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EP 1 564 336 A1 discloses a thermally insulating construction component which serves for use in separating joints between load-bearing parts of a building, for example between a building floor and a balcony floor slab. This construction component comprises an insulating body consisting of an upper layer and a lower layer, and also reinforcing elements for tensile reinforcement situated in the upper layer and compression and shear bearings arranged in the lower layer.
CH 685 252 A5 discloses a cantilever-slab connection element with integrated tension or compression bars. Here, the tension and compression bars are accommodated in base elements which consist of sandwich-like profile supports made of plastic. The base elements are connected to one another with the interposition of an additional element made of a foamed plastic.
EP 1 892 344 A1 discloses a thermally insulated construction component for use in separating joints between two parts of a building, in particular a building floor and a balcony floor slab, which adjoin one another in a longitudinal direction. The construction component comprises two approximately parallelepipedal insulating bodies situated above one another with tension rods arranged therein which extend transversely to its longitudinal axis, and also compression and shear bearings. The insulating bodies are in each case formed by a box member which is filled with an insulating material, for example rock wool. | {
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The hinging of closures in the openings in some structures, particularly the hinging of deck lids, hoods and doors, providing access to luggage compartments, engine compartments and passenger compartments, respectively, of automobiles presents unique problems. It is the practice in automotive design to conceal the hinges so that for aesthetic reasons none of the hinge elements are visible from the exterior of the vehicle structure sheet metal panels. Because deck lids, hoods and doors in vehicle body structure are not flat like an ordinary cupboard door or house door but are contoured to follow the vehicle body contour, they are not swingable about a hinge line or axis located at the edge of the opening in the structure. In order to provide proper movement into and out of the engagement with the weather strips or seals around the opening in the vehicle body structure, the vehicle closures are generally bodily swingable about an axis displaced from the edge of the opening and located interiorly of the compartment. The hinge devices, particularly those mounting the deck lids or hoods, are relatively large devices which intrude into the interior compartment space.
For example, most deck lid hinges have large goose-neck arms which in deck lid closed position projected downwardly into the luggage compartment, see U.S. Pat. No. 2,986,769 issued June 6, 1961 to A. J. Hammond for a deck lid hinge. The hood hinges have compound link systems which protrude into the vehicle engine compartment in closed position of the hood, see U.S. Pat. No. 2,994,907 issued Aug. 8, 1961 to A. J. Hammond for a hood device. The goose-neck arms and compound link systems are required for guiding the deck lids and hoods for swinging movement in a path that avoids interference between the hinge elements and the body structure defining the opening into and out of which the closure is swingable.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a hinge which may be utilized in a closure hinging system in which the closure is swingable about a hinge line or axis located exteriorly of the body structure defined in the opening without requiring exterior exposure of the hinge elements. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an areal security element for security papers, documents of value and the like, a security paper for producing security documents and a document of value with such a security element. The invention in particular relates to a security element in the form of a security stripe or a security thread for embedding in a security document, or in the form of a transfer element for applying onto a security paper, document of value and the like.
2. Description of the Background Art
From the print WO 95/10420 a document of value is known, into which a through opening is punched subsequently to its manufacturing, which then on one side is closed with a cover foil that projects beyond the opening on all sides. Since the cover foil at least in partial areas is transparent, when copying the document of value the background will be visible and thus renders the copy recognizable as such. The cover foil can also have a security feature, such as a hologram.
A general problem with the manufacturing of security elements is that standard holograms with an aluminum reflection layer become more and more freely available. For that reason the security standard of such standard holograms and of the documents of value equipped therewith diminishes more and more. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to semiconductor device manufacturing, and more particularly to an improved technique for etching self-aligned via holes and wiring paths into a dielectric layer wherein the via holes self-align to the wiring paths.
2. Background of Invention
Semiconductor device manufacturing generally includes various steps including a patterning process. For example, the manufacturing of a semiconductor chip may start with, for example, CAD (computer aided design) generated device patterns and may continue with the effort to replicate these device patterns in a substrate in which semiconductor devices can be formed. The replication process may involve the use of a photolithography process in which a layer of photo-resist material may be first applied on top of a substrate, and then be selectively exposed according to a pre-determined device pattern. Portions of the photo-resist that are exposed to light or other ionizing radiation (e.g., ultraviolet, electron beams, X-rays, etc.) may experience some changes in their solubility to a certain solution. Next, the photo-resist may be developed in a developer solution, thereby removing the non-irradiated (in a negative resist) or irradiated (in a positive resist) portions of the resist layer, to create a photo-resist pattern. The photo-resist pattern may subsequently be copied or transferred to the substrate underneath the photo-resist pattern. | {
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The current invention relates to the processing of images such as photographs, drawings, and other two dimensional displays. It further relates to the processing of such images which are captured in digital format or after they have been converted to or expressed in digital format. This invention further relates to use of novel coding methods to increase the speed and compression ratio for digital image storage and transmission while avoiding introduction of undesirable artifacts into the reconstructed images.
In general, image processing is the analysis and manipulation of two-dimensional representations, which can comprise photographs, drawings, paintings, blueprints, x-rays of medical patients, or indeed abstract art or artistic patterns. These images are all two-dimensional arrays of information. Until fairly recently, images have comprised almost exclusively analog displays of analog information, for example, conventional photographs and motion pictures. Even the signals encoding television pictures, notwithstanding that the vertical scan comprises a finite number of lines, are fundamentally analog in nature.
Beginning in the early 1960""s, images began to be captured or converted and stored as two-dimensional digital data, and digital image processing followed. At first, images were recorded or transmitted in analog form and then converted to digital representation for manipulation on a computer. Currently digital capture and transmission are on their way to dominance, in part because of the advent of charge coupled device (CCD) image recording arrays and in part because of the availability of inexpensive high speed computers to store and manipulate images.
An important task of image processing is the correction or enhancement of a particular image. For example, digital enhancement of images of celestial objects taken by space probes has provided substantial scientific information. However, the current invention relates primarily to compression for transmission or storage of digital images and not to enhancement.
One of the problems with digital images is that a complete single image frame can require up to several megabytes of storage space or transmission bandwidth. That is, one of today""s 3xc2xd inch floppy discs can hold at best a little more than one gray-scale frame and sometimes substantially less than one whole frame. A full-page color picture, for example, uncompressed, can occupy 30 megabytes of storage space. Storing or transmitting the vast amounts of data which would be required for real-time uncompressed high resolution digital video is technologically daunting and virtually impossible for many important communication channels, such as the telephone line. The transmission of digital images from space probes can take many hours or even days if insufficiently compressed images are involved. Accordingly, there has been a decades long effort to develop methods of extracting from images the information essential to an aesthetically pleasing or scientifically useful picture without degrading the image quality too much and especially without introducing unsightly or confusing artifacts into the image.
The basic approach has usually involved some form of coding of picture intensities coupled with quantization. One approach is block coding; another approach, mathematically equivalent with proper phasing, is multiphase filter banks. Frequency based multi-band transforms have long found application in image coding. For instance, the JPEG image compression standard, W. B. Pennebaker and J. L. Mitchell, xe2x80x9cJPEG: Still Image Compression Standard,xe2x80x9d Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1993, employs the 8xc3x978 discrete cosine transform (DCT) at its transformation stage. At high bit rates, JPEG offers almost lossless reconstructed image quality. However, when more compression is needed, annoying blocking artifacts appear since the DCT bases are short and do not overlap, creating discontinuities at block boundaries.
The wavelet transform, on the other hand, with long, varying-length, and overlapping bases, has elegantly solved the blocking problem. However, the transform""s computational complexity can be significantly higher than that of the DCT. This complexity gap is partly in terms of the number of arithmetical operations involved, but more importantly, in terms of the memory buffer space required. In particular, some implementations of the wavelet transform require many more operations per output coefficient as well as a large buffer.
An interesting alternative to wavelets is the lapped transform, e.g., H. S. Malvar, Signal Processing with Lapped Transforms, Artech House, 1992, where pixels from adjacent blocks are utilized in the calculation of transform coefficients for the working block. The lapped transforms outperform the DCT on two counts: (i) from the analysis viewpoint, they take into account inter-block correlation and hence provide better energy compaction; (ii) from the synthesis viewpoint, their overlapping basis functions decay asymptotically to zero at the ends, reducing blocking discontinuities dramatically.
Nevertheless, lapped transforms have not yet been able to supplant the unadorned DCT in international standard coding routines. The principal reason is that the modest improvement in coding performance available up to now has not been sufficient to justify the significant increase in computational complexity. In the prior art, therefore, lapped transforms remained too computationally complex for the benefits they provided. In particular, the previous lapped transformed somewhat reduced but did not eliminate the annoying blocking artifacts.
It is therefore an object of the current invention to provide a new transform which is simple and fast enough to replace the bare DCT in international standards, in particular in JPEG and MPEG-like coding standards. It is another object of this invention to provide an image transform which has overlapping basis functions so as to avoid blocking artifacts. It is a further object of this invention to provide a lapped transform which is approximately as fast as, but more efficient for compression than, the bare DCT. It is yet another object of this invention to provide dramatically improved speed and efficiency using a lapped transform with lifting steps in a butterfly structure with dyadic-rational coefficients. It is yet a further object of this invention to provide a transform structure such that for a negligible complexity surplus over the bare DCT a dramatic coding performance gain can be obtained both from a subjective and objective point of view while blocking artifacts are completely eliminated.
In the current invention, we use a family of lapped biorthogonal transforms implementing a small number of dyadic-rational lifting steps. The resulting transform, called the LiftLT, not only has high computation speed but is well-suited to implementation via VLSI.
Moreover, it also consistently outperforms state-of-the-art wavelet based coding systems in coding performance when the same quantizer and entropy coder are used. The LiftLT is a lapped biorthogonal transform using lifting steps in a modular lattice structure, the result of which is a fast, efficient, and robust encoding system. With only 1 more multiplication (which can also be implemented with shift-and-add operations), 22 more additions, and 4 more delay elements compared to the bare DCT, the LiftLT offers a fast, low-cost approach capable of straightforward VLSI implementation while providing reconstructed images which are high in quality, both objectively and subjectively. Despite its simplicity, the LiftLT provides a significant improvement in reconstructed image quality over the traditional DCT in that blocking is completely eliminated while at medium and high compression ratios ringing artifacts are reasonably contained. The performance of the LiftLT surpasses even that of the well-known 9/7-tap biorthogonal wavelet transform with irrational coefficients. The LiftLT""s block-based structure also provides several other advantages: supporting parallel processing mode, facilitating region-of-interest coding and decoding, and processing large images under severe memory constraints.
Most generally, the current invention is an apparatus for block coding of windows of digitally represented images comprising a chain of lattices of lapped transforms with dyadic rational lifting steps. More particularly, this invention is a system of electronic devices which codes, stores or transmits, and decodes Mxc3x97M sized blocks of digitally represented images, where M is an even number. The main block transform structure comprises a transform having M channels numbered 0 through Mxe2x88x921, half of said channel numbers being odd and half being even; a normalizer with a dyadic rational normalization factor in each of said M channels; two lifting steps with a first set of identical dyadic rational coefficients connecting each pair of adjacent numbered channels in a butterfly configuration, M/2 delay lines in the odd numbered channels; two inverse lifting steps with the first set of dyadic rational coefficients connecting each pair of adjacent numbered channels in a butterfly configuration; and two lifting steps with a second set of identical dyadic rational coefficients connecting each pair of adjacent odd numbered channels; means for transmission or storage of the transform output coefficients; and an inverse transform comprising M channels numbered 0 through Mxe2x88x921, half of said channel numbers being odd and half being even; two inverse lifting steps with dyadic rational coefficients connecting each pair of adjacent odd numbered channels; two lifting steps with dyadic rational coefficients connecting each pair of adjacent numbered channels in a butterfly configuration; M/2 delay lines in the even numbered channels; two inverse lifting steps with dyadic rational coefficients connecting each pair of adjacent numbered channels in a butterfly configuration; a denormalizer with a dyadic rational inverse normalization factor in each of said M channels; and a base inverse transform having M channels numbered 0 through Mxe2x88x921. | {
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A typical disk drive storage system includes one or more magnetic disks which are mounted for co-rotation on a hub or spindle. A typical disk drive also includes a transducer supported by a hydrodynamic bearing which flies above each magnetic disk. The transducer and the hydrodynamic bearing are sometimes collectively referred to as a data head or a product head. A drive controller is conventionally used for controlling the disk drive based on commands received from a host system. The drive controller controls the disk drive to retrieve information from the magnetic disks and to store information on the magnetic disks. An electromechanical actuator operates within a negative feedback, closed-loop servo system to move the data head radially or linearly over the disk surface for track seek operations and holds the transducer directly above a desired track or cylinder on the disk surface for track following operations.
Typically the magnetic disks 2 also comprise servo sectors 18 which are recorded at a regular interval and interleaved with the data sectors 12, as shown in FIG. 1. A servo sector, as shown in FIG. 2, typically comprises a preamble 20 and sync mark 22 for synchronizing to the servo sector; a servo data field 24 comprising coarse position information, such as a Gray coded track address, used to determine the radial location of the head with respect to the plurality of tracks; and a plurality of servo bursts 26 recorded at precise intervals and offsets from the track centerlines which provide fine head position information. When writing or reading data, a servo controller performs a “seek” operation to position the head over a desired track; as the head traverses radially over the recording surface, the Gray coded track addresses in the servo data field 24 provide coarse position information for the head with respect to the current and target track. When the head reaches the target track, the servo controller performs a tracking operation wherein the servo bursts 26 provide fine position information used to maintain the head over the centerline of the track as the digital data is being written to or read from the recording surface.
To ensure that the head remains properly aligned with the data tracks, the disks must be securely attached to the spindle. Current practice is to separate the disks in the stack with spacer rings, and position a spacer ring on top of the disk/spacer stack. Then a top ring, called a clamp, with several apertures is placed over the top spacer ring. The disks are bolted to the spindle via bolts extending through the apertures in the top clamp. Great pressure must be exerted by the bolts on the top clamp in order to prevent slippage of the disks in the event that the drive is bumped or uneven thermal expansion that breaks the frictional coupling, because once the disks slip, the drive loses its servo and the data is lost.
Disks are typically formed from aluminum or glass. Aluminum is more easily deformed, so any external stress can cause deformations to the disk. Glass, too, will deform under uneven stress patterns.
A major drawback of the current practice is that when the bolts are tightened, the top clamp and spacer become deformed due to the uneven pressures exerted by the individual bolts. The deformation translates out to the disk, creating an uneven “wavy” disk surface, which is most prominent at the inner diameter of the disk. Any unevenness (waviness) on the disk surface compounds the tendency to lose the servo, especially near the inner diameter zone closest to the spacer ring.
Further, it has been found that stresses induced on the top disk in the stack transfer down and propagate into some or all of the remaining disks in the stack. Thus, it would be desirable to reduce uneven stresses at the top disk so that the remaining disks remain flat.
Another issue encountered in the prior art is the high cost of assembling the drives. Each spacer must be placed in the drive and then the top clamp added and bolted down. This process is time consuming. To reduce assembly costs, it would be desirable to couple the top clamp and top spacer ring together so that they can be placed in the drive at the same time. This would save a processing step in that only one piece (top clamp-spacer composite) need be handled instead of two parts (top clamp and spacer ring individually).
The cost savings obtainable by using a composite structure would be increased in new high capacity drives which require only a few disks as opposed to several. For example, in a drive with five disks, five parts must be handled: the top clamp-spacer composite and four more spacer rings. In a drive with only two disks, only two parts are handled: the top clamp-spacer composite and one spacer.
Additional cost savings would be realized during manufacture of the top clamp and top spacer ring themselves, as it would no longer be necessary to machine two surfaces in such a way to match flatness. | {
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This application claims the priority of 197 43 673.0, filed Oct. 2, 1997, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.
The present invention relates to an arrangement for producing hydrogen from hydrocarbons, particularly methanol, by feeding a reaction mixture comprising a hydrocarbon and water to a catalyst, as well as to a process for producing a catalyst which is suitable particularly for using such an arrangement. Furthermore, the present invention relates to an arrangement for reducing carbon monoxide, an arrangement for the oxidation of carbon monoxide and a device for catalytic burning.
The production of hydrogen from methanol is based on the total reaction CH3OH+H2Oxe2x80x94CO2+3H2. In practice, a two-step or multi-step reaction sequence may be used for carrying out this reaction. A reaction mixture comprising alcohol and water vapor is guided along a suitable catalyst with the addition of heat in order to produce the desired hydrogen. A two-step reaction sequence for methanol reforming is disclosed in European Patent Document EP 0 687 648 A1. In this arrangement, the reaction mixture is fed to a first reactor in which only a partial conversion of the methanol is achieved. After flowing through the first reactor, the gas mixture, which still contains parts of non-converted educts, is guided to a second reactor which has a residual conversion optimized construction. The reactors are constructed as plate or bulk reactors in which the catalyst is provided in the form of a bulk material or a coating on the distributing ducts. Other catalysts are also known, such as coated metal sheets, nets and foams through which the reaction mixture flows.
European Patent Document EP 0 217 532 B1 describes a process for the catalytic production of hydrogen from mixtures of methanol and oxygen using a gas-permeable catalyst system. A hydrogen generator with an upper reaction zone and a lower reaction zone is provided. A reaction mixture of methanol and oxygen is fed into the upper reaction zone. After flowing through the upper reaction zone, the reaction mixture is guided into the lower reaction zone in where a spontaneous initiation of oxidation of the methanol occurs. The resulting rise in temperature partially oxidizes the methanol. Due to the presence of a copper catalyst in the upper reaction zone, hydrogen is formed.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an arrangement of the above-mentioned type wherein the construction is as simple and compact as possible. The quantity of catalyst material, is minimized (necessary for the conversion of a certain mass flow of reaction mixture). It is a further object of the present invention to provide a process for producing a catalytic structure capable of providing a minimized amount of catalyst material, wherein simple and compact construction can be achieved.
For achieving these and other objects of the present invention, an arrangement is disclosed wherein a catalytic structure is formed by pressing a catalyst material into at least one thin, large-surfaced layer. A reaction mixture is guided through the catalytic structure while the pressure decreases. In contrast to the known types of hydrogen reactors, water gas shift stages, oxidizers and catalytic burners, the catalytic structure of the present invention is not constructed as a mere surface structure, which is only surrounded by the flow of the reaction mixture. Rather, the catalytic structure is a highly compressed three-dimensional layer through which the reaction mixture is guided while under the influence of high pressure. This inventive arrangement more efficiently utilizes the active catalyst centers and achieves a high reaction rate at these centers.
Because of the considerable pressure drop during the passage of the reaction mixture through the catalyst layer according to the invention, the flow resistances of the feeding device and discharge device of the educts and products of the reaction do not play a large role in the reactive process. Accordingly, the feeding and discharge devices may have a simple design.
As a result of high compression of the catalyst material during formation, a very compact catalyst layer is achieved. The proportion of the gas space and not catalytically active solid bodies (such as carrier plates and the like) of the total volume and weight of the reactor can be significantly reduced in comparison to known arrangements. Fine-grain catalyst pellets or powder are preferably used as the catalyst material. This ensures good substance and heat transfer to and from the interior areas of the catalyst grains at high reaction rates. In addition, the proportion of pores through which the flow can take place increases as the grain size decreases; that is, the number of xe2x80x9cdead endsxe2x80x9d for the gas flow decreases. During flow through the layer, a high swirl of the gases will occur, reducing film diffusion resistances around the grains of the catalyst material, and improving heat transfer by convection.
In one embodiment of the invention, the catalyst layer is arranged essentially perpendicularly to the reaction mixture flow direction. This results in particularly short gas flow paths. Because of the large-surface area and highly compressed development of the catalyst layer according to the invention, when vertical flow takes place, a short path is sufficient for achieving a high reaction conversion while maintaining a high pressure drop.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the catalyst material is pressed together with a carrier structure, whereby the catalyst material is mechanically stabilized and/or an improved heat conduction is present. The carrier structure is preferably a three-dimensional net-type or matrix structure which may be a metallic carrier structure. Copper, particularly dendritic copper, for example, may be used as the metal.
In one embodiment of the invention, the catalyst material contains a precious metal, preferably platinum. The added precious metal reacts at relatively low operating temperatures and is therefore used for heating the catalyst arrangement. This embodiment considerably improves the cold start action of the catalyst arrangement, which is particularly advantageous when used in mobile hydrogen production.
In another embodiment of the present invention, several layers of catalytic structure are provided and are connected in parallel. As a result, the total surface through which the reaction mixture flows can be divided into several layers stacked on one another but connected in parallel. This xe2x80x9cmodule constructionxe2x80x9d leads to a particularly compact construction of the hydrogen reactor.
For simplified feeding and discharging of the substances involved in the reaction, in another embodiment of the invention, guide ducts are provided in the catalyst layer for guiding educts of the reaction mixture and the reaction products.
According to another aspect of the invention, oxygen, which may be required by the reaction or to promote the reaction, remains separated from the reaction mixture until both the oxygen and the reaction mixture enter the surface plane of the catalyst layer.
A further object of the invention is a process for producing a catalytic structure, which, in particular, can be used in the previously described apparatus. According to this aspect of the invention the catalytic structure is formed by compressing at least one catalyst powder, to form a highly compressed layer into a shaped body.
In a further embodiment of this aspect of the invention, a metal powder (such as copper or dendritic copper) is admixed to the at least one catalyst powder.
In a further embodiment of the invention, the shaped body is subjected to a sintering step which follows the compression step. Sintering the body results in particularly good stability of the catalyst.
In a further development of the invention, during the compression step, guide ducts are provided in the shaped body for guiding educts and products of the catalytic reaction. Advantageously, these ducts are produced by inserting spacer elements which can be removed in a subsequent processing step. The step of removing the spacer elements can be achieved by burning, pyrolizing, dissolving or evaporating the element.
In a further embodiment of the invention, another powder layer is compressed on a previously sintered shaped body. This structure is then subjected to a further sintering step. As a result, in a multi-step process a sandwich-type catalytic structure can be produced which has several layers disposed above one another, each layer being connected in parallel by suitable guiding ducts. Thus, the whole catalytic volume through which the reaction mixture is to flow can be distributed into a smaller cross-sectional surface while maintaining a high pressure drop along a small flow path. | {
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Aberrant conductive pathways can develop in heart tissue and the surrounding tissue, disrupting the normal path of the heart's electrical impulses. For example, conduction blocks can cause the electrical impulse to degenerate into several circular wavelets that disrupt the normal activation of the atria or ventricles. The aberrant conductive pathways create abnormal, irregular, and sometimes life-threatening heart rhythms called arrhythmias.
Ablation is one way of treating arrhythmias and restoring normal contraction. One ablation technique is radio frequency (RF) ablation. The sources of the aberrant pathways, referred to as focal arrhythmia substrates, are located and then destroyed or ablated. Extra electrical pathways, which may trigger an atrial arrhythmia, may be formed at the base or within one or more pulmonary veins. To treat such an aberration, physicians may use multiple catheters to gain access into interior regions of the pulmonary vein tissue for mapping and ablating targeted tissue areas. The process is referred to as pulmonary vein (PV) isolation. A mapping catheter can be used to map the aberrant conductive pathway within the pulmonary vein. A physician introduces the mapping catheter through a main vein, typically the femoral vein, and into the interior region of the pulmonary vein that is to be treated. The antrum or the ostium of the PV is mapped at the beginning of the procedure. Based on this electrical mapping potential foci for the arrhythmia are identified.
An introducer guide sheath or guide wire may be used to place the mapping catheter within the vasculature of the patient. The introducer guide sheath is introduced into the left atrium of the heart using a conventional retrograde approach, i.e., through the respective aortic and mitral valves of the heart. Alternatively, the introducer guide sheath may be introduced into the left atrium using a transeptal approach, i.e., through the atrial septum. In either method, the catheter is introduced through the introducer guide sheath until a probe assembly at a distal portion of the catheter resides within the left atrium. Once inside the left atrium, the physician may deliver the probe assembly into a desired pulmonary vein using a steering mechanism. The physician situates the probe assembly within a selected tissue region in the interior of the pulmonary vein, adjacent to the opening into the left atrium, and maps electrical activity in the pulmonary vein tissue using one or more electrodes of the probe assembly. After mapping, the physician may introduce an ablation catheter to ablate the aberrant tissue using an ablation electrode carried on the distal tip of the ablation catheter to the interior of the pulmonary vein. The ablation electrode is placed in direct contact with the tissue that is to be ablated. The physician directs RF energy from the ablation electrode through tissue to ablate the tissue and form a lesion.
FIGS. 1A-1B illustrate a known mapping catheter with a catheter body 101 generally tangential to a loop-shaped probe assembly 102 and orthogonal to a loop plane 103 for the loop-shaped probe assembly 102. This design is relatively small. The probe assembly is a generally tubular structure, which is formed into the loop shape for the probe assembly. The diameter of the tubular structure is on the order of 3½ Fr (1.2 mm). However, this design provides challenges for maintaining a stable orientation to perform the mapping. | {
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The present invention generally relates to semiconductor device testing, and more particularly, to the preparation of a device under test (DUT) during such semiconductor device testing.
Semiconductor device performance may be measured using a myriad of techniques and instruments. For example, in order to perform Atomic Force Probing (AFP) of a semiconductor device or structure, various layers may need to be removed for exposing the device or structure's contacts (e.g., tungsten studs) or surface prior to probing. Such layer removal or delayering may be carried out using either more coarse methods such as chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) or relatively high-precision techniques employing, for example, focused or collimated high-energy (>500 eV) ion beam etching. Such delayering techniques may, however, damage the device or structure's surface, or alternatively, introduce unwanted irregularities (e.g., unwanted ion implantation) into the device or structure. For example, the process used to prepare the device or structure prior to test or evaluation may undesirably introduce defects (e.g., gallium ion implantations due to high energy ion beam etching) or produce shifts in performance characteristics (e.g., MOSFET threshold voltage (Vt) shifts). This may subsequently be misconstrued as a device characteristic resulting from fabrication processes as opposed to a measurement induced defect. | {
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Fittings are commonly used to connect metal tubes and pipes to each other for use in a variety of applications, such as in the aerospace industry, to convey fuel, hydraulic control fluids and the like in an aircraft or space vehicle. In these applications, it is critical that there be a secure connection between the fitting and the tubes in order to withstand vibration and other adverse conditions without failure.
Various fittings have been developed in the past to connect tubes to each other. In one type of fitting, a radial swaging force is applied to the fitting and the tube, which may be done externally around the fitting or internally within the tube. In either case, the radial swaging force is applied directly to the fitting and tube by the tool. In some instances, the inner surface of the fitting has a plurality of axially spaced annular grooves or teeth by which the material of the tube is deformed by the swaging tool to make the swaged connection. In other instances, a curved or irregular configuration on the outer surface of the fitting is transferred to the inner surface of the fitting upon swaging by deforming the fitting, which causes the tube to deflect and conform to the irregular configuration and thereby make the connection.
Another type of fitting comprises a cylindrical sleeve having a tapered outer surface and a cylindrical inner surface for receiving a tube. A deforming ring surrounds the sleeve and has a tapered inner surface which matches and engages with the tapered outer surface of the sleeve. Before swaging, the deforming ring is positioned outwardly with respect to the sleeve such that no radial force is applied by the deforming ring to the sleeve. During swaging, the deforming ring is moved axially in a forward direction over the sleeve such that the interaction of the tapered surfaces on the ring and the sleeve applies a radial force deforming the sleeve and the tube inwardly to make a swaged connection between them. These fittings shall be generally referred to as axially swaged fittings.
Carbon fiber reinforced plastic (“CFRP”) materials are increasingly being used in place of aluminum to form the skin panels and structural members of commercial airplanes. CFRP materials are advantageous compared to aluminum due to the higher strength-to-weight ratios provided by carbon composites. However, CFRP materials offer less EME protection to systems installed inside the structural members from lightning strikes than aluminum materials. This is attributable to the intrinsic resistance of the composite materials. As a result, the conductive systems within the fuel tank may be forced to carry more of the current induced by a lightning strike event. Native hydraulic fittings within a composite fuel tank may not always be capable of carrying the higher current from a lightning strike to a CFRP airplane without sparking. In an airplane such sparking is not permitted in the presence of flammable vapor as an ignition source, such as in the presence of fuel vapors inside a fuel tank. Therefore, the use of CFRP materials requires special considerations of the effects of lightning strikes and other electro-magnetic effects (EME). This is particularly important in the wing structure where metallic tubing for fuel transfer and hydraulic actuation pass through the fuel tank.
Current solutions include the use of isolators of short sections of tube, which can be used to interrupt the current flow while permitting fluid flow. Such isolators provide a high electrical resistance path that limits electrical current flow between two fitting connections, but allows for the gradual dissipation of electrostatic charge. However, investigation of alternative methods continues to provide additional protection against sparking and damage resulting from lightning strikes and other electromagnetic effects.
Accordingly, those skilled in the art continue to seek new techniques for avoiding damage resulting from lightning strikes. | {
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The present invention relates to a heat sealer, and more particularly to a pen base electric heat sealer for sealing polyethylene bags, etc. by heat.
A variety of electric heat sealing apparatus have been disclosed for industrial and home uses, and have appeared on the market. Among these electric heat sealing apparatus, stapler type electric heat sealing apparatus are most popularly accepted by consumers. A stapler type electric heat sealing apparatus, exemplars of which are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,142,123 and Japanese Patent No. 63-57206, is generally comprised of a housing made in the form of a stapler. Because much storage space is needed, a stapler type electric heat sealing apparatus is not convenient for carrying with oneself as one of personal accessories. Another drawback of stapler type electric heat sealing apparatus is that the heating action must be employed twice when sealing the open side of a polyethylene bag. As illustrated in prior art FIG. 9, when sealing the open side of a polyethylene bag 10 with a stapler type electric heat sealing apparatus 12, one end of the open side of the polyethylene bag is held in one hand as the other hand is holding the electric heat sealing apparatus to seal the bag. Therefore, the corner area of the open side of the polyethylene bag must be sealed later. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a developing method for developing a latent image by the use of a developer and an apparatus therefor, and more particularly to a developing method using a one-component developer, especially a developing method which enables production of fogless visible images excellent in sharpness and tone reproduction, and an apparatus therefor.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various types of developing methods using a one-component developer are heretofore known such as the powder cloud method which uses toner particles in cloud condition, the contact developing method in which a uniform toner layer formed on a toner supporting member comprising a web or a sheet is brought into contact with an electrostatic image bearing surface to effect development, and the magnedry method which uses a conductive magnetic toner formed into a magnetic brush which is brought into contact with the electrostatic image bearing surface to effect development.
Among the above-described various developing methods using one-component developer, the powder cloud method, the contact developing method and the magnedry method are such that the toner contacts both the image area (the area to which the toner should adhere) and the non-image area (the background area to which the toner should not adhere) and therefore, the toner more or less adheres to the non-image area as well, thus unavoidably creating the so-called fog.
To avoid such fog, there has been proposed the transfer development with space between toner donor and image bearing member in which a toner layer and an electrostatic image bearing surface are disposed in opposed relationship with a clearance therebetween in a developing process so that the toner is caused to fly to the image area by the electrostatic field thereof and the toner does not contact the non-image area. Such development is disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,803,177; 2,758,525; 2,838,997; 2,839,400; 2,862,816; 2,996,400; 3,232,190 and 3,703,157. This development is a highly effective method in preventing the fog. Nevertheless, the visible image obtained by this method generally suffers from the following disadvantages because it utilizes the flight of the toner resulting from the electric field of the electrostatic image during the development.
A first disadvantage is the problem that the sharpness of the image is reduced at the edges of the image. The state of the electric field of the electrostatic image at the edge thereof is such that if an electrically conductive member is used as the developer supporting member, the electric lines of force which emanate from the image area reach the toner supporting member so that the toner particles fly along these electric lines of force and adhere to the surface of the photosensitive medium, thus effecting development in the vicinity of center of the image area. At the edges of the image area, however, the electric lines of force do not reach the toner supporting member due to the charge induced at the non-image area and therefore, the adherence of the flying toner particles is very unreliable and some of such toner particles barely adhere while some of the toner particles do not adhere. Thus, the resultant image is an unclear one lacking sharpness at the edges of the image area, and line images, when developed, give an impression of having become thinner than the original lines.
To avoid this in the above-described toner transfer development, the clearance between the electrostatic image bearing surface and the developer supporting member surface must be sufficiently small (e.g. smaller than 100.mu.) and actually, accidents such as pressure contact of the developer and mixed foreign substances are liable to occur between the two surfaces. Also, maintaining such a fine clearance often involves difficulties in designing of the apparatus.
A second problem is that images obtained by the above-described toner transfer development usually lack tone reproducibility. In the toner transfer development, the toner does not fly until the toner overcomes the binding power to the toner supporting member by the electric field of the electrostatic image. This power which binds the toner to the toner supporting member is the resultant force of the Van der Waals force between the toner and the toner supporting member, the force of adherence among the toner particles, and the reflection force between the toner and the toner supporting member resulting from the toner being charged. Therefore, flight of the toner takes place only when the potential of the electrostatic image has become greater than a predetermined value (hereinafter referred to as the transition threshold value of the toner) and the electric field resulting therefrom has exceeded the aforementioned binding force of the toner, whereby adherence of the toner to the electrostatic image bearing surface takes place. But the binding power of the toner to the supporting member differs in value from particle to particle or by the particle diameter of the toner even if the toner has been manufactured or prepared in accordance with a predetermined prescription, and therefore, it is considered to be distributed narrowly around a substantially constant value and correspondingly, the threshold value of the electrostatic image surface potential at which the flight of toner takes place also seems to be distributed narrowly around a certain constant value. Such presence of the threshold value during the flight of the toner from the supporting member causes adherence of the toner to that part of the image area which has a surface potential exceeding such threshold value, but causes little or no toner to adhere to that part of the image area which has a surface potential lower than the threshold value, with a result that there are only provided images which lack the tone gradation having steep .gamma. (the gradient of the characteristic curve of the image density with respect to the electrostatic image potential).
In view of such problems, a developing device in which a pulse bias of very high frequency is introduced across an air gap to ensure movement of charged toner particles flying through the air gap, whereby the charged toner particles are made more readily available to the charged image is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,866,574; 3,890,929 and 3,893,418.
Such high frequency pulse bias developing device may be said to be a developing system suitable for the line copying in that a pulse bias of several KHz or higher is applied in the clearance between the toner donor member and the image retaining member to improve the vibratory characteristic of the toner and prevent the toner from reaching the non-image area in any pulse bias phase but cause the toner to transit only to the image area, thereby preventing fogging of the non-image area. However, the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 3,893,418 states that a very high frequency (18 KHz-22 KHz) is used for the applied pulse voltage in order to make the device suitable for the reproduction of tone gradation of the image.
U S. Pat. No. 3,346,475 discloses a method which comprises immersing two electrodes in insulating liquid contained in a dielectrophoretic cell and applying thereto an AC voltage of very low frequency (lower than about 6 Hz) to thereby effect the development of a pattern corresponding to the conductivity variance.
Further, U.S. Pat. No. 4,014,291 discloses a transfer development which uses dry one-component magnetic toner, but this patent does not suggest that a bias is applied for the above-described purpose of preventing fog. | {
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Glaucoma is a disease complex characterized chiefly by an increase in intraocular pressure that, if sufficiently high and persistent, leads to damage to the optic nerve. This can cause irreversible blindness. Glaucoma is classed in three groups: primary, secondary and congenital.
Primary glaucoma is subdivided into angle closure and open angle types, based on the configuration of the angle of the anterior chamber of the eye where reabsorption of the aqueous humor occurs. [See generally Becker and Shaffer "Diagnosis and Therapy of the Glaucomas," C. V. Moslry Co., St. Louis (1976); A. G. Gilman et al. (eds.), The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics, Chapter 6, pp. 113-14, MacMillan Publishing Co., lnc., New York (6th ed. 1980).]
Angle closure glaucoma is nearly always a medical emergency in which drugs are essential in controlling the acute attack, but the long-range management is usually based predominantly on surgery (e.g., peripheral or complete iridectomy). Primary open angle glaucoma (POAG), on the other hand, has a gradual, insidious onset and usually responds to drug therapy. Certain cases, however, may require laser or surgical intervention in addition to drug treatment; failure of medical treatment necessitates surgery.
In POAG there is no visible obstruction or abnormality in the trabecular meshwork. Nevertheless, it is widely postulated that most of the resistance to the outflow of aqueous humor occurs here in the meshwork. In this circumstance, contraction of the ciliary muscle enhances tone and alignment of the trabecular network to improve resorption and outflow of aqueous humor through the network to the canal of Schlemm.
A large number of drugs have been used in the treatment of glaucoma. Andrenergic blocking agents, for example, are of great value in the management of the primary as well as of certain categories of the secondary type (e.g., aphakic glaucoma, following cataract extraction); the congenital type rarely responds to therapy other than surgical treatment. Each of these drugs, however, suffers from undesirable side effects or a need for frequent reapplication or instillation by sustained release. In contrast, the method of the present invention provides for a sustained and profound effect from occasional dosing. The method of the present invention is useful for treating the pressure elevation in all types of glaucoma.
Acute angle closure glaucoma may be precipitated by the injudicious use of a mydriatic agent in patients over 40, or by a variety of factors that can cause pupillary dilatation or engorgement of intraocular vessels [Gilman et al., supra, p. 113]. The cardinal signs and symptoms often include marked ocular inflammation, a semidilated pupil, severe pain and nausea. Every effort must be made to reduce the intraocular pressure to the normal level and maintain it there for the duration of the attack. In general, the most important drug for treatment is an osmotic agent such as oral glycerol to induce intraocular dehydration. Treatment adjuncts include beta blockers such as timolol and carbonic anhydrase inhibitors. Some physicians prefer a choinergic such as pilocarpine in early treatment. Laser iridotomy has recently been found to have an important role in the management of angle closure glaucoma. The long-acting organophosphorus compounds are not indicated in angle closure glaucoma because of vascular engorgement and an increase in the angle block.
POAG and secondary glaucoma require careful consideration of the needs of the individual patient in selecting the drug or combination of drugs to be employed. The choices available include (1) parasympathomimetic agents (e.g., pilocarpine nitrate, 0.5 to 4%); (2) anti-ChE agents that are short acting (e.g., physostigmine salicylate, 0.02 to 1%) and long acting (demecarium bromide, 0.125 to 0.25%; echothiophate, 0.03 to 0.25%; isoflurophate, 0.005 to 0.2%); and, paradoxically, (3) sympathomimetic agents (e.g., epinephrine, 1 to 2%; dipivalyl epinephrine (0.1%). Drugs of the last-mentioned class are often most effective when used in combinations with AChE inhibitors or cholinergic agonists. They reduce intraocular pressure by decreasing secretion of aqueous humor, and they prevent engorgement of small blood vessels. Timolol, an adrenergic antagonist, has also been found to be effective in reducing intraocular pressure. Timolol does not cause pupillary constriction but appears to act by reducing the production of aqueous humor. Timolol is long acting, and administration is at 12-hour intervals. Timolol has become very popular in the treatment of POAG because of its effectiveness and lack of side effects. Despite the convenience of less frequent administration and the high potency of long-acting anti-cholinesterase agents, their use entails a greater risk of development of lenticular opacities and untoward autonomic effects which limit their usefulness.
Methacholine, carbacol, pilocarpine and aceclidine are muscarinic agents which can be used to reduce intraocular pressure [Gilman et al., supra, Chapter 5, pp. 96-98]. Methacholine, in concentrations up to 20%, in combination with neostigmine bromide, 5%, instilled intraconjunctivally at frequent intervals, has been recommended for the emergency treatment of acute attacks of narrow-angle glaucoma. Carbachol has been used (0.25 to 3.0%) for chronic therapy of noncongestive, wide-angle glaucoma. Pilocarpine, when applied locally to the eye, causes pupillary constriction, spasm of accomodation, and a transitory rise in intraocular pressure, followed by a more persistent fall. Aceclidine (Glaucostat) is a synthetic compound which is approximately as effective as pilocarpine in reducing intraocular pressure in glaucoma.
Intraocular pressure may be effectively controlled without the stinging sensation an myopia experienced immediately after the application of pilocarpine solution by the use of a drug-delivery system called Ocusert which achieves a sustained release of pilocarpine (20 or 40 .mu.g per hour) for at least 7 days. However, many patients find the foreign body uncomfortable and have difficulty with the insertion of the device, which explains its current limited usefulness.
Anti-cholinesterase (AChE) agents produce a fall in intraocular pressure in both types of primary glaucoma, chiefly by lowering the resistance to outflow of the aqueous humor. Effects on the volumes of the various intraocular vascular beds (e.g., those of the iris, ciliary body, etc.) and on the rate of secretion of the aqueous humor into the posterior chamber may contribute secondarily to the lowering of pressure, or conversely may produce a rise in pressure preceding the fall. In narrow-angle glaucoma, the aqueous outflow is facilitated by the freeing of the entrance to the trabecular space at the canal of Schlemm from blockade by the iris, as the result of the drug-induced contraction of the sphincter muscle of the iris. Use of anti-cholinesterase agents has been limited by their side effects which include formation of iris cysts, headaches and cataracts.
Timolol is a nonselective .beta.-adrenergic antagonist [Gilman et al., supra, p. 195]. Timolol maleate (e.g., Timoptic, Merck, Sharpe & Dohme) is an ophthalmic preparation used for treatment of POAG aphakic glaucoma and secondary glaucoma. Timolo does not change the size of the pupil or the tone of the ciliary body, and it does not interfere with vision. The duration of beneficial effect is about 7 hours. The side effects are minimal, although systemic absorption of the drug can occur, leading to slowing of the heart, so the drug should be used with caution in individuals with asthma, heart block or heart failure.
Epinephrine (0.25 to 2%) or dipivalyl epinephrine (0.1%) are used to treat open angle glaucoma, reducing the intraocular pressure by their local vasoconstrictor actions, which decreases production of aqueous humor [Gilman et al., supra, p. 171].
It is thought that carbonic anhydrase may play a role in the formation of aqueous humor. The carbonic anhydrase inhibitor acetazolamide reduces the rate of aqueous humor formation, thereby lowering intraocular pressure in patients with glaucoma.
Ganglionic blocking agents can impair transmission in the ciliary ganglion, causing incomplete mydriasis and partial loss of accommodation.
The compound 12(R)-HETE was first identified as an arachidonic acid metabolite in skin lesions [M. Woolard "Stereochemical Difference between 12-Hydroxy-5,8,10,14-Eicosatetraenoic Acid in Platelets And Psoriatic Lesions," Biochem. Biophys. Res. Comm. 136, pp. 169-76 (1986)]. Recently Schwartzman, et al., have demonstrated that 12(R)-HETE is not a lipoxygenase derived metabolite but, rather, a cytochrome P.sub.450 -dependent metabolite of arachidonic acid produced, inter alia, in the bovine corneal epithelium. [Schwartzman et al., "12(R)-HETE - A Cytochrome P.sub.450 -Dependent Arachidonate Metabolite That Inhibits Na.sup.+ -K.sup.+ -ATPase in the Cornea," Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. (USA), Vol. 84, pp. 8125-29 (1987)].
Cytochrome P.sub.450 has been observed in several eye tissues including cornea, ciliary body, retinal pigment, pigment epithelium, lens epithelium and retina [N. Abraham et al., "Presence of Heme Oxygenase And NADPH Cytochrome P.sub.450 (c) Reductase In Human Corneal Epithelium," Invest. Opthalmol. Vis. Sci., 28, pp. 1464-72 (1987)]. In bovine tissues, the ciliary body is known to have the highest level of drug metabolizing enzymes (presumably among eye tissues). Enzyme activity in the bovine corneal epithelium is about half of that found in ciliary bodies. [Id.] | {
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At present, waste electric wires are separated into copper and coating plastics such as polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), or Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) and recycled as industrial materials. However, the fine electric wires such as communication cables have not been recycled enough because of the insufficient development of separation technology.
FIG. 1 shows the 2002 statistics of electric wire production in Korea. As shown in FIG. 1, in 2002 the electric wire output and communication cable output in Korea were about 4 trillion won and 5 billion won in the value of production, respectively. Among them, waste electric wires and waste communication cables releases into the environment were about 500 billion won and 100 billion won in value.
If the separation efficiency is low in separating fine copper wires from plastic coatings, the coating plastics cannot be recycled and, therefore, a lot of money is required to completely separate the fine copper wires. The fine electric wires such as communication cables generally consist of copper and plastics such as PE, PP, PVC, etc. Each of them can be recycled after being separated into each material. A large amount of waste electric wires are annually generated from reconstruction and replacement of old communication cables, and due to increase in use of cars and electronic products. To recycle the waste electric wires, it is essential to develop the technologies to completely separate the copper wire and the coating plastics. The coating plastics may not be recycled if the metal such as copper are not removed thoroughly. Thus, the technology to completely remove the metal during a pre-process has to be developed inevitably.
The amount of the plastics used is increasing 10% yearly because of its excellent material properties. It is predicted that the plastics production will reach about 11 million tons within five years and the waste plastic releases into the environment will come up to about 5 million tons within five years. Enormous economic injury as well as environmental problems may be caused if the technology to recycle the coating plastics is not developed. The plastic separation technology will contribute for environmental protection, recycling of useful resources, plastic industry development, and economic development.
Electric wires consist of a conductor part and a coating part. The conductor part is generally made of copper or aluminum. The coating part consists of an insulator to insulate the conductor and an outer coating to protect the insulator and the conductor part from damage. Both the insulator and outer coating are made of PVC, PE, Rubber, etc. Thus, in order to remove copper from the coating of waste electric wires, the insulator and outer coating have to be separated from the conductor.
Several electrostatic separation systems to remove the copper from the plastic coating of waste electric wires have been developed. For example, Korean utility model 288589, Seo, describes an electrolytic electrostatic induction separation system. FIG. 2. is a schematic diagram of the electrolytic electrostatic induction separation system disclosed in the Seo utility model. The electrolytic electrostatic induction separation system includes an electrolyzer consisting of an NA belt (100) charged with negative and a stainless net (200) charged with positive, and a paper belt (300) for electrostatic induction, which moves vertically over the NA belt (100). The NA belt (100) is made of nitrile-butadiene rubber including XE2 (or active carbon dust) of 27˜30%. In the Seo's separation system, the copper bits charged with negative by the NA belt (100) are electrostatic-induced and attracted to the paper belt (300) when the paper belt (300) moves vertically over the NA belt (100). The copper bits separated from the plastic coating bits are collected into a collection container (400) installed below the paper belt (300). The untreated residues are collected into another collection container (500) installed at the rear of the stainless net (200). The plastic coating bits are attached to the surface of the NA belt (100) and, then, collected into a coating collection container (600) by means of a scraper. However, in the Seo's separation system, the paper belt (300) must be replaced after being used for a predetermined period and the simple stainless net (200) structure is difficult to generate optimum electrostatic induction. In addition, the disposition structure of three collection containers fails to achieve complete separation of the plastic coating and copper. Particularly, the Seo's separation system fails to achieve high separation rate of the coating plastics because it passes over the influence of interrelation between positive and negative electrodes, such as the distance between the negative and positive electrodes, the width ratio of the negative electrode to the positive electrode, and the structure of the two electrodes, to the electrostatic induction.
As other examples of conventional separation system, FIG. 3 through FIG. 5 are schematic diagrams of the electrostatic separation devices according to the Korean Utility Model 232140, Jang (FIG. 3), Japanese publication patents JP2001-283661, Tetsuya et al. (FIG. 4), and JP1995-178351, Showa and Norihiro (FIG. 5). The electrostatic separation devices of FIG. 3 and FIG. 5 separate the coating plastics and the metal wire by charging sidewalls of a chamber so that they have an opposite polarity each other and making input materials free falling. These separation devices can separate large particles but is difficult to handle small particles less than 1 mm. In detail, the small particles may clings to the sidewalls by static electricity due to eddy currents which are occurred in the chamber because of the sidewalls with opposite polarity. The electrostatic separation device of FIG. 4 includes a rotating cylinder on which input materials are supplied and a separating container in which the metal wire and the coating plastics are collected separately. However, the separation device of FIG. 4 can accurately separate when the mixing ratio and supply of the input materials are constant. Moreover, the separation device of FIG. 4 cannot improve a selection rate because of the very simple electrode structure. | {
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The present invention relates generally to a new dielectric forming metal/ceramic laminate with discretely distributed magnets with through-holes and process thereof. More particularly, the invention encompasses a new process for fabrication of a large area ceramic laminate with discretely distributed magnets with integrated metal plate(s) which is oxidizable to form thin dielectric layer, and electrodes for electron and electron beam control. The present invention also relates to a magnetic matrix display (MMD) structure and methods of manufacture thereof.
A magnetic matrix display is particularly, although not exclusively, useful in display applications, especially flat panel display applications. Such flat panel display applications include television receivers, visual display units for computers, especially, although not exclusively, portable and/or desktop computers, personal organizers, communications equipment, wall monitor, portable game unit, virtual reality visors and the like. Flat panel display devices based on a magnetic matrix electron beam source hereinafter may be referred to as Magnetic Matrix Displays (MMD).
Conventional flat panel displays, such as liquid crystal display panels, and field emission displays, provide one display technology. However, these conventional flat panel displays are complicated and costly to manufacture, because they involve a relatively high level of semiconductor fabrication, delicate materials, and high tolerance requirements.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,917,277 (Knox) entitled xe2x80x9cELECTRON SOURCE INCLUDING A PERFORATED PERMANENT MAGNETxe2x80x9d, assigned to the assignee of the instant Patent Application and the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses a magnetic matrix electron source and methods of manufacture thereof. Also disclosed is the application of the magnetic matrix electron source in display applications, such as, for example, flat panel display, displays for television receivers, visual display units for computers, to name a few. Also disclosed is a magnetic matrix display having a cathode for emitting electrons, a permanent magnet with a two dimensional array of channels extending between opposite poles of the magnet, the direction of magnetization being from the surface facing the cathode to the opposing surface. The magnet generates, in each channel, a magnetic field for directing electrons from the cathode means into an electron beam. The display also has a screen for receiving the electron beam from each channel. The screen has a phosphor coating facing the side of the magnet remote from the cathode, the phosphor coating comprising a plurality of pixels each corresponding to a different channel. There are grid electrode means disposed between the cathode means and the magnet for controlling the flow of electrons from the cathode means into each channel. The two dimensional array of channels are regularly spaced on an X-Y grid. The magnet area is large compared with its thickness. The flat panel display devices based on a magnetic matrix electron source is referred to as MMD (Magnetic Matrix Display).
The permanent magnet is used to form substantially linear, high intensity fields in the channels or magnetic apertures for the purpose of collimating the electrons passing through the aperture. The permanent magnet is insulating, or at most, has a small conductivity, so as to allow a field gradient along the length of the aperture. The placement of the beam so formed, on the phosphor coating, is largely dependent on the physical location of the apertures in the permanent magnet.
In operation, these electron beams are directed at a phosphor screen and collision of the electron beam with the phosphor results in light output, the intensity being proportional to the incident beam current (for a fixed final anode voltage). For color displays, three different colored phosphors (such as red, green and blue) are used and color is obtained by selective mixing of these three primary colors.
For accurate color reproduction, the location of the electron beams on the appropriate colored phosphor is essential.
Some degree of error may be tolerated by using xe2x80x9cblack matrixxe2x80x9d to separate the different phosphors. This material acts to delimit individual phosphor colors and also enhances the contrast ratio of the displayed image by making the display faceplate appear darker. However, if the electron beam is misplaced relative to the phosphor, initially the light output from the phosphor is reduced (due to loss of beam current to the black matrix) and this will be visible as a luminance non-uniformity. If the beam is subject to a more severe placement error, it may stray onto a different colored phosphor to that for which it was intended and start to produce visible quantities of light output. Thus the misplaced electron beam is actually producing the wrong light output color. This is called a purity error and is a most undesirable display artifact. For a 0.3 mm pixel, typical phosphor widths are 67 xcexcm with 33 xcexcm black matrix between them.
It will be apparent that a very precise alignment is required between the magnet used to form the electron beams and the glass plate used to carry the phosphors that receive the electron beams. Further, this precise alignment must be maintained over a range of different operating conditions (high and low brightness, variable ambient temperature etc).
A number of other magnet characteristics are also important when considering application for a display, such as, for example:
1. It is generally accepted that the displayed image is formed by a regular array of pixels. These pixels are conventionally placed on a square or rectangular grid. In order to retain compatibility with graphics adaptors the magnet must thus present the electron beams on such an array.
2. In operation, the spacing between the grids used for bias and modulation of the electron beam and the electron source determines the current carried in the electron beam. Variations of this spacing will lead to variations in beam current and so to changes in light output from the phosphor screen. Hence it is a requirement that the magnet, which is used as a carrier for these bias and modulation grids, maintain a known spacing to the electron source. To avoid constructional difficulties, the magnet should be flat.
3. The display will be subject to mechanical forces, especially during shipment. The magnet must retain structural integrity over the allowable range of stresses it may encounter. A commonly accepted level is an equivalent acceleration of about 30G (294 msxe2x88x922).
One further requirement is that since the magnet is to be used within the display, which is evacuated, it should not contain any organic components which may be released over the life of the display, so degrading the quality of vacuum or poisoning the cathode.
Finally, the magnet is magnetized in the direction of the apertures, that is the poles correspond to the faces of the magnet.
The manufacture of such a magnet that satisfies the above conditions is not possible by the use of previously known manufacturing methods. Certainly a magnet (ferrite, for example) of the desired size without apertures is readily obtainable but the presence of the apertures causes some problems.
If the apertures in the magnet are to be formed after the ferrite plate has been sintered, either laser or mechanical drilling may be used. However, the sintered ferrite is a very hard material and forming the apertures by this technique will be a costly and lengthy processxe2x80x94unsuitable for a manufacturing process.
Holes could be formed in the ferrite at the green-sheet stage before sintering by known punching/drilling methods typical of multi-layer ceramics for microelectronics applications. However, during sintering a number of problems would be anticipated, such as, for example:
The magnet plate will be subject to uneven shrinkage leading to the holes xe2x80x9cmovingxe2x80x9dxe2x80x94an unequal radial displacement from their nominal positions;
The magnet itself is likely to xe2x80x9cbowxe2x80x9d such that it forms a section of a large diameter sphere;
Cracking is likely to occur between adjacent apertures due to the apertures acting as stress concentrators; or
If, to obtain the desired aperture length, multiple thin sheets are stacked on top of one another, misalignment may occur in stacking which could lead to no xe2x80x9cline of sightxe2x80x9d through the apertures.
A further problem is that ferrite is a hard but not tough material and the presence of the apertures significantly reduces the mechanical strength of the plate. Thus, during shipment when large shocks may be encountered, complete mechanical failure of the magnet is a distinct possibility.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,138,236 (Haberey) discloses a method of bonding hard and/or soft magnetic ferrite parts with an oxide glass. The oxide glass may be applied prior to or after pre-firing or main firing. Finally, the ferrite parts are fused at temperatures in excess of the glass softening point.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,540,500 (Torii) discloses a low temperature sinterable oxide magnetic material prepared by adding 0.1 to 5.0 percent by weight of glass to ferrite. In some situations, the sintering temperature can be reduced to about 1,000xc2x0 C. or less.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,023,057 (Meckling) discloses a compound magnet for a motor stator having a laminated structure that includes thin, flexible magnets made from permanently magnetizable particles, such as barium ferrite, that are embedded in a flexible matrix, such as rubber. Various laminated arrangements are contemplated for producing more intense magnetic fields and thin metal spacers are used in most laminated structures to collapse the respective fields of the flexible magnetic components to increase the flux density at the resultant poles and to orient the permanent magnetic fields in the magnetic circuit of the motor.
Published Japanese Patent Application No. JP60093742 discloses a display having a focus electrode with a conductive magnetic body and a sputtered metal coating on one surface of the magnet body. The conductivity is required for the focusing electrode to perform its function. The coating is sputtered and so is a thin coating, not substantially adding to the mechanical structure of the magnet. Each of the holes in the magnet has a number of electron beams passing through it.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,857,883, (Knickerbocker), entitled xe2x80x9cMethod of Forming Perforated Metal/Ferrite Laminated Magnetxe2x80x9d, assigned to the assignee of the instant Patent Application and the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses a process for fabrication of a large area laminate magnet with a significant number of perforated holes, integrated metal plate(s) and electrodes for electron and electron beam control.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,932,498 (Beeteson), entitled xe2x80x9cMAGNET AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING A MAGNETxe2x80x9d, assigned to the assignee of the instant Patent Application and the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses a magnet-photosensitive glass composite and methods thereof.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,986,395, (Knickerbocker), entitled xe2x80x9cMetal/Ferrite Laminate Magnetxe2x80x9d, assigned to the assignee of the instant Patent Application and the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses a process for fabrication of a metal/ferrite laminate magnet with a significant number of perforated holes.
Therefore, there is a need for a dielectric forming metal/ferrite laminate magnet as discussed and described in context of the present invention. The use of such a laminate magnet would be in multiple areas, however, it will have an immediate application in the MMD technology.
The invention is a novel structure and process for dielectric forming metal/ceramic laminate with discretely and orderly distributed magnets with through-holes.
Therefore, one purpose of this invention is to provide a structure and a process that will form dielectric forming metal/ceramic laminate with discretely distributed magnets.
Another purpose of this invention is to provide a structure and a process that will provide dielectric forming metal/ceramic laminate with discretely and orderly distributed magnets with through-holes.
Yet another purpose of this invention is to use the dielectric forming metal/ceramic laminate as a mask to create an image on at least one glass plate to form multi-phosphors (red, green, blue) material which receives an electron beam to create a display.
Still another purpose of this invention is to provide a structure through which one or more collimated beam(s) of electrons can be formed using the ceramic/magnetic laminate.
Yet another purpose of this invention is to provide a structure that can be used with any electron sensitive process.
Still yet another purpose of the invention is to provide a laminated dielectric forming metal/ceramic laminate with discretely distributed magnets that has a plurality of openings for guiding electrons and/or electron beams.
Therefore, in one aspect this invention comprises a process of making unsintered dielectric forming metal/ferrite laminate magnet, comprising:
(a) forming at least one opening in a dielectric forming metal sheet having a first surface and a second surface,
(b) securing at least one dielectric layer to said first surface of said dielectric forming metal sheet,
(c) filling said at least one opening in said dielectric forming metal sheet with at least one ferritic material,
(d) forming at least one opening through said ferritic material and said dielectric layer, such that at least a portion of said opening overlaps at least a portion of said opening in said dielectric forming metal sheet, and thereby making said unsintered dielectric forming metal/ferrite laminate magnet.
In another aspect this invention comprises a process of making unsintered dielectric forming metal/ferrite laminate magnet, comprising:
(a) forming at least one opening in a dielectric forming metal sheet having a first surface and a second surface,
(b) securing at least one dielectric layer to said first surface of said dielectric forming metal sheet,
(c) forming a second hole with first hole as a guide,
(d) filling said at least one opening in said dielectric forming metal sheet and said dielectric layer with at least one composite magnetic material,
(e) forming at least one opening through said ferritic material and said dielectric layer, such that at least a portion of said opening overlaps at least a portion of said opening in said dielectric forming metal sheet, and thereby making said unsintered dielectric forming metal/ferrite laminate magnet.
In still another aspect this invention comprises a process of making dielectric forming metal/ferrite laminate magnet, comprising:
(a) forming at least one opening in a dielectric forming metal sheet having a first surface and a second surface,
(b) securing at least one dielectric layer to said first surface of said dielectric forming metal sheet,
(c) filling said at least one opening in said dielectric forming metal sheet with at least one ferritic material,
(d) forming at least one opening through said ferritic material and said dielectric layer, such that at least a portion of said opening overlaps at least a portion of said opening in said dielectric forming metal sheet, and sintering the same to form said dielectric forming metal/ferrite laminate magnet.
In yet another aspect this invention comprises a display device comprising, at least one cathode means and at least one dielectric forming metal/ferrite laminate magnet, wherein said magnet has at least one opening which extends between opposite poles of said magnet, creating at least one magnetic channel, wherein said magnetic channel allows the flow of electrons received from said cathode means into at least one electron beam towards at least one target.
In still another aspect this invention comprises a display device comprising, a screen for receiving electrons from an electron source, said screen having a phosphor coating facing said side of a magnet remote from said cathode; and means for supplying control signals to a grid electrode means and an anode means to selectively control flow of electrons from said cathode to said phosphor coating via at least one magnetic channel, and thereby producing an image on said screen, and wherein said magnet comprises of at least one dielectric forming metal sheet.
In still yet another aspect this invention comprises a display device comprising, a screen for receiving electrons from at least one electron source, said screen having a phosphor coating facing said side of a magnet remote from said cathode, said phosphor coating comprising a plurality of groups of different phosphors, said groups being arranged in a repetitive pattern, each group corresponding to a different channel; means for supplying control signals to said grid electrode means and said anode means to selectively control flow of electrons from said cathode to said phosphor coating via said channel; and deflection means for supplying deflection signals to said anode means to sequentially address electrons emerging from said channel to different ones of said phosphors for said phosphor coating thereby to produce a color image on said screen, and wherein said magnet comprises of at least one dielectric forming metal sheet.
In yet another aspect this invention comprises an apparatus comprising, at least one cathode means, at least one dielectric forming metal/ferrite laminate magnet, wherein said magnet has at least one magnetic channel extending between opposite poles of said magnet, wherein each magnetic channel allows the flow of electrons received from said cathode means into an electron beam, grid electrode means disposed between said cathode means and said magnet for controlling flow of electrons from said cathode means into said magnetic channel, and, anode means remote from said cathode for accelerating electrons through said magnetic channel.
In yet another aspect this invention comprises a process of making sintered dielectric forming metal/ferrite laminate magnet, comprising:
(a) forming at least one opening in a dielectric forming metal sheet having a first surface and a second surface,
(b) securing at least one dielectric layer to said first surface of said dielectric forming metal sheet,
(c) filling said at least one opening in said dielectric forming metal sheet with at least one ferritic material,
(d) forming at least one opening through said ferritic material and said dielectric layer, such that at least a portion of said opening overlaps at least a portion of said opening in said dielectric forming metal sheet, and
(e) sintering said dielectric forming metal sheet and said ferritic material, and thereby making said sintered dielectric forming metal/ferrite laminate magnet. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Containers of this type are often used for packaging food products or the like including dry potato chips, powdered products, bread crumbs, ice cream and the like. These containers may be closed at the top thereof by a removable membrane which seals the inside of the container and may include an overcap which can be taken off and put back onto the container. It is desirable to close the bottom of these types of container with a simple hermetic sealing closure which is easy to install and which provides an effective hermetic seal. Although many different constructions of bottom closures have been provided on these types of containers, problems have been prevalent with these closures and with the hermetic seal. Also, strength problems have also been present in these bottom closures. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a game device comprising as a core component a game machine which has such skill-intervention that users or players"" levels of skill or senses for the game may be strongly reflected on the results of the game, or a game machine which provides room or elements players can attack, and a medium memorizing a game program and readable by a computer which game program allows the computer to perform a simulation game of the game machine having the skill-intervention and room or elements attacked by players.
2. Prior Art
In recent years, game machines such as Pachislot and Pachinko have been combined with control by a microcomputer so as to have various and deep playability. Books such as know-how magazines for attacks in the game introduce specifications and factors of popular game machines which players can attack and which have been simulated by a household computer software to enable players to enjoy the games simulation at home. In playing the game with Pachinko or Pachislot which are controlled by a microcomputer housed therein, players may win or lose the game fortunately or unfortunately on the one hand while there are definitely elements or factors of the game machines within their control properties and habitual behaviours to be attacked by players on the other hand, so that players"" levels of skill and senses for the game are apparently reflected on the games results, resulting in a large difference in wins between skillful game-players and beginners.
In Pachislot, to receive payoff (or pay-out) of tokens or the value-mediums (used for the game and called xe2x80x9ccoinsxe2x80x9d, medals, etc.), there are required such facts that random numbers taken at the instant of actuation of the start lever is xe2x80x9cinternally determinedxe2x80x9d to fall under an extent of a winning style, and that the stop button is to be pushed in a predetermined timing to allow specific designs or pictures (corresponding to the internally determined winning style) to be aligned, in a drawing section (or assist) containing four designs or pictures, with the winning lines. Hence, players essentially need to improve an operating technique of the stop buttons while understanding specific arrangement of the pictures on the wheels, and precisely grasp the content of the internal determination in order to obtain more tokens in the game.
In more detail, Bonuses such as Big Bonus or Regular Bonus may be internally determined, as foregoing, in a game upon actuation of the operating lever to make such first game as a (Bonus-)flagged game. Even when the required combination of pictures corresponding to the Bonus is not achieved in this flagged game, the Bonus-flagging can be carried over to a next game and those following the same and chances are given over and over again until the Bonus winning combination is achieved. However, pictures required for achieving Bonus provided on each wheel are few substantially, and it is not everyone such people who can readily precisely grasp the achievement of Bonus-flagging from a special pattern formed by stopped pictures on the wheels and suggesting a coming win or from an informing feature for Bonus-flagging by means of lamps behind the wheels, etc. Thus, beginners need to spend many games in vain after an initial game (wherein the Bonus flag is achieved) and until they finally achieve a combination of pictures corresponding to the Bonus.
In the general or ordinary games most regularly frequently performed prior to the internally determined Bonus, available winning styles are xe2x80x9cBit of Winsxe2x80x9d or Replay whose internal determination cannot be carried over to next or following games as not like the Bonus-flagging. Thus, any winning styles other than those fully ensured of drawing would fail to be won. In this case, there are an attacking technique called DDT method aiming at a specific picture in view of a special pattern formed by the pictures on the wheels to avoid failure in winning, and an effective technique on the basis of DDT added with the probability of Bit of Wins winning and time efficiency required for the aiming technique. Beginners are poor in knowledge of such attacking techniques or in ability of xe2x80x9cprecisely aimingxe2x80x9d to read precisely specific pictures on the rotating wheels and push the stop buttons in a proper timing, more or less resulting in failure in winning the Bit of Wins.
In the games related to Big Bonus, it is useful to play the provided Bonus games (other than early performing allowed maximal two or three games of Regular Bonus, initiated by a combination of three xe2x80x9cReplayxe2x80x9d pictures) while adopting an attacking technique called xe2x80x9cAvoid Replayxe2x80x9d wherein during usual or ordinary games (in a limit of times, e.g., 30 times) in the Big Bonus games, a combination of three xe2x80x9cReplayxe2x80x9d pictures is intentionally avoided to refrain from entering Regular Bonus in order to properly win Bit of Wins having higher probability of winning compared with usual cases. It is quite hard for beginners poor in the precisely aiming ability to play games in the above manner, thereby they can obtain merely reduced number of tokens in comparison with advanced or skillful players.
Moreover, in case of a game machine mounting a challenge time function (CT) wherein control to stop wheels on the basis of drawing random numbers is stopped after ending the Big Bonus games, there is an attacking technique called CT Max method wherein during CT function the aiming is used to freely win Bit of Wins, so that the number of tokens can be kept near a prescribed number of net increment while keeping a longer term for having chances of internal determination of Bonuses. Beginners poor in the precisely aiming ability cannot make use of the drawing-assist of four pictures (or designs) during the CT function, and rather loses tokens, and players having a medium skill not so good at the precise aiming operation compared with the advanced players causes the number of kept tokens to exceed the prescribed net increment before ending a prescribed number of games during CT operation, thereby early losing chances of entering again the Bonus games under a favourable condition affluent in tokens.
To play the games advantageously by use of the foregoing attacking techniques, it is required to improve the precisely aiming ability with understanding the arrangement of pictures or designs on the wheels, grasp precisely the internal determination results in specific situations of each game, and learn optimal operating procedures at the specific times on the above conditions. It is hard for ordinary people to obtain knowledges and operating skill of the game machine to the extent as above. Beginners are not fully satisfied with the game machine. Variation of people playing the game becomes limited, and some generation actually keep the game at a distance despite of various gaming properties.
Applying support functions for complementing players skill to the game machine is reviewed here. The support functions may be informing an operation timing (to cause an aimed picture or design to stop on the winning lines) by use of an indication means such as lamps, liquid crystal display, etc., a sound generating means such as a speaker, amplifier, etc., and a vibration generating means such as a vibrator, etc.; indicating arrangement of designs on the wheels to clarify specific pictures"" positions on the wheels; indicating simulated wheels synchronized with the main wheels on a liquid crystal display screen, etc., and also indicating a marking on an aimed picture of such simulated wheels or emphasizing such picture to cause players to easily recognize the aimed picture(s) (or design(s)); teaching a most advantageous attacking technique correspondingly to occasional situation of games; indicating achieved flag(s) to suggest what winning style is to be aimed in the game; and indicating graphs showing failure in winning the wins to enable players to estimate the games.
In case that the above-mentioned support functions are merely added to the game machine, the support functions work uniformly to all of players not differentiated into beginners and advanced skillful players. It may happen that some support functions which are not required for some players would work to the same irrespective of their intent, or some support functions required for some players do not work when required.
In detail, careful support functions for beginners make simple and easier the game uniformly to all players, so that they are not required by advanced players (who very much practiced the techniques), do not give them interest and cannot truly make equalization. On the other hand, if support functions for the advanced players are applied uniformly, beginners do not at all understand it and the game is made complex vainly, so that the support functions do not serve as a support.
The xe2x80x9cPachislotxe2x80x9d parlors (or halls) have hopes to serve respective customers (the players) in separate manners corresponding to specific reasons. In detail, they may think, for example, that regular customers or female players may be (or should be) given benefits; any players who long not improved in operation technique after much playing the game, or such beginners as having not yet understood the operation steps are to be provided with basic supports; and advanced players given fascinated supports facilitating further improvement of their skills. There were hitherto no game machines which have a function of changing specific support contents correspondingly to differences among players in skill, situation, circumstances, etc.
An object of the present invention is to provide a game device, and a medium storing a game program and readable by a computer, the game device comprising as a core component a game machine having an excellent navigation function properly applying supports corresponding to players"" technical levels or individual players, without perverted equality between beginners and advanced players and only the nominal support functions caused by uniformly actuating support functions, thanks to the fact that support functions are actuated on the basis of players technical levels or records in individual games histories of specific players, not like by merely uniformly applying support functions to the game machine to actuate the support functions irrespective of differences between beginners and advanced players.
The invention disclosed in claim 1 does, in order to apply a suitable support corresponding to specific technical levels of players, provide a game device having a support means favouring players wherein the support means supports players"" technical intervention without changing fundamental specification of the game device, and there are provided a technical level qualifying means qualifying players"" technical levels, and a support allowing means which allows actuation of the support means on the basis of the qualified technical levels. The definition xe2x80x9cwithout changing fundamental specification of the game devicexe2x80x9d does neither mean nor include adjustment of the wheel rotation numbers and adjustment of the number of wheel-slide designs.
The invention in claim 2 does, in order to apply supports stepwise and minutely correspondingly to specific high or low technical levels, provide the support means with a plural steps of support elements separated correspondingly to difference in technical levels, and also with a supports-choosing means for choosing, on the basis of qualified high or low technical level, a support element to be allowed of actuation.
The invention disclosed in claim 3 does, in order to properly carry out supporting beginners for enabling winning Bonus, comprise plural lines of a changeable indication means which changeably indicates a plurality of designs or pictures including those corresponding to Bonus, and a stop means for stopping a predetermined design or picture of each line on a winning line correspondingly to an operation timing, and the invention qualifies a technical level into a lower rank whenever the number of games that the Bonus designs are not aligned on the winning lines to win no Bonus becomes larger after a first game in which Bonus is internally determined and Bonus-flag is achieved, and the invention chooses a support element enabling the Bonus designs to be readily aligned on the winning lines whenever the technical level is qualified in a lower rank. The Bonus referred to here includes both of Big Bonus and Regular Bonus.
The invention disclosed in claim 4 does, in order to properly support beginners for enabling benefit obtained in Big Bonus to be kept at a degree over a predetermined value, comprise plural lines of changeable indication means, which changeably indicates a plurality of designs or pictures including those for Bonus for providing a winning style of Big Bonus that is a combination of effective ordinary game(s) in limited times and Regular Bonus(es) in limited times and ends depending on any limitations; and a stop means for stopping a predetermined design or picture of each line on a winning line corresponding to operation timing; wherein a technical level is qualified into a lower rank whenever benefit given in the middle of Big Bonus is smaller, and there is chosen a support element facilitating increase of benefit to be obtained whenever the technical level is qualified in a lower rank.
The invention disclosed in claim 5 does, in order to properly support unfortunate players in ordinary games most frequently performed prior to internal winning determination of Bonus, comprise plural lines of changeable indication means which changeably indicates a plural designs or pictures including those for Bonus and for Bit of Wins; a stop means for stopping a predetermined design or a picture of each line on a winning line corresponding to operation timing, wherein a technical level is qualified into a lower rank whenever the number of games is larger in the time from the end of previous Bonus to that Bonus is achieved again, and there is chosen a support element enabling the winning designs to be readily aligned on the winning lines whenever the technical level is qualified in the lower rank.
The invention disclosed in claim 6 does, in order to properly support beginners in ordinary games most frequently performed prior to internal winning determination of Bonus, comprise plural lines of changeable indication means which changeably indicates a plural designs or pictures including those for Bonus and for Bit of Wins; a stop means for stopping a predetermined design or a picture of each line on a winning line corresponding to operation timing, wherein a technical level is qualified into a lower rank whenever failure in winning is much, and there is chosen a support element enabling the winning designs to be readily aligned on the winning lines whenever the technical level is qualified in the lower rank.
The invention disclosed in claim 7 does, in order to precisely grasp players technical levels in a long term to apply a suitable support based on the same, provide that the technical level qualifying means qualifies technical levels correspondingly to specific values of points recognized from records in an individual games history recording means for specific players. The individual games history recording means includes membership cards in the form of IC cards, magnetic cards, etc.
The invention disclosed in claim 8 does, in order to apply properly a support to players, correspondingly to their technical levels, in a simulated game with a medium (such as a compact disc or ROM cartridge) readable by a computer, provide a medium storing a game program and readable by a computer, the medium comprising a support procedure description describing a dealing procedure for support functions favouring players, the support functions supporting players"" technical intervention without changing fundamental specification of the game device, the game program causing the computer to fulfill a game support method having a technical level qualifying step qualifying technical levels of players and an allowing step allowing actuation of the support functions on the basis of the qualified technical levels.
The invention disclosed in claim 9 does, in order to apply a suitable support corresponding to specific players, provide that in a game device comprising a support means favouring players, wherein the support means supports players"" technical intervention without changing fundamental specification of the game device, and there is provided a support allowing means for allowing actuation of the support means on the basis of records in an individual games history recording means for specific players. The individual games history recording means include membership cards in the form of IC cards, magnetic cards, etc.
The invention disclosed in claim 10 does, in order to hold fairness and objectiveness in applying support to players by means of a system using points, provide that the support allowing means allows actuation of the support means on the basis of comparison between reference values and specific values of points recognized from the records in the individual games history recording means.
The invention disclosed in claim 11 does, in order to apply various supports, provide that the support means includes plural kinds of support elements showing separate support functions in different features, and points values and reference values are classified for respective support elements.
The invention disclosed in claim 12 does, in order to apply minute supports, provide that the support means includes plural steps of subdivided support elements providing relative importance in contents of support, and reference values for specific points values are set for respective subdivided support elements.
The invention disclosed in claim 13 does, in order to apply suitable supports corresponding to the game""s aspects, provide that the reference values for specific points values are set in different values correspondingly to difference in aspects of the game.
The invention disclosed in claim 14 does, in order to flexibly cope with the Pachislot parlors"" business method serving players well in various manners, provide that the reference values for specific points values are changeable in setting from the outside.
The invention disclosed in claim 15 does, in order to provide beginners with a suitable navigation, provide that the support means is provided for beginners to be useful for mitigating difficulty in the game.
The invention disclosed in claim 16 does, in order to facilitate further improvement of skill of advanced players, provide that the support means is provided for advanced players to be useful for estimation of the game.
The invention disclosed in claim 17 does, in order to apply fairly supports to both of beginners and advanced players, provide the support means includes those for beginners useful for mitigating difficulty in the game and those for advanced players useful for estimation of the game.
The invention disclosed in claim 18 does, in order to leave out advanced players from supports for beginners as much as it could be since advanced players when showing an excellent games results do not need to be applied positively with supports for beginners, provide that there are provided plural lines of changeable indication means which makes changeable indication on condition of insertion or use of value-mediums; a stop means for stopping a predetermined design on each line of the changeable indication means on a winning line correspondingly to operation timing; and a pay-out or payoff means for paying out a predetermined number of value-mediums upon achievement of winning; and an updating means which updates the records in the individual games history recording means in a manner of causing specific points values corresponding to the support means for beginners to be away from reference values when a gain-ratio that is a ratio between value-mediums used and those paid out is over a predetermined value.
The invention disclosed in claim 19 does, in order to fascinate advanced players showing excellent games results to facilitate them to further improve their skill, provide that there are provided plural lines of changeable indication means which makes changeable indication on condition of insertion or use of value-mediums; a stop means for stopping a predetermined design on each line of the changeable indication means on a winning line correspondingly to operation timing; and a pay-out or payoff means for paying out a predetermined number of value-mediums upon achievement of winning; and an updating means which updates the records in the individual games history recording means in a manner of causing specific points values corresponding to the support means for advanced players to be near reference values when a gain-ratio that is a ratio between value-mediums used and those paid out is over a predetermined value.
The invention disclosed in claim 20 does, in order to leave out advanced players from supports for beginners as much as it could be since advanced players when showing an excellent games results in Big Bonus do not need to be applied positively with supports for beginners, provide that there are provided plural lines of changeable indication means, which changeably indicates a plurality of designs or pictures including those for Bonus for providing a winning style of Big Bonus that is a combination of effective ordinary game(s) in limited times and Regular Bonus(es) in limited times and ends depending on any limitations; and a stop means for stopping a predetermined design or picture of each line of the changeable indication means on a winning line correspondingly to operation timing; and an updating means which updates the records in the individual games history recording means in a manner of causing specific points values corresponding to the support means for beginners to be away from reference values when an average obtained benefit in Big Bonus is over a predetermined value.
The invention disclosed in claim 21 does, in order to fascinate advanced players showing excellent games results to facilitate them to further improve their skill, provide that there are provided plural lines of changeable indication means, which changeably indicates a plurality of designs or pictures including those for Bonus for providing a winning style of Big Bonus that is a combination of effective ordinary game(s) in limited times and Regular Bonus(es) in limited times and ends depending on any limitations; and a stop means for stopping a predetermined design or picture of each line of the changeable indication means on a winning line correspondingly to operation timing; and an updating means which updates the records in the individual games history recording means in a manner of causing specific points values corresponding to the support means for advanced players to be near reference values when an average obtained benefit in Big Bonus is over a predetermined value.
The invention disclosed in claim 22 or 23 does, in order to measure degrees of use of the game in view of the number of achievement of Big Bonus so as to apply a suitable support to players, i.e., the game enthusiasts showing a high degree of use of the game, provide an updating means which updates the records in the individual games history recording means in a manner of causing specific points values for allowing actuation of the support means to be near reference values when the number of achievement of Big Bonus is over a predetermined value.
The invention disclosed in claim 24 does, in order to apply a suitable support to players, i.e., the game enthusiasts showing a high degree of use of the game, provide an updating means which updates the records in the individual games history recording means in a manner of causing specific points values for allowing actuation of the support means to be near reference values when an extent of use of the game is over a predetermined value.
The invention disclosed in claim 25 does, in order to apply supports correspondingly to difference in ages, sexes, etc., so as to correct leaning of classes of players, provide that recorded in the individual games history recording means is personal information which weights specific points values for allowing actuation of the support means.
The invention disclosed in claim 26 does, in order to apply fairly and properly supports in a simulation game through a medium readable by a computer, such as a compact disc or a ROM cartridge, provide a medium storing or memorizing a game program and readable by a computer, the medium comprising a support procedure description describing a disposing procedure for support functions favouring players, the support functions supporting players"" technical intervention without changing fundamental specification of the game device, the game program causing the computer to fulfill a game support method having a reading step reading records in the individual games history for specific players, an allowing step allowing actuation of the support functions on the basis of the read individual games history, and an updating step updating the records in the individual games history upon end of the game.
Next, functional effects of the inventions will be detailed.
In the invention set forth in claim 1, actuation of the support means is allowed by the support allowing means on the basis of the players technical levels qualified by the technical levels qualifying means. That is, actuation of the support means is allowed or not depending upon specific technical levels of players. Hence, there causes no perverted equality between beginners and advanced players and prevents the support functions from being only the nominal as the case uniformly applying the support functions. The support functions can be provided properly correspondingly to players specific technical levels.
In the invention disclosed in claim 2, correspondingly to qualified higher or lower technical levels, a plurality of steps of support elements divided for specific technical levels are subjected to choosing. Hence, beginners low in technical level could be given a careful or kind support, i.e., applied with an effective and minute support.
In the invention disclosed in claim 3, a support element enabling the Bonus designs to be readily aligned on the winning line is chosen in case that the number of games, after a first game in which Bonus is internally determined to have Bonus-flag, is larger with Bonus designs being not aligned on the winning line resulting in no winning Bonus. Hence, beginners who not winning Bonus easily to spend games vainly can be applied with careful support to be effectively saved. The support elements are provided for saving beginners about their disadvantages over a predetermined limit under Bonus internally determined. Advanced players who can early win Bonus do not need to be given such support. There causes no unequalness to Advanced players when not applied with the support.
In the invention disclosed in claim 4, when obtained benefit in the middle of Big Bonus is smaller, a support element enabling to facilitate increase of the obtained benefit is chosen. Hence, beginners who cannot fully enjoy benefit to be obtained substantially in Big Bonus could be given a careful support and effectively saved about their disadvantage in a predetermined limit. Advanced players who can fully enjoy benefit in Big Bonus need little to be given such support, so that there causes no unequalness when they are not applied with the support.
In the invention disclosed in claim 5, a support element enabling winning designs to be readily aligned on the winning line is chosen when the number of games is larger until Bonus is achieved again after the end of a preceding Bonus. A main cause that Bonus is long not achieved may be the fact that Bonus is not internally determined by the random numbers lot, which fact is inevitability not relating to players technique. The players are just in bad luck. It is heard that fortune is directed by players ability, and one of games technique is to coolly decide a time to stop playing the game or to change the game devices for playing with a further one thereof. Advanced players who long undergo bad luck should be also treated similarly with beginners. In such case of long bad luck, an effective support is to enable players to be reduced of failure in winning Bit of wins. A support element enabling winning designs to be readily aligned on the winning line is chosen when the bad luck is high, so that beginners who apt to fail to win Bit of Wins can be saved of disadvantage in a predetermined limit, and also advanced players who can make use of DDT method or the like can be mitigated in precise aiming to thereby reduced in fatigue.
In the invention disclosed in claim 6, when failure in winning is much, a support element enabling winning designs to be readily aligned on a winning line. Hence, beginners who apt to fail to win winning styles internally determined can be saved of disadvantage in a predetermined limit. Advanced players who has little failure in winning are not applied with supports, which does not form unequalness to advanced players who have little disadvantage due to failure in winning.
In the invention disclosed in claim 7, players technical levels are qualified on the basis of points values recognized from the records in the individual games history recording means for specific players. Actuation of the support means is allowed on the basis of the qualified technical levels. Hence, technical levels are grasped from the individual games history recording means for specific players, i.e., a games history stored in a long term, and the support is applied on the basis of the grasped technical levels. Players can be supported suitably correspondingly to their technical levels.
In the invention disclosed in claim 8, the technical level qualifying step qualifies the players"" technical level, and the allowing step allows, on the basis of the qualified technical level, actuation of the support functions described in the support procedure description. In detail, actuation of the support functions is allowed or not correspondingly to players"" technical levels. There does not cause perverted equality between beginners and advanced players and only the nominal support, not like the case uniformly applying support functions. Supports can be suitably applied correspondingly to players"" specific technical levels in a simulation game through a medium such as a compact disc, a ROM cartridge, etc., readable by a computer.
In the invention disclosed in claim 9, actuation of the support means is allowed on the basis of the records in the individual games history recording means for specific players. Hence, actuation of the support means is allowed or not correspondingly to the individual games history for specific players. There does not cause perverted equality between beginners and advanced players and only the nominal support, not like the case uniformly applying the support functions. Supports can be applied suitably under proper circumstances.
In the invention disclosed in claim 10, actuation of the support means is allowed on the basis of comparison between reference values and points values recognized in the records in the individual games history recording means. By means of the system using the points values, players are made interested in points values and the game is made fascinating, and conditions for applying the supports are objective and fair.
In the invention disclosed in claim 11, on the basis of comparison between reference values and points values classified for specific support elements, actuation of the support elements corresponding to the reference values are allowed. The support elements show various features of support functions and apply various supports to players.
In the invention disclosed in claim 12, on the basis of comparison between points values and reference values for points values set for specific subdivided support elements, actuation of the subdivided support elements corresponding to the reference values are allowed. The subdivided support elements are weighted of the contents of supports to thereby apply supports stepwise and minutely.
In the invention disclosed in claim 13, reference values for points values are different correspondingly to difference in aspects of the game. The support may be applied in an aspect of the game but may be not applied in other aspects of the game. Hence, the supports vary correspondingly to the game aspects and can be applied properly.
In the invention disclosed in claim 14, adjustment by changing from the outside the setting of reference values of points values can be made to cause the supports to be readily applied or difficult to be applied. Hence, the Pachislot parlors are enabled to serve the customers in daily different manners or the like.
In the invention disclosed in claim 15, actuation of support means for beginners useful for mitigating difficulties in the game is allowed, so that difficulties for beginners in the game can be eased to provide them with a suitable navigation.
In the invention disclosed in claim 16, actuation of support means for advanced players useful for estimating the game is allowed. Advanced players are enabled to review their games and make use of reflection taken from the review for a next game, thereby facilitating them to further improve their skills.
In the invention disclosed in claim 17, the support means includes both of those for beginners and those for advanced players and can fascinate all the players.
In the invention disclosed in claim 18, for advanced players who show a gain-ratio over a predetermined value, points values corresponding to support means for beginners are updated as to be away from the reference values. Hence, supports can be easily applied to beginners needing supports while supports are hard to be given to advanced players who need little the supports. Thus, a suitable support can be applied with giving importance to saving beginners.
In the invention disclosed in claim 19, for advanced players who show a gain-ratio over a predetermined value, points values corresponding to support means for advanced players are updated as to be near the reference values. Hence, supports are easily applied to advanced players to facilitate them to further improve their skills, resulting in fascinating advanced players.
In the invention disclosed in claim 20, for advanced players who has an average obtained benefit in Big Bonus over a predetermined value, points values corresponding to support means for beginners are updated as to be away from the reference values. Hence, supports can be easily applied to beginners needing supports while supports are hard to be given to advanced players who need little the supports. Thus, a suitable support can be applied with giving importance to saving beginners.
In the invention disclosed in claim 21, for advanced players who has an average obtained benefit in Big Bonus over a predetermined value, points values corresponding to support means for advanced players are updated as to be near the reference values. Hence, supports are easily applied to advanced players to facilitate them to further improve their skills, resulting in fascinating advanced players.
In the invention disclosed in claim 20 or 23, when the number of achievement of Big Bonus is over a predetermined value, such player may be judged as a customer showing high degree of use of the game. In this case, points values to apply supports are updated as to be near the reference values, whereby supports may be easily applied in a next game, providing suitably supports to the customer showing high degree of use of the game.
In the invention disclosed in claim 24, for a customer showing high degree of use of the game over a predetermined value, points values to apply supports are updated to be near reference values, whereby supports may be easily applied in a next game, providing suitably supports to the customer showing high degree of use of the game.
In the invention disclosed in claim 25, on the basis of personal information recorded in the individual games history recording means, points values may be weighted, so that aged persons, women, etc., may be brought into a situation easily applied with supports. Hence, classes seldom playing the game or of few players can be also attracted, thereby correcting leaning or clustering of classes of players.
In the invention disclosed in claim 26, the reading step reads the records in the individual games history for specific players, and on the basis of the same the actuation of support functions described in the support procedure description is allowed by the allowing step. In detail, actuation of the support means is allowed or not allowed correspondingly to the individual games history for specific players. Hence, there does not cause perverted equality between beginners and advanced players and only the nominal support, not like the case uniformly applying support functions. Supports can be applied fairly and properly in a simulation game through a medium such as a compact disc, ROM cartridge, etc., readable by a computer. And upon end of the game, the updating step updates the games history to cause it to reflect the game just having ended, thereby enabling players to have updated information with respect to a next game. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Phase locked loops (PLLs) have important uses in communications applications. A PLL frequency synthesizer, one such use, generates an output signal having a programmable frequency to be used in tuning of two or more communication channels. Typically, a microprocessor programs the frequency of the output signal. In many applications, the programmed frequency must change dynamically. For example, the frequency normally generated by the PLL frequency synthesizer is used to tune a communications signal, but periodically the frequency must be changed to tune an auxiliary channel. The functioning of the phase locked loop may be enhanced by using a digital phase detector to measure a phase difference between the output signal and a proportion of a reference signal, and to adjust the output signal in response to a detected phase difference. Performance of PLL frequency synthesizers using digital phase detectors must continually be improved to meet increased performance requirements of communication circuits. | {
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In nature, dogs must scavenge or hunt for their food. These activities take up a lot of their time and involve physical exertion such as roaming large areas, chasing and digging; problem-solving; use of their senses of hearing, taste and smell; and social coordination. It is felt that providing food in a simple bowl for pet dogs goes against their fundamental nature by removing a major source of stimulation in their lives. Furthermore, it encourages overeating as dogs do not tend to stop eating when they are full. A recent increase in obesity among pet dogs has created a need for humane methods to reduce the amount of food a dog eats. One such method is to make eating more challenging for the dog by placing dry dog food in a dog toy which will slowly dispense the dog food if shaken or upended. The dog must then work to get the food out of the toy. This slows down the eating so that the meal time lasts longer and the dog eats less. It also challenges the dog mentally and physically.
However, it is necessary that the challenge is of appropriate difficulty. If the food is too difficult to obtain the dog may become frustrated and may not eat enough. If the food is too easy to obtain the dog will not be entertained or stimulated enough. Current offerings do not appear to take into account the varying levels of ability depending on the breed of dog. Smaller breeds may find accessing the food too difficult whereas larger breeds may find accessing the food too simple. A “one size fits all” approach is not optimal. Additionally, the dog will learn to get food out of a given dispensing toy so it may become too easy over time. Further problems with these dispensing toys are that they are cumbersome to fill and that more determined dogs occasionally destroy the toy to get the food out.
One type of modular dog toy is that described in US Patent Application Publication No. US2004/0200434 in the name of Shatoff et al. US2004/0200434 describes an animal toy that allows two or more toys to be connected together. The toys may have an internal chamber for holding and ultimately dispensing food.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a modular dog toy for use in dispensing food which overcomes at least one of the above-mentioned deficiencies and to provide a useful alternative to the consumer. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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This invention relates to a multi-area clock or watch, particularly to one possible to know the time of a foreign country by adjusting the position of the time needle align to one's own country on a hour sector disc very practical and convenient.
Conventional clocks or watches generally indicates only the time of a local country, and hotels or airports may have different clocks to indicate the time of different cities in the world, for travellers to know the present time of the other place they are going. But many clocks indicating different time of many cities occupy a large dimensions, let alone carrying out. So a multi-area clock is disclosed, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, in a Taiwan patent application of serial No. 325890, which mainly includes a clock body 10, a graduation disc 11, an hour disc 12, a minute needle 13, a second needle 14, and a cap 15 as main components combined together.
The graduation disc 11 has an inner annular portion 110 divided into 24 equal blocks, and an outer annular portion 111 is divided into 60 equal blocks.
The hour disc 12 is drawn with a world map 120 and with hour lines 121 radially. An hour shaft of the clock rotates according to the rotation of the earth synchronously, with the hour lines 121 aligned to the 24 blocks of the inner annular portion 110. The minute needle 13 and the second needle 14 point the 60 blocks of the outer annular portion 111. Then the time of all the cities in the world can be known from the multi-area clock. But a user must have the geographical locations of all different countries and cities, or it would be very hard to find out the country or the city he wants to know the time. In addition, the hour disc have many dividing lines and blocks not easy to make clear of the present time, and besides, it is different from common 12 graduations, hard to be accustomed to its indication. | {
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The present disclosure relates to an image forming apparatus, an image forming system, and an image forming method, and is particularly-related to the image forming apparatus, the image forming system, and the image forming method, which direct connection is possible, easily.
An image forming apparatus, such as an MFP (Multi-functional Peripheral) or a printer that can print a document and an image, are present.
In a typical technology, an image forming apparatus connectable with a portable terminal are disclosed. For example, a registry request for an event that should be notified to the portable terminal when it occurs in an image forming apparatus is received from the portable terminal. Whereupon, registration about the event is performed according to the received registry request. Then, the WiFi-Direct connection (wireless direct connection) with the specific portable terminal is disconnected. In this case, an image forming apparatus specifies the event where the respective specific portable terminal is registered as a communication destination in the registered events. Then, an image forming apparatus cancels the registration about the specified event. As configured in this way, the registration about the event notification to the communication device is prevented from continuously-remaining in an image forming apparatus. | {
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It is known that connoisseurs of coffee or tea want to obtain mixtures or blends that produce a beverage able to satisfy their personal taste and sensory profile. It is also known that there are connoisseurs of sport drinks and energy drinks, infusions of various types, and that said connoisseurs want to obtain drinks which meet their specific requirements. It is also known that there are medical substances that constitute compositions of various products and that are intended for specific functions of the body, since said functions are uniform, without taking into account the requirements of the specific patient.
Therefore, the inventive idea creates the possibility for a specific user, depending on the specific equipment of the device according to the invention, to define the mixture or blend that exactly meets his/her requirements, whether they are for the senses, for sport, energizing, tranquillizing or sanitizing or functional for his/her body.
Currently, however, it is possible to obtain beverages with predefined mixtures, or beverages with do-it-yourself mixtures.
In the first case, beverages obtained with predefined mixtures (such as coffee, tea, sports drinks, energy drinks or those intended for specific functions for the body and already on the market) cannot satisfy the sensory, physical or physiological requirements, or the requirements of performance or the purposes of the user, inasmuch as they express a mean value which is in any case predefined.
In the second case, that is, do-it-yourself, the mixture obtained and hence the resulting beverage, can contain ratios of the components in size and quantity that are not favorable, or not compatible for the correct management of that specific body. Furthermore, do-it-yourself mixtures or predefined mixtures can include components that are not suitable or not compatible with each other and/or for that specific body and/or for that function.
There is therefore a need to obtain a personalized formula to obtain and optimize mixtures or blends able to generate personalized beverages and a connected method, which can overcome at least one of the disadvantages of the state of the art.
In particular, the purpose of the invention is to obtain a device, management and control means and connected personalized computer program code, all targeted, according to the constitutive and organizational structure, for one and/or other type of beverage, in any case personalized, both for the specific user and also the specific function for the specific user. While the inventive idea allows do-it-yourself compositions based on sensory requirements or aromatic profile, or sporting and/or energizing and/or functional purposes, taking into account the characteristics specified by the user, it also avoids creating mixtures or blends in which there are unbalanced and/or unsuitable and/or incompatible components in relation to the function it has to perform and coherent with the requirements of the specific person.
The whole is managed by computer program code able to generate personalized formulas depending on the specific functions that the beverage to be obtained must perform in the specific individual.
The applicant has devised, tested and embodied the present invention to overcome the shortcomings of the state of the art and to obtain these and other purposes and advantages. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a signal processing system, and more particularly, to a signal processing system capable of changing levels of input signals to generate output signals.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A digital-to-analog converter (DAC) is often used in a front-end of many signal processing mechanisms to convert digital signals into analog signals for following backend signal processing. Therefore, the DAC plays an important role in the audio field for the rapid developments of the audio/video media.
The audio signal is different from an ordinary transmitted signal. The highest frequency of the audio signal is approximately 20 KHz. Analyzing the audio signal is easier than analyzing a high-frequency signal. Therefore, a higher digitization accuracy is required for audio signals. In order to meet this requirement, a delta-sigma modulator is introduced.
A conventional delta-sigma modulator includes an integrator, a quantizer, and an adder. The integrator, coupled to the quantizer, receives and integrates an input signal x, and then transmits an integrated result to the quantizer. The quantizer quantizes the integrated result to generate a digital output signal Sout, which is further sent to the signal input end via a negative feedback path. After being processed by the adder, the digital output signal Sout is sent to the input end of the integrator. Since the structures and the functions of the integrator, the quantizer, and the adder are well known to one skilled in the art, further description is omitted for brevity. Please note that the transfer function of the delta-sigma modulator is shown as the following Equation:
y = x f + 1 + fQ f + 1 Equation ( 1 ) In Equation (1), x represents the input signal and Q represents a quantization noise.
According to Equation (1), the integrator in the delta-sigma modulator is equivalent to a low-pass filter for the input signal and equivalent to a high-pass filter for the quantization noise when operating at low frequencies. Therefore, the output signal Sout is substantially equal to the input signal x at low frequencies and equal to the quantization noise at high frequencies. Moreover, an oversampling technique is used by the delta-sigma modulator. Assume that the input signal x is an audio signal with a low frequency, a sampling clock with a higher frequency is used for sampling the input signal x and then the above-mentioned quantization noise is distributed over more frequency components. The noise spectrum is thus changed and most of the quantization noise is shifted beyond the frequency band of signal measurement.
Referring the DAC, the input signal x is required to be amplified with a predetermined gain by a multiplier before the input signal x enters the delta-sigma modulator. The DAC includes an up-sampling circuit, a multiplier, a gain controller, and a delta-sigma modulator. The up-sampling circuit performs an oversampling operation to raise the sampling frequency and the gain controller assigns the predetermined gain to the multiplier such that the received signal of the multiplier is amplified accordingly. The multiplier is coupled to the following up-sampling circuit. Because the sampling frequency is lower before the up-sampling circuit performs the oversampling operation, the multiplier can be implemented by adders and shifters. However, if there are many input signals with different sampling frequencies to be amplified ahead of up-sampling, a plurality of multipliers is needed. If the signal amplifying is performed after the operation of the up-sampling circuit, although only one multiplier is needed, adders and shifters are not applicable because the signal amplifying no longer can be accomplished within one sampling cycle due to the raised sampling frequency of the up-sampled signal. | {
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Aerial vehicles are those machines that use propulsion force provided by a propulsion system, such as airplane engines, electric motors, and propeller systems, to take off the ground and move in the air. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is an aerial vehicle that can perform various kinds of flight actions and flight tasks automatically or semi-automatically under the coordination control of an electronic device.
In order to adapt to environments better during a flight, an existing unmanned aerial vehicle is generally provided with a variety of sensors, such as a camera, and an ultrasonic wave sensor, in order to acquire flight indication data, to analyze the flight indication data, and to control the flight according to an analysis result. For example, a flight control operation is performed for avoiding an obstacle. However, mounting various kinds of sensors will raise the cost of the aerial vehicles significantly, increase the volume and weight of the whole unmanned aerial vehicles, and shorten the remaining flight time of the unmanned aerial vehicle. | {
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Systems for representing information as rendered three-dimensional (3D) images are known. For example, the assignee of the present invention sells a product referred to as "Market Discovery" which can represent information such as financial information relating to stock or bond prices and trading activities as a 3D data landscape. Within this data landscape, various rendered 2D or 3D objects (such as blocks, surfaces, etc.) can represent different stocks, bonds or other items of interest and the condition (size, color, position, etc.) of the rendered object represents the present parameters (price, volume, percent change, etc.) of interest for that object.
Such systems, which are often referred to as information visualization systems, have proved to be well suited to representing large amounts of information and/or complex information in an efficient and relatively compact manner. For example, a variety of information, including pricing, size of bids and offers, etc. for the stocks comprising the Standard & Poors 500 can be displayed on a single computer display. Further, as is known, the displays produced within such information visualization systems can often be more readily understood by users than textual or other conventional representations.
It is typically desired by users of such information visualization systems to view the data landscape from more than a single fixed viewpoint and/or distance. Observing the data landscape from a different viewpoint can allow a user to: observe a subset of the objects within the data landscape which are presently of particular interest to the user; identify trends and/or correlation between various of the objects or sets of objects in the data landscape; etc. Similarly, changing the viewing distance ("zooming") allows a user to: choose to observe a single object in detail over a large part of the computer display's screen (e.g.--zoom in on a single object); observe many or all of the objects within the data landscape on the computer display's screen (e.g.--zoom out to a panoramic view of the data landscape); or to observe some subset of data landscape.
As will be apparent to those of skill in the art, the user viewpoint within the visualization system is merely the viewpoint to which the 3D representation of the data landscape is rendered. Essentially, the viewpoint can be thought of as the location and orientation of a camera which takes the picture of the data landscape which is being displayed on the computer display. Thus, the rendering engine within the visualization system responds to input from the user to change the desired viewpoint accordingly. When a new viewpoint position and/or distance is input by the user, the rendering engine re-renders the data landscape appropriately, as viewed from the new viewpoint.
When real time, or near-real time rendering is provided, the user can interactively update the viewpoint and observe the result substantially immediately, thus simulating the experience of the user moving with respect to the data landscape. Thus, the user can experience "flying" over or "walking" or "running" through the landscape, as desired.
While the sheer amount of information which can be represented within an information visualization system and the ease with which the representations employed within the landscape allow assimilation of the information by a user are some of the advantages offered by such systems, they can also lead to some difficulties and/or problems. For example, while most users of visualization systems want or require the ability to alter the viewpoint of the data landscape, it is not uncommon that a user becomes "lost" in the rendered image as the viewpoint is moved. This is due to several reasons, including the fact that such landscapes are often quite artificial constructions and there are few, if any, of the real world visual clues normally available to a person. Further, the physical clues (sense of balance and inertia to determine the rate and direction of movement, etc.) which are present in the real world are not provided within visualization systems. Thus, it is possible for a user to, for example, move the viewpoint sufficiently far away (zoom out) from the landscape and to direct the viewpoint away from the data landscape so that the landscape is not in view and the user is ignorant of how to locate the data landscape.
Previous attempts have been made to address this problem. For example, the above-mentioned Market Discovery product employed a set of constraints on how a user could orient and/or position the viewpoint. In particular, the viewpoint was constrained such that it was always perpendicular to the ground plane of the landscape such that roll of the viewpoint was not permitted and to move in polar coordinates (i.e.--latitude and longitude) centered at a user definable point of interest. While this navigation method was generally an improvement on prior methods, it was still unsatisfactory to many users and was found to be too limiting for developers constructing some data landscapes.
A subsequent attempt to improve this navigation method was made by changing it to a "helicopter-hemisphere" model wherein the viewpoint was constrained to be positioned on the surface of a hemisphere centered over a user selected point of interest on the landscape. The size of the hemisphere (e.g. the distance from the landscape, or the amount of zoom) could also be changed by the user. Four parameters were employed in this method to define a viewpoint position and orientation, namely: the bearing, which is the angle about the vertical (z) axis of the landscape, as measured clockwise from the -y axis; the tilt, which is the elevation above the horizon or "ground plane" of the landscape; the distance from the camera to the present point of interest; and the point of interest which is a user-defined point on the ground plane. An algorithm was also provided that would determine the path with the shortest distance between any two points on the hemisphere and the viewpoint could be moved along this determined path.
While this attempt was a significant improvement on the earlier described attempt, it still left much to be desired as users found it non-intuitive and unfriendly. Further, both it and the previously described attempt constrained the point of interest to points on the ground plane (x-y plane) of the landscape.
It is therefore desired to have an improved system and/or method of allowing users to alter their viewpoint of the data landscape which is intuitive to use and flexible for the users' needs but which helps prevent users from becoming lost within a rendered data landscape. | {
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The art of bulk micromachining in silicon has changed since the invention of practical means to etch vertical sidewalls in silicon using dry etching technology, as has largely resulted from the invention of the BOSCH process. Deep dry etching technology has allowed new architectures in single crystal silicon to be created, especially in released structures such as those based on SOI silicon like accelerometers and electrostatic actuators. While such deep dry etch processes have allowed the realization of many new architectures, there are still advantages in traditional crystallographic (anisotropic) etching in silicon. Wet anisotropic etching is often based on opening a hard mask deposited on silicon, with features oriented on the surface to create v-grooves, u-grooves, precision inverted pyramidal pits, and other shapes, which are well known in the art. The exact shapes depending on the crystal orientation, mask opening shape, and particular wet etch used. Advantages of wet etching, with proper alignment and etch conditions, include the ability to batch process many wafers at one time, the ability to achieve very smooth surfaces, and the ability to achieve non perpendicular surfaces such as v-grooves, and the ability to produce highly accurate mechanical dimensions. Alternatively, the use of deep plasma etching has the advantage of being independent of crystallographic axis limitations and allows vertical surfaces to be created with high aspect ratio. What is lacking in the art is a method to combine these two etching formats so that the benefits of both techniques can be brought together allowing new freedom in possible resulting shapes and structures. Combining these to etching formats would be particularly useful for the art of silicon optical bench, where elements such as micro-optics, semiconductor lasers, photodetectors, optical fibers, and other elements can be hybridly integrated on the silicon wafer surface using mechanical features etched into the silicon, along with integrated patterned metals, solders, resistors, and MEMS that can be fabricated directly into or onto the silicon wafer. Thus microsystems can be achieved with assembly economy difficult to otherwise achieve. It should be clear that other such wafer level micro-systems will clearly benefit from this improvement in micromachining technology such as sensors, actuators, micro-fluidics, RF microdevices, and so on. For example, can apply the methods of the present invention to the fabrication of known bulk micromachined products such as accelerometers to create architectures leveraging dry and wet etching. By way of example and not limitation, the instant disclosure describes mechanical structures which can be realized and that are useful in hybrid micro-optical electrical systems, also known as silicon optical bench, SiOB, silicon wafer board, or simply silicon bench.
The ability to precisely locate optical elements relative to one another is of critical importance in the fabrication of micro-optical devices, since the alignment tolerances between elements are often specified in submicron dimensions. Typically, such elements may include an optical signal source, such as a laser, a detector, and an integrated or discrete waveguide, such as a fiber-optic, integrated optics, or GRIN rod lens. Additionally, such elements may include a fiber amplifier, optical filter, modulator, grating, ball lens, or other components for conveying or modifying or splitting an optical beam. Micro-optical devices containing such components are crucial in existing applications such as optical communication and consumer opto-electronics, as well as applications currently being developed, such as optical computing.
Maintaining precise alignment among the optical elements may be conveniently provided by an optical microbench, such as a silicon optical bench. An optical microbench comprises three-dimensional structures having precisely defined surfaces onto which optical elements may be precisely positioned. One material well-suited for use as an optical microbench is single crystal silicon, because single crystal silicon may be etched anisotropically to yield three-dimensional structures having planar sidewalls formed by the precisely defined crystallographic planes of the silicon. For example, the {111} silicon plane is known to etch more slowly than the {100} or {110} planes with proper choice of etchant. Thus, structures may be formed comprising walls that are primarily {111} planes by anisotropic etching.
Since the many optical elements sit within the three-dimensional structures at a position at least partially below a top surface of the silicon substrate, a portion of the optical path often lies below the top surface of the substrate, within the volume of the substrate. Accordingly, passageways must be provided in the optical microbench between three-dimensional structures so that light may travel between the elements disposed in the associated three-dimensional structures. Hence, an optical microbench should contain three-dimensional structures that communicate with one another through structures such as a passageway.
While discrete, non-communicating, three-dimensional structures may be conveniently formed by an anisotropic etching, etched structures which communicate with one another at particular geometries, such as a convex corner, pose significant problems for applications in which it is desirable to maintain the precise geometry defined by the crystallographic planes. For example, where two {111} planes intersect at a convex (or exposed) corner, the convex corner does not take the form of a straight line intersection between two planes, but is rather rapidly attacked by the etchant to create a rounded or complex intersection between the two {111} planes. As etching continues to reach desired depth of the structure containing the {111} planes, the rounding or attack of the corners can grow to such an extent that a substantial portion of the intersection between the two {111} planes is obliterated. Since the {111} planes are provided in the three-dimensional structures to form a planar surfaces against which optical elements may be precisely positioned, absence of a substantial portion of the {111} planes at the intersection can introduce a great deal of variability of the positioning of the elements at the intersection. Thus, the benefits provided by the crystallographic planes can be unacceptably diminished.
Traditionally, to avoid etching intersecting features, dicing saw cuts may be used. However, dicing saw cuts can be undesirable, because such cuts typically must extend across the entire substrate, or consume an undesirably large portion of it, and may not conveniently be located at discrete locations within the substrate. Moreover, dicing saw cuts create debris which may be deposited across the substrate surface and lodge within the three-dimensional structures, which may interfere with the precise positioning of optical elements within such a structure.
Therefore, there remains a need in the art for optical microbench technology which permits three-dimensional structures having crystallographic planar surfaces to intersect with other surfaces, without degrading the crystallographic orientation of the intersected planar surfaces. Further, there remains a need in the art to combine crystallographic surfaces and vertical dry etched surfaces together in the same structure. | {
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The invention relates to a system for exchanging data comprising at least one teleservice terminal and at least one user device which can exchange data with the teleservice terminal.
Such a system is known for example from teleservicing. Teleservicing comprises the surveillance and the control of spatially remote objects. The teleservicing includes for example the reporting of switching states, the recording of measurement values, and meter readings or the providing of switching orders in the electric energy distribution systems.
In the known systems, a connection is established between a user apparatus and the apparatus to be surveilled or controlled. Depending on the type of surveillance or, respectively, the control, the connection between the user apparatus and the apparatus being surveilled must be constantly maintained since, in certain cases, it is necessary that the state of the apparatus being surveilled is transmitted immediately to the user apparatus. The constant connection between the user apparatus and the apparatus required herefor is relatively expensive however.
Furthermore, the apparatus being surveilled and the user apparatus must be tuned to one another. Generally, it is not possible to survey a multitude of different types of apparatus with a single user apparatus. In this respect, the known systems are not flexible.
With the known systems, it is furthermore not possible to change the location of the user apparatus without any problems. With the known system, certain particular connections are necessary for the apparatus to be surveyed and the user apparatus so that for example the user apparatus can be employed only where such a connection is available. Similar considerations apply to the apparatus to be surveilled.
It is the object of the present invention to provide a system for the exchange of data by way of which apparatus can be surveyed in a simple manner by user apparatus, wherein the user apparatus and the apparatus to be surveilled can be used in a flexible manner that is at different locations. | {
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The invention relates to using brazing to assemble together thermostructural composite materials, and in particular ceramic matrix composite (CMC) materials. CMC materials are typically formed by a porous substrate, such as a porous fiber substrate, that has been densified by a ceramic matrix. The fibers of the substrate may be made of carbon or of ceramic. By way of example, the matrix may be made of a refractory ceramic such as a refractory carbide, nitride, boride, or oxide. CMC materials, such as for example C/SiC composite materials (carbon fiber reinforcement with a silicon carbide matrix), are remarkable for their mechanical properties, which make them suitable for constituting structural elements, and for their ability to conserve those properties at high temperatures.
When making structures out of ceramic matrix composite materials, it is common to construct them from independent elements made of CMC materials, which elements are assembled together by brazing. Nevertheless, brazing ceramic matrix composite materials together is technically difficult, and the breaking stress of the brazed joint is often insufficient relative to the forces to which the assembly might be subjected, in particular shear forces.
Pieces made of CMC materials present a high degree of surface roughness, which prevents the brazing composition spreading well in the zone where the brazed joint is formed, thereby creating zones of weakness in the brazed connection.
Also, while the brazing composition is diffusing between the assembly faces of the parts to be brazed together, gas is given off due to reactions between the brazing composition and the ceramic particles used for conveying the brazing composition by capillarity between the assembly faces. Some of that gas becomes imprisoned inside the brazed joint, thereby leading to a brazed joint that is porous, and in which there remain local braze-free areas between the two surfaces. That lack of material leads to defects in the connection between the two parts, and consequently degrades the quality of the assembly by weakening the connection that is made. | {
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The widely used CTG equipment for monitoring of fetal heart activity apply ultrasound Doppler technique, where an ultrasonic beam is directed to the fetus, the reflection of which determines the heart movement and hereby fetal heart rate (FHR). However, these equipment are unsuitable for long-time monitoring without inspection, since uncontrolled high-dose exposure may have some harmful effects.
A further technique for this purpose is the phonocardiography (PCG) where acoustic waves excited by heart movement are detected. In the case of fetal heart sounds, however, difficulties arise in the detection and identification of the signals. Acoustic waves of fetal origin reach the sensor placed on the maternal abdomen through a complex transmission path, where significant spectrum variation occurs. Furthermore, disturbances of maternal digestive organs may hinder signal detection. Finally, fetus movements result in the displacement of the optimal sensing point and lead to the decrease of signal level.
An essential advantage of the acoustic method is that the passive manner of the sensing is harmless to the fetus even at very long monitoring time, which makes possible home care. The detection and processing of acoustic signals of fetal heart are dealt with by many researchers.
A fetal monitor is announced in U.S. Pat. No. 2,536,527 to Appel. The invention serves for monitoring fetal condition during delivery. A microphone applied to the stethoscope produces a signal which is amplified, filtered, rectified and used to indicate abnormally high or low FHRs.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,187,098 to Farrar describes a fetal heartbeat detector, which uses a cantilevered piezoelectric crystal mounted within a contacting slab. A fetal monitor is given in U.S. Pat. No. 3,409,737 to Settler et al. This monitor is used with a belt having three microphones. An amplifier is used to selectively amplify the fetal heartbeat and remove the maternal heartbeat.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,781,200 to Baker uses a sensor belt wearing twelve sensors, the detected signal of which are compared to cancel disturbances and trace fetal position. The signal processing is carried out by the conventional FFT method for 128 points applied in every 1/8 seconds, delivering the frequency spectra for selection of coincided components of the sensors. However, because of the relatively long time period of analysis the fast variations in spectral power density are averaged. Thus short time characteristics of frequency components cannot be correctly detected using this method. U.S. Pat. No. 5,140,992 to Zuckerwar et al. uses a belt wearing more piezoelectric polymer film sensors for fetal heartbeat indication.
All of this invention have the common insufficiency that they do not distinguish perfectly the first and second sound and thus they cannot apply this additional information to the identification of fetal heartbeat sound. In addition, a lot of computations are carried out in signal processing, which can be saved without the deterioration of the reliable sound identification. As a consequence, these instruments require high supply current and thus they are for battery operation unsuitable.
Reliable identification of fetal heartbeat is of vital importance at FHR measurement. Consequently, there is need for a solution that enables reliable identification of fetal heartbeats, does not require bulky hardware and allows battery operation even without medical supervision. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is an imaging technique used primarily in clinical settings to produce very clear, detailed pictures of internal organs and tissues. These pictures are much more detailed than those from other scanning techniques. MRI began as a tomographic imaging method which produced an image of only a thin slice of the human body; however, MRI has advanced beyond this to become a volume imaging technique. The quality of images obtained using MRI can be increased by the i.v. administration of a contrast agent prior to the MRI exam. Contrast agents allow particular organs or tissues to be visualized more clearly by increasing the signal level of the particular organ or tissue relative to that of its surroundings.
One important application of magnetic resonance imaging is the visualization of tumors. One approach to obtaining high quality tumor images involves the use of antibodies that bind to the tumor cell. In one variant of this technique, a non-radiolabeled antibody is administered and allowed to localize and clear from the circulation followed a low molecular weight radiolabeled agent with high affinity for the pretargeted antibody (Paganelli, G. et al., J. Nucl. Med. Comm. 12:211-234 (1991); Green, N M Biochem. J. 89:585-91 (1963); Hnatowich D J et al., J. Nucl. Med. 28:1294-1302 (1987)). Avidin, a cationic glycoprotein found in egg whites, has been used in tumor imaging in conjunction with biotin, a naturally occurring vitamin. Avidin has a very high affinity for biotin and is capable of binding four biotin molecules forming an avidin-biotin complex (Kd=10.sup.-15 M).
Two basic approaches for targeting tumors with the avidin-biotin system have been used in patients and animals. In the first method, avidin (or streptavidin)-conjugated antibodies are injected and days later when antibody-tumor binding is maximized, a radioactive biotin derivative is injected to localize the tumor. Unfortunately, incomplete clearance of unbound antibody from the blood can obscure visualization of the target site. In the second method, blood background is reduced by injecting biotinylated antibodies followed three days later by cold avidin. The resultant circulating biotinylated antibody-avidin complexes are sequestered from the blood by the liver. Radioactive biotin is then injected which binds to the antibody-biotin-avidin complexes already localized in the tumor. However, by employing “pretargetting” steps, both approaches for targeting tumors require that a subject be available to undergo multiple procedures over the course of a few days. A study by Morrel et al., reported uptake of In-111 labeled IgG and human serum albumin (HSA) in an E. coli infected rat model. The accumulation of both labeled proteins was found to be sufficient to produce clear images of the infection site (Morrel, E M et al., J. Nucl. Med. 30:1538-1545 (1989). In addition, the current biotin-avidin system suffers from slow target concentration and suboptimal target to non-target binding ratios which prevent acquisition of high-quality images owing to poor contrast and resolution. Therefore, a need exists for robust imaging agents that bind with high specificity to tumor tissue to produce high-quality images.
In addition to obtaining high quality images in order to better treat cancer and other diseases, the successful recovery from an illness generally requires treating the patient with a therapeutic drug. One particularly problematic aspect of administering a pharmaceutical compound is the delivery of the compound to the desired tissue in the patient. This can be especially true in the treatment of cancerous tissue by administration of a radionuclide. The radionuclide functions by releasing radiation which causes cells to die, hence, the radionuclide needs to be delivered quickly and specifically to the cancerous tissue to avoid harming healthy tissue. In response to this need, many strategies and materials have been developed to safely deliver a drug to diseased tissue. However, the need still exists to deliver pharmaceutical agents to diseased tissue with high selectivity. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Microelectromechanical system (MEMS) technologies have been used to produce various sorts of scanning devices, and particularly miniature scanning mirrors. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,952,781, whose disclosure is incorporated herein by reference, describes a method of scanning a light beam and a method of manufacturing a microelectromechanical system (MEMS), which can be incorporated in a scanning device. Other methods for fabrication of MEMS scanning devices are described in PCT International Publication WO 2014/064606, whose disclosure is incorporated herein by reference, as well.
MEMS technologies have also been used to produce arrays of scanning mirrors. For example, the Lamda scanner module, produced by the Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems IPMS (Dresden, Germany), is constructed based on a segmented MEMS scanner device consisting of identical scanning mirror elements. A single scanning mirror of the collimated transmit beam oscillates parallel to a segmented scanning mirror device of the receiver optics.
As another example, PCT International Publication WO 2013/140307, whose disclosure is incorporated herein by reference, describes a gimbaled scanning mirror array. As described in this publication, a scanning device includes a substrate, which is etched to define an array of two or more parallel micromirrors and a support surrounding the micromirrors. Respective spindles connect the micromirrors to the support, thereby defining respective parallel axes of rotation of the micromirrors relative to the support. One or more flexible coupling members are connected to the micromirrors so as to synchronize an oscillation of the micromirrors about the respective axes.
In a similar vein, Yang et al. describe a multi-mirror MEMS device in “Phase Synchronization of Micro-Mirror Arrays Using Elastic Linkages,” Sensors and Actuators A95 (2001), pages 55-60. This device is intended to replace a conventional large-area mirror, thus increasing the working frequency and inducing smaller vibration amplitude. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Dilute acid hydrolysis to remove hemicellulose from lignocellulosic materials is one of the most developed pretreatment techniques for lignocellulose and is currently favored (Hamelinck et al., 2005) because it results in fairly high yields of xylose (75% to 90%). Conditions that are typically used range from 0.5% to 1.5% sulfuric acid and temperatures above 160° C. The high temperatures used result in significant levels of thermal decomposition products that inhibit subsequent microbial fermentations (Lavarack et al., 2002). High temperature hydrolysis requires pressurized systems, steam generation, and corrosion resistant materials in reactor construction due to the more corrosive nature of acid at elevated temperatures.
Low temperature acid hydrolyses are of interest because they have the potential to overcome several of the above shortcomings (Tsao et al., 1987). It has been demonstrated that 90% of hemicellulose can be solubilized as oligomers in a few hours of acid treatment in the temperature range of 80° C. to 100° C. It has also been demonstrated that the sugars produced in low temperature acid hydrolysis are stable under those same conditions for at least 24 hours with no detectable degradation to furfural decomposition products. Finally, sulfuric acid typically used in pretreatments is not as corrosive at lower temperatures. The use of lower temperature acid pretreatments requires much longer reaction times to achieve acceptable levels of hydrolysis. Although 90% hemicellulose solubilization has been shown (Tsao, 1987), the bulk of the sugars are in the form of oligomers and are not in the monomeric form. The organisms currently favored in subsequent fermentation steps cannot utilize sugar oligomers (Garrote et al., 2001) and the oligomer-containing hydrolysates require further processing to monomers, usually as a second lower severity acid hydrolysis step (Garrote et al., 2001).
Other acidic pretreatment methods include autohydrolysis and hot water washing. In autohydrolysis, biomass is treated with steam at high temperatures (˜200° C.), which cleaves acetyl side chains associated with hemicellulose to produce acetic acid that functions as the acid catalyst in an acid hydrolysis. Because acetic acid is a much weaker acid than sulfuric acid, below 240° C. the hemicellulose is not completely hydrolyzed to sugar monomers and has high levels of oligomers (Garrote et al., 2001). In hot water washing, biomass is contacted with water (under pressure) at elevated temperatures 160° C. to 230° C. This process can effectively hydrolyze greater than 90% of the hemicellulose present and the solubilized hemicellulose is typically over 95% in the form of oligomers (Liu and Wyman, 2003). Following these pretreatments, it is often necessary to effect further depolymerization of the oligomeric hemicelluloses to monomer sugars, which can be accomplished using a variety of catalysts including, liquids, solids, vaporous acids and alkalis, and enzymes. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Technological innovation has changed many aspects of modern society. New functions and services are now readily available to many that, until recently, were affordable only to a few or were not available to anyone. Advancements in communication technologies are exemplary of advancements that have permitted the development of new functions and services that are widely deployed and used by many.
The network infrastructures of cellular, and other analogous, wireless communication systems have been developed and deployed, now to encompass significant portions of the populated areas of the world. The cellular communication systems are used by many through which to communicate.
Early-generation, cellular communication systems generally provided primarily for voice communication services and provided only limited data communication services. Newer-generation, cellular communication systems provide for data-intensive communication services in addition to voice communication services. Communication of large-sized data files pursuant to performance of data-intensive communication services is permitted in various new-generation, cellular communication systems.
Communications are typically performed in a cellular communication system, as well as in analogous communication system, through use of portable wireless devices. Wireless devices that are used to carry out, or otherwise participate in, a communication service, are often times of small dimensions and weights. When of the small dimensions and weight, the wireless device is easily carried by a user, therefore to be available for use by the user pursuant to performance of a communication service. When the wireless device is carried, or otherwise transported together with the user, the wireless device is therefore available for use to perform, or participate in, a communication service, when desired, whenever the user, together with the wireless device, is positioned within an area encompassed by the network infrastructure of the communication system.
In addition to radio transceiver circuitry, wireless devices often times include additional functionality to perform additional communication, and other, services. The wireless device forms a multi-functional device, having multiple functionalities when the device is configured to include the additional functionalities. An exemplary functionality sometimes provided to a wireless device is a media player functionality. That is to say, a wireless device is sometimes provided with functionality to play out media content in human perceptible form. Audio, video, and multimedia content, depending upon the capability of the media player functionality, is able to be played out at the wireless device. Media play out functionality is sometimes also implemented at a stand alone, or other, device. A so-called MP3 player is exemplary of a media play out functionality, capable of playing out MP3-formatted content.
When implemented at a wireless device, the communication capability of the wireless device permits media content to be downloaded to the wireless device pursuant to a media service or play out at the wireless device. Media servers, and other network entities, are accessible from which to request the download of content or otherwise to cause downloading of content to the wireless device for subsequent play out, such as pursuant to a streaming media service, at the device.
Operation of the media player functionality at the wireless, or other electronic, device is typically under the control of a user of the wireless device, i.e., a viewer of the media content. The user of the wireless device is sometimes able to choose from amongst a large number of different media files for content to be played out at the device. Sometimes the user has difficulty in selecting the content for the reason that a user interface is unable to display all of the content available for selection and subsequent play out due to the small dimensions permitted of a user interface of the device together with the large number of media files typically available for selection.
Improvements to the existing art and solution of the existing problems would therefore be beneficial.
It is in light of this background information that the significant improvements of the present disclosure have evolved. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor memory which is mounted on a semiconductor device formed on a semiconductor substrate and stores data obtained by arithmetic processing or the like.
(2) Description of the Related Art
With reference to the drawings, hereinafter, description will be given of a conventional semiconductor memory for storing data obtained by arithmetic processing or the like in a semiconductor device.
FIG. 12 is a block diagram showing a configuration of the semiconductor device on which the conventional semiconductor memory is mounted. As shown in FIG. 12, the semiconductor device 1 includes a functional block 2, the semiconductor memory (hereinafter, simply referred to as “memory”) 3 having a function of storing data, an analog-to-digital (hereinafter, abbreviated as “A/D”) converter 4, a logic circuit 5, and a pad 6.
Specifically, the semiconductor device 1 is configured by the functional block 2 and the memory 3. The functional block 2 is configured by the logic circuit 5 and the A/D converter 4. The logic circuit 5 is electrically connected to the A/D converter 4 and the memory 3. The pad 6 is connected to the A/D converter 4.
With reference to the drawings, next, description will be given of data correction sequences in the semiconductor device 1 configured as described above.
FIG. 13 shows data inversion sequences in the semiconductor device 1. FIG. 14 is a timing chart showing waveforms of signals received by the memory 3.
In a case where the logic circuit 5 recognizes a bit to be corrected in data stored in the memory 3, first, the logic circuit 5 transfers a read command to the memory 3 to acquire read data. Then, the logic circuit 5 prepares corrected appropriate data as write data based on the read data and information about an inverted bit. Next, the logic circuit 5 executes a write command based on the appropriate data to write the data to the memory 3. That is, conventionally, the data inversion sequences in the memory 3 include a read operation, a standby time and a write operation.
In a case where the aforementioned semiconductor device 1 is used for reading data from a storage medium such as an optical disc, and then storing the read data, occasionally, data different from intended data is stored in the memory 3 due to an influence of noise. In order to avoid an erroneous operation due to the aforementioned disadvantage, there is prepared a parity bit for error correction such as an ECC; thus, an inverted bit can be identified.
As described above, in the semiconductor device 1, the memory 3 (e.g., a DRAM) reads erroneous data therefrom in the read operation, and the logic circuit 5 inverts an erroneous bit to prepare appropriate data and writes back the appropriate data to the memory 3 in the write operation. Consequently, it takes much time to perform error correction on data.
Therefore, there arises a problem that data stored in the memory 3 cannot be subjected to error correction at a high speed. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a display device and, more particularly, to a structure of an active matrix type organic electroluminescent display.
2. Description of the Related Art
Active matrix driven organic electroluminescent displays (referred below to as AMOLED) is expected as flat panel displays of the next generation succeeding conventional liquid crystal displays.
Conventionally, a two-transistor structured circuit, as disclosed in JP-A-2000-163014 (first prior technique), comprising a drive thin-film transistor (referred below to as EL drive TFT) for feeding current to organic electroluminescent elements (referred below simply to as EL element), a holding capacitor connected to a gate electrode of the EL drive TFT for holding a picture signal voltage, and a switch thin-film transistor (referred below to as switch TFT) for feeding a picture signal voltage to the holding capacitor, has been known as a fundamental pixel circuit for a pixel drive circuit of AMOLED.
The two-transistor structured fundamental pixel circuit causes a significant problem that nonuniformity in a picture is caused by dispersion every pixel in a threshold voltage (Vth) and mobility (μ) of the EL drive TFT due to dispersion every location in the crystallizing property of a semiconductor thin film (for which a polycrystal silicon film is ordinarily used) constituting the EL drive TFT.
Since dispersion in threshold voltage and mobility results in dispersion in a drive current value of the EL element, emission intensity disperses to cause minute unevenness to be seen in representation.
Such unevenness in representation becomes particularly problematic when a drive current value is small to represent half tone.
Several measures have been devised in order to suppress that nonuniformity in representation, which is caused by such dispersion in the characteristics of an EL drive TFT.
For example, JP-A-11-219133 discloses a method, in which dispersion in a drive current value is suppressed by making channel length and channel width of an EL drive TFT fairly greater than an average crystal particle size of polycrystal silicon constituting the EL drive TFT (referred below to as second prior technique).
Also, JP-A-2000-3305027 discloses a drive method by a so-called pulse-width modulation, in which an EL drive TFT is driven as a binary switch for effecting a complete OFF state or a complete ON state and tone of a picture is represented by changing a duration of emission (referred below to as third prior technique).
Also, JP-A-11-73158 discloses an area tone system, in which a plurality of EL elements having different luminescent areas are provided in a unit pixel, and an EL drive TFT is connected to each of the plurality of EL elements and driven as a binary switch for effecting a complete OFF state or a complete ON state, whereby tone is represented by changing luminescent areas (referred below to as fourth prior technique).
Also, U.S. Pat. No. 6,229,506B1 discloses a method, in which four TFTs are provided in a pixel to constitute a circuit for cancelling dispersion in a threshold voltage of an EL drive TFT whereby dispersion in drive current is decreased (referred below to as fifth prior technique).
Also, JP-A-8-129359 discloses a method, in which a plurality of EL drive TFTs having different current drive capacities conformed to a plurality of tone currents are connected in parallel to one EL element within each pixel and driven as binary switches for effecting a complete OFF state or a complete ON state, whereby tone representation is controlled by tone currents supplied from the plurality of EL drive TFTs (referred below to as sixth prior technique).
Also, JP-A-2000-221903 discloses a method, in which two EL drive TFTs are provided in a pixel to decrease dispersion in threshold voltages in the EL drive TFTs, thereby reducing dispersion in drive current (referred below to as seventh prior technique).
However, the prior techniques described above involve the following problems.
The second prior technique is directed to averaging dispersion every location in the crystallizing property of the polycrystal silicon by increasing TFT size.
However, even when TFT size is increased, it cannot be made greater than pixel pitch.
Accordingly, since a size of an EL drive TFT for driving an EL element, which constitutes each pixel, is limited within an area of a pixel, and the crystallizing property of a polycrystal silicon film disperses every location, it is not possible to compensate for dispersion between the characteristics of an EL drive TFT in a particular pixel and the characteristics of an EL drive TFT in a pixel adjacent the particular pixel.
It is to be noted that what can be averaged by increasing a TFT size is only dispersion in crystals sized within the TFT size.
Accordingly, it is difficult in the second prior technique to obtain a fairly uniform property of representation.
For the effect of averaging picture representation with the third prior technique, the pulse-width modulation driving is one of valid methods as an AMOLED driving method as having already been proved.
However, known as an essential problem in this driving method is bleeding in a picture generated when animation called pseudo-profile is represented because tone representation is made by luminescence pulse, which is developed on time base.
Also, because of a need for processing a short signal pulse conformed to digital tone, there is caused a problem that the drive circuit is increased in operation frequency and power consumption.
Also, there is also caused a problem that a vertical scanning circuit, which may ordinarily be a simple circuit, becomes complex and a circuit area is increased.
The fourth prior technique is much effective in uniformizing picture representation, but multitone is difficult since it is necessary to form in a unit pixel EL elements having areas conformed to digital tone and to form EL drive TFTs corresponding to the respective EL elements.
Also, it has been known that EL elements are ordinarily decreased in luminescent areas together with operation duration.
In the case of using EL elements having different luminescent areas, deterioration is caused with time beginning with an EL element, which has a small area corresponding to a low-tone bit, thus causing also a problem that normal tone becomes difficult with time.
With the fifth prior technique, the provision of a circuit for canceling dispersion in threshold voltage of an EL drive TFT necessitates a wiring, which is not necessary in a conventional two-transistor configuration, so that a decrease in numerical aperture and yield in manufacture causes a problem.
Also, what can be cancelled is only dispersion in threshold voltage, and dispersion in mobility remains intact. Therefore, there is caused a problem that no fairly uniformizing effect is obtained on drive current.
With the sixth prior technique, a plurality of EL drive TFTs having current drive capacities conformed to digital tone are connected in parallel.
However, it is apparent that normal tone representation is made difficult when the plurality of EL drive TFTs disperse in characteristics.
Also, since the plurality of EL drive TFTs are formed in a single pixel in this method, the technique is in no way effective in decreasing dispersion in representation among a plurality of pixels.
With the seventh prior technique, dispersion in drive current can be decreased in the case where one of two EL drive TFTs connected in parallel is varied in characteristics, but dispersion in drive current cannot be decreased in the case where both the two EL drive TFTs are varied in characteristics, and besides the two EL drive TFTs are formed in a single pixel, so that the technique is in no way effective in decreasing dispersion in representation among a plurality of pixels. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the wire bonding technology in general. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for electrically connecting between two different portions of a workpiece (e.g. a leadframe or printed circuit board to which electronic components are mounted) by a solder wire.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In electronic circuits or components, it is usually necessary to electrically connect between two different portions of a workpiece. For instance, a lead of a semiconductor chip device need be electrically connected to a relevant bonding pad of the chip body through a metal wire.
In wire bonding, generally, a gold or aluminum wire is melted at both ends to form balls which are subsequently utilized for strong attachment to two different portions of a workpiece. Such a wire bonding method, which is called "ball bonding", is possible because either gold or aluminum has a high melting point and is reluctantly oxidized.
If the melting point of a metal wire is low, it is difficult to control ball formation (with respect to the ball diameter for example) at the time of thermally cutting a material metal wire by a gas torch (burning with hydrogen gas for example). Further, if the metal wire is easily oxidized at the time of ball formation, the metal wire fails to provide a sufficiently strong and reliable connection to the workpiece.
On the other hand, it has been recently proposed to use a solder wire for wire bonding in place of a gold or aluminum wire, because solder is known to be less costly than either gold or aluminum. Further, a solder wire is also advantageous in that it can be made to have an additional function as a temperature fuse (or as a combined temperature/overcurrent fuse) since the melting point of solder is relatively low.
However, the low melting point of solder makes it difficult to control ball formation at both ends of a solder wire. Further, solder is known to be oxidized very easily at the time of melting. Thus, it has been believed impractical to applying the ball bonding method to the solder wire.
In a wire bonding method using a solder wire, therefore, two different methods are conventionally used for bonding the solder wire. A first method is the soldering method wherein a separate bonding solder layer is formed between each end of the solder wire and a relevant portion of a workpiece. A second method is the so-called "wedge bonding" method wherein each end of the solder wire is compressed by a bonding tool for flattening at the time of bonding to the workpiece.
However, the soldering method requires the use of solder in addition to the solder wire itself to result in a material waste. More importantly, the wire bonding process cannot be performed quickly and efficiently by the soldering method. Further, the soldering method cannot be applied when the interval between the bonding points is narrow.
On the other hand, the wedge bonding method has no problem of material waste and is applicable even when the interval between the bonding points is narrow. However, compared with the ball bonding method, there is a greater limitation in increasing the bonding area by flattening the wire end, so that it is difficult to obtain a sufficient bonding strength. Further, the flattened end portion of the wire is rather thin and easy to break, resulting in a quality deterioration of the products. | {
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This invention relates generally to suspension mechanism for supporting a device, such as a magnetic head, capable of reading and or writing data to or from a data storage medium. More particularly, the invention relates to an improved gimbal suspension for reducing vibration experienced by a disk head slider.
Data storage devices employing one or more rotating disks with one or more surfaces on each disk useable for storing digital data are well known. Such data storage devices are often referred to as disk drives. Disk drives provide a relatively low cost means for randomly storing and accessing data. Typically, each data storage surface is divided into a number of concentric circular data tracks. Each data track is typically further divided into a number of data track locations or sectors capable of storing information. Generally, data is written or accessed by positioning a read/write magnetic head held by a head suspension for supporting the head over a selected data track while the disk is rotating. The read/write head can then read or write data to or from track sectors located on that data track. The read/write head is typically biased against the surface of the disk such that, as the disk rotates, the read/write head xe2x80x9cfliesxe2x80x9d on an air bearing above the disk.
A typical suspension system in a hard disk drive includes a voice coil motor configured for rotating an actuator arm over a desired location on the disk by rotating the actuator arm around an axis on a support spindle. A head suspension or load beam is coupled to the end of the actuator arm, and frequently, a flexure that carries the read/write head is coupled to the end of the load beam. This type of suspension may be used in both magnetic and non-magnetic data storage devices.
As efforts to increase track density continue, the radial spacing between concentric data tracks on the disks decreases. As the track density increases, it is increasingly difficult for known motor servo systems to quickly and precisely position the read/write head over a desired data track. This problem is complicated by the increased susceptibility of such drives to sources of read/write errors. For example, errors can arise from mechanical vibration of the read/write head. Undesirable levels of vibration may cause read/write errors, and may also delay the transfer of data because the data cannot be confidently transferred until the amplitude of vibration has substantially decayed.
What is needed is an improved gimbal suspension mechanism for supporting a head capable of reading and or writing data to or from a data storage medium that reduces undesirable vibration of the head, thereby potentially reducing wear loss of the disk and head, and potentially decreasing seek times.
Accordingly, the current invention is a head suspension assembly comprising a vibration dampening coupling between a protrusion on a support, and a support plate to which a slider is preferably rigidly coupled. In a preferred embodiment, the slider support plate is coupled to and supported by a flexure configured to allow the slider support plate to gimbal within desired parameters. The flexure is configured and positioned so that the slider support plate coupled to the flexure tends to exert pressure against the protrusion on the support structure. The vibration damping coupling between the protrusion on the support structure and the slider support plate preferably comprises a vibration dampening material selected for a low static modulus, which reduces mechanical vibration by absorbing kinetic energy and releasing the energy as heat. The gimbaling function of the suspension is not significantly effected by the damping material because the damping effect tends to be significant primarily when there is an undesirable relative velocity or movement with respect to time between the protrusion on the support structure and the slider support plate. The support structure is preferably a load beam, or a structure coupled to a load beam. The load beam preferably has a top surface, and a bottom surface, and a distal end with the protrusion extending from a top surface or a bottom surface of the load beam. The protrusion on the top surface or on the bottom surface of the load beam is preferably defined by a corresponding depression on the opposite surface of the load beam. The vibration dampening material is preferably a visco-elastic material, more preferably formed into a sheet of any desired shape. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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This invention relates to buried bit line memory circuitry, to methods of forming buried bit line memory circuitry, and to semiconductor processing methods of forming conductive lines.
Semiconductor circuitry fabrication is ever attempting to make denser and smaller circuit components. One type of circuitry where this is occurring is in the design and fabrication of memory circuitry, for example in buried bit line memory circuitry. One type of memory circuitry employing buried bit line architecture is dynamic random access memory (DRAM). Such circuitry typically includes a series of bit lines and word lines wherein at least a majority portion of the capacitors are formed elevationally above or outwardly of the bit lines.
A parasitic capacitance between buried digit lines becomes increasingly problematic as circuitry density becomes greater and circuitry components become smaller. Accordingly, alternate designs and materials are being considered for fabrication of the digit lines in highly dense circuitry fabrication, for example at and below 0.18 micron digit line width.
The invention was motivated from a desire to improve fabrication methods and constructions associated with buried bit line circuitry, and particularly buried bit line DRAM circuitry. However, the artisan will appreciate applicability of the invention to other circuitry fabrication methods and structures, with the invention only being limited by the accompanying claims appropriately interpreted in accordance with the doctrine of equivalents.
The invention includes buried bit line memory circuitry, methods of forming buried bit line memory circuitry, and semiconductor processing methods of forming conductive lines. In but one implementation, a semiconductor processing method of forming a conductive line includes forming a silicon comprising region over a substrate. A TiNx comprising layer is deposited over the silicon comprising region, where xe2x80x9cxxe2x80x9d is greater than 0 and less than 1. The TiNx comprising layer is annealed in a nitrogen containing atmosphere effective to transform at least an outermost portion of the TiNx layer over the silicon comprising region to TiN. After the annealing, an elemental tungsten comprising layer is deposited on the TiN and at least the elemental tungsten comprising layer, the TiN, and any remaining TiNx layer is patterned into conductive line. In one implementation, a method such as the above is utilized in the fabrication of buried bit line memory circuitry. In one implementation, the invention comprises buried bit line memory circuitry fabricated by the above and other methods. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Platelet Activating Factor (PAF), 1-0-hexadecyl//octadecyl-2-acetyl-sn-glyceryl-3-phosphorylcholine, is an ether lipid produced by a variety of different cell types. Recent studies [Snyder, F., Ann. Rep. Med. Chem., 17, 243 (1982); Pinckard, R. N., et. al., J. Adv. Inflammation Res., 4, 147 (1982); O'Flaherty, J. T., et. al., Clin. Rev. Allergy, 1, 353 (1983); Vargaftig, B. B., et. al., J. Trends. Pharmacol. Sci., 4, 341(1983)] have shown PAF to be an important mediator of allergic disease. Included among the physiological processes in which PAF is implicated are aggregation of platelets, inflammation, smooth muscle contraction, pain and edema. PAF is implicated in asthma, respiratory distress syndrome, lung edema and other inflammatory and cardiovascular diseases.
The compounds of the present invention have proven to be specific inhibitors of the biological effects of PAF and are consequently useful for the treatment of asthma, anaphylactic and septic shock, psoriasis, bowel necrosis, adult respiratory distress syndrome, transplant rejection, thrombosis, stroke, cardiac anaphylaxis and cancer. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Invasive surgical procedures are essential for addressing various medical conditions. When possible, minimally invasive procedures such as laparoscopy are preferred.
However, known minimally invasive technologies such as laparoscopy are limited in scope and complexity due in part to 1) mobility restrictions resulting from using rigid tools inserted through access ports, and 2) limited visual feedback. Known robotic systems such as the da Vinci® Surgical System (available from Intuitive Surgical, Inc., located in Sunnyvale, Calif.) are also restricted by the access ports, as well as having the additional disadvantages of being very large, very expensive, unavailable in most hospitals, and having limited sensory and mobility capabilities.
There is a need in the art for improved surgical methods, systems, and devices. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Fluid-jet printing devices eject printing fluid drops such as ink drops onto a print medium, such as paper. The ink drops bond with the paper to produce visual representations of text, images or other graphical content on the paper. In order to produce the details of the printed content, nozzles in a print head accurately and selectively release multiple ink drops as the relative positioning between the print head and printing medium is precisely controlled. Fluid-jet printing technologies include thermal and piezoelectric inkjet technologies. Thermal inkjet printheads eject fluid drops from a nozzle by passing electrical current through a heating element to generate heat and vaporize a small portion of the fluid within a firing chamber. Piezoelectric inkjet printheads use a piezoelectric material actuator to generate pressure pulses that force ink drops out of a nozzle.
Throughout the drawings, identical reference numbers designate similar, but not necessarily identical, elements. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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An increase in both conventional and unconventional oil and gas exploration has created a necessity for technologies that promote water reuse. Produced water reuse poses numerous challenges that include treatments for iron sulfide, hydrogen sulfide and microbial reduction among others.
Peracid use in the oil and gas industry is gaining wide acceptance because of the versatility, environmental profile and selectiveness of the chemistry. The most commonly used peracid formulation contains peracetic acid (CH3COOOH) and hydrogen peroxide in equilibrium. However one of the caveats of any peracetic acid, hydrogen peroxide formulation is the formation of oxygen in the treatment vessel. Oxygen production increases the risk of corrosion significantly. Therefore, the use of such formulations has been limited to onshore as well as open systems. Thus there is a need to seek alternative ways to treat the water in oil and gas industry that has the same or better performance as peracetic acid systems, but reduce or minimize oxygen related corrosion issues. The present disclosure addresses this and the related needs using, inter alia, performic acid. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The present invention relates, in general, to variable gain amplifiers and, in particular, to an amplifier in which the gain is varied by varying the input impedance.
Variable gain is required in a radio frequency amplifier. This variable gain usually is made up of a combination of continuous gain (i.e., analog variable) or discrete gain (i.e., digitally variable).
Continuously variable gain, as in an analog variable gain circuit, is typically used to achieve instantaneous dynamic range or to compensate for temperature variations. Discretely variable gain, on the other hand, is typically used to compensate for process variations by adjusting the gain of the radio frequency transmitter at the factory. The capability to adjust the gain of the radio frequency transmitter in discrete steps is used to compensate for not only the process variations in the transmit chip but also any off chip components, such as filters and power amplifiers.
Conventional methods of achieving discrete gain variation involve using a switch and resistor arrangement as in a step attenuator. The drawbacks of a conventional step attenuator are noise and power dissipation.
It is an objective of the present invention to provide a new an improved variable gain amplifier.
It is another objective of the present invention to provide a variable gain amplifier having an improved dynamic range.
It is a further objective of the present invention to provide a variable gain amplifier in which linearity is maintained over the dynamic range.
It is yet another objective of the present invention to provide a variable gain amplifier in which the output match remains constant over the dynamic range to maintain monotonicity, namely the gain is either continuously increasing or decreasing versus a continuously increasing or decreasing control.
An amplifier having a variable gain and a fixed input impedance, constructed in accordance with the present invention, includes a transistor having a base, a collector and an emitter and an inductor coupled to the emitter of the transistor. This amplifier also has a first plurality of reactance/switch pairs connected in parallel with the inductor and a second plurality of reactance/switch pairs connected in parallel between the collector and the base of the transistor. An amplifier having a variable gain and a fixed input impedance, constructed in accordance with the present invention, further includes means for closing a selected switch of the first plurality of reactance/switch pairs to change the gain of the amplifier and a selected switch of the second plurality of reactance/switch pairs to maintain the input impedance of the amplifier fixed.
A differential amplifier having a variable gain and a fixed input impedance, constructed in accordance with the present invention, includes a first transistor having a base, a collector and an emitter, a second transistor having a base, a collector and an emitter; a first inductor coupled to the emitter of the first transistor; and a second inductor coupled to the emitter of the second transistor This differential amplifier also includes a first plurality of reactance/switch pairs connected in series with the first inductor with the series connections of the first inductor and the first plurality of reactance/switch pairs connected in parallel with the second inductor and with the second inductor with the series connections of the second inductor and the first plurality of reactance/switch pairs connected in parallel with the first inductor. A differential amplifier having a variable gain and a fixed input impedance, constructed in accordance with the present invention, further includes a second plurality of reactance/switch pairs connected in parallel between the collector and the base of the first transistor and a third plurality of reactance/switch pairs connected in parallel between the collector and the base of the second transistor. This differential amplifier also includes means for closing a selected switch of the first plurality of reactance/switch pairs to change the gain of the differential amplifier and a selected switch of the second plurality of reactance/switch pairs and a selected switch of the third plurality of reactance/switch pairs to maintain the input impedance of the differential amplifier fixed. | {
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Despite the wide availability of dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) results on polymers and composites, such data have rarely been applied to design of structures and components because the frequency-domain results obtained through this method are not directly applicable to most engineering problems. For thermosets, DMA is principally used to find maximum use and glass transition temperatures (Tg), which can determine the suitability of the material for application in a particular environment. However, for thermoplastics which are used above Tg, such as high density polyethylene (HDPE), and whose mechanical response is highly time-dependent (e.g., having an elastic modulus showing a change within quasi-static deformation rates of 0.0001-0.1/s), only having transition temperature information is not enough.
Measurement of properties at widely varying strain rates is often complicated by the limited speed ranges attainable within one testing setup or by a particular method. In addition, very low strain rate tests are time consuming and expensive to conduct, making it difficult to test multiple material samples at multiple strain rates and temperatures to develop a comprehensive understanding of mechanical properties of the material. Augmenting these present limitations, it is also noted that the correlation between results obtained from tensile or compressive tests with DMA results have not been established to develop a comprehensive understanding of the time and temperature dependent behavior of materials.
DMA provides storage modulus E′ and loss modulus E″ data. However, these two parameters are not usually parameters in engineering design. Instead, most engineering designs utilize Young's modulus (also known as the elastic modulus). Young's modulus is a measure of elasticity equal to the ratio of the stress acting on a material to the strain produced. In order to determine the Young's modulus, tensile and compression tests are conducted at very slow deformation rates (10−6 to 10 s−1) using universal test machines. Tensile and compression tests are conducted at high strain rates (500 to 5000 s−1) using split-Hopkinson pressure bar. Although Young's modulus can be calculated by this method at a high strain rate, the measurements are often not very reliable and the method is complicated. In addition, tensile and compression tests are done at various temperatures to obtain a full data set that describes material behavior over a wide range of strain rates and temperatures. High and low temperature split-Hopkinson pressure bar experiments are very complicated because temperature dependent correction factors are required for the wave speed and modulus of the bar material used in equipment, among other additional parameters needed to conduct calculations. Much of this information is not readily available in literature and needs additional experimentation. Measurement of properties at widely varying strain rates is often complicated by the limited speed ranges attainable within one testing setup or by a particular method. In addition, very low strain rate tests are time consuming and expensive to conduct, making it difficult to test multiple material samples at multiple strain rates and temperatures to develop a comprehensive understanding of mechanical properties of the material. Augmenting these present limitations, it is also noted that the correlation between results obtained from tensile or compressive tests with DMA results have not been established to develop a comprehensive understanding of the time and temperature dependent behavior of materials.
DMA is considered the most sensitive method to locate thermal transitions including those in crystallization and resin curing. When combined with other spectroscopy methods, information from DMA can reveal activation of different modes of motion of the polymer chains. DMA is also used to gain information on temperature sensitivity of the behavior of polymer blends, pharmaceutical and biomedical materials, and micro- and nano-composites. DMA data provides storage modulus E′, loss modulus E″, damping parameter tan δ, and glass transition temperatures Tg. However, the relation of the storage modulus E′ and the loss modulus E″ to Young's modulus (elastic modulus) at different strain rates has not been developed, which has been a major limitation in using DMA results in mechanical design.
A need exists for improved technology for transforming frequency-domain DMA data into a time-domain representation which can yield more readily useful information about the material behavior. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a circuit arrangement for the energy-saving operation of a fluorescent tube. The invention comprises two connections each at both end caps, is electrically of mechanically accommodated in brackets via the connections, and is connectable with an alternating current supply by interconnecting a reactance coil and a starter.
Such a fluorescent tube generally consists of a tubular discharge vessel made of glass, into the end caps of which thermionic cathodes are melted. The discharge vessel is generally evacuated and filled with argon and mercury. At both end caps, the thermionic cathodes are routed to the outside as two connections each. Such a fluorescent tube is then electrically and mechanically accommodated in brackets via these connections. The operation of such a fluorescent tube is mostly effected at an alternating current supply, with a reactance coil and a glow discharge igniter, simply referred to as starter, being required for striking the gas discharge. However, the reactance coil and the starter imply an additional energy consumption or a reduction of the efficiency, respectively. Due to the fact that such a fluorescent tube is a comparatively economical and reliable light source, an efficiency in the order of only 0.5 is accepted.
2. Description of Related Art
It is known to use an electronic ballastxe2x80x94(elektronisches Vorschaltgerat) briefly referred to as EVGxe2x80x94for the energy-saving operation of a fluorescent tube. For this purpose, the EVG is connected between the alternating current supply and the connections of the fluorescent tube, with the reactance coil and the starter being replaced. From a circuit engineering point of view, the EVG thus represents a six-terminal network. By means of the EVG an efficiency in the order of nearly 1 can be achieved.
A great disadvantage is that electrical appliances, such as e.g. lamps, in which conventionally operated fluorescent tubes are employed can only be retrofitted to an energy-saving operation with EVG under extremely high efforts and expenditures. This is because a retrofit would mean time and labour-intensive installation costs apart from the procurement cost of the EGV, because in addition to the reactance coil and the starter the entire cabling would have to be replaced.
The invention is therefore based on the object to develop a circuit arrangement which renders itself for retrofitting the initially mentioned fluorescent tube in a simple manner for the energy-saving operation.
The solution of this object is effected by a circuit arrangement for the energy-saving operation of a fluorescent tube, which comprises two connections each at both end caps, is electrically and mechanically accommodated in brackets via the connections, and is connectable with an alternating current supply by interconnecting a reactance coil and a starter, characterised in that the circuit arrangement is a quadripole which transforms the current fed to its input terminals from the alternating current supply into a high frequency current which is output and its output terminal, whose input terminals form a series connection with the two connections at the one end cap and the reactance coil, the series connection being connected in parallel to the alternating current supply, and whose output terminals are electrically connected with the two connections at the other end cap. According to the same, the inventive circuit arrangement constitutes a quadripole which can be connected with the existing cabling in a simple manner after the opening of two lines. When connecting the inventive circuit arrangement all that has to be done is to make sure that the input terminals of the quadripole form a series connection with the two connections at the one end cap and with the reactance coil, the series connection being connected in parallel to the alternating current supply, and that the output terminals of the quadripole are connected electrically with the two connections at the other end cap. In other respects, interchanging of individual connections or terminals, respectively, proves to be uncritical because of the alternating current operation. Likewise, the series connection comprising the input terminals of the quadripole, the two connections at the one end cap, and the reactance coil which is connected in parallel to the alternating current supply can have any order. Insofar, the connection of the inventive circuit arrangement can principally be performed by anybody. Furthermore, the already existing coil will be retained upon a connection, because it assumes the function of a pre-filter for the inventive circuit arrangement, so that the construction of the inventive circuit arrangement requires only a small installation space and can be implemented economically.
Depending on which site the line into which the starter is connected is opened upon connection the starter is located either to the input or the output side of the inventive circuitry. In order to ensure a current flow for the proper function of the circuit arrangement the starter is bridged. For this purpose it is simply replaced with a short-circuited design in its existing bracket. In the case in which the starter is located on the input side of the inventive circuit arrangement it can advantageously be replaced with an electric fuse which can be inserted into the existing bracket and additionally protects the inventive circuit arrangement against overload.
The inventive circuit arrangement can be retrofitted in a particularly advantageous manner if it is integrated in the fluorescent tube or in one of the end caps of the fluorescent tube, respectively. In this case, only the fluorescent tube has to be replaced so that any intervention into the existing cabling is omitted. A further alternative can be that the inventive circuit arrangement is integrated in one of the brackets accommodating the fluorescent tube. With this alternative, retrofitting merely requires the replacement of the bracket(s).
The invention also relates to an device for the connection of an inventive circuit arrangement with an initially mentioned fluorescent tube. This inventive device is defined by the features of the characterising clause of claim 12.
By means of the inventive circuit arrangement it is already possible to retrofit an initially mentioned fluorescent tube for the energy-saving operation in a simple manner. Now, the inventive device for the connection of an inventive circuit arrangement enables retrofitting in a particularly advantageous manner, which neither requires an intervention in the existing cabling of the fluorescent tube nor a replacement of the fluorescent tube or its accommodating bracket(s).
For this purpose, the inventive device, on the one hand, comprises two contact receptacles which electrically accommodate the two connections of one of the end caps. On the other hand, the inventive device comprises two connections which are electrically accommodated in one of the brackets. The connections and the contact receptacles of the inventive device are electrically insulated against each other, with the connections of the inventive device being electrically connected with the input terminals, and the contact receptacles of the inventive device being connected with the output terminals of the inventive circuit arrangement. Due to the fact that the contact receptacles and the connections are arranged coaxially to one another the inventive device is of such a narrow installation size that it fits between an end cap of the fluorescent tube and the associated bracket.
The great advantage therefore is that retrofitting of the inventive circuit arrangement by means of the inventive device can be carried out in a manner as simple as the replacement of the fluorescent tube. For this purpose, the existing fluorescent tube is removed from its brackets, then the inventive device is plugged onto the connections at one end cap, and subsequently the fluorescent tube together with the inventive device is re-inserted between the brackets.
The inventive circuit arrangement itself can be arranged remotely from the inventive device, depending on the installation conditions of the electrical appliance in which the fluorescent tube is arranged, while the electrical connection between the inventive device and the inventive circuit arrangement can be made in a flexible manner via an electric cable. Due to the fact that the inventive circuit arrangement is a quadripole, a four-wire cable is preferably used. Both the inventive device and the inventive circuit arrangement can be arranged in respective housings which are optionally provided with electrical connecting contacts for a simple connection by means of the cable.
In a particularly preferred manner, however, the inventive circuit arrangement is arranged in the housing of the inventive device or in a common housing, respectively. In the ideal case, the housing of the inventive device comprises an extension extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of the fluorescent tube, which accommodates the inventive circuit arrangement. In this manner, the inventive circuit arrangement and device can be retrofitted in a particularly simple way and without interfering with the constructional conditions.
As an essential for the invention the cost advantage should be mentioned which results from the fact that both standardised fluorescent tubes can remain in service and the standardised distance between the brackets accommodating the fluorescent tube can be retained.
Due to the advantages which can be achieved with the invention with respect to energy saving and simple retrofittability, the inventive circuit arrangement and device are suitable in a special manner for the use in electrical appliances in which one or several fluorescent tubes are operated, such as e.g. lamps, solar booth lamps or the like.
The invention and further advantageous features thereof will be explained in more detail in the following with reference to the drawing in which: | {
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Conventional edge-emitting laser diodes are well known. In these diodes, laser radiation is emitted in a plane that is a continuation of the plane of the p-n junction that forms the diode. Different types of these diodes are widely used to provide laser radiation in the infrared and visible regions. While these diodes have enjoyed considerable commercial success, they are relatively large and, as a result, are difficult to integrate with other devices.
Recently, a new class of semiconductor lasers known as a vertical cavity surface emitting laser has been developed. Unlike the edge-emitting laser, these vertical cavity lasers emit laser radiation in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the p-n junction formed in the laser diode. Considerable information concerning the structure and formation of such laser diodes is set forth, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,949,350; in J. Jewell et al., "Microlasers, " Scientific American. Vol. 265, No. 5, pp. 86-94 November 1991); in J. Jewell et al., "Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Lasers: Design, Growth, Fabrication, Characterization, " IEEE Journal of Quantum Electronics, Vol. 27, No. 6, pp. 1332-1346 (June 1991); in G. R. Olbright et al., "Cascadable Laser Logic Devices: Discrete Integration of Phototransistors with Surface-Emitting Laser Diodes," Electronics Letters, Vol. 27, No. 3, pp. 216-217 (Jan. 31, 1991); in J. Jewell et al., "Low-threshold Electrically-Pumped Vertical-Cavity Surface Emitting Lasers," Electronics, Lett., Vol. 25, p. 1123 (1989); and in J. Jewell et al., "Vertical Cavity Lasers for Optical Interconnects," SPIE Vol. 1389 International Conference on Advances in Interconnection and Packaging, pp. 401- 407 (1990), all of which are incorporated herein by reference.
As set forth in certain of the above-referenced publications, vertical cavity lasers have numerous advantages over edge-emitting lasers, some of the most important of which are that they can be fabricated in extremely small sizes (e.g., on the order of one micrometer in diameter) and can be integrated with other devices such as transistors. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The present invention relates to semiconductor design technology, and more particularly, to a power supply controller of a cell array block in a semiconductor memory device.
In general, an operational mode of a semiconductor memory device such as a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) or the like is divided into two modes, of which one is an active mode and the other is a stand-by mode. When the semiconductor memory device is in the active mode, circuits in a chip operate to output requested data to the outside or to receive required data thereinto. Meanwhile, when the semiconductor memory device is in the stand-by mode, all current paths of circuits are cut off to minimize power consumption in the chip except for minimum number of circuits that are enabled to enter the active mode.
However, when the semiconductor memory device keeps in the stand-by mode for a long time, the circuits, which are enabled to enter the active mode, consume unnecessary current continuously. In particular, off leakage current mainly accounts for such an unnecessary current consumption in a transistor that uses a boosted voltage VPP with high voltage level as a bias voltage.
In addition, a transistor using the boosted voltage VPP, which is applied to an unselected cell array block in a bank even during the active mode, as the bias voltage also generates the large amount of off leakage current undesirably as similar to the above. Herein, the cell array block is selected by a cell array select signal generated corresponding to a column address. Since the boosted voltage VPP has a high voltage level, high electric field is applied across a source and a drain of a transistor, which causes the large amount of off leakage current to be generated. Furthermore, this phenomenon of the off leakage current also occurs during a self-refresh mode including a stand-by mode.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a conventional cell array block.
Referring to FIG. 1, the conventional cell array block includes a plurality of matrix blocks 11 having a plurality of memory cells, a plurality of sub hall regions 10, and a plurality of X-decoders 12. The sub hall region 10 is provided with a main word line driver, a bit line sense amplifier (BLSA) driver, and a bit line isolation transistor.
The boosted voltage VPP is applied to the matrix blocks 11, the sub hall regions 10, and the X-decoders 12, respectively. Also, the boosted voltage VPP is used as a substrate bias voltage VBB.
Here, a supply mechanism of the boosted voltage VPP will be described below by using, for example, a generator for generating bit line isolation transistor (BLIT) control signals BISHB/BISH (hereinafter, referred to as ‘BLIT control signal generator’ for simplicity) which is provided in the sub hall region 10. Although this boosted voltage supply mechanism is also applied to transistors (drivers) using the boosted voltage VPP as well as the BLIT control signal generator, following illustration focuses on the BLIT control signal generator for convenience of description.
FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram of the BLIT control signal generator.
Referring to FIG. 2, the BLIT control signal generator has an inverter structure provided with a PMOS transistor P1 and an NMOS transistor N1.
When an input signal of a bit line isolation bar signal BISHB is at a logic low level, the PMOS transistor P1 is turned on to output a bit line isolation signal BISH by the boosted voltage VPP. The boosted voltage VPP is also applied as the substrate bias voltage.
This is the same in both the active mode and the stand-by mode. In these modes, high electric field is applied across the source and the drain of the PMOS transistor P1, causing the large amount of off leakage current to be generated.
That is, great amount of off leakage current is generated because the boosted voltage with high voltage level is applied to a cell array block which is not selected by a cell array block select signal during the active mode or the stand-by mode. As described above, the cell array block select signal is generated by a column address signal, and selects some of the plurality of cell array blocks.
Therefore, it is required a control circuit that can apply a voltage having a voltage level lower than that of the boosted voltage VPP to only the cell array block that is not selected by the cell array block select signal. Here, it is noticed that an extremely low voltage cannot be used as the voltage to be applied to the unselected cell array block because the extremely low voltage must be raised to a level of the boosted voltage VPP when a corresponding cell array block is selected. That is, a response time must be delayed when using the voltage extremely lower than the boosted voltage VPP. Thus, the voltage to be applied to the unselected cell array block must have a predetermined voltage level in consideration of both the off leakage current and the response time. | {
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This invention relates generally to implantable bioprosthetic devices, and more particularly is directed to implantable products to repair or replace the valves of the heart.
Prosthetic heart valves are used to replace diseased natural heart valves. Several categories of prosthetic heart valves are in existence. In prosthetic heart valves, one or more leaflets or occluders are carried within an annulus of the prosthesis and act as a valve to blood flow. The leaflet may be of a biological material or a synthetic material for bioprosthetics or, in a mechanical prosthesis, may be of a biocompatible material such as pyrolytic carbon.
One type of bioprosthetic heart valve is a stentless aortic tissue valve. Such tissue valves include a root version and a sub-coronary version. The root version includes an aortic root which is used to replace a diseased aortic root of a patient. However, in instances where the natural aortic root (or aortic arch) is healthy, the sub-coronary version may be used and the native root can be left intact.
In many instances, the surgeon will excise (or xe2x80x9csculptxe2x80x9d) portions of the sinus areas of the prosthetic aortic root of the root version stentless aortic tissue valve to form a sub-coronary prosthesis. Often, this procedure must be done during surgery when operative time is limited. It is difficult to accurately sculpt the sinus areas and avoid damage to the leaflets due to lack of visibility of the inside of the heart valve. Currently, stentless aortic roots have been provided which include markings to aid in modifying the device from a full root replacement to a sub-coronary application. However, these markings are of only marginal assistance to the surgeon. One bioprosthetic stentless aortic root uses very unrefined surface indicators formed by sutures which are sutured through the tissue. Another stentless aortic root requires the surgeon to rely on sketches which are provided in surgical literature.
For other bioprosthetic devices, such as a valved conduit, the device must be oriented and implanted correctly with respect to blood flow direction. Still other bioprosthetic devices, such as pericardial patches, may require that the device be oriented and implanted in a particular manner. For example, it may be desirable to implant the patch so that the strongest axis of the device is aligned with the major stress axis. Other bioprosthetic devices, such as stentless mitral valves or mitral valve repair kits can be scaled (cut down) for a proper fit while maintaining proper geometry. Further, annuloplasty rings must be of the correct size for valve repair.
Accordingly, it is a general aim of the present invention to provide a new method and apparatus for sculpting a bioprosthetic implant, such as a bioprosthetic root of a stentless aortic valve prosthesis or providing directional indicators or other information to biological prostheses such as a pericardial patch, valved conduit, etc. The prosthesis includes a marking or visual guide for excising portions of the prosthesis or instructions for use of the prosthesis, such as the direction or position of the prosthesis relative to implant position. In one embodiment, a prosthetic stentless aortic tissue valve comprises a substantially annular valve body which includes at least one leaflet or other type of occluder carried therein for occluding blood flow through the valve body. An aortic root extends from the valve body and is generally coaxial with the valve body. A visual marking is provided on the root and provides a sculpting guideline for use by a surgeon during implantation of the prosthetic heart valve to trim the root. The marking indicates portions of sinus areas of the root which are removed to create a sub-coronary prosthetic stentless aortic valve. In one embodiment, the visual marking generally conforms to the leaflet of the bioprosthetic heart valve. The marking may be formed by any appropriate means, including a biocompatible dye or laser markings. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Currently, erroneous data (i.e., data known to be bad, also referred to herein as “poisoned” data), may be stored using existing storage bits in error correction code (ECC)-protected memories, such as a dynamic random access memory (DRAM). In one scheme, extra storage bits may be used to save poisoned data indicators. However, extra storage may be required to implement this scheme, which may be expensive and non-standard. In another scheme, it may be possible to mark data blocks (e.g., cache lines, pages, and the like), as “poison” using existing ECC, via a special error (i.e., poison) indicator. However, if a memory location is already faulty, encoding the error indicator into the ECC at that location may alter the ECC state of the data block, whereby it may convert a corrected error into an uncorrected error or an undetected error, or it may convert an uncorrected error into an undetected error.
Furthermore, ECC typically may protect 2n-1 symbols, although data is typically grouped in 2m symbols, where n>m. One example is when n=m+1. This may leave 2n-2m-1 symbols unused by the data. Some of these symbols may be needed for check symbols, but there may be more symbols available for protection than are needed. Thus, the ECC code may be shortened by forcing the unused symbols to zero. For example, 128 data bits may be divided into sixteen 8-bit symbols, and may require 4 check symbols. An ECC code capable of protecting 31 symbols may be used, where 16 symbols are data, 4 symbols are check symbols, and the remaining 11 symbols are unused, thus creating a (20,16) code from the available (37,31) code. However, a static value of a check symbol may not be used as a poison indicator, as all possible values of the check symbol are used with valid data. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a weather forecasting system for forecasting atmospheric phenomena such as the weather, a snowfall, etc. based on arboreal sounds.
2. Description of the Related Art
Heretofore, it has been customary to predict changes in atmospheric phenomena such as atmospheric states and various atmospheric conditions including rain, wind, thunder, etc. by analyzing a weather map or analyzing the movement of a rainy region obtained by a weather radar.
However, the above predictive methods make it difficult to predict atmospheric phenomena in a local region.
It has been the conventional practice to predict a snowfall by determining an approximate predicted amount based on a long-term prediction of atmospheric phenomena.
However, there has not been established a process of accurately predicting a snowfall in a local region.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for and a method of forecasting atmospheric phenomena in a local region and obtaining accurate forecast results.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for and a method of forecasting a snowfall in a local region and obtaining accurate forecast results.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a weather forecasting system which is capable of forecasting atmospheric phenomena in a wide geographical region and obtaining accurate forecast results.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for forecasting the weather, comprising arboreal sound measuring means for measuring a sound propagated through a tree, and weather forecasting means for forecasting atmospheric phenomena based on a change in the sound measured by the arboreal sound measuring means.
The change in the sound comprises a time-dependent change in a sound pressure of the sound.
The weather forecasting means comprises means for predicting the start of a rainfall if a drop of the sound pressure is confirmed, and predicting the end of a rainfall if a rise of the sound pressure is confirmed.
The apparatus for forecasting the weather is relatively simple in arrangement, and is capable of forecasting atmospheric phenomena in a local region and obtaining accurate forecast results.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is also provided a method of predicting the weather, comprising the steps of measuring a sound propagated through a tree, and forecasting atmospheric phenomena based on a change in the measured sound.
The above method is of forecasting atmospheric phenomena in a local region and obtaining accurate forecast results.
According to still another aspect of the present invention, an apparatus for forecasting a snowfall comprises arboreal sound measuring means for measuring a sound propagated through a tree along the height of the tree, and snowfall forecasting means for forecasting a snowfall based on a change along the height of the tree in the sound measured by the arboreal sound measuring means.
In the above apparatus, the change along the height of the tree in the sound comprises a change in a sound pressure of the sound along the height of the tree.
The snowfall forecasting means comprises means for forecasting a position where a positive peak of the sound pressure along the height of the tree occurs as a predicted maximum snowfall.
The apparatus for forecasting a snowfall is relatively simple in arrangement, and is capable of forecasting a snowfall in a local region and obtaining accurate forecast results.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention, a method of forecasting a snowfall comprises the steps of measuring a sound propagated through a tree along the height of the tree, and forecasting a snowfall based on a change along the height of the tree in the measured sound.
In the above method of forecasting a snowfall, the change along the height of the tree in the sound comprises a change in a sound pressure of the sound along the height of the tree, and the step of forecasting a snowfall comprises the step of forecasting a position where a positive peak of the sound pressure along the height of the tree occurs as a predicted maximum snowfall.
The method of forecasting a snowfall is capable of forecasting a snowfall in a local region and obtaining accurate forecast results.
According to yet still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a weather forecasting system comprising arboreal sound measuring means for measuring a sound propagated through a tree, a plurality of weather forecasting apparatus for forecasting atmospheric phenomena based on a change in the sound measured by the arboreal sound measuring means, and a data collecting and processing device connected to the weather forecasting apparatus by a network, for forecasting atmospheric phenomena in a wide geographical region. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a controllable vibration damper for motor vehicles. More specifically, the present invention relates to a controllable vibration damper having a cylinder containing a damping fluid, a piston rod axially displaceably arranged in the cylinder in a sealed manner, and a damping piston fastened to the piston rod and dividing the cylinder into two working spaces. The vibration damper also has a damping valve provided with a valve seat which controls the effective cross section of a damping passage of the main stage via an axially displaceable valve body.
2. Description of the Related Art
Prior art vibration dampers, such as, for example, those disclosed in German reference DE-A 38 00 865, include a piston in which the entire quantity of damping fluid exchanged between two working spaces flows via a restricting cross section, the size of which is determined by an electromagnetic setting device primarily comprising a solenoid and an armature. The piston is in this case subjected to flow from two sides, without nonreturn valves being provided. This prior art device is a directly controlled piston valve in the piston of a vibration damper. A problem with this prior art design is that the spring forces and magnetic forces required to overcome the flow forces of the damping fluid and to stabilize the system have to be very high.
Other prior art vibration dampers are also known, for example, from reference WO/85/04698, in which a precontrolled damping valve in the piston of the vibration damper is provided with four nonreturn valves. In these prior art vibration dampers, flow is directed through the precontrolled damping valve in only one direction. That is to say, the nonreturn valves must make the entire oil flow unidirectional. Establishing a unidirectional flow of the oil relates in this case to the main stage. A problem with these prior art designs is that either large nonreturn valves are required, which cannot be structurally accommodated very well in the vibration damper, or the extent to which the pressure can be lowered when there are high volumetric flows through the precontrolled damping valve is restricted.
Yet another type of prior art vibration dampers are known, for example, from references DE-A 44 18 972 and EP-A 0,364,757, in which a valve body of a damping valve subjected to flow from alternate sides in the vibration damper is controlled by a precontrolling stage. The damping valve is in this case subjected to flow from alternate sides in the main stage, while the valve body is subjected to unidirectional flow in the compression and rebound stages to establish a unidirectional flow of the precontrolling stage. This prior art structure requires four nonreturn valves, which establish the corresponding unidirectional flow in the precontrolling stage. A problem with this prior art device is that, due to the number of corresponding nonreturn valves, a considerable constructional expenditure is required and the response and timing of the control of the damping valve of the vibration damper are compromised.
Yet another prior art vibration damper disclosed in reference DE 37 19 113 C1 which includes a controllable shock absorber which has an infinitely adjustable damping valve. To reduce the controlling energy, the damping valve is provided with a precontrolling means in which the valve body used has a restricting bore extending from an end face to which pressure is applied to a rear side which is controlled by an axially constantly displaceable control needle. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The present invention relates generally to a protective film that coats a metal substrate. More particularly, the present invention relates to a thin adhesion layer for a surface of a magnetic read/write head that exhibits sufficient adhesive properties and improved corrosion resistance.
Disc drive storage systems are used for storage of digital information that can be recorded on concentric tracks of a magnetic disc medium. Several discs are rotatably mounted on a spindle, and the information, which can be stored in the form of magnetic transitions within the discs using a write transducer, is accessed using a read transducer. The read and/or write transducer is carried by a slider that is located on an actuator arm that moves radially over the surface of the disc. The slider and transducer can be collectively referred to as a magnetic head.
The discs are rotated at high speeds during operation. As the discs are spun, the slider and the read and/or write transducer glide above the surface of the disc on a small cushion of air. Upon reaching a predetermined high rotational speed, the head floats in air at a predetermined distance from the surface of the disc where it is maintained during reading and recording operations. In order to maximize the high areal recording density, the flying height (i.e. the distance by which the head floats above the surface of the disc) must be minimized.
It is well known in the art to coat the air bearing surfaces of the head and the disc with a diamond like carbon (DLC) protective overcoat and/or a lubricant layer. The function of the DLC overcoat is to protect underlying metals and alloys from wear and corrosion during the manufacturing process, and throughout the lifetime of the disc drive system. As applied to the head, the DLC overcoat includes a DLC layer and an adhesion layer. DLC overcoat thickness for the head can range from about 20 to 30 Angstroms while typical values of DLC overcoats for magnetic media are in excess of 30 Angstroms. The DLC overcoat thicknesses, along with the lubricant thickness, are the biggest contributors of head media separation (HMS) distance. The HMS distance is measured from the magnetic surface of the head to the magnetic surface of the media. The HMS distance in turn affects the data reading and writing efficiency of the transducer.
The adhesion layer of the DLC overcoat is used to attach the DLC layer to the surface of the head. It is well known in the art to use silicon for the adhesion layer. However, silicon provides limited corrosion protection, and moreover, if a silicon adhesion layer is made thinner, the DLC overcoat becomes vulnerable to reliability failure due to weakened adhesion, reduced corrosion resistance, or both.
There is a need to decrease the HMS distance, and increase recording areal density, through use of a thinner DLC overcoat that still exhibits sufficient adhesion properties and improved corrosion resistance. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Despite recent advances in preventing deaths related to cardiac disorders, cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of death in industrialized countries (Thom et al., Circulation 113:e-85-151, 2006). As life expectancy increases, the population profiles in these countries are changing to include increasing numbers of middle-aged and elderly individuals. In both industrialized countries as well as in countries that are becoming industrialized a number of other factors such as altered life styles, urbanization, and as yet unidentified genetic and environmental factors combine to compound the effects of aging on CVD (Lakatta, Heart Fail. Review 7:29-49, 2002). Cardiac arrhythmias are common in patients with cardiac dysfunction and some forms of arrhythmias, such as atrial fibrillations, increase with age (Lakatta and Levy, Circulation 107:346-354). However, the mechanisms underlying arrhythmias and heart failure have remained elusive, in part, because heart diseases in humans are associated with a complex array of hormonal, physiological, genetic and biochemical abnormalities. In addition, vertebrate heart structure is very complex, as is the process of its embryological development from a simple tube-like structure.
Since heart function is so essential for survival, it is difficult to study strongly deleterious heart abnormalities in vertebrate systems. Increasing insights into the molecular genetics of CVD suggest that the genetic heterogeneity underlying heart disease is very high (Priori and Napolitano, Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci. 1015:96-110, 2004). This aspect of heart disease is difficult to examine in vertebrate systems. The relatively long lifespan of mammalian systems precludes a simple approach to elucidate the aging-related factors contributing to the genesis and facilitation of arrhythmic disorders. More importantly, hereditary and/or acquired arrhythmic disorders in mammalian hearts usually lead to sudden death, making the study of genetic interactions or polygenetic disorders extremely difficult in mammals (Roberts, J. Am. Coll. Card. 47:9-21, 2006). Thus Drosophila, a system that is already a powerful genetic model, provides unique advantages for studying heart aging and disease.
The basic mechanisms of heart development and function are conserved between Drosophila and vertebrates (Bodmer, Trends Cardiovasc. Med. 5:21-27, 1995; Harvey, Dev. Biol. 178:203-216, 1996; Bodmer and Frasch, in Heart Development, eds. Rosenthal and Harvey (Academic Press, New York), pp. 65-90, 1999; Cripps and Olson, Dev. Biol. 246:14-28, 2002; Seidman and Seidman, J. Clin. Investig. 109:451-455, 2002; Bodmer et al., in Comprehensive Insect Science, edited by L. Gilbert, Latrau, K., and Gill S. (Elsevier, Amsterdam, 2005), Vol. 2, pp. 199). We have begun to use the fly heart and the power of Drosophila genetics to understand the genetic and molecular mechanisms underlying aging of cardiac tissue and their contribution to cardiac disorders and arrhythmias.
A number of genetic defects that contribute to arrhythmogenic disorders have been identified in humans. Many of these identified genes encode K+ channels such as the Human Ether-a-go-go Related Gene (HERG), which encodes a channel underlying the rapid phase of cardiac repolarization (IKr), as well as the KCNQ1 gene, which encodes a subunit of a K+ channel responsible for the slower repolarizing current (IKs) (for reviews see Jentsch, Nat. Rev. Neurosci. 1:21-30, 2000; Robbins, Pharmacol. Ther. 90:1-9, 2001; Sanguinetti, Nature 440:463-469, 2006). Mutations in these K+ channels commonly lead to a loss or decrease in channel function resulting in reduced cardiac repolarization and prolonged cardiac action potentials that increase the risk of early after-depolarization (EAD). In humans, this prolonged repolarization phase, which manifests as a prolonged QT interval on the surface electrocardiograms (ECGs), is known as long QT syndrome (LQTS); it is associated with increased risk of Torsades des Pointes (TdP) ventricular arrhythmias, which would cause recurrent syncope or sudden cardiac death. Age, environmental stressors, exercise, genetic modifiers and some commonly prescribed drugs have also been shown to produce arrhythmic disorders such as LQTS, but the complex interactions between these acquired and inherited factors for arrhythmogenesis remain to be determined (Priori and Tristani-Firouzi, Circ, Res. 94:140-145, 2004; Roberts, J. Am. Coll. Card. 47:9-21, 2006).
A systematic genetic analysis will be required to identify genetic variations (polymorphisms) in known genes as well as to identify novel genes and gene products that influence the risk of arrhythmias. Because susceptibility to drug-induced LQTS is likely to have a genetic basis, a functional assessment of genetic mutations and identification of interactions between genes that contribute to arrhythmias would permit more appropriate drug administration to patients with CVD (Grunnet et al., Heart Rhythm 2:1238-1249, 2005).
Thus, there is a need for improved methods and compositions for determining the effects of various genes, and mutations in these genes, on heart function. Moveover, there is a need for improved methods and compositions for screening drugs and other treatments for their effects on heart function. The present invention meets this and other needs. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
The use of steering wheel anti-theft devices is known in the prior art. However, many of the prior art steering wheel anti-theft devices are easily defeated, clumsy in operation, or easy to remove by cutting the steering wheel.
Clearly, what is needed is a heavy duty steering wheel securing device that is adjustable for use with different types of vehicles, that is of sturdy manufacture, and that is highly resistant to improper removal by thieves or other unauthorized vehicle users.
One embodiment of the present invention is directed to an anti-theft device for a vehicle. The anti-theft device is adapted to detachably engage a steering wheel rotatably mounted on a steering column. The steering wheel has a rim defining an outer perimeter of the steering wheel. The anti-theft device includes an elongated member having a first end and a longitudinal surface. The elongated member is adapted to be located proximate to the steering column. The first end extends generally radially outwardly away from the steering column past the outer perimeter of the steering wheel. At least one wheel engaging member is disposed on an elongated member and is adapted to engage the steering wheel and prevent rotation of the steering wheel relative to the elongated member. At least one column engaging member has a generally transverse part and at least one connecting part. The at least one column engaging member is adapted to detachably engage the elongated member to, in combination with the elongated member, substantially surround the steering column in an installed configuration in which the wheel engaging member is engaged with the steering wheel. A locking mechanism is adapted to detachably lock the anti-theft device in the installed configuration with a portion of the longitudinal surface of the elongated member in facing opposition with a portion of the transverse part of the at least one column engaging member.
In another aspect, the present invention is directed to an anti-theft device for a vehicle. The anti-theft device is adapted to detachably engage a steering wheel rotatably mounted on a steering column. The steering wheel has a rim defining an outer perimeter of the steering wheel. The anti-theft device includes an elongated member having first and second ends and a longitudinal surface. The elongated member is adapted to be located proximate to the steering column. The first end extends generally radially outwardly away from the steering column past the outer perimeter of the steering wheel. The second end extends outwardly past the outer perimeter of the steering wheel. At least one wheel engaging member is disposed on the elongated member and is adapted to engage the steering wheel and prevent rotation of the steering wheel relative to the elongated member. At least one column engaging member has a generally transverse part and at least one connecting part. The at least one column engaging member is adapted to detachably engage the elongated member to, in combination with the elongated member, substantially surround the steering column in an installed configuration in which the wheel engaging member is engaged with the steering wheel. A locking mechanism is adapted to detachably lock the anti-theft device in the installed configuration with a portion of the longitudinal surface of the elongated member in facing opposition with a portion of the transverse part of the at least one column engaging member.
In another aspect, the present invention is directed to an anti-theft device for a vehicle. The anti-theft device is adapted to detachably engage a steering wheel rotatably mounted on a steering column. The steering wheel has a rim defining an outer perimeter of the steering wheel. The anti-theft device includes an elongated member having a first end and a longitudinal surface. The elongated member is adapted to be located proximate to the steering column. The first end extends generally radially outwardly away from the steering column past the outer perimeter of the steering wheel. At least one wheel engaging member is disposed on the elongated member and is adapted to engage the steering wheel and prevent rotation of the steering wheel relative to the elongated member. At least one rim engaging member is detachably engageable with the at least one wheel engaging member and the rim of the steering wheel in an installed configuration in which the wheel engaging member is engaged with the steering wheel. A locking mechanism is adapted to detachably lock the anti-theft device in the installed configuration with a portion of the longitudinal surface of the elongated member being in facing opposition with at least a portion of the rim engaged by the at least one rim engaging member.
In another aspect, the present invention is directed to an anti-theft device for a vehicle. The anti-theft device is adapted to detachably engage a steering wheel rotatably mounted on a steering column. The steering wheel has a front side, facing generally away from the steering column, and a rear side, facing generally toward the steering column. The steering wheel has at least one spoke supporting a rim defining an outer perimeter of the steering wheel. The anti-theft device includes an elongated member having a first end and a longitudinal surface. The elongated member is adapted to be located proximate to the steering column. The first end extends generally radially outwardly away from the steering column past the outer perimeter of the steering wheel. At least one wheel engaging member is disposed on the elongated member and is adapted to engage the steering wheel and prevent rotation of the steering wheel relative to the elongated member. A portion of the at least one wheel engaging member is disposed along the front side of the steering wheel. At least one spoke engaging member is detachably engagable with the at least one wheel engaging member and the at least one spoke in an installed configuration in which the wheel engaging member is engaged with the steering wheel. A locking mechanism is adapted to detachably lock the anti-theft device in the installed configuration wherein the longitudinal surface of the elongated member is in opposed facing engagement with a portion of the rim attached to the at least one spoke that is engaged with the at least one spoke engaging member.
In another aspect, the present invention is directed to an anti-theft device for a vehicle. The anti-theft device is adapted to detachably engage a steering wheel rotatably mounted on a steering column. The steering wheel has a rim defining an outer perimeter of the steering wheel. The anti-theft device includes an elongated member comprising a first part in sliding engagement with a second part and having a first end. The elongated member is adapted to be located proximate to the steering column. The first end extends generally radially outwardly away from the steering column past the outer perimeter of the steering wheel. At least one wheel engaging member is disposed on the elongated member and is adapted to engage the steering wheel and prevent rotation of the steering wheel relative to the elongated member. A first jaw is disposed on the first part of the elongated member and is adapted to abut a portion of the steering column. A second jaw is disposed on the second part of the elongated member and is adapted to abut a portion of the steering column and to, in combination with the first jaw, clamp the steering column therebetween in an installed configuration in which the wheel engaging member is engaged with the steering wheel. A locking mechanism is adapted to detachably lock the anti-theft device in the installed configuration.
In another aspect, the present invention is directed to an anti-theft device for a vehicle. The anti-theft device is adapted to detachably engage a steering wheel rotatably mounted on a steering column. The steering wheel has a rim defining an outer perimeter of the steering wheel. The anti-theft device includes an elongated member having a outer member slidable relative to an inner member. The outer member has a longitudinal surface and the inner member has a first end. The elongated member is adapted to be located proximate to the steering column. The first end is extendable generally radially outwardly away from the steering column past the outer perimeter of the steering wheel. At least one wheel engaging member is disposed on the elongated member and is adapted to engage the steering wheel and prevent rotation of the steering wheel relative to the elongated member. At least one column engaging member has a generally transverse part and at least one connecting part. The at least one column engaging member is adapted to detachably engage the elongated member to, in combination with the elongated member, substantially surround the steering column in an installed configuration in which the wheel engaging member is engaged with the steering wheel. A locking mechanism is adapted to detachably lock the anti-theft device in the installed configuration with a portion of the longitudinal surface of the elongated member in facing opposition with a portion of the transverse part of the at least one column engaging member.
In another aspect, the present invention is directed to a combination anti-theft device and steering wheel rotatably mounted on a steering column. The anti-theft device is detachably engagable with the steering wheel. The steering wheel has a rim defining an outer perimeter of the steering wheel. The anti-theft device includes the steering wheel mounted on the steering column. An elongated member has a first end and a longitudinal surface. The elongated member is located proximate to the steering column. The first end extends generally radially outwardly from the steering column past the outer perimeter of the steering wheel. At least one wheel engaging member is disposed on the elongated member and is engaged with the steering wheel to prevent rotation of the steering wheel relative to the elongated member. At least one column engaging member has a generally transverse part and at least one connecting part. The at least one column engaging member is detachably engaged with the elongated member to, in combination with the elongated member, substantially surround the steering wheel in an installed configuration in which the wheel engaging member is engaged with the steering wheel. A locking mechanism is adapted to detachably lock the anti-theft device in the installed configuration with a portion of the longitudinal surface of the elongated member in generally facing opposition with at least a portion of the rim engaged by the at least one rim engaging member.
In another aspect, the present invention is directed to a combination anti-theft device and steering wheel rotatably mounted on a steering column. The anti-theft device is detachably engagable with the steering wheel. The steering wheel has a rim defining an outer perimeter of the steering wheel. The anti-theft device includes the steering wheel mounted on the steering column. An elongated member has first and second ends and a longitudinal surface. The elongated member is located proximate to the steering column. The first end extends generally radially outwardly away from the steering column past the outer perimeter of the steering wheel. The second end extends outwardly past the outer perimeter of the steering wheel. At least one wheel engaging member is disposed on the elongated member and is engageable with the steering wheel to prevent rotation of the steering wheel relative to the elongated member. At least one column engaging member has a generally transverse part and at least one connecting part. The at least one column engaging member, in combination with the elongated member, is adapted to substantially surround the steering column in an installed configuration in which the wheel engaging member is engaged with the steering wheel. A locking mechanism is adapted to detachably lock the anti-theft device in the installed configuration with a portion of the longitudinal surface of the elongated member in generally facing opposition with the steering column.
In another aspect, the present invention is directed to a combination anti-theft device and steering wheel rotatably mounted on a steering column. The anti-theft device is adapted to detachably engage the steering wheel. The steering wheel has a rim defining an outer perimeter of the steering wheel. The anti-theft device includes the steering wheel mounted on the steering column. An elongated member has a first end and a longitudinal surface. The elongated member is located proximate to the steering column. The first end extends generally radially outwardly away from the steering column past the outer perimeter of the steering wheel. At least one wheel engaging member is disposed on the elongated member and is engageable with the steering wheel to prevent rotation of the steering wheel relative to the elongated member. At least one rim engaging member is detachably engaged with the at least one wheel engaging member and the rim of the steering wheel in an installed configuration in which the wheel engaging member is engaged with the steering wheel. A locking mechanism is adapted to detachably lock the anti-theft device in the installed configuration with a portion of the longitudinal surface of the elongated member being in generally facing opposition with the steering column.
In another aspect, the present invention is directed to a combination anti-theft device and steering wheel mounted on a steering column. The anti-theft device is detachably engagable with the steering wheel. The steering wheel has a front side, facing generally away from the steering column, and a rear side, facing generally toward the steering column. The steering wheel has at least one spoke supporting a rim defining an outer perimeter of the steering wheel. The anti-theft device includes an elongated member having a first end and a longitudinal surface. The elongated member is located proximate to the steering column. The first end extends generally radially outwardly away from the steering column past the outer perimeter of the steering wheel. At least one wheel engaging member is disposed on the elongated member and is adapted to engage the steering wheel and prevent rotation of the steering wheel relative to the elongated member. A portion of the wheel engaging member is disposed along the front side of the steering wheel. At least one spoke engaging member is detachably engaged with the at least one wheel engaging member and the at least one spoke in an installed configuration in which the wheel engaging member is engaged with the steering wheel. A locking mechanism is adapted to detachably lock the anti-theft device in the installed configuration wherein the longitudinal surface of the elongated member is in general facing opposition with a portion of the rim attached to the at least one spoke that is engaged with the at least one spoke engaging member.
In another aspect, the present invention is directed to a combination anti-theft device and steering wheel mounted on a steering column. The anti-theft device is detachably engagable with the steering wheel. The steering wheel has a rim defining an outer perimeter of the steering wheel. The anti-theft device includes an elongated member including a first part in sliding engagement with a second part and having a first end. The elongated member is located proximate to the steering column. The first end extends generally radially outwardly away from the steering column past the outer perimeter of the steering wheel. At least one wheel engaging member is disposed on the elongated member and is engageable with the steering wheel to prevent rotation of the steering wheel relative to the elongated member. A first jaw is disposed on the first part of the elongated member and is adapted to abut a portion of the steering column. A second jaw is disposed on the second part of the elongated member and is adapted to abut a portion of the steering column and to, in combination with the first jaw, clamp the steering column therebetween in an installed configuration in which the wheel engaging member is engaged with the steering wheel. A locking mechanism is adapted to detachably lock the anti-theft device in the installed configuration.
In another aspect, the present invention is directed to a combination anti-theft device and steering wheel rotatably mounted on a steering column. The anti-theft device is adapted to detachably engage the steering wheel. The steering wheel has a rim defining an outer perimeter of the steering wheel. The anti-theft device includes an elongated member having an outer member slidable relative to an inner member. The outer member has a longitudinal surface and the inner member has a first end. The elongated member is located proximate to the steering column. The first end is extendable generally radially outwardly away from the steering column past the outer perimeter of the steering wheel. At least one wheel engaging member is disposed on the elongated member and is engageable with the steering wheel to prevent rotation of the steering wheel relative to the elongated member. At least one column engaging member has a generally transverse part and at least one connecting part. The at least one column engaging member is detachably engagable with the elongated member to, in combination with the elongated member, substantially surround the steering column in an installed configuration in which the wheel engaging member is engaged with the steering wheel. A locking mechanism is adapted to detachably lock the anti-theft device in the installed configuration with a portion of the longitudinal surface of the elongated member in general facing opposition with the steering column. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Antennas of a wireless communication system are often classified as either a virtual antenna called an antenna port, or a physical antenna for actually sending and receiving signals. In general, the virtual antenna and the physical antenna of the wireless communication system correspond to each other by 1:1.
To detect a signal, a receiving stage estimates a channel between the virtual antenna of a transmitting stage and the antenna of the receiving stage, and detects a size of the transmit signal and phase modulation using the channel. The transmitting stage sends a reference signal per virtual antenna so that the receiving stage can estimate the channel of the virtual antenna.
The reference signal is allocated for the receiving stage to estimate the channel to the transmitting stage. To reject interference from a traffic channel, a resource is allocated separately from the traffic channel. For example, when the transmitting stage includes four virtual antennas, it allocates the reference signal to each virtual antenna as shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 1 depicts the resources of the reference signal in a conventional multi-antenna system. Hereafter, it is assumed that the multi-antenna system employs an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) scheme.
When the transmitting stage includes four virtual antennas as shown in FIG. 1, it sends the reference signal over 0-th, fourth, seventh and eleventh OFDM symbols of the 0-th virtual antenna and the first virtual antenna. The transmitting stage sends the references signal over the first and eighth OFDM symbols of the second virtual antenna and the third virtual antenna. That is, the transmitting stage allocates the resources of the reference signal to send the reference signal over the same OFDM symbols of the 0-th virtual antenna and the first virtual antenna and to send the reference signal over the same OFDM symbols of the second virtual antenna and the third virtual antenna.
As sending the reference signal, the transmitting stage does not transmit any signal at the same location as the reference signal transmission location of the different virtual antennas in the resources of the virtual antennas.
As sending the reference signal per virtual antenna, the transmitting stage sends the reference signal with a transmit power four times the transmit power of the traffic per resource block. In the tone carrying the traffic, except for the reference signal, every virtual antenna of the transmitting stage sends the signal with the same transmit power.
Accordingly, the power used by the symbol carrying the reference signal per virtual antenna varies per virtual antenna. For example, when the transmit power of the traffic is set to A, over the 0-th, fourth, seventh, and eleventh OFDM symbols in FIG. 1, the 0-th virtual antenna and the first virtual antenna consume the power of 4 A and the second virtual antenna and the third virtual antenna consume the power of 2 A.
Further, when the virtual antennas and the physical antennas correspond to each other by 1:1, the power imbalance of the virtual antennas causes imbalance in the power of the physical antennas. As a result, each physical antenna needs to be designed on different bases. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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With the proliferation of LED lamps, there are many applications which include dimming the lamps. Thus, it is often desirable for LED lamps to be dimmable (i.e., have an adjustable brightness). In some applications, LED drivers include switch-mode drivers that are used to control the current supplied to the LED. In such setups, the average current, and therefore the brightness of the lamp, can be controlled based on receiving a control signal at the switch input to the switch-mode driver. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Complex application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) and/or a system on a chip (SoC) designs use large numbers of hard macro cells, such as memory cells and/or mixed-signal devices. The macros are generally placed in clusters due to timing and/or physical constraints. The clustering of hard macro cells can be so large that signal delay on wire connections to, from and/or through the macro cell clusters becomes of concern for ASIC/SoC performance. Gaps between pairs of macro cells may be defined as channels when the gaps are smaller than certain threshold values. Buffering in the channels is an efficient way to speed up signals on wire connections. To enable buffering, the power grid integrity in the channels should be guaranteed. The power grid integrity in a channel may mean that there should be at least two power supply lines with opposite polarities (one power line and one ground line) existing in that channel. Typically, the size of the channels (width for vertical channels or height for horizontal channels) between the macro cells is not large enough to satisfy the power grid integrity requirement.
One conventional solution is to allocate larger channels to allow at least two power lines with opposite polarities to be present in the channels. However, this may lower the macro device placement density and therefore increase the size of the die chip, which increases the cost of the final products. Another conventional solution is to manually patch individual channels that are intended to be used. However, manual patching is a time-consuming, tedious and error-prone process, and the results may not be consistently repeatable. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a digital broadcast system and more particularly, to a system which allows for changing the content elements interactively in response to the viewer operation.
2. Description of the Related Art
0. Outline of the Satellite Broadcast System
First, the outline of the satellite broadcast system is to be described.
0.1. Radio Wave Transmission Status in the Satellite Broadcast
FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of the radio wave transmission status in a satellite broadcast. The radio wave from an earth station 2 is transmitted to earth via a broadcast satellite 4. A plurality of transport streams TS1, TS2, and TS3 are transmitted from the broadcast satellite 4. The transport streams (MPEG-2) are distinguished according to the frequency, plane of polarization, and the like. The transport stream TS1 has a plurality of services (corresponding to channels of the ground wave broadcast) SV11, SV12, SV13, and SV14 provided in packets and multiplexed by time division. Likewise, the transport stream TS2 has services SV21, SV22, SV23, and SV24 multiplexed, with the transport stream TS3 having services SV31, SV32, SV33, and SV34 multiplexed. Incidentally, each of the transport streams carries video and audio data for each service as well as control data for indicating program information, control data for indicating current time, and control data necessary for packets, etc. In FIG. 1, only three transport streams are shown, however, more transport streams are transmitted in practice. Additionally, in FIG. 1, each transport stream has four services multiplexed, however, more services are multiplexed in practice.
0.2. Configuration of Transmitter
As shown in FIG. 2, each transport stream is generated and transmitted by means of a transmitter 1. Referring to the figure, only the transport stream TS1 is shown and the other transport streams TS2 and TS3 are generated in the same way.
Video/audio data ES11, ES12, ES13, and ES14 of the services SV11, SV12, SV13, and SV14 are provided to the transmitter 1. The transmitter 1 converts these video/audio data ES11, ES12, ES13, and ES14 into packets for multiplexing. The transmitter 1 also generates control data for multiplexing packets. The control data for multiplexing packets are employed for discriminating correctly video/audio data of a plurality of services in packets processed by time division. Packetized and multiplexed video/audio data (Contents) are transmitted as transport streams together with control data.
0.3. Configuration of Transport Stream
As shown in FIG. 3, the transport stream TS1 generated by the transmitter of FIG. 2 comprises multiplexed video data ES (V) 1 and audio data ES (A) 1 of the service SV11, video data ES (V) 2 and audio data ES (A) 2 of the service SV12, video data ES (V) 3 and audio data ES (A) 3 of the service SV13, and video data ES (V) 4 and audio data ES (A) 4 of the service SV14.
Furthermore, control data NIT, PAT, PMT1, PMT2, PMT3, and PMT4 for packet multiplexing are multiplexed. Video/audio data of each of the multiplexed services SV11, SV12, SV13, and SV14 can be separated by the control data. Packetization is carried out as shown with a vertical line 18a of FIG. 3. That is, packetization is performed in the order of control data NIT, PAT, EIT, TDT, ECM, video data ES (V), and audio data ES (A). After packetization is completed up to the audio data ES (A), packetization is then repeated again for the control data NIT and so forth (see a vertical line 18b).
FIG. 4 shows a basic configuration of packetized data. Control data and video/audio data are made into a packet with the configuration shown in FIG. 4. A packet ID (PID) is provided on the head of the packetized data. The packet ID is a unique symbol provided for each packet to identify individual packets. The data contents are the data (control data, video/audio data, etc.) targeted for packetization.
FIG. 5 shows the relationship between the control data PAT, PMT1, PMT2, PMT3, and PMT4, and video/audio data ES of each service, in the transport stream TS1. For example, video/audio data [500] into which the service SV12 is encrypted is packetized and provided with PID 502. Referring to the figure, though one packet is schematically shown, the video/audio data [500] is time-divided and transmitted in a number of packets.
The packet ID of the video/audio data [500] of the service SV12 is described in the control data PMT2. Accordingly, the packet ID of the video/audio data [500] of the service SV12 can be known by obtaining the contents of the control data PMT2. This control data PMT2 is also packetized and provided with PID512. In the figure, though one packet is schematically shown, the control data PMT2 is also time-divided and transmitted in a number of packets.
The packet ID of the control data PMT2 is described in the control data PAT. Accordingly, the packet ID of the control data PMT2 of the service SV12 can be known by obtaining the contents of the control data PAT. This control data PAT is also packetized and provided with PID522. Incidentally, the control data PAT has the description of packet IDs of PMT1, PMT2, PMT3, and PMT4 of services SV11, SV12, SV13, and SV14, which are multiplexed in the transport stream TS1.
A transport stream has control data and video/audio data which are packetized and associated as in the foregoing. Thus, in order to identify the services multiplexed in a transport stream, the control data PAT must be obtained first. For this reason, the packet ID of the control data PAT is fixed to a predetermined value (000 in hexadecimal notation, designated hereinafter x0000.
Incidentally, transmission parameters (such as frequency) of each of the transport streams TS1, TS2, and TS3, and kinds of services multiplexed in each of the streams are described in the control data NIT (see FIG. 6). Accordingly, it can be known in which transport stream a particular service is multiplexed, by obtaining the contents of the control data NIT. The packet ID of the control data NIT is described in the control data PAT.
0.4. Configuration of Receiver
FIG. 7 shows the outline of a receiver. A tuner 22 selects a transport stream, and a transport decoder 26 separates the video/audio data ES relating to the desired service.
Incidentally, MPU 28 sets the packet ID of the video/audio data ES of the desired service to the transport decoder 26. This allows the transport decoder 26 to output the video/audio data ES of said service. In addition, in the case where the packet ID of control data is set to the transport decoder 26, the separated control data is given to the MPU 28.
Assuming that the service SV33 of the transport stream TS3 is being received, the operation to be performed in the case where the command of switching to the service SV12 of the transport stream TS1 is given to the MPU 28 is to be explained below. First, the MPU 28 controls the transport decoder (that is, by setting the packet ID of the control data NIT) to take NIT in. The description of the NIT teaches that the service SV12 desired for reception has been multiplexed in the transport stream TS1 (see FIG. 6).
Then, the MPU 28 controls the tuner 22 to receive the transport stream TS1. Moreover, the MPU 28 controls the transport decoder 26 to obtain the PAT and PMT2, obtaining the packet IDs of the video data ES (V) 2 and the audio data ES (A) 2 of the desired service SV12 (see arrowsαandβof FIG. 5).
Subsequently, the MPU 28 sets these packet IDs to the transport decoder 26 to allow the transport decoder 26 to output the video data ES (V) 2 and the audio data ES (A) 2 of the desired service SV12. As mentioned above, services are switched for reception. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
This invention relates generally to a container, and more specifically, to a plant pot and a hanger by which the pot can be suspended.
Containers such as plant pots capable of being suspended from for example, a porch, are well known in the art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,870,856 to Friend discloses a flower container with an optional hanger assembly. The hanger assembly includes a plurality of legs, each with an end having a circular slot or recess. One end of each leg is positioned within a respective one of a plurality of keyhole slots positioned on a top molding of the flower container. The legs are then slid into a narrower portion of the keyhole openings to secure the hanger assembly to the flower container. The remaining circular shaped opening is filled by a snap or plug.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,877,210 to Missalla discloses a pot hanger. The pot hanger includes a plurality of wires attached to a hook. The wires include a quick attachment device positioned on the free ends of the wires for being inserted into an opening around a periphery of the pot. The quick attachment device includes a finger joined to the wire at an acute angle by a loop. The finger is compressed to allow the quick attachment device to protrude through the openings in the periphery of the pot. Once the quick attachment device has protruded through the openings, the finger is released to allow the finger to engage a bottom surface of the periphery and securing the hanger to the pot.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,744,171 to Hilliard discloses a hanging pot suspension system. The hanger includes a hook attached to a plurality of wire strand connectors. The terminal ends of the strands include a protuberance or eyelet for engaging the pot. The hanger is attached to the pot by sliding the eyelets through a T-shaped slot positioned on an upper surface of an annular rim.
While these containers all include a hanger, they do not disclose a hanger that is interlocked with the container by pushing a fastener positioned on the ends of the hanger into a hole on an upper surface of a rim of the container. In addition, they do not disclose a fastener that interlocks the hanger to the rim and covers the opening without the need to use additional covers.
Accordingly, there is a need for a container with a hanger that can be securely fastened to the container, as well as, provide a cover for the openings in the rim of the container. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The most well-known complaints of the (post)-menopausal syndrome are due to changes in temperature regulation, causing sudden crises of feelings of excessive body heat (hot flushes). These symptoms are highly disturbing for a large proportion of menopausal women, leading to therapy requests to the medical profession. Usually, replacement of estrogens is selected as remedy. Less commonly and more recently explored is the selection of non-hormonal compounds as medicine for treating hot flushes. For example, the use of serotonergic uptake inhibitors and serotonin (=5-hydroxy-tryptophan=5-HT) antagonists for the treatment of hot flushes is discussed in Berendsen, Maturitas Vol 36, pp 155-164, 2000. Some beneficial effects of 5-HT2A antagonists and serotonin uptake inhibitors were reported. The beneficial effect of the serotonin reuptake inhibitors sertraline and paroxetine were described in Plouffe et al., Delaware Medical Journal 69: pp 481-482, 1997, Roth and Scher, PsychoOncology 7, pp 129-132, 1998, and Stearns et al., Annals of Oncology 11, pp 17-22, 2000. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Although powder coatings have many benefits, it is difficult to coat temperature-sensitive substrates such as plastic, wood, wood composites, and thin cross sections of metal substrates, because normally employed curing temperatures result in damage to such substrates. Thus, the field of powder coating has been active in the development of low curing temperature coating powder to avoid such damage. During the past several years, new technologies have been introduced for providing low temperature cure powder coatings. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,714,206 and 6,077,610 involve two-component coating powders that can be cured at the low temperatures required for wood and a variety of other metallic and non-metallic substrates. This result is achieved by mixing resin and curing agent components following extrusion in the dry form. The procedure eliminates heating, and thus reaction, of the two components together until they are deposited on the substrate. U.S. Pat. No. 6,703,070 involves a one-component, low curing temperature coating powder. U.S. Pat. No. 5,721,052 discloses epoxy resins cured with imidazole adducts to obtain low temperature cure powder coatings, especially black textured coatings. U.S. Pat. No. 5,824,373 discloses UV curable powder coating to further reduce cure temperatures through the use of UV radiation curing. All of the above patents address the low cure temperature aspect of the powder coatings for heat-sensitive substrates and thus address the problem of substrate degradation at normally used higher powder coating cure temperatures.
The present invention addresses the coating of heat-sensitive substrates, as well as other types of substrates, with use of a novel coating powder comprising SMAI resin, alone or in combination with a second curing agent. Such curing agent(s) result in low curing temperatures, thus facilitating the use of the coating powder for heat-sensitive and other types of substrates. The coating powder of the invention may be produced as a one- or multiple-component powder. | {
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Liquid entrainment is a problem frequently encountered in distillation tray technology. Gas-liquid contacting employing plate and tray columns and potential problems involved are discussed in Section 18 of The Chemical Engineers' Handbook, Fifth Edition, by Robert H. Perry and Cecil H. Chilton. Tray designs with baffles and dispersers of various types are illustrated and discussed.
Copending application Ser. No. 08/833,490 (which is commonly owned with the instant invention)is directed to a means of de-entraining liquid. In Ser. No. 08/833,490, a plurality of de-entrainment devices (such as vane packs) on the trays are specified to accomplish the vapor/liquid de-entrainment.
A series of conventional sieve trays is illustrated in FIG. 1. Liquid that is entrained upwards from the tray can be thrown up against the perforated area of the tray above, and get carried up to the next tray. This backmixing of liquid up the column, contrary to the desired downward liquid flow, can greatly decrease the separation efficiency of the column and can cause flooding (hydraulic overloading) of the column.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,356,132 (Belyakov et al) discloses a mass-transfer apparatus which comprises a vertical cylindrical housing, contact trays accomodated inside the housing and made up of perforated and non-perforated sectors, the neighboring trays being arranged so that the perforated sectors of one tray overlie the non-perforated sectors of another tray and vice-versa. The overflow passageways of the contact trays are positioned on the non-perforated sectors. Overflow deflectors are arranged on the contact trays, and baffles are adapted to extend downwardly from each contact tray from the borderline between the perforated and non-perforated sectors and inclined toward the perforated sector. Belyakov differs from the instant invention in that it does not teach the use of multiple baffles vertically located between the perforated area and the impermeable roof, in order to decrease entrainment of liquid. The instant invention imparts co-current flow of both gas and liquid with substantially all the liquid being purposely entrained upward into the vanes (or baffles) where the liquid is deflected downward, at an angle, into a disengaging area opposite the perforated area where the liquid and gas efficiently separate. Belyakov's device specifically does not act in this way as illustrated by Belyakov's Figure's 3 and 6 (see solid and dashed flow lines). Our invention has a rather large sloping open disengaging area extending well below the plane of and opposite the perforated area for enhanced separation of liquid from vapor. Belyakov has no such area extending below the plane of the perforated area. | {
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Some of currently used internal combustion engines for vehicles include an EGR device that is capable of recirculating part of exhaust gas to the intake side for the purpose of improving emissions performance. The EGR device includes an EGR valve, which is installed in an EGR path that connects an intake path of an internal combustion engine to an exhaust path, and controls the degree of opening of the EGR valve to adjust the amount of exhaust gas recirculated from the exhaust side to the intake side. A certain abnormality may occur in the EGR device so that it is unable to close or open the EGR valve. An abnormality in the EGR device affects the emissions performance. Therefore, when such an abnormality occurs, it should be immediately addressed or reported to a driver. In such an instance, an abnormality detection device for an EGR device that is described, for instance, in JP-A-2002-227727 is required. The device described in JP-A-2002-227727 (hereinafter referred to as the conventional device) estimates an intake pressure generated during a normal operation of the EGR device based on a throttle opening, an EGR valve opening, and an internal combustion engine speed, and then calculates the deviation between the estimated intake pressure and an actual intake pressure. When the deviation is not smaller than a predetermined value, the conventional device concludes that the EGR device is abnormal.
Meanwhile, the EGR device is also mounted on an internal combustion engine with a supercharger. The internal combustion engine with a supercharger is characterized in that its intake pressure is higher than back pressure in a certain operating region. A particularly serious abnormality that may occur in the EGR device mounted on such an internal combustion engine with a supercharger is the inability of the EGR valve to close due to trapped foreign matter or a fault. This causes the EGR valve to remain open. If the EGR valve is unable to close, fresh air may flow backward from the intake path to the exhaust path in a certain operating region of the internal combustion engine, and then flow into an EGR catalyst and a start catalyst, thereby causing the catalysts to overheat. In view of the above circumstances, it is demanded that the abnormality detection device for the EGR device mounted on the internal combustion engine with a supercharger accurately detect the inability of the EGR valve to close.
However, it is difficult for the aforementioned conventional device to fulfill such a demand. The reason is that the conventional device detects an abnormality in accordance with the deviation between the estimated intake pressure and the actual intake pressure. More specifically, even if the EGR device is abnormal, there is no significant deviation between the estimated intake pressure and the actual intake pressure in an operating region where the intake pressure is higher than the back pressure. In a certain operating region, therefore, the conventional device may fail to detect an abnormality in the EGR device. This may result in delayed abnormality detection. | {
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Invalid bedfast patients must be moved from position to position at least every two hours to prevent the occurrence of bed sores. Thus, a patient in a back rest position must be rolled to one side or the other periodically to prevent bed sores from occurring through lack of circulation at pressure points on the body.
Semi-invalid patients have a tendency to migrate longitudinally on the bed surface from the head of the bed towards the foot of the bed, particularly when the head of the bed is slightly elevated. It is common that such a patient will have to be moved upwardly towards the head of the bed up to 16 times in a 24-hour period.
It is often extremely difficult to reposition such patients as described above, or to occasionally move them to a sitting position on the bed. Statistically, 50% to 60% of all nursing injuries occur while they are turning or repositioning patients. Many times, two nurses are required to perform the repositioning function. Because of the difficulty in repositioning a patient, and because of the back injuries frequently experienced by nurses in performing this function, some patients are not moved as often as they should be.
It is, therefore, the principal object of this invention to provide a method and means for positioning bedfast patients which will not likely incur back injuries to the nurses performing the repositioning function.
A further object of this invention is to provide a method and means of positioning bedfast patients which will not be harmful to the patients themselves.
A further object of this invention is to provide a method and means of positioning bedfast patients whereby the patients can be easily moved longitudinally in the bed, rolled from side to side, or moved to a sitting position.
These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art. | {
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This invention relates to a system that monitors two sensor signals to determine direction of movement of an object so that position of the object can be more accurately determined.
Many different types of control systems monitor various characteristics of an object in order to make control decisions. For example, sensors can monitor and generate data that can be used to determine speed, position, and/or direction of movement of the object. Direction is determined by comparing two sensor signals to each other and position is incremented or decremented according to the direction. A system micro controller calculates position. It is important that a determination of direction of movement be accurate so that position can be accurately determined. Misjudgments of the direction can result in error in position calculation.
Misjudgments can occur either by a signal phase shift or by noise. The phase shift is caused by imbalance between the two sensors and/or imbalance between the interface circuits for the sensors. Noise can also cause misjudgments. For example, if the first sensor turns high from low due to noise when a rising edge of the second sensor is received, the direction of movement can be misjudged.
Thus, it is desirable to have a system that can more accurately determine direction of movement of an object to increase accuracy of position determination. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus and an image forming method, and more specifically, to an image forming apparatus based on an electrophotographic system or an electrostatic printing system, such as a copier or a laser beam printer.
2. Description of the Related Art
An image forming apparatus such as a copier or an LBP (Laser Beam Printer) based on an electrophotographic system has an electrophotographic photosensitive member (hereinafter referred to as a “photosensitive member”) which is shaped like a rotating drum or belt and which operates as an image carrier, charging means for charging the photosensitive member to a predetermined potential, latent image forming means for forming an electrostatic latent image by exposing the photosensitive member charged by the charging means, and image forming process means for developing the electrostatic latent image.
The image forming apparatus forms a toner image on the photosensitive member which is transferable and which corresponds to image information. Then, transfer means transfers the toner image from the photosensitive member to a print material. Moreover, the print material to which the toner image has been transferred is introduced into fixing means to thermally fix the toner image to a surface of the print material as a permanently fixed image. The print material is then outputted as image formed matter (a copy or a print). After the toner image has been transferred to the print material, residual attached contaminants such as transfer residual toner or paper dusts remaining on the surface of the photosensitive member are removed (photosensitive member cleaning) so that the photosensitive member can be repeatedly used for an image forming process.
In a transfer section corresponding to a nip portion that is in pressure contact with the photosensitive member, transfer means is frequently used which uses a contact rotation type transfer member, what is called a transfer roller, which electrostatically transfers the toner image from the photosensitive member to the print material while sandwiching and conveying the print material. The transfer roller is used because it has the advantages of serving to simplify a conveying path for the print material and allowing the print material to be stably conveyed. The transfer section applies a plus bias from the transfer means which bias is the reverse of a toner charging polarity (for example, a minus charging characteristic), to the photosensitive member via the print material. Thereby, an electric field is formed to transfer the toner image from the photosensitive member to a print material.
An image forming apparatus is known which has a relatively long distance between the transfer section and the fixing section, located downstream in a conveying direction, and in which conveying auxiliary means including an elastomer roller, an elastomer belt, and the like is disposed between the transfer section and the fixing section in order to convey a print material that is shorter than the distance between the transfer section and the fixing section.
FIG. 1 shows the structure of a conveying auxiliary device in a conventional image forming apparatus. A conveying auxiliary device 16 conveys a print material P discharged from between a photosensitive drum 1 and a transfer roller 5, to the fixing device. The conveying auxiliary device 16 has an elastomer conveying belt 16a that is an endless belt having a width of about 5 to 100 mm. The elastomer conveying belt 16a has steps 16b of about 0.1 to 1 mm on its surface at a pitch of about 1 to 10 mm. Normally, the elastomer conveying belt 16a is tensioned by a plurality of shafts 23a and 23b provided on the side of a nonprinted surface of the print material. Particularly if the print material is shorter than the distance between the transfer roller and the fixing device, rotation of the driving shaft 23a in the conveying direction assists the conveyance of the print material already passed through a transfer nip N to the fixing device so that a trailing end of the print material in the conveying direction is pushed by the steps 16b.
An inlet side of the transfer nip N is defined as Na. An outlet side of the transfer nip N is defined as Nb. A central position of the transfer nip N is defined as No. If the conveying auxiliary device 16 is located too high, an unfixed image on a printed surface may be disturbed. Accordingly, considerations are given so that the conveying auxiliary device 16 is located somewhat along the conveying surface between the transfer roller and the fixing device from the transfer nip outlet Nb.
FIG. 2 shows the structure of a transfer high-voltage control circuit in a conventional image forming apparatus. Known means for varying a voltage applied to the transfer roller 5 is control that uses a pulse width modulation (PWM) system (refer to, for example, Japanese Patent No. 2951993). A PWM signal outputted by a high-voltage control section 31 passes through an LPF (Low Pass Filter) 33 provided on a primary side of a high-voltage transformer 32. The signal is thus converted into an analog signal of 0 to 5 V and has its voltage changed to become a transfer bias. Specifically, PWM control is provided to modulate the duty ratio of the pulse signal to change the voltage behind the LPF 33. The generated voltage changes in proportion to the above change. For example, if the high-voltage transformer 32 has a maximum output voltage of 5 kV, when the PWM duty ratio is 100%, 5 kV is outputted. When the PWM duty ratio has a resolution of 256 bits, a voltage per bit is about 20 V. This resolution is sufficient for the transfer high voltage. The high resolution is characteristic of the PWM system.
Another transfer voltage control system is an ATVC (Active Transfer Voltage Control) system (refer to, for example, Japanese Patent No. 2614309). The ATVC system carries out constant voltage control during a non-paper-passing period when no print materials are present in the transfer section. The ATVC system then determines a constant voltage control value for a paper passing period on the basis of a currently retained voltage. A transfer application bias is determined on the basis of 1) a multiple of the retained voltage, 2) a multiplication of the retained voltage by a coefficient, 3) a constant voltage, or 4) a combination of 1) to 3), using appropriate timings in a particular sequence. With the PWM method, a PWM value occurring during constant voltage control is retained. Then, on the basis of this PWM value, a PWM value is determined which is used for constant voltage control while paper is being passed through the apparatus.
A description will be given of an example of a transfer control sequence for the conventional image forming apparatus. Constant current control is started at a predetermined time during forward rotation after a print signal has been received. A PWM value that corresponds to a desired current value is stored, and a PWM average value for one rotation of the transfer roller is defined as PWMo (a high-voltage output value corresponding to PWMo is defined as Vo). After the constant current control has been finished and before a leading end of the print material reaches the transfer nip inlet Na, the transfer bias control value remains at PWMo (constant voltage Vo control). Subsequently, while a toner image is being transferred, PWM based on the PWMo, that is, a print bias: PWMt=a*PWMo+b (a and b are constants; PWMt>PWMo) is outputted (the high voltage output value corresponding to PWMt is defined as Vt). Then, before a trailing end of the print material reaches the transfer nip inlet Na, the PWMt output is switched to the PWMo output. Subsequently, the application of the transfer high voltage is turned off at a predetermined time to complete transfer control.
Control is conventionally used in which the transfer bias is switched from Vt to Vo when the trailing end of the print material passes through the transfer section and is reduced when there are no print materials in the transfer section N (this control will hereinafter be referred to as non-paper-passing bias control). This control prevents the surface of the photosensitive member from being disadvantageously charged with a positive bias voltage received from the transfer roller while no paper is being passed (hereinafter referred to as photosensitive member plus memory). For example, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2001-083812, a switch timing is ordinarily set at a time when a bottom margin of an image is transferred, that is, a time after a toner image has been completely transferred and before the trailing end of the print material reaches the transfer nip N. Furthermore, while the trailing end of the print material is passing through the transfer nip N, the photosensitive member plus memory produces notably significant effects. Accordingly, while the trailing end of the print material is passing through the transfer nip N, weak bias application control (hereinafter referred to as trailing end bias control) having a transfer bias control value of Vo/2 or less may be provided.
However, in the conventional image forming apparatus, inappropriate conveyance or jamming may be caused by the following factors in connection with the passage of print materials such as index cards used in a low humidity environment which materials have a certain level of rigidity and which is light and small.
A dry high-resistance print material is likely to retain charges on its nonprinted surface (the charges are unlikely to be attenuated). Accordingly, when the trailing end of the print material passes through the transfer nip outlet Nb, the plus charges retained on the nonprinted surface are likely to be attracted to the negatively charged surface of the photosensitive member via the trailing end of the print material. Consequently, the state shown in FIG. 1 is likely to result.
For example, a small-sized sheet of a high resistance which has been left and dried in a low humidity environment, for example, an index card P of 3×5 inch size (76.2 mm×127 mm) and 0.3 mm thickness, is passed through an image forming apparatus having a distance of 200 mm between the transfer roller and the fixing device. After the trailing end of the index card P in the conveying direction has come out of the transfer section and before its leading end reaches the fixing section, the index card P floats owing to its is rigidity and light weight so that its trailing end extends along a rotating direction a of the photosensitive drum 1. The index card P cannot contact with the conveying belt 16a and remains between the transfer roller and the fixing device. As a result, jamming may result.
In particular, in an image forming apparatus which has a print speed of more than 100 mm/sec and in which the high voltage transformer has a fall time (in this case, the time from the switching from the transfer bias Vt to trailing end bias control until a drop to half of Vt or less) of 0.05 sec or more, the trailing end of the print material passes through the transfer nip N early during a fall time. Consequently, the bias drop cannot appropriately follow the passage and an excessive amount of charges are likely to be retained at the trailing end. Therefore, the above-described jamming may result.
The transfer bias control in the conventional image forming apparatus will be described with reference to FIGS. 3A and 3B. FIG. 3A shows a transfer bias control value for the vicinity of the trailing end of the print material in an image forming apparatus having a print speed of 150 mm/sec, a transfer high-voltage transformer fall time of 0.05 sec, and a transfer nip width of 4 mm. FIG. 3B shows the effective value of the transfer bias. The time at which the trailing end of the print material P passes through the central position No of the transfer nip is defined as a time reference zero. The switching timing for the trailing end bias control is −17 msec, when a position of the print material P located 2.5 mm away from its trailing end passes through the nip center No. The trailing end bias control has a bias value of Vo/2. The switching timing for the non-paper-passing bias control is +17 msec. The non-paper-passing bias value is Vo.
FIG. 3B indicates that while the trailing end of the print material is passing through the transfer nip N, the trailing end bias control applies Vo/2. However, a high voltage of Vo or more is actually applied under the effects of the print speed and fall time. If the bias switching timing corresponds to the time immediately before the trailing end of the print material passes through the transfer section, substantially no trailing end bias acts on the trailing end of the print material owing to the tradeoff between the print speed and high-voltage fall time. As a result, the apparatus may be jammed with the above described small-sized paper. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to control systems of an automotive automatic transmission, and more particularly to the control systems of a type which can engage a friction element to bring about an engine brake when, with the transmission assuming a given forward speed of a so-called Over-drive possible D-range, a throttle opening becomes reduced to a certain small degree due to OFF-operation of an accelerator.
2. Description of the Prior Art
For clarifying the task of the present invention, one known control system of an automotive automatic transmission will be briefly described with reference to FIG. 6 of the accompanying drawings. The transmission of the drawing is described in the manual (A261C07) titled "MAINTENANCE FOR FULL-RANGE .ELECTRONICALLY CONTROLLED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION (RE4R01A type)" issued from NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD in March, 1987.
In the known control system, in a forward drive range with an over-drive switch being ON, engine brake does not operate irrespective of the degree of a throttle opening, while, in a forward drive range with the over-drive switch being OFF, the engine brake operates in the second or third forward speed when the throttle opening becomes small. Either one of these two forward drive ranges is selected at will by manipulating the over-drive switch (OD-SW) which is usually mounted on a shift lever.
For ease of description, the forward drive range with the over-drive switch being ON will be referred to as "Over-drive possible D-range" wherein the transmission can assume a lock-up ON condition, and the forward drive range with the over-drive switch being OFF will be referred to as "Over-drive impossible D-range" wherein the transmission can not assume the lock-up ON condition.
As is described in page I-65 of the manual, in the above-mentioned known control system of the automatic transmission, in case of the Over-drive possible D-range, an overrun clutch (OR/C) 18 (which is a friction element for achieving engine brake) is kept disengaged even when, with the transmission assuming a lock-up ON condition, the driver releases an accelerator or effects an OFF operation of the accelerator.
That is, in the known control system, in the Over-drive possible D-range, the same control map-is used for both a case wherein the lock-up ON condition is established and a case wherein the lock-up ON condition is not established. Accordingly, even when, with the transmission assuming the third forward speed in the Over-drive possible D-range, the throttle opening is reduced to a certain degree due to OFF-operation of the accelerator, the overrun clutch (OR/C) 18 is not engaged. Thus, upon the OFF-operation of the accelerator, a forward one-way clutch (F/OC) 21 is forced to run idle, so that a counter driving force is not transmitted to the engine and thus an engine brake is not applied to the output shaft 12. This phenomenon brings about a sudden drop of the engine speed.
Thus, when, for improving a fuel economy, a fuel cut control has been set to control an associated engine, the control would fail to operate normally. That is, normally, the fuel cut action takes place when, with the engine speed exceeding a predetermined degree, the throttle opening is reduced to a certain level. However, due to dropping of the engine speed, the fuel cut action can not take place even when the throttle opening is reduced. | {
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Various embodiments of the present invention relate to time series, and more specifically, to a method and apparatus for processing time series.
With the development of technologies such as computer, data communication and real-time monitoring, time series databases have been applied in various aspects such as equipment monitoring, production line management, and financial analysis. A time series refers to a set of measured values arranged in time order. Here, a node storing measured values may be referred to as a data point or data event. A time series database refers to a database for storing these measured values. Measured values may include various data. For example, in an application environment of monitoring bridge security, collected data may include pressure data and/or pressure intensity data collected by a certain sensor; in an application environment of weather forecasting, collected data may include temperature, humidity, pressure, wind force (e.g., including direction and magnitude), etc.
Similarly, the term “search” refers to searching for similar subsequences in a time series. Typically, a time series consists of massive data, and the time series might be continuously updated in real time by incoming measured values. For example, in the application environment of monitoring bridge security, tens of thousands of sensors might be deployed on the bridge to measure pressure at each location in real time. When the database is updated with a frequency of 1 second or even shorter, large amounts of data will be generated.
It should be noted that a similarity search does not require subsequences to completely match with one another but may involve some difference. For example, an error bound may be “e.” An important aspect of similarity search is to search for a motif in a time series. In short, a motif refers to a time series subsequence with a length of m that appears at least s times in the time series with the error bound e. In a time series database, motifs are an important basis for post processing (e.g., obtaining an association rule, clustering, classification, etc.).
So far there have been developed technical solutions for accelerating a similarity search. In these technical solutions, however, there exist a lot of drawbacks, as a collected time series cannot be processed in real time due to a large data amount or as only a time series in sliding window scope with a limited length can be processed in real time. Therefore, it becomes a research focus in the time series database field regarding how to search in a time series with a soaring data amount, for example, how to find top-k (a concrete value of k may be specified) motifs with the largest count of occurrences. | {
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The present invention relates to double wall units forming separate inner and outer compartments for storage of inflammable liquids, such as gasoline, above ground. Heretofore, there have been many different structures proposed for storage of inflammable liquids below ground, and a variety of structures have been proposed for transport and/or storage of inflammable liquids above ground. In storing inflammable liquids above ground, it is essential that controls be provided re any possible leakage of the liquid from one or both of the tanks; the vapors from the stored inflammable liquid, such as gasoline, must be vented from the tanks or be otherwise handled in a safe manner; the structure must be as fireproof as possible and be resistant to impacts; and gradual deterioration of the structure must be observable. Also, the structure should be difficult to damage by vandalism, and the structure should be earthquake proof, if possible.
Efforts have been made in the past to provide a unitary gasoline storage and vending apparatus that can be moved from place to place, as desired, for vending of gasoline. The possibility of automatic vending of gasoline from a storage tank unit at a remote area, or during the night when other gas stations or suppliers would be closed, provide interesting commercial possibilities for use of self-contained gasoline storage and vending units. These units particularly lend themselves to above ground storage of gasoline.
A number of different patented constructions have been proposed for storage of liquids, and they include U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,453,983 and 2,558,694. It still is very desirable to provide an improved above ground storage facility for gasoline, which facility is safe in construction and use, is durable, and would provide a mobile gasoline storage and vending unit. | {
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Deadplates are commonly used at the transition point from a first mass conveyor running at one predetermined speed and a second mass conveyor running at a second but higher speed in order to obtain separation of the containers or articles on the conveyor. This is particularly necessary when the next conveyor which the containers will encounter is a vacuum conveyor which will lift the containers up and transport them to another station. The reason for the necessity for speed change is to provide longitudinal separation of the articles so that each properly oriented article will be drawn by the vacuum against the vacuum transfer device, rather than being held by adjacent cans due to the Coanda Effect, which is the wall attachment effect caused by a stream of fast moving air, moving along a surface creating a partial vacuum which tends to draw any adjacent articles toward that surface. While the structure just described is satisfactory for its intended purposes, one of the disadvantages is that it requires substantial room within the plant for the higher speed conveyor and in some plant arrangements, there is simply not enough room for including a second conveyor. The prior art arrangement just described is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,664,483 to Revaz for "Method of and Apparatus For Releasing Objects to a Transporting Device".
A conventional vacuum transfer device for conveying containers from one elevation to another is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,136,767 to Sarovich entitled "Vacuum Operated Can-Conveying and Can-Uprighting Apparatus". In this device there is no longitudinal separation of the containers at all. Thus, if one of the containers is held by the other containers due to the Coanda Effect rather than being held by the vacuum, as the containers move around the drum, the weight of the container which is not held by the vacuum may be sufficient to dislodge other containers and cause them to fall off of the vacuum transfer device.
A vacuum transfer apparatus for transferring containers which have already been separated longitudinally is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,146,467 to Sauer, et al., entitled "Apparatus for Detecting and Rejecting Downed and Damaged Containers". Thus, in order for this device to operate satisfactorily, there must be provided between the mass conveyor and this device a conveyor which accelerates the containers to provide the necessary longitudinal separation.
Another vacuum transfer device is shown in my U.S. Pat. No. 4,560,060 for "Vacuum Belt Conveyor". In this device, the containers are supplied to the vacuum transfer belt from a mass conveyor in which the containers are in contiguous relationship. The vacuum transfer conveyor operates at a higher speed than the mass conveyor thereby separating the containers as they are moved to a downstream conveyor. The purpose of this separation is to allow the misaligned and damaged containers to be discharged from the apparatus. The device works well for its intended purpose. However, under certain operating conditions, and particularly when the containers are supplied with the open end down, it is possible for a leading container, as it is being drawn up to the vacuum belt, to pull with it one or more trailing containers because of the Coanda Effect whereupon those containers will not be held against the vacuum belt by the vacuum but will tend to fall off. If the containers have not been necked or flanged, the open mouth has a raw edge. When they are being fed with the open mouth down, as they are lifted from the conveyor belt to a faster moving transfer belt, the edge of the open mouth of the container may "trip" on the conveyor belt and tip over or jam which will cause subsequent containers also to be tipped over.
Another vacuum conveyor is shown in my co-pending and commonly owned U.S. application Ser. No. 663,178 filed Oct. 22, 1984 for "Curved Vacuum Transfer Conveyor", now abandoned, wherein containers are transferred from a mass conveyor to a curved vacuum conveyor which picks up the containers and carries them around a curved plenum to a discharge conveyor at a different elevation. With this apparatus the same difficulties just described above can occur. As the leading containers are lifted by the vacuum transfer belt, the upstream containers, trailing on the mass conveyor belt can be drafted along with the leading containers due to the Coanda Effect. Thus, the leading containers are drawn tightly against the vacuum transfer belt, whereas the trailing containers may not. This is a particularly troublesome problem with highly etched bright containers because of the high coefficient of friction between the surfaces of the containers causes them to tend to stick together. As a result, as the containers move around the belt, the weight of the unattached trailing containers can cause them to fall away and pull with them additional containers so that they are not properly transferred to the next downstream station. Furthermore, if the mouths of the containers are down, they can trip on the conveyor belt as they are drafted forwardly causing them to tip over and causing other containers approaching from behind to be tipped over or otherwise disrupted from their normal path of travel.
A vacuum alignment device is provided in U.S. Pat. No. 3,352,404 to Di Settembrini, entitled "Devices for Stabilizing Light Objects on Conveyor Belts" wherein articles are dropped onto a moving conveyor belt from above the belt and a vacuum device is provided to hold the containers in upright condition and to bring them into single file alignment through a guide means. This device is not intended to align containers on a mass conveyor prior to being lifted by a vacuum conveyor.
A form of vacuum deadplate is shown in my co-pending and commonly owned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 700,748 filed Feb. 12, 1985, entitled "Vacuum Single Filer", now U.S. Pat. No. 4,669,604. However, this vacuum deadplate is for the purpose of helping discharge aligned diagonal rows of containers from a mass conveyor in a precise predetermined alignment so that they can be brought into single file alignment along a subsequent vacuum belt. The vacuum deadplate shown therein is not used to hold the containers in a particular alignment prior to being lifted up by a vacuum transfer conveyor belt.
It is often desirable to move containers from a mass conveyor onto pallets in parallel nested rows in contiguous relationship. One such device for accomplishing this arrangement is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,300,065 to Witmer, entitled "Means for Material Handling". The containers move from a mass conveyor past converging sidewalls which direct the containers into a palletizing area. The containers move to the distal end of the palletizing area where they are retained by a vertical wall. Succeeding containers move in behind the first containers and fill up the area until the pallet layer is full. One of the difficulties with this arrangement is that sometimes all of the open areas will not be filled in and containers will be missing from one or more locations in a pallet layer when the last row has been filled in. This is caused because the containers do not readily move past each other into the vacant spaces, particularly when the containers have a bright finish which creates a lot of friction between the surfaces of adjacent containers. | {
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A photovoltaic (PV) panel, often referred to as a solar panel or PV module, is a packaged interconnected assembly of solar cells also known as PV cells. The PV module is typically used as a component of a larger PV system to generate and supply electricity in commercial and residential applications. Because a single PV module can only produce a limited amount of power, most installations contain several PV modules to form a PV array. The PV array is often mounted on a building rooftop or the ground with each of the PV modules in a fixed position facing generally south.
There are many mounting systems for securing PV modules to rooftops that adequately withstand wind loads. However, these prior mounting systems are not environmentally friendly, are relatively expensive to produce, time consuming to install, custom fabricated to each type or brand of PV module, and/or can damage the rooftop by penetrating a roof membrane. Accordingly, there is a need in the art for improved mounting systems for PV modules in rooftop applications. | {
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This relates to a motor driven fish-jigging apparatus. It is an object of this invention to provide a device for providing movement to a fishing line, which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture and which includes a means for quickly and easily attaching and detaching the fishing line. | {
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Solar cells produce electric current and voltage in order to power an external load, and a primary goal of solar cell design is to increase power output while balancing manufacturing cost. Due to the widespread availability and low cost of silicon versus other semiconductor materials, it has remained the overwhelming choice for solar cell manufacturers. However, since silicon is an “indirect band gap” semiconductor, energy (heat) must be exchanged with the crystal lattice in the form of phonons in order to free electrons. Silicon only uses a portion of the solar spectrum to free electrons. Much of the remaining spectrum energy is absorbed by the crystal lattice, which causes the temperature of the solar cell to rise during normal operation. Additionally, the low surface-state density characteristic of silicon makes it susceptible to radiation damage over time, especially in outer-space applications. High energy particles from the sun create intermediate energy states in a solar cell which lead to higher recombination rates and lower efficiency.
Surface-state density of Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) is much larger than silicon, and the material is inherently harder to total-dose radiation. See Kerns et al., “The design of radiation-hardened ICs for space: a compendium of approaches,” Proceedings of the IEEE 76(11) (1988). GaAs is a “direct band gap” semiconductor that absorbs photon energy and free electrons without transferring momentum, and less heat is absorbed in the crystal lattice. This generates significant improvements for solar cell design such as lower operating temperatures in a given environment. See Silverman et al., “Outdoor performance of a thin-film gallium-arsenide photovoltaic module,” Proc. IEEE Photovoltaic Specialist Conference (2013). GaAs provideds additional advantages over silicon including thinner absorbing layers, which improves flexibility and reduces weight. Additionally, GaAs cells maintain performance advantages as irradiance decreases. Generally, high-efficiency GaAs cells produce about 20% more power than high-efficiency silicon cells at room temperature, and about 28% more power at typical operating temperatures. See Reich et al., “Weak light performance and spectral response of different solar cell types,” Proc. 20th European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference (2005).
Further advantages in solar cell operation may accrue through the placement of all electrical contacts on the back-surface of the solar cell. The key advantage of the design is the corresponding placement of the emitter and its associated electrical contacts on the back-surface of the solar cell. This improves both the optical and electrical performance of the solar cell since shading is eliminated and robust electrical contacts may be used to decrease serial resistance. To date, back-surface contact solar cell designs have focused almost exclusively on silicon as the semiconductor of choice.
It would be advantageous to provide a GaAs-based solar cell having relatively optimized layer structure and doping concentrations for back-surface contact operation. Such a solar cell would provide significant advantage over silicon-based cells while additionally providing the advantages associated with back-surface contact placement.
These and other objects, aspects, and advantages of the present disclosure will become better understood with reference to the accompanying description and claims. | {
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Technical Field
The present disclosure generally relates to the field of electronic data processing and file collection and management systems. More specifically, and without limitation, the exemplary embodiments described herein relate to computer-implemented systems and methods for distributed file collection and processing in, for example, high latency, distributed networks.
Background
Online content systems and related services are used for handling the distribution and placement of electronic content on the Internet. Such content may include articles, videos, and other content, including online advertisements. In the field of online advertising, for example, computerized systems and services are provided for managing and placing advertisements for goods and services on web pages viewed by users throughout the world. Online advertising systems collect information about advertisements from ad creators and profile information from users and process this information in order to determine how to deliver ads to users who are likely to be interested in particular goods or services. Similar techniques are also used for other forms of electronic content placed on web pages.
Several different parties may be involved in an online content system. For example, with reference again to the online advertising field, such parties may include advertisers, publishers, users (i.e., consumers of goods and services), and online advertising service providers. Multiple parties and systems are also involved when dealing with the distribution of other online content for the Internet. In most cases, the relevant parties are scattered geographically throughout the world. As a result, the systems and hardware components involved in collecting and processing pertinent data may likewise be scattered across multiple regions or continents. For example, an online advertising system may comprise ad servers, bid servers, processing and/or collection centers, and consumer systems spread across multiple regions or continents. As the number of entities and users involved in these systems and the amount of data exchanged by these parties grows, the disparate locations of these computerized components can create data latencies that hinder the ability to serve the creators and recipients of relevant data.
Current online content systems also suffer from downtime due to static system configuration and other factors. For example, the types of data to be collected from an ad server or a bid server may be configured in a static file, such that the addition of any new file types requires elements of the system to be shut down. User data may also be configured in a static file, such that the addition of new recipients of pertinent data may require that certain system elements be shut down. As online advertising systems and other content systems grow to accommodate additional content creators and recipients, and change to handle new types of data, the downtime caused due to static configuration may lead to unacceptably frequent service interruptions.
As a result, there is a need for improved systems and methods for distributed file collection and processing that can adapt and elastically expand and contract with minimal configuration and downtime. There is also a need for systems and methods to automatically discover, register, and/or remove data and react to changes in data types provided by data producers. Moreover, there is a need for systems and methods that can dynamically react to the addition of new consumers or changing needs of existing data consumers. | {
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This invention relates to frequency synthesizer devices and, in particular, to such devices using a phase-locked loop (PLL) comprising a voltage control oscillator (VCO), a phase comparator and a reference frequency oscillator.
A typical known frequency synthesizer using the PLL, as shown in FIG. 1, comprises a VCO 11, a variable frequency divider 12 which frequency divides the output frequency of the VCO 11, a reference frequency oscillator 13, and a phase comparator 14 which phase-compares between the output from the divider 12 and the reference frequency from the reference frequency oscillator 13 to apply the detected phase-difference signal to the VCO 11 as a control signal.
Generally, a DC amplifier 15 is provided between the output of the phase comparator 14 and the VCO 11 in order to amplify the phase-difference signal.
The variable frequency divider 12 is given a desired number information (N is a positive integer) by a suitable means and provides a signal having a frequency of 1/N of the input frequency value.
Accordingly, the output frequency f.sub.0 of the VCO 11 is maintained at a frequency of N times of the reference frequency f.sub.r. Therefore, a desired frequency can be selected by selecting the number of N to be given to the variable frequency divider.
Since the reference frequency oscillator is, usually, a crystal oscillator with a high frequency stability, the oscillating frequency of the VCO is stabilized.
The known frequency synthesizer has been used, for example, as a local oscillator in a FM receiver, because of the high frequency stability.
But the known frequency synthesizer has a disadvantage that the variable frequency divider is very expensive because it is required to have a high dividing precision.
Another disadvantage is that the frequency selection is hardly possible by a continuous operation such as rotating operation of a selection dial. | {
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Conventionally, an electronic watch has adopted, in order to reduce current consumption, a method in which a plurality of normal drive pulses are prepared and a normal drive pulse which enables driving with minimum energy is constantly selected therefrom to drive a motor. This selection method is briefly described. A normal drive pulse is first output and it is subsequently determined whether the motor has rotated. If the motor has not rotated, a correction drive pulse is immediately output to rotate a rotor reliably and, when a subsequent normal drive pulse is output, the normal drive pulse is switched to a normal drive pulse having the next higher-ranked driving power to the previous one and is then output. If the motor has rotated, on the other hand, the same normal drive pulse as the previous one is output when the next normal drive pulse is output. Then, when the same drive pulse is output a predetermined number of times, the drive pulse is switched to a normal drive pulse having the next lower-ranked driving power. The normal drive pulse has heretofore been selected by this method.
Note that the detection of whether the rotor has rotated or not in the conventional method often uses a method in which, after the application of a normal drive pulse is finished, a detection pulse is output to abruptly change the impedance value of a coil of a stepper motor, and an induced voltage generated in the coil is detected at the coil ends, to thereby determine the pattern of free oscillation of the rotor. For example, one of two drive inverters respectively connected to both the ends of the coil is first operated as a first detection mode to output a detection pulse, and when a rotation detection signal is generated, the first detection mode is stopped and the other drive inverter is operated as a second detection mode to output a detection pulse. When another rotation detection signal is generated in the second detection mode, it is determined that the rotation has succeeded.
The second detection mode detects that the rotation has succeeded, that is, the rotor has crossed over a magnetic potential hill. The detection in the first detection mode, on the other hand, is performed before the second detection mode in order to prevent detection of an erroneous detection signal which is generated before the rotor completely crosses over a magnetic potential hill when the rotor is relatively weakly driven. Specifically, the first detection mode prevents a current waveform c2 of FIG. 25, to be described later, from being erroneously detected as a signal exceeding the magnetic potential even though the rotation of the rotor is not finished. It is therefore known that performing the first detection before the second detection mode is a technology effective for performing more accurate rotation detection (see, for example, Patent Literatures 1 and 2).
Hereinafter, the conventional technology is described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 23 is a block diagram illustrating a circuit configuration of a conventional electronic watch. FIG. 24 are waveform diagrams of pulses that are generated by circuits of the conventional electronic watch. FIG. 25 are waveform diagrams of current and voltage that are generated in the coil when the rotor has succeeded in rotating. FIG. 26 are examples of waveform diagrams of current and voltage that are generated in the coil when the rotor has failed to rotate.
In FIG. 23, reference numeral 20 denotes a stepper motor including a coil 9 and a rotor 10; 1, an oscillation circuit; 2, a clock division circuit; and 3, a normal drive pulse generation circuit. As illustrated in FIG. 24(a), the normal drive pulse generation circuit 3 outputs a normal drive pulse SP every 0.5 ms in a width of 4 ms every second, on the second based on a signal of the clock division circuit 2. In this case, when a rotation detection signal of the rotor 10 is not generated and it is determined that the rotation has failed, the normal drive pulse SP is switched to a normal drive pulse SP2 having the next higher-ranked driving power to the previous one, as illustrated in FIG. 24(a), and is then output from the normal drive pulse generation circuit 3. Reference numeral 4 denotes a correction drive pulse generation circuit, which outputs a correction drive pulse FP of 7 ms as illustrated in FIG. 24(d) based on a signal of the clock division circuit 2. The correction drive pulse FP is output after 32 ms has elapsed from the second when the rotation detection signal of the rotor 10 is not generated and it is determined that the rotation has failed.
Reference numeral 5 denotes a first detection pulse generation circuit, which outputs detection pulses B5 to B12 to be used in the first detection mode based on a signal of the clock division circuit 2. As illustrated in FIG. 24(b), the detection pulses B5 to B12 are pulses each having a width of 0.125 ms and are output every 1 ms from 5 ms after the second until 12 ms has elapsed since the second. Reference numeral 6 denotes a second detection pulse generation circuit, which outputs detection pulses F7 to F14 to be used in the second detection mode based on a signal of the clock division circuit 2. As illustrated in FIG. 24(c), the detection pulses F7 to F14 are pulses each having a width of 0.125 ms and are output every 1 ms from 7 ms after the second until 14 ms has elapsed since the second.
Reference numeral 7 denotes a pulse selection circuit, which selects and outputs the signals output from the normal drive pulse generation circuit 3, the correction drive pulse generation circuit 4, the first detection pulse generation circuit 5, and the second detection pulse generation circuit 6 based on determination results of a first detection mode determination circuit 12 and a second detection mode determination circuit 13, to be described later. Reference numeral 8 denotes a driver circuit, which outputs a signal of the pulse selection circuit 7 to the coil 9 to rotationally drive the rotor 10 and also control the rotation detection. The driver circuit 8 outputs the respective pulses alternately from a terminal O1 and a terminal O2 every 1 second. The internal configuration of the driver circuit 8 is the same as in patent literatures to be described later (a drive circuit 17, detection resistors R1 and R2, and MOS transistors Tr1 and Tr2 in FIG. 1 of Patent Literature 1 and FIG. 1 of Patent Literature 2), and detailed description thereof is therefore omitted. Reference numeral 11 denotes a detection circuit, which detects an induced voltage generated in the coil 9. Reference numeral 12 denotes the first detection mode determination circuit for determining the first detection mode based on a detection signal of the detection circuit 11. Reference numeral 13 denotes the second detection mode determination circuit for determining the second detection mode based on a detection signal of the detection circuit 11.
Note that the detection pulses B5 to B12 are output to a terminal on the opposite side of a terminal to which the normal drive pulse SP is output, and hence the detection pulses B5 to B12 abruptly change the impedance of a closed loop including the coil 9 to amplify a counter-electromotive voltage that is generated by free oscillation of the rotor 10 after the application of the normal drive pulse SP. The amplified counter-electromotive voltage is then detected by the detection circuit 11. The detection pulses F7 to F14 are output to a terminal on the same side of the terminal to which the normal drive pulse SP is output, and hence the detection pulses F7 to F14 abruptly change the impedance of the closed loop including the coil 9 to amplify a counter-electromotive voltage that is generated by free oscillation of the rotor 10 after the application of the normal drive pulses SP. The amplified counter-electromotive voltage is then detected by the detection circuit 11.
Subsequently, the operation of the above-mentioned configuration is described. The pulse selection circuit 7 selects, on the second, the normal drive pulse SP output from the normal drive pulse generation circuit 3 and drives the stepper motor 20. After 5 ms from the second, the first detection mode is started. In the first detection mode, the pulse selection circuit 7 selects and outputs the detection pulses B5 to B12 output from the first detection pulse generation circuit 5, and controls the stepper motor 20 so as to change the impedance of the coil 9. The detection circuit 11 then detects induced voltages that are generated in the coil 9 by the detection pulses B5 to B12. The pulse selection circuit 7, on the other hand, instructs the first detection mode determination circuit 12 to start its determination operation. The first detection mode determination circuit 12 determines the presence or absence of the detection signal in the first detection mode based on the number of times the detection signal is input from the detection circuit 11. When the detection signal of the detection circuit 11 has been generated twice, the first detection mode determination circuit 12 determines the detection and immediately stops the detection pulses output from the first detection pulse generation circuit 5 to notify the pulse selection circuit 7 so as to end the operation of the first detection mode. The first detection mode determination circuit 12 further instructs the second detection mode determination circuit 13 to start its operation, to thereby shift to the second detection mode. However, when the detection pulses B5 to B12 have produced no detection signal at all, or only one detection signal, the first detection mode determination circuit 12 determines that the rotation has failed and ends the operation of the first detection mode. Then, without shifting to the second detection mode, the correction drive pulse FP is output, and when the next normal drive pulse is output, the normal drive pulse SP2 having the next higher-ranked driving power to the previous one is output from the normal drive pulse generation circuit 3.
In the second detection mode, the pulse selection circuit 7 selects and outputs the detection pulses F7 to F14 generated by the second detection pulse generation circuit 6, and controls the stepper motor 20. The detection circuit 11 then detects induced voltages that are generated in the coil 9 by the detection pulses F7 to F14. The second detection mode determination circuit 13 receives the detection signal of the detection circuit 11. When the detection signal has been generated twice, the second detection mode determination circuit 13 determines that the rotation has succeeded and immediately stops the detection pulses output from the second detection pulse generation circuit 6 to end the operation of the second detection mode, and further controls the pulse selection circuit 7 so as not to output the correction drive pulse FP. However, the detection of the detection signals generated by the detection pulses F7 to F14 is finished when the detection signal has been detected six times at most. If no detection signal, or only one detection signal, is generated during the detection, it is determined that the rotation has failed and the correction drive pulse FP is output. Then, when the next normal drive pulse is output, the normal drive pulse SP2 having the next higher-ranked driving power to the previous one is output from the normal drive pulse generation circuit 3.
An actual method of detecting the rotation through the above-mentioned operation is described with reference to the waveform diagrams of FIGS. 25 and 24. First, the case where the rotor 10 has rotated normally is described. FIG. 25(a) is a waveform of a current that is induced in the coil 9 when the rotor 10 rotates. FIG. 25(b) is a waveform of a voltage generated at one terminal O1 of the coil 9 in the second detection mode. FIG. 25(c) is a waveform of a voltage generated at another terminal O2 of the coil 9 in the first detection mode. Note that the waveforms generated at the terminals O1 and O2 are alternating pulses whose phases are inverted every 1 second.
First, the normal drive pulse SP illustrated in FIG. 24(a) is applied to the terminal O1 of the coil 9, and the rotor 10 rotates. The current waveform at this time is a waveform c1 of FIG. 25(a). After the end of the normal drive pulse SP, the rotor 10 becomes a freely oscillated state, and the current waveform becomes induced current waveforms denoted by c2, c3, and c4. At a time of 5 ms, the first detection mode is started, and the detection pulse B5 illustrated in FIG. 24(b) is applied to the coil 9. As illustrated in FIG. 25(a), at 5 ms, the current waveform is in the region of the current waveform c2, in which the current value is negative. Accordingly, as illustrated in FIG. 25(c), an induced voltage V5 generated by the detection pulse B5 never exceeds a threshold Vth of the detection circuit (hereinafter, simply referred to as threshold Vth). At 7 ms, however, the current waveform is in the region of the current waveform c3, in which the current value is changed to the positive direction. Accordingly, as illustrated in FIG. 25(c), an induced voltage V7 generated by the detection pulse B7 becomes a detection signal exceeding the threshold Vth. Similarly at 8 ms, the current waveform is also in the region of the current waveform c3, and an induced voltage V8 generated by the detection pulse B8 becomes a detection signal exceeding the threshold Vth. Because the two detection signals of the induced voltages V7 and V8 have exceeded the threshold Vth, the mode is switched to the second detection mode.
In response to the switching to the second detection mode by the induced voltage V8, a next timing detection pulse, namely the detection pulse F9 at the time of 9 ms illustrated in FIG. 24(c), is applied to the coil 9. As illustrated in FIG. 25(a), at 9 ms, the current waveform is in the region of the current waveform c3, in which the current value is positive, and hence, as illustrated in FIG. 25(b), an induced voltage V9 generated by the detection pulse F9 never exceeds the threshold Vth. Further, the current waveform for an induced voltage V10 generated by the detection pulse F10 is also in the region of the current waveform c3, and hence the induced voltage V10 never exceeds the threshold Vth. At 11 ms, however, as illustrated in FIG. 25(a), the current waveform is in the region of the current waveform c4, in which the current value is changed to the negative direction, and, as illustrated in FIG. 25(b), induced voltages V11 and V12 generated by the detection pulses F11 and F12 become detection signals exceeding the threshold Vth. Because the two detection signals of the induced voltages V11 and V12 have exceeded the threshold Vth, the second detection mode determination circuit 13 determines that the rotation has succeeded. Then, the correction drive pulse FP is not output, and when the next normal drive pulse is output, the normal drive pulse SP having the same driving power as the previous one is output.
Subsequently, the case where the rotor 10 has failed to rotate is described with reference to the waveform diagrams of FIGS. 26 and 24. FIG. 26(a) is a waveform of a current that is induced in the coil 9 when the rotor 10 has failed to rotate because, for example, the operating voltage of the driver circuit 8 has reduced to lower the driving power of the stepper motor 20. FIG. 26(b) is a waveform of a voltage generated at one terminal O1 of the coil 9 at this time, and FIG. 26(c) is a waveform of a voltage generated at another terminal O2 of the coil 9.
The waveform of the current that is generated in the coil when the rotation has failed is the current waveform as illustrated in FIG. 26(a). That is, up to the current waveform c1, the current exhibits substantially the same current waveform as that in the above-mentioned case where the rotation has succeeded, but subsequently exhibits current waveforms c2, c5, and c6. The waveform of the current that is generated in the coil 9 when the rotation has failed is longer and more gentle, as illustrated by the current waveform c5, than the current waveform in the case where the rotation has succeeded. The same method of detecting the rotation is also applied in the case where the rotation has failed. First, at the time of 5 ms, the first detection mode is started, and the detection pulse B5 is applied to the coil 9. As illustrated in FIG. 26(a), at 5 ms, the current waveform is in the region of the current waveform c2, in which the current value is negative. Accordingly, as illustrated in FIG. 26(c), the induced voltage V5 never exceeds the threshold Vth. At 8 ms, however, the current waveform is in the region of the current waveform c5, in which the current value is changed to the positive direction. Accordingly, as illustrated in FIG. 26(c), the induced voltage V8 becomes a detection signal exceeding the threshold Vth. Similarly at 9 ms, the current waveform is also in the region of the current waveform c5, and the induced voltage V9 becomes a detection signal exceeding the threshold Vth. Because the two detection signals of the induced voltages V8 and V9 have exceeded the threshold Vth, the mode is switched to the second detection mode.
In response to the switching to the second detection mode by the induced voltage V9, a next timing detection pulse, namely the detection pulse F10 at the timing of 10 ms illustrated in FIG. 24(c), is applied to the coil 9. As illustrated in FIG. 26(a), at 10 ms, the current waveform is in the region of the current waveform c5, in which the current value is positive. Accordingly, as illustrated in FIG. 26(b), the induced voltage V10 never exceeds the threshold Vth. Further, the current waveform for the induced voltages V10 to V14 generated by the detection pulses F10 to F14 is also in the region of the current waveform c5. It follows that no detection signal exceeding the threshold is detected within detection periods from the induced voltage V10 to the induced voltage V14. The second detection mode determination circuit 13 therefore determines that the rotation has failed and terminates the determination, with the result that the pulse selection circuit 7 selects the correction drive pulse FP to drive the stepper motor 20 so that the rotor 10 is reliably rotated. In this manner, the detection of whether the rotor has rotated or not is performed and, if the rotation has failed, the correction drive pulse FP can be output as appropriate so that the normal drive pulse SP2 having the next higher-ranked driving power to the previous one can be output when a next normal drive pulse is output.
As described above, in the case where the stepper motor 20 does not rotate normally, the correction drive pulse having sufficiently large effective electric power is output so as to reliably rotate the stepper motor 20 and increase the effective electric power of the normal drive pulse. Thus, the stepper motor 20 can be driven with the lowest electric power possible.
However, the above-mentioned technology can sometimes not perform detection well because of current waveform disturbance in the case where an indicating hand having a large moment of inertia is used. This problem is described with reference to waveform diagrams of FIGS. 27 and 24. FIG. 27 are waveform diagrams of current and voltage that are generated when the rotor 10 rotates in the case where an indicating hand having a large moment of inertia is attached to the conventional electronic watch. FIG. 27(a) is a waveform of a current that is induced in the coil 9 when the indicating hand having a large moment of inertia is attached. FIG. 27(b) is a waveform of a voltage generated at one terminal O1 of the coil 9 at this time, and FIG. 27(c) is a waveform of a voltage generated at another terminal O2 of the coil 9.
In the case where an indicating hand having a large moment of inertia is attached to a general drive circuit, the current waveform is as illustrated in FIG. 27(a). That is, the waveform profile exhibits induced current waveforms c2, c3, and c4 followed by a current waveform c1. Compared with the current waveform illustrated in FIG. 25(a), the period of the current waveform c3 is long and the current waveform c4 is flattened. This is because the free oscillation of the rotor 10 is restricted by the moment of inertia of the indicating hand. Hereinafter, the detection operation in this case is described. First, at 5 ms, the first detection mode is started, and the detection pulse B5 is applied to the coil 9. As illustrated in FIG. 27(a), at 6 ms, the current waveform is in the region of the current waveform c2, in which the current value is negative. Accordingly, as illustrated in FIG. 27(c), the induced voltage V6 never exceeds the threshold Vth. At 7 ms, however, the current waveform is in the region of the current waveform c3, in which the current value is changed to the positive direction. Accordingly, as illustrated in FIG. 27(c), the induced voltage V7 becomes a detection signal exceeding the threshold Vth. Similarly at 8 ms, the current waveform is also in the region of the current waveform c3, and the induced voltage V8 becomes a detection signal exceeding the threshold Vth. Because the two detection signals of the induced voltages V7 and V8 have exceeded the threshold Vth, the mode is switched to the second detection mode.
In response to the switching to the second detection mode by the induced voltage V8, the next timing detection pulse, namely the detection pulse F9 at the time of 9 ms, is applied to the coil 9. As illustrated in FIG. 27(a), at 9 ms, the current waveform is in the region of the current waveform c3, in which the current value is positive. Accordingly, as illustrated in FIG. 27(b), the induced voltage V9 never exceeds the threshold Vth. Similarly, the current waveform for the induced voltages V10 and V11 is also in the region of the current waveform c3, and hence the induced voltages V10 and V11 never exceed the threshold Vth. At 12 ms, the current waveform is in the region of the current waveform c4, in which the current value is changed to the negative direction. Accordingly, as illustrated in FIG. 27(b), an induced voltage V12 generated by the detection pulse F12 becomes a detection signal exceeding the threshold Vth. At 13 ms, however, the current waveform is in the region of the current waveform c4, in which the current value is negative, but because the current waveform is disturbed by the influence of the indicating hand having a large moment of inertia, an induced voltage exceeding the threshold Vth cannot be obtained from an induced voltage V13 generated by the detection pulse F13. Further, an induced voltage V14 generated by the detection pulse F14 is outside the region of the current waveform c4 and hence never exceeds the threshold Vth. It follows that a detection signal exceeding the threshold is not detected twice within six detection periods from the induced voltage V9 to the induced voltage V14. Therefore, the second detection mode determination circuit 13 determines that the rotation has failed, and the pulse selection circuit 7 selects and outputs the correction drive pulse FP. In other words, this leads to a phenomenon that, even though the rotation has succeeded, the correction drive pulse FP is output due to such erroneous determination, and when the next normal drive pulse is output, the normal drive pulse SP2 having the next higher-ranked driving power to the previous one is output from the normal drive pulse generation circuit 3, with the result that unnecessary current consumption is increased. Thus, the battery life is significantly reduced.
Let us consider countermeasures of increasing the detection pulse width in order to solve the above-mentioned problem. The detection pulse described above serves to detect the rotation of the rotor 10 and also suppress the electromagnetic brake of the rotor. That is, when the detection pulse is output, the detection pulse abruptly changes the impedance value of the coil of the stepper motor and therefore sets the state of the closed loop including the coil 9 to the high impedance state.
Note that, in addition to the case where the terminals O1 and O2 are opened so that the closed loop may have high impedance, it is also conceivable to connect the detection resistors R1 and R2 to the opened terminals O1 and O2 as disclosed in page 2 of Patent Literature 2. The resistance values of the detection resistors R1 and R2 (at the level of 100 kΩ) are larger than the resistance value of the coil (several kΩ), and hence the same effects can be obtained as in the case of setting to high impedance. Herein, both the states are referred to as high impedance.
At the moment when the high impedance state is established, an induced voltage that is generated in the coil by free oscillation of the rotor 10 is detected, and the obtained detection signal is used to detect the rotation of the rotor 10. If the high impedance state is continued, there is no chance to generate such induced electromotive force as to generate a magnetic field in the direction of preventing the change of magnetic flux generated in the coil 9 by the free oscillation of the rotor 10, namely electromagnetic brake. It is therefore possible to permit rapid reduction in speed of the free oscillation of the rotor 10 to some extent.
Now, the case where the detection pulse width is increased is described with reference to waveform diagrams of FIGS. 28 and 29. FIG. 28 are waveform diagrams of current and voltage that are generated when the rotor 10 rotates in the case where the detection pulse width is changed from 0.125 ms to 0.25 ms and an indicating hand having a large moment of inertia is attached to the conventional electronic watch. FIG. 28(a) is a waveform of a current that is induced in the coil 9 when the indicating hand having a large moment of inertia is attached. FIG. 28(b) is a waveform of a voltage generated at one terminal O1 of the coil 9 at this time, and FIG. 28(c) is a waveform of a voltage generated at another terminal O2 of the coil 9.
In the case where an indicating hand having a large moment of inertia is attached to a general drive circuit and further the detection pulse width is changed from 0.125 ms to 0.25 ms, the current waveform is as illustrated in FIG. 28(a). That is, the waveform profile exhibits induced current waveforms c2, c3, and c4 followed by a current waveform c1. Compared with the current waveform illustrated in FIG. 27(a), the electromagnetic brake is suppressed to increase the free oscillation of the rotor 10 and the current waveform c4 expands. Hereinafter, the detection operation in this case is described. First, at the time of 5 ms, the first detection mode is started, and the detection pulse B5 is applied to the coil 9. As illustrated in FIG. 28(a), at 6 ms, the current waveform is in the region of the current waveform c2, in which the current value is negative. Accordingly, as illustrated in FIG. 27(c), the induced voltage V6 never exceeds the threshold Vth. At 7 ms, however, the current waveform is in the region of the current waveform c3, in which the current value is changed to the positive direction. Accordingly, as illustrated in FIG. 28(c), the induced voltage V7 becomes a detection signal exceeding the threshold Vth. Similarly at 8 ms, the current waveform is also in the region of the current waveform c3, and the induced voltage V8 becomes a detection signal exceeding the threshold Vth. Because the two detection signals of the induced voltages V7 and V8 have exceeded the threshold Vth, the mode is switched to the second detection mode.
In response to the switching to the second detection mode by the induced voltage V8, the next timing detection pulse, namely the detection pulse F9 at the time of 9 ms, is applied to the coil 9. As illustrated in FIG. 28(a), at 9 ms, the current waveform is in the region of the current waveform c3, in which the current value is positive. Accordingly, as illustrated in FIG. 28(b), the induced voltage V9 never exceeds the threshold Vth. Similarly, the current waveform for the induced voltages V10 and V11 is also in the region of the current waveform c3, and hence the induced voltages V10 and V11 never exceed the threshold Vth. At 12 ms, however, the current waveform is in the region of the current waveform c4, in which the current value is changed to the negative direction, and hence, as illustrated in FIG. 28(b), induced voltages V12 and V13 generated by the detection pulses F12 and F13 become detection signals exceeding the threshold Vth. Because the two detection signals of the induced voltages V12 and V13 have exceeded the threshold Vth, the second detection mode determination circuit 13 determines that the rotation has succeeded. Then, the correction drive pulse FP is not output, and when the next normal drive pulse is output, the normal drive pulse SP having the same driving power as the previous one is output. In other words, a phenomenon where unnecessary current consumption is increased never occurs, nor is the battery life significantly reduced.
Patent Literature 3 describes that the width of a detection pulse is variable and the width of the detection pulse concerned is adjusted in accordance with indicating hands having different moments of inertia in the manner described above, to thereby change the amount of braking. | {
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(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ion concentration measuring method and apparatus for electrically measuring a concentration of ions present in a liquid solution.
(b) Description of the Related Art
An ion concentration measuring apparatus measures a membrane potential generated in an ion sensing layer in contact with a solution and displays the measured membrane potential, and recently, application of the ion concentration measuring apparatus has extended to biosensors and gas sensors. For example, a typical ion concentration measuring apparatus detects hydrogen ions and displays a degree of pH.
The ion concentration measuring apparatus may detect an ion concentration using a semiconductor transistor according to a semiconductor detection method. In the related art semiconductor detection method, an ion sensitive field effect transistor (ISFET) is used. The ISFET refers to an FET in which an ion sensing layer replacing a metal electrode is provided at a gate part of a metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET), in order to have ion selectivity. Using FET characteristics reacting to a potential on the ion sensing layer (that is, an interface potential), an ion concentration may be measured by indirectly measuring the interface potential. The semiconductor detection method is advantageous in that a response time is fast, allows the ion concentration detection apparatus to become compact and integrated, and allows for mass production.
In the related art ion concentration measuring apparatus using the ISFET, a single transistor including an ion sensing layer is used and an interface potential is induced as a voltage or a current at a source or a drain region of the ISFET, whereby the interface potential is indirectly measured. In the related art method, however, loss occurs in the process of inducing the interface potential as a voltage or a current at a source or a drain region, making it difficult to measure a fine interface potential (a potential on the ion sensing layer). Also, in the related art, since the single transistor including the single ion sensing layer is used, a measurement magnitude with respect to a membrane potential is limited to single transistor characteristics. With the method for measuring an ion concentration using a semiconductor, shielding (passivation) a solution such that it does not affect operation of a transistor or a circuit unit is important. However, in the related art ISFET, since the ion sensing layer and the transistor are positioned to be close up and down, a shielding process is difficult to perform and stability is degraded.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the invention and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art. | {
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When face-to-face communications are not practical, people often rely on one or more technological solutions to meet their communications needs. Traditional Telephony systems enable voice communications between callers. Instant messaging (also referred to as “chat”) communications systems enable users to communicate text messages in real time through instant message computer clients that are interconnected by an instant message server. Some instant messaging systems and interactive virtual reality communications systems allow users to be represented by user-controllable graphical objects (referred to as “avatars”). What are needed are improved systems and methods for realtime network communications. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a location confirming system, in particular, a location confirming system which is a system performing confirmation of location based upon a presumption measure mutually comparing electric power or amplitude of signals received at the respective receiving station as a system capable of performing location confirming as accurately as possible with a small number of receiving stations. The location confirming system is constructed with a transmitting measure in transmitter and a receiving measure in receiver. For instance, the system can be applied to an indoor wireless communication, movable-body communication, personal communication, and so on.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As for the prior-art, for instance, "An Outline of an Optical message communication System (CANS) and Future Business Development" (Author; Kohji Nagata, Business Communication, '91 Vol. 28 No. 1, pp. 128-135) is one of the prior-art documents. The above document relates to a system employing infrared light rays, and the system comprises an ID pen or a message card carried by respective workers and an optical tranceiver (transmitter/receiver) and an optical sensor both installed on the ceiling. Further, the same performs not only bilateral(two-way)-direction communication by use of the optical transceiver but confirmation (locating) of the residence by use of the optical sensor.
Various systems utilizing an electric wave or infrared light rays have been proposed hitherto, as a location confirming system. In those system, plural receivers are installed indoors on the ceiling at adequate intervals, and the receivers receive a discrimination signal transmitted from an object worker in order to confirm the location of the object worker.
In such conventional system, a method of judgment in which the receivers are distributed such that the signal transmitted from the object worker is received only by one of the plural receivers and thereby the existence of the worker near the receiver has been employed hitherto. However, the receiving directivity of the respective receivers has to be made acute in order to perform location confirming accurately, and nevertheless it accordingly turns out to be necessary to install a large number of receivers at the required locations. For instance, in the system example described in the reference document, the optical sensor employed for confirming location performs transmitting and receiving within the area of a circle with the radius of 1-2 m.
FIG. 23 is a conceptional diagram showing the conventional location confirming system. As shown in FIG. 23, transmitters such as infrared sensors or antennas are installed at several parts of the ceiling on the corridor or the entrance or ceiling of the room. When an object to be sensed, for instance, an office worker approaches to or pass through those sensors or antennas, the signals transmitted from each of the transmitters carried by the worker are received by the receiver.
The location of the object to be sensed is confirmed by reading out the discrimination data among the received signals. Since, in such conventional system, it is an object of the invention to confirm the existence or non-existence of the object (to be sensed) at the location where the sensor or antenna is installed, the distance between the respective receiving stations has to be sufficiently large (separated) such that the signal from the worker can be prevented from being simultaneously received by the respective receivers installed at two places.
Especially, in the case of employing the electric wave, since only very rough location presuming can be done, the system is ill-fitted for confirming location in a wide space such as a large room in the office. On the other hand, in the case of employing the infrared light rays, it is necessary to install a large number of receivers longitudinally and transversely within the area for sensing the object. The above-mentioned matters are the defects of the prior art. | {
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Semiconductor elements (hereinafter also simply referred to as “elements”) configured with various semiconductor materials such as ICs prepared using silicon semiconductors and organic EL elements prepared using organic semiconductors are usually produced by repeatedly forming a matrix of multiple elements on a wafer substrate, then dicing the substrate into individual elements known as chips.
In the description below, a wafer substrate having multiple semiconductor elements formed thereon (pre-dicing state) is also referred to as “a semiconductor wafer”. Semiconductor elements prepared by once dicing semiconductor elements in the semiconductor wafer into individual chips, thereafter rearranging only those chips of acceptable quality on a sheet of the same shape as the wafer substrate, are also understood to be included in the semiconductor wafer.
In addition to a basic element structure, a semiconductor element is provided with various wiring circuit structures (may be referred to as wiring circuit layers) during the stage of a semiconductor wafer to achieve functional enhancement of the element and for other purposes. Examples of such wiring circuit structures include redistribution layers.
As shown in FIG. 7, an element 200 with a wiring circuit structure 100 added thereto is one semiconductor device provided with a connection conductor 101 that facilitates connection with an external conductor (external circuit and the like), compared with the original element simply having an exposed electrode 201. In FIG. 7, the electrode 201 of the element is illustrated as if it is much protruded from the element for the sake of emphasis, so as to indicate its position clearly. In the reality, however, the amount of protrusion of the electrode is small, and the wiring circuit structure 100 and the element 200 are in close contact with each other because the upper face of the wiring circuit structure 100 is made of a flexible adhesive layer and the like.
A known method of providing a wiring circuit structure for an element comprises forming a bump on an electrode of each element during the stage of a semiconductor wafer, superposing thereon a separately formed wiring circuit structure of wafer size, and connecting them to each other by pressing or melt-adhering a terminal of the wiring circuit structure to the bump of each element.
Here, a stud bump is representative of the bump formed on the electrode of an element (e.g., JP-A-2008-124077). A stud bump 310 is formed by melting a tip 301 of a wire 300 of a bump metal (mainly gold) into a ball, as shown in FIG. 8(a), then connecting the ball to the electrode of an element, as shown in FIG. 8(b), and cutting the wire in the vicinity of the ball, as shown in FIG. 8(c), to leave the tip containing the ball on the electrode.
A wiring circuit structure of wafer size is a structure wherein a large number of individual wiring circuit structures assemble together in a way such that their positions correspond to those of the individual elements in the semiconductor wafer, the wiring circuit structures being formed in predetermined positions on one insulating substrate having a large area.
FIG. 9(a) shows a state wherein a stud bump 310 is formed on each electrode 201 of a semiconductor element 200, and a terminal of a wiring circuit structure 100 is connected thereto. In the figure, the wiring circuit structure 100 is illustrated as a structure wherein a conductor pattern 102 is present on a base insulating layer 101, and a terminal 103 is formed on the conductor pattern. In some cases, however, the structure, has the conductor pattern and even the terminal 103 covered by an adhesive layer.
In the connection shown in FIG. 9(a), variation of the height of the stud bump 310 can reduce the connection reliability. In contrast, in JP-A-2008-124077, for example, the influence of height variation is reduced by interposing a conductive paste in the connection.
Referring to FIG. 9(a), when the terminal 103 of the wiring circuit structure 100 is made of a solder, any variation of the height of the partner stud bump 310 prevents uniform pressurization in bonding each bump and the corresponding terminal. For example, in pressure-bonding together a bump taller than other bumps (more protruded from the electrode surface than the other bumps) and the terminal, an excess pressure is exerted. In this case, as shown in FIG. 9(b), the stud bump 310 can fret in the terminal 103 deeply, which in turn causes the terminal 103 to be much deformed and come in contact with the electrode (usually, aluminum) 201 of the element, so that there are apprehensions of corrosion of the electrode due to contact with the solder which is the material for the terminal.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a structure for a wiring circuit in connecting the wiring circuit structure to a semiconductor element having a bump provided on an electrode thereof, wherein the structure is capable of suppressing the excess compression of the bump on the element side and the terminal of the wiring circuit structure. | {
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Connection port is an input/output transmission interface for connecting the computer host with peripherals, even with household appliances. Always, the peripherals connected to the computer host, such as display, mouse, printer, scanner or keyboard etc., have different types of connection ports. In other words, each kind of peripherals may possess one respective connection port, such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus) or an audio terminal etc.
Recently, USB (Universal Serial Bus) has become an essential input/output connection port for personal computers. USB is a new standard jointly established by several computer hardware manufacturers and can be connected to all kinds of peripherals, such as mouse, keyboard, external CD-ROM drive or other peripherals which supports the USB connection. Furthermore, the USB connection has the plug-and-play function, so that the hot plugging can be performed without rebooting the computer. That's why USB has become an essential input/output connection port for personal computers.
Please refer to FIG. 1. A conventional computer host 1 has USB connection ports 11 mounted at the rear side thereof for supporting the connection with peripherals. However, for the user, it is actually inconvenient for connection when the USB connection port 11 is located at the rear side of the computer host 1, because the user has to move the computer host 1 to reach the USB connection port 11 so as to connect peripherals. Therefore, there exists an inconvenience under this situation.
To overcome the defect described above, as shown in FIG. 2, there is a design which disposes the USB connection port 21 at the front panel of the computer host 2 so as to benefit a direct connection for the user. Although it is advantageous for hot plugging when the USB connection port 21 is mounted at the front panel of the computer host 2, the USB connection port 21 will still suffer an unavoidable problem of dust pollution when it is not in use.
Consequently, it is needed to provide a connection port module which can overcome the defects in the prior art as described above and can be flipped out of the computer host as in use and hidden inside the computer host as not in use. | {
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The present invention relates to the deflection of radiated energy and more particularly to an electro-optical light deflection apparatus.
A deflector of this kind may be of the digital type, i.e., it may be capable of deflecting a beam of incident radiated energy into one of a certain finite number of predetermined directions or it may be of the analog type, i.e., it may be capable of deflecting the incident beam in a direction which depends on the magnitude of an applied electrical signal. As an example, the active element in such a deflector may be made of a so-called electro-optical material, i.e., a material whose index of refraction can be changed by the action of an electric field; by shaping this material in an appropriate way, the direction of the emerging ray may be made a function of the applied electric field.
Also belonging in this class are so-called electro-acoustical deflectors, customarily consisting of a solid or liquid substance in which plane ultrasonic waves are created by means of an electrical potential and these waves cause diffraction of an incident luminous beam into a specified direction which is a function, particularly, of the applied electric potential.
In general, this type of deflector has the inherent inconvenience of permitting only a small angular deviation. | {
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The present invention relates generally to fuel delivery systems. More particularly, the invention relates to an electronic circuit for controlling the pump in a fuel injection system.
In a conventional fuel injection delivery system fuel is pumped continuously in a closed fluid circuit from the gas tank, to the fuel rail, back to the gas tank. When the engine is running, the fuel pump operates at full speed, with all unused fuel being recirculated to the tank.
Some automotive engineers believe that it would be desirable to eliminate the continuous recirculation of fuel and hence eliminate the fuel return to tank. This poses the problem of how to control the flow rate of fuel pumped from the tank to the fuel rail if no return to tank is provided. The flow rate is a function of engine RPM and load and thus cannot be considered constant. What is needed, but not available today, is a practical, mass-producible means for controlling the flow rate produced by the fuel pump. Conventional pump control techniques do not meet these requirements and tend to produce severe radio frequency interference (RFI), making them unsuitable for vehicular use.
The present invention overcomes prior deficiencies in fuel delivery systems by providing a pressure responsive motor drive circuit for operating a fluid delivery pump. The invention is well suited to vehicular mass production and overcomes many of the previous problems with radio frequency interference.
According to the invention, a pressure transducer provides an electrical signal in response to a sensed pressure condition within the fuel delivery system. An amplifier circuit, coupled to the pressure transducer, amplifies the electrical signal to produce an amplified signal which is summed with a predetermined DC offset to produce an offset signal. An oscillator circuit, preferably relaxation oscillator, produces an alternating signal of a predetermined frequency, preferably a sawtooth waveform having an exponentially curved rising edge. A comparator circuit is coupled to the oscillator circuit and to the amplifier circuit for producing a pulse train which changes state each time the alternating signal rises above and falls below the level of the offset signal. The comparator thereby produces a pulse signal. A power transistor circuit is coupled to the comparator circuit and provides a current to drive the pump motor. In this fashion the pump motor speed is controlled by the sensed pressure condition in the fluid delivery system and the need for a return to tank is eliminated.
Radio frequency interference is minimized by a power conditioning circuit having an energy storing means such as a capacitor for receiving electrical energy through a power supply transmission line from the vehicular power source. Typically this transmission line spans the length of the vehicle, from vehicle alternator/battery to fuel tank-mounted fuel pump. The energy storage means is coupled to the power transistor circuit to supply energy from which the pulse width modulated current is produced. The energy storage means is of a capacity sufficient to minimize rapid voltage changes over the transmission line and thereby reduce radio frequency radiation by the transmission line. The energy storage means provides sufficient dampening so that the energy being conveyed over the transmission line has a comparatively rounded or slowly fluctuating waveform with few high frequency harmonics. By minimizing high frequency harmonics, radio frequency radiation by the transmission line is minimized.
To further reduce radio frequency interference, the power transistor circuit includes a complementary reactance coupled across the motor terminals to substantially null the inductance of the motor. The combined impedance of the motor and complementary reactance is substantially resistive. This reduces ringing overshoot of the motor drive current which would otherwise potentially cause radio interference in the AM broadcast band.
For a more complete understanding of the invention, its objects and advantages, reference may be had to the following specification and to the accompanying drawings. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to improved methods of fracturing subterranean zones and improved fracturing fluids.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Viscous treating fluids are used in a variety of operations and treatments in hydrocarbon producing wells. One such treatment for stimulating hydrocarbon production from a subterranean zone penetrated by a well bore is hydraulic fracturing. In a hydraulic fracturing treatment, a viscous treating fluid, referred to in the art as a fracturing fluid, is pumped through the well bore into the subterranean zone to be stimulated at a rate and pressure such that fractures are formed and extended in the subterranean zone. At least a portion of the fracturing fluid has proppant material suspended therein which is carried into and deposited in the formed fractures when the viscous fracturing fluid is broken and recovered. The proppant material functions to prevent the formed fractures from closing whereby conductive channels are formed through which produced fluids can flow to the well bore. The breaking of the fracturing fluid, i.e., the reduction in the viscosity of the fracturing fluid whereby it can be recovered is accomplished by adding a delayed breaker to the fracturing fluid prior to pumping it into the subterranean zone. The delayed breaker effects a controlled reduction in the viscosity of the fracturing fluid so that the proppant material therein is deposited in the fractures and the fracturing fluid is recovered.
A variety of aqueous fracturing fluids which utilize natural or synthetic viscosity increasing polymers have been developed and used heretofore. Because of their cost effectiveness, natural polymers formed of guar gum and its derivatives have been the polymers of choice for forming viscous aqueous fracturing fluids. However, in high temperature applications, aqueous fracturing fluids containing guar gum and its derivatives degrade and lose viscosity. As a result, a variety of improvements designed to prevent or reduce the degradation and loss of viscosity of aqueous guar fracturing fluids have heretofore been made. One of the improvements has been to prevent degradation through hydrolysis of the acetal linkages in the backbone of guar polymers by raising the pH of the fracturing fluid. The higher pH reduces the susceptibility of the acetal linkages to hydrolysis. Additionally, gel stabilizers such as methanol and sodium thiosulfate have been added to the aqueous guar fracturing fluids to minimize oxidative degradation. Other techniques include adding chelating agents and/or various free-radical scavengers to the guar fracturing fluids and using precross-linked guar powder to delay hydration and extend the life of the fracturing fluid at elevated temperatures. While these techniques have reduced the degradation of aqueous guar fracturing fluids, they have not eliminated it.
Various viscosity increasing synthetic polymers have been developed for use in aqueous fracturing fluids that can be cross-linked to achieve high viscosity and subsequently broken. While such synthetic polymers have achieved some success, there are continuing needs for improved viscous fracturing fluids which achieve improved performance in fracturing treatments generally and do not suffer from instability at high temperatures. | {
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Field
Embodiments of the invention relate to the field of network services; and more specifically to Internet-based proxy services.
Background
Internet servers, by their nature, are accessible via the Internet and are capable of being compromised and/or attacked. These attacks include, among other things, blog or other comment spam POSTs, SQL injection POSTs, cross-site scripting POSTs, denial of service (DoS) attacks, query floods, excessive bandwidth use, or requests that exploit other known weakness of the servers. Attacks may be implemented using botnets (or sometimes referred to as bots), which are typically infected personal computers running on home or office networks. The personal computers may be infected in a number of ways, for example by visiting a site with malicious code, executing software that installs malicious code, etc. The legitimate users of these infected personal computers are often unaware of the infection and their use in a botnet attack.
Web application firewalls (WAFs), which are either hardware devices installed in a network operator's data center or software that is installed on the web server, may monitor traffic routed to the web server in order to detect and stop potential attacks. Unlike traditional firewalls that focus on the network layer, web application firewalls perform deep packet inspection to look for attack signatures at the application level. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a semiconductor DRAM memory cell and more specifically to a method for making a semiconductor DRAM memory cell with an N type conductivity capacitance implant region self-aligned with the gate of the access transistor.
2. Description of the Prior Art
FIG. 1 illustrates a high-capacity dynamic random access memory (DRAM) cell structure. The high-capacity DRAM cell structure 50 has two double level polysilicon cells 20.sub.1, 20.sub.2, each of which includes an access transistor 21 and a storage capacitor 22. In the figures, a single number without a subscript refers to like features in each of cells 20.sub.1, 20.sub.2 since the cells generally have mirror symmetry about the center of source region 13. For example, cell 20 refers to both cells 20.sub.1 and 20.sub.2.
DRAM cell 20 has a pocket 13 of N+ conductivity type formed in a P- conductivity type (P- type) semiconductor substrate 10. Pocket 13, which is part of a diffused bit line, functions as the source for access 21 transistor in both cell 20.sub.1 and cell 20.sub.2.
A deep P-type conductivity implant region 11, typically a boron implant, and a shallow N-type conductivity implant region 12, typically an arsenic implant, are each formed a selected distance from the edge of source region 13. The distance from the edge of source region 13 to edge Y of N-type conductivity implant 12 is the channel length of access transistor 21. P implant isolation region 14, a channel stop region, and field oxide region 15 are formed on the periphery of DRAM cell 50. A thin oxide layer 18 overlies implant regions 11, 12, and field oxide region 15. Thin gate oxide layer 27 overlies source region 13 and the channel region. A first polysilicon layer 16 is formed on oxide layer 18 over field oxide 15 and arsenic implant region 12 and boron implant region 11. First polysilicon layer 16 functions as a storage gate for capacitor 22 of cell 20. A transfer gate 19 is a second polysilicon electrode that is separated from the first polysilicon electrode by a silicon dioxide layer 17 and from the channel region and source 13 by silicon dioxide layer 27.
The double level polysilicon DRAM memory cell, as illustrated in FIG. 1, is widely used in DRAM arrays because the cell size is significantly reduced over other conventional charge storage DRAM cells. The charge from bit line 13 is transmitted directly to the area under storage gate 16 by the connection of inversion layers under the transfer gate 19 and storage gate 16.
The threshold voltage of transistor 21 is a function of the effective channel length and the coupling of capacitance arsenic region 12 to its polysilicon transfer gate 19. Therefore, variations introduced in either the effective channel length or the coupling of capacitance region 12 and transfer gate 19 by fabrication processes reduce yield because the process variations change the coupling in cells 20.sub.1, 20.sub.2 which in turn results in different threshold voltages for cells 20.sub.1, 20.sub.2.
The cells 20.sub.1 and 20.sub.2 (FIG. 1) are fabricated on a semiconductor chip having many thousands of similar cells and successful operation of the chip requires that all such cells on the chip be free of defects. The cells as shown are fabricated using conventional oxidation, masking, etching and ion implantation which are known to those skilled in the art. In fabrication of cell 20, positioning of edge Y of capacitance arsenic ion implant 12 with respect to the positioning of respective gate edge X is critical, because for proper operation of cell 50, raising the gate 19 voltage must access the information in the associated capacitor 22.
Thus, variations introduced by fabrication processes, discussed above, can directly affect the proper operation of cell 50. For example, edge Y.sub.1 of capacitance arsenic ion implant region 12.sub.1 and the edge Y.sub.2 of implant region 12.sub.2 are formed in the same process step. Specifically, an ion implant mask is used to define regions 12.sub.1, 12.sub.2. If the mask is misaligned, an acceptable positioning of one edge of the implant region 12 may lead to an unacceptable positioning of the other edge. The cell having acceptably aligned edges would function while the adjacent cell, having an unacceptably aligned edge of implant region 12, would not function. Therefore, yield is reduced by this alignment problem. The complexity of having a second level of polysilicon in the DRAM cell adds significantly to the processing cost. Accordingly, the mask misalignment and similar variations, which result in reduced yields, limit the advantages of the reduced cell size of the double level polysilicon approach. | {
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(1) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an implant artificial denture, and more particularly an implant artificial denture which can prevent lesion of the surrounding tissue especially by improving the upper structure thereof.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
Attempts of restoring the function of a decidual or extracted tooth by a so-called implant artificial denture have increasingly been made. For providing an implant artificial denture, an intra-ossal implant or an intra-ossal implant in the tooth (hereinafter referred to as simply intra-ossal implant) is impacted in the jaw to employ it as the dental root, and an upper structure is fitted thereover.
Accordingly, many proposals for artificial dentures, particularly for material, shape, etc. of artificial dentures have been made. Now an improvement in the intra-ossal implant is being made to such an extent that it has such a mechanical strength as to withstand a high masticatory pressure.
However, fixing of the intra-ossal implant in the jaw caused other clinical problems.
In the natural tooth, the chewing and masticatory pressure or shock is absorbed by the absorbing action of the periodontal membrane. Contrary thereto, in an implant artificial denture, the pressure and shock applied to the upper structure are applied directly to the jaw, which induces inflammation of tissue as well as the dissolution and uptake of bone in the neighbourhood of the interface between the intra-ossal implant and the jaw tissue. Therefore, it is usually necessary in an implant artificial denture to make the masticatory surface smaller and smoother so that the pressure or shock applied to the dental root may not be so high, and to reduce the masticatory force by other means, which results in a state at which complete chewing is greatly sacrificed.
Thus the upper structure of conventional implant artificial dentures was at such a state as to be much improved.
Lightening of the load imposed on the artificial denture by fixing it to the adjacent healthy teeth results in injuring the healthy teeth.
In the natural tooth, a shock as in biting a solid foreign body and abnormally high chewing pressure are absorbed by the action of the periodontal membrane, and an excessive pressure or abnormally high shock applied to the tooth or the jaw during chewing or in a state where a biting force is applied thereto is naturally transmitted to cerebral nerves to be controlled accordingly.
However, an implant artificial denture can not provide all the abilities the natural tooth posseses, and has great drawbacks to be solved.
Particularly, the implant artificial denture neither has the periodontal membrane the natural tooth posseses, nor posseses any sensing ability for the transmission of masticatory pressure.
That is, no transmission of masticatory pressure to cerebral nerves is made in the case of the implant artificial denture, so that the pressure and shock applied to the upper structure thereof are applied directly to the jaw, which results in inducing inflammation of tissue as well as the dissolution and uptake of bone in the neighbourhood of the interface between the intra-ossal implant and the jaw tissue, and causing lesion of the implant artificial denture, the surrounding tissue, the jaw joint and the like. These are serious drawbacks of implant artificial dentures.
However, it is generally impossible to join an implant artificial denture to the sense organs of the cerebral nerves. Accordingly, it is necessary to sense the danger due to abnormally high mechanical shock with a stimulation instead of relying upon an exitation of the pain sense which occurs in the case of the natural tooth as described above.
Therefore, the inventors studied the method of sensing the limit of chewing force applied to implant artificial dentures by incorporating a stimulation-producing device in the upper structure of an implant artificial denture, and by sensing the stimulation produced by the device through the internal ear.
It was proved that an abnormally high pressure or shock is sensed and may be voluntarily controlled by the use of an echo device fitted inside a crown of tooth to sense an abnormally high pressure or shock to the patient through the internal ear. | {
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When publishing newspapers covering a wide geographic region, for example, national newspapers, images and so forth for each page are edited at the newspaper's head office, and then the results of the editing work are supplied in the form of multivalued image data. This multivalued image data is subjected to RIP processing (Raster Image Processing) at the newspaper head office to form binary image data, and this binary image data is transmitted to each newspaper printing factory. In the system used, for example, in the case of color pages, binary image data (dot data or bitmapped page image information) for each of the colors CMYB (cyan, magenta, yellow, and black) is transmitted from the newspaper company to each newspaper printing factory located in each region.
At each newspaper printing factory which receives the binary image data, in a print management system, operations are performed for inputting corresponding page indexes (codes etc. related to the version name, page, and color) and information about the newspaper press to be used etc. into the binary image data for each page, as well as for applying inspection marks and cut-off marks to the binary image data for each page.
When binary image data for each page is completed in this way, platemaking is performed on the basis of the respective binary image data. Platemaking is performed by, for example, CTP (Computer to Plate) equipment or CTF (Computer to Film) equipment. The plates created in this way are manually mounted on the plate cylinders of corresponding newspaper presses by an operator, and then printing is carried out on each newspaper press.
In this kind of newspaper printing, it is known that there are inevitably differences in the color and so on of the printed matter due to the various types of printing materials (printing paper, ink, etc.), individual differences among newspaper presses, and so forth. Thus, to match the colors of the printed matter between newspaper presses, color management has been proposed in the related art (for example, see Patent Document 1).
For example, the color management disclosed in Patent Document 1 is carried out by the following procedure.
First, the newspaper company transmits multivalued image data instead of binary image data. Each newspaper printing factory holds color management information for each newspaper press installed in the factory, and the multivalued image data is color corrected using this color management information. Accordingly, multivalued image data reflecting the characteristics of each newspaper press is created for each newspaper press. Then, the color-corrected multivalued image data is converted to binary image data by RIP processing, and printing is performed on the basis of this binary image data. Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, Publication No. 2004-351929. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to disinfection apparatus for use in connection with water treatment plants and involves the use of ultraviolet light for inactivating microorganisms. More particularly, the present invention relates to an improved ultraviolet-light-based disinfection reactor for treating water and that utilizes medium pressure ultraviolet lamps for microorganism treatment, either alone or as supplemented by a chemical oxidation treatment that can be included within the apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Ultraviolet-light-based apparatus for disinfecting water by subjecting the water to ultraviolet light to inactivate microorganisms has been known for some time. Recently, several different forms of ultraviolet-based apparatus have been disclosed for the purpose of providing improved disinfection performance. Among those devices is one disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,015,229, entitled “Method And Apparatus For Improved Mixing In Fluids,” which issued in Jan. 18, 2000, to Cormack et al. The Cormack et al. '229 patent discloses an array of tubular ultraviolet lamps that have their axes aligned with the flow direction to provide channels therebetween through which the fluid to be treated flows. Adjacent the upstream ends of the lamps are mixing devices in the form of triangular elements that create counter-rotating vortices that promote turbulent mixing of the fluid to increase the exposure time of the fluid to the ultraviolet light. However, the structure disclosed in the Cormack et al. '229 patent requires a lengthy treatment system, because of the alignment of the tubular lamps with the flow, that limits the adaptability of that arrangement as a retrofit for existing treatment plants, and it also utilizes a large number of ultraviolet lamps, which increases both the initial cost as well as the operating costs for such a system.
Other prior art arrangements orient the tubular lamps so that their axes are disposed perpendicular to the flow direction. Such arrangements are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,200,156, entitled “Device for Irradiating Flowing Liquids and/or Gases with UV Light,” which issued on Apr. 6, 1993, to Wedekamp, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,503,800, entitled “Ultra-Violet Sterilizing System for Waste Water,” which issued on Apr. 2, 1996, to Free. However, the Wedekamp '156 arrangement utilizes lamps that have a substantially rectangular cross section, with at least one pair of parallel sides, within either a constant cross-sectional area flow channel, or a flow channel that includes a diverging inlet section that defines an inlet diffuser, followed by a constant area center housing portion containing the lamps, and a converging outlet section. That arrangement also involves a lengthy treatment system that is difficult to incorporate as a retrofit for an existing water treatment system.
The Free '800 patent shows an arrangement in which elongate wall members are positioned on opposite sides of tubular lamps to define uniform width flow channels in which projections are provided on the wall members to induce turbulence of the liquid as it passes around the lamps. The Free '800 apparatus is intended for use in waste water treatment systems, in which the transmittance of the water is of the order of only about 20%, and thus especially narrow confinement of the untreated water about the lamp tubes is necessary, thereby reducing the effective flow throughput in such arrangements.
It is therefore desirable to provide an ultraviolet-light-based disinfection reactor that is of a more compact size and that is therefore adaptable for retrofitting into existing water treatment systems. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a novel adsorbent for heavy metals which is obtained by treating active carbon with water-soluble amine and carbon disulfide, a process for production of the novel adsorbent, and an adsorption process using the novel adsorbent.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In recent times pollution caused by heavy metals contained in industrial waste water has become a significant problem, and chelate ion exchange resins have been highly valued as being effective for the adsorption removal of heavy metals from waste water. In particular, chelate ion exchange resins having chelate functional groups such as iminodiacetic acid and thiourea, with a phenol-aldehyde resin or a styrene resin as a base, have been put to practical use.
Such ion exchange resins, however, are insufficiently satisfactory in their adsorption capacity life (particularly for mercury ions) and production costs, and further improvements have been desired.
Japanese Patent Publication No. 22554/1978 discloses an adsorbent for use in removal of very small amounts of heavy metals, particularly mercury in gases, which is produced by depositing semicarbazide or its derivatives on active carbon; Japanese Patent Publication No. 8474/1979 discloses an adsorbent which is produced by depositing a sulfur-containing amino compound, such as thiourea, thiosemicarbazide, or thioacetamide, and sulfur-containing amino acid together with a hydrohalogenic acid on active carbon; and in Japanese Patent Publication No. 38597/1979, heavy metal-capturing materials are described which are produced by depositing barium sulfate, iron sulfide, zinc sulfide, manganese sulfide and dithiocarbamic acid derivatives on active carbon.
These adsorbents, however, are disadvantageous in that when they are used for removal of heavy metals in aqueous solutions, thiosemicarbazides, dithiocarbamic acid derivatives, and metal salts are partially dissolved since they are relatively soluble in water and separate from the active carbon. Moreover, they cannot be used at all for removal of mercury in concentrated sulfuric acid, nor can they be used for removal of mercury in saturated brine used in the sodium industry in an ion exchange membrane process. Furthermore, when they are charged in to a column, for example, for the disposal of waste water resulting from the washing of smoke in refuse incineration stations, the contact surface between adsorbent and water, adsorption capacity, mechanical strength and so on must be taken into consideration.
Thus a continuing need exists for adsorbents which are economical and of practical value. | {
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The present invention relates generally to a system for automatically collecting fees and dispensing receipts, and is particularly directed to a system for collecting fees due at regular time intervals, such as Government fees for automobile registration, driver's license extensions, taxes, hunting licenses, and so on.
Currently, Government fee collections are limited to labor intensive offices having limited opening hours and working days. This generally involves the customer in a lengthy wait at times which may be inconvenient. Also, the offices are of a limited number, and centrally located in areas which may be inconveniently situated for many customers. Various mail-in services are available, but require reliance on the mail, planning and early payment of fees. For a variety of reasons, a significant percentage of the public does not utilize mail based registration, license or fee payment systems.
Various automatic, unattended vending machines have been proposed in the past in some fields, particularly banking, postage stamp vending, videotape vending, and airline ticket vending. These generally involve one-off sales of articles or money dispensing. Such systems are generally of limited capacity.
One system for unattended automobile registration has been proposed in the past by Diebold Co. This involves the mailing to each customer of a so-called "Smart Card" containing the particular vehicle registration information, which the customer then uses at the machine to allow dispensing of the appropriate printed receipt or registration form and one or more separate stickers with the registration year and month for applying to the vehicle license plate in the standard fashion. This system is therefore off-line during normal operation, and considerable expense would be involved in producing and mailing the required smart cards. Also, customers may lose the card, or the relatively small sticker which is dispensed separately from the registration form. This system also requires a separate, off-site mainframe computer to control the network of customer machine sites. The off-site mainframe has to maintain a data base containing information on all vehicle files currently in the state computer, which must be continuously updated. This gives rise to various security and logistical problems, which would be a considerable drawback in many cases, and may not be permitted by some authorities. | {
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A vacuum booster is widely known to generate an assist force for assisting a braking operation force produced by a driver and applied to a master cylinder. By using a pressure lower than an atmospheric pressure (hereinafter referred to as a “negative pressure”) such as a manifold air pressure of an internal combustion engine, the braking operation by the driver is assisted according to the known vacuum booster. Such assist will be hereinafter referred to as a “vacuum assist”.
In addition, a brake hydraulic pressure control apparatus is widely known to have a hydraulic pump for generating an assist hydraulic pressure added to a hydraulic pressure generated by the master cylinder, and a solenoid valve for adjusting and controlling the assist hydraulic pressure. By using the assist hydraulic pressure, the braking operation by the driver is assisted according to the known brake hydraulic pressure control apparatus. Such assist will be hereinafter referred to as a “pump assist”.
JP9030385A and JP9323641A disclose apparatuses each assisting a braking operation performed by the driver by means of the pump assist in addition to the vacuum assist. Such apparatuses will be explained with reference to FIG. 21.
FIG. 21 is a graph illustrating characteristics of a braking pressure (i.e., wheel cylinder pressure) relative to a braking operation force F produced by the driver. In FIG. 21, a characteristic line Ch1 shows characteristics in cases where neither the vacuum assist nor the pump assist is performed. A characteristic line Ch2 shows characteristics in cases where only the vacuum assist is performed. A change point (i.e., vacuum assist limit point) on the characteristic line Ch2 is a point where an application of the braking pressure by the vacuum assist reaches a limit value (i.e., maximum value).
A characteristic line Ch3 shows characteristics according to the apparatus disclosed in JP9030385A. As illustrated by the characteristic line Ch3, only the vacuum assist is performed until the braking operation force F reaches a value FB0 that corresponds to the change point (F≦FB0). In cases where the braking operation force F reaches the value FB0, the pump assist is then started. Accordingly, the decrease in a rising gradient of the braking pressure relative to the increase in the braking operation force F within an area where the braking operation force F exceeds the value FB0 can be compensated.
A characteristic line Ch4 shows characteristics according to the apparatus disclosed in JP9323641A. As illustrated by the characteristic line Ch4, only the vacuum assist is generally performed. In cases where a deceleration speed of a wheel exceeds a predetermined value because of a sudden braking, and the like, the pump assist is started and performed relative to the braking operation force F at that time (=value F1). Accordingly, a vehicle can be securely rapidly accelerated at a time of the sudden braking, and the like.
The pump assist is achieved by a hydraulic pressure control based on an electronic control of a motor for driving a hydraulic pump, a solenoid valve, and the like. On the other hand, the vacuum assist is achieved by only a mechanical structure of the vacuum booster, without the use of the electronic control. Thus, dynamic characteristics in application of the braking pressure between the pump assist and the vacuum assist relative to the braking operation force F are inevitably different because of a difference in operating principles between the pump assist and the vacuum assist.
Accordingly, when the pump assist is started during the braking operation during which only the vacuum assist is performed, the driver may tend to have an uncomfortable feeling in a brake operation. Such tendency is most pronounced in cases where the pump assist is started at a time when the braking operation force F becomes sufficiently large (i.e., at a time when the vacuum assist is sufficiently large) as in the apparatuses disclosed in JP9030385A and JP9323641A.
A need thus exists for a braking control apparatus for a vehicle which is not susceptible to the drawback mentioned above. | {
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The present invention relates to vehicle suspensions and components thereof. More particularly, the present invention relates to leaf spring suspensions.
Leaf springs are commonly used as active components in vehicle suspensions. Examples of suspensions using a leaf spring are shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,938,221 (Wilson), the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.
One of the shortcomings associated with the design of leaf spring suspensions is due to the fact that in order to lower the vertical spring rate to a desirable level, the leaf spring sometimes must be increased in length beyond the packaging constraints of the vehicle. In particular, in certain vehicles, there are limitations on the space available to accommodate the longer length spring required to achieve a lower spring rate for a given suspension.
Another shortcoming associated with the design of leaf spring suspensions is that the axle travel is conventionally limited by the maximum allowable leaf spring deflection, which is limited by the peak stress of the leaf spring and in turn is a characteristic based on the material of construction for the leaf spring. In some cases, leaf spring suspensions having a desired spring rate cannot be used because the stress imparted upon the leaf spring is too great and/or the maximum allowable leaf spring deflection would not support the load required within the maximum axle travel limits.
Another shortcoming associated with leaf spring suspensions that use air springs is that if the one or more air springs are not balanced about the vehicle axle centerline, excessive deflection and/or high stress gradients could be exerted on the leaf spring during vertical loading and would also add to spring windup during acceleration and braking. For front air suspensions using a single air spring, the maximum vehicle load would necessitate use of a large diameter air spring, which could be difficult to package in the available space.
Another shortcoming associated with leaf spring suspensions is that conventionally the attachment of the leaf spring to the vehicle axle has been carried out in a way that produces a mechanical metal-to-metal connection between the leaf spring and the axle. This conventional means of connecting the leaf spring to the vehicle axle negates utilization of a section of the leaf spring, namely its spring seat section, as part of the active component, giving the leaf spring a shorter effective length than its true physical length and increasing the overall spring rate of the leaf spring. In addition, this metal-to-metal connection can be a limitation of the fatigue life for the leaf spring.
Another shortcoming associated with leaf spring suspensions is that fabricated axle seats have not been applied to front fabricated steer axles. The vehicle components conventionally used have been more costly in terms of manufacturing and material costs. In addition, the conventional vehicle components have been heavier, which in the case of commercial vehicles, translates into reduced payload capacity.
Accordingly, it is desirable to overcome one or more of the foregoing shortcomings, or alternatively other shortcomings not specified herein but associated with prior leaf spring suspensions.
The benefits of the preferred forms of the novel subject matter set forth herein will become apparent from the following description. It will be understood, however, that an apparatus could still appropriate the invention claimed herein without accomplishing each and every one of those benefits gleaned from the following description. The appended claims, not the benefits of the novel subject matter set forth herein, define the subject matter protected by law. Any and all benefits are derived from the preferred forms of the invention, not necessarily the invention in general. | {
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Procedures for forming an enclosure, for example forming a watertight shower enclosure, typically involve securing one or more substrate boards to a frame, e.g., wall studs, so that the substrate boards are in an upright position, subsequently affixing one or more ornamental features, such as tiles or stones, to the substrate boards, and then applying a sealer material between the ornamental features to seal the joint between adjacent ornamental features, Unfortunately, such procedures for forming the enclosure result in certain drawbacks for the installer. For example, the substrate boards are often heavy and very flexible prior to installation, which can make the installation process very difficult. Additionally, affixing the ornamental features after the substrate boards have been installed in an upright position can be problematic as the ornamental features may tend to remove due to the forces of gravity, which can result in a sloppy looking finished product. Further, the wall studs to which the substrate boards are secured may include certain imperfections or abnormalities, e.g., knots, warping, wall studs that are out-of-plumb, etc. Consequently, the materials attached to the wall studs can likewise mimic the configuration of the wall studs, which may adversely impact the quality of the installation, and, thus, the quality and appearance of the finished product. | {
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The invention concerns a rotary valve for control of a cylinder charge change of an internal combustion engine containing a plurality of combustion chambers, whereby two fresh gas or exhaust gas ducts, associated in each case with adjacent combustion chambers, for the purpose of connection with a fresh gas and, respectively, exhaust gas opening in the rotary valve, extend as regards their region in a common cross-sectional plane of the rotary valve.
In a rotary valve of like construction known from DE-OS No. 3,241,723, the exhaust gas ducts associated with adjacent cylinders have regions which extend in a cross-sectional plane located between the cylinders and which are provided with angularly offset mouth points on the periphery of the rotary valve. Depending on the prevailing angular position of the rotary valve, no mouth point or one mouth point will be located below the exhaust gas opening common to both exhaust gas ducts in the rotary valve housing. The exhaust gas opening is in communication with a known exhaust gas system of the internal combustion engine. Taking into account in particular the fact that ducts for fresh gas delivery must also be accommodated in the rotary valve, the course of the exhaust gas ducts and the position of the aforementioned mouth points in a common cross-sectional plane as described offer advantages regarding the attainment of a short axial dimension of the rotary valve.
On the other hand, the aforedescribed configuration of the rotary valve requires a relatively large diameter thereof inasmuch as the flow cross sections of the exhaust gas ducts in the rotary valve cannot be rendered indefinitely small. A large rotary valve diameter, however, suffers from the shortcoming that it results in a high sliding speed of the seals sliding on the valve periphery so that friction, frictional heat, wear and the driving torque of the cylindrical slide valve likewise become relatively large. Moreover, attention must be paid to a defined gap volume between the rotary valve and its housing as well as to sufficient heat transmission surfaces in the ducts. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The invention is related to the field of noninvasive depth profiling of skin parameters using a photoacoustic probe and in particular to depth profiling port wine stains, skin burns and melanin distributions or concentrations.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Laser treatment of port wine stain (PWS) lesions is an elective therapy for restoring normal appearance to human skin, though the success rate depends on many factors, including epidermal melanin concentration, lesion depth, and size of the blood vessels. Epidermal melanin, a broadband optical absorber, blocks laser energy and decreases fluence at the lesion. For human skin with a high concentration of melanin, skin types III or higher, epidermal temperature may rise to such levels that irreversible damage and scarring or dyspigmentation occurs.
As a preventive measure, clinicians have utilized skin cooling, such as cryogen spray cooling (CSC) to prevent epidermal damage while still treating the deeper PWS. Using CSC, a cryogen spray is directed onto the skin surface prior to and during laser irradiation and the epidermis cools nearly instantaneously. The PWS cools at some later time, preferably long after the therapeutic laser pulse has been delivered, causing irreversible thermal damage to the lesion.
Knowing the depth profile of the PWS skin, including the spatial relationship between epidermal melanin and blood vessels, the clinician may optimize CSC parameters for treatment on an individual patient basis. Thus, we have developed a photoacoustic probe for determining PWS depth quickly and noninvasively.
Burn trauma is a major cause of injury worldwide. Treatment of burns includes excision of irreversibly damaged tissue followed by skin grafting. Currently, the burn surgeon uses subjective, inexact methods for determining excision depth which may result in further damage to viable tissue. Burn trauma in the United States accounts for 3% of all injury deaths and approximately 50,000 acute hospitalizations per year. Treatment of burns includes wound excision and skin grafts. In order to optimize treatment, the burn surgeon must accurately determine the depth of thermal injury. Currently, burn depth estimates are based on appearance and sensory function, so accurate depth determination is subjective and inexact. An objective method to determine burn depth would not only provide the surgeon with a more accurate appraisal of damage, but may also allow field personnel to perform quick and accurate measurements that aid the treatment of burns.
Many methods proposed for burn depth determination simply attempt to ascertain if the injury will heal within 3 weeks, as wounds that spontaneously heal within that period usually do so without scarring or impairment. Wounds that take longer to heal require surgical intervention to prevent complications. Exact depth determination, however, would not only give an indication of the healing potential, but also aid the burn surgeon in the assessment of debridement depth, if warranted. If depth profiles of the wounds were available, the burn surgeon could accurately determine whether tissue is necrotic, reversibly damaged, or viable. Necrotic tissue must be debrided, while reversibly damaged tissue, overlying normal, viable tissue, must be allowed to heal. Debridement should occur quickly for more rapid wound closure, prevention of infection, and thus, shortened hospital stay.
The three tissue conditions noted above have contrasting optical properties, leading one to believe that an optical probing method might be useful for burn depth profiling. Unfortunately, optical signals degrade quickly in human skin owing to its highly scattering nature. Optical coherence tomography, spectroscopy, confocal imaging, fluorescence, and laser Doppler flowmetry are all dependent on preserving information contained in the optical signal, which degrades with each photon scattering event. Additionally, with the exception of polarization sensitive optically coherent tomography (PS-OCT), these methods do not give an absolute measure of burn depth, but seek to discriminate between superficial and deep burns.
The limitations of such optical methods must be considered in their implementation for diagnosis of burn injury. PS-OCT has been used to investigate burn depth. While burn depth was measured, as determined by loss of birefringence in collagen, PS-OCT is only capable of imaging the upper 1.5 mm of human skin. This depth would be insufficient to probe the entire dermis, which may be up to 5 mm deep.
While optical methods for probing burn depth will be hampered due to photon scattering by tissue, acoustic wave propagation in tissue is unaffected by such scattering. Moreover, since nearly all biological tissue has similar acoustic impedance, acoustic scattering in soft tissue is limited. Hence, an acoustic wave can travel through layered tissue with very little signal degradation. The success of conventional ultrasound relies on such a propagation environment. In fact, ultrasound has been used to study depth of burn injury. The efficacy of the ultrasound method relied on the ability to detect damage in the deep dermal capillary plexus. The result was not an exact measure of burn depth, but an estimate of whether the injury required surgical intervention or not.
Any dermatologic laser procedure must consider epidermal melanin concentration, as it is a broadband optical absorber which affects subsurface fluence, effectively limiting the amount of light reaching the dermis and targeted chromophores. An accurate method for quantifying epidermal melanin concentration would aid clinicians in determining proper light dosage for therapeutic laser procedures. While some researchers have been able to quantify epidermal melanin concentration non-invasively using visible reflectance spectroscopy (VRS), there is currently no way to determine the distribution of melanin in the epidermis.
Melanin, a broadband optical absorber, is found in the epidermis of human skin to varying degrees, determining skin color and affecting subsurface fluence of visible light after laser irradiation. Any dermatologic laser procedure using visible wavelengths must consider epidermal melanin concentration in the interpretation of diagnostic information or in dosage estimates for therapy. For example, laser therapy of port wine stain (PWS) must consider epidermal melanin concentration in order to optimize laser fluence and cryogen spray cooling parameters. Currently, epidermal melanin concentration can be estimated noninvasively by pulsed photothermal radiometry (PPTR), visible reflectance spectroscopy (VRS) and chromameter measurements. As PPTR requires analysis using inverse algorithms, determination of epidermal melanin concentration is extremely sensitive to input parameters which can give inconsistent results. VRS and chromameter measurements show repeatable measurements of epidermal melanin concentration, though they provide no depth information. Additionally, many VRS systems and chromameters utilize an integrating sphere which averages skin reflectance over a large area (e.g. >1 cm2), making local estimates of melanin concentration impossible. Photoacoustics has been used to determine optical properties of tissue and to perform imaging. It has been demonstrated how to extract absorption and scattering from analysis of photoacoustic waves induced in tissue phantoms. The prior art has used photoacoustic analysis to detect embedded absorbers in phantoms and tissue.
What is needed is an objective, accurate means to measure burn depth. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
This invention is related to the field of back supports, more specifically to back supports for use with a seat. Such back supports may be portable or retrofitted in upholstered seating or built into upholstered seating.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Lower backaches and back pain are a frequent occurrence in modern-day society and may be attributed to a number of factors. Those who suffer from lower back pain can frequently be recognized by contortions they go through to relieve the stress on their lower back. Doctor's often recommend to their patients that they get off their feet to take the weight of the torso off their lower back. Unfortunately, sitting does not accomplish this. Many people with lower back pain find it necessary to spend a fair amount of time in a seated position. This is especially true for the common businessperson, who may spend a fair amount of time traveling while in a car or seated behind a desk for a generous portion of the day. This places significant stress on the lower back.
Various back supports are known for relieving painful aches of the lower spinal column or tiring muscles of the lower back. Such back supports are particularly helpful when a person is in a situation that necessitates sitting for a long period, such as when confined in a car or other vehicle or in a plane over a long period. Recent results reveal a cumulative benefit when the back is positioned correctly and supported even for short periods of time.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,125,851 discloses a spinal support system for applying a directed and concentrated force on the sacrum to position the sacrum and pelvis in order to establish a desired spinal posture when a person is in a seated position. To accomplish this force direction, the force is applied from the sacral base level of the seated individual downwardly to a bottom seat surface and across the individual's back.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,529,383 discloses a back support device for retaining a user in a substantially upright position when seated in a chair. The back support comprises a bracket that is attached to the back of a chair and a padded strap that supports the abdomen of the sitting individual.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,624,158 discloses an adjustable backrest for use in a seat, the backrest incorporating a vertical spine member having a lumbar support and upper back support projecting therefrom. Structure is provided for adjusting the curvature of the lumbar support member to fit the curvature of an individual's lower back.
These devices are representative of various approaches that have been taken in an attempt to alleviate back pain. While they all provide some relief in one form or another, such devices suffer from the disadvantage that they fail to alleviate the potentially dangerous weight the upper torso places on the lower back.
A device designed to partially support the upper torso of an occupant in an automobile is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,487,201. The back support described therein comprises a wideband suspension strap that wraps around a user's upper torso region and is supported by the vertical backrest of an automobile seat. Such a device imposes severe limitations on movements of the user, as well as making entry and exit from the automobile cumbersome. Such cumbersome devices do not lend themselves for use by those with active lifestyles or those who find it necessary to make frequent but short automobile trips and are continually moving in and out of an automobile. Intermittent use of the device, whether on long or short automobile trips, requires stopping the car to disengage the strap. While it might be alternatively possible to disengage the strap while operating the automobile, this creates a potentially dangerous situation. The wideband restraining strap also must be carefully positioned to avoid wrinkling the user's clothes when the band is tightened around the user's upper torso.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,834,457 discloses another arrangement for supporting the upper torso of a user above a seat by utilizing armpit rests attached to a propping mechanism. A disadvantage of such a device is that it is difficult to adjust in order to fit each unique user and there are no means for providing variable support to the user. Another disadvantage of this device is the poor design of the armpit rests, which can place potentially damaging pressure on nerves extending into the arms of a user.
While the above-identified patents disclose various forms of back supports, none taken singularly, nor in any combination, disclose a back support that supports the upper torso of user for alleviating a portion of a user's weight on the lower back and which may be ergonomically constructed, easily adjusted to fit a user of any size, facilitate unobtrusive intermittent use and easy ingress and egress from a chair and which may be portable and capable of use in a vehicle or in a home environment or any location where there is a chair for the person. | {
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An X-ray examination apparatus of this kind is known from the Patent Specification U.S. Pat. No. 4,809,309.
In an apparatus described therein the light beam generated in the exit screen emanates from the X-ray image intensifier tube via an exit window. Due to repeated reflections at surfaces of the exit window, a light spot incident on the exit window is imaged, after passage through the window, as a light spot having a halo by the imaging system. This results in a mediocre image quality. | {
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} |
Botanical classification: Rosa hybrida.
The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of rose plant of the shrub class which was originated by me by crossing an unnamed seedling with the variety JACenram (U.S. Plant Patent application pending).
The primary objective of this breeding was to produce a new rose variety having the compact shrub habit, fragrance and disease resistance of the male parent combined with the high petal count and glassy foliage of the unnamed yellow seedling.
The objective was substantially achieved, along with other desirable improvements, as evidenced by the following unique combination of characteristics that are outstanding in the new variety and that distinguish it from its parents, as well as from all other varieties of which I am aware:
1. High petal count;
2. Lack of anthers;
3. Strong, spicy fragrance;
4. Disease resistant foliage;
5. Ability to propagate and grow on its own roots; and
6. Apricot flower spresented in large clusters.
Asexual reproduction of this new variety by rooting cuttings, as performed at Somis, Calif. and Wasco, Calif., shows that the foregoing and all other characteristics and distinctions come true to form and are established and transmitted through succeeding propagations.
Unnamed seedling female has bright yellow, small, two inch flowers and small glossy foliage. The male parent is a lavender pink compact shrub rose. JACapshr has apricot three inch flowers on a compact shrub.
JACapshr is unique in flower color, plant habit and fragrance. Closest to it is the variety JACsuyel (unpatented) which is a yellow shrub rose with a different flower color and fewer petals. The plant habits are similar but JACapshr is more compact. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
U.S. Pat. No. 3,984,574, issued to Comollo, discloses an abhesive chewing gum base in which the non-tack properties were achieved by eliminating conventional chewing gum base ingredients which were found to contribute to chewing gum tackiness, and by substituting non-tacky ingredients in place of the conventional ingredients. Specifically, it was discovered that three classes of materials account for conventional chewing gum tackiness. These materials are elastomers, resins, and waxes.
Comollo eliminated natural and some synthetic elastomers from chewing gum base, and substituted in their place one or more non-tacky synthetic elastomers such as polyisobutylene, polyisoprene, isobutylene-isoprene copolymer and butadiene-styrene copolymer. Comollo also eliminated the tack-producing natural resins and modified natural resins and used instead relatively high amounts of hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated vegetable oils or animal fats. Finally, Comollo completely excluded waxes from the gum base, but included polyvinyl acetate, fatty acids, and mono and diglycerides of fatty acids. Comollo did not teach controlled release of sweeteners with abhesive chewing gums.
When wax-free gum bases are combined with water-soluble chewing gum ingredients, including sweeteners, bulking agents, binders, and the like, and flavoring agents, it has been determined that the chewing gums tend to release certain flavoring ingredients at accelerated rates. Also, a greater overall quantity of flavor is released from wax-free gums. This results not only in a stronger initial flavor impact, but also in a stronger flavor in later stages of chewing. This is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 5,286,501, issued Feb. 15, 1994. These rapid release effects are further magnified when the gum base is also free of elastomer plasticizers, because elastomer plasticizers, when present, tend to control and delay flavor release. Therefore, there is a need or desire to adjust the release of sweeteners present in abhesive wax-free chewing gum so that the sweetness release is compatible with the increased flavor release. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
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