converted into electric signals. These electric signals are supplied to the image-processing section as image signals.
In the image-processing section, the image signals are subjected to the image quality enhancement processing, such as intensity correction, edge correction and color correction, in units of each chromatic component. Then, the image signals are converted into color signals in units of each chromatic component, such that the color signals represent colors which are complementary to the colors of the images shown on the document. The color signals are binary-encoded or image-processed in a suitable method, such that tone information is added thereto. Thereafter, the color signals are supplied to the printing unit of the image-forming section as printing signals.
In the printing unit, a printing head corresponding to the printing signals is actuated and, therefore, transfers the ink from a dyeing material carrier to the paper sheet. The dyeing material carrier is moved through the region between the head and the paper sheet, and the paper sheet is maintained at the printing start position before the actuation of the head.
The transfer of ink from the dyeing material carrier to the paper sheet is repeated in accordance with the number of color signals supplied to the printing unit. Since different ink are superposed on the paper sheet, a multicolored image is formed on the paper sheet.
The image-forming apparatus of the above type is provided with various printing modes, such as a trimming mode wherein only a desired portion on a document is printed, a masking mode wherein an undesired portion is not printing, an edit mode wherein only a desired portion is printing onto that portion on a paper sheet which is designated by the user, and a photograph mode wherein halftone reproduction is improved.
The image-forming apparatus is also provided with an large number of keys on the control panel, in order for the user to enter various commands in accordance with the modes.
Since the image-forming apparatus has various modes and since the user has to enter various commands before starting a printing operation, it is likely that the user will make an error when entering the commands or following the printing-producing procedures. Even if the user becomes aware of an error, the user enter the commands associated with a selected mode. Alternatively, the user must cancel the operating mode and restart the entering of commands. In either case, the command entry is difficult to operate for the user.
Since a certain time is required before actually starting the copying operation, the image-forming apparatus does not ensure an efficient printing operation. In addition, since the command entry is difficult to operate for the user, the rate of operation of the image-forming apparatus is degraded, thus increasing the cost needed for producing printing. Further, the user may not make the most of the operating modes of the image-forming apparatus, due to the annoying command entry. | {
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This disclosure relates to polyetherimides and compositions containing the polyetherimides, as well as their method of manufacture and articles formed from the polyetherimide compositions.
Polyetherimides (“PEIs”) are amorphous, transparent, high performance polymers having a glass transition temperature (“Tg”) of greater than 180° C. Polyetherimides further have high strength, heat resistance, and modulus, and broad chemical resistance, and so are widely used in applications as diverse as automotive, telecommunication, aerospace, electrical/electronics, transportation, and healthcare.
Polyetherimides can be manufactured by polycondensation of a dianhydride with an organic diamine (polycondensation). An ongoing challenge associated with the polycondensation reaction is achieving high conversion of dianhydride and organic diamine to polyetherimide in a commercially useful reaction time. The rate of polycondensation can be increased by conducting the reaction at higher temperatures, but decomposition can occur or unwanted by-products can form. Alternatively, polycondensation can be conducted at a lower temperature in the presence of a catalyst. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,324,882 discloses sodium phenylphosphinate (“SPP”) as a useful catalyst for the polycondensation reaction. However, the use of SPP, like the use of higher temperatures, can result in unwanted by-products that can adversely affect the physical properties of the polyetherimide. Moreover, the presence of residual SPP in the polyetherimide can adversely affect the hydrolytic stability of the polyetherimide under certain conditions.
Thus there remains a need in the art for an improved process for the manufacture of polyetherimides that does not result in decomposition or side reactions that can adversely affect the properties of the polyetherimides, for example hydrolytic stability. It would be a further advantage if such methods allowed the production of polyetherimides having reduced branching, as measured by the polydispersity index or by R*, and reduced color, as compared to prior art polyetherimides. A still further advantage would be scalability of the process to industrial production levels. It would also be advantageous if such methods were effective in providing polyetherimides in high yields within a commercially useful reaction time. | {
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1.Field
The following description relates to a technology for a packet network or a packet transport network, and more particularly, to a method and apparatus for protection switching in a packet network or a packet transport network.
2.Description of the Related Art
With increasing use of the Internet in recent years, the traffic of a communication network is increased at a remarkable speed, and users become to require various services, such as a high speed data service, an electronic commerce service, a remote medical service, a virtual education, and a real-time multimedia service.
Accordingly, there is a need for a management method of handling a network failure or performance degradation capable of providing users with seamless services based on stable operation of a communication network while maximizing network efficiency. As an example of the management method, a restoration and a protection switching are included. The restoration represents a method in which after occurrence of a network fault, an interrupted service is returned to an original service state by use of an available path and capacity for the network. The protection switching represents a method in which a path and bandwidth required between nodes are set in advance such that when a network failure occurs, a recovery is rapidly achieved.
A protection switching may be performed in a packet network or a packet transport network, and a linear protection switching in a corresponding network includes a method of performing a switching state management and a path protection switching by use of an automatic protection switching (APS) message, i.e., Linear Protection Switching in MPLS-TP, IETF draft draft-zulr-mpls-tp-linear-protection-switching-03.txt, ITU-T G.8131.1, and a method of performing a switching state management and a path protection switching by use of a protection state coordination (PSC) message, i.e., IETF RFC6378, ITU-T G.8131.2. | {
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The present invention relates to digital-to-analog converters and specifically to such converters for use in addressing a digital memory.
Recently, several image display devices have been proposed utilizing a number of electron beams which scan different sections of the image display screen. One such device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,028,582 entitled "Guided Beam Flat Display Device". In these devices, brightness variations may exist from one portion of the screen to another due to non-uniformity in the beam intensities for each of the screen sections. To solve this non-uniformity problem, a feedback system has been proposed wherein the electron beam intensity for each portion of the screen in periodically sensed and equalized to a given norm. U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 749,178, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,126,814 filed on Dec. 9, 1976 by F. J. Marlowe and entitled "Electron Gun Control System," presents a system for providing this electron beam sensing and feedback control. This beam equalizing circuit has a digital random access memory in which is stored data representative of a mapping of the "grid voltage" vs. "beam current characteristics" of the particular gun. A previously digitized video signal addresses various storage locations in the memory containing the particular mapping data to yield the desired brightness level. The digital mapping data is converted to analog data and is used to bias the electron gun.
In these display devices, each of the electron beams simultaneously scan its portion of the display device screen. Therefore, the incoming serial video signal must be processed to provide a parallel feed to each of the simultaneously scanning beams. A converter for accomplishing this scanning is disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 740,770, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,080,630 filed on Nov. 10, 1976 by F. J. Marlowe and entitled "Line Scan Converter for an Image Display Device". This line scan converter as well as the gun control system use a digitized video signal. A well known method for digitizing an analog signal is the successive approximation technique. One version of this type of analog to digital (A/D) converter is described in Electronic Design, Volume 25, pages 55-57, Dec. 5, 1968. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connector technology and more particularly to a connector with a locking and unlocking mechanism.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A QSFP (Quad Small Form-factor Pluggable) connector is a high density and high speed pluggable connector. Generally, the QSFP connector disposes a locking mechanism. When the QSFP connector is connected to a receptacle connector, the QSFP connector is firstly inserted into a shielding case and is fixed in the shielding case by the locking mechanism, thereby ensuring the connection safety between the QSFP connector and the receptacle connector. When needing to disconnect the QSFP connector from the receptacle connector, the QSFP connector is firstly detached from the shielding case by an unlocking mechanism, so the QSFP connector can be fast pulled out from the receptacle connector.
However, the connector is becoming smaller and smaller, and the intensive degree of the receptacle connector in an electronic equipment is gradually increased. Therefore, the mechanism attaching or detaching the QSFP connector from the shielding case becomes more complex, and the operation thereof also becomes more difficult.
Hence, it is necessary to provide a new connector to simplify the lock and unlocking mechanism and further simplify the operation thereof. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a lens presenting a graded tint, the lens being suitable for use in making spectacles. The term “lens” is used to cover any optical element that is for fitting to spectacles or the like and regardless of whether it performs any correcting function.
2. Description of the Related Art
Lenses exist which present tint that is graded, i.e. tint of intensity that varies generally from the top edge of the lens towards the bottom edge of the lens. The intensity of the tint is strongest close to the top edge of the lens in the zone of the lens that is most usually struck directly by the sun's rays, while the intensity of the tint is weaker close to the bottom edge of the lens so as to minimize its influence on the user's vision.
It is known to make such lenses by associating a first layer of thermoplastic material that is tinted with a second layer of thermoplastic material that is not tinted, the layers having thicknesses that vary in substantially complementary manner. This makes it possible to make sunglasses, sunscreens, tinted vision-correcting spectacles having a single focus, tinted correction lenses having progressively-varying focus, and all presenting tint that is graded. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to filters comprising nanopores and methods of filtering nanoparticles.
2. Description of the Related Art
Devices and methods for filtering nanoparticles can be used in a variety contexts. For example, over the past decade there has been much interest in the isolation and study of exosomes and other biological particles (vesicles, viruses, DNA, etc.) with nanometer sizes. Due in part to the unavailability of effective nanometer scale filtration options, current techniques to isolate such particles rely on chemical techniques or the use of ultra high speed (greater than 100,000 g) centrifugation. Such techniques are non-specific and physically damaging (such as centrifugation) or must be tailored to each particle (such as chemical or antibody binding approaches). In addition to biological nanoparticles, improved nanometer scale filters will find use in many other contexts where separation of particles by size is desired. These include, for example, protein filtration, dialysis, water filtration, as well as many industrial contexts. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
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