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The present invention relates to the field of programmable integrated circuits and in particular, to techniques and circuitry for implementing digital-to-analog converters (DACS) and analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) in a programmable logic.
Integrated circuits are important building blocks of the modern age. Technology continues to evolve and integrated circuits continue to provide improved functionality. As integrated circuits improve, so do the electronics systems that are built using integrated circuits. There are many types of integrated circuit such as memories, microprocessors, application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), and programmable logic. Programmable logic integrated circuits such as PALs, PLDs, FPGAs, LCAs, and others are becoming more complex and continually evolving to provide more user-programmable features on a single integrated circuit. Modern programmable logic integrated circuits incorporate programmable logic including logic gates, products terms, or look-up tables. Programmable logic integrated circuits also included embedded user-programmable memory or RAM.
Despite the success of programmable logic, there is a continuing desire to provide greater functionality in a programmable logic integrated circuit, but at the same time, provide greater performance. Desired functionalities include digital-to-analog and analog-to-digital conversion. Analog interfaces are needed especially as communications interfaces to, for example, 3G and 4G wireless, cable modems, Intelsat, and OFDM. A typical bandwidth for OFDM is 5 to 10 megahertz, cable modem is 5 megahertz, and 2.5 G–3 G–4 G is 3 to 5 megahertz. The typical desired resolutions are 6 to 10 bits. Also some multimedia applications need analog interfaces.
Therefore, there is a need to provide techniques and circuitry for implementing digital-to-analog and analog-to-digital conversion in programmable logic. | {
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This invention relates to optical systems for metrological measuring apparatus, and more particularly to an improved telecentric, parfocal optical system having means for selectively indexing any one of a plurality of different magnifications into registry with a video camera that forms part of the measuring apparatus. Even more particularly, this invention relates to an improved optical system of the type described which utilizes a single, fixed entrance lens assembly for all magnifications.
In metrological apparatus of the type described it is customary to employ a worktable defining an object plane in which the workpiece to be inspected is positioned and illuminated. As disclosed for example in U.S. Pat. No. 5,389,774, an image of the workpiece can then be projected by an associated optical system to a video camera, and from there via a microprocessor or CPU control to an associated TV monitor, or the like. In certain such optical systems it has been customary to employ a zoom lens mechanism to vary the magnification of the image that is projected to the associated video camera. While such apparatus is particularly suitable for inspection of selected objects, it does have the disadvantage that the degree of magnification of the inspected object is limited by virtue of the nature of a conventional zoom lens mechanism. Moreover, even where such variations in magnification of an image can be effected, most such prior art devices do not use telecentric, parafocal optical systems for all such magnifications.
Moreover, still other prior art metrological apparatus, such as disclosed for example in U.S. Pat. No. 4,743,771, includes a beam splitter for reflecting an image of a grid or reticle onto the surface of a workpiece that is being inspected. The combined images of the reticle and workpiece are then projected upwardly along a vertical axis (z) to a video cmaera for use in effecting automatic focusing of the apparatus. Such apparatus, however, includes no means for providing different magnifications of the images. Moreover, by using a beamsplitter to reflect the reticle image through the imaging lenses, objectionable stray light reflections off the optical elements, as caused by the illumination of the workpiece surface, reduce the contrast between the reticle image and the workpiece image.
It is an object of this invention, therefore, to provide for metrological apparatus of the type described an improved optical system capable of selectively providing any one of a plurality of different magnifications of the image that is projected to the video camera of the apparatus.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved optical system of the type described which is always telecentric and parfocal for all magnifications of the system.
Still another object of this invention is to provide an improved optical system of the type described which utilizes a single, fixed entrance lens assembly for each possible magnification of the system.
It is an object also of this invention to provide for apparatus of the type described a telecentric, variable magnification optical system of the type in which each magnification has a different F-stop aperture, and each such F-stop, when in use, is always located at the back focal point of the system's entrance lens assembly.
A further object of this invention is to provide an optical system of the type described including means for injecting a reticle image and normally directed surface illumination between the entrance lens assembly and the system's telecentric stop location, whereby the E-number for the reticle projection means may be less than that of the imaging lens system.
Other objects of this invention will become apparent hereinafter from the specification and from the recital of the appended claims, particularly when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a substrate for an information recording medium in which information is optically recorded and reproduced as well as to a method of producing the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
There have hitherto been methods of reading of signals from optical cards. In one of these methods, signals are detected from the phase difference between beams of laser reflected from recorded and unrecorded portions. In another method, signals are detected using the difference between the amount of beams of laser reflected from recorded and unrecorded portions. In both methods, an incident laser beam passes through a substrate protection layer and the substrate, reaches the surface of a recording medium, passes again through the substrate and the protection layer and reaches a reader.
Thus, it is important that the optical card be devoid of dust, cracking, optical distortion or the like so that signals can be read precisely. In particular, the substrate surfaces of optical cards which used portably are frequently susceptible to such damage. In order to prevent this type of damage, U.S. Pat. No. 4,673,626 discloses an optical recording card in which the surface hardness is increased (by forming a cured surface layer 36 on a substrate 35, as shown in FIG. 5, inter alia, column 16, line 36 to column 17, line 18).
A known method of providing such a hard coating layer involves dissolving a hard coating material in a solvent such as ethyl acetate, toluene, Cellosolve acetate.sup..RTM. (ethylene glycol monoethyl ether acetate manufactured by the Union Carbide Corp.) or the like (referred to as "hard coating solvent" hereinafter), and applying the resultant solution to the surface of a substrate by a spinner method, roll coater method, dipping method, spray method or the like. However, when these hard coating layers are provided on a transparent substrate, the hard coating solvent partially dissolves the surface of the substrate or the creates microcracks roughening the substrate surface. Disadvantages are therefore encountered in that the reflectance ratio and the level of the tracking servo signal are reduced, noise occurs during recording and reproducing, and recording and reproducing will thus become impossible.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 92450/1986 discloses a substrate for an optical recording medium which is formed by providing a cured coat of ultraviolet curable resin on the specular surface of a casting mold. The cured coat is then transferred to the surface of a cured resin obtained by casting and curing epoxy resin. This method, however, requires forming a transfer coated resin layer in the specular mold of a casting apparatus for each molding and is thus unsuitable for mass production. Moreover, since this method uses a resin having a high glass transition temperature to obtain suitable heat resistance, recording sensitivity is significantly reduced. That is, since information recording is performed by evaporating and melt deforming the recording layer by laser beam absorption, if the substrate in contact with the recording layer has a high glass transition temperature, the recording sensitivity decreases due to the fact that deformation of the recording layer is inhibited. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to colored orthopedic resins and colored orthopedic casting materials which are storage stable.
2. The Prior Art
Recently, water curable, isocyanate functional, polyurethane prepolymers have been found to be extremely useful in formulating a resin for orthopedic casting materials, as disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,502,479 (Garwood et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 4,609,578 (Reed), U.S. Pat. No. 4,667,661 (Scholz et al.), and U.S. Pat. No. 4,774,937 (Scholz et al.). Most commonly, a knitted fiberglass fabric is used as the scrim onto which such polyurethane prepolymers are coated
To initiate the cure of such water curable orthopedic casting materials, the material is contacted with water, typically by immersing a roll of the material in water. Upon immersion, the curing process begins as the isocyanate functional groups begin polymerizing in the presence of water Such polymerization is often aided or controlled by the use of a catalyst, such as is disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,705,840 (Buckanin). Since these water curable orthopedic casting materials must be stored in moisture-proof pouches or containers for significant periods of time before use, storage stability is a significant concern.
Quite recently, colored orthopedic casting materials have become desirable from the standpoint of aesthetic appeal to the wearer. Unfortunately, some problems have been experienced with early attempts to provide colored orthopedic casting materials For example, faded or splotchy color, leaching of the color from the materials, and colored water drips have been experienced.
As will thus be appreciated, there are many obstacles to successfully coloring an orthopedic casting material for aesthetic appeal. Two different types of colorants have historically been used when attempting to provide a desired color to a material: dyes and pigments Dyes are typically soluble in the system to be colored, whereas pigments typically are not.
Hence, one of the problems involved in providing a colored orthopedic resin or colored orthopedic casting material is the difficulty in mixing the dyes or pigments into the polymeric mixture which will form the resin. Since pigments are typically dry powders at room temperature, relatively long periods of time are required o attempt to mix and disperse the pigment powder evenly throughout the polymeric mixture, and often a millbase must be prepared as a vehicle for pigment addition Dyes generally need to be dissolved into the polymeric mixture to provide effective color; again, uniform dispersion or dissolution of the dye is often very difficult to achieve and mixing requires a relatively long period of time. Hence, relatively long mixing times and the inability to uniformly disperse the pigment or dye throughout the polymeric mixture can often be a problem.
Stability of the color in the resultant colored polymeric material is also a problem. Over time, both pigments and incompletely dissolved dyes tend to settle out, thus resulting in a color concentration gradient within the polymeric material and resulting in a nonuniform coloring. In this regard, dark splotches of the dye or pigment are sometimes formed, resulting in a rather nonuniform color pattern. The problem of color stability in a colored orthopedic casting material may be further aggravated by the presence of the catalyst used to control the cure time. Since such catalysts are relatively powerful chemical agents, they can also adversely affect the stability of the color, for example, causing the color to break down and fade over time.
Another problem is related to resin stability, namely, the incompatibility of the various colorants and the components of the resin. Because dyes and pigments are chemically quite dissimilar to the components used to form the resin of an orthopedic casting material, the properties of the resin may be adversely affected. For example, some dyes and pigments have been found to catalyze or participate in unwanted reactions which tend to accelerate the increase in resin viscosity over time. Excessive increases in viscosity can render a resin-impregnated casting material unuseable.
Another problem which must be overcome in providing a colored orthopedic resin or casting material is the tendency of the dye or pigment to leach or bleed from the resin or material once formed. Unfortunately, dyes can leach from a polymeric material and pigments can migrate from a polymeric material under certain conditions. Related to this is the problem of a colored drip which may be experienced with polymeric materials containing a pigment or dye which are activated by water to initiate cure. If the color leaches or migrates from the resin upon contact with the water, a messy and very undesirable color drip may result.
Additional concerns with respect to the use of dyes or pigments to color polymeric materials are safety and cleanliness. Many dyes are considered toxic to humans. Dry pigment powders can pose a safety problem from the standpoint of inhalation of the powder Since dyes stain many materials with which they come in contact and since pigment powders can be very messy to handle, maintaining a clean environment can also be a problem when using dyes and pigments.
In the art of producing cured urethane foams, "reactive colorants" have been proposed. In this regard, U.S. Pat. No. 4,775,748 (Kluger et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 4,751,254 (Kluger et al.), and U.S. Pat. No. 4,507,407 (Kluger et al.), which three patents are incorporated herein by reference, disclose reactive colorants and processes for the in situ coloration of thermosetting resins. There is no suggestion in any of those patents that the reactive colorants disclosed could be used in an isocyanate functional, polyurethane prepolymer for orthopedic use.
From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that what is needed in the orthopedic art are colored orthopedic resins and colored orthopedic casting materials wherein the colorant: (1) can be mixed into the prepolymer resin mixture with relative ease and in a relatively short period of time; (2) does not settle out of the prepolymer resin, but rather provides for a very uniform color, even after being stored for significant periods of time; (3) is compatible with the components of the prepolymer resin so as to not adversely affect the resin such as by accelerating the increase in the viscosity of the resin when stored over time; (4) does not leach, migrate, or bleed from the prepolymer resin during storage, during cure, or after cure; and (5) is relatively nontoxic and does not present a significant safety hazard or cleanliness problem. Such colored orthopedic resins and colored orthopedic casting materials made from the same are disclosed and claimed herein. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a network to which a plurality of apparatuses are connected, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for managing transmission and reception of data over the network.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a conventional network including a plurality of apparatuses connected via cables, there has frequently been employed a technique for transferring control data from a first apparatus to a second apparatus in order to operate the second apparatus on the basis of the transferred control data. In such a case, since each of the first and second apparatuses has a plurality of functional modules, managing each set of control data to be transferred requires determination of a functional module of the first apparatus which serves as a source and a functional module of the second apparatus which serves as a destination. For attaining such management, conventionally, virtual terminals (hereinafter referred to as logical plugs) are assumed for a plurality of functional modules of each apparatus; information representing the connection relationship between each logical plug of the first apparatus and a corresponding logical plug of the second apparatus (e.g., information representing plug pairs connected between the apparatuses) is stored in both apparatuses; and through use of this information, control data are transferred from a certain functional module of the first apparatus to a corresponding functional module of the second apparatus.
With recent progress in networking realized through use of high speed communication cables (e.g., “IEEE1394,” “USB,” etc.), an increased number of apparatuses are connected within a network, and each apparatus becomes complex or realizes a large number of functions of different kinds. Therefore, the number of logical plugs increases considerably, raising the problem of a huge increase in the amount of information representing the above-described connection relationship. Further, when an apparatus connected to the network is replaced with another apparatus, time-consuming operation must be performed in order to update the information. | {
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Insulin, which is secreted by pancreatic .beta.-cells, is a hormone that lowers blood glucose levels, and glucose is one of the important physiological stimulants of its secretion. The mechanisms of glucose-induced insulin secretion have been studied vigorously, primarily based on the glucose metabolism hypothesis, for over the last two decades, [Malaisse W. J., et al., Metabolism, 28:373-386 (1979)]. The hypothesis, which has widely attracted attention, has been placing emphasis on the probability of glucose metabolites in pancreatic .beta.-cells acting as signals for insulin secretion. Among a variety of metabolites, ATP has been thought to be one of the most important molecules, functioning, as a metabolic energy carrier, as the intracellular signal for insulin secretion in pancreatic .beta.-cells [Ashcroft, S. J. H., Biochem. J., 132:223-231 (1973)].
Pancreatic .beta.-cells are electrophysiologically excitable cells, and it was known that the membrane potential of .beta.-cells is the key factor in the stimulus-secretion coupling in insulin release [Henquin J. C., Experimentia 40:1043-1052 (1984)]. It was also known that glucose regulates .beta.-cell membrane potential by controlling the permeability of the membrane to potassium ion [Sehlin, J., Diabetes, 32:820-323 (1983)].
Then, in 1984, after Cook et al. discovered ATP-sensitive potassium channels (K.sub.ATP), a molecule was first revealed that links glucose metabolism with potassium permeability of the membrane [Cook, D. L. et al., Nature, 311:271-273 (1984)]. K.sub.ATP channels, originally discovered in cardiac muscle, were characterized by inhibition of the channels when intracellular ATP concentration is increased [Noma, A., Nature, 305:147-148 (1983)]. Subsequently, K.sub.ATP channels were found in a variety of tissues and cells, including the brain, pituitary gland and skeletal muscles [Ashcroft, FM, Annu. Rev. Neurosci., 11:97-118 (1988)].
According to the insulin secretion mechanism of pancreatic .beta.-cells, ATP produced by glucose metabolism causes closure of the K.sub.ATP channels, which in turn leads to depolarization of the .beta.-cell membrane, which is followed by opening of the voltage-dependent calcium channels, thereby allowing Ca.sup.2+ influx into the .beta.-cells. The thus resulted rise of intracellular Ca.sup.2+ concentration triggers Ca.sup.2+ -dependent insulin secretion [Wollheim, C. B. et al., Physiol. Rev., 61:914-973 (1981)]. Thus, the K.sub.ATP channels of the .beta.-cells, which link the metabolic status of the cell to its membrane potential, are key molecules, and they are thought to act as intracellular ATP- and ADP-sensors, thereby regulating the excitability of the membrane.
Sulfonylureas (Su agents), insulin secretagogue oral hypoglycemic agents which are widely used threapeutics in the treatment of non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM), were shown to inhibit the activity of K.sub.ATP channels of .beta.-cells [Sturges, N. C. et al., Lancet, 8453:474-475 (1985), De Weille, J., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 85:1312-1316 (1988)]. Electrophysiological studies on K.sub.ATP channels have shown that their kinetics and pharmacological properties vary among tissues, suggesting that K.sub.ATP differs among tissues structurally and functionally [Terzic, A. et al., Am. I. Physiol., 269:C525-C545 (1995)]. Since K.sub.ATP channels in pancreatic .beta.-cells and insulin-secreting cell lines have the property of inward rectification, they could be structurally related to other channels that constitute the inwardly rectifying K.sup.+ channel family. Inwardly rectifying K.sup.+ channels are distinguished from voltage-gated K.sup.+ channels (Kv) in that the former are not activated by membrane depolarization and they allow greater K.sup.+ influx than efflux.
In understanding the structure and function of the inwardly rectifying K.sup.+ channels, a breakthrough was brought about by expression cloning of cDNAs encoding three distinct inwardly rectifying K.sup.+ channels: ROMK1 (Kir 1.1) from rat kidney [Ho, K. et al., Nature, 362:31-38 (1993)], IRK1 (Kir 2.1) from a mouse macrophage cell line [Kubo, Y. et al., Nature, 362:127-133 (1993)], and KGA (Kir 3.1) from rat heart [Dascal, N. et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 90:10235-10239 (1993)]. These studies have established new Kir family genes encoding proteins with different structural and functional characteristics from those of Kv super family. Today, subfamilies of Kir are designated Kir 1.0-7.0 according to the nomenclature of Chandy and Gutman [Chandy, K. G., Gutman, G. A., Trends Pharmacol. Sci., 14:434 (1993). Krapivinsky, G. et al., Neuron 20, 995-1005(1998)].
Using a GIRK1 cDNA as a probe, a new member of the Kir family, uK.sub.ATP -1 (Kir 6.1), has been isolated from a variety of tissues [Inagaki, N., J. Biol. Chem., 270:5691-5694 (1995)]. And, a novel Kir gene, human Kir6.2 (referred also to as "BIR"), has been isolated by screening a human genomic library using a Kir 6.1 cDNA as a probe, and, further, mouse Kir6.2 (mBIR) gene has been obtained by screening 7.times.10.sup.5 plaques from a mouse insulin secreting cell line MIN6 cDNA library under standard hybridization conditions, the DNA sequences of which, for human and mouse, respectively, have been disclosed (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication 77796/97). The DNA sequence of mouse Kir6.2 gene is set forth in Sequence Listing (SEQ ID No:1).
The Kir6.2 is made up of 390 amino acid residues and there is observed 96% identity between human Kir6.2 and mouse Kir6.2. Further, sulfonylurea receptor (SUR) has been found by Aguilar-Bryan et al. in the process of cloning Kir6.2 (BIR) [Aguilar-Bryan, L. et al., Science, 268:423-426 (1995)]. Now it is known that the pancreatic .beta.-cell K.sub.ATP channel comprises at least two subunits, a Kir6.2 (BIR) and a sulfonylurea receptor (SUR), and mutation occurred in the K.sub.ATP channel gene is considered to be one of the main causal factors of non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus. For the diversity and functions of inward-rectifying potassium channels, see Horio, Y., SEIKAGAKU, 70(2), p.73-83 (1998), and Seino, S. et al., DIABETES REVIEWS,4(2),177-190 (1996).
Today, diabetes mellitus is a disease of a national scale, the number of its patients including potential ones reaching several million in Japan and the United States, and 5-10% of the middle aged or over are estimated to be diabetic patients. Diabetes mellitus is classified into type I (IDDM), which is insulin-dependent, and type II (NIDDM), non-insulin dependent, and the non-insulin dependent type II constitutes more than 90% of the number of the diabetic patients. As aforementioned, the relation between non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus and ATP-sensitive potassium channels is being gradually elucidated. However, development of new therapeutics for NIDDM has been retarded, for such experimental animals have not been obtained that are necessary for enabling studies on the physiological role of the ATP-sensitive potassium channel and for enabling thereupon development of improved therapeutics for non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus.
On the other hand, creation of model animals which have mutation in a particular gene is an important means in studying the functions of the gene which causes various pathological states, and leading to development of diagnostic drugs or therapeutics or methods of treatment. Recent advancement in molecular biology has established techniques to introduce deletion or mutation into a desired gene on the mouse chromosomes by means of gene-targeting in mouse embryonic stem cells (ES cells), thereby enabling to produce knockout mice, i.e. a mouse in which a particular gene is destroyed [Capecchi, M. R., Science, 244:1288-1292 (1989)].
The K.sub.ATP channel in pancreatic .beta.-cells comprises subunits, a sulfonylurea receptor (SUR1) and a Kir6.2 [Inagaki, N. et al., Science, 270:1166-1170 (1995), Sakura, H. et al., FEBS Lett., 377:338-344 (1995)], whereas the K.sub.ATP channel in skeletal muscle or cardiac muscle comprises a SUR2A and a Kir6.2 [Inagaki, N. et al., Neuron, 16:1011-1017 (1996)]. As it is thought to be the Kir6.2 that serves to form a K.sup.+ selective pore of the K.sub.ATP channel, we assumed that mice devoid of K.sub.ATP channels could be created by disrupting Kir6.2 gene. Based upon this assumption, the objective of the present invention is to produce gene-defective (knockout) animals, especially gene-knockout mice, in which Kir6.2 gene, the gene of one of the subunits of K.sub.ATP channels, is lost. Such animals are necessary for elucidating the function and physiological role of K.sub.ATP channels, the essential molecules in insulin secretion by pancreatic .beta.-cells, and for development of therapeutics for non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an inkjet printing head for performing the ejection of ink on a print medium as drops, and a method of manufacturing an inkjet printing head. The invention may be applied to a general printing device, and in addition the invention may be applied to a copier, a fax machine having a communications system, a word processing device, etc., having a print section, and an industrial use printing apparatus in which various processing devices are combined together.
2. Description of the Related Art
In inkjet printers of recent years, high speed printing has become possible due to an increase in refill frequency in the liquid ejection heads, due to technological advances. In carrying out printing, time-division driving is routinely performed as it is necessary to restrain voltage drop due to the increase of current momentarily flowing to heaters and electrodes, and to provide a high duty image at a high quality. When high speed printing and time-division driving are combined, however, when printing ruled lines, etc., a negative effect often occurs wherein it is not possible to form straight lines, etc.
It is necessary to implement an ejection scheme in order to bring these techniques together. With respect to such problems, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-347663 proposes a means of correcting landing position by way of shifting the positional relationship between the heating elements and ejection ports. More specifically, it describes preserving image linearity even in the case of performing time-division driving by way of arranging either of the heating elements or the ejection ports in an approximately straight line and relatively shifting the positions of the heating elements and the ejection ports.
It is also described therein that if with respect to all nozzles the heating elements and the space at the bifurcated position from the ink supply port to the ink flow paths are made as close as possible to within manufacturing tolerances it is possible to raise refill frequency to its maximum and improve printer throughput.
With the method of resolution set forth in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-347663, however, the shape of the heating elements is changed, and in the case of a higher aspect ratio or a lower ejection amount, bending of liquid drops decreases and it becomes difficult to achieve the expected landing position correction. In short, the design range of the shape of the heating elements or the ejection amounts, etc., in which the effect is exhibited, is limited, and there was a possibility that the degree of design freedom was narrowed. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a two layer type air conditioner of a vehicle, and more particularly, to a two layer type air conditioner of a vehicle, which can easily drain water, such as rainwater, induced into a blower through an outside air intake to a condensed water outlet formed for draining condensed water generated from an evaporator to the outside, and can prevent backflow of water to a blower.
2. Background Art
In general, an air conditioner of an automotive vehicle incurs a great loss of fuel due to a heavy load of a compressor if only the outside air is discharged to the inside of the vehicle through an outside air intake of a blower when the air conditioner is operated. Moreover, the air conditioner causes a passenger's inconvenience due to pollution of the inside air of the vehicle if only the inside air is circulated through the inside air intake of the blower. Particularly, the air conditioner increases the passenger's inconvenience since it cannot rapidly heat the vehicle and cannot defrost windows of the vehicle at the same time when the air conditioner is operated in a heating mode by an outside air intake mode in winter.
Considering the above points, for instance, Japanese Patent Publication No. 1999-170841 discloses a two layer inside air and outside air flow air conditioner. In the two layer inside air and outside air flow air conditioner, the inside air of the vehicle previously heated in the heating mode is induced through an inside air intake of a blower and heated in a heater core, and then, discharged to the inside of the vehicle through a floor vent. After that, the outside air of a low humidity is induced through the outside air intake of the blower and heated, and then, discharged to the inside of the vehicle through a defrost vent.
As shown in FIG. 1, the two layer type air conditioner includes: the blower 10 for controlling the airflow of the air discharged to the inside of the vehicle by inhaling the inside air and outside air according to the air intake mode; and an air conditioning case 60 housing an evaporator 80 embedded therein for cooling the air blown from the blower 10 and a number of vents (not shown) mounted on an outlet for controlling the air flow of the air discharged to the inside of the vehicle. The air conditioning case 60 may further include a heater core (not shown) embedded therein for heating the air.
In more detail, the blower 10 includes: an intake duct 20 having at least one inside/outside air intake (in the drawing, one outside air intake 26 and two inside air intakes 22 and 24 are formed) and at least one door for controlling opening and closing of the inside/outside air intake (in the drawing, two doors 28 and 30 are formed); a double suction type scroll case 40 embedded in the intake duct 20 and divided into a first flow channel 44 and a second flow channel 46 by a partition plate 42; a blower fan 48 rotatably extending from the first flow channel 44 to the second flow channel 46; and a motor 50 for rotating the blower fan 48.
Furthermore, also the air conditioning case 60 is divided into two passages 66 and 68 by a partition plate 62 in correspondence with the first and second passages 44 and 46. A condensed water outlet 64 for draining condensed water generated from the evaporator 80 to the outside is formed on the bottom of the air conditioning case 60 corresponding to the evaporator. Furthermore, an insulator 70 serving as a cushioning material, seal material or insulating material is mounted between the air conditioning case 60 and the evaporator 80. The insulator 70 has a drain hole 72 for inducing the condensed water generated from the evaporator 80 to the condensed water outlet 64.
However, water is flown into the blower 10 from the outside air intake 26 due to various environments, for instance, when the vehicle travels on a waterway, travels in the rain, or is washed. When water is induced into the blower 10, the blower 10 cannot be operated due to a damage of the motor 50. Therefore, a technology to discharge water induced into the blower 10 to the condensed water outlet 64 has been disclosed.
That is, as shown in FIG. 1, when a drain pipe 90 is connected from the bottom of the intake duct 20 to the upper portion of the insulator 70 mounted on the air conditioning case 60, water induced into the intake duct 20 through the outside air intake 26 is induced to the upper portion of the insulator 70, so that the water can be drained to the outside through the drain hole 64 of the insulator 70 and the condensed water outlet 64.
However, the conventional two layer type air conditioner has several problems in that water and condensed water may flow backward to the blower 10 since static pressure directing to the evaporator 80 is higher than that directing to the bottom of the intake duct 20, and in that the flow channel for naturally draining water to the outside may be stopped due to its small area. Additionally, the blower 10 may be sealed in order to prevent backflow of water or condensed water to the blower 10. At this time, to improve sealing efficiency, a sealing rib (not shown) protrudes to the side surface of the air conditioning case 60, and a number of screws are used for enhancing its assembling performance, thereby the manufacturing costs of the conventional two layer type air conditioner is increased. Furthermore, in case where water induced into the blower 10 is drained to the drain hole, the number of components of the air conditioner is increased, and the system package of the air conditioner is increased in volume. | {
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In recent years, offshore exploration and production of petroleum products has been extended into arctic and other ice-infested waters in such locations as northern Alaska and Canada. These waters are generally covered with vast areas of sheet ice 9 months or more out of the year. Sheet ice may reach a thickness of 5 to 10 feet or more, and may have a compressive or crushing strength in the range of about 200 to 1000 pounds per square inch. Although appearing stationary, ice sheets actually move laterally with wind and water currents and thus can impose very high forces on any stationary structure in their paths.
A still more severe problem encountered in arctic waters is the presence of larger masses of ice such as pressure ridges, rafted ice or floebergs. Pressure ridges are formed when two separate sheets of ice move toward each other and collide, the overthrusting and crushing of the two interacting ice sheets causing the formation of a pressure ridge. Pressure ridges can be very large, with lengths of hundreds of feet, widths of more than a hundred feet and a thickness of up to 50 feet. Consequently, pressure ridges can exert a proportionally greater force on an offshore structure than ordinary sheet ice; thus, the possibility of pressure ridges causing extensive damage to an offshore structure or the catastrophic failure of a structure is very great.
A structure built strong enough to resist the crushing force exerted thereon by impinging ice, that is, strong enough to permit the ice to be crushed against the structure, enabling the ice to flow around it, would likely be very massive and correspondingly expensive to construct. Therefore, it has been proposed heretofore that structures which are to be used in ice-infested waters should be built with a sloping or ramp-like outer surface rather than with a surface which is vertically disposed to the impinging ice. As the ice comes into contact with the sloping outer surface, it is forced upwardly above its normal position which causes the ice to fail in flexure by placing a tensile stress in the ice. Since ice has a flexural strength of about 85 pounds per square inch, a correspondingly smaller force is imposed on the structure as the ice impinging thereon fails in flexure rather than compression.
Several forms of conical offshore structures having sloping outer surfaces are illustrated in a paper by J. V. Danys entitled "Effect of Cone-Shaped Structures on Impact Forces of Ice Floes", presented to the First International Conference on Port and Ocean Engineering under Arctic Conditions, held at the Technical University of Norway, Trondheim, Norway, during Aug. 13-30, 1971. Another paper of interest in this respect is that presented by Ben C. Gerwick, Jr., and Ronald R. Lloyd, entitled "Design and Construction Procedures for Proposed Arctic Offshore Structures", presented at the Offshore Technology Conference in Houston, Texas, April 1970.
As an ice sheet moves relative to and in contact with the sloping outer surface of a conical structure, it will be elevated along the sloping surface. The elevation of the ice sheet causes initial cracks to be formed in the sheet, which radiate outwardly from the point of contact. Circumferential cracks then form and cause the ice sheet to break up into wedge-shaped pieces. The approximate total force exerted on a conical structure then consists primarily of the force required to fail the impinging ice sheet in flexure, that is, the force required to form the initial radial or subsequent circumferential cracks, and the force caused by the broken ice pieces riding up on the outer surface of the structure and interacting therewith.
The force associated with the formation of initial and circumferential cracks in the ice sheet is primarily a function of the particular mechanical and geometrical properties of the ice impinging on the structure. The ride-up force is due to the broken ice pieces interacting with the structure and thus is dependent upon the surface area of the structure above the water line. Therefore, to reduce the total ice forces imposed on a conical structure, it is always desirable to keep the waterline diameter of the structure as small as possible.
Larger ice masses such as pressure ridges impacting a conically shaped structure will be lifted along the sloping outer surface of the structure to cause the ridges to fail in flexure. As with ice sheets, a radial crack will form in the ridge at the point of impact; the formation of a radial crack is followed by the formation of hinge cracks that occur at a relatively greater distance from the structure. As the ridge continues to move into the structure, it will break into large blocks of ice which fall away from the structure.
As indicated above, the force imposed on a structure by an impinging pressure ridge is much greater than that of an impinging ice sheet. The approximate total force exerted on a conical structure by a pressure ridge is a combination of the force required to fail the impinging ridge in flexure and the force caused by the broken ice pieces, formed by the failure of the ice sheet advancing ahead of the presure ridge, riding up on the outer surface of the structure and interacting therewith. The large blocks of ice formed when a pressure ridge fails in flexure tend not to ride up the outer surface of the structure; therefore, the ride-up force is essentially a result of pieces of sheet ice riding up the structure's outer surface.
Since structures located in waters in which larger ice masses are present are exposed to relatively greater ice forces, they must be built strong enough to withstand these greater ice forces. Utilizing present bottom-supported conical structure designs requires supporting the structure by means of additional foundation support, such as piling; however, this would increase the cost and time of installation of the structure. Without additional foundation support, the structure would have to be made larger and stronger to resist the greater ice forces, which would necessitate increasing its waterline diameter. This, however, would increase that component of the total ice force associated with the ride up of ice pieces on the structure, since the ride-up force is proportional to the surface area of the structure above the waterline. For a very large cone waterline diameter, this component of the force would be substantially greater than the force required to fail the impinging ice in flexure. Additionally, as these structures are designed for use in deeper waters, their overall size would likely increase.
Accordingly, present conical structures built strong enough to withstand the forces associated with larger ice masses would be correspondingly more expensive to construct and install than one merely designed to withstand the forces associated with an impinging ice sheet. In fact, such structures could be so massive as to be impractical and economically prohibitive to build. The present invention is directed to an offshore structure which is able to withstand the forces associated with large impinging ice masses, and at the same time is feasible from an economic and size standpoint. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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This invention relates to a new and improved method and apparatus of assisting ventilation and respiration of a person.
It has been found that persons with various respiratory problems and illnesses can be benefitted by application to the person's respiratory system of rapid, positive pressure pulses of oxygen and air. This type of "ventilation" is superior to the more conventional method of ventilation which consisted of application of relatively large volumes of oxygen and air to a person at frequencies which coincided substantially with the inhalation frequency of the person. Some of the problems with this conventional technique are that those areas of the lung with the least blood perfusion may be preferentially ventilated, added resistance to blood flow into the thorax and pulmonary capillaries is imposed, and blood pressure is oftentimes altered. In addition, the decreased compliance of the lungs of those persons who suffer from respiratory distress syndrome causes high intrapulmonary pressures to be necessary during the application of the oxygen-air pulses. These high pressures oftentimes produce the side affects of pneumothorax, cerebral hemorrhage and broncho-pulmonary dysplasia, all of which are life threatening and debilitating.
Two prior art methods of applying positive pressure pulses of gas to a patient at a higher than normal rate of inhalation and exhalation are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,155,356 and 2,918,917. In the first mentioned patent, '356, the object of the method described is to alleviate respiratory problems caused from a collapsed lung passageway which, for example, may result from emphysema. The apparatus and method of the '356 patent provide for supplying a series of pressure pulses to the air passageway in question, with the pulses having a certain defined wave form and frequency rate. Further, the person on which the method is used is generally able to inhale but not exhale and so the method is used to assist exhalation only. Thus, the '356 patent is not directed strictly to assisting respiration--both inhalation and exhalation--to alleviate respiratory problems.
The '917 patent discloses apparatus for "vibrating portions of a patient's airway" at a rate which is greater than the patient's normal rate of inhalation and exhalation. The purpose of this is to exercise and massage the airway and associated organs to thus loosen and remove mucous therefrom. It was also stated in the patent that it was believed that vibrating portions of a patient's airway aided in the breathing function by circulating the gas more thoroughly to and from the walls of the lungs.
Although the application of high frequency, positive pressure pulses of gas to a person's respiratory system provides benefits not achievable with the conventional method of ventilation, the optimum use of high frequency, positive pressure pulses has not yet been achieved. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a writing instrument, and more particularly to an illuminable writing instrument which comprises an illumination arrangement for providing an added lighting effect to the writing instrument so as to not only enhance the aesthetic appearance of the writing instrument but also facilitate the practical use thereof.
2. Description of Related Arts
A pen is a common tool that replaces pencils as a writing instrument wherein the pen comprises a hollow pen holder and a pen core disposed along the pen holder. Generally, there are two types of pen, namely a mechanical pen and a disposable pen that the pen core is irreplaceable such that the disposable pen must be thrown away when the ink of the pen core is used up.
Accordingly, the pen core is replaceable for the mechanical pen, wherein the mechanical pen further comprises an actuating unit provided on the pen holder to move the pen core between an operation position and a storage position, wherein at the operation position, a writing tip of the pen core is pushed out of an end of the pen holder and at the storage position, the writing tip of the pen core is received within the pen holder.
In order to enhance the attraction of the pen, the pen, as disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 6,099,185, further comprises an illumination unit operatively incorporated with the pen holder to provide an added lighting effect for the pen. However, such light pen has several drawbacks.
Due to the limited size of the pen, when the illumination unit is mounted at the tail end of the pen holder, the length of the pen holder must be substantially shortened. In other words, the size of the pen core must be reduced to fit into the pen holder. Therefore, less amount of ink can be filled in the pen core so as to shorten the service life span of the pen and highly increase the maintenance cost of the pen to refill the pen core.
In addition, the illumination unit comprises a switch to activate the LED which results in the illumination of the illumination unit to provide the lighting effect for the pen. However, the actuation of the illumination unit is independent that the pen holder must incorporate with another mechanism to actuate the pen core. Therefore, the user may merely operate two different actions to switch on the illumination unit and actuate the pen core to its operation position individually.
Furthermore, such light pen discloses that the illumination unit can be detached from the pen holder to function as a flashlight. However, in accordance with the structural design, the light pen can be simply considered as a flashlight detachably mounted to a regular mechanical pen since the lighter requires two individual actuations to operate the illumination unit and the pen core respectively. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a lithographic apparatus and a device manufacturing method.
2. Related Art
A lithographic apparatus is a machine that applies a desired pattern onto a target portion of a substrate. The lithographic apparatus can be used, for example, in the manufacture of integrated circuits (ICs), flat panel displays, and other devices involving fine structures. In a conventional lithographic apparatus, a patterning means, which is alternatively referred to as a mask or a reticle, may be used to generate a circuit pattern corresponding to an individual layer of the IC (or other device), and this pattern can be imaged onto a target portion (e.g., comprising part of one or several dies) on a substrate (e.g., a silicon wafer or glass plate) that has a layer of radiation-sensitive material (e.g., resist). Instead of a mask, the patterning means may comprise an array of individually controllable elements that generate the circuit pattern.
In general, a single substrate will contain a network of adjacent target portions that are successively exposed. Known lithographic apparatus include steppers, in which each target portion is irradiated by exposing an entire pattern onto the target portion in one go, and scanners, in which each target portion is irradiated by scanning the pattern through the beam in a given direction (the “scanning” direction), while synchronously scanning the substrate parallel or anti-parallel to this direction.
The conventional lithographic apparatus delivers a beam to the substrate through a lens assembly in which each of the lenses is arranged in series along the beam projection direction. The lens component closest to the substrate is a single lens through which all of the beam passes.
An alternative design approach uses a series of lenses arranged along the beam path, but the lens component closest to the substrate is in the form of a two dimensional array of small lenses. Each of the small lenses focuses a respective part of the beam onto a respective part of the substrate. Lithography systems using this design are generally referred to as microlens array imaging systems or MLA systems.
In the lithographic apparatus incorporating the MLA systems, it is possible to rely upon an array of individually controllable elements that provide a black or white effect. An individual element either reflects a beam directly towards an individual lens of the MLA (“white”) or directs light away from the lens of the MLA array (“black”). The effect is the same as turning ON or turning OFF a beam component directed towards that single lens, which delivers either a maximum intensity beam or a zero intensity beam.
It is desirable have a gray-tone capability, which is the capability of delivering to the substrate a light intensity intermediate a maximum and a zero intensity. A gray-tone capability is desirable in lithographic apparatus relying upon MLA arrays. It has been proposed to provide gray-tone capability by progressively adjusting the position of individual mirrors in a mirror array to progressively reflect light away from the center of a respective lens in the lens array. A single beam of light from a single mirror of a mirror array is progressively displaced relative to a respective lens of the lens array.
In a lithographic apparatus in which a single mirror is used to reflect light to a single lens of the array and that mirror is progressively displaced to direct the reflected beam progressively away from that single lens, not only the intensity of the beam reaching the substrate is modulated. For example, in MLA systems in which the pupil of the projection optics is imaged on the substrate, the pupil is asymmetrical with respect to the beam of light which illuminates a single lens of the array. Thus, both the intensity and position of the spot of illumination at the substrate are modulated as a result of deflection of the mirror element. In MLA systems in which the displaceable mirror elements are imaged on the substrate, the beam reaching the substrate from an individual mirror will not be telecentric, The non-telecentricity will vary with displacement of the mirror, resulting in the position of the spot of illumination at the substrate varying with focus.
Therefore, what is needed is an improved lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method that can be used in a microlens array imaging system to provide gray-tone capability. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The use of a computer system, including a keyboard and a computer/display unit, in a vehicle is becoming more prevalent. For example, such computer systems are employed in police vehicles or emergency vehicles. An example of such a vehicle mounted computer system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,386,413 of Twyford, which is assigned to the assignee of the present invention.
Vehicle mounted systems suffer from various drawbacks, among which are the following. The display is not high enough to prevent diverting the driver's eyes from the road when viewing the screen. The keyboard is not easily positioned for use by either the driver or the passenger. The mounting position of the system interferes with air bag deployment. The mounting arrangement does not permit comfortable seating for the passenger, and requires alteration to the dashboard. The system blocks access to the radio, heater controls, etc. The mounting arrangement is such that the display is not properly inclined facing the driver, and does not provide sufficient stabilizing pressure against the dashboard. The display holder is not rotatably adjustable or, if it is rotatably adjustable, there is no means for preventing it from being rotated in front of the passenger side air bag. The mounting arrangement is not flexible or adjustable, and does not work equally well, for both left side driver vehicles (as in the United States) and right side driver vehicles (as in the United Kingdom and other countries). The mounting arrangement is not versatile in that it does not allow up and down positioning, as well as an adjustable tilt to match the instrument panel angle. Finally, the mounting arrangement does not provide an indexing cylinder which may be mounted on either side of an upright member so as to provide selection of left-right positioning, and does not provide a rod running up the side of the arrangement, on which rod the pressure point on the dashboard can be adjusted. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to a recirculating ball screw and nut drive with a spindle and with a spindle nut guided on the spindle, as well as with balls guided between the spindle and the spindle nut, in a working passage between their thread grooves, where the balls are diverted in ball deflection pieces on both ends of the spindle nut out of the working passage into a return passage accommodated in the spindle nut, and vice versa.
2. Discussion of Background Information
A recirculating ball screw and nut drive is generally disclosed in GB-PS-957330. This recirculating ball screw and nut drive includes a spindle and a spindle nut guided on the spindle with balls guided between their thread grooves in a working passage. Both the spindle nut and the spindle have a single-start thread. In order to change the ratio of the feed of the spindle nut to the rotation of the spindle, the pitch of the threads should be changed. However, with a large pitch of the threads, the load-carrying capacity of the ball screw and nut drive decreases with a constant length of the spindle nut, because fewer balls can engage in a load-carrying manner with the opposite grooves. As a remedy, a multiple-start thread is used for the spindle and for the spindle nut. However, the ball deflection piece provided for a single-start thread can no longer be used.
Another recirculating ball screw and nut drive with two ball deflection pieces attached to the two ends of the spindle nut is generally disclosed in DE-T2-60301517, where the ball deflection pieces are suitable for a spindle and spindle nut having a multiple-start thread. For each working passage lying between the threads and for each associated return passage, the ball deflection piece made of one piece features one ball circulation passage connecting these passages. However, this ball deflection piece is complicated and requires expensive manufacturing and mounting. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a photocurable ink composition, an ink jet recording method using the same, and a recorded material.
2. Related Art
A photocurable ink composition is used for manufacture of a color filter, printing on a printed board, printing on a plastic card, a vinyl sheet or a plastic component, printing of a large-sized signboard or an indoor/outdoor advertisement, or printing of a barcode or a date.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application No. 2004-99796 discloses a photocurable ink composition including dendrimer which is a kind of dendritic polymer. The dendritic polymer has a molecule structure in which a functional group is dense in the surface with high density compared with a general linear polymer and thus is expected as a functional polymer nano material.
However, if the dendritic polymer is added to the ink composition, the viscosity of an ink is significantly increased and thus, even in view of storage stability, a discharge failure of an ink jet head may occur due to the increase of the viscosity. In order to suppress the increase of the viscosity, the reduction of the addition amount of the dendritic polymer has a tradeoff relation with the characteristic improvement due to the adding of the dendritic polymer.
As a general method of preventing the high viscosity of the ink, there is a method of using a low-viscosity polymerizable compound as a diluted monomer. However, the low-viscosity monomer generally has a low molecular weight, a low flash point, and problems in stability, such as odor and skin irritability. As another method, water or an organic solvent without polymerizable functional group as a low-viscosity dilution agent is added. However, when a component which does not contribute to a curing reaction is added, a drying process should be performed by a heating or ventilating unit as a pre-process of the curing reaction, or a special process of providing an absorbing layer on a recording medium needs to be performed. Accordingly, a process load is undesirably increased. When the curing reaction is performed in a state in which the drying process is insufficient, a residual solvent or residual moisture is foamed by heat of polymerization or is extruded from a cured material, is bled out and is left on the surface of the cured film, thereby causing tackiness (stickiness). | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The present invention relates to a gas outlet for supplying a gas to a room. More particularly, the present invention relates to an improved gas outlet front body which facilitates maintenance or servicing of the gas outlet.
It is known to provide a pressurized gas supply to gas outlets in a room. In medical treatment facilitates, gases such as oxygen, nitrous oxide, air, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen are supplied to the room through a wall panel or ceiling outlet. It is known to provide detachable adapters which mate with gas outlets to provide gas specific connectors. Such known gas outlet systems typically include a front body having a valve or barrel configured to be coupled to a back body assembly which is coupled to a gas supply line extending from a wall, headwall, or ceiling.
The valve or barrel of the front body must be removed and serviced to replace worn parts from time to time. In particular, O-ring seals within the barrel must be replaced in order to maintain acceptable sealing against gas flow. It is known to provide removable barrels from front bodies in order to permit servicing. However, removal of the conventional barrels is difficult and requires removal of several parts. These loose parts may be dropped, lost or misplaced.
The gas outlet of the present invention provides an improved latching or retention mechanism for coupling the barrel to the front body. The apparatus of the present invention permits quick detachment of the barrel from the front body for servicing, without removing fasteners or other parts from the front body which can then be lost or misplaced.
Additional features of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of the illustrated embodiments exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the invention as presently perceived. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The present invention pertains generally to control systems and more specifically to a solar collector control system. One of the expensive items needed to train a solar energy collector, whether it is the flat plate type or the focusing type, is the following device which accurately aims the collector at the sun as it traverses the sky. While current technology provides for such devices, they are expensive and difficult to maintain. Consequently, stationary collectors have been used instead because of their simplicity. However, stationary collectors are generally much less efficient than the sun following collectors and cannot produce the high temperatures required to keep such systems cost effective. For example, the two primary systems for air conditioning using solar energy require heat at a fairly high temperature, that is, usually higher than that conveniently or economically available from fixed flat plate collectors. Furthermore, fixed flat plate collectors tend to be inefficient at high heat collection temperatures as a result of the large area and attendant high heat losses. Considering the advantages and disadvantages of solar heating with respect to fixed plate collectors and sun followers, the high temperature collection of sun follower collectors has a number of real benefits such as decreased heating storage requirements, lighter equipment, less likelihood of leakage into living spaces, smaller heat transfer devices in buildings, smaller fans and motors with resulting smaller pumps, and less insulation. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a magneto-resistive element, a thin film magnetic head, a magnetic head device, and a magnetic recording/reproducing apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Magneto-resistive elements are generally configured to have a magneto-resistive film above a lower magnetic shield film. Examples of the magneto-resistive film include a TMR (tunnel magneto-resistive) film and a CPP-GMR (current-perpendicular-to-plane giant magneto-resistive) film. MR change rates of the TMR and CPP-GMR films can improved by the following measures:
(1) For the TMR film, making a tunnel barrier layer out of crystalline magnesium oxide;
(2) For the CPP-GMR film, making a pinned or free layer out of an ordered Heusler alloy; and
(3) For the TMR or CPP-GMR film, making an antiferromagnetic layer out of an ordered IrMn alloy.
In the case of (1), however, high temperature annealing at a temperature equal to or greater than 300° C. is required in the production process to obtain sufficient MR change rate by crystallizing magnesium oxide. Also in the cases of (2) and (3), high temperature annealing at a temperature equal to or greater than 300° C. is required in the production process to obtain sufficient MR change rate by ordering the Heusler alloy or the IrMn alloy. During the high temperature annealing, the lower magnetic shield film will also be exposed to a high temperature equal to or greater than 300° C.
Generally, the lower magnetic shield film is a magnetic shield film made of a NiFe or CoFe alloy. In this case, however, when the magnetic shield film is exposed to a high temperature equal to or greater than 300° C., there is a possibility that the crystal grains will be grown and coarsened within the film. Coarsening of the crystal grains leads to deterioration of soft magnetic properties important for the magnetic shield film. For example, it increases coercive force and decreases magnetic permeability.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. H07-066034 discloses a soft magnetic film having a composition with P (phosphorus) added to NiFe. Moreover, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. H04-196402 discloses a soft magnetic film having a composition with B (boron) added to CoFe. However, mere addition of P or B is insufficient to inhibit the coarsening of the crystal grains under a high temperature environment equal to or greater than 300° C. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The invention relates to cooking systems, and more particularly relates to such systems that employ automatic controls.
Automated cooking systems have been known in the past. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,883,801 describes a cooking system in which weight and geometry on a package are input to a computer (FIG. 16 and Col. 14, lines 35-58). U.S. Pat. No. 5,565,655 describes a weight sensor, including a pair of facing electrodes and an annular spacer, used in a microwave oven. (See the Abstract). U.S. Pat. No. 5,426,280 (the “'280 Patent”) describes a bar code on a food package that is read to look up in memory a stored cooking program. The cooking program can include cooking time, temperature and power level setting. (See the Abstract.) U.S. Pat. No. 5,285,041 describes a code reader in a microwave oven that reads a bar code on a food package in order to control an oven. (See the Abstract.) According to U.S. Pat. No. 4,874,928 (the “'928 Patent”), food weight and steam (or humidity) are detected to determine cooking time by a microwave oven. (See the Abstract and Col. 6 (FIG. 13)). Surface temperature detection is described at Col. 1, lines 22-23. U.S. Pat. No. 4,780,588 describes an optical device that reads cooking data. Another input device enters cooking restriction data. A computer operates a heater based on the cooking data and cooking restriction data. (See the Abstract.) The control of appliances over AC power lines and networks is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,798,945 (the “'945 Patent”) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,949,779 (the “'779 Patent”).
Although the '928 Patent employs two phases of operation, it does not take advantage of various detectable food parameters that enhance the resulting cooked food. Although the '928 Patent describes calculations carried out during the cooking process that depend in part on the type of food (e.g., Col. 10, lines 36-42), there is no attempt to arrange the calculations by products of food parameters and food-type-dependent coefficients that enhance the resulting food product and improve the efficiency of downloading from a remote location. Although the '928 Patent describes adjustment of power level (Col. 7, lines 1-5 and FIG. 9(b)), it ignores the advantages of varying power level based on detected food temperature.
None of the foregoing cooking systems controls the cooking process to reach the optimum taste consistently for an inexperienced homemaker. The present invention addresses this problem and provides a solution. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to photodiodes and, more particularly, to a photodiode with improved photoresponse behavior.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional imaging circuits rely on photodiodes to convert a pixel of light energy into an electrical charge that represents the intensity of the light energy. In general, the light energy varies the electrical charge in a manner which is proportional to the photon absorption rate.
FIG. 1 shows a cross-sectional diagram that illustrates a conventional p+/n photodiode 10. As shown in FIG. 1, photodiode 10 includes an n-type substrate 12, and a p+ region 14 which is formed in substrate 12.
In operation, p+ region 14 is initially reverse-biased with respect to n-type substrate 12, and then floated. Under these conditions, light energy, in the form of photons, strikes photodiode 10, thereby creating a number of electron-hole pairs in substrate 12 and p+ region 14. As shown in FIG. 1, the holes formed in n-type substrate 12 diffuse to the p-n junction where they are swept to p+ region 14 under the influence of the electric field at the junction, while the electrons are attracted to the positive voltage applied to n-type substrate 12.
Similarly, the holes formed in p+ region 14 remain in region 14, while the electrons formed in p+ region 14 diffuse to the p-n junction where they are swept to n-type substrate 12. Thus, with the addition of each photogenerated hole in p+ region 14, the voltage on p+ region 14 is correspondingly increased. As a result, photodiode 10 varies the voltage on p+ region 14 in a manner which is proportional to the photon absorption rate.
One of the major disadvantages of photodiode 10 is that photodiode 10 is susceptible to thermally-generated, as well as other, sources of noise. For example, holes originating from thermally-generated electron-hole pairs formed in substrate 12 diffuse up from n-type substrate 12 into p+ region 14 where each additional hole erroneously represents another photon.
One technique for limiting the effect of noise is to use a p+/n-well photodiode. FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional diagram that illustrates a conventional p+/n-well photodiode 20. As shown in FIG. 2, photodiode 20 includes an n-well 24 which is formed in a p-type substrate 22, and a p+ region 26 which is formed in n-well 24.
In operation, n-well 24 is reverse-biased with respect to p-type substrate 22 by applying a negative voltage to substrate 22, and a positive voltage to n-well 24. In addition, p+ region 26 is initially reverse-biased with respect to n-well 24, and then floated.
Under these conditions, the holes formed in n-well 24 diffuse to the p-n junction where they are swept to p+ region 26 under the influence of the electric field, while the electrons are attracted to the positive voltage applied to n-well 24. Similarly, the holes formed in p+ region 26 remain in region 26, while the electrons formed in p+ region 26 diffuse to the p-n junction where they are swept to n-well 24 and then collected by the positive voltage applied to n-well 24. Thus, as with photodiode 10, the addition of each photogenerated hole in the p+ region correspondingly increases the voltage on the p+ region.
The principal advantage of photodiode 20 is that by maintaining a reverse-bias across the well-to-substrate junction, holes from thermally-generated as well as other noise sources originating in substrate 22 are prevented from diffusing up from substrate 22 into p+ region 26 by the p-n junction.
Instead, the holes in substrate 22 are attracted to the negative voltage applied to substrate 22, while the electrons in substrate 22 from these electron-hole pairs diffuse to the p-n junction where they are swept to n-well 24 and then collected by the positive voltage applied to n-well 24. Thus, a p+/n-well photodiode significantly reduces the level of noise.
One major problem with photodiode 20, however, is that photodiode 20 has a relatively poor quantum efficiency. As further shown in FIG. 2, in addition to diffusing to p+ region 26, photogenerated holes formed in n-well 24 can also diffuse to substrate 22 where these holes, and the photo-information they represent, are lost. In a typical CMOS process, about one-half of the photogenerated holes formed in n-well 24 are lost to substrate 22.
Thus, there is a need for a structure which increases the quantum efficiency of photodiode 20 while at the same time maintaining the noise resistance of photodiode 20. | {
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U.S. Pat. No. 7,364,096 to Sosnowski et al., which is assigned to The Toro Company, the assignee of this invention, discloses a sprayer for applying a liquid, such as a fertilizer, insecticide or herbicide, to a turf surface. The sprayer includes a fixed center boom and a pair of pivotal wing booms that carry spaced spray nozzles along their lengths. In a spray position, the center and wing booms are substantially horizontal and aligned end-to-end along a substantially straight lateral axis with respect to the vehicle that carries the spray booms. In a transport position, the wing booms are folded upwardly and inwardly relative to the center boom until the wing booms become disposed in an X-shaped orientation when they reach the transport position.
Sprayers of this type apply a liquid to relatively large areas of ground or turf surfaces. The operator typically drives the vehicle carrying the spray booms back and forth in a plurality of side-by-side passes over the surface being sprayed. Usually, adjacent passes are driven in opposite directions, the operator making a first pass in one direction, then turning around at the end of the pass, making a second adjacent pass in the opposite direction, and then repeating this back and forth pattern of passes over the entire area of the surface being sprayed. In doing this, the vehicle should be driven as straight as possible so that the swaths of sprayed surface in each pass are aligned with one another as precisely as possible. In other words, the edge of a sprayed swath should match or mate to the nearest edge of the previous sprayed swath so that the entire surface is uniformly sprayed with no parts of the surface being missed by the spray and no parts of the surface being sprayed twice.
However, this is quite difficult for an operator to do. While automatic steering systems are known for controlling the path of a vehicle, such steering systems are quite expensive to use on the types of vehicles, such as vehicles like the Toro Workman® or the Toro Multi-Pro®, which are used as sprayer transport platforms. In addition, most supervisors of the operators of sprayers wish to encourage the operator to keep his or her hands on the steering wheel at all times and to be actively engaged in the operation of the vehicle. Vehicle automatic steering systems are somewhat inconsistent with this goal as they can induce the operator to unduly rely on the steering control provided by the automatic steering system.
One way that operators have attempted to prevent double spraying along the edge of a previously sprayed swath is to try and slightly overlap the edge of the next swath with the previous swath and to manually turn off the nozzle on the sprayer that is closest to the overlapped edge. However, this requires that the operator judge and precisely maintain the right amount of overlap. Despite the use of this technique, there are still areas of the surface that will miss being sprayed when the overlap is too small and that may be sprayed twice if the overlap is allowed to become too large. Moreover, this technique decreases productivity since putting down a swath that is purposely not as large as it could be by turning off the nozzle nearest the edge means that more passes of the vehicle will be necessary to spray a surface of a given size. Such productivity decreases are disadvantageous.
Accordingly, it would be an advance in the sprayer art to provide a sprayer having the ability to precisely apply the spray to a desired surface area to avoid missed or skipped areas and overlapped areas without use of an automatic steering system on the vehicle while maintaining maximum operator productivity. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Microarrays are a powerful and established tool in genomics.1 In contrast, the development of antibody (Ab) microarrays into an equivalent tool for proteomics has been limited by: (1) the availability of high affinity and specificity antibodies for capture and detection of protein biomarkers; (2) the susceptibility of proteins to denaturation; and (3) the propensity of Ab's and protein biomarkers to avidly adsorb to surfaces (commonly referred to as the “non-specific adsorption” problem), which can severely limit the ultimate sensitivity of protein microarrays, especially from complex protein mixtures such as plasma and serum.2 One of the primary factors (others include the intrinsic affinity of the capture antibody and the diffusion of target to the microspot2,3) that controls the limit-of-detection (LOD) of protein microarrays is the adventitious adsorption of proteins (protein biomarkers and antibodies used for detection). | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
The explosive growth of the Internet as a publication and interactive communication platform has created an electronic environment that is changing the way business is transacted. As the Internet becomes increasingly accessible around the world, users need efficient tools to navigate the Internet and to find content available on various websites.
Internet portals provide users an entrance and guide into the vast resources of the Internet. Typically, an Internet portal provides a range of search, email, news, shopping, chat, maps, finance, entertainment, and other content and services. Thus, the information presented to the users needs to be efficiently and properly categorized and stored within the portal. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and a control apparatus for controlling a high-pressure fuel supply pump which is configured to supply pressurized fuel to an internal combustion engine, in particular to a common rail having a plurality of fuel injectors for injecting pressurized fuel into a combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine. Specifically, the present invention relates to a method and a control apparatus for controlling a high-pressure fuel supply pump which comprises a compression chamber, a normally-open-type solenoid-actuated intake valve for delivering unpressurized fuel to the compression chamber, a movable plunger reciprocating in the compression chamber between a first plunger position, e.g. the so-called bottom dead center position, and a second plunger position, e.g. the so-called top dead center position, for pressurizing fuel in the compression chamber, and a discharge valve for discharging pressurized fuel from the compression chamber to be supplied to the internal combustion engine. The normally-open-type solenoid-actuated intake valve of the high-pressure fuel supply pump is configured to be closed or kept closed by means of magnetic force. The present invention also relates to a computer program product comprising computer program code means configured to adapt a control apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, gasoline direct injection (GDI) has become increasingly popular due to its advantages for increased power (due to a lower tendency to knock) and hence higher fuel efficiency. In gasoline direct injection, low-pressure fuel is delivered from the fuel tank by means of a low-pressure fuel pump to a high-pressure pump. In a compression chamber of the high-pressure pump, the low-pressure fuel is pressurized to high pressure and delivered to a common rail comprising a plurality of injectors for being directly injected at high pressure into a combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine.
In general, the amount of high-pressure fuel supplied by the high-pressure fuel supply pump is electronically controlled by controlling a solenoid-actuated intake valve of the high-pressure fuel supply pump. There are known normally-closed-type solenoid-actuated intake valves which can be opened and/or kept open by energizing one or more solenoids of the solenoid-actuated intake valve while being biased by one or more biasing members (such as e.g. springs) into a closing direction of the solenoid-actuated intake valve. Also, there are known normally-open-type solenoid-actuated intake valves which can be closed and/or kept closed by energizing one or more solenoids of the solenoid-actuated intake valve while being biased by one or more biasing members (such as e.g. springs) into an opening direction of the solenoid-actuated intake valve, the present invention relating to the latter normally-open-type solenoid-actuated intake valves.
Regarding high-pressure fuel supply pumps comprising normally-open-type solenoid-actuated intake valves, there are known two operation concepts for controlling the normally-open-type solenoid-actuated intake valves. According to a first-type operation concept as described in DE 10 2008 054 512 A1, the periodic operation cycle of the high-pressure fuel supply pump comprises firstly an intake period in which fuel is taken in through the intake valve into the compression chamber while a movable plunger moves in the compression chamber from a second plunder position (generally ref erred to as top dead center position) to a first plunger position (generally referred to as bottom dead center position) and the solenoid-actuated intake valve opens or is kept open by means of a biasing force, e.g. by a spring, during the intake period, secondly a spill period in which fuel is spilled out of the compression chamber through the intake valve while the movable plunger moves from the first plunger position to the second plunger position and the solenoid-actuated intake valve kept open by means of the biasing force or by means of the biasing force and hydraulic force of the fuel, and thirdly a delivery period in which fuel is pressurized in the compression chamber and discharged through a discharge valve of the high-pressure fuel supply pump to be supplied to the internal combustion engine while the movable plunger moves from the first plunger position to the second plunger position and the solenoid-actuated intake valve is kept closed by means of magnetic force.
According to the first-type operation concept, the normally-open solenoid actuated intake valve is kept closed until the movable plunger reaches the top dead center position by applying a control current to the solenoid-actuated intake valve, e.g. by applying a control voltage to the solenoid actuated intake valve. Then, after shutting off the control current when the movable starts its movement backwards towards the bottom dead center position, the normally-open intake valve opens due to the biasing force acting in the opening direction (possibly in combination with a hydraulic force generated by low-pressure fuel flowing through the intake valve into the compression chamber due to the increasing volume of the compression chamber while the movable plunger is moving towards the bottom dead center position). When the normally-open intake valve reaches a fully open position of the intake valve, an impact noise is generated which, especially for lower engine speeds such as e.g. the idle condition, will even dominate the overall noise of the engine.
For reducing the impact noise, when the normally-open intake valve reaches a fully open position, it is proposed in DE 10 2008 054 512 A1 to apply another pulse of control current to the solenoid-actuated intake valve after shutting off the control current in order to reduce the speed of the intake valve during the opening movement of the intake valve.
According to an alternative second-type operation concept as described in DE 101 48 218 A1, the periodic operation cycle of the high-pressure fuel supply pump comprises firstly an intake period in which fuel is taken in through the intake valve, if the intake valve is kept open during the intake period, or through an optionally provided auxiliary valve, if the intake valve is kept closed during the intake period by applying control current to the solenoid-actuated intake valve, into the compression chamber while the movable plunger moves from the second plunger position to the first plunger position, secondly a delivery period in which fuel is pressurized in the compression chamber and discharged through the discharge valve to be supplied to the internal combustion engine while the movable plunger moves from the first plunger position to the second plunger position and the solenoid-actuated intake valve is kept closed by means of magnetic force, and thirdly a spill period in which fuel is spilled out of the compression chamber through the intake valve while the movable plunger moves from the first plunder position to the second plunger position and the solenoid-actuated intake valve opens or is kept open by means of the biasing force.
According to the second-type operation concept, the normally-open solenoid actuated intake valve is kept closed until a time when the movable plunger moves towards but has not yet reached the top dead center position by applying a control current to the solenoid-actuated intake valve, e.g. by applying a control voltage to the solenoid actuated intake valve. Then, after shutting off the control current at a time in which the movable plunger still moves towards the top dead center position, the normally-open intake valve opens due to the biasing force acting in the opening direction (possibly in combination with a hydraulic force generated by pressurized fuel in the compression chamber due to the decreasing volume of the compression chamber while the movable plunger is moving towards the top dead center position). When the normally-open intake valve reaches a fully open position of the intake valve, an impact noise is generated which especially for lower engine speeds such as e.g. the idle condition will even dominate the overall noise of the engine.
For reducing the impact noise, when the normally-open intake valve reaches a fully open position, it is proposed in DP 101 48 218 A1 to apply another pulse of control current to the solenoid-actuated intake valve after shutting off the control current in order to reduce the speed of the intake valve during the opening movement, of the intake valve.
However, the teaching of DE 10 2008 054 512 A1 and DE 101 48 218 A1 of applying another pulse of control current of the solenoid-actuated intake valve after shutting off the control current suffers from the problem that the timing and the control current value of the pulse for reducing the speed of the opening movement has to be very accurately adjusted in order to actually help to reduce the noise of the operation of the high-pressure fuel supply pump. Specifically, if the timing of the pulse is too late or the control current value is too low, the pulse will be too late or too weak to reduce the speed of the opening movement so that the intake valve will nevertheless reach the fully open position at high speed and generate a loud impact noise.
On the other band, if the timing of the pulse is too early or the control current value is too high, the pulse may have a negative effect in that the speed of the opening movement of the intake valve may not be only reduced but stopped. It is even possible that the intake valve will, due to the pulse of control current, be closed again, possibly even up to the fully closed position (thereby possibly generating a noise when reaching the fully closed position) and after shutting off the control current of the pulse, the intake valve will start again moving in the opening direction due to the biasing force (and/or force) until it reaches the fully open position without any reduction in speed, thereby again having a high impact speed and generating a loud noise. Also, the valve will in such a situation reach the fully open position at a later time at which the movable plunger may have already an even higher movement speed depending on the cam profile. Then, the valve may even reach the fully open position at an even higher impact speed than without applying the deceleration pulse and even generate a louder impact noise.
In view of this problem, it is necessary to accurately adjust the pulse to the operating conditions such as the engine speed and the temperature of the fuel as well as to individual properties of the intake valve which can vary from one high-pressure fuel pump to another high-pressure fuel supply pump due to mass production deviations. For example, in DE 10 2008 05 512 A1, it is taught to use a cumbersome closed-loop control using a pressure sensor in order to be able to individually adjust the control of the pulse in accordance with the operating conditions such as the engine speed as well as in accordance with individual properties of the intake valve. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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This invention relates to a self-leveling device used, for example, to provide a level surface to support a laser or other light source for construction or other purposes.
Electronic levels for use e.g. in carpentry and construction are well known; examples are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,912,662 issued to Butler, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,313,713 issued to Charles E. Heger, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,083,383 issued to Charles E. Heger, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,259,118 issued to Charles E. Heger, all incorporated by reference. Also, projecting a level line on a vertical surface may be provided by emitting a leveled plane of light from a laser. The laser light may be leveled (relative to the Earth's gravity) by positioning, calibrating and adjusting the laser's orientation. Some levels project a level line by attaching a laser line generator to the shaft of a pendulum. Some levels provide a level line by floating a laser line generator on a liquid. Alternatively, some levels provide a level line by placing a laser light generator on a level surface. These surfaces may be leveled by requiring a user to manually adjust the orientation of the surface until a pair of bubbles (as in a conventional bubble level) is properly aligned. Other levels provide a level surface by using fluid sensors that provide signals to control leveling motors.
However, it has been found by the present inventor that such approaches to provide a level surface to support the laser line generator require costly sensors, demand user interactions or utilize liquids. There is a need for a better automatic electronic sensor for electronic levels. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to improvements in mechanical oscillators or traverse mechanisms, and more particularly to improvements in the reciprocator illustrated and described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,792,616 entitled RECIPROCATING DRIVE, having common ownership with the present application. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The present invention relates generally to the converting of organic waste materials into clean fuels and other useful products, and more particularly to a novel method and apparatus for obtaining liquid and gaseous hydrocarbons and a solid carbonaceous material from used rubber tires, from industrial waste containing relatively large amounts of plastic material, and from residential trash or waste.
At the present time, there is considerable concern in all highly industrialized countries regarding the disposal problems occasioned by the accumulation of large quantities of used automobile tires, industrial waste and residential trash . . . the latter two containing appreciable amounts of nondegradable plastic materials. In previous years, such waste materials were disposed of primarily by burning, but the enactment of air-pollution laws in most major countries now prohibit this method of disposal.
Also, at the present time, many of the so-called oil-consuming countries are concerned about the increased cost an unavailability of imported petroleum, and the dwindling supplies of natural gas.
Because of the aforementioned problems, there has been and now is an increased interest in the converting of used rubber tires, industrial plastic waste, and residential trash (including ordinary garbage) into products which can be used to produce heat or as the feed stock for various industrial processes.
The extraction of hydrocarbon materials from organic waste by the use of high temperatures has been known for many years. However, the known processes and apparatus have serious disadvantages. For example, gradual heating of the waste materials to the desired temperature results in cross-chemical reactions of the reactants and products, and the loss of useful products.
Also, the use of atmospheric and above-atmospheric pressures in the heating vessel causes the gases and vapors to slowly diffuse through the solid mass of materials and to thereby cause side reactions and cross-reactions among product species, which results in a very inefficient conversion process.
And, the prolonged heating of the gases and vapor products in the heating vessel causes recombinations, repolymerizations, and condensation of some of the products, which results in the formation of high molecular weight tars and hydrocarbons and thereby reduces the yield of the useful products. In addition, some of these high molecular weight tars and hydrocarbons form surface coatings on the feed materials and thereby block the release of new gases and vapors from the unreacted feed materials.
With the aforementioned problems and the limitations and deficiencies of known apparatus and methods in mind, it is a general object of the present invention to provide a novel method and apparatus for converting organic waste materials into clean fuels and other useful hydrocarbon products. More particularly, one of the primary objects is to provide a novel method and apparatus for obtaining useful hydrocarbon products from used rubber tires, from industrial plastic waste, and from residential trash.
Another object is to provide a novel method and apparatus for obtaining a hydrocarbon feed stock for petrochemical plants, from used rubber tires and from waste plastic materials.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a simple, continuous, and relatively inexpensive process for obtaining pipeline quality gas and oil from used rubber tires, from waste plastic materials, and from residential trash.
A further object is to provide a novel method and apparatus for obtaining from used rubber tires and waste plastic materials, a carbonaceous char which can be readily converted to activated carbon, or used as a smokeless fuel, or used as an asphalt and chemical filler.
I have discovered that the above objects and advantages are achieved by continuously moving a mass of shredded rubber tires, waste plastic materials, or residential trash (including ordinary garbage) through an elongated tubular member maintained at a temperature of between about 800.degree. F. and 1500.degree. F. throughout its length, in the absence of air and/or oxygen, with the material being turned or stirred as it passes through the tubular member, and with the gases and vapors being removed from adjacent the outlet end of said member by means of a vacuum of from about four inches to about six inches of mercury. To increase the production rate, a plurality of such tubular members can be provided in the same heating vessel in a side-by-side relationship, and/or the diameter of the tubular members can be increased in size with accompanying provisions for maintaining a substantially constant temperature throughout the mass of material being processed.
Based upon present information, it appears that the relatively high temperature adjacent the inlet of the tubular member (and throughout its length) and the constant stirring or turning of the material so as to continuously expose it to the heated surface or surfaces of the tubular member, causes the gases and vapors to literally "explode" from the material, and the relatively high vacuum throughout the length of the tubular member causes the vapors and gases to be quickly withdrawn before they can repolymerize or condense onto the feed material. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device provided with electrodes or wiring that are formed sandwiching an adhesion layer on a dielectric film.
In semiconductor memories, the reduction in size of memory cells due to the miniaturization of the design is progressing. For example, DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) memory cells, which are one type of semiconductor memories, are made of a memory cell transistor and a capacitor for charging electron. In DRAMs, even though the memory cells have been reduced in size and the area of the capacitor projected onto the substrate (referred to as xe2x80x9ccapacitor areaxe2x80x9d in the following) has become small, it is not possible to reduce the capacitance of the capacitor, in order to reduce the power consumption and in order to prevent soft errors. The capacitance of the capacitor is generally proportional to the relative dielectric constant of the dielectric material used for the dielectric film (capacitance dielectric film) constituting the capacitor as well as to the capacitor area, and inversely proportional to the film thickness of the capacitance dielectric film. However, if the film thickness of the capacitance dielectric film is made small in order to increase the capacitance of the capacitor, then the leak current in the capacitor increases. As a result, it becomes necessary to shorten the refresh cycle of the memory cells, so that the power consumption increases. This means that there is a limit to how thin the capacitance dielectric film can be made.
In order to address this problem, in recent years, the use of dielectric materials with high relative dielectric constant (high-k material) for the capacitance dielectric film has been researched as a way of increasing the capacitance of the capacitor. High-k materials that have been researched in detail include for example metal oxides such as aluminum oxide or tantalum pentoxide (composition formula: Ta2O5), barium strontium titanium oxide (composition formula: (Ba(1-x)Srx)TiO3; referred to as xe2x80x9cBSTxe2x80x9d in the following), lead zirconium titanium oxide (referred to as xe2x80x9cPZTxe2x80x9d in the following), and strontium bismuth tantalum oxide (referred to as xe2x80x9cSBTxe2x80x9d in the following), which have a perovskite crystal structure.
When the dielectric film is formed using such a high-k material, then, in general, chemical reactions are utilized often, and the formation of the dielectric film is performed in an oxidizing atmosphere, so that if silicon, which has been used conventionally, is used as the electrode material, the silicon tends to be oxidize. That is to say, a silicon oxide film with a low relative dielectric constant is formed, so that it becomes difficult to increase the capacitance of the capacitor. Consequently, a precious metal or a refractory metal or the like is used for the electrodes of capacitors using such a high-k material for the capacitance dielectric film. Furthermore, a precious metal or a refractory metal or the like is used also for the electrodes of capacitors using a ferroelectric material instead of a high-k material for the capacitance dielectric film.
More specifically, when the high-k material tantalum pentoxide is used for the capacitance dielectric film, then ruthenium (symbol of element: Ru), tungsten (symbol of element: W), molybdenum (symbol of element: Mo) or the like is used for the electrodes. Furthermore, when BST is used for the capacitance dielectric film, then Ru, ruthenium dioxide (composition formula: RuO2), platinum (symbol of element: Pt), iridium (symbol of element: Ir) or the like is used for the electrodes. Moreover, when a ferroelectric material such as SBT or PZT is used for the capacitance dielectric film, then Pt, Ir, iridium dioxide (composition formula: IrO2) or the like is used for the electrodes.
FIG. 3 shows the cross-sectional structure of a conventional capacitor using BST for the capacitance dielectric film.
As shown in FIG. 3, an interlayer dielectric film 52 is formed on a semiconductor substrate 51, on which a memory cell transistor (not shown in the figure) is formed. In the interlayer dielectric film 52, a plug 53 for connection with this memory cell transistor is formed. On the interlayer dielectric film 52 including the top of the plug 53, an adhesion layer 54 is formed, and a lower electrode 55 is formed on that adhesion layer 54. The adhesion layer 54 is made of titanium (symbol of element: Ti) or tantalum (symbol of element: Ta) or of an oxide or a nitride of these metals. On the lower electrode 55, a capacitance dielectric film 56 is formed so as to cover the top surface and the lateral surfaces of the lower electrode 55. On the capacitance dielectric film 56, an upper electrode 57 is formed. The three-layered structure of the lower electrode 55, the capacitance dielectric film 56 and the upper electrode 57 constitutes the capacitor. The lower electrode 55 and the upper electrode 57 are made of Pt. The capacitance dielectric film 56 is made of a BST film with a thickness of about 25 nm.
Here, the adhesion of the lower electrode 55 to the dielectric film is weak, so that if the lower electrode 55 is formed directly on the interlayer dielectric film 52, then there is the possibility that the lower electrode 55 separates from the interlayer dielectric film 52. To prevent this, the adhesion layer 54 made of a metal such as Ti or Ta or an oxide (e.g. TiOx, TaOx) or a nitride (e.g. TiNx, TaNx) of these metals is arranged between the lower electrode 55 and the interlayer dielectric film 52, thus improving the adhesion of the lower electrode 55 to the underlying dielectric film. It should be noted that recently, oxides and nitrides of, for example, titanium aluminum, tantalum silicon or tantalum aluminum have been used as the material for the adhesion layer 54.
However, such an adhesion layer oxidizes much easier than the electrodes made of a refractory metal or precious metal. Furthermore, depending on the thickness and the formation method of the adhesion layer, the metal atoms constituting the adhesion layer (referred to as xe2x80x9cadhesion layer metalxe2x80x9d in the following) may be diffused throughout the lower electrode and be deposited on the surface of the lower electrode. When in this situation a high-k film such as a BST film is formed as the capacitance dielectric film, then it is ordinarily formed in an oxidizing atmosphere of about 300 to 700xc2x0 C., so that the adhesion layer metal that has been deposited on the surface of the lower electrode is oxidized. As a result, a volume expansion occurs due to the oxidized layer formed on the surface of the lower electrode, so that an excess force is exerted on the capacitor portion or film separation occurs.
On the other hand, a method of suppressing the diffusion of the adhesion layer metal throughout the electrode and the deposition on the electrode surface is conceivable in which a sufficiently oxidized adhesion layer is formed first. However, the following problems occur if in the course of forming, for example, a titanium oxide (TiOx) film as the adhesion layer a Ti film is annealed in an oxidizing atmosphere to form the TiOx film, or the TiOx film is deposited while letting Ti react with oxygen in a vapor phase, or the TiOx film is deposited using a reactive sputtering process, by admixing oxygen when sputtering Ti.
In the case of annealing a Ti film in an oxidizing atmosphere, a temperature of at least 500xc2x0 C. is necessary, so that impurities included in the source and drain regions of the transistor already formed on the substrate are diffused again, so that the desired transistor properties cannot be obtained.
In the case of depositing the TiOx film while letting Ti react with oxygen, or in the case of depositing the TiOx film using a reactive sputtering process, the Ti may not be sufficiently oxidized, so that as mentioned above, Ti atoms are diffused throughout the Pt film (i.e. the Pt electrode) serving as the lower electrode, and deposited on the Pt electrode surface. Therefore, when a BST film, a Ta2O5 film or a PZT film with high relative dielectric constant are formed as the capacitance dielectric film on the Pt electrode, the Ti atoms deposited on the Pt electrode surface are oxidized, thereby forming a Ti oxide film with low relative dielectric constant on the Pt electrode surface. As a result, the formation of this Ti oxide film causes an excessive force to be exerted between the lower electrode and the capacitance dielectric film, and film separation occurs. Furthermore, because the relative dielectric constant of the Ti oxide film is low, it is in the end not possible to attain a capacitor with a large capacitance.
Furthermore, if the Ti atoms are deposited on the Pt electrode surface, the compositional balance between, for example, Ba, Sr and Ti in a BST film formed as the capacitance dielectric film on the Pt electrode is destroyed due to the influence of the Ti atoms deposited on the Pt electrode surface, so that the desired properties of the BST film cannot be attained. Furthermore, if Ti atoms are deposited on the Pt electrode surface, and if a ferroelectric material having a perovskite structure, such as PZT or SBT, is used for the capacitance dielectric film, then, as a result of the Ti atoms entering the perovskite structure, it may not be possible to attain the desired film properties required by a capacitance dielectric film using a ferroelectric material as described above.
In the stacked capacitor structure of the conventional example shown in FIG. 3, there are no particular problems if the film thickness of the adhesion layer is thick at 10 nm or more. On the other hand, the cup-type capacitor structure shown in FIG. 4A requires to making the lower electrode as well as the adhesion layer thinner.
FIG. 4A is a cross-sectional drawing of conventional cup-type capacitors, and
FIG. 4B is a graph showing the aspect ratio of the cups (recesses) in which the upper electrode is formed as a function of the thickness of the lower electrode (including the thickness of the adhesion layer).
As shown in FIG. 4A, an insulating layer 60 is provided with a recess 60a for capacitor formation, and a plug 61 is buried below the recess 60a in the dielectric film 60. A lower electrode 62 is formed on the bottom of the recess 60a, including the top surface of the plug 61, and the walls of the recess 60a, sandwiching an adhesion layer (not shown in the figure), thus yielding a recess 60b. Furthermore, a capacitance dielectric film 63 is formed on the dielectric film 60 including the recess 60b, yielding a recess 60c. On the capacitance dielectric film 63, an upper electrode 64 is formed, yielding a recess 60d. That is to say, the cup-type capacitor is constituted by a three-layered structure of the lower electrode 62, the capacitance dielectric film 63 and the upper electrode 64. Here, the lower electrode 62 and the upper electrode 64 are made of Pt films. Furthermore, the capacitance dielectric film 63 is made of a BST film of 25 nm thickness.
It should be noted that in FIG. 4A, the adhesion layer is drawn unitarily with the lower electrode 62. Furthermore, in FIG. 4A, xcex1 indicates the thickness of the lower electrode 62 including the thickness of the adhesion layer, xcex2 indicates the separation width between memory cells, and 2F indicates the array pitch between the cup-type capacitors.
As shown in FIG. 4B, as the thickness xcex1 of the lower electrode (including the adhesion layer) becomes large, the aspect ratio of the recesses (cups) 60c in which the upper electrode 64 is formed becomes extremely large, so that the formation of the upper electrode 64 becomes impossible in practice. As further shown in FIG. 4B, as the array pitch 2F (in FIG. 4B, 2F is indicated by its half value F) of the cup-type capacitor becomes small, the aspect ratio for the same value of xcex1 becomes large.
Consequently, in cup-type capacitors, if the thickness of the adhesion layer is not reduced together with the thickness of the lower electrode in order to miniaturize the memory cell, then it is difficult to bury the upper electrode inside the cup.
It should be noted that the results shown in FIG. 4B have been obtained by keeping the separation width xcex2 constant at 50 nm, and varying the half value F of the array pitch 2F over 0.10 xcexcm, 0.13 xcexcm and 0.15 xcexcm. Here, the half value F corresponds to a design rule for the transistor, and in current DRAMs, this design rule F for the transistor is such that memory cells are designed to have an area of 2Fxc3x974F=8F2. That is to say, the pitch of the capacitors is 2F on the shorter side and 4F on the longer side. Consequently, 4A shows the cross-sectional structure along the shorter side of a cup-type capacitor.
It is an object of the present invention to present a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device in which a sufficient adhesion can be maintained between a dielectric film and an electrode or wiring, in which a decrease of the dielectric constant when forming a capacitance element can be prevented, and in which the formation of an electrode can be performed easily when forming a capacitance element such as a cup-type capacitor having an electrode that is buried in a recess.
In order to achieve these objects, a first method for manufacturing a semiconductor device includes the steps of forming a metal layer on a dielectric film, forming an adhesion layer by subjecting the metal layer to an oxidation process using a liquid having oxidizing power, and forming an electrode or wiring on the adhesion layer.
With this first method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, first a metal layer is formed on a dielectric film, and then the metal layer is subjected to an oxidation process using a liquid acting as an oxidizing agent, so that the metal layer can be sufficiently oxidized, and an electrode or wiring can be formed on the thusly formed adhesion layer. Thus, the metal atoms in the adhesion layer do not diffuse throughout the electrode or wiring and are not deposited on the surface of the electrode or wiring, so that no oxide film will be formed on the surface of the electrode or wiring in the steps after the electrode or wiring has been formed. As a result, film separation caused by volume expansion of the oxide can be prevented, so that it is possible to form an adhesion layer with favorable adhesion. Consequently, a semiconductor device can be manufactured, in which a sufficient adhesion between the electrode or wiring and the dielectric film can be maintained.
Furthermore, when a capacitance element has been formed with this first method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, the metal atoms in the adhesion layer below the lower electrode are not deposited on the surface of the lower electrode, so that an oxide film with low relative dielectric constant is not formed on the surface of the lower electrode when forming a capacitance dielectric film made of a material with high dielectric constant on the lower electrode. Consequently, a decrease in the dielectric constant of the capacitance element, that is, a decrease of the capacitance can be prevented.
In the first method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, it is preferable that the metal layer is made of titanium.
In that case, an adhesion layer with favorable adhesion made of titanium oxide can be reliably formed by sufficiently oxidizing the titanium metal layer.
In the first method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, it is preferable that the thickness of the metal layer is at least 1 nm and at most 10 nm.
In that case, in addition to the previously described effects, a sufficient adhesion can be maintained while forming the adhesion layer by sufficiently oxidizing the metal layer, because the thickness of the metal layer has been set to at least 1 nm and at most 10 nm. Furthermore, since the thickness of the metal layer that is turned into the adhesion layer is at least 1 nm and at most 10 nm thin, if the first method for manufacturing a semiconductor device is applied to the formation of cup-type capacitors, an increase in the aspect ratio of the cups (recesses) in which the upper electrodes are buried can be prevented. Consequently, the upper electrodes can be formed easily.
In the first method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, it is preferable that the liquid having oxidizing power is water, hydrogen peroxide water or ozone water.
In that case, an adhesion layer with favorable adhesion can be reliably formed by sufficiently oxidizing the metal layer.
A second method for manufacturing a semiconductor device includes the steps of forming a metal layer on a dielectric film, forming an adhesion layer by subjecting the metal layer to an oxidation process using a liquid having oxidizing power, forming a first electrode on the adhesion layer, forming a capacitance dielectric film on the first electrode, and forming a second electrode on the capacitance dielectric film.
With this second method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, first a metal layer is formed on a dielectric film, and then the metal layer is subjected to an oxidation process using a liquid acting as an oxidizing agent, so that the metal layer can be sufficiently oxidized, and a first electrode (lower electrode of the capacitance element) can be formed on the thusly formed adhesion layer. Thus, the metal atoms in the adhesion layer do not diffuse throughout the lower electrode and are not deposited on the surface of the lower electrode, so that no oxide film will be formed on the surface of the lower electrode when forming a capacitance dielectric film made of a material with high relative dielectric constant on the lower electrode. As a result, film separation caused by volume expansion of the oxide can be prevented, so that it is possible to form an adhesion layer with favorable adhesion. Furthermore, since no oxide film with low relative dielectric constant is formed on the lower electrode surface, a decrease in the dielectric constant of the capacitance element, that is, a decrease in the capacitance can be prevented. Consequently, a semiconductor device can be manufactured that has a capacitance element, in which a sufficient adhesion between the lower electrode and the underlying dielectric film can be maintained, and in which a sufficient capacitance can be ensured.
In the second method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, it is preferable that the metal layer is made of titanium.
In that case, an adhesion layer with favorable adhesion made of titanium oxide can be reliably formed by sufficiently oxidizing the titanium metal layer.
In the second method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, it is preferable that the thickness of the metal layer is at least 1 nm and at most 10 nm.
In that case, in addition to the previously described effects, a sufficient adhesion can be maintained while forming the adhesion layer by sufficiently oxidizing the metal layer, because the thickness of the metal layer has been set to at least 1 nm and at most 10 nm. Furthermore, since the thickness of the metal layer that is turned into the adhesion layer is at least 1 nm and at most 10 nm thin, if the second method for manufacturing a semiconductor device is applied to the formation of cup-type capacitors, an increase in the aspect ratio of the cups (recesses) in which the upper electrodes are buried can be prevented. Consequently, the upper electrodes can be formed easily to the bottom of the cups, and the yield of the capacitors can be improved.
In the second method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, it is preferable that the liquid having oxidizing power is water, hydrogen peroxide water or ozone water.
In that case, an adhesion layer with favorable adhesion can be reliably formed by sufficiently oxidizing the metal layer. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The background of the invention will be set forth in two parts.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains generally to the field of propulsion mechanisms for toy vehicles and more particularly to a new and useful elongated launcher which may be placed on a rearwardly, downwardly sloping roof portion of a toy vehicle with the launcher extending behind the vehicle so that a child user may launch the vehicle by stepping on the launcher.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The prior art known to applicant is listed by way of illustration, but not of limitation, in separate communications to the United States Patent Office.
The present invention exemplifies improvements over this prior art. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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This application is based on applications Nos. 47898/1999, 47899/1999, 68562/1999, 68563/1999 and 89609/1999 filed in Japan, the contents of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a developing apparatus used for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on an image carrying member in an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine or a printer, and more particularly, to a developing apparatus in which a developer carrying member for holding a developer and an image carrying member having an electrostatic latent image formed thereon are provided so as to be opposite to each other at a required distance and so adapted that an AC voltage is applied to the developer carrying member to exert an AC electric field between the developer carrying member and the image carrying member, and the developer held in the developer carrying member is supplied to the electrostatic latent image formed on the image carrying member to perform development, characterized in that the density of an image to be formed does not greatly vary even when a distance at which the developer carrying member and the image carrying member are opposite to each other varies, thereby obtaining a good image having a stable image density.
2. Description of the Related Art
In an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine or a printer, various developing apparatuses have been conventionally used for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on an image carrying member.
Known as such a developing apparatus have been a developing apparatus of a contact development type, in which a developer carrying member is provided so as to be brought into contact with an image carrying member, and a developer is introduced into a developing area in contact with the image carrying member by the developer carrying member to perform development, and a developing apparatus of a non-contact development type, in which a developer carrying member is provided so as to be opposite to an image carrying member at a required distance, a developer is introduced into a developing area opposite to the image carrying member by the developer carrying member, an AC voltage is applied to the developer carrying member to exert an AC electric field between the developer carrying member and the image carrying member, and therefore the developer is supplied to an electrostatic latent image formed on the image carrying member to perform development.
The developing apparatus of a contact development type is superior in reproducibility of an electrostatic latent image formed on the image carrying member because the developer is brought into contact with the image carrying member to perform development. However, there are some problems. For example, the developer also adheres to a non-image portion where no electrostatic latent image is formed, so that an image to be formed is fogged, and the surface of the image carrying member is worn by the developer carrying member.
On the other hand, in the case of the developing apparatus of a non-contact development type in which the developer carrying member is provided so as to be opposite to the image carrying member at a required distance, the above-mentioned problems in the developing apparatus of a contact development type are reduced.
In the case of the developing apparatus of a non-contact development type, however, the distance at which the image carrying member and the developer carrying member are opposite to each other may, in some cases, vary due to inferior forming precision, mounting precision, and so forth of the image carrying member and the developer carrying member. When the distance at which the developer carrying member and the image carrying member are opposite to each other is decreased, the AC electric field exerted between the developer carrying member and the image carrying member is strengthened, so that the density of an image to be formed is increased. On the other hand, when the distance at which the developer carrying member and the image carrying member are opposite to each other is increased, the AC electric field exerted between the developer carrying member and the image carrying member is weakened, so that the density of the image to be formed is decreased. Consequently, the density of the image to be formed becomes non-uniform, thereby making it possible to obtain a good image having a stable image density. | {
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The present invention concerns a semiconductor integrated circuit device and it particularly relates to a semiconductor integrated circuit device having a plurality of transistors formed over one identical diffusion layer.
In the semiconductor integrated circuit device, reduction in the circuit area directly leads to reduction in the manufacturing cost. Particularly, in a case of semiconductor memory devices, etc., when the area of a circuit portion that is used repetitively in an identical layout pattern can be reduced even at the slightest, a significant effect of decreasing the cost can be obtained.
A sense amplifier circuit is used repetitively as a circuit portion in a dynamic semiconductor memory device. In the dynamic semiconductor memory device, a plurality of sense amplifier circuits are coupled to a memory cell array in which memory cells are arranged in a matrix. FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram showing the configuration of one sense amplifier circuit in a general dynamic semiconductor memory device.
Referring to the constitutional elements of the sense amplifier circuit in FIG. 1, the sense amplifier circuit includes a first bit line BLT, a second bit line BLN, a sense amplifier SA, a precharge/balance device Q, an equalize signal input portion EQ, and a half power source voltage input portion HVC. The precharge/balance device Q includes a first transistor Q1 as a balance device, a second transistor Q2 as a first precharge device, and a third transistor Q3 as a second precharge device. As the most general sense amplifier SA, a simple flip-flop circuit is used.
The coupling relation for the constitutional elements in the sense amplifier circuit in FIG. 1 is to be described. One end of the sense amplifier SA is coupled to a first bit line BLT. The other end of the sense amplifier SA is coupled the second bit line BLN. One of the source and the drain of the first transistor Q1 is coupled to the first bit line BLT. The other of the source and the drain of the first transistor Q1 is coupled to the second bit line BLN. Gates of the respective first to third transistors Q1 to Q3 are coupled in common to the equalize signal input portion EQ. One of the source and the drain of the second transistor Q2 is coupled to the first bit line BLT. One of the source and the drain of the third transistor Q3 is coupled to the second bit line BLN. The other of the source and the drain of the respective second and third transistors Q2 and Q3 are coupled to the half power source voltage input portion HVC.
The operation of the sense amplifier circuit shown in FIG. 1 is to be described briefly. At first, the potential difference between the first and second bit lines BLT and BLN is decided depending on the state of a memory cell coupled to one of the bit lines thereof and selected by a word line.
The half power source voltage input portion HVC supplies a half power source voltage as one-half of a power source voltage VCC to the source-drain coupling portion of the second and third transistors Q2 and Q3. As a result, the second and third transistors Q2 and Q3 precharge the half power source voltage to the first and the second bit lines BLT and BLN. Since the second and third transistors Q2 and Q3 operate as two precharge devices, they are generally designed with an identical size of the gate width and in a symmetrical layout.
Finally, the sense amplifier SA amplifies the voltages of the first and second bit lines BLT and BLN to complementary potentials in accordance with the difference between the potentials and the half power source voltage respectively.
Then, the gates of the first, second, and third transistors Q1, Q2, and Q3 are provided an equalize signal from the equalize signal input portion, respectively. As a result, the source and the drain are conducted in each of the first, second, and third transistors Q1, Q2, and Q3, and the voltages of the first and second bit lines BLT and BLN become identical. While the same effect can be obtained only by the second and third transistors Q2 and Q3, if the first transistor is added, a potential is supplied to the first and second bit lines BLT and BLN and the potentials of the BLT and BLN can be equalized at a higher speed by the first transistor when it is intended to equalize the voltages between them. As described above, since the first transistor Q1 operates as a balance device, the gate width is generally designed to be longer than the gate width of the second or third transistor Q2 or Q3 so that a larger current flows at once.
FIG. 2A is a plan view showing a layout of a semiconductor integrated circuit portion that schematically illustrates the precharge/balance device Q shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 2B is a plan view showing another layout of a semiconductor integrated circuit portion that schematically illustrates the precharge/balance device Q in FIG. 1.
Each of the semiconductor integrated circuit portions in FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B includes first to third transistors Q1 to Q3 in the same manner as the precharge/balance device Q in FIG. 1. In the layout of FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B, the first bit line BLT, the second bit line BLN, the equalize signal input portion EQ, and the half power source voltage input portion HVC are drawn as contacts that can be coupled to respective wirings.
In the layout of FIG. 2A, the first, second, and third transistors Q1, Q2, and Q3 are formed over one identical diffusion layer 11. The first, second, and third transistors Q1, Q2, and Q3 have a gate in common, and the gate is coupled to the contact for the equalize signal input portion EQ. The first and second transistors Q1 and Q2 also have the source or the drain in common, and the source or the drain is coupled to the contact for first bit lines BLT. The first and third transistor Q1 and Q3 also have the source or the drain in common and the source or the drain is coupled to the contact for the second bit lines BLN. The second and third transistors Q2 and Q3 also have the source or the drain in common and the source or the drain is coupled to the contact for the half power source voltage input portion HVC. The second and third transistors Q2 and Q3 are arranged such that the directions of the respective gate width are arranged on one extension line. Further, the first transistor Q1 is arranged such that the direction of the gate width is different from the direction of the gate width of the second or third transistor Q2 or Q3.
In the layout of FIG. 2B, the layout of FIG. 2A is rotated by 90° and, further, the position of the contact for the equalize signal input portion EQ is changed to the top of the gate protrusion portion of the first transistor Q1. Either the layout of FIG. 2A or FIG. 2B has been generally used so far.
In connection with the above technique, Japanese Patent No. 3787500 contains disclosure regarding a write/read circuit. The write/read circuit evaluates at least one of bit lines (BL, BBL) in a DRAM memory. The write/read circuit includes at least two transistor pairs (T1/T2, T4/T5) and two transistors (T3/T6) for evaluation. The two transistor pairs (T1/T2, T4/T5) for evaluation have transistors of an identical channel type respectively. The two transistors (T3/T6) apply voltages (VDD; GND) to the transistor pairs (T1/T2, T4/T5). The transistors used in the transistor pairs (T1/T2, T4/T5) are vertical MOS transistors (T1, T2, T4, and T5). The vertical MOS transistors (T1, T2, T4, and T4) in each of the transistors pairs (T1/T2, T4/T5) and the transistors (T3, T6) used for applying the voltage (VDD; GND) have respective common source/drain regions (59, 63).
Further, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2004-87074 discloses a semiconductor integrated circuit device. The semiconductor integrated circuit device includes a sense amplifier, a first precharge MOSFET, a selection switch MOSFET, a second precharge MOSFET, and a dynamic memory cell. The sense amplifier includes a CMOS latch circuit for amplifying and holding a pair of input/output node signals corresponding to an operation timing signal. The first precharge MOSFET includes a pair of transistors disposed to input/output nodes, put to an on-state in a precharge period, and supplying a precharge voltage to respective complementary bit line pairs of the input/output nodes. The selection switch MOSFET couples the input/output node and the complementary bit line pair corresponding to a selection signal. The second precharge MOSFET is disposed between the pair of complementary bit lines for short circuiting the same. The dynamic memory cell is disposed between one of the pair of complementary bit lines and a word line crossing the same and includes an address selection MOSFET and a memory capacitor. The semiconductor integrated circuit device has a feature of including a memory circuit in which the gate insulation film of the second precharge MOSFET is formed to a smaller thickness than that of the gate insulation film of the selection MOSFET.
Further, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2005-340367 discloses a semiconductor integrated circuit device. The semiconductor integrated circuit device includes a sense amplifier, precharge MOSFETs including paired transistors, a selection switch MOSFET, a first equalize MOSFET, and a dynamic memory cell. The sense amplifier includes a CMOS latch circuits for amplifying and holding signals of a pair of input/output node signals corresponding to an operation timing signal. The paired precharge MOSFET are disposed to the pair of input/output nodes, put to an on state during a precharge period and supplies a precharge voltage to each of the input/output nodes. The selection switch MOSFET couples the pair of input/output nodes and the complementary bit line pair corresponding to a selection signal. The first equalize MOSFET is disposed between the pair of complementary bit lines for short circuiting the same during a precharge period. The dynamic memory cell is disposed between one of the pair of complementary bit lines and a word line crossing the same, and includes an address selection MOSFET and a memory capacitor. The gate insulation film of the selection switch MOSFET and the first equalize MOSFET is formed with a gate insulation film of a first thickness. The gate insulation film of the precharge MOSFET is formed with a gate insulation film of a second thickness which is smaller than the first thickness. A precharge signal corresponding to a power source voltage is supplied to the precharge MOSFET. The first equalize MOSFET and the selection switch MOSFET include a memory circuit which is supplied with an equalize signal corresponding to an elevated voltage defined to higher than the power source voltage and a selection signal. | {
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The Bayer process is almost universally used for the production of alumina from bauxite ore. The process involves pulverizing a bauxite ore, slurring it in caustic soda solution and digesting it at elevated temperatures and pressures. The caustic soda solution dissolves oxides of aluminum to form an aqueous sodium aluminate solution. The caustic-insoluble constituents of bauxite ore (referred to as “red mud”) are then separated from the aqueous phase containing the dissolved sodium aluminate. This separation typically occurs through sedimentation, which is often aided by a flocculant, and filtration. Once separated, alumina trihydrate is precipitated from the aqueous sodium hydroxide and collected as product.
In more detail, the pulverized bauxite ore is fed to a slurry mixer where a caustic slurry is prepared. The slurry makeup caustic soda solution is typically spent liquor (described below) and additional caustic soda. The bauxite ore slurry is diluted and passed through a digester or a series of digesters where, under high pressure and temperature, about 98% of the total available alumina is released from the ore as caustic-soluble sodium aluminate. After digestion, the slurry passes through several flash tanks wherein the pressure of the digested slurry is reduced from several atmospheres to one atmosphere and the temperature of the slurry is reduced from about 200° C. to about 105° C.
The aluminate slurry leaving the flashing operation contains about 1 to 20 weight percent solids, which solid consists of the insoluble residue that remains after, or is precipitated during, digestion. The coarser solids may be removed from the aluminate liquor with “sand trap” cyclones. The finer solids are generally separated from the liquor first by gravity settling aided by a flocculant and then filtration, if necessary. In some cases, the slurry of aluminate liquor leaving the flash tanks is diluted by a stream of recycled washer overflow liquor. Any Bayer process slurry taken from the digesters through a subsequent dilution of the slurry, including the flash tanks, but before the primary settler, is referred to hereinafter as the primary settler feed.
Normally, the primary settler feed is thereafter fed to the primary settler (or decanter) where it is treated with a flocculent. As the mud settles, the clarified sodium aluminate solution (referred to as “green” or “pregnant” liquor) overflows to a weir at the top of the vessel and is collected. This overflow from the primary settling tank is then passed to subsequent process steps.
The clarity of the primary settler overflow is crucial to efficient processing of alumina trihydrate. If the aluminate liquor overflowing the settler contains an unacceptable concentration of suspended solids (at times from about 10 to about 500 mg suspended solids per liter), it must be further clarified by filtration to give a filtrate with no more than 10 mg suspended solids per liter of liquor. The treatment of the liquor collected after the primary settlement to remove any residual suspended solids before alumina trihydrate is recovered is referred to as a secondary clarification stage.
The clarified sodium aluminate liquor is cooled and seeded with alumina trihydrate crystals to induce precipitation of alumina in the form of alumina trihydrate, Al(OH)3. The alumina trihydrate particles or crystals are then classified by particle size and separated from the concentrated caustic liquor. A flocculant is used to aid in this classification and separation process. The very fine particles of alumina trihydrate are returned as the seed crystals and the coarser particles are collected as product. The remaining liquid phase, referred to as “spent liquor,” is then returned to the initial bauxite slurry make up and digestion step and employed as a digestant after reconstitution with caustic.
The settled solids of the primary settler are withdrawn from the bottom of the settler or decanter (and referred to as “underflow”) and then passed through a countercurrent washing circuit for the recovery of sodium aluminate and soda. Overflow liquor from the first washing vessel (or “thickener”) is recycled either as primary settler feed, diluting the slurry as it leaves the flash tanks, and/or it may be passed to filtration along with the overflow from the primary settler.
The partial separation of the red mud solids from the pregnant liquor in the primary settler (or decanter) is expedited by the use of a flocculant. This initial clarification of the pregnant liquor is referred to as the primary settler stage. Flocculating agents, such as liquid emulsion polymers, dry polymers and polysaccharides including starch, are commonly used to improve the separation of the insoluble red mud solids by increasing the rate at which these solids settle, by reducing the amount of residual solids suspended in the liquor, and by decreasing the amount of liquor in the settled solids phase, or underflow. Flocculation performance is critically important in the primary settling stages. Red mud solids comprised mostly of iron oxides (typically at least about 50 weight percent of the red mud solids), together with silicon oxides, calcium titanates, calcium phosphate, aluminum hydroxide, sodium alumino-silicates and other materials, commonly represent from about 5 to about 50 weight percent of the materials of the bauxite ore. Generally, these red muds are composed of very fine particles, which hinder the desired rapid and clean separation of the red mud particles from the solubilized alumina liquor. Improving the rate of separation improves the overall process efficiency and increases the output of alumina production. Improving the clarification of the process liquors reduces the need for filtration and further purification and can also increase alumina production. If the separation of the red mud particles is not clean, the resultant solubilized aluminate liquor will require a more extensive treatment to remove residual solids, and/or the alumina trihydrate recovered will contain levels of impurities that are undesirably high for many end-uses of the alumina.
Relatively low molecular weight polymers containing pendant O-acetylsalicylic acid groups for use in biomedical devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,693,320. An acrylamide/4-acrylamidosalicylic acid solution polymer is disclosed in Intern. J. Polymeric Mater., 1992, 18, 165-177. | {
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This invention relates generally to turbomachine airfoils and, more particularly, to an inlet guide vane structure for a turbofan engine.
The invention herein described was made in the course of or under a contract, or a subcontract thereunder, with the United States Department of the Air Force.
In turbofan engines comprising alternate stages of stationary and rotating airfoils, it is desirable to have the stages relatively closely spaced in the axial direction in order to minimize the length of the engine. This is particularly true where there is a plurality of stages and, therefore, multiple axial spacing.
The effort to minimize the axial spacing, however, is somewhat limited by the requirement for blade deflections during conditions in which foreign objects such as birds and ice are ingested into the main airflow stream. Since these ingestion loads generally exert both a circumferential and an axially forward component of force to the blades, an accommodating axial clearance must be provided which results in increased engine length and weight, or alternatively, an interference will occur between the rotating and stationary airfoils. If the latter circumstance is allowed to occur, the impact between these interfering elements tends to cause significant damage to both the rotor and the stator blading and is likely to cause secondary damage resulting from the passing of severed parts through the system.
A particular turbofan structure which is susceptible to this phenomenon is a multiple-stage fan having a plurality of inlet guide vanes located upstream thereof for controlling the direction of and possibly the volume of air which enters the system. Upon the ingestion of a significant foreign object, the stage one rotor blades tend to deflect forwardly causing them to strike the downstream portion of the stationary inlet guide vane. The impact may result in significant damage to the rotor blade, in which case the engine would have to be shut down because of the imbalance problem or, alternatively, it may cause significant damage to the inlet guide vane which would tend to decrease the effectiveness and efficiency of that airfoil. In either case, it is likely that large sections of either the rotating blade or the inlet guide vane would pass through the system and cause significant secondary damage to the downstream system.
The problems brought about by ingestion loading become more pronounced in aircraft which are designed to operate at high velocities and low altitudes where the number of foreign objects encountered tend to be numerous. If sufficient axial clearance is provided to allow for the blade deflections, the resulting increase in engine length and weight may very well be unacceptable.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a turbofan engine with reduced sensitivity to foreign object damage.
It is another object of this invention to provide a turbofan engine with minimum engine length and weight characteristics.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide for the axial deflection or deformation of rotating blades within a turbofan engine without causing substantial damage to the engine.
It is still another object of this invention to provide for axial deformation of blading and resultant impact thereof with the stationary airfoil without causing substantial secondary damage to the system.
These objects and other features and advantages become more readily apparent upon reference to the following description when taken in conjunction with the appended drawings. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Metallocenes which comprise indene systems are well known .alpha.-olefin polymerization catalysts. Substitution patterns in such indene systems significantly influence poly-.alpha.-olefin properties, including tacticity and molecular weight.
Spaleck, et al., Organometallics (1994) 13:954-963 describes bridged zirconocene catalysts including indene systems illustrated by Compound 4 of "Scheme 1" (p. 955) which yield highly isotactic polypropylene when used with methylaluminoxane as a cocatalyst. As shown by "Scheme 2", Compound 10, Spaleck's synthesis requires an expensive 2-(bromomethyl) biphenyl starting material.
This invention provides a more cost effective synthesis of metallocene catalysts which comprise indene systems. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for minimizing the number of packets that need to be retransmitted in a two-way communication system having forward and back communication channels.
2. Description of Related Art
Computer users often transfer files of data, usually large, multimedia data files containing, for example, digitized music, still images or moving images, between a transmitter computer host and one or more subscriber (remote) receiver computers of a communication system. The communication system is generally referred to as a xe2x80x9cone-to-manyxe2x80x9d communication system, and may be, for example, a two-way satellite broadcast system or a computer network, such as the Internet. It is highly desirable that these large files are transferred error-free despite the effects of various types of noise interfering with the transmitted signal.
In general, the data bits or symbols (such as bytes) of the file to be transmitted are most likely to be organized into larger groups called packets. When a file is sent, header packets preceding the information packets are sent. Those header packets contain the address and control information to ensure that the following packets are received by the addressed subscriber computers. Moreover, each packet itself includes header bytes that indicate, inter alia, to which file the packet belongs and the position of the packet within that file. The remaining bytes of the packet are the body which includes the informational data, such as compressed video data. For example, a packet may be 4,096 bytes long, wherein the header portion is the first 16 bytes, and the body portion is the remaining 4,080 bytes. A file is thus transmitted over the forward channel of a two-way communication channel as a sequence of packets.
Occasionally, a subscriber computer does not receive all of the transmitted packets successfully. In particular, some of the transmitted packets may be identified as xe2x80x9clostxe2x80x9d, or as uncorrectably erroneous (xe2x80x9cbadxe2x80x9d), by the subscriber computer because of various types of noise interfering with the transmitted signal (hereinafter, for brevity, both the lost and bad packets will be referred to as xe2x80x9clostxe2x80x9d). For example, a host computer may send a packetized file to two subscriber computers A and B. For any number of reasons, the transmitted packets may experience different degrees and types of noise in the respective communication channels between the host computer and the subscriber computers A and B. Because of this, subscriber computer A may lose 20% of the transmitted packets, while subscriber computer B may lose only 5% of the transmitted packets. Generally, there may be hundreds or thousands of remote subscriber computers, with each subscriber computer possibly losing one or more of the transmitted packets due to noise between it and the transmitting host computer.
To correct for these packet losses, it is possible to retransmit over the forward channel the packets of the entire file to all of the subscriber computers. However, this method is costly, wastes time and bandwidth, and prevents the communication system from being used for other purposes. It is especially wasteful since most subscribers will lose only a few packets out of the entire file, and furthermore, there is no guarantee that the retransmitted packets will not also be lost.
Instead, back channels may be respectively provided between each subscriber computer and the host computer so that information regarding which packets were successfully received and which were lost can be sent back from the subscriber computers to the host computer. Using this information, the host computer is able to retransmit over the forward channel only the lost packets to the subscriber computers. Each back channel usually takes the form of a modem and telephone line, or may be part of a standard computer network, such as a LAN or the Internet. The back channel can also be linked through a satellite, although this may be more expensive. Other types of back channels may also be used, as will be appreciated by one skilled in the art.
Retransmission of lost packets in this fashion also requires a retransmission protocol between the host computer and the subscriber computers to determine when, and under what conditions, the retransmission is to be performed. For example, retransmission may be performed periodically, regardless of whether or not the host computer has received lost packet information from all of the subscriber computers. Alternatively, the host computer may actively seek out the lost packet information from each and every subscriber computer by polling them, and retransmit only after the polling has been completed. Of course, other retransmission protocols may be used, as will be appreciated by one skilled in the art.
In a simple transmission and retransmission approach, the host computer transmits over the forward channel the packets of a file. The host computer also saves these packets for possible retransmission. Upon reception, each subscriber computer creates a list of which packets were successfully received and which packets were lost, and sends that list to the host computer over its back channel. From these lists, the host computer accumulates a set of all of the lost packets required by the subscriber computers (none of the lost packets are repeated in this set). The host computer then retransmits over the forward channel the set of accumulated lost packets, and assuming the retransmitted packets are successfully received, the subscriber computers are able to successfully reconstruct the file.
However, this approach becomes increasingly inefficient for large numbers of subscriber computers, because each subscriber computer generally loses packets different from those lost by the other subscriber computers, thus causing the number of retransmitted packets to increase dramatically. In fact, the number of retransmission packets may begin to approach the entire number of originally transmitted packets, thus causing this approach to become as inefficient as retransmission without using back channels (in which the entire file is retransmitted). Furthermore, this approach has no way to account for the possible loss of some of the retransmitted packets on retransmission.
It would thus be desirable to provide a method that overcomes the above-described problems, especially in the case of a large number of subscriber computers communicating with a host computer. In particular, a method is provided that reduces the total number of retransmitted packets. Another method is provided that accounts for the likelihood that some of the retransmitted packets may be lost on retransmission, and thus increases the number of retransmitted packets accordingly. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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It is known to curl hair using a mixture of chemicals. The hairstyle resulting from the chemicals is known as a perm or jheri-curl.
The modern perm, the so-called “cold wave perm” requires the use of strong chemicals. The modern method for achieving the perm is based on a chemical approach using 2 different solutions a perming solution and setting solution. The general method used follows these steps:
1) Insert the perming rods into the hair
2) Apply perming solution and leave for 20 minutes
3) Wash thoroughly
4) Apply setting solution and leave for 5 minutes
5) Remove rods
6) Shampoo as normal
1) A perming rod is similar to, but distinct from, ‘curlers’ or ‘rollers’. It is a plastic device typically about 8 cm long and of varying diameters in the region of 1-3 cm. It may be a simple cylinder, or have a concave profile. There is normally a band or clamp (called a perming rubber) which holds the hair against the rod. A hairdresser winds the hair round each rod and clamps it in place. There are a variety of winding methods depending on the effect which is desired. Typically there will be 30 rods, in various sizes, used to produce a perm.
2) The perming solution breaks down the disulphite bonds between the peptides in the hair—destroying the elasticity. The perming solution will be different depending on whether it is an alkaline perm (typically sodium thioglycolate) or an acid perm (typically glycerol monothioglycolate). Acid perms take longer but are gentler, so are used on finer or more fragile hair. They also require some application of heat—normally via a hairdryer. The liquid used comes in a variety of solution strengths. The hairdresser must choose the most appropriate strength depending upon the type of hair (thickness, porosity, elasticity) and the effect desired. The solution is poisonous and may potentially damage skin. Hairdressers often wear plastic gloves while applying the solutions to prevent damage to the skin.
Applying the liquid is done by one of two methods. The traditional approach is to spray it on the hair. More recent options have ‘dispenser’ or applicator bottles. With these the hairdresser applies a strip of liquid along each rod and the liquid spreads round the rod. Rods designed for this purpose have small knobs on the surface to encourage the spread.
3) Washing (with the rods still in place) ensures that the solution is removed and that the process of damaging the hair is ended. This needs to be done thoroughly to prevent further chemical activity.
4) The second solution is typically Hydrogen Peroxide. it causes a chemical reaction which rebuilds the bonds between the peptides. it is normally left on the hair for about 5 minutes.
5) and 6) are self-explanatory.
Both the acid and alkaline perm involve strong chemicals which are poisonous and can cause burns if left on a person's skin. The application of the chemicals is potentially dangerous and it is therefore desirable to ensure that no excess chemicals are used during the perming process.
To mitigate some, if not all of the above problems, there is provided apparatus for the even distribution of the liquid through the hair, to minimise the likelihood of contacting the chemicals on the scalp and to make the process of applying the chemicals easier for the hairdresser.
According to an aspect of the invention there is provided a rod for dispensing liquid to enable the perming of hair, wherein the rod comprises: a body around which in use hair is wrapped, said body comprising: a plurality of holes; and a chamber for holding liquid in fluid communication with the plurality of holes; wherein in use liquid is dispensed from the holes of the body thereby contacting the hair wrapped around the rod to enable perming of the hair.
According to a further aspect of the invention there is provided a perming rod enabled to dispense liquid, the rod comprising: a body around which hair is wrapped, said body comprising: an outer surface comprising a plurality of holes; an inner surface comprising a first channel (or group of channels) extending at least part of the length of the barrel, the first channel (or group of channels) in fluid communication with one or more of the holes in the outer surface; a first container of liquid to be dispensed, said first container being positionable so as to be in fluid communication with said first channel (or group of channels); wherein in use, the first container introduces the liquid into the first channel and said liquid is dispensed via the holes in the outer surface of the rod.
Other aspects and features of the invention will be apparent from the appended claims and the following specific description which is given by way of example only. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Mass spectrometry is a well-established analytical technique in which sample molecules are ionized and the resulting ions are sorted by mass-to-charge ratio. Advances in mass spectrometry have made it possible to obtain detailed information regarding a wide variety of sample surface types. In the semiconductor industry, for example, secondary ion mass spectrometry is used to determine the composition of microscopic regions of wafer surfaces. As another example, in the biotechnology arena, surface-based mass spectrometry is used to analyze single nucleotide polymorphisms in microarray formats. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 6,322,970 to Little et al.
Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization (MALDI) is an ionization technique commonly used for mass spectrometric analysis of large and/or labile biomolecules, such as nucleotidic and peptidic oligomers, polymers, and dendrimers, as well as for analysis of non-biomolecular compounds, such as fullerenes. MALDI is considered a “soft” ionizing technique in which both positive and negative ions are produced. The technique involves depositing a small volume of sample fluid containing an analyte on a substrate comprised of a photon-absorbing matrix material selected to enhanced desorption performance. See Karas et al. (1988), “Laser Desorption Ionization of Proteins with Molecular Masses Exceeding 10,000 Daltons,” Anal. Chem. 60:2299-2301. The matrix material is usually a crystalline organic acid that absorbs electromagnetic radiation near the wavelength of the laser. When co-crystallized with analyte, the matrix material assists in the ionization and desorption of analyte moieties. The sample fluid typically contains a solvent and the analyte. Once the solvent has been evaporated from the substrate, the analyte remains on the substrate at the location where the sample fluid is deposited. Photons from a laser strike the substrate at the location of the analyte and, as a result, ions and neutral molecules are desorbed from the substrate. MALDI techniques are particularly useful in providing a means for efficiently analyzing a large number of samples. In addition, MALDI is especially useful in the analysis of minute amounts of sample that are provided over a small area of a substrate surface.
Surface Enhanced Laser Desorption Ionization (SELDI) is another example of a surface-based ionization technique that allows for high-throughput mass spectrometry. SELDI uses affinity-capture reagents, such as antibodies, to collect samples from a complex mixture, which allows in situ purification of the analyte followed by conventional MALDI analysis. Typically, SELDI is used to analyze complex mixtures of proteins and other biomolecules. SELDI employs a chemically reactive surface such as a “protein chip” to interact with analytes, e.g., proteins, in solution. Such a surface selectively interacts with analytes and immobilizes them thereon. Thus, analytes can be partially purified on the chip and then quickly analyzed in the mass spectrometer. By providing different reactive moieties at different sites on a substrate surface, throughput may be increased.
Recently, mass spectrometry techniques involving laser desorption have been adapted for cellular analysis. Cellular assays such as mass spectrometry are carried out to provide critical information for the understanding of complex cell functions. U.S. Pat. No. 5,808,300 to Caprioli, for example, describes a method for imaging biological samples with mass spectrometry using surface-based ionization. This method allows users to measure the distribution of a specific element or small molecule within biological specimens such as tissue slices or individual cells. In particular, the method can be used for the analysis of specific peptides in whole cells, e.g., by obtaining signals for peptides and proteins directly from tissues and blots of tissues. In addition, the method has been used to desorb relatively large proteins from tissues and blots of tissues in the molecular weight range beyond about 80 kilodaltons. From such samples, hundreds of peptide and protein peaks can be recorded in the mass spectrum produced from a single laser-ablated site on the sample. When a laser ablates the surface of a sample at multiple sites and the mass spectrum from each site is saved separately, a data array is produced, which contains the relative intensity of any given mass at each site. An image of the sample surface can then be constructed for any given molecular weight, effectively representing a compositional map of the sample surface.
One important issue to successful MALDI and MALDI-like profiling and imaging as described above is the controlled application of a mass-spectrometry matrix material to the tissue surface, either as a series of features or as a continuous coating so as to provide mass spectrometry matrix material at each site of laser ablation. For example, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,808,300 to Caprioli, the mass spectrometry matrix material may be applied as a continuous and uniform coating of less than about 50 micrometers in thickness. In order to apply the mass spectrometry matrix material in a controlled manner, carefully metered amounts of sample fluids should be accurately and precisely placed on a sample surface. The ability to closely compare relative abundances of a given protein between two tissues is dependent on the application of matrix in exactly the same way to both tissues.
Most current small-volume dispensing techniques, however, are not suitable for precise and reproducible matrix material application, due to limitations in volume or in accuracy of placement. For example, capillaries having a small interior channel (e.g., Eppendorf-type capillaries) are often used to transfer fluids from a pool of fluid. Their tips are submerged in the pool in order to draw fluid therefrom. In order to provide sufficient mechanical strength for handling, however, such capillaries must have a large wall thickness as compared to the interior channel diameter. Thus, the physical dimensions of such capillaries limit their fluid-handling capability. In addition, since any wetting of the exterior capillary surface results in fluid waste, the high ratio of wall thickness to channel diameter exacerbates fluid waste. Also, the pool has a minimum required volume determined not by the fluid introduced into the capillary but, rather, by the need to immerse the large exterior dimension of the capillary. As a result, the fluid volume required for capillary submersion may be more than an order of magnitude larger than the fluid volume transferred into the capillary.
A number of patents have described the use of acoustic energy in printing. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,308,547 to Lovelady et al. describes a liquid drop emitter that utilizes acoustic principles in ejecting droplets from a body of liquid ink onto a moving document to form characters or bar codes thereon. As described in a number of U.S. patent applications, acoustic ejection provides for highly accurate deposition of minute volumes of fluids on a surface, wherein droplet volume—and thus “spot” size on the substrate surface—can be carefully controlled, and droplets can be precisely directed to particular sites on a substrate surface. See, e.g., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2002037579 to Ellson et al. In other words, nozzleless fluid delivery provides high fluid-delivery efficiency through accurate and precise droplet placement. Nozzleless fluid ejection also provides a high level of control over ejected droplet size.
Acoustic ejection is a technique that is well suited for depositing minute volumes of fluids on a surface because the technique allows for control over droplet volume and thus “spot” size on the surface, as well as control over the trajectory of ejected droplets and the precise location of the deposition sites on the surface. See, e.g., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 20020037579 to Ellson et al. While nozzleless fluid ejection has generally been appreciated for ink printing applications, acoustic deposition is a generally unknown technique in the field of cellular analysis. Recently, focused acoustic energy has been used to manipulate cells and engage in cell sorting. See U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. 20020064808, 20020064809, 20020090720, and 20020094582 to Mutz et al. In addition, as cellular assays often involve the immobilization of sample cells on a substrate surface and the controlled exposure of the cells to one or more fluids, there exist opportunities to improve cellular assay and analysis techniques through the use of acoustic ejection, particularly when such assays require the precise and accurate handling of small volumes of fluid. For example, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 20020171037 to Ellson et al. describes the use of acoustic ejection for preparing and analyzing a cellular sample surface. Nozzleless acoustic ejection is used to deposit mass spectrometry matrix material at designated sites on a sample surface to form either a uniform matrix material layer or an array of individual sites. In addition, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 20020195538 to Ellson et al. describes the use of acoustic ejection to selectively deposit analysis-enhancing fluid according to the surface characteristics of the cellular samples.
As alluded to above, conventional analysis-enhancing fluids for use in mass spectrometry are typically comprised of a mass spectrometry matrix material dissolved in a volatile carrier fluid. Once deposited on a sample surface, the carrier fluid is evaporated, thereby allowing the matrix material to precipitate and crystallize with the sample. It has recently been discovered, however, that such conventional analysis-enhancing fluids are not optimal for use in mass spectrometry when dispensed as low-volume droplets under ordinary dispensing conditions, because such fluids do not allow the matrix material to properly crystallize with the sample.
Accordingly, there is a need for methods and systems that overcome the disadvantages and limitations associated with previously known technologies. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The present invention relates generally to automated design systems for converting design information into three-dimensional models and more particularly to apparatus controllable by a digital computer for sculpturing materials of low modulus of elasticity into desired shapes using a hot-wire.
The design and manufacture of shaped objects ordinarily involves a multistep procedure. First, the designer sketches a desired shape on paper. When the designer determines that the shape may have the desired appeal, a more formal drawing is made, either by the designer or by a draftsman. If, after such formal drawings are made, the designer continues to feel the designed shape has the desired appeal, a model of the shaped product is manufactured. In many cases, the model is carved from some soft material. Alternatively, the model may be cast from a mold manufactured in accordance with the design. If the model is satisfactory, a system is set up for manufacturing a product with the desired design. This last step often involves the manufacture of patterns and/or final molds. In some cases, such last step involves programming automated machinery to cut the shape out of a particular workpiece.
At any step prior to final acceptance of the shape as embodied in the manufactured product, it may be determined by the designer or someone else that the design does not have the desired appeal. At such time, the designer will go back in the process, often to the sketching step, and make alterations. This process continues until the manufacturing process produces a product of the desired shape.
This process, obviously, can take a great deal of time and often costs a lot of money. Because simple products are often low-profit items, this initial design cost is substantial compared to the cost of the product. As a result, the cost of design must be spread over a large number of product sales.
Therefore, it is desirable to have a system for design and manufacture of relatively simple, low-cost products that will substantially reduce the time and expense involved in the design and manufacture process. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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With the development of display technology, flat panel display devices, such as a liquid crystal display (LCD), have advantages of high display quality, low power consumption, small thickness and wide range of applications, etc., and thus have been widely used in mobile phones, televisions, personal digital assistants, digital cameras, notebook computers, desktop computers and other consumptive electronic products, and the LCD has become the mainstream of the flat panel display devices.
A polysilicon (PS) thin film transistor (TFT) LCD is different from a traditional amorphous silicon TFT-LCD. Because lattice arrangement of polysilicon is regular, electron mobility of the polysilicon is over 200 cm2/V-sec. In a case that the polysilicon acts as an active layer of the thin film transistor, area of the thin film transistor is effectively reduced, so that aperture ratio is improved, and whole power consumption is reduced while brightness of the display device is enhanced. In addition, in a case that the active layer of the thin film transistor has high electron mobility, a part of drive circuits may be integrated on a glass substrate of the display device, which reduces a number of drive chips and greatly enhances reliability of the LCD panel. Therefore, the polysilicon TFT-LCD, especially a low temperature polysilicon (LTPS) TFT-LCD, has gradually become a research focus in the display field. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The present invention relates to a novel and useful game apparatus, particularly effective in honing mathematical skills in children.
Mathematics has been poorly taught and neglected in schools around the world. The result has been a notable decrease in the mathematical skills of persons in all walks of life. The advent of calculators and computers have also lessened the motivation of persons to acquire skills in mathematics. However, the need for mathematical skills has not lessened and is required in many business and personal activities.
A game apparatus which is capable of interesting persons in mathematics and sharpening mathematical skills would be a notable advance in the educational field. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Many applications that employ video encoding operate on fixed or limited power. Mobile devices such as cellular telephones or sensors, for example, have a fixed amount of total battery power. Much of this fixed amount of battery power may be consumed by video encoding operations, which are some of the most dominant power-consuming operations in wireless video communication. Because much of the available power is consumed by these operations, the amount of time that the devices are capable of operating may be severely limited. As another example, real-time video coding systems require video coding to be completed in a fixed amount of time (e.g., one frame/group of pictures per fixed amount of time/computation). In this case, computationally intensive video coding processes are also inefficient.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for a method and apparatus for complexity-scalable video coding that efficiently allocates computations in video coding process. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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DNA is present in the nucleus of a cell in a very highly compacted state called chromatin. Chromatin is a combination of DNA, protein and RNA. The protein component of the chromatin is composed of histones and other non-histone proteins. The basic unit of a chromatin is nucleosome and is composed of dimers of histones H2A and H2B and tetramer of H3 and H4. The histones contain a highly dynamic N-terminal tails. The N terminal tails undergo various post translational modifications such as phosphorylation, acetylation, methylation, sumoylation, ubiquitinition and so on. Acetylation occurs on the lysine residues in the N-terminal tail where the acetyl group is transferred from acetyl CoA by the enzymatic activity of histone acetyltransferases (HATs). This acetylation is a reversible reaction, where the deacetylation is performed by another group of enzymes called the histone deaectylases (HDACs). The acetylation of the histone tails induces a more relaxed chromatin conformation enhancing the accessibility of the transcription machinery and resulting in transcription activation. On the contrary, histone deacetylation compacts the chromatin and induces transcription silencing.
Balance of histone acetylation gets altered in various diseases e.g., Cancer, AIDS and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's or Huntington's diseases. In various neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer, several histone acetylation marks go down in the brain. Thus, small molecule activators of histone acetyltransferases could be potential drugs for neurodegenerative diseases. However, most of these small molecule HAT activators are unable to cross the blood brain barrier, and hence, the necessity for a delivering agent/carrier for delivering the small molecule HAT activators is immense.
Recently, nanotechnology has made lots of prospects in drug delivery. However, there are no reports showcasing efficient delivery of small molecule HAT activators.
Hence, the present disclosure aims at overcoming the aforesaid drawbacks of the prior art and providing for improved and efficient HAT activator compositions. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field
This invention relates generally to switched-capacitor circuits and more specifically to a switched-capacitor amplifier circuit that may be disposed on an integrated circuit.
2. Related Art
A switched-capacitor circuit is a circuit that provides signals that are discrete in time and continuous in voltage amplitude. Correlated double sampling (CDS) is a technique used with switched-capacitor circuits to measure small, slowly changing signals in the presence of large amounts of low frequency (1/f) noise and direct current (DC) input offset voltage. The CDS technique is a particular type of auto-zero technique, in which noise and a DC input offset voltage are sampled twice in each clock period. Switched-capacitor amplifiers often use the CDS technique to compensate for non-idealities of an operational amplifier (OpAmp) in the switched-capacitor circuit such as finite open-loop gain (hereinafter “OpAmp gain”) and DC input offset voltage. In a non-CDS amplifier, a gain error of an OpAmp is approximately inversely proportional to the OpAmp gain, i.e., gain error≈1/gain of the OpAmp. The CDS technique minimizes the gain error of the OpAmp. The CDS technique effectively makes the gain error of the OpAmp in a switched capacitor amplifier inversely proportional to a square of the gain of the OpAmp, i.e., gain error≈1/gain2.
In most switched-capacitor amplifiers that do not use the CDS technique, an output of an OpAmp is re-set to analog ground (AGND), which is defined as (VDD+VSS)/2, on each occasion that the switched-capacitor amplifier samples an input signal during a sampling time phase, or phase one. During an amplification time phase, or phase two, the output of the OpAmp goes from AGND to a voltage that represents the input differential voltage multiplied by a gain. Capacitors are charged or re-charged during each phase to change the output of the switched-capacitor amplifier to a new value that represents a present input differential voltage multiplied by a gain.
In a switched-capacitor amplifier that uses the CDS technique (hereinafter “CDS amplifier”), the output of the OpAmp is not re-set to AGND at each phase one. In a CDS amplifier, the output of the OpAmp remains at the voltage that it had in an immediately previous phase two, and the output of the OpAmp is not re-set to AGND. In a CDS amplifier, the input signal is assumed to change very slowly with respect to a sampling frequency. Therefore, in any clock phase, the value of an output signal does not vary much from a value that it had during an immediately previous clock phase. Consequently, the CDS amplifier can take advantage of the output voltage from a previous sample (which is stored in a capacitor), and can obtain a new value during the amplification phase more quickly than if the output were re-set to AGND. This is because the previous output level is close in value to a next output value. By using the CDS technique, a switched-capacitor amplifier requires less time to produce each new output value.
A rail-to-rail OpAmp can properly amplify an input differential signal even if the input common-mode voltage is near either of the rails, i.e., VDD or VSS, of a power supply. An input differential signal of an OpAmp comprises an input differential voltage plus an input common-mode voltage. A non-rail-to-rail input OpAmp (hereinafter “non-rail-to-rail OpAmp”) has a limited input common-mode range and can properly amplify only differential signals that have a common-mode voltage near AGND. In other words, a non-rail-to-rail OpAmp cannot properly amplify a differential signal that has a common-mode voltage near either rail because the non-rail-to-rail OpAmp has a limited common-mode range.
The known CDS amplifier 102 comprises a first sampling switch 106 with one terminal connected to a VIP input terminal 104 and another terminal connected to a first sampling capacitor 130, and a second sampling switch 107 with one terminal connected to a VIN input terminal 105 and another terminal connected to a second sampling capacitor 131. The known CDS amplifier 102 also comprises a first grounding switch 108 with one terminal connected to the first sampling capacitor 130 and another terminal connected to an AGND terminal 103, and a second grounding switch 109 with one terminal connected to the second sampling capacitor 131 and another terminal connected to the AGND terminal 103. Additionally, the known CDS amplifier 102 comprises a first gain capacitor 140 with one end connected to a VN input terminal 162 of the OpAmp 160 and another end connected to the AGND terminal 103 when switch 142 is closed and connected to an output terminal 164 of the OpAmp when switch 144 is closed. The known CDS amplifier 102 also comprises a second gain capacitor 141 with one end connected to the AGND terminal 103 and another end connected to a VP input terminal 163 of the OpAmp 160. The known CDS amplifier 102 further comprises a first CDS capacitor 150 with one end connected to the output terminal 164 of the OpAmp 160 and another end connected to the VN input terminal 162 of the OpAmp when switch 152 is closed, and connected to the AGND terminal 103 when switch 154 is closed. The known CDS amplifier 102 further comprises a second CDS capacitor 151 with one end connected to the AGND terminal 103 and another end connected to the VP input terminal 163 of the OpAmp 160 when switch 153 is closed and connected to the AGND terminal 103 when switch 155 is closed.
The following assumes that the known CDS amplifier 102 has started, i.e., it has operated in phase one and phase two long enough to set properly the output voltage VO, and the voltages at the VN input terminal 162 and at the VP input terminal 163 of the OpAmp 160 are near AGND. In phase one (the sampling phase), only the F1 switches are closed, which allows sampling capacitors 130 and 131 to sample the input signal. The input signal can be expressed as VI=V1+VCM, where Vi is an input differential voltage, Vi=VIP−VIN, and where VCM is an input common-mode voltage, VCM=(VIP+VIN)/2. In phase one, a right plate of gain capacitor 140 is coupled to the AGND terminal 103, CDS capacitor 150 closes the feedback loop around the OpAmp 160, and gain capacitor 140 stores any error voltage (due to OpAmp gain error and/or DC input offset voltage). In phase two (the amplification phase), only the F2 switches are closed, and the charges stored in sampling capacitors 130 and 131 are transferred to gain capacitors 140 and 141 to amplify the input differential voltage. The CDS capacitor 150 compensates for the gain error and/or the DC input offset voltage of the OpAmp 160 such that an output voltage VO of the OpAmp is not affected by these factors. However, disadvantageously, the output of the known CDS amplifier 102 is not immune to VCM. The known CDS amplifier 102 has gain errors when VCM is close to either rail of the power supply.
In phase one, the F1 switches are closed. The known CDS amplifier 102 may work properly when the input common-mode voltage is near AGND. For example, when the common-mode voltage of the input signal is at AGND, the output error may not be greater than one-half of a least significant bit (LSB) with 16-bit resolution, where LSB=VDD/2n, where n is number of bits of resolution (LSB=VDD/216 in this example). In other words, when the common-mode voltage of the input signal is at AGND, the CDS amplifier 102 amplifies the input signal with 16-bit resolution. However, when the common-mode voltage of the input signal is near VDD or VSS, the output error of the known CDS amplifier 102 may be disadvantageously in the range of one-half of a LSB when the number of bits of resolution is 12-bits or fewer. In other words, the resolution of the CDS amplifier 102 reduces from sixteen bits, to twelve or fewer bits, when the common-mode input voltage is close to the power supply rails.
The following assumes that the inputs of the OpAmp 160 are near AGND. In phase one, by coupling the CDS capacitor 150 between a VN input terminal 162 and a VO output terminal of the OpAmp 160, a VN input voltage of the OpAmp is forced to be near AGND. In phase two, gain capacitor 140 is coupled between the VO output terminal 164 of the OpAmp 160 and the VN input terminal 162 of the OpAmp.
As an example, in phase one, a charge is placed on each of the sampling capacitors 130 and 131 (a charge equivalent to +50 mV on sampling capacitor 130 and a charge equivalent to −50 mV on sampling capacitor 131, with respect to AGND). In the known CDS amplifier 102, in phase two, a left plate of sampling capacitor 130 is coupled to the AGND terminal 103, thereby discharging the left plate of the sampling capacitor 130 and leaving a charge equivalent to −50 mV on the right plate of sampling capacitor 130. As a result of the left plate of sampling capacitor 130 being coupled to the AGND terminal 103, a corresponding current flows through gain capacitor 140. Sampling capacitor 130 and gain capacitor 140 are connected in series; therefore, a current flowing in sampling capacitor 130 is a same current flowing in gain capacitor 140 because no current flows into or out of the OpAmp 160, which is assumed to be ideal, i.e., has infinite input impedance. Provided that phase two is of sufficient duration, enough current flows during phase two to transfer all the charge in sampling capacitor 130 to gain capacitor 140. In one embodiment, gain capacitor 140 is half the size of sampling capacitor 130. In such embodiment, at the end of phase two, the voltage across the gain capacitor 140 is twice the voltage that was across sampling capacitors 130 and 131. A ratio sampling capacitor 130/gain capacitor 140 defines a gain of the known CDS amplifier 102. At the end of phase two, if gain capacitor 140 is half the size of sampling capacitor 130, then the voltage gain is two (2). At the end of phase two, the voltage across gain capacitor 140 is twice the voltage that was seen across sampling capacitors 130 and 131 at the beginning of phase two, i.e., the right plate of gain capacitor 140 is at a potential of 200 mV with respect to AGND. In such embodiment, at the end of phase two, an output voltage of the known CDS amplifier 102 is two times the input differential voltage of 100 mV, that is, the output voltage is +200 mV with respect to AGND. A disadvantage of the known CDS amplifier 102 is that, during phase two, the input common-mode voltage VCM affects the input of the OpAmp 160.
The known CDS amplifier 102 does not work properly if the common-mode voltage is not near AGND. When the common-mode voltage is not near AGND, the differential voltage at the input of the OpAmp 160 alternates, or pulses, between approximately AGND (during the sampling phase, or phase one) and a second voltage other than AGND (during the amplification phase, or phase two). During the sampling phase, the input to the OpAmp 160 is maintained near AGND because of the feedback loop comprising gain capacitor 140. (During the sampling phase, the input differential signal, VIP and VIN, is not presented to the input of the OpAmp 160, but is being stored in sampling capacitors 130 and 131.) During the amplification phase, charge is transferred between sampling capacitor 130 and gain capacitor 140. As a result, a voltage, which, in general, is at a potential other than AGND, appears at the input of the OpAmp 160. If the common-mode voltage is above AGND, the second voltage is at a potential below AGND. If the common-mode voltage is below AGND, the second voltage is at a potential above AGND. Such pulsing occurs because switches 108 and 109 alternately couple one of the input signal (during phase one) and AGND (during phase two) to the OpAmp 160. The peak-to-peak level of the pulses is directly proportional to a difference between the input common-mode voltage and AGND. Therefore, the peak-to-peak level of the pulses is small when the input common-mode voltage is near AGND. However, when the common-mode voltage is near VDD or near VSS, such pulsing causes an error at the output of a non-rail-to-rail OpAmp. In the known switched-capacitor amplifier 102, when VIP and VIN are each near VSS, the value of a VP input voltage at the VP input terminal 163 of the OpAmp 160 disadvantageously swings from almost AGND to almost VDD when going from phase one to phase two. Similar disadvantageous behavior occurs for the value of the VN input voltage at the VN input terminal 162 of the OpAmp 160 because the feedback loop is closed by CDS capacitor 150. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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As set out in the above referenced applications/patents, the Applicant has spent a substantial amount of time and effort in developing printheads that incorporate micro electro-mechanical system (MEMS)—-based components to achieve the ejection of ink necessary for printing.
As a result of the Applicant's research and development, the Applicant has been able to develop printheads having one or more printhead chips that together incorporate up to 84 000 nozzle arrangements. The Applicant has also developed suitable processor technology that is capable of controlling operation of such printheads. In particular, the processor technology and the printheads are capable of cooperating to generate resolutions of 1600 dpi and higher in some cases. Examples of suitable processor technology are provided in the above referenced patent applications/patents.
Common to most of the printhead chips that the Applicant has developed is a component that moves with respect to a substrate to eject ink from a nozzle chamber. This component can be in the form of an ink-ejecting member that is displaceable in a nozzle chamber to eject the ink from the nozzle chamber.
A particular difficulty that the Applicant has been faced with is to achieve a suitable interface between a prime mover in the form of an actuator and the moving component. This interface is required to permit the moving component to be displaced in the nozzle chamber and to inhibit leakage of ink from the nozzle chamber.
As set out in the above referenced patents/patent applications, the printhead chip is manufactured using integrated circuit fabrication techniques. This is the usual manner in which MEMS-based devices are fabricated. Such forms of fabrication are subject to constraints since they involve successive deposition and etching techniques. It follows that MEMS-based devices are usually formed in layers and that components having relatively complex shapes are difficult and expensive to fabricate.
In FIG. 1, reference numeral 10 generally indicates part of a nozzle arrangement of a printhead chip. The part 10 shown illustrates an actuator 12 and an ink-ejecting member 14. The actuator 12 includes an elongate actuator arm 16 that extends from an anchor 18. The actuator arm 16 is configured so that, when it receives a drive signal, the actuator arm 16 bends towards a substrate 20 as indicated by an arrow 22. A connecting formation 24 is interposed between the actuator arm 16 and the ink-ejecting member 14. Thus, when the actuator arm 16 is bent towards the substrate 20, the ink-ejecting member 14 is displaced in the direction of an arrow 26 to eject ink from the nozzle chamber.
It would be intuitive simply to use the arrangement 10 together with a suitable sealing structure to achieve effective ink ejection and sealing. The reason for this is that it would appear that the actuator arm 16, the connecting formation 24 and the ink-ejecting member 14 could be in the form of a unitary structure. However, the Applicant has found that it is not possible to achieve a working configuration as shown by using MEMS-based fabrication techniques. In particular, it has been found by the Applicant that such a unitary structure does not lend itself to such fabrication techniques.
It follows that the Applicant has been led to conceive the present invention. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing float glass.
2. Discussion of the Background
A molten metal bath used for the method of manufacturing float glass is divided generally into three regions along a direction of movement of a glass ribbon. A first region is called a fire polishing region which is adapted to receive molten glass on the surface of molten metal bath in which a glass ribbon having an equilibrium thickness is formed while the width of the glass ribbon is expanded and at the same time the surface of the ribbon is made flat. Generally, soda-lime glass is used for the molten glass and it is kept at a temperature of 1,110.degree. C.-950.degree. C. A second region is used for forming the glass ribbon in a predetermined thickness. The second region is so constructed especially that when glass having a thickness lower than an equilibrium thickness is to be formed, a pulling force is applied to the glass ribbon in its longitudinal direction while top rollers are engaged with both edges of the glass ribbon to suppress contraction of the glass ribbon in its width direction to thereby form the glass ribbon having a predetermined thickness. In the second region, the top rollers are placed to be engageable with the glass ribbon. Further, the second region is kept at a temperature sufficient to change the thickness of the glass ribbon when it is pulled by a pulling force. Namely, the glass ribbon is formed at a temperature range of about 950.degree. C.-800.degree. C. when soda-lime glass is used. A third region is so adapted that the glass ribbon formed in a predetermined thickness can be drawn from the molten metal bath and the glass ribbon is cooled to a temperature suitable to be transferred by means of rollers. The third region is kept at a temperature ranging from about 800.degree. C.-600.degree. C. when soda-lime glass is used.
A temperature distribution formed in the molten metal bath in its longitudinal direction has been attained by changing the depth of the metal bath as shown in Japanese Examined Patent Publication No. 18353/1966, or by arranging a barrier at the boundary of each region. However, in the method of obtaining a predetermined temperature distribution by changing the depth of the metal bath, it is necessary to use a molten metal bath having a depth of 40 mm in order to avoid reduction in processability. Accordingly, when a temperature distribution is formed in the metal bath in its longitudinal direction, there takes place a strong convection current in the molten metal bath, so that a gradient of temperature in the bath becomes flat. Therefore, it is necessary to obtain a predetermined temperature distribution by increasing the length of the molten metal bath. However, it increases an amount of released heat and a large-sized apparatus is required to manufacture a glass ribbon.
In the method of using a barrier in the molten metal bath, a large temperature difference is produced between the upstream side and the downstream side of the barrier and there takes place a strong convection in a spiral form along the barrier. The convection current changes a temperature distribution in the molten metal bath, whereby small stripe-like ridges and recesses, i.e. a so-called distortion results in the glass ribbon.
Further, in the later method, it is necessary to determine the upper end of the barrier to be 20 mm-30 mm lower than the bath surface of the molten metal in order to avoid the contact between the barrier and the glass ribbon. Therefore, an effect of interruption of heat from the molten metal can not be obtained. In the conventional method, the depth of the metal bath is so determined that the longest thin glass ribbon can be produced. Accordingly, when a glass ribbon having a relatively large thickness is manufactured, there is a useless glass ribbon forming region, which is results in increases heat loss.
On the other hand, use of a movable barrier system is proposed. However, a movable barrier can not be used for a vessel in which the cross-sectional area in its width direction is not uniform. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an integrated circuit having protection from electrostatic discharge (ESD).
2. Description of the Prior Art
The protection of integrated circuits from electrostatic discharge has been a significant design issue, especially as transistor electrode dimensions shrink below the 1.5 micron level. An excessively high ESD voltage conducted from a package terminal to the integrated circuit bond pad can easily damage input or output circuitry, unless protection techniques are adopted. It appears that the use of the lightly-doped drain (LDD) structure and silicided source/drain regions has increased ESD susceptibility, especially in output buffers that utilize n-channel field effect transistors. One recent study by C. Duvvury and C. Diaz, "Dynamic Gate Coupling of NMOS for Efficient Output ESD Protection" Proceedings of the IRPS (1992), indicates that improved ESD performance can be obtained using a field oxide capacitor to couple the gate of the output transistor to the bond pad; see FIG. 6 therein. In that technique, the output transistor is made to carry the ESD current. However, the field oxide capacitor undesirably increases the capacitive lead on the bond pad, requiring a larger output transistor.
A somewhat similar prior-art technique is shown in FIG. 1, wherein an output buffer 10 is connected to the bond pad 11. A protective n-channel transistor 13 is connected to the bond pad for conducting ESD current (I) to the power supply conductor (V.sub.SS). The ESD voltage is conducted to the gate of transistor 13 by capacitor 12, typically about 10 picofarads in one design. This conduction tends to allow transistor 13 to conduct by means of bipolar break-down action during an ESD event, allowing the current I to flow. The resistor 14, typically about 2 kilohms, causes the positive charge on the gate of transistor 13 to be conducted to V.sub.SS, thereby turning transistor 13 off after the ESD event has dissipated. In this manner, transistor 13 does not conduct during normal operation of the output buffer. However, the circuitry of FIG. 1 requires that the protective transistor be sufficiently large so as to be able to carry the relatively large ESD current. This requirement increases the area required to implement the output buffer. In addition, the transistor 13 presents an additional capacitive lead to the buffer 10, which again undesirably requires that the buffer have additional drive capability, and hence increased size.
In some cases, protection against positive ESD voltages is improved by the presence of a p-channel output transistor. In that case, the p-n junction of the drain electrode, which is connected to the bond pad, provides for clamping positive ESD voltages to a power supply conductor. However, some designs use only n-channel output transistors. For example, TTL output buffers typically use n-channel transistors for both the pull-up and pull-down devices. More recently, the Standard Computer Systems Interface (SCSI) chips have output buffers that typically use only n-channel transistors. It is therefore desirable to have an improved ESD protection technique that is effective with output buffers, and which mitigates certain problems associated with the prior-art techniques. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The present disclosure relates to continuous board (e.g., wallboard) manufacturing processes and, more particularly, to a mold and a method for making a slurry distributor for the distribution of an aqueous cementitious slurry, such as aqueous calcined gypsum slurry, for example.
It is well-known to produce gypsum board by uniformly dispersing calcined gypsum (commonly referred to as “stucco”) in water to form an aqueous calcined gypsum slurry. The aqueous calcined gypsum slurry is typically produced in a continuous manner by inserting stucco and water and other additives into a mixer which contains means for agitating the contents to form a uniform gypsum slurry. The slurry is continuously directed toward and through a discharge outlet of the mixer and into a discharge conduit connected to the discharge outlet of the mixer. An aqueous foam can be combined with the aqueous calcined gypsum slurry in the mixer and/or in the discharge conduit. The stream of slurry passes through the discharge conduit from which it is continuously deposited onto a moving web of cover sheet material supported by a forming table. The slurry is allowed to spread over the advancing web. A second web of cover sheet material is applied to cover the slurry and form a sandwich structure of a continuous wallboard preform, which is subjected to forming, such as at a conventional forming station, to obtain a desired thickness. The calcined gypsum reacts with the water in the wallboard preform and sets as the wallboard preform moves down a manufacturing line. The wallboard preform is cut into segments at a point along the line where the wallboard preform has set sufficiently, the segments are flipped over, dried (e.g., in a kiln) to drive off excess water, and processed to provide the final wallboard product of desired dimensions.
Prior devices and methods for addressing some of the operational problems associated with the production of gypsum wallboard are disclosed in commonly-assigned U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,683,635; 5,643,510; 6,494,609; 6,874,930; 7,007,914; and 7,296,919, which are incorporated herein by reference.
The weight proportion of water relative to stucco that is combined to form a given amount of finished product is often referred to in the art as the “water-stucco ratio” (WSR). A reduction in the WSR without a formulation change will correspondingly increase the slurry viscosity, thereby reducing the ability of the slurry to spread on the forming table. Reducing water usage (i.e., lowering the WSR) in the gypsum board manufacturing process can yield many advantages, including the opportunity to reduce the energy demand in the process. However, spreading increasingly viscous gypsum slurries uniformly on the forming table remains a great challenge.
Furthermore, in some situations where the slurry is a multi-phase slurry including air, air-liquid slurry separation can develop in the slurry discharge conduit from the mixer. As WSR decreases, the air volume increases to maintain the same dry density. The degree of air phase separated from the liquid slurry phase increases, thereby resulting in the propensity for larger mass or density variation.
It will be appreciated that this background description has been created by the inventors to aid the reader and is not to be taken as an indication that any of the indicated problems were themselves appreciated in the art. While the described principles can, in some aspects and embodiments, alleviate the problems inherent in other systems, it will be appreciated that the scope of the protected innovation is defined by the attached claims and not by the ability of any disclosed feature to solve any specific problem noted herein. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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An individual mammal's immune system functions through recognition of certain cell surface proteins, some of which are termed major histocompatibility complex proteins, or MHC proteins. Additional minor histocompatibility proteins exist which can also contribute to immunological recognition events. The individual mammal's immune system recognizes its own MHC proteins, or those of its identical twin, as self and thus does not destroy its own cells or those of its identical twin. Members of the same species may share major and/or minor histocompatibility antigens, and thus an individual may not recognize the cells of another member of its species as non-self, depending on the degree of the differences between the MHC proteins of the two individuals. When an individual's immune system recognizes the cells of other members of the same species as non-self, the first individual's immune system may proceed to destroy the cells of the second individual. In humans, the major histocompatibility proteins are known as “HLA” antigens.
When tissues such as bone marrow, blood cells, or solid organs are transplanted from one individual to another, normally the recipient will recognize the donor's cells as non-self and the recipient's immune system will destroy the donor's cells as described above. For this reason, in a tissue transplantation, the recipient is normally subjected to immunosuppressive drugs and/or irradiation. However, transplantation patients are also subject to immunologic recognition in the opposite direction, that is, the donor tissue may contain immunologically competent cells which proceed to destroy the recipient's cells, a condition termed “graft-versus-host disease” or “GVHD”.
Graft-versus-host disease can develop when bone marrow, blood products, or solid organs containing immunocompetent cells are transferred from a donor to a recipient. Thus, when MHC antigenic differences exist between the donor and recipient, the recipient is at risk for the development of graft-versus-host disease. Graft-versus-host disease may also develop when there are antigenic differences between donor and recipient for the minor histocompatibility antigens. Thus, graft-versus-host disease can also develop between MHC-matched persons. Moreover, surgery patents who receive directed blood transfusion, for example, transfusion of blood from an HLA homozygous child to a heterozygous parent, may also develop graft-versus-host disease.
Current approaches to preventing graft-versus-host disease include attempts to eliminate immunocompetent donor cells, for example, by in vitro manipulation of the donor tissue. For example, immunocompetent T cells may be removed from donor bone marrow through physical separation such as by lectin agglutination, or by treatment of the bone marrow with monoclonal antibodies directed to T cells. However, use of bone marrow depleted of T cells is associated with a higher rate of graft failure, which is frequently fatal. Use of T cell depleted bone marrow grafts is also associated with an increased incidence of relapse among the recipients, particularly recipients having chronic myelocytic leukemia.
Another approach to preventing immune-mediated injury is to interrupt the complement cascade (e.g., by depleting C3 with cobra venom factor or by inhibiting the C3 convertase with recombinant soluble CR1). However, antibody depletion has unacceptable risks of over-immunosuppression (i.e., infection), and experimental studies of inhibition of the complement cascade with cobra venom factor or sCR1 show incomplete inhibition. An additional drawback to the use of cobra venom is the prospect of systemic effects due to the large amounts of vasoactive and chemotactic C3a and C5a produced.
Another common practice for inhibiting immune-mediated disorders is to subject the recipient to immunosuppressive therapy after transplantation. Such immunosuppression may occur by use of glucocorticoids, cyclosporin, methotrexate, or combinations of such drugs. However, immunosuppression also results in increased incidence of infection, and even when immunosuppressant drugs are used, immune-mediated cytotoxicity may still occur.
Although many approaches to controlling immune-mediated disorders have been attempted, none of these approaches have been particularly successful. Thus there remains a need for an effective, clinically applicable means of preventing or treating GVHD and CTL- and/or complement-dependent rejection of organ or tissue transplants. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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An efficient method to achieve high data-rate coverage in wireless communication is to use multiple antennas both at the transmitter and the receiver, since it makes it is possible to exploit the spatial degrees of freedom offered by multipath fading inside the wireless channel in order to provide a substantial increase in data rates and reliability of wireless transmission.
In the downlink, there are three basic approaches for utilizing the antenna: diversity, multiplexing and beamforming. With beamforming, the radiation pattern of the antennas may be controlled by transmitting a signal from a plurality of elements with an element specific gain and phase. In this way, radiation patterns with different pointing directions and beam widths in both elevation and azimuth directions may be created.
The gains from adjusting the beam shapes used for transmissions come from both increased received power (increased SNR) as well as a possibly lower interference (increased SINR) in a multi cell scenario. However, how much of these gains may be realized depends on how well the transmitting antenna system can direct the energy to the target users, and how well it avoids emitting energy to the interfered users.
The area of beamforming is usually divided in two parts, namely user specific beamforming (UE-BF) and cell specific beamforming (CS-BF). With user specific beamforming, the transmit beam used is chosen to optimize the channel between an eNB and a single user which is the method to use when transmitting user specific data. With CS-BF, beam are chosen to support all users within the cell, which is a method suitable for transmitting control information or other broadcast signals. Hence a cell-specific beam will generally cover a larger solid angle wider than a user specific beam.
In present wireless communication systems and frequency division duplexing FDD systems in particular, the user specific beamforming is typically implemented through the use of codebooks. There are both proprietary codebooks as well as standardized. When using codebook based transmissions, each user (which knows the codebook prior to transmission) may estimate what the gain would be for each code word and then feedback information of this to the eNB.
Cell specific beamforming, on the other hand, is standard transparent. Further, since the beams are supposed to suit all users within a cell, the best beam shape cannot be measured and optimized with a limited feedback from a few selected users. Therefore, one commonly assumed method to optimize cell specific beams is through the use of self-organizing network (SON) algorithms, sometimes called reconfigurable antenna system self-organizing networks (RAS-SON) algorithms. Such algorithms may typically measure some second order effect of changes in beam shapes, and optimize the beam shapes based on these. For example, one node may form some candidate cell specific beams, and then try these settings/beams in the network during a limited period of time, and evaluate which of these settings/beams that gives the best capacity or system throughput. This procedure is then repeated for various nodes/areas throughout the network to tune the overall setting and thus increase the overall network performance
These types of RAS-SON algorithms are blind/semi-blind and hence they become relatively slow (depending on the amount of time for which each setting is evaluated). This will particularly be the case when the beam shapes of multiple cells are to be improved, as is typically the case in cellular networks.
Cell specific beamforming, and specifically optimization of the cell specific beam shapes, is typically done to define and isolate the cells from each other. Well isolated cells facilities the UE to make a better choice of serving cell for communication.
Thus, current cell shaping methods are typically blind/semi blind in the sense that the antenna patterns at one or more sites are changed slightly, and then they are evaluated for some period of time. To avoid instability in systems this period has to be long enough to be statistically representative of the traffic situation. This results in slow algorithms.
Further, since arbitrary combinations of weights in an array to generate arbitrary beam shapes is far too large (for large arrays) to test all, only a smaller restricted subset is usually considered. Such beam shapes, for example fixed beam width and some certain tilt settings, may not be optimal for neither received signal nor interference suppression. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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This invention relates to a lottery ticket transaction system. More particularly, the present invention relates to a system and a method for selling lottery tickets using point-of-sale ("POS") terminals that generate sales receipts containing both merchandise sales information and lottery ticket information.
Many states in the United States, as well as some foreign countries, have government-conducted lottery systems. Government-conducted lotteries offer the public a desirable product (usually the chance to win a large cash prize), and have the benefit of increasing governmental revenues without burdening the public with additional or increased taxes. In many instances, the revenue generated from a governmental lottery is dedicated to a particular purpose or goal, such as improving the education system or reducing property taxes.
In a typical government-conducted lottery system, a central lottery computer is used to communicate with dedicated lottery terminals. A player selects numbers on a lottery playslip, and the lottery terminal operator inserts the lottery playslip into, a reader at the lottery terminal, which optically reads the lottery playslip using a known mark-sense process. The dedicated lottery terminal then communicates the player's selected numbers to a central lottery computer which in turn stores them. After the lottery numbers have been stored, the dedicated lottery terminal, under the control of the central lottery computer, prints and issues the lottery ticket.
One popular lottery game, known as "lotto," typically requires the player to choose six numbers from one to forty-two. The selected group of numbers are then compared to the winning lottery numbers, which have been randomly selected from the larger pool of numbers, from one to forty-two, at some specified time and date after purchase of the lotto ticket, usually once or twice each week. To win a prize, the lotto ticket numbers must be equal to all or some of the winning lottery numbers.
While players may select their own lottery numbers, most lotto games provide the option of having the central lottery computer system select random "quick-pick" lottery numbers instead. This saves the purchaser the time and inconvenience of picking his or her own numbers. These automatic lottery number generation systems are usually known as "quick-pick" systems.
A variety of games may be played in a typical lottery. In conventional lottery games, a player purchases a lottery ticket. Inscribed on that lottery ticket are one or more lottery numbers and a serial number. The serial number functions as a simple method of fraud prevention, because it uniquely identifies each lottery ticket sold. The lottery number also allows both the player and the lottery system to identify a winner; specifically, the lottery numbers are compared by the player to a "winning number list", to determine if the player has won a prize.
There are also instant lottery games in which the outcome is determined prior to the sale of the lottery ticket. By uncovering concealed indicia inscribed on the lottery ticket, the player can determine if the lottery ticket is a winner - immediately after purchase.
Some foreign countries (e.g. Germany) allow a lottery player to purchase fractional lottery tickets. However, these lottery systems only allow the player to purchase fixed fractions of certain high-priced lottery tickets (e.g., a half, or quarter share of a lottery ticket). In these instances, if the lottery ticket is a winner, the purchaser will only receive one-half or one-quarter of the full prize amount.
The majority of lottery tickets are sold by grocery, liquor and convenience stores. These retail stores typically place the dedicated lottery terminal away from one or more POS terminals used for merchandise transactions. This physical separation is to ensure that the merchandise transaction line is not slowed-down or blocked by customers wishing to make lottery ticket purchases. In addition, since the lottery terminals have a separate and distinct accounting system, there is no need to co-locate the POS terminals and dedicated lottery terminals.
However, some customers may consider it annoying to make two separate transactions, i.e., merchandise and lottery tickets, on two different terminals within the same store. Separate terminals may also force the customers to wait in two separate lines, or may slow down the overall merchandise check-out procedure while a single store clerk performs two separate transactions on two terminals. Besides annoying the merchandise-only customers, these inconveniences also reduce the impulse purchasing of lottery tickets, which in turn leads to loss of revenue for the government and the store.
There are other disadvantages with using two separate and distinct terminals for merchandise transactions and lottery ticket transactions. The government usually bears the costs of purchasing, leasing, installing and maintaining the dedicated lottery terminals. There are also the considerable costs of resupplying the lottery ticket paper and ink for each dedicated lottery terminal. Moreover, many retail stores with multiple checkout lines and registers, such as supermarkets, do not have the resources to support dedicated lottery terminals at every check-out register. In addition, a dedicated lottery terminal uses counter space that could otherwise be devoted to revenue-producing merchandise displays. It is also costly to train store personnel in the operation of two distinct types of transaction terminals. These factors reduce the availability of lottery tickets to consumers, and thus reduce governmental revenue, by limiting the number of locations that sell lottery tickets.
After many years of steadily increasing profits, many state-run lotteries have seen a downturn in profits. Improving the ease of purchasing lottery tickets and increasing their availability has become a primary concern as many states are modernizing their lottery systems. The current lottery system does not allow for the sale of fractional value lottery tickets at retail point of sale terminals. There is a significant loss of revenue from this lost opportunity to buy fractional value lottery tickets. Accordingly, there is a need for a system that solves the above described problems. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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A typical computer network may have a backup and recovery system for purposes of restoring data (data contained in one or multiple files, for example) on the network to a prior state should the data become corrupted, be overwritten, subject to a viral attack, etc. The backup and recovery system typically includes mass storage devices, such as magnetic tape drives and/or hard drives; and the system may include physical and/or virtual removable storage devices.
For example, the backup and recovery system may store backup data on magnetic tapes, and after a transfer of backup data to a given magnetic tape, the tape may be removed from its tape drive and stored in a secure location, such as in a fireproof safe. The backup and recovery system may alternatively be a virtual tape library-based system that emulates and replaces the physical magnetic tape drive system. In this manner, with a virtual tape library-based system, virtual cartridges, instead of magnetic tapes, store the backup data. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The present invention relates to the control of gene expression. More particularly, this invention relates to the use of synthetic oligonucleotides to down-regulate the expression of a gene in an animal.
The potential for the development of an antisense oligonucleotide therapeutic approach was first suggested in three articles published in 1977 and 1978. Paterson et al. (Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. (USA) (1977) 74:4370-4374) discloses that cell-free translation of mRNA can be inhibited by the binding of an oligonucleotide complementary to the mRNA. Zamecnik et al. (Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. (USA) (1978) 75:280-284 and 285-288) discloses that a 13 mer synthetic oligonucleotide that is complementary to a part of the Rous sarcoma virus (RSV) genome inhibits RSV replication in infected chicken fibroblasts and inhibits RSV-mediated transformation of primary chick fibroblasts into malignant sarcoma cells.
These early indications that synthetic oligonucleotides can be used to inhibit virus propagation and neoplasia have been followed by the use of synthetic oligonucleotides to inhibit a wide variety of viruses, such as HIV (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 4,806,463); influenza (see, e.g., Leiter et al. (1990) (Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. (USA) 87:3430-3434); vesicular stomatitis virus (see, e.g., Agris et al. (1986) Biochem. 25:6268-6275); herpes simplex (see, e.g., Gao et al. (1990) Antimicrob. Agents Chem. 34:808-812); SV40 (see, e.g., Birg et al. (1990) (Nucleic Acids Res. 18:2901-2908); and human papilloma virus (see, e.g., Storey et al. (1991) (Nucleic Acids Res. 19:4109-4114). The use of synthetic oligonucleotides and their analogs as anti-viral agents has recently been extensively reviewed by Agrawal (Trends in Biotech. (1992) 10:152-158).
In addition, synthetic oligonucleotides have been used to inhibit a variety of non-viral pathogens, as well as to selectively inhibit the expression of certain cellular genes. Thus, the utility of synthetic oligonucleotides as agents to inhibit virus propagation, propagation of non-viral, pathogens and selective expression of cellular genes has been well established.
Improved oligonucleotides have more recently been developed that have greater efficacy in inhibiting such viruses, pathogens and selective gene expression. Some of these oligonucleotides having modifications in their internucleotide linkages have been shown to be more effective than their unmodified counterparts. For example, Agrawal et al. (Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. (USA) (1988) 85:7079-7083) teaches that oligonucleotide phosphorothioates and certain oligonucleotide phosphoramidates are more effective at inhibiting HIV-1 than conventional phosphodiester-linked oligodeoxynucleotides. Agrawal et al. (Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. (USA) (1989) 86:7790-7794) discloses the advantage of oligonucleotide phosphorothioates in inhibiting HIV-1 in early and chronically infected cells.
In addition, chimeric oligonucleotides having more than one type of internucleotide linkage within the oligonucleotide have been developed. Pederson et al. (U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,149,797 and 5,220,007 discloses chimeric oligonucleotides having an oligonucleotide phosphodiester or oligonucleotide phosphorothioate core sequence flanked by nucleotide methylphosphonates or phosphoramidates. Furdon et al. (Nucleic Acids Res. (1989) 17:9193-9204) discloses chimeric oligonucleotides having regions of oligonucleotide phosphodiesters in addition to either oligonucleotide phosphorothioate or methylphosphonate regions. Quartin et al. (Nucleic Acids Res. (1989) 17:7523-7562) discloses chimeric oligonucleotides having regions of oligonucleotide phosphodiesters and oligonucleotide methylphosphonates. Inoue et al. (FEBS Lett. (1987) 215:237-250) discloses chimeric oligonucleotides having regions of deoxyribonucleotides and 2'-O-methyl-ribonucleotides.
Many of these modified oligonucleotides have contributed to improving the potential efficacy of the antisense oligonucleotide therapeutic approach. However, certain deficiencies remain in the known oligonucleotides, and these deficiencies can limit the effectiveness of such oligonucleotides as therapeutic agents. For example, Wickstrom (J. Biochem. Biophys. Meth. (1986) 13:97-102) teaches that oligonucleotide phosphodiesters are susceptible to nuclease-mediated degradation, thereby limiting their bioavailability in vivo. Agrawal et al. (Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. (USA) (1990) 87:1401-1405) teaches that oligonucleotide phosphoramidates or methylphosphonates when hybridized to RNA do not activate RNase H, the activation of which can be important to the function of antisense oligonucleotides. Thus, a need for methods of controlling gene expression exists which uses oligonucleotides with improved therapeutic characteristics.
Several reports have been published on the development of phosphorothioate-linked oligonucleotides as potential anti-AIDS therapeutic agents. Although extensive studies on chemical and molecular mechanisms of oligonucleotides have demonstrated the potential value of this novel therapeutic strategy, little is known about the pharmacokinetics and metabolism of these compounds in vivo.
Recently, several preliminary studies on this topic have been published. Agrawal et al. (Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. (USA) (1991) 88:7595-7599) describes the intravenously and intraperitoneally administration to mice of a 20-mer phosphorothioate linked-oligonucleotide. In this study, approximately 30% of the administered dose was excreted in the urine over the first 24 hours with accumulation preferentially in the liver and kidney. Plasma half-lives ranged from about 1 hour t.sub.1/2.alpha.) and 40 hours (t.sub.1/2.beta.), respectively. Similar results have been reported in subsequent studies (Iversen (1991) Anti-Cancer Drug Design 6:531-538; Iverson (1994) Antisense Res. Devel. 4:43-52; and Sands (1994) Mol. Pharm. 45:932-943). However, stability problems may exist when oligonucleotides are administered intravenously and intraperitoneally.
Thus, there remains a need to develop more effective therapeutic methods of down-regulating the expression of genes which can be easily manipulated to fit the animal and condition to be treated, and the gene to be targeted. Preferably, these methods should be simple, painless, and precise in effecting the target gene. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Some organizations may install database servers in several locations that are geographically diverse from each other. For example, a corporation may set up two database servers in two locations (such as New York City and Los Angeles) so that they operate in an autonomous and load-balanced way in a normal situation, but, in case a disaster (such as earthquakes, hurricanes, or terrorist attacks) causes one server to fail, the other server can quickly take over and keep critical functions and services, some of which might have been previously supported by the failed server, uninterrupted. Typically, under such a multi-location scheme, a database server at a location has its own storage subsystem; direct access to such a storage subsystem is not shared with database servers at other locations; and only logical access to data stored in the storage subsystem is allowed to the database servers at the other locations. To provide logical access to data stored in the storage subsystem, copies of files or tables may be provided by the database server that owns the storage subsystem to the database servers in the other locations using file transfer protocols.
In addition to being highly inefficient, these techniques dictate uses of disparate methods to access local and remote data, respectively. As a result, a database server must use disparate calls, APIs and logic flows in handling accesses to the local data and remote data, thereby resulting in much programmatic complexity.
Under some other techniques, a local data storage device may be explicitly exported by its hosting operating system to a remote node that hosts a remote database server. For example, a hard disk that is directly attached to a hosting UNIX system may be explicitly exported by the hosting UNIX system. A remote node that has an appropriate communication link with the hosting UNIX system may mount the exported hard disk on the remote node, using an NFS protocol, thereby enabling remote access to the exported hard disk. However, there may be no direct link between a system that hosts local data storage devices and a remote node. For example, where a Network Attached Storage (NAS) system is used, a local database server that controls direct access to the NAS system may not be the same system as the NAS system itself. The NAS system that hosts the data storage devices may not have any communication link with the remote database server that enables the NFS protocol. Or, for any such reasons as site security, the NAS system may not be configured for exporting through external protocols such as the NFS protocol to any other database servers except the one directly attached.
Therefore, a better mechanism, which would better support network data transfer in distributed database systems, is needed. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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This invention relates to a movable toy. More particularly, the invention relates to a movable toy which is provided with an automatic gear disengaging mechanism and a gear changing mechanism. When the rotation of wheels is abruptly stopped, the rotatory power transmitted from the driving section such as an electric motor, a spring or a fly-wheel, is automatically released by the gear disengaging mechanism.
In the prior art devices of this kind, for example, in the mechanism as disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. Sho. 42-21216 (1967), the engagement and disengagement of gears are attained by moving up or down the machine frame of a toy car. More particularly, a wheel driving shaft is inserted through a pair of vertical slots of a gear box. The gear attached to the wheel driving shaft is utilized as the rotatory power source for a fly-wheel when the machine frame suspended by springs is pushed down. Accordingly, if the machine frame is raised up, the toy car can not be driven. When the compression to the springs is released, the machine frame is lifted by the springs and the transmission between the wheels and the fly-wheel is disengaged. Therefore, as the measure to connect the rotation of fly-wheel to the outer wheels when the car is allowed to run, a laterally movable intermediate shaft is interposed between the fly-wheel in the driving section and the wheels in the driven section. Accordingly, even when the wheels are pressed to and rubbed with the floor so as to energize the fly-wheel and to prepare the running, the toy car is not driven. In order to start the running of the toy car, the second operation to slide the intermediate shaft into the space between the wheel shaft and the fly-wheel shaft is required.
Further, when the running toy car is forcibly stopped by pressing it to the floor, another disadvantage is caused to occur in that the teeth of gears in the driving transmission system are often broken by the rotatory power of the fly-wheel. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Various kinds of sealing devices such as a gasket and a packing have been conventionally known as devices for sealing a clearance defined between two members. They have been formed into various shapes. Moreover, there have been a variety of sealing structures in which the sealing devices are used.
Patent Document 1, for example, discloses a sealing structure, in which a bottom side of a gasket is suppressed from sliding sideways of a installation groove by curving a bottom of the installation groove, so as to prevent the gasket from falling down, and further, the gasket can be installed irrespective of the obverse and reverse thereof by forming the gasket into a symmetric shape in cross section.
Otherwise, Patent Document 2 discloses a packing for an injector, in which projections are formed on both sides in an axial direction on an inner circumferential surface and an outer peripheral surface, and further, portions with and without a squeeze margin are formed at the outer peripheral surface of the injector and the inner circumferential surface of a housing. In this manner, sealability can be exhibited irrespective of the magnitude of a pressure to be exerted on the packing, and further, an increase in filling ratio of the packing to an installation space is suppressed, so that the packing can be prevented from extending into a clearance.
Alternatively, Patent Document 3 discloses a gasket interposed between a cylinder head and a head cover in an engine, in which a clearance is formed between a bottom of a gasket containing groove and the gasket before the gasket is tightened, whereas a part of the gasket is deformed in such a manner as to fill the clearance defined between the groove bottom of the containing groove and the same during tightening, thereby suppressing an exposed portion of the gasket from extending into the clearance defined between the cylinder head and the head cover.
Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-200649
Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-340191
Patent Document 3: Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. 2-124371 | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The present invention relates in general to substrate manufacturing technologies and in particular to apparatus for the removal of a metal oxide from a substrate and methods therefor.
In the processing of a substrate, e.g., a semiconductor substrate or a glass panel such as one used in flat panel display manufacturing, plasma is often employed. As part of the processing of a substrate for example, the substrate is divided into a plurality of dies, or rectangular areas, each of which will become an integrated circuit. The substrate is then processed in a. series of steps in which materials are selectively removed (etching) and deposited. Control of the transistor gate critical dimension (CD) on the order of a few nanometers is a top priority, as each nanometer deviation from the target gate length may translate directly into the operational speed of these devices.
Areas of the hardened emulsion are then selectively removed, causing components of the underlying layer to become exposed. The substrate is then placed in a plasma processing chamber on a substrate support structure comprising a mono-polar or bi-polar electrode, called a chuck or pedestal. Appropriate etchant source are then flowed into the chamber and struck to form a plasma to etch exposed areas of the substrate.
Copper (Cu) is commonly used as to interconnect microelectronic circuits on the substrate. However, before bulk Cu deposition, some type of copper sputtering deposition process is generally required to deposit a thin seed layer (about 500 Å to about 2000 Å). A Cu seed layer generally provides the nucleation sites for the bulk Cu grain and film formation. That is, first a barrier layer may be deposited using a PVD (plasma vapor deposition) process, the Cu seed may then be deposited also using a PVD process, and finally the remaining bulk Cu may be deposited using electrochemical plating (ECP).
In general, ECP involves placing the substrate (with a Cu seed) on a plastic substrate holder. A cathode then holds the substrate with a conducting steel ring and immerses it in a plating solution containing sulfuric acid (H2SO4), copper sulfate (Cu(SO4)) and other additives. An electrical current flows form the anode, which is a copper plate to the cathode. In the solution, the Cu(SO4) disassociates to a copper ion, Cu2+, and a sulfate ion SO22−. When the copper ions are attracted to the substrate surface, where they become absorbed on the copper seed layer.
However, new approaches to Cu interconnect integration are emerging to overcome short falls of current integrations schemes. For example, one emerging technology is the use of electroless Cu plating that can replace the Copper seed and/or Cu fill. In general, an underlying barrier layer (e.g., Ti, Tin, Ta, TaN, W, WN, Ru, etc.) is catalyzed by a Pd/Sn colloid, which serves as an activator for electroless copper deposition. After activation, electroless deposition of Cu occurs on the catalytic surface. In general, the coverage of the Cu deposit reaches 100% and the adsorptive amount of Pd is greatly increased by the conditioning process. However, in order to insure uniformity, the barrier layer must substantially be free of any metal oxide they may have formed prior to the electroless Cu plating process.
A commonly known, relatively simple, and low-cost method of metal oxide removal may be the use of an atmospheric (or high pressure) plasma jet (APPJ), which generally allows a plasma to be focused on a particular location on the substrate, thus minimizing potential damage to dies on the substrate. An APPJ device generally mixes a large amount of an inert gas (e.g., He, etc.) with a small amount of a reactive gas (e.g., H2, O2, etc.) in an annular volume (e.g., tube, cylinder, etc.) formed between an rf-powered electrode (along the longitudinal axis of the source) and a grounded electrode. The generated plasma may then be forced out one end of the annular volume (plasma effluent) by pressure caused by the influx of gases (gas influent). The shape and size of the plasma effluent may be controlled by adjusting the gas influent pressure, as well as the shape and size of the discharge orifice on the APPJ device.
In addition, an APPJ may also be combined with a reactive ion etch (RIE) in order to remove the metal oxide. In general, RIE combines both chemical and ion processes in order to remove material from the substrate. Generally ions in the plasma enhance a chemical process by striking the surface of the substrate, and breaking the chemical bonds of the atoms on the surface in order to make them more susceptible, to reacting with the molecules of the chemical process. Operating at ambient pressure conditions, atmospheric plasmas tend to relatively inexpensive in comparison to low-pressure plasmas that require sophisticated pumping systems to operate at near vacuum conditions. However, APPJ devices also tend to be susceptible to arcing.
An arc is generally a high power density short circuit which has the effect of a miniature explosion. When arcs occur on or near the surfaces of the target material or chamber fixtures, substantial damage can occur, such as local melting. Plasma arcs are generally caused by low plasma impedance which results in a steadily increasing current flow. If the resistance is low enough, the current will increase indefinitely (limited only by the power supply and impedance), creating a short circuit in which all energy transfer takes place. This may result in damage to the substrate as well as the plasma chamber. In order to inhibit arcing, relatively high plasma impedance generally must be maintained. A common solution may be to limit the rate of ionization in the plasma by using a large volume of inert gas at a relatively high flow rate. Another solution may be to position slots along the longitudinal axis of the powered electrode with the same electrical potential, in order to reduce the likelihood of arcing.
For example, in a common atmospheric plasma configuration, rf power creates an electrical discharge between a power electrode and a set of grounded electrodes that causes a process gas such as O2 to ionize. However, as the density of electrically charged species (i.e., ions, etc.) in the plasma increases (typically above 2%), the likelihood of destructive arcing at the exposed electrode also increases. Hence, most atmospheric plasma processes typically also comprise mostly non-electrically charged (inert) gas, such as He, which limit ionization. In a metal oxide byproduct removal application, however, the large volume (high flow) of inert gas may make the use of atmospheric plasma economically impractical.
For example, the substantial removal of a metal oxide from just a 5 mm2 surface area on the substrate may require over 10 slm (standard liters per minute) of an inert gas. This may correspond to the consumption of over 100 liters of the inert gas for a single typical 300 mm substrate. Aside from the cost of obtaining a large volume of a semi-conductor grade inert gas, the storage of such a volume in a substrate fabrication facility may be unworkable. Additionally, because of equipment cost, cleaning and recycling the inert gas may be economically impractical.
Referring now to FIG. 1, a simplified diagram of an atmospheric plasma jet device, in which both the powered electrode and the ground electrode are each configured on a cavity wall, is shown. Generally, an inert gas 118 (e.g., He, etc.) and a process gas 116 (e.g., H2, CF4, etc.) are flowed into sealed box 114 for pressurizing. The gases are, in turn, feed into a discharge chamber cavity 110 through gas influent 115, at which point a plasma is struck with an rf power source 108 and creates plasma effluent 104 from discharge orifice 117 at one end of cavity 110 to clean substrate 102. In general, the shape and diameter of discharge orifice 117 may affect the corresponding shape of plasma effluent 104 along both the lateral and longitudinal axis (e.g., laterally narrow and longitudinally deep, laterally wide and longitudinally shallow, etc.). However, as previously stated, a large volume of inert gas may be required to prevent the generation of arc 105 between powered electrode 106 to grounded electrode 112.
Referring now to FIG. 2, a simplified diagram of an atmospheric plasma jet device, in which a powered electrode is configured as a center rod and a grounded electrode(s) is configured on a cavity inner surface, is shown. As before, generally, an inert gas 118 (e.g., He, etc.) and a process gas 116 (e.g., CF4, H2, etc.) are flowed into sealed box 114 for pressurizing. The gases are, in turn, feed into a discharge chamber cavity 110 through gas influent 115, at which point a plasma may be struck with an rf power source 108 and creates plasma effluent 104 from discharge orifice 117 at one end of cavity 110 to clean substrate 102. In general, the shape and diameter of discharge orifice 117 may affect the corresponding shape of plasma effluent 104 along both the lateral and longitudinal axis (e.g., laterally narrow and longitudinally deep, laterally wide and longitudinally shallow, etc.). However, as previously stated, a large volume of inert gas may be required to prevent the generation of arc 105 between powered electrode 106 to grounded electrode 112.
In view of the foregoing, there are desired apparatus for the removal of a metal oxide from a substrate and methods therefor. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an aircraft engine handling assembly.
2. Description of the Related Art
Aircraft engines are firstly manufactured in separate modules, which are then assembled with one another. The manufactured modules are transported to the place of assembly, and then removed from their conditioning and moved precisely to the position in which they are docked with the adjacent module. The movements are essentially accomplished by handling, although plant such as hoists to raise the modules, and carriages to move them, are available.
This handling operation is long and difficult since aircraft engine modules are bulky and heavy items, whilst also being fragile. A particular difficulty derives from the fact that they are generally assembled with their rotational axis horizontal, whereas they are often positioned with the rotational axis vertical during shipment in their crate, in order that they are resting on a surface with a flat end, and in order that stability during shipment is improved: they must therefore be overturned when they have been removed from the crate, normally before being positioned on the carriage, but this operation is delicate and therefore requires many precautions. Placing the module on the carriage is also a delicate operation, and special brackets must be added to the module, called “lugs”, to enable it to rest on it in stable fashion and with sufficient area, which would otherwise be impossible due to its generally conical and irregular rotational shape. It must be added that it is also necessary to use tools called “strongbacks”, which are assembled at the ends of the module, in order to strengthen it whilst stopping the movements between the rotor and the stator before it is assembled with the other modules.
The invention relates to an assembly for handling an aircraft engine module which avoids the mentioned disadvantages, and allows the assembly of the module with an adjacent module to be prepared under optimum working conditions, more rapidly and with much fewer manual interventions, requiring fewer precautions.
DE-A-34 27 042 describes an aircraft engine handling assembly in which a moving carriage is fitted with means for attaching the module, and means for adjusting the position of the module, without reproducing other characteristics of the invention, and notably without creating an attachment through a tool secured to an end of the module, and providing the possibility of tipping the module completely. Other carriages or supporting devices are the subjects of U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,481,503, 1,600,835, US-A-2009/020 934 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,863,034. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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A number of substituted imidazo[4,5-b]quinolin-2-ones are known from BE-904,671; DE-A-3,717,291; U.S. Pat. No. 4,701,459 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,943,573 as phosphodiesterase and blood platelet aggregation inhibitors which are useful as inotropic cardiotonics and antithrombotics.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,043,327 which corresponds to EP-A-0,406,958, published Jan. 9, 1991, there are described positive inotropic and lusitropic 3,5-dihydro-imidazo[2,1-b]-quinazolin-2(1H)-one derivatives. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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(i) Technical Field
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus, an image processing method, an image processing system, and a non-transitory computer readable medium.
(ii) Related Art
In image processing, users segment designated regions that they designate as regions to be subjected to image processing. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to pomegranate extracts and methods of using thereof, and specifically to methods of using pomegranate extracts for causing regression in lesions due to arteriosclerosis in humans.
2. Description of the Related Art
Throughout this application, various references are referred to within parentheses. Disclosures of these publications in their entireties are hereby incorporated by reference into this application to more fully describe the state of the art to which this invention pertains. Full bibliographic citation for these references may be found at the end of this application, preceding the claims. Oxidative stress, a major contributor to cardiovascular diseases (1), is associated with lipid peroxidation in arterial macrophages and in lipoproteins (1-3). Oxidized low-density lipoprotein (Ox-LDL) was shown to be atherogenic (2-4), thus, interventions to inhibit LDL oxidation by dietary antioxidants (4, 5) is of major importance to attenuate atherosclerosis. It was recently shown that vitamin E supplementation to patients with carotid artery stenosis inhibited LDL accumulation in arterial macrophages (6). Protection of lipids from oxidation can be also achieved by serum paraoxonase (PON1), an HDL-associated esterase that can hydrolyze and reduce specific lipid peroxides in arterial cells and lipoproteins in coronary and carotid lesions (7-10).
The pomegranate was recently chosen as the logo for the Millennium Festival of Medicine, mainly because of its medicinal properties as described by all major religions and by folk medicine (11). Pomegranate juice (PJ) possesses impressive antioxidative properties due to its high flavonoids content, mainly the water soluble tannins and proanthocyanins (12). We have recently shown the antioxidative and antiatherogenic characteristics of PJ consumption in atherosclerotic apolipoprotein E deficient (E°) mice (13). In healthy humans, PJ consumption also demonstrated potent antioxidative capabilities against lipoprotein oxidation, and also increased PON1 activity and improved serum total antioxidant status (13).
A need exists, however, to study whether the above beneficial effects of PJ can be manifested in patients with atherosclerosis such as carotid artery stenosis. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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This invention relates to a lift assembly for a lift truck and, more particularly, to a hydraulic cylinder arrangement for lifting uprights of a mast and a load-carrying carriage supported by the uprights.
Conventional lift trucks have on their front end a mast or lift assembly including telescoping uprights and a fork lift carriage supported by the uprights. The uprights, when extended, permit high lifting of a load while allowing the truck to have relatively low overall height when the extended uprights are lowered.
In addition, in one type of lift truck, the load carriage is movable vertically without extension of the uprights. A carriage which has this kind of movement is said to have "free lift", which is desirable since it allows a load to be lifted without extension of the uprights. The carriage engages the load in a lower position and thereafter can be raised to a desired elevation without extension of the uprights. In this raised position the load may be transported to another location, and the carriage then lowered and unloaded. Thus, with a "free lift" type of carriage, the load can be lifted without increasing the overall height of the assembly, thereby permitting operation in areas of low overhead.
The uprights and carriage usually are lowered and raised by hydraulic cylinder assemblies which are strategically positioned on the truck. In considering this positioning, one goal is to utilize hydraulic cylinder assemblies and their connections to the uprights and carriage which are simple in design. Another object is to use components for the cylinder assemblies which are as small as possible so that the weight of the lift assembly is kept to a minimum.
Furthermore, it is also important to design a load-lifting assembly which will give the driver of the truck maximum visibility in the forward direction. Consequently, it is desirable to position the hydraulic cylinder assemblies and their connections to the uprights and carriage in such a manner as to minimize their interference with the driver's line of sight.
While there are many types of lift assemblies for lift trucks, one problem is that they sacrifice one or more advantageous features to obtain another. Thus, for example, in one assembly where free lift is provided, a cylinder rod has to be raised into the line of sight of the driver to raise the carriage, thereby impairing visibility. Or, in other assemblies, hydraulic cylinders for extending the uprights are positioned directly behind the uprights to improve visibility; however, these cylinders typically are relatively long, extending almost the entire length of the mast. Consequently the mast must be located further from the truck to allow room for positioning of the long cylinders, but this positioning must be done at the sacrifice of producing additional, undesirable load moments. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The present invention belongs to the fields of pharmacology and medicinal chemistry, and provides new pharmaceuticals which are useful for the treatment of diseases which are caused or affected by disorders of the serotonin-affected neurological systems, particularly those relating to the 1A receptor.
Pharmaceutical researchers have discovered in recent years that the neurons of the brain which contain monoamines are of extreme importance in a great many physiological processes which very strongly affect many psychological and personality-affecting processes as well. In particular, serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine; 5-HT) has been found to be a key to a very large number of processes which affect both physiological and psychological functions. Drugs which influence the function of serotonin in the brain are accordingly of great importance and are now used for a surprisingly large number of different therapies.
The early generations of serotonin-affecting drugs tended to have a variety of different physiological functions, considered from both the mechanistic and therapeutic points of view. More recently, it has become possible to study the function of drugs at individual receptors in vitro or ex vivo, and it has also been realized that therapeutic agents with a single mechanism of action are often advantageous to the patient. Accordingly, the objective of research now is to discover not only agents which affect only functions of serotonin, but agents which affect only a single function of serotonin, at a single identifiable receptor.
The present invention provides compounds which have highly selective activity as antagonists of the serotonin 1A receptor.
The present invention provides a series of new aryl piperazine compounds, methods of using them for pharmaceutical purposes, and pharmaceutical compositions whereby the compounds may be conveniently administered.
The invention also provides methods of antagonizing, the 5HT-1A receptor, and therapeutic methods which are related to their effect on the 5HT-1A receptor. Such methods of treatment include, particularly, methods of alleviating the symptoms caused by withdrawal or partial withdrawal from the use of tobacco or of nicotine, comprising the administration to a patient in need of such treatment of a compound of Formula I
wherein
Arxe2x80x2 is a mono- or bi-cyclic aryl or heteroaryl radical substituted with one to three substituents selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, (C1-C6)alkyl, (C1-C6)alkoxy, (C1-C6)alkylthio, (C2-C6)alkenyl, (C2-C6)alkynyl, (C1-C6)alkylhalo, (C3-C8)cycloalkyl, (C3-C8)cycloalkenyl or halo;
R1 is hydrogen, (C1-C6)alkyl, (C1-C6)alkoxy, (C1-C6)alkylthio;
R2 is phenyl, naphthyl or (C3-C12)cycloalkyl substituted with one or two substituents selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, (C1-C6)alkyl, (C1-C6)alkoxy, (C1-C6)alkylthio, (C2-C6)alkenyl, (C2-C6)alkynyl, (C1-C6)alkylhalo, (C3-C8)cycloalkyl, (C3-C8)cycloalkenyl or halo;
R3 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, (C1-C6)alkyl, (C1-C6)alkoxy, (C1-C6)alkylthio, (C2-C6)alkenyl, (C2-C6)alkynyl, (C1-C6)alkylhalo, (C3-C8)cycloalkyl, (C3-C8)cycloalkenyl or halo;
X is xe2x80x94C(xe2x95x90O)xe2x80x94, xe2x80x94CHOHxe2x80x94 or xe2x80x94CH2xe2x80x94;
or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt, racemate, optical isomer or solvate thereof.
Further, such therapeutic methods include methods of treatment of anxiety, depression, hypertension, cognitive disorders, psychosis, sleep disorders, gastric motility disorders, sexual dysfunction, brain trauma, memory loss, eating disorders and obesity, substance abuse, obsessive-compulsive disease, panic disorder and migraine.
A further treatment method provided by the present invention is a method for potentiating the action of a serotonin reuptake inhibitor, comprising administering to a patient an effective amount of a compound of Formula I in combination with the serotonin reuptake inhibitor.
More specifically, the present invention provides compounds of formula Ia;
or the pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof.
The compounds of formula Ia are enclosed within the scope of the compounds of Formula I and are therefore useful for the methods described herein for Formula I. For example, the present invention provides methods of antagonizing, the 5HT-1A receptor, and therapeutic methods which are related to their effect on the 5HT-1A receptor. Such methods of treatment include, particularly, methods of alleviating the symptoms caused by withdrawal or partial withdrawal from the use of tobacco or of nicotine, comprising the administration to a patient in need of such treatment, an effective amount of a compound of formula Ia. Further, such therapeutic methods include methods of treatment of anxiety, depression, hypertension, cognitive disorders, psychosis, sleep disorders, gastric motility disorders, sexual dysfunction, brain trauma, memory loss, eating disorders and obesity, substance abuse, obsessive-compulsive disease, panic disorder and migraine.
In addition, the present invention provides a method for potentiating the action of a serotonin reuptake inhibitor, comprising administering to a patient an effective amount of a compound of formula Ia in combination with the serotonin reuptake inhibitor.
The invention further provides a method of assisting a patient in ceasing or reducing their use of tobacco or nicotine comprising administering to a patient an effective amount of a compound of the Formula I or formula Ia.
This invention also encompasses novel processes for the synthesis of the compounds of formula I and formula Ia, the synthesis of novel intermediates thereof, and further encompasses novel intermediates per se.
In the present document, all descriptions of concentrations, amounts, ratios and the like will be expressed in weight units unless otherwise stated. All temperatures are in degrees Celsius.
The Compounds
It is believed that the general description of the compounds above is sufficient to explain their nature to the skilled reader; attention to the Examples which follow is also encouraged. Some additional description will be provided to assure that no misunderstanding occurs.
In the general description, the general chemical terms are all used in their normal and customary meanings. For example, the small alkyl and alkoxy groups, such as (C1-C6)alkyl and (C1-C6)alkoxy groups include, depending on the size of the groups, methyl, ethyl, propyl, isopropyl, n-butyl, s-butyl, pentyl, 3-methylbutyl, hexyl, and branched hexyl groups, and the corresponding alkoxy groups, as may be allowed by the individually named groups. Where a number of possible substituent groups are permitted on a group, such as the one to three alkyl, alkoxy or halo groups permitted on an Ar group, it will be understood by the reader that only substitution which is electronically and sterically feasible is intended.
The term xe2x80x9calkenylxe2x80x9d as used herein represents an unsaturated branched or linear group having at least one double bond. Examples of such groups include radicals such as vinyl, allyl, 2-butenyl, 3-butenyl, 2-pentenyl, 3-pentenyl, 4-pentenyl, 2-hexenyl, 3-hexenyl, 4-hexenyl, 5-hexenyl as well as dienes and trienes of straight and branched chains.
The term xe2x80x9calkynylxe2x80x9d denotes such radicals as ethynyl, propynyl, butynyl, pentynyl, hexynyl as well as di- and tri-ynes.
The term xe2x80x9c(C1-C6)alkylthioxe2x80x9d defines a straight or branched alkyl chain having one to six carbon atoms attached to the remainder of the molecule by a sulfur atom. Typical (C1-C6)alkylthio groups include methylthio, ethylthio, propylthio, butylthio, pentylthio, hexylthio and the like.
The term xe2x80x9c(C1-C6)alkylhaloxe2x80x9d refers to alkyl substituents having one or more independently selected halo atoms attached at one or more available carbon atoms. These terms include chloromethyl, bromoethyl, trifluoroethyl, trifluoromethyl, 3-bromopropyl, 2-bromopropyl, 3-chlorobutyl, 2,3-dichlorobutyl, 3-chloro-2-bromo-butyl, trichloromethyl, dichloroethyl, 1,4-dichlorobutyl, 3-bromopentyl, 1,3-dichlorobutyl, 1,1-dichloropropyl, and the like. More preferred (C1-C6)alkylhalo groups are trichloromethyl, trichloroethyl, and trifluoromethyl. The most preferred (C1-C6)alkylhalo is trifluoromethyl.
The term xe2x80x9c(C3-C8)cycloalkylxe2x80x9d includes groups such as cyclopropyl, cyclobutyl, cyclopentyl, cyclohexyl, cycloheptyl and cyclooctyl. The term xe2x80x9c(C3-C8)cycloalkylxe2x80x9d includes (C3-C6)cycloalkyl.
The term xe2x80x9c(C3-C8)cycloalkenylxe2x80x9d represents an olefinically unsaturated ring having 3 to 8 carbon atoms including groups such as cyclopropenyl, cyclobutenyl, cyclopentenyl, cyclohexenyl, cycloheptenyl, cyclooctenyl, and the like. The term xe2x80x9c(C3-C8)cycloalkenylxe2x80x9d includes (C3-C6)cycloalkenyl.
The term xe2x80x9carylxe2x80x9d represents phenyl or naphthyl.
The term xe2x80x9cbicyclicxe2x80x9d represents either an unsaturated or saturated stable 7- to 12-membered bridged or fused bicyclic carbon ring. The bicyclic ring may be attached at any carbon atom which affords a stable structure. The term includes, but is not limited to, naphthyl, dicyclohexyl, dicyclohexenyl, and the like.
The term, xe2x80x9cmono or bicyclic heteroaryl radicalxe2x80x9d, refers to radicals derived from monocyclic or polycyclic, aromatic nuclei having 5 to 14 ring atoms and containing from 1 to 3 hetero atoms selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, oxygen or sulfur. Typical heterocyclic radicals are pyrrolyl, furanyl, thiophenyl, pyrazolyl, imidazolyl, indolizinyl, isoquinolyl, benzothienyl, isoindolizinyl, oxazolyl, indolyl, carbazolyl, norharmanyl, azaindolyl, dibenzofuranyl, thianaphthenyl, dibenzothiophenyl, indazolyl, imidazo(1.2-A)pyridinyl, anthranilyl, purinyl, pyridinyl, phenylpyridinyl, pyrimidinyl, pyrazinyl, quinolinyl.
The terms xe2x80x9chaloxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9chalidexe2x80x9d are used in the above formula to refer to fluoro, chloro, bromo or iodo.
The term xe2x80x9caprotic solventxe2x80x9d refers to polar solvents of moderately high dielectric constant which do not contain an acidic hydrogen. Examples of common aprotic solvents are dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO), dimethylformamide, sulfolane, tetrahydrofuran, diethyl ether, methyl-t-butyl ether, or 1,2-dimethoxyethane.
The term xe2x80x9cprotic solventxe2x80x9d refers to a solvent containing hydrogen that is attached to oxygen, and hence is appreciably acidic. Common protic solvents include such solvents as water, methanol, ethanol, 2-propanol, and 1-butanol.
The term xe2x80x9cinert atmospherexe2x80x9d refers to reaction conditions in which the mixture is covered with a layer of inert gas such as nitrogen or argon.
As used herein, the term xe2x80x9cMexe2x80x9d refers to a xe2x80x94CH3 group, the term xe2x80x9cEtxe2x80x9d refers to a xe2x80x94CH2CH3 group and the term xe2x80x9cPrxe2x80x9d refers to a xe2x80x94CH2CH2CH3 group.
As used herein, the term xe2x80x9cstereoisomerxe2x80x9d refers to a compound made up of the same atoms bonded by the same bonds but having different three-dimensional structures which are not interchangeable. The three-dimensional structures are called configurations. As used herein, the term xe2x80x9cenantiomerxe2x80x9d refers to two stereoisomers whose molecules are nonsuperimposable mirror images of one another. As used herein, the term xe2x80x9coptical isomerxe2x80x9d is equivalent to the term xe2x80x9cenantiomerxe2x80x9d. The terms xe2x80x9cracematexe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cracemic mixturexe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cracemic modificationxe2x80x9d refer to a mixture of equal parts of enantiomers. The term xe2x80x9cchiral centerxe2x80x9d refers to a carbon atom to which four different groups are attached.
The term xe2x80x9cenantiomeric enrichmentxe2x80x9d as used herein refers to the increase in the amount of one enantiomer as compared to the other. A convenient method of expressing the enantiomeric enrichment achieved is the concept of enantiomeric excess, or xe2x80x9ceexe2x80x9d, which is found using the following equation: ee = E 1 - E 2 E 1 + E 2 xc3x97 100
wherein E1 is the amount of the first enantiomer and E2 is the amount of the second enantiomer. Thus, if the initial ratio of the two enantiomers is 50:50, such as is present in a racemic mixture, and an enantiomeric enrichment sufficient to produce a final ratio of 50:30 is achieved, the ee with respect to the first enantiomer is 25%. However, if the final ratio is 90:10, the ee with respect to the first enantiomer is 80%. An ee of greater than 90% is preferred, an ee of greater than 95% is most preferred and an ee of greater than 99% is most especially preferred. Enantiomeric enrichment is readily determined by one of ordinary skill in the art using standard techniques and procedures, such as gas or high performance liquid chromatography with a chiral column. Choice of the appropriate chiral column, eluent and conditions necessary to effect separation of the enantiomeric pair is well within the knowledge of one of ordinary skill in the art. In addition, the enantiomers of compounds of formulas I or Ia can be resolved by one of ordinary skill in the art using standard techniques well known in the art, such as those described by J. Jacques, et al., xe2x80x9cEnantiomers, Racemates, and Resolutionsxe2x80x9d, John Wiley and Sons, Inc., 1981. Examples of resolutions include recrystallization techniques or chiral chromatography.
The compounds of Formula I and formula Ia, as a class are highly active, important and particularly useful in the treatment methods of the present invention, but certain classes of the compounds are preferred. The following paragraphs describe such preferred classes. It will be understood that the preferred classes are applicable both to the treatment methods and to the new compounds of the present invention.
The reader will understand that the preferred classes of compounds may be combined to form additional, broader or narrower classes of preferred compounds.
a) Arxe2x80x2 is phenyl or pyridyl;
b) Arxe2x80x2 is naphthyl;
c) Arxe2x80x2 is pyrazinyl, pyrimidinyl, pyrrolyl, furyl, thienyl, indolyl, purinyl, imidazolyl, pyrazolyl, indolizinyl, benzofuranyl, isoquinolyl, quinolyl, benzothienyl or isoindolizinyl;
d) Arxe2x80x2 is optionally substituted with (C1-C6)alkyl, (C1-C6)alkoxy, halo, (C2-C6)alkenyl or (C2-C6)alkynyl;
e) Arxe2x80x2 is optionally substituted with (C1-C4)alkyl, (C1-C4)alkoxy or halo;
f) R1 is hydrogen;
g) R1 is (C1-C6)alkyl or (C1-C6)alkoxy;
h) R1 is (C1-C2)alkyl or (C1-C2)alkoxy;
i) R2 is phenyl;
j) R2 is (C3-C8)cycloalkyl;
k) R2 is (C3-C6)cycloalkyl;
l) R2 is cyclohexyl;
m) R3 is (C1-C6)alkyl, (C1-C6)alkoxy or halo;
n) R3 is (C1-C4)alkyl, (C1-C4)alkoxy or halo;
o) X is xe2x80x94Cxe2x95x90O;
p) X is xe2x80x94CHOH; and
q) X is xe2x80x94CH2.
r) formula Ia
s) the enantiomer of formula Ia wherein the [xcex1]D20 in methanol is (+).
Since the compounds of this invention are basic in nature, they accordingly react with any of a number of inorganic and organic acids to form pharmaceutically acceptable acid addition salts. Included within the scope of the invention are the mono- and di-salts. Acids commonly employed to form such salts are inorganic acids such as hydrochloric acid, hydrobromic acid, hydroiodic acid, sulfuric acid, phosphoric acid, and the like, and organic acids, such as p-toluenesulfonic acid, methanesulfonic acid, oxalic acid, p-bromophenylsulfonic acid, carbonic acid, succinic acid, citric acid, benzoic acid, acetic acid and the like. Examples of such pharmaceutically acceptable salts thus are the sulfate, pyrosulfate, bisulfate, sulfite, bisulfite, phosphate, monohydrogenphosphate, dihydrogenphosphate, metaphosphate, pyrophosphate, chloride, bromide, iodide, acetate, propionate, decanoate, caprylate, acrylate, formate, isobutyrate, caproate, heptanoate, propiolate, oxalate, malonate, succinate, suberate, sebacate, fumarate, maleate, butyne-1,4-dioate, hexyne-1,6-dioate, benzoate, chlorobenzoate, methylbenzoate, dinitrobenzoate, hydroxybenzoate, methoxybenzoate, phthalate, sulfonate, xylenesulfonate, phenylacetate, phenylpropionate, phenylbutyrate, citrate, lactate, xcex2-hydroxybutyrate, glycollate, tartrate, methanesulfonate, propanesulfonate, naphthalene-1-sulfonate, naphthalene-2-sulfonate, mandelate and the like. Preferred pharmaceutically acceptable salts are the monohydrochloride, dihydrochloride, monohydrobromide, dihydrobromide, Formula I/succinate(1:1), formula Ia/succinate(1:1), Formula I/succinate 2:1, formula Ia/succinate 2:1, phosphate, d-tartrate, l-tartrate or maleate. It is understood by one of ordinary skill that hydrates of the free base or of the pharmaceutically acceptable salts are included within the scope of the present invention.
Many of the compounds of Formula I, including formula Ia, are optical isomers. For example, the compounds have an asymmetric center (or chiral center) at the carbon atom to which R1 and X are attached. However, when a compound of the present invention is named without an indication of asymmetric form, any and all of the possible asymmetric forms are intended. This invention is not limited to any particular isomer but includes all possible individual isomers and racemates.
The intermediates and final products may be isolated and purified by conventional techniques, such as, purification with chromatography using silica gel or recrystallization of crystalline isolates.
It will be readily appreciated by the skilled artisan that the starting materials which are not described are either commercially available or can be readily prepared by known techniques from commercially available starting materials. All other reactants used to prepare the compounds in the instant invention are commercially available.
The compounds of the invention are generally prepared according to the following schemes.
Starting material (1) is treated with a base, preferably potassium tert-butoxide, followed by alkylation with 2-bromomethyl-1,3-dioxolane. Other appropriate bases include sodium hydride, sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, potassium carbonate, cesium carbonate and the like.
The reaction is preferably conducted in a solvent such as dimethyl sulfoxide at a temperature of 15xc2x0 C. to reflux, with a temperature of 45-55xc2x0 C. being most preferred, and is substantially complete in 1 to 24 hours to prepare intermediate (2).
Treatment of (2) with an acid, such as hydrochloric acid or p-toluene-sulfonic acid in a suitable organic solvent, achieves aldehyde (3). Generally, the reaction is conducted in a protic solvent, such a mixture of aqueous acid and acetone, at temperatures of from about 5xc2x0 to 75xc2x0 C., preferably at ambient temperature.
Aldehyde (3) is coupled with the desired aryl piperidine (4) by reductive amination to prepare (5). The reaction is preferably conducted at ambient temperature in a non-reactive solvent such as dichloroethane or methylene chloride in the presence of sodium triacetoxyborohydride and is substantially complete in one to 24 hours. See for example A. F. Abdel-Magid, et al., J. Org. Chem., 61, 3849 (1996).
Reduction of (5) is readily accomplished using a reducing agent such as sodium borohydride or, preferably, diisobutylaluminum hydride to prepare the hydroxy compound (6). The reaction is preferably conducted in an organic solvent such as methylene chloride at temperatures of from about xe2x88x9220xc2x0 C. to 0xc2x0 C.
Further reduction of (6) to achieve product (7) may be achieved by treatment with a reducing agent such as triethylsilane or boron trifluoride (when R2 is phenyl or substituted phenyl) or by treatment with an acid, such as hydrochloric acid or trifluoroacetic acid, in an aprotic solvent such as tetrahydrofuran, at ambient temperature to form the double bond, followed by hydrogenation with, for example, hydrogen and palladium on carbon.
Starting material (1) is either commercially available or can be prepared by coupling (8) [See Nahm and Weinreb, Tetrahedron Lett., 22, 3815, (1981)] and (9) as described in Scheme II, below.
M is a metallic salt, such as lithium or magnesium halide. The reaction is preferably conducted under an inert atmosphere preferably nitrogen, in an aprotic solvent, such as tetrahydrofuran, at ambient temperatures.
More specifically, the compounds of formula Ia can be prepared following the procedure described in Scheme III. All substituents, unless otherwise indicated, are previously defined. The reagents and starting materials are readily available to one of ordinary skill in the art.
In Scheme III, step A, the ester of structure (10) is treated with benzylmagnesium chloride or benzylmagnesium bromide under standard conditions well known in the art to provide the ketone of structure (11). For example, about 1.05 to about 1.1 equivalents of a suitable amine, such as dimethylamine is dissolved in a suitable organic solvent, such as tetrahydrofuran (cooled to about xe2x88x925xc2x0 C.) under an inert atmosphere. The solution is warmed to room temperature and 1.0 equivalents of the ester (10) are added with stirring. Then approximately 1.0 to 1.05 equivalents of benzylmagnesium chloride is slowly added to the solution, maintaining the temperature at about 15-20xc2x0 C. with a cooling bath during the addition. After addition is complete, the reaction is stirred at room temperature for about 1 to 2 hours, then cooled to less than 0xc2x0 C. and then carefully quenched with a suitable acid, such as HCl. The quenched reaction is then extracted with a suitable organic solvent, such as tert-butyl methyl ether (hereinafter referred to as MTBE), the organic layers are-combined, dried over anhydrous magnesium sulfate, filtered and concentrated to provide ketone (11). Ketone (11) can be purified by techniques well known in the art, such as flash chromatography on silica gel with a suitable eluent, such as ethyl acetate/hexane to provide the purified material. Alternatively, the crude ketone (11) can be carried on to step B.
In Scheme III, step B, ketone (11) is alkylated with bromoacetaldehyde diethyl acetal, and then iodomethane, under conditions well known in the art to provide compound of structure (12). For example, ketone (11) is dissolved in a suitable organic solvent, such as methyl sulfoxide and treated with about 1.05 to about 1.1 equivalents of a suitable base, such as potassium tert-butoxide. The reaction is stirred for about 15 to 30 minutes and about 1.0 to about 1.05 equivalents of bromoacetaldehyde diethyl acetal is added dropwise to the reaction. One of ordinary skill in the art would readily appreciate that bromoacetaldehyde dimethyl acetal, bromoacetaldehyde ethylene acetal and the like may be used in place of the corresponding diethyl acetal. The reaction mixture is then heated to about 50xc2x0 C. for about 2 to 2.5 hours. The reaction mixture is then cooled with an ice/water bath and about 2.2 equivalents of a suitable base, such as potassium tert-butoxide is added. The reaction is allowed to stir for about 15 to 30 minutes with continued cooling and then about 1.5 to about 1.8 equivalents of iodomethane is added dropwise to the reaction mixture keeping the temperature of the mixture below 41xc2x0 C, preferably below 21xc2x0 C. After addition is complete, the reaction is warmed to room temperature and stirred for about 1 to 4 hours. The reaction mixture is then partitioned between water and a suitable organic solvent, such as MTBE. The layers are separated and the organic phase is washed with water, brine, dried over anhydrous magnesium sulfate, filtered and concentrated under vacuum to provide the compound (12).
In Scheme III, step C, compound (12) is hydrolyzed under acidic conditions to provide aldehyde (13) in a manner analogous to the procedure described in Scheme I. More specifically, for example, compound (12) is dissolved in a suitable organic solvent, such as acetone and treated with a suitable acid, such as hydrochloric acid. The reaction mixture is stirred for about 1 to 3 hours at room temperature. The reaction mixture is then extracted with a suitable organic solvent, such as ethyl acetate or methylene chloride, the organic extracts are combined, washed with brine, dried over anhydrous magnesium sulfate, filtered and concentrated under vacuum to provide aldehyde (13). Aldehyde (13) can be purified by techniques well known in the art, such as flash chromatography on silica gel with a suitable eluent, such as ethyl acetate/hexane. Alternatively, crude aldehyde (13) can be used directly in step D.
In Scheme III, step D, aldehyde (13) is reductively aminated, under conditions well known in the art, with piperazine (14) to provide the compound of formula Ia in a manner analogous to the procedure described in Scheme I. More specifically, for example, aldehyde (13) is dissolved in a suitable organic solvent, such as methylene chloride. To this solution is added about 1.1 equivalents of piperazine (14). Acetic acid may optionally be added to aid in dissolution of the piperazine (14). Then about 1.2 to 1.3 equivalents of sodium triacetoxyborohydride is added and the reaction is stirred at room temperature for about 3 to 5 hours. The reaction is then quenched by addition of a suitable base, such as aqueous sodium hydroxide to provide a pH of about 10 to about 12. The quenched reaction is then extracted with a suitable organic solvent, such as methylene chloride. The organic extracts are combined, washed with brine, dried over anhydrous magnesium sulfate, filtered and concentrated under vacuum to provide the compound of formula Ia. This material can then be purified by techniques well known in the art, such as flash chromatography on silica gel with a suitable eluent, such as ethyl acetate/hexane.
The free base of formula Ia can be converted to the corresponding pharmaceutically acceptable salts under standard conditions well known in the art. For example, the free base of formula Ia is dissolved in a suitable organic solvent, such as methanol, treated with one equivalent of maleic or oxalic acid for example, or two equivalents of hydrochloric acid for example, and then concentrated under vacuum to provide the corresponding pharmaceutically acceptable salt. The residue can then be purified by recrystallization from a suitable organic solvent or organic solvent mixture, such as methanol/diethyl ether.
In Scheme III, step E, the (+) enantiomer of formula Ia can be separated from the (xe2x88x92) enantiomer using techniques and procedures well known in the art, such as that described by J. Jacques, et al., xe2x80x9cEnantiomers, Racemates, and Resolutionsxe2x80x9d, John Wiley and Sons, Inc., 1981. For example, chiral chromatography with a suitable organic solvent, such as ethanol/acetonitrile and Chiralpak AD packing, 20 micron can also be utilized to effect separation of the enantiomers.
In Scheme III, step F, the (+) enantiomer of formula Ia is converted to its pharmaceutically acceptable salt, such as the monohydrochloride, dihydrochloride, monohydrobromide, dihydrobromide, formula Ia/succinate(1:1), formula Ia/succinate 2:1, phosphate, d-tartrate, l-tartrate or maleate salt, in a manner analogous to the procedure described at the end of step D above.
Alternatively, compounds of structure (5) can be prepared following the procedure described in Scheme IV. All substituents, unless otherwise indicated, are previously defined. The reagents and starting materials are readily available to one of ordinary skill in the art.
In Scheme IV, step A, aldehyde (15) is combined with a suitable organometallic reagent (16) under conditions well known in the art to provide alcohol (17). Examples of suitable organometallic reagents include Grignard Reagents, alkyl lithium reagents, alkyl zinc reagents, and the like. Grignard Reagents are preferred. For examples of typical Grignard Reagents and reaction conditions, see J. March, xe2x80x9cAdvanced Organic Chemistry: Reactions, Mechanisms, and Structurexe2x80x9d, 2nd Edition, McGraw-Hill, pages 836-841 (1977). More specifically, aldehyde (15) is dissolved in a suitable organic solvent, such as tetrahydrofuran or toluene, cooled to about xe2x88x925xc2x0 C. and treated with about 1.1 to 1.2 equivalents of a Grignard reagent of formula (16) wherein M is MgCl or MgBr. The reaction is allowed to stir for about 0.5 to 2 hours, then quenched, and alcohol (17) is isolated. For example, the reaction mixture is poured onto ice-cold 1N HCl, the quenched mixture is extracted with a suitable organic solvent, such as toluene, the organic extracts are dried either azeotropically or over a suitable drying agent, such as anhydrous magnesium sulfate, filtered and concentrated under vacuum to provide alcohol (17).
In Scheme IV, step B, alcohol (17) is oxidized under standard conditions well know in the art, such as those described by J. March, xe2x80x9cAdvanced Organic Chemistry: Reactions, Mechanisms, and Structurexe2x80x9d, 2nd Edition, McGraw-Hill, pages 1082-1084 (1977), to provide ketone (1). [Ketone (1) is the starting material used in Scheme I above.]
For example, alcohol (17) is dissolved in a suitable organic solvent, such as methylene chloride, the solution cooled with a wet ice-acetone bath, and treated with 2.5 to 3.0 equivalents of dimethyl sulfoxide. After stirring for about 30 minutes, the reaction is then treated with about 1.8 equivalents of P2O5. The reaction is allowed to stir for about 3 hours and then, preferably, treated over about 30 minutes with about 3.5 equivalents of a suitable amine, such as triethylamine. The cooling bath is then removed and the reaction is allowed to stir for about 8 to 16 hours. The ketone (1) is then isolated by standard extraction techniques well known in the art. The above oxidation is also performed using standard Swern Oxidation conditions which are well known to one of ordinary skill in the art.
In Scheme IV, step C, ketone (1) is treated with a suitable base followed by addition of the alkene (18), wherein X is a suitable leaving group, to provide compound (19). For example, ketone (1) is combined with an excess of alkene (18) in a suitable organic solvent, such as tetrahydrofuran, and cooled with a wet ice acetone bath. Examples of suitable leaving groups are Cl, Br, I, tosylate, mesylate, and the like. Preferred leaving groups are Cl and Br. About 1.1 equivalents of a suitable base is added and the reaction is allowed to stir for about 2 hours at room temperature. Examples of suitable bases are potassium tert-butoxide, sodium hydride, NaN(Si(CH3)3)2, LDA, KN(Si(CH3)3)2, NaNH2, sodium ethoxide, sodium methoxide and the like. Potassium tert-butoxide is the preferred suitable base. The reaction is then quenched with aqueous acid and compound (19) is isolated by extraction with a suitable organic solvent, such as heptane. The heptane extracts are washed with sodium bicarbonate, dried over anhydrous magnesium sulfate, filtered and concentrated under vacuum to provide compound (19).
In Scheme IV, step D, compound (19) is treated with a suitable oxidizing agent to provide aldehyde (3). [Aldehyde (3) is also prepared in Scheme I.] Examples of suitable oxidizing agents are ozone, NaIO4/Osmium catalyst, and the like. Ozone is the preferred oxidizing agent. Examples of suitable oxidizing reagents and conditions are described by J. March, xe2x80x9cAdvanced Organic Chemistry: Reactions, Mechanisms, and Structurexe2x80x9d, 2nd Edition, McGraw-Hill, pages 1090-1096 (1977).
For example, compound (19) is dissolved in a suitable organic solvent, such as methanol, a small amount of Sudan III is added, and the solution is cooled to about xe2x88x9220xc2x0 C. Ozone is bubbled into the solution for about 4 hours until the pink color turns to a pale yellow color. Then Me2S is added to the reaction mixture and the cooling bath is removed. Concentration of the reaction mixture under vacuum provides the intermediate dimethyl acetal of aldehyde (3). This dimethyl acetal is readily hydrolyzed under standard acidic conditions to provide aldehyde (3). Alternatively, direct acidic work-up of the crude reaction mixture provides aldehyde (3). Alternatively, aldehyde (3) can be obtained directly by ozonolysis of (19) in a non-acetal forming solvent, such as methylene chloride.
In Scheme IV, step E, aldehyde (3) is reductively aminated under conditions analogous to those described above in Scheme III, step D, to provide compound (5). [Compound 5 is also prepared in Scheme I.]
Scheme V provides an alternative synthesis for the preparation of compound (5). All substituents, unless otherwise indicated, are previously defined. The reagents and starting materials are readily available to one of ordinary skill in the art.
In Scheme V, step A, aldehyde (3) is condensed with piperidine (4) under standard conditions well known in the art to provide the enamine (20). For example, about 1.05 equivalents of aldehyde (3) dissolved in a suitable organic solvent, such as isopropyl acetate or isopropanol, is added to neat piperazine (4), free base. Additional organic solvent is added to produce a slurry and the reaction is stirred for about 1 to 2 hours. The enamine (20) is then isolated by standard techniques, such as collection by filtration.
In Scheme V, step B, the enamine (20) is hydrogenated under conditions well known by one of ordinary skill in the art to provide compound (5). For example, enamine (20) is combined with a suitable organic solvent, such as isopropyl alcohol and a catalytic amount of 5% palladium on carbon in a Parr bottle. The mixture is placed under 50 psi of hydrogen and shaken for about 2 days at room temperature. The slurry is then filtered to remove catalyst and the filtrate is concentrated to provide compound (5).
The following examples represent typical syntheses of the compounds of Formula I and formula Ia as described generally above. These examples are illustrative only and are not intended to limit the invention in any way. The reagents and starting materials are readily available to one of ordinary skill in the art. As used herein, the following terms have the meanings indicated: xe2x80x9caqxe2x80x9d refers to aqueous; xe2x80x9ceqxe2x80x9d refers to equivalents; xe2x80x9cgxe2x80x9d refers to grams; xe2x80x9cmgxe2x80x9d refers to milligrams; xe2x80x9cLxe2x80x9d refers to liters; xe2x80x9cmLxe2x80x9d refers to milliliters; xe2x80x9cxcexcLxe2x80x9d refers to microliters; xe2x80x9cmolxe2x80x9d refers to moles; xe2x80x9cmmolxe2x80x9d refers to millimoles; xe2x80x9cpsixe2x80x9d refers to pounds per square inch; xe2x80x9cminxe2x80x9d refers to minutes; xe2x80x9chxe2x80x9d refers to hours; xe2x80x9cxc2x0 C.xe2x80x9d refers to degrees Celsius; xe2x80x9cTLCxe2x80x9d refers to thin layer chromatography; xe2x80x9cHPLCxe2x80x9d refers to high performance liquid chromatography; xe2x80x9cRfxe2x80x9d refers to retention factor; xe2x80x9cRtxe2x80x9d refers to retention time; xe2x80x9cxcex4xe2x80x9d refers to part per million down-field from tetramethylsilane; xe2x80x9cTHFxe2x80x9d refers to tetrahydrofuran; xe2x80x9cDMFxe2x80x9d refers to N,N-dimethylformamide; xe2x80x9cIPAxe2x80x9d refers to isopropyl alcohol; xe2x80x9ciPrOAcxe2x80x9d refers to isopropyl acetate; xe2x80x9cAcOHxe2x80x9d refers to acetic acid; xe2x80x9cHRMSxe2x80x9d refers to high resolution mass spectrometry; xe2x80x9cEt3Nxe2x80x9d refers to triethylamine; xe2x80x9cLDAxe2x80x9d refers to lithium diisopropyl amide; xe2x80x9cRTxe2x80x9d refers to room temperature; xe2x80x9cSRIxe2x80x9d refers to serotonin reuptake inhibitor; xe2x80x9caqxe2x80x9d refers to aqueous; and xe2x80x9cMTBExe2x80x9d refers to tert-butyl methyl ether. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Stringent requirements are imposed on portland cement clinker. It should exhibit a complex of certain physical and mechanical properties. Improvement of quality of portland cement clinker mainly depends on the improvement of manufacturing process of its production, intensification of production processes, development of radically new, more efficient and economical methods for the production of portland cement clinker.
In the production of portland cement clinker, the composition of raw materials, methods of preparing raw materials, processes of decarbonization and roasting of raw mixes are of a predominant importance.
Known in the art are various processes for the preparation of portland cement clinker which differ by the composition of raw mix, method of batching and homogeneization, binder material used for pelletizing, gasodynamic and temperature conditions, various production steps used in carrying out the process, and a number of other features.
Known in the art is a process for the preparation of portland cement clinker, wherein the process of manufacture is intensified by modifying the steps of the process grinding and homogeneization of raw mix are performed in the decarbonization zone of a rotary kiln.
In another process for the preparation of portland cement-clinker, in order to intensify the clinker formation process and accelerate the decarbonization processes, additional steps are used: thus fuel is additionally burnt in the layer of material in the decarbonization zone, and the decarbonized mix is abruptly heated to 1400.degree.-1500.degree. C.
However, these processes are associated with a low degree of decarbonization and high-temperature roasting conditions.
Known in the art is also a process for the preparation of portland cement clinker by grinding limey, clayey and iron-containing components to obtain a mix which is homogeneized and pelletized to produce pellets of 8 to 12 mm size with a moisture content from 12 to 15%. The material is then decarbonized on a calcination grate at 800.degree. to 1000.degree. C. The material is subsequently fed to a roasting kiln. The roasting is effected at 1450.degree. to 1500.degree. C.
This process is characterized by high thermal efficiency, however, in conducting the process, the resultant clinker exhibits inadequate strength because the process cannot ensure the production of high-strength pellets, and rather low degree of decarbonization is achieved. Besides, the process features high roasting temperature and specific fuel consumption. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Modern wood-type golf club heads are now almost exclusively made of metal rather than the persimmon wood that gave the clubs their name. These club heads are generally constructed as a hollow metal shell with a relatively thick face to withstand the ball impact, and the club heads typically include a relatively thick sole to withstand grazing impact with the ground and to lower the center of gravity of the club head. Sole weights are typically used in the soles of wood-type club heads to adjust the position of the center of gravity. The positioning of the club head's center of gravity can alter the gear effect produced upon striking a golf ball.
For simplicity and clarity of illustration, the drawing figures illustrate the general manner of construction, and descriptions and details of well-known features and techniques may be omitted to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the present disclosure. Additionally, elements in the drawing figures are not necessarily drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help improve understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. The same reference numerals in different figures denote the same elements.
The terms “first,” “second,” “third,” “fourth,” and the like in the description and in the claims, if any, are used for distinguishing between similar elements and not necessarily for describing a particular sequential or chronological order. It is to be understood that the terms so used are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances such that the embodiments described herein are, for example, capable of operation in sequences other than those illustrated or otherwise described herein. Furthermore, the terms “include,” and “have,” and any variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, system, article, device, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements is not necessarily limited to those elements, but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, system, article, device, or apparatus.
The terms “left,” “right,” “front,” “back,” “top,” “bottom,” “over,” “under,” and the like in the description and in the claims, if any, are used for descriptive purposes and not necessarily for describing permanent relative positions. It is to be understood that the terms so used are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances such that the embodiments of the apparatus, methods, and/or articles of manufacture described herein are, for example, capable of operation in other orientations than those illustrated or otherwise described herein.
The terms “couple,” “coupled,” “couples,” “coupling,” and the like should be broadly understood and refer to connecting two or more elements mechanically and/or otherwise. Two or more mechanical elements may be mechanically coupled together, but not be electrically or otherwise coupled together. Coupling may be for any length of time, e.g., permanent or semi-permanent or only for an instant. “Mechanical coupling” and the like should be broadly understood and include mechanical coupling of all types.
The absence of the word “removably,” “removable,” and the like near the word “coupled,” and the like does not mean that the coupling, etc. in question is or is not removable.
As defined herein, two or more elements are “integral” if they are comprised of the same piece of material. As defined herein, two or more elements are “non-integral” if each is comprised of a different piece of material.
As defined herein, “approximately” can, in some embodiments, mean within plus or minus ten percent of the stated value. In other embodiments, “approximately” can mean within plus or minus five percent of the stated value. In further embodiments, “approximately” can mean within plus or minus three percent of the stated value. In yet other embodiments, “approximately” can mean within plus or minus one percent of the stated value. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to record feeding apparatus and methods.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Prior art U.S. patents to Martin, U.S. Pat. No. 2,300,625 and Masterson et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,350,091 relate to apparatus for feeding sheets longitudinally while being guided at a side edge by an edge or side guide. Apparatus of this type generally involve a considerable number of parts, gears or pulleys and a special arrangement of bearings.
Various motor control circuits for controlling the feeding of a record web through record printing machines are known. Such systems generally use a continuously running motor coupled to a web advancing mechanism by means of a clutch mechanism which serves periodically to transmit power from the motor to the advancing mechanism for advancing the web. Other systems may use periodically energized motors or stepping motors for advancing the web.
Whereas these techniques serve to advance a web through a printing mechanism or the like, systems employing a clutch or periodically energized motors tend to be inaccurate in the positioning of the web in the printing mechanism. Stepping motor systems require a compromise to be made between step size and the accuracy of positioning because if the steps are made small enough to accurately position the web, the rate of advance is relatively slow unless excessively high stepping rates are used. If large enough steps to provide an acceptable advancing rate are used, inaccuracies in web positioning result. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The invention relates to methods for the identification of contractile modulators of the cardiac sarcomere and use of such methods for the identification of therapeutic agents.
Congestive heart failure is a growing epidemic in our aging population. Its prevalence has been growing as the population ages and as cardiologists are more successful at reducing mortality from ischemic heart disease, the most common cause of congestive heart failure. Roughly 4.6 million people in the United States have heart failure with an incidence approaching 10 per 1000 after age 65 years. Hospital discharges for congestive heart failure rose from 377,000 in 1979 to 957,000 in 1977 making congestive heart failure the most common discharge diagnosis in people age 65 and over. The five year mortality from congestive heart failure approaches 50%. Hospitalization for heart failure is usually the result of inadequate outpatient therapy. Hence, while heart failure therapy has greatly improved over the last several years, new and better therapies are still required to improve these still dismal statistics.
Inotropes are drugs that increase the contractible ability of the heart. As a group, all current inotropes have failed to meet the gold standard for heart failure therapy, that is, to prolong patient survival (FDA Cardiorenal Panel: Minutes Jan. 27, 1998 after session, www.fda.gov). Despite this fact, intravenous inotropes continue to be widely used in acute heart failure to allow for reinstitution of oral medications or to bridge, patients to heart transplantation, whereas in chronic heart failure, oral digoxin in used as an effective inotrope to relieve patient symptoms, improve the quality of life, and reduce hospital admissions for heart failure.
Currently, there is a paucity of agents that can safely improve cardiac function; most agents have detrimental side effects if given for more than a few days. As for chronic inotropic use, only digoxin has proven safe to administer even though it has a narrow therapeutic range. The most recently approved short-term intravenous agent, milrinone, is now over ten years old. The only available oral drug, digoxin, is over 200 hunderd years old. There is a great need for agents that exploit new mechanisms of action and may have better outcomes in terms of relief of symptoms, safety, and patient mortality, both short-term and long-term. The present invention provides methods for identifying such agents.
The present invention provides methods to identify candidate agents that bind to a protein or act as a modulator of the binding charateristics or biological activity of a protein. In one embodiment, the method is performed in plurality simultaneously. For example, the method can be performed at the same time on multiple assay mixtures in a multi-well screening plate. Furthermore, in a preferred embodiment, fluorescence or absorbance readouts are utilized to determine activity. Thus, in one aspect, the invention provides a high throughput screening system.
In one embodiment, the present inventin provides a method of identifying a candidate agent as a modular of the activity of a target protein complex. Preferably, the target protein complex either directly or indirectly produces ADP or phosphate. More preferably, the target protein complex comprises a preparation comprising one or more of the following proteins: myosin, actin, and cardiac regulatory proteins. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the target protein complex is a reconstituted sarcomere consisting of actin, myosin, and the cardiac regulatory proteins.
The method further comprises adding a candidate agent to a mixture comprising the target protein complex under conditions that normally allow the production of ADP or phosphate. The method further comprises subjecting the mixture to an enzymatic reaction that uses said ADP or phosphate as a substrate under conditions that normally allow the ADP or phosphate to be utilized and determining the level of activity of the enzymatic reaction as a measure of the concentration of ADP or phosphate. The phrase xe2x80x9cuse ADP or phosphatexe2x80x9d means that the ADP or phosphate are directly acted upon. In one case, the ADP, for example, can be hydrolyzed or can be phosphorylated. As another example, the phosphate can be added to another compound. As used herein, in each of these cases, ADP or phosphate is acting as a substrate. A change in the level between the presence and absence of the candidate agent indicates a modular of the target protein complex. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mobile communication system making use of CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) as an access method and, more particularly, to a control method implemented on the side of a mobile station when it is registered with a wireless base station in a coverage area where the mobile station exists. Also, the invention relates to the mobile station utilizing this control method. The invention is especially adapted for power savings in the mobile station.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a CDMA system, a signal is modulated by multiplying a pseudo noise codes (PN codes) which are spreading codes so as to form a spread spectrum communication signal and is transmitted from a base station to a mobile station. When a CDMA mobile station receives the signal from the base station, the mobile station demodulates the original signal by multiplying the PN codes to the received signal. This demodulation is called despreading. For this purpose, synchronization is necessary to bring the phase of PN codes into agreement with the phase of PN codes of the base station.
The process of synchronization consists of two steps: acquisition of a pilot signal and holding of the synchronization. The acquisition is generally based on calculation of correlation. A replica PN code is multiplied by a received signal while shifting the replica PN code in spreading chip increments. A decision is made as to whether a value obtained by the integration is in excess of a threshold value. If the replica PN code is not synchronized to the PN code of the base station, no peak is produced on the value obtained by the integration. Therefore, the search is continued while varying the phase of the replica PN code. In a typical CDMA system, the code length of each pilot PN code is 215, i.e., 32768. Since the search is conducted within this phase space, it is required to acquire pilot signals quickly. On the other hand, the holding of the synchronization expresses a process where synchronization within chips in terms of phases is maintained after spreading chip synchronization is acquired.
Plural base stations or sectors within a mobile communication system are so selected and positioned that they are different from each other in spreading code phase. In the typical example described above, the base stations or sectors are spaced from each other such that they achieve integral multiples of 64 PN chips. After the synchronization processing, the mobile station adjusts the phases of the despread codes and examines the strengths of other pilot signals. In this way, a handoff to a better pilot signal can be performed. A handoff performed in idle state is known as idle handoff.
The mobile station that has finished the synchronization processing performs registration. This registration is carried out by exchanging message with a base station. This permits the network to call the mobile station. Since the registration involves transmission, if registration is frequently done, then traffic on the network increases. Also, the battery power in the mobile station is consumed. Accordingly, the registration needs to be carried out minimally.
When the power supply of a mobile station is turned on, it is synchronized to a pilot signal as described above. Then, the mobile station receives access messages and makes a decision as to whether the mobile station needs to be registered newly with the coverage area where the station is currently present. If the current coverage area agrees with any one of registered areas that may or may not be in the form of a list, a message that requests registration is not sent out.
When the mobile station goes out of the coverage area described above, the station is handed over to the base station of the coverage area that the mobile station enters next.
Techniques associated with the aforementioned techniques are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,267,261, 5,109,390, 5,179,571, and 5,101,501 and Japanese Patent Laid-Open Nos. 30023/1993 and 107584/1996. | {
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1. Technical Field of the Invention
This invention relates to mechanical fastening devices and, more particularly, to a clasp for holding fabric or other sheet-like material in a given position.
2. Description of Related Art
Existing clasps for holding fabric are limited in their utility. Clasps for holding clothing in a given position, for example, must either extend completely around the portion of clothing to be held, or must punch a hole in the clothing fabric. For example, if it is desired to hold the sleeve of a tee shirt in a raised position near the shoulder, an existing clasp would have to extend through the neck hole of the tee shirt and around the raised sleeve, or alternatively, a hole would have to be punched in the sleeve at the position where it is desired to hold the sleeve. In addition, some existing clasps must be attached to another object in order to secure the fabric in place. For example, suspenders are used to hold pants in a specific position. However, suspenders usually run across a person's shoulders and attached to the backside and front side of the pants. It would be desirable to have a simple device which holds fabric in place without having to secure the fabric to another object or creating a hole in the fabric.
Although there are no known prior art teachings of a solution to the aforementioned deficiency and shortcoming such as that disclosed herein, prior art references that discuss subject matter that bears some relation to matters discussed herein are U.S. Pat. No. 557,456 to Utter (Utter), U.S. Pat. No. 2,050,189 to Le Page (Le Page), U.S. Pat. No. 4,660,240 to Hutton et al. (Hutton), and U.S. Pat. No. 5,117,537 to Hunter et al. (Hunter).
Utter discloses a clamp for securely fastening bedclothes in place upon a bed. The clamp includes a plate having a projecting rim on one end and a slot on another end. The clamp also includes a loop wide enough to fit snugly around the body of a knob located beneath the projecting rim. The loop diverges enough to permit the loop to pass freely over the top of the knob with several thicknesses of bed clothing upon it. The plate is attached to a strap which is connected to the bed. Although Utter is utilized to hold a bed sheet in a specific position, Utter does not teach or suggest utilizing the clamp to retain the bed sheet in place without securing the clamp to another fixed object. Utter requires that the strap be attached to the bed to hold the bed sheet in place.
Le Page discloses a fastening device for use as a garment supporter. The fastening device includes two members, a male member and a female member. The male member has a long shank with an upper end attached to a supported strap. The male member also includes a head which passes through an interlocking opening in the female member. The opening is of such size to permit the head of the male member to pass through along with a portion of a fabric garment. Le Page, in a similar fashion to Utter, utilizes a device which retains the fabric in place by attaching the fabric to the strap attached to another object. Le Page does not teach or suggest utilizing a fastening device which is secured to another object.
Hutton discloses a bed sheet attachment device for use in combination with a waterbed having a fluid-filled mattress. The device includes a two-part fastener for gripping the sheets of a waterbed. The fastener is connected by an elastic strap to the interior of a bed frame surrounding the mattress. The fastener includes a plate defining a slot having a larger portion for receiving a stud having a neck on one end tapering to a narrow portion on the other end. The plate is placed beneath the sheet and the stud is pushed down through the enlarged portion of the slot from above the sheet, with the sheet being forced into the slot. The stud is then slid into the narrow portion of the slot to grip the sheet. However, Hutton does not teach or suggest an attachment device which secures the fabric in place without securing the attachment device to the bed.
Hunter discloses a clip device removably secured to a portion of a sheet of flexible material. The clip device includes a sheet-engaging portion having an integral tongue which projects forwardly from the device's rear portion and which can be deflected from the general plane of the device. The sheet-engaging portion also includes a peripheral frame member which extends forwardly from the rear portion of the device, and a front end with an inner edge that lies adjacent the front end of the undeflected tongue. The device has an open position in which the tongue is downwardly deflected away from a first side of the frame to provide a gap for insertion of the portion of the sheet of flexible material. The device also has a locked configuration in which the tongue is manipulated through the frame member to the other side of the frame member so that the front edge of the tongue lies in close proximate to the frame front end. The clip then frictionally secures the sheet material between the front edge of the tongue and the frame. Hunter does not teach or suggest a clip device which holds fabric in place without any attachment to another object. Hunter merely discloses utilizing a fastener as a device for securing fabric to another object.
Review of each of the foregoing references reveals no disclosure or suggestion of an apparatus as that described and claimed herein. Thus, it would be a distinct advantage to have an apparatus which holds fabric in a desired position without making a hole in the fabric and without the clasp having to extend around the entire piece of fabric. In addition, a clasp is needed which does not require attachment to another object to secure the fabric in place. It is an object of the present invention to provide such an apparatus. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to new and improved light transmitting decorative panels designed for use in windows, doors, skylights, transoms, cabinets, furniture, light fixtures, canopies and the like and having a decorative outer surface formed with a thin, hard, tough layer of abrasion resistant material to closely resemble a decorative glass surface. Panels constructed in accordance with the present invention are designed to simulate and/or replace glass panels and are substantially lower in cost, have a high resistance to breakage, are lighter in weight, while all the time closely resembling or simulating the decorative appearance of much more expensive cut glass or stained glass panels of the type heretofore used in doors, windows, canopies transoms, skylights, cabinets etc., and the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the past, highly skilled artisans have created beautiful decorative panels of stained and leaded glass for use in doors, windows, transoms, furniture cabinets, and the like. However, these types of panels were subject to a number of difficulties and now are prohibitively expensive for ordinary usage, for one reason because of a lack of skilled craftsmen in the field. In addition, cut glass and stained glass panels are extremely labor intensive, easily broken, heavy in weight and relatively weak in strength resulting in structural problems when used in moving applications such as swinging or sliding doors. Prior art leaded glass panels are structurally weak in the areas along the lead strips and are also thermally inefficient in these areas. Moreover, prior art leaded glass panels do not provide adequate safety and security and as a result, wider usage of these type of panels is curtailed even though the decorative aspects thereof are desired.
Attempts have been made to duplicate the appearance of expensive leaded glass panels by utilizing plastic materials instead of glass, however, many problems still remain in that such panels tend to cloud up, craze or become somewhat opaque over time and the outer surface is easily scratched and/or nicked in the ordinary course of usage and this greatly detracts from the esthetic appearance thereof. In addition, many prior panels were not strong and even though relatively light in weight, these panels were often easily broken in normal mechanical usage as in doors, windows, etc., and the like. Moreover, such prior art panels have been subject to rapid deterioration caused by weather and ultra-violet radiation and in applications such as aircraft canopies, external light fixtures, and the like, crazing, cracking and/or clouding of the material often occurs before an economically suitable useful lifetime has occurred. Attempts at providing a hard surface coating on molded plastic panels have been troubled because of adhesion problems and micro-cracking and/or separtion of the coating layer from the underlying substrate. | {
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There are a number of methods currently in use to detect the alignment of vehicle headlamps. Traditionally, a vehicle was positioned on a level surface a certain distance (e.g. 25 feet) from a flat, white wall. The pattern of the beams was observed by a human observer, who would then determine the top edge of each beam. The location of the top edge of the beam is typically specified in terms of the height above the ground and is measured along a certain vertical line specified in terms of an angle left or right of the center of the lamp.
FIG. 1 illustrates a vehicle headlamp alignment setup. Vehicle 10 is positioned a specified distance from wall 11. Headlamps 18 and 19 are activated and beams 16 and 17 illuminate wall 11. The top edge of each beam is generally measured at a prescribed position along wall 11. FIG. 1 illustrates four measurement points 12, 13, 14 and 15. Any given vehicle utilizes only two such positions, but which two depends on the particular headlamp. In certain cases the vertical locations are defined to be 2.0 degrees to the left (known as VOL) or 2.0 degrees to the right (known as VOR) of the centerline of the headlamp. In FIG. 1, locations 12 and 14 are the VOL positions and locations 13 and 15 and the VOR positions. Whether or not a headlamp is a VOL type or a VOR type depends on the headlamp manufacturer and how the headlamp has been designed to be audited. Both types of headlamps are in common use today.
Other than traditional manual observation of headlamp illumination, there are other systems in use today that rely on video cameras to observe the illumination pattern. Some of these systems attempt to locate the brightest point, or “hot-spot,” of the beam and then determine the top edge of the beam based on a horizontal and vertical offset from the hot-spot. Unfortunately the top edge of the beam is not always positioned the same with respect to the hot-spot as beam illumination patterns vary. Additionally, any time both headlamps simultaneously illuminate a flat surface, the light from one headlamp mixes with the light from the other headlamp, complicating the measurement.
Another system is use today is illustrated in FIG. 2, which is a system built and sold by Adroit Engineering, Inc. Two sensor units 20 and 22 are mounted on a wall and controlled by control unit 25. The system of FIG. 2 detects beam illumination and reports the top of each beam on the front panel using LED readouts and a LED vertical bar display. Sensor units 20 and 22 are not intelligent, independent sensor units; they are directly controlled by control unit 25 via point to point cables. The system is limited to two sensor units and is not networked to any other system, which requires that the audit data be manually recorded. | {
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Current small arms use mounting rail systems for attaching accessories to the small arm. For example, M4 and M16 carbines are often fitted with handguards that incorporate up to four Picatinny rails. Picatinny rails are well known mounting rails that meet the specifications contained in MIL-STD-1913 and MIL-STD-1913 Notice 1. Another mounting rail called the Weaver rail is a notoriously well known variation of the Picatinny rail. Battaglia discloses a mounting rail system in U.S. Pat. No. 6,792,711 while Olson discloses another in U.S. Pat. No. 5,826,363.
FIG. 1, labeled as “prior art”, illustrates a handguard 101 with four mounting rails 102 of which three are visible. A number of accessories have been developed to attach to small arms by way of mounting rails 102. The mounting rails have recoil grooves 103 that help lock accessories in place and help users attach accessories in repeatable positions.
FIG. 2, labeled as “prior art”, illustrates an M16 rifle 201 with mounting rails 102. The specific rifle is a flat top model having a mounting rail 102 on the upper receiver 202 as well as the four on the handguard. Some other models have upper receivers with carrying handles and integral rear sights. The illustrated firearm has a total of five mounting rails. It is unlikely to find a firearm provisioned with enough accessories to populate every inch of all five mounting rails 102. Furthermore, the handguard 101 is intended to be held by a person's hand. The mounting rails 102 on the handguard 101 can be extremely uncomfortable to hold with a bare hand and can even cause cuts. The recoil grooves 103 also provide an excellent place for mud and other things to collect.
FIG. 3, labeled as “prior art”, illustrates a Picatinny type mounting rail 102 viewed from the side. As discussed above the mounting rail has recoil grooves 103 that can help lock rail mounted accessories in place.
Rail covers, such as those disclosed by Hines (U.S. Pat. No. 6,725,594) can be attached to the mounting rails so that the mounting rails are comfortable to grab and so that the recoil grooves do not collect filth. Knight's Armament of Vero Beach, Fla. manufactures rail covers that attach to specially designed mounting rails. The specially designed mounting rails have rail cover lock points as well as the recoil grooves of Picatinny style mounting rails.
Toy replica firearms such as Airsoft toys are pellet firing small arms replicas. Hobbyists enjoy engaging in mock non-lethal battles using toy replica firearms because they are realistic looking and fire non lethal, although often painful, pellets. The realistic toys are also used in small arms training because the toys can have the same weight, size, and accessories as firearms used in combat or police work. The toy replica firearms are often realistic enough that many accessories and rail covers can be attached to small arms and to toy replica firearms. Those practiced in combat training and police training are familiar with toy replica firearms.
Rail covers can be designed to fit, or cut to fit, specific mounting rails. Cut to fit rail covers are prone to slipping around on the mounting rail and occasionally slipping off. Designed to fit rail covers are not suitable for all situations. As such, systems and methods are needed to address shortcomings in the prior art. | {
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This application claims the priority of German Patent Document 100 23 193.4, filed in Germany, May 11, 2000, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.
The invention relates to a vehicle body for a forward vehicle structure of a motor vehicle having laterally extending vehicle side members as well as a support structure fastened thereto which can be connected with an A-column of the vehicle body, a fender being fastened on an arm of the support structure.
From German Patent Document DE 42 09 879 A1, a forward body structure of a vehicle is known which is constructed as a frame and comprises supports which are connected with the A-column of the vehicle and extend toward the front in the driving direction. A transversely extending front frame is connected with the frame on the front side, a fender being fastenable on a support of the frame.
It is an object of the invention to provide a forward vehicle body of a motor vehicle which has a support structure which, on the one hand, ensures a simple fastening of the fender as well as an accommodation of different front flaps and, on the other hand, ensures a stable forward vehicle structure.
According to certain preferred embodiments of the invention, this object is achieved by providing a vehicle body for a forward vehicle structure of a motor vehicle, having laterally extending vehicle side members as well as a support structure fastened thereto which can be connected with an A-column of the vehicle body, a fender being fastened on the support structure, wherein the support structure has one T-shaped profile support respectively for each vehicle side which is connected on a forward end with a respective vehicle side member, each T-shaped profile support member including an upward-extending foot web connected to a forward end of a fender panel, and a transversely outward-directed center web connected with a forward end of a fender support.
Important advantages achieved by the invention are that the two fender panels of the forward vehicle structure can be connected with the support structure in a simple manner, for example, by fastening screws. It is therefore easily possible to use differently constructed fender panels in the forward vehicle structure in order to design the front flap with its connecting edges according to the vehicle type to be produced. This means that the joint between the front flap and the fender can be arranged arbitrarily. For this purpose, the support structure has one T-shaped profile support respectively which is connected with the side member and which, with an upward-pointing foot web, is fastened on the end side on the fender panel, an outward-directed transversely situated center web being connected with a fender support on the end side.
In certain preferred embodiments, the fender panels of both sides are V-shaped viewed in the driving direction and are arranged at an acute angle with respect to the support profile, the fender being arranged at a distance from the interior side member.
In certain preferred embodiments, the profile support held on the side member is arranged on the front side of the fender panel and is connected with the latter, the foot web of the profile support standing with a lower end on the side member and extending approximately vertically with respect to a connection element of the fender panel which ends on the A-column. The center web of the profile support is provided to be extending approximately horizontally and transversely directed to the exterior side of the vehicle and, with its free end, is connected with the fender support. As a result of this construction of the support structure, a stable forward vehicle structure is created which, in addition to permitting an accessible and simple fastening of the fender, also allows a fastening of the front end part. The support structure is supported directly on the A-column of the vehicle, so that, in the event of a front crash, in the interaction with the side member, an energy-absorbing forward vehicle structure is also provided.
The fender panel preferably comprises a profiled top and bottom part, which are connected with one another, the top part receiving a profiled shaped-out fender section and being connected therewith, and the engine hood being held resting on the top part. For connecting the fender panel with the profile support and with the fender support, connection elements are provided which are made of U-shaped and/or angular sheet metal elements. For this fastening, the connection elements can have different constructions, so that the corresponding fastening points between the fender panel and the profile support and the fender support can be designed to correspond to one another. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates to projection display devices and optical systems thereof, and in particular, relates to a projection display device and an optical system thereof both of which can provide high-contrast images for a projection type projector.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventionally, a 3-panel type projector using three pieces (red, green, blue) of modulation devices is general in the projection display device (projector). Depending on the kind of devices, the 3-panel type projectors comprise LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) projector, DLP (Digital Light Processing) projector, LCOS (Liquid Crystal on Silicon) projector and so on.
FIG. 1 is a structural view of a conventional optical system. In FIG. 1, white light is emitted from a specified lamp (e.g. xenon lamp, ultra-high pressure mercury lamp, laser diode, light emission diode, etc.) in a lamp house 11. Then, the white light is changed to a parallel light by a condenser lens 12 and successively reflected by a cold mirror 13 for eliminating UV light or IR light unnecessary for a display device or interposed optical components. Then, the so-reflected light is transmitted through an integrator (rod integrator, flyeye integrator, etc.) 14 and a sequent field lens 15 thereby to enter a B/RG dichroic mirror 16.
The B/RG dichroic mirror 16 resolves incident illumination light to a light containing the wave bands of both red light and green light and a blue light, so that the former light (red and green) enters a RG mirror 17, while the latter light (blue) enters a B mirror 18. In the former light reflected by the RG mirror 17, its red light component is transmitted through a R/G dichroic mirror 19 thereby to enter an R field lens 24, while the green light component is reflected by the R/G dichroic mirror 19 thereby to enter a G field lens 20.
Regarding the green light component transmitted through the G field lens 20 and the red light component transmitted through R field lens 24, their S-polarization components are reflected by wire grids 21, 25 as polarization split elements thereby to enter a G device 23 and an R device 27 through a G quarter-wave (λ/4) plate 22 and an R quarter-wave (λ/4) plate 26, respectively. After light modulation at the G device 23 and the R device 27 with green signal and red signal of an image to be displayed from the 3-primary color signal processing and converting block 1, their P-polarized lights on light modulation are transmitted through the G, R quarter-wave (λ/4) plates 22, 26 and the wire grids 21, 25 thereby to enter an RGB composite dichroic prism 32.
On the other hand, regarding the blue light component reflected by the B mirror 18, it is transmitted through a B field lens 28 and the light's S-polarization component is reflected by a wire grid 29 thereby to enter a B device 31 through a B quarter-wave (λ/4) plate 30. After light modulation at the B device 31 with blue signal of the image to be displayed from the 3-primary color signal processing and converting block 1, the S-polarized light on light modulation is transmitted through the B quarter-wave (λ/4) plate 30 and the wire grid 29 thereby to enter the RGB composite dichroic prism 32.
The RGB composite dichroic prism 32 recombines respective P-polarization components of incident green, red and blue lights on light modulation. The so-combined light is transmitted through a PJ lens 33 to form an image on a screen.
Here, in a projector using the above-mentioned optical system, contrast influencing the definition of images is determined by the performances of the optical system and the individual device. In this view, there are recently proposed a projector and a liquid crystal display that the contrast of images are improved by double modulation dramatically (e.g. Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication Nos. 2005-181437 and 2005-241738).
FIG. 2 shows the constitution of such an optical system adopting double modulation. In this example, elements identical to those of FIG. 1 are indicated with the same reference numerals respectively and their overlapping descriptions are eliminated. The conventional optical system of FIG. 2 is equivalent to the previously-mentioned optical system of FIG. 1 but the interposition of a Y-modulation system part between the RGB composite dichroic prism 32 and the PJ lens 33, the Y-modulation optical system comprising an aberration correcting lens 34, an 1:1 (one-to-one) relay lens 35, a mirror 36, an aberration correcting lens 37, a Y wire grid (WG) 38, a Y wavelength plate 39, a Y device 40 and a WG analyzer 41. The aberration correcting lenses 34, 37 are formed by cylindrical lenses for correcting aberrations that would be produced since the optical axis is slanted to the Y wire grid (WG) 38 by 45 degrees.
In the conventional optical system of FIG. 2, RGB composite light emitted from the RGB composite dichroic prism 32 is transmitted through the aberration correcting lens 34 and the 1:1 relay lens 35 and subsequently reflected by the mirror 36 for coordinating an optical-axis direction of the 1:1 relay lens 35 with an optical-axis direction of the PJ lens 33. Then, the so-reflected light is transmitted through the aberration correcting lens 37. In the so-transmitted RGB composite light, its P-polarized light is transmitted through the Y wire grid (WG) 38 and the Y wavelength plate 39 thereby to enter the Y device 40.
For instance, the Y device 40 is formed by LCOS (Liquid Crystal on Silicon) to modulate incident light by luminance signal of the same image signal as R-signal, G-signal and B-signal modulated by the R device 27, the G device 23 and the B device 31 respectively. Thus, the image signal to be displayed on a screen (not shown) is subjected to twice modulations, that is, one modulation by 3-primary color (R, G and B) signals and another modulation by the luminance signal. The modulated light from the Y device 40 is transmitted to the Y wire WG 38 through the Y wavelength plate 39 and its S-polarized light is reflected by the Y wire WG 38. Thereafter, P-polarized light component mixed in the S-polarized light is eliminated by the WG analyzer 41 so as to maintain its high-contrast and subsequently projected on the not-shown screen through the PJ lens 33.
According to the general optical system of FIG. 1, as the contrast of an image to be displayed on the screen is influenced by an optical F-number and the performance of the display device, there is no possibility that the image is displayed at a contrast value exceeding the proportion of thousands to one (thousands:1) in a situation of ensuring appropriate brightness. On the contrary, the optical system of FIG. 2 is constructed so as to project an image on a screen (not shown) after once forming an image, which has been brought by the first modulation optical system similar to FIG. 1, on the Y device 40 for a further modulation. Consequently, the contrast of the image displayed on the screen becomes equal to or more than the proportion of a million to one (a million: 1) as a result of multiplying a contrast value of the first modulation optical system by a contrast value of the second modulation optical system.
In the projector adopting the optical system of FIG. 2, however, there exists a reality that the resolving power (i.e. number of pixels) of the Y device 40 determines a final resolving power of an image projected on the screen. In even a highest-definition device produced in the market currently, this resolving power would be 4 k×2 k pixels (horizontal: 4,096 pixels, vertical: 2,160 pixels) at the highest.
Under such a situation, there is recently proposed a projector of FIG. 3 in order to attain a higher resolving power (8 k×4 k pixels). This projector is one proposed by Japan Broadcasting Corporation, which is referred to as “Super Hi-Vision (SHV)”. Here, the super Hi-Vision is one of a LSDI (Large Screen Digital Imagery) system with 7680×4320 pixels specified in Recommendation ITU-R BT.1769 “parameter values for an expanded hierarchy of LSDI image formats for production and international program exchange”. We now describe the operation of this projector with reference to FIG. 3. In the illustrated projector, a hard disk recorder (UDR) 45 capable of parallel-recording/reproducing 16 channels of HDTV images is adapted so as to output a G1G2 image signal and a RB image signal to a convergence correction device 46. In the convergence correction device 46, both convergences of the G1G2 image and the PB image are corrected in order to align their registrations with each other on a screen 49. After the convergence correction, light modulated by the RB image is projected by a RB projector 47, while light modulated by the G1G2 image is projected by a GG projector 48, forming an image on the screen 49.
In order to attain the resolving power of 8 k×4 k pixels, the G1G2 projector 48 utilizes two G devices (G1 device and G2 device) each having 4 k×2 k pixels. In common with the G1 and G2 devices, respective pixels are arranged at intervals of pitch Px in the horizontal direction and pitch Py in the vertical direction. As shown in FIG. 4, respective pixels forming the whole G1 device are shifted from respective pixels forming the whole G2 device by Px/2 in the horizontal direction and by Py/2 in the vertical direction. That is, while inputting signals meeting with the resolving power of G1G2 to the GG projector 28, respective images from the G1 and G2 devices are overlaid on each other at a slant of 45 degrees by half pixel, whereby the resolving power equivalent to 8 k pixels is attained. On the other hand, the RB projector 47 utilizes an R device and a B device each having 4 k×2 k pixels.
That is, it is difficult structurally to fabricate an optical system where 2 channels of green images are provided by a single projector. Therefore, the proposed projector of FIG. 3 adopts the shown constitution composed of the GG projector 48 for G1, G2 and the RB projector 47 as a result of eliminating a G-component from the RGB projector. In this projector, by projecting images from two projectors 47, 48 in stack and further combining respective images with each other onto the screen 49, a high resolving power (high-definition) can be attained. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ink jet recording method and a recording apparatus using this method. More specifically, it relates to an ink jet recording method using ink capable of contributing to an improvement in the color expressibility of a recorded image, and a recording apparatus using this method.
2. Description of the Prior Art
An ink jet recording method converts ink, a recording liquid, into flying droplets by various methods, and causes them to land on a material to be recorded on, such as paper, to form an image in a dot-matrix format. This method involves low noise because it is a non-contact type. Furthermore, it is capable of a high-density, high-speed recording, and does not require a special treatment, such as development or fixing, for a material to be recorded on (hereinafter referred to as a record material), such as plain paper. A recording apparatus adopting this method is suitable for mass-production, and is available for a low price. In recent years, therefore, this type of recording apparatus has found widespread use. An on-demand ink jet recording apparatus, in particular, is easily available with color printing capability, and the machine itself can be downsized and simplified. Thus, such a recording apparatus is promising in terms of a future demand. With the spread of color printing, there is a growing desire for the color expressibility of an image recorded on a record material (to be also referred to as a record sheet).
We, the inventors of this invention, proposed in Japanese Patent Application No. 259023/1994 coloring materials, such as dyes or pigments, and a liquid medium for use in a recording liquid (hereinafter referred to as ink). In this application, we used ink containing a substance having thickening properties when undergoing heat, and in a narrow sense, a temperature sensitive polymer gelling thermally reversibly at its transition temperature or above, i.e., a temperature sensitive polymer gelling at its transition temperature or above and returning to a liquid state at a temperature below the transition temperature, and a substance which begins to cloud when undergoing heat (hereinafter referred to as a substance having a cloud point). This ink showed a sharply increased viscosity on the record sheet, and stably settled on the surface, achieving an improvement in color expressibility. As a method of sharply increasing its viscosity, we proposed controlled heating of the record sheet.
However, the distance between a recording head for ejecting ink and a record sheet is as small as less than several millimeters. Thus, the mere use of the above record sheet controlled heating means results in the fact that radiant heat from the heated record sheet is passed on to the surroundings of the ink ejection orifice of the opposed recording head which is doing a record action. As a result, the surroundings of the ink ejection orifice and the inside of the ink passage are liable to undergo increased temperatures. Especially when the recording head is performing a record action for a long time at a position opposed to the record sheet which has been heated in a controlled manner (hereinafter referred to as controlled-heated), the temperature in the surroundings of the ejection orifice is raised to the reaction temperature of the substance having thickening properties when undergoing heat, or the substance having a cloud point that is contained in the ink. Consequently, the substance having thickening properties when undergoing heat is gelled and precipitated at the parts around the ink ejection orifice or in the ink passage, or the substance having a cloud point forms an emulsion to increase the viscosity of ink, thereby occasionally hampering the ejection of ink. | {
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1. Field of Invention
This invention is directed to systems and methods for forming composite images which include user-supplied standard or individually user-customized digital graphic elements in image forming devices.
2. Description of Related Art
A variety of systems and methods are conventionally used to form complex composite output images in image forming devices. Sheets of paper having a company's pre-printed letterhead can be stored in an individual tray in a conventional printer in order that text sent from a number of devices to that printer will result in a composite image being produced when the text of the letter is printed on the pre-printed letterhead paper. Likewise, forms can be manually fed such that the text to be included in each space on the form is printed in the correlating spaces.
Separately, an organization may choose to develop a composite image at a copier and/or facsimile machine by using a transparent plastic overlay in order to provide watermarking or other effect in a document reproduced on a copier or forwarded via facsimile transmission.
Advanced desktop publishing methods allow a user to incorporate standard and/or user-customized individual image elements to enhance the looks of output images produced. These software elements combine to provide detailed end-product images when the information is output to an image forming device.
A significant limitation of these approaches is that the manual integration required can lead to inaccuracies, inefficiencies and waste of time and print supplies. Another limitation is that expensive software may be required in order for an organization to achieve the results that are sought.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,146,275 to Tone et al. provides a different approach to the development of composite images. Tone discloses an ability at a copier to have a series of preloaded marks available. A user can then select from among a limited number of marks in order to produce the composite output image when a sheet of text is copied by the apparatus disclosed therein. A significant drawback of Tone is that flexibility is very limited or reduced. This reduced flexibility is based on the fact that only a limited number of images may be made available, and that updating the image apparatus to provide new or different marks cannot be performed by the user, but instead may generally require the assistance of the copier manufacturer's or other specially trained personnel. | {
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Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of ascertaining the cause of memory consumption in a program, and a computer system and computer program for the same.
Description of Related Art
In order to tune up the performance of a program, a user may get an execution profile of memory consumption by this program. In this case, the user may often want to identify what in the program causes certain memory consumption. This is because if the cause can be identified, it will be easy for the user to focus on the limited part of the original program logic as the cause of the memory consumption in order to alter it for reducing the memory consumption that poses a performance problem.
When the user employs a conventional execution profile technique using a profiler, for example, it is easy to trace down a method, which has come to create an object whose memory consumption would be problematic at a certain point during program execution, and source methods that called the method directly or indirectly, which end up with the root (very beginning) method call. For example, in the case of Java™, the user uses a profiler called hprof that comes with Java™ 2 SE 6.0 to record an object ID in a location where the object is created in the program and a method call stack up to the location. The record enables the user to get the ID of the object likely to be problematic and the call stack of methods up to the creation of the object.
However, in the above conventional execution profile technique, the user cannot understand why the problematic object stays in the memory during program execution and how the object has become problematic. In other words, the user cannot derive, from the record, what caused the object to become problematic, at least partly because the user has registered the object in a table likely to continue to stay in the memory.
In a technique disclosed in Japanese Application Publication No. 2008-134709, a request ID on an object created during processing the request to a server and a method call stack up to the creation are recorded. When there is an object staying in a memory as long as the request processing is completed, the object is suspected of causing a memory leak. The object is presented together with the method call stack recorded up to the creation of the object.
Bond, M. D., McKinley, K. S., “Probabilistic Calling Context,” in Proceedings of OOPSLA 2007, the 22nd Annual ACM SIGPLAN Conference on Object-Oriented Programming, Systems, Languages, and Applications, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, pp. 97-112, Oct. 21-25, 2007 teaches a technique called probabilistic calling context (PCC). PCC is known as a technique for holding down the overhead at the time of execution profile acquisition to a small percentage. PCC aims at verifying that two calling contexts are identical with a high probability.
In the conventional execution profile technique, the user cannot understand why the object whose memory consumption is problematic at a certain point during program execution stays in the memory during program execution and how the object has become problematic. Therefore, it is desired to have a method of holding information for identifying why the object has become problematic and presenting the information to the user. | {
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A key element of a typical ground cotton harvesting machine is its resilient endless belt carried by a ground engaging belt supporting wheel and a spaced belt supporting drum, the belt moving at an angle to the ground rolls across the ground to pick up and hold the cotton for a predetermined time and then release same. The belt is provided with a plurality of resilient cuts which may be in the form of notches extending across the outer surface of the belt. As the belt travels over the belt wheel, the notches open and then close and as they clear the wheel, the closing action grasp pieces or bolls of cotton and hold it until the belt passes over the rear belt drum where the opening of the notches causes the cotton carried by the belt to drop for transfer to a screw auger. A typical example of such apparatus is the Rood Cotton Harvester disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,670,584.
The wheel assembly presently employed in such equipment for driving the resilient belt for collecting the cotton utilizes a mating male and female pair of wheel sections. The male wheel section has a cap screw welded to its center while the female wheel section has a jam nut welded to its center. When the wheel is assembled, the end of the cap screw is turned through the jam nut and then passed through a center hole in the female section wheel. The end of the screw is then welded to the edges of the center hole to secure the assembly.
In the disassembly of the wheel assembly for repair purposes, it is necessary to drill out the welded hole, place one wheel section in a vise and using a vise grip, break away the remainder of the weld before the two wheel sections can be unscrewed from each other. Repairs can then be made, but on reassembly, another welding operation is required. Thus, the repair or rebuilding of the wheel assembly for the resilient belt drive of the known cotton picking equipment must be performed in a shop. Furthermore, the cap screw and jam nut may be destroyed in the drilling operation and always discarded when replacement of the wheel sections are required. Accordingly, repair operations are time consuming and expensive. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an isolation testing circuit and a testing circuit optimization method for executing an isolation test of a plurality of IPs incorporated into an LSI.
2. Description of the Related Art
The number of IPs incorporated into the LSI becomes huge nowadays pursuant to the larger scale of the LSI. In order to check functions of incorporated IPs, the isolation testing circuit for leading input/output terminals of respective IPs to external terminal of the LSI must be inserted. Since the input/output terminals of respective IPs are connected to share the external terminal of the LSI, the external terminal of the LSI and respective IPs are connected via enormous wirings. In this case, the related art concerned with the IP test is disclosed in Patent Reference 1(JP-A-2001-267510), and so forth.
FIG. 10 is a configurative view of LSI showing an isolation testing circuit configuration in the related art. In FIG. 10, a test input signal 1009 input from the external device via a test input terminal 1007 is connected to IP blocks 1001 to 1006 incorporated into the LSI via one wiring respectively. Also, test output signals 1017 to 1022 of respective IP blocks 1001 to 1006 are connected to a test output terminal 1015 via a test switching selector 1037 in such a manner that all wirings are converged into the test output terminal 1015. Such wirings are inserted as many as the number of the test input signals used in the isolation test.
However, according to the method in the related art, a large number of wirings that are extended from the external terminal to respective IPs in a one-to-multiple fashion and wirings that are converged into one location must be inserted. As a result, problems such as a routing complexity, a signal rounding, etc. were caused in a layout design of LSI, so that a floor plan of LSI often failed and an increase of a chip size and a delay of a development term were brought about. | {
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The present invention relates to a breather arrangement associated with a cam case of an internal combustion engine and, more particularly, to a breather arrangement which ventilates a cam case and/or a crankcase while preventing blow-by gas from being emitted from the cam case and/or the crankcase to the atmosphere.
In the automotive internal combustion engine, blow-by gas produced in a cam case and a crankcase is recirculated to an intake system so that it may be burned in combustion chambers and not be emitted to the atmosphere. The recirculation is usually implemented by a conduitwork which draws out blow-by gas produced in the crankcase by way of the cam case or draws it out directly from both the crankcase and the cam case. The prerequisite with such a conduitwork is that the blow-by gas be prevented from entraining engine oil out of the crankcase and cam case and causing it to be wastefully burned in the combustion chambers. This prerequisite has heretofore been fulfilled by arranging an oil separator at the or each blow-by gas outlet for separating engine oil from blow-by gas.
Oil separators proposed in the past include a breather chamber which is furnished with several baffle plates, as disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication Nos. 57-32247 and 57-50486, for example. The problems with the prior art breather chamber schemes are that when applied to a cam case the breather chamber has to be defined in an upper portion of the cam case, and that the breather chamber cannot attain sufficient oil separation ability unless provided with a considerable capacity. These directly translate into an increase in the overall height of the engine so that where such an engine is used to power an automotive vehicle, the hood line of the vehicle need be undesirably raised. | {
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The development of semiconductor memory technology is essentially driven by the requirement for increasing the performance of the semiconductor memories in conjunction with miniaturization of the feature sizes. However, further miniaturization of the semiconductor memory concepts based on storage capacitors may be difficult due to the large quantity of charge that is required for writing to and reading from the storage capacitors, which leads to a high current demand. Therefore, thought is increasingly being given to new cell concepts that are distinguished by a significantly lower quantity of charge for the writing and reading operation. Semiconductor memories having a resistance memory element that exhibits a bipolar switching behavior are one such new promising circuit architecture.
In order to provide maximum density of memory units, it is desirable to provide a cell field consisting of a plurality of memory cells, which are conventionally arranged in a matrix consisting of column and row supply lines, called also word and bit lines, respectively. The actual memory cell is usually positioned at the crosspoints of the supply lines that are made of electrically conductive material. The word and bit lines are each electrically connected with the memory cell via an upper or top electrode and a lower or bottom electrode. To perform a change of the information content in a particular memory cell at the addressed crosspoint, or to recall the content of the memory cell, the corresponding word and bit lines are selected either with a write current or with a read current. To this end, the word and bit lines are controlled by appropriate control means.
There are several memory cells that are able to fit into such memory cell arrangement.
For example, RAM (Random Access Memory) comprises a plurality of memory cells that are each equipped with a capacitor that is connected with a so-called selection transistor. By selectively applying a voltage at the corresponding selection transistor via the word and bit lines, it is possible to store electric charge as an information unit (bit) in the capacitor during a write process and to recall it again during a read process via the selection transistor. A RAM memory device is a memory with random access, i.e., data can be stored under any particular address and can be read out again under this address later.
Another kind of semiconductor memory is DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory), which comprises in general only one single, correspondingly controlled capacitive element, e.g., a trench capacitor, with the capacitance of which one bit each can be stored as charge. This charge, however, remains for a relatively short time only in a DRAM memory cell, so that a so-called “refresh” must be performed regularly, wherein the information content is written in the memory cell again.
Since it is intended to accommodate as many memory cells as possible in a RAM memory device, one has been trying to realize them as simple as possible and on the smallest possible space, i.e., to scale them. The previously employed memory concepts (floating gate memories such as flash and DRAM) will, due to their functioning that is based on the storing of charges, presumably meet with physical scaling limits within foreseeable time. Furthermore, in the case of the flash memory concept, the high switching voltages and the limited number of read and write cycles, and in the case of the DRAM memory concept the limited duration of the storage of the charge state, constitute additional problems.
The CBRAM (conductive bridging RAM) memory cell, also known as a programmable metallization cell (“PMC”), may be switched between different electric resistance values by bipolar electric pulsing. In the simplest embodiment, such an element may be switched between a very high (off resistance) and a distinctly lower (on resistance) resistance value by applying short current or voltage pulses. The switching rates may be less than a microsecond. Very high ratios of the off resistance (R(off)) to the on resistance (R(on)) are achieved in the case of the CBRAM cells, due to the very high-resistance state of the solid electrolyte material in the non-programmed state. Typical values are R(off)/R(on)>106 given R(off)>1010′Ω and an active cell area <1 μm2. At the same time, this technology is usually characterized by low switching voltages of less than 100 mV for initiating the erase operation and less than 300 mV for the write operation.
In structural terms, a CBRAM cell is a resistance memory element comprising an inert cathode electrode, a reactive anode electrode and a solid state electrolyte arranged between the cathode and anode. The term “solid state electrolyte,” as referred to herein, includes all solid state materials in which at least some ions can move under the influence of an electric field.
The surfaces of the chalcogenide material, usually provided in a CBRAM cell are deposited by means of sputtering methods, have an amorphous structure and frequently contain superfluous chalcogenides that are poorly bound so that these weakly bound chalcogenide atoms are conglomerated like clusters and cannot be removed, which leads to the formation of Ag-chalcogenide conglomerates or protrusion defects in the Ag doping and electrode layer, which usually is made of Ag. In addition, the etch process of noble metals is difficult as no etch chemistry exists for etching silver, for example. It is, thus, difficult to obtain a homogeneous, planar anode for the CBRAM cells using silver. Current approach is to simultaneously deposit silver together with the other metallic material in a co-sputtering process. However, the planarization and the structuring of the anode has to be done using a physical process. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to magnetic recording and assisted magnetic recording, and particularly to a magnetic recording medium capable of realizing an areal recording density of at least 150 gigabits per square centimeter and a method of manufacturing the same.
2. Background Art
Hard disk drives (HDDs) are indispensable devices for usage requiring large-capacity information recording in computers and consumer-electronics products. In the future too, needs for large-capacity recording will be high. It is required to increase the areal recording densities of recording media in order to realize large capacity while serving the needs for savings in space and energy. Presently, approaches to high density by improvement in perpendicular magnetic recording have been attempted. However, according to conventional perpendicular magnetic recording, it is estimated that a feasible maximum areal recording density is 150 Gbit/cm2 (1 Tbit/inch2). The reason why the areal recording density has the limit is interpreted to be due to a fundamental principle of recording according to which a medium suitable for high density recording deteriorates in thermal stability. High density magnetic recording requires magnetic grains forming a magnetic recording medium to be finer to form highly accurate recording bit boundaries (magnetic transition region). However, in a case of making the magnetic grains fine, the magnetic energy KuV that stabilizes magnetization directions of respective grains cannot retain a magnitude sufficient against thermal energy kBT as a disturbance. Accordingly, a phenomenon occurs that recorded magnetization information deteriorates (thermal decay of magnetization) immediately after recording. Here, Ku, V, kB, and T are a uniaxial magnetic anisotropy energy, a magnetic grain volume, the Boltzmann constant, and the absolute temperature, respectively.
Improvement in areal recording density while maintaining thermal stability requires use of a magnetic recording layer having a high magnetic anisotropy energy Ku. As described in IEEE Trans. Magn., vol. 36, p. 10 (2000) and the like, an L10 FePt ordered alloy is a material having perpendicular magnetic anisotropy energy Ku higher than that of existing CoCrPt alloys, and receives attention as a next-generation magnetic recording layer. Use of the L10 FePt ordered alloy as a magnetic recording layer absolutely necessitates reduction in exchange interaction between crystalline grains. Accordingly, in recent years, many attempts of adding a non-magnetic material, such as MgO, SiO2 or C, to an L10 FePt ordered alloy to form granular structure have been reported. Here, the granular structure represents a structure including magnetic crystalline grains made of an FePt alloy and grain boundaries made of surrounding non-magnetic material.
However, recording cannot be made on the magnetic recording layer material having such a high Ku, using an existing magnetic head. This is because a soft magnetic material used for a magnetic writer pole has the maximum value of saturated magnetic flux density B of approximately 2.5 T, and thus the magnitude of the magnetic field generated by the magnetic writer pole is limited. Thus, assisted magnetic recording, or a new concept of magnetic recording, has been proposed. Presently, two assisting schemes, laser heating and microwave irradiation schemes have mainly been proposed, and referred to as thermally assisted magnetic recording (IEEE Trans. Magn., vol. 37, p. 1234 (2001)) and microwave assisted magnetic recording (IEEE Trans. Magn., vol. 44, p. 125 (2008)), respectively. These assisted magnetic recording schemes irradiate a magnetic recording layer with assist energy to facilitate magnetization reversal and then form a recording bit using a magnetic field generated by the magnetic writer pole.
Since FePt has a disordered fcc structure as a metastable phase in addition to the L10 ordered structure, this requires to be subjected to an ordering process by heat treatment. It has been known that, the higher the degree of ordering (degree of ordering S), the higher the magnetic anisotropy energy is obtained. Improvement in degree of ordering requires heat treatment. The methods therefor are broadly divided into a method of heating after forming a film of an FePt alloy (post annealing method), and a method of forming a film of an FePt alloy on a preheated substrate (substrate heating method). In a case of granulation by adding a nonmetal element to an FePt alloy thin film, a fabrication method is required to be determined on the basis of any of heating methods as a premise.
An example of a fabrication method using the post annealing method is disclosed in Appl. Phys. Lett., vol. 91, p. 072502 (2007). According to this document, a post annealing process is applied to a multilayer film structure in which a periodic structure including an Fe layer, Pt layer, and a SiO2 layer as a grain boundary material is repeatedly stacked n times, thereby obtaining L10 FePt alloy magnetic thin film having a granular structure. The diameters of the FePt magnetic grains at this time are approximately 6 nm. Accordingly, the grains can be applied to high density magnetic recording. On the other hand, an example of the fabrication method using the substrate heating method is disclosed in Appl. Phys. Lett., vol. 91, p. 132506 (2007) and J. Appl. Phys., vol. 103, p. 023910 (2008). These documents have reported that a granular structure can be obtained without using the periodically laminated structure such as in Appl. Phys. Lett., vol. 91, p. 072502 (2007), and the diameters of the grains can relatively easily be controlled according to a heating temperature of a substrate and an amount of addition of non-magnetic material. Various oxides and carbon have been discussed as a grain boundary material. It has been understood that C is a specific grain boundary material which can realize an excellent granular structure among these materials. J. Magn. Magn. Mater., vol. 322, p. 2658 (2010) discloses an example of fabricating an L10 FePt alloy magnetic thin film which realizes both a favorable granular structure with the diameters of magnetic grains of about 6 nm and a high coercivity Hc of at least 3 T (30 kOe). | {
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1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to Digital-to-Analog circuitry and, more specifically, to a method and apparatus for a coarse Digital-to-Analog Converter architecture for voltage interpolation.
2. Introduction
A coarse Digital-to-Analog Converter (DAC) architecture is commonly used in mixed-mode systems requiring monotonicity, wherein the DAC acts as an interface to convert a digital code to an analog signal. For high resolution resistor string DACs, the resistor string is typically placed in several rows whereby the resistors of one row align with resistors of another row to form columns. In this design, each resistor is connected to a switch network through a resistor tap, and a binary-to-unary decoder is used to select switches to be closed such that the sub-DAC voltage comes from the resistor taps connected to the selected switches. The output voltage from each row is then fed into a multiplexer, wherein the multiplexer produces the coarse DAC output voltages. Conventional coarse DAC designs attempt to extend the resolution of differential resistor string DACs by feeding the multiplexer output voltages into a voltage interpolation amplifier.
One such resistor string DAC design includes an M-bit coarse DAC combined with an N-bit interpolation amplifier to achieve M+N bit total resolution, wherein the coarse DAC is used to generate two DAC voltages with a voltage difference of 2N*VLSB, the voltage difference across one resistor in a string of resistors in the coarse DAC circuit. This design includes a resistor string comprising 2M resistors, with two sets of switches connected to each resistor tap. Accordingly, the number of switches is equal to twice the number of resistors. For input data K, the Kth tap is connected to low output voltage VOL and the K+1th tap is connected to high output voltage VOH. Due to the large number of switches, this design requires a significant amount of circuit real estate and generates a significant glitch when changing data. | {
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Conventionally, hemodialysis apparatuses for performing treatments requiring extracorporeal circulation of the blood of patients have been used, for example, for patients with renal failure, drug-addicted people, etc. This hemodialysis apparatus includes a blood processing machine for bringing blood into contact with dialysate via a semipermeable membrane to purify the blood, a blood circuit connected to a blood flow path of the blood processing machine, and a dialysate circuit connected to a dialysate flow path of the blood processing machine.
The blood circuit includes an arterial line through which blood is led from a patient to the blood flow path of the blood processing machine, a venous line through which blood is led from the blood flow path of the blood processing machine back to the patient, and drip chambers attached to the arterial line and the venous line. The blood circuit further includes a line for medication infusion, etc. On the other hand, the dialysate circuit includes a dialysate supply line for supplying dialysate to the dialysate flow path of the blood processing machine, and a dialysate drain line for draining dialysate from the dialysate flow path of the blood processing machine. Furthermore, the hemodialysis apparatus is connected also with pressure monitor lines for monitoring the internal pressures of the circuits, and other components.
As described above, the hemodialysis apparatus is composed of many components. Extreme care should be taken to connect these components and examine the hemodialysis apparatus. Specifically, since, in particular, the blood circuit is connected to a blood vessel of a patient, abnormal conditions, such as disconnection, may cause the following accidents: air may be drawn into the blood circuit so as to be mixed into the body of the patient; and blood in the blood circuit may leak out so that the patient may experience blood loss.
These accidents must be prevented before they occur. Therefore, when treatment is performed, health care workers have examined a blood circuit for abnormal conditions with the greatest care. This examination has placed great physical and mental stress on the health care workers.
To address the above-mentioned problem, hemodialysis apparatuses described in PATENT DOCUMENTS 1 and 2 can automatically detect abnormal conditions in a blood circuit in order to perform safe treatment while reducing stress on health care workers. A blood circuit of the hemodialysis apparatus of PATENT DOCUMENT 1 is connected with a priming fluid reservoir for use in priming. The priming fluid reservoir is disposed above pressure detectors attached to pressure monitor lines. While an arterial line and lines of a dialysate circuit are interrupted, the pressure difference between the priming fluid reservoir and the pressure detector is detected, thereby detecting abnormal conditions in the blood circuit based on the pressure difference.
In the hemodialysis apparatus of PATENT DOCUMENT 2, a pressure monitor line of a blood circuit is connected with an air pump. While the blood circuit is closed, air is pumped to the blood circuit by the air pump to detect the pressure of the blood circuit, thereby detecting abnormal conditions in the blood circuit based on the detected value.
PATENT DOCUMENT 1: Japanese Patent Publication No. 2005-218709
PATENT DOCUMENT 2: Japanese Patent Publication No. 2002-95741 | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for driving an electrophoretic display that displays images through position changes of electrophoretic particles.
2. Description of the Related Art
The electrophoretic display includes a thin film transistor array panel having pixel electrodes each connected to a thin film transistor, a common electrode panel including a common electrode, and positive or negatively charged electrophoretic particles that move between the pixel electrodes and the common electrode.
A common reference voltage is applied to the common electrode and data voltages that are larger or smaller than the common voltage are applied to the pixel electrodes according to gray information. Differences between the common voltage and the data voltages are applied to the electrophoretic particles as image display voltages of positive or negative polarity causing the electrophoretic particles to move to the pixel electrodes or the common electrode. The distance that the electrophoretic particles move is determined by the application time of the image display voltages which is based on the gray information for each pixel resulting in disposition of the electrophoretic particles at various positions between the pixel electrodes and the common electrode.
However, if the image display voltages are repeatedly applied to the electrophoretic particles, arbitrary charges are stimulated in each pixel such that afterimages may be generated. Accordingly, each pixel must be refreshed through the application of a compensation voltage to remove the stimulated charges for the prevention of the afterimage. After the desired image is displayed for a predetermined time the compensation voltage of the same value but of opposite polarity to the image display voltage is applied for the predetermined time to display a compensation image which is the reverse of the desired image.
The display of the compensation image between displays of the desired images degrades the performance of the electrophoretic display delays the image display because of the finite speed of the electrophoretic particles. | {
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The present invention relates to digital telephone switching systems and more particularly to an improved integrated telephone transmission and switching system.
Digital telephone switching systems have been utilized in automatic message accounting systems such as described in the cross-referenced application entitled "Integrated Message Accounting System." That system, which may be termed a base switch, utilizes pulse code modulated (PCM) techniques for switching telephone signals in PCM format from one time slot on a multitime slot digital data bus commonly known as a T-1 line to any other time slot on any T-1 line in the system. A T-1 line generally has 24 time slots each having eight bits together with a framing bit for a total of 193 bits per frame operating in a multiframe format of 12 frames. The base switch handles in one embodiment up to 64 T-1 lines or 1536 time slots and additionally provides for detecting, sending and receiving of dial pulses, detecting on-hook and off-hook conditions indicated in the signaling frames of a multiframe format, generating and sending necessary service tones in PCM format and sending and receiving multifrequency tones.
It would be desirable to utilize the existing digital switching capabilities of the above described system at a local subscriber line level so that a plurality of local subscribers can be connected to the base switch thereby enabling connections to any other subscriber line in the telephone system.
In view of the above background, it is an objective of the present invention to provide an improved integrated transmission and switching system. | {
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A. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to remote-controlled tubing safety valves and more particularly to a tubing safety valve having a check valve and remote-control means for maintaining the check valve in open position.
B. The Prior Art
Remote-controlled tubing safety valves utilized in well installations are well known. Such valves are normally biased towards a closed position and are held open hydraulically. Although the valve is positioned in the tubing string, the hydraulic conduit controls are often at the surface. Having the controls at the surface permits the valve to be opened or closed regardless of the conditions at the valve. Such remote-controlled valves have the disadvantage that if it is desired to operate the valve in response to conditions at the valve, means must be provided for sensing these conditions at the surface and then means must be provided to operate in response to the sensed conditions. The remote sensing of conditions followed by the remote operation of the valve takes time. During this time period equipment and personnel at the surface may be damaged and/or injured. The remote sensing and controlled operation of the valve is simply not fast enough in all circumstances.
Sometimes remote-controlled tubing safety valves are opened without the use of the hyrdraulic control means. To open the valve, fluid is pumped downward into the tubing string until a sufficient pressure differential exists across the valve for the valve member to move to slightly open position. (See Composite Catalogue of Oil Field Equipment and Services 1974-75 pages 3997 and 3998 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,870,101 to Helmus). To partially open the valve by pumping through it, the force exerted by the main biasing means which urges the valve member closed and which is normally overcome by the hydraulic means, must be overcome by the pressure differential across the valve. When the valve member is opened in this manner it is only partially opened and a high velocity flow results. This high velocity flow can erode the valve member and the valve seat. If the valve becomes eroded it will leak and must be replaced. U.S. Re. Pat. No. 26,149 discloses a remote control subsurface tubing safety valve. One form of the valve has a flapper valve member. However, even this flapper valve can not be pumped through without overcoming the force of the main spring biasing the valve member to a closed position and thus cannot operate as a check valve responsive to conditions at the valve.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,860,066 to Pearce et al discloses a remote-controlled tubing safety valve having two springs. The springs acts against an operating sleeve to bias it to a first position where the valve member is in a valve closing position while hydraulic means move the operating sleeve to a second position so that the valve member is in a valve opening position. One spring is disposed above the valve member while the second spring is disposed below the valve member. In the first form of the valve the valve member is a rotating ball valve confined between two valve seats. To close the safety valve, the springs overcome the hydrostatic head of fluid in the hydraulic control conduit. Generally one heavy spring is provided to do this; however, as illustrated in the aforementioned patent to Pearce, two springs may be provided. The upper spring may be stronger than the lower so that it alone can move the valve member operator to valve closing position. The second spring operates in conjunction with the first spring to assist in moving the operator and to maintain the valve member tightly confined between its seats. The lower and upper springs may be of equal stength but is preferable to have the lower spring be weaker than the upper spring. This is because if the valve member is forced upward by the lower spring, the pivot of the valve member can become worn causing the valve to malfunction. Again if the valve disclosed in the aforementioned patent to Pearce was attempted to be opened by pumping through the valve rather than by utilizing the hydraulic control means, a high pressure differential would have to be created across the valve, high velocity flow through the valve would result thereby causing erosion of the valve member and valve seat surfaces.
There are valves having valve members that respond quickly to conditions at the location of the valve for movement between valve opening and closing positions. Such valves may be ambient-type (e.g. the valve closes when the ambient pressure around the valve drops below a predetermined level), a pressure-differential type (e.g. the valve automatically closes when there is an abnormal increase of pressure through the valve) or injection safety valves. (See Composite Catalogue of Oil Field Equipment & Services 1974-75 pages 3995, 4008 to 4011, and 4014). However, such valves only close in response to the predetermined condition and cannot be controlled to open or close from the surface.
Injection safety valves do respond quickly to close the tubing string whenever a backkick occurs. However, present injection safety valves have no means to maintain the valve in an open position if it is desired to have a high back flow rate through the valve because they are urged towards a close position by such back flow. In addition they may have biasing means to constantly urge the valve member to a closed position.
It is sometimes desirable to inject fluids in a well equiped with a subsurface safety valve. In doing so, it is desirable that a check valve be present down in the tubing to protect personnel and equipment at the well. Equipment has not been available for this purpose without running additional equipment in to the well. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Hepatic cirrhosis is the ninth most common cause of death in Japan (“Summary of Monthly Report of Vital Statistics: 2009,” Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare), and there are approximately 300,000 patients and approximately 3,500,000 potential hepatitis patients in Japan. This disease is an intractable disease in which hardening of the liver tissue occurs due to abnormal accumulation of extracellular matrix proteins. This disease includes a series of pathological conditions where the hardening of the liver (fibrosis of the liver) occurs during repetitions of hepatic impairment and regeneration, and apoptosis of the liver cells consequently occurs, leading to liver failure.
A known major causative factor of the liver fibrosis is activation of the fibrogenic cytokine TGF-β (NPL 1). In hepatic cirrhosis, hepatic stellate cells present between the hepatic sinusoid and hepatic parenchymal cells are activated and start to excessively produce extracellular matrices including collagen. The excessive collagen production and the like are promoted by TGF-β. It has been shown in an animal model that hepatic cirrhosis can be prevented when the action of TGF-β is blocked by a gene therapy or the like (NPL 2). Moreover, hepatic cancer develops from cirrhotic liver at an incidence of 5 to 7 percent per year, leading to death. It is said that TGF-β also plays an important role as a causative factor of the hepatic cancer through induction of EMT (epithelial-mesenchymal transition) and reduction in immunity to cancer due to induction of regulatory T cells (NPL 3).
On the other hand, 76% of the hepatic cirrhosis cases in Japan are caused by hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. In Japan alone, two million people are estimated to be infected with HCV, and it is said that 200 million people are infected with HCV in the world. Hepatic cirrhosis develops 10 years to 30 years after infection with HCV, and further progresses to hepatic cancer. Hence, this becomes a great social problem. Under such circumstances, a combination therapy of PEGylated interferon with ribavirin is applied at present, and a virus removal effect is observed in 40 to 50% of patients. Moreover, protease activity inhibitors against serine protease NS3 necessary for maturation of virus particles have been developed, and are currently in Phase II to III clinical trials (NPLs 4 to 5).
However, as the mechanism by which HCV causes liver fibrosis and/or hepatic cancer has not been elucidated, no drug has yet been developed which enables a radical treatment for such viral diseases. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Field of the Invention
This invention broadly relates to a process for producing formaldehyde from a gas stream containing a mixture of hydrogen sulfide (G2S) and a carbon oxide, wherein the carbon oxide is selected from carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2) and mixtures thereof. More particularly, this invention provides a method wherein a gas stream containing a carbon oxide and hydrogen sulfide is first passed in contact with a catalyst comprising a supported metal oxide of a metal selected from the group consisting of vanadium (V), niobium (Nb), molybdenum (Mo), chromium (Cr), rhenium (Re), tungsten (W), manganese (Mn), titanium (Ti), zirconium (Zr) and tantalum (Ta) and mixtures thereof to convert said carbon oxide and hydrogen sulfide to methyl mercaptans, (primarily methanethiol (CH3SH) and a small amount of dimethyl sulfide (CH3SCH3)), and the methyl mercaptans are then passed in contact with a catalyst comprising certain supported metal oxides or certain bulk metal oxides in the presence of an oxidizing agent and for a time sufficient to convert at least a portion of the methyl mercaptans to formaldehyde (CH2O) and sulfur dioxide (SO2).
2. Description of Related Art
Ratcliffe et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,570,020 describes a catalytic process for producing methanethiol (CH3SH) from a gaseous feed comprising a mixture of carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen sulfide (H2S). Gases containing H2S are often considered an unwanted waste stream. According to the patent, the gaseous mixture is contacted, at a temperature of at least about 225xc2x0 C. with a catalyst comprising a metal oxide of a metal selected from the group consisting of vanadium (V), niobium (Nb), and tantalum (Ta) and mixtures thereof supported as an oxide layer on titania. The methanethiol is disclosed as being useful as an odorant or tracer for natural gas and as a raw material for making methionine, fungicides and jet fuel additives.
The art has also identified methyl mercaptans, such as methanethiol (CH3SH) and dimethyl sulfide (CH3SCH3), as hazardous pollutants, and has suggested a variety of ways for their destruction. Noncatalytic gas phase oxidation of such reduced sulfur compounds has been shown to produce primarily sulfur oxide and carbon oxide products. A. Turk et al., Envir. Sci. Technol 23:1242-1245 (1989). Investigators have observed that oxidation in the presence of single crystal metal surfaces (Mo, Ni, Fe, Cu) results in the formation of methane and ethane, nonselective decomposition to atomic carbon, gaseous hydrogen and the deposition of atomic sulfur on the metal surface via a stoichiometric reaction (See Wiegand et al., Surface Science, 279(1992): 105-112). Oxidation of higher mercaptans, e.g., propanethiol on oxygen-covered single crystal metal surfaces (Rh), produced acetone via a stoichiometric reaction at low selectivity and accompanied by sulfur deposition on the metal surface (See Bol et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc., 117(1995): 5351-5258). The deposition of sulfur on the metal surface obviously precludes continuous operation.
The art also has disclosed using catalysts comprising a two-dimensional metal oxide overlayer on titania and silica supports, e.g., vanadia on titania, for catalytically reducing NOx by ammonia to N2 and H2O in the presence of sulfur oxides. Bosch et al., Catal. Today 2:369 et seq. (1988). Thus, such catalysts are known to be resistant to poisoning by sulfur oxides. It also is known that such catalysts, as well as certain bulk metal oxides catalysts, can be used to oxidize methanol to formaldehyde selectively. Busca et al, J. Phys. Chem. 91:5263 et seq. (1987).
Applicant recently made the discovery that a supported metal oxide catalyst can be used to oxidize methyl mercaptans, such as methanethiol (CH3SH) and dimethyl sulfide (CH3SCH3), selectively to formaldehyde in a continuous, heterogenous catalytic process without being poisoned by the reduced sulfur. On the basis of that discovery, applicant has envisioned the present process as a way of converting gaseous streams containing carbon oxide and hydrogen sulfide to formaldehyde. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The history of the aircraft industry has been marked with innovations that have contributed in varying measure to the development of the present day aircraft, with each innovation recognizing or anticipating a changing need as ground transport gradually gave way to air transport. Early innovations in this development were directed to the range, speed and cargo capacity of the aircraft, with later innovations aimed at improved maneuverability and lift as aircraft size and weight increased and as urban areas mushroomed to lessen the adequacy of the city-based airport.
With the obsolescence of the city-based airport, new airports of more adequate acreage were established in areas remote from the cities, at distances ranging from 10 to 50 miles and frequently necessitating more land-travel time than flight time. Although aircraft accessibility was improved with the advent of air-shuttle and land-limousine services, the latter have provided but slight reduction in land-travel time, and air-shuttle service has remained out of the financial reach of the general public. With the advent of todays giant sized aircraft, even the remote-area airports have required expansion, with runways being lengthened to satisfy their take-off and landing requirements.
In recognition of the lift limitations of the fixed wing aircraft and the cargo limitations of the helicopter, further innovation is required if present airport patterns are to be altered, with remote-area airports ever expanding to accommodate commercial aircraft, and with city airports remaining the exclusive property of private aircraft and helicopters.
Attention then might well be directed to variable lift, cargo carrying aircraft that have the capability of taking off and landing on either the shorter runways of the city airport or the longer runways of remote-area airports, thereby preserving the utility of existing airports while at the same time bringing the ultimate destination of the traveler within more accessible and convenient reach, with land-travel time reduced to its former more proportionate ratio. Further attention might well be directed to an advancing-wing variable lift aircraft that has the lift advantages of the helicopter and the cargo capability of the commercial aircraft.
Notwithstanding the recognized high land-travel time ratio referred to above, and the emphasis in cargo capacity that has dominated the development of the modern fixed-wing aircraft, the disadvantages of the fixed wing and of the helicopter have long been known. Whereas the fixed-wing aircraft relies on forward propulsion or thrust for lift, the helicopter relies on the rotation of its rotary wings or airfoils. Although the lift limitations of the fixed-wing aircraft have been overcome in part by the development of high powered propulsion engines, these power plants, in combination with increased cargo capacity, have mangified rather than solved the airport dilemma, and have rendered the ultimate destination of the traveler all the more inaccessible. On the other hand, the characteristic lift limitations of the rotary wing aircraft, with their variation in air speed from wing tip to rotor, render them inappropriate for cargo carrying purposes. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to a computer implemented database system, and more particularly, to generating small footprint applications for mobile devices.
2. Description of Related Art
Databases are computerized information storage and retrieval systems. A Relational Database Management System (RDBMS) is a database management system (DBMS) which uses relational techniques for storing and retrieving data. Relational databases are organized into tables which consist of rows and columns of data. The rows are formally called tuples. A database will typically have many tables and each table will typically have multiple tuples and multiple columns. The tables are typically stored on random access storage devices (RASD) such as magnetic or optical disk drives for semi-permanent storage.
RDBMS software using a Structured Query Language (SQL) interface is well known in the art. The SQL interface has evolved into a standard language for RDBMS software and has been adopted as such by both the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the International Standards Organization (ISO). The SQL interface allows users to formulate relational operations on the tables either interactively, in batch files, or embedded in host languages, such as C and COBOL. SQL allows the user to manipulate the data.
A variety of mobile devices such as Palm, Windows CE handheld devices, various embedded systems, and smart card, may utilize a RDBMS for storing and retrieving data. These types of mobile devices have become very popular and are increasingly being used by a wide spectrum of people. Unfortunately, these small devices have limited memory, a small display, and operate at slow speeds.
Due to the limited memory of mobile devices, some users download small footprint database applications. The term footprint generally refers to the amount of disk space required by an application. Many of the footprint applications are still too large for the mobile devices"" limited memory. To solve the memory space dilemma, a user can modify the traditional footprint applications and create a customized footprint application that is designed for a particular mobile device. This customized footprint application tends to contain fewer functions than the traditional footprint applications, and hence, has a smaller memory requirement than the traditional footprint applications.
Customizing a footprint application may involve providing a list of desired functions to a software developer who then develops a footprint application that contains the desired functions. The list of desired functions is typically based on both the memory constraints of a particular mobile device and on a user""s needs for a specific functionality. Mobile devices designed by different manufactures could have different memory constraints, and each individual user of these mobile devices could desire different functions. To comply with each device""s memory constraints and to satisfy each user""s functional needs, software developers may need to spend time developing several different versions of a footprint application.
Thus, there is a definite need in the art for an improved technique of customizing footprint applications that eliminates the task of developing multiple versions of footprint applications.
To overcome the limitations in the prior art described above, and to overcome other limitations that will become apparent upon reading and understanding the present specification, the present invention discloses a method, apparatus, and article of manufacture for generating a database application.
In accordance with the present invention, a features list is built for the database application. The feature list contains user-selected functions. The database application is dynamically configured based on the built features list. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
In the mobile IPv6 data transfer technology, every Mobile Node (MN) has a fixed Home Address (HoA), which is independent of the current location by which the MN accesses the Internet and is directly used in a home link of the MN. When the MN moves outside the home link, the current location information of the MN is provided over a Care of Address (CoA) acquired from a Foreign Agent (FA).
A Communication Node (CN) is a communication opposite end of the MN. A bidirectional tunnel mode and a route optimization mode may be used for transferring data packets between the MN and the CN.
In the route optimization mode, data packets are directly transferred between the MN and the CN supporting mobile IPv6, and the CN must know the new CoA of the MN after moving.
In the bidirectional tunnel mode, data packets are transferred between the MN and the CN over a Home Agent (HA), and the CN need not know the new CoA of the MN after moving. For example, when the MN receives a data packet from the CN, the data packet will be sent to the HoA of the MN because the HoA of the MN is unchanged. The data packet is firstly sent from the CN to a Home Agent (HA), and then is forwarded to the MN by the HA.
The bidirectional tunnel mode will result in a severe transfer delay because the data packet is forwarded over the HA while the route optimization mode eliminates such a disadvantage of the bidirectional tunnel mode.
In order to implement the route optimization transfer of data packets between the MN and the CN supporting mobile IPv6, the MN needs to notify the new CoA of the MN to the HA and the CN once the location of the MN is changed.
After the MN moves to a link apart from the home link, the procedure for the MN notifying the new CoA of the MN to the HA and the CN includes a Return Routable Procedure (RRP) and an exchange Binding Update/Binding Acknowledgement (BU/BA) procedure, which are implemented as follows.
(1) Return Routable Procedure
Firstly, the MN sends to the CN a CoA test initiation packet and sends to the CN a HoA test initiation packet over the HA.
Secondly, the CN sends to the MN a CoA test response packet and sends to the MN a HoA test response packet over the HA.
(2) Exchange Binding Update/Binding Acknowledgement Procedure
After finishing the return routable procedure, the MN initiates the exchange binding update procedure and notifies the CN and the HA of the new CoA of the MN after moving. After receiving the new CoA, the CN adds an item for the MN in the binding buffer of the CN to store the new CoA. In other words, communication registration is finished. After receiving the new CoA, the HA adds an item for the MN in the binding agent of the HA to store the new CoA and home registration is finished.
Hereafter, both the CN and the HA send to the MN an exchange binding update packet acknowledgement. In this way, the binding acknowledgement procedure is accomplished.
After the communication registration and the home registration are accomplished, the new CoA of the MN is registered to the CN and the HA. Therefore, the route optimization mode may be used to transfer data packets between the MN and the CN.
Before data packets are transferred between the MN and the CN, it is necessary to establish a Transport Control Protocol (TCP) connection between the MN and the CN. There are three procedures for establishing the TCP connection.
In a network protected by a firewall, Node A protected by the firewall initiates, through the firewall, a TCP connection synchronization (SYN) request to Node B outside of the network protected by the firewall, and the SYN request contains the address of Node B, i.e. a destination address, the Port of Node B, i.e. a destination port, and the protocol number between Node A and Node B. Node B returns, through the firewall, to Node A an SYN request acknowledgement (SYN-ACK), and the SYN request acknowledgement contains the address of Node A, i.e. a source address, and the port of Node A, i.e. a source port. Up to now, a TCP connection is established between Node A and Node B. As can be seen easily, it is possible to establish a TCP connection successfully after a communication registration is finished between Node A and Node B.
Additionally, in order to transfer data packets in security between the MN and the CN, a firewall (FW) is set between the MN and the CN for intercepting a malicious node. There are many varieties of firewalls. The state firewall (state FW) adopts a state packet filtering technology, and is widely applied due to the good security and the high speed. The following firewall is referred to as the state firewall.
While establishing a TCP connection, a firewall will create an entry item according to five elements interacting in the TCP connection, including a source address, a destination address, a source port, a destination port and a protocol number, and the entry item includes the above-mentioned five elements. Therefore, when a data packet outside the network protected by the firewall traverses the firewall and enters the network protected by the firewall, if the destination address and the source address included in the header of the data packet are the same as the destination address and the source address in the entry item of the firewall respectively as well as the source port, the destination port and the protocol number of the data packet are also the same as the source port, the destination port and the protocol number in the entry item of the firewall, the firewall allows the data packet to traverse it; otherwise, the firewall intercepts the data packet and drops the intercepted data packet, which is also called filtering.
At present, because the address of the MN will change with the change of the location of the MN, there are the following problems when a data packet traverses a firewall. Suppose the communication registration between the MN and the CN is successfully completed after the location of the MN changes, i.e., the CN has acquired a new CoA of the MN.
For one example, the CN is in the network protected by the firewall and the MN is outside the network protected by the firewall.
FIG. 1(a) is a schematic diagram for exchanging a data packet between a mobile node and a communication node through a firewall when the communication node is in the network protected by the firewall and the mobile node is outside the network protected by the firewall. The mobile node sends a data packet to the communication node from a new CoA of the mobile node. When traversing the firewall, the data packet is unable to pass the filtering of the firewall because there is no item matching the new CoA of the mobile node in the entry item of the firewall. Therefore, the data packet is dropped. In this way, the data packet sent to the communication node in the network protected by the firewall is lost when the mobile node outside the network protected by the firewall moves to a new link.
In this case, if the communication node in the network protected by the firewall firstly sends a data packet to the mobile node outside the network protected by the firewall, the firewall will newly add an item in the entry item after the data packet traverses the firewall. The item includes such five elements as an address of the communication node, a new CoA of the mobile node, a port of the communication node, a new port of the mobile node, and a protocol number between the communication node and the mobile node. Therefore, when the mobile node resends a data packet to the communication node and the data packet traverses the firewall, the data packet may match the newly-added entry item of the firewall and pass the filtering of the firewall, thereby traversing the firewall successfully.
For another example, the MN is in the network protected by the firewall and the CN is outside the network protected by the firewall.
FIG. 1(b) is a schematic diagram for exchanging a data packet between a mobile node and a communication node through a firewall when the mobile node is in the network protected by the firewall and the communication node is outside the network protected by the firewall. If the communication node sends a data packet to the mobile node moving to a new link, the destination address of the data packet can not match the destination address in the entry item because the entry item of the firewall does not include the new CoA of the mobile node after moving, but only the address of the mobile node before moving when the data packet traverses the firewall, thereby the data packet fails to pass the filtering of the firewall, and the data packet is dropped.
In this case, if the mobile node in the network protected by the firewall firstly sends a data packet to the communication node outside the network protected by the firewall, the firewall will newly add an item in the entry item after the data packet traverses the firewall. The item includes such five elements as an address of the communication node, a new CoA of the mobile node, a port of the communication node, a new port of the mobile node, and a protocol number between the communication node and the mobile node. Therefore, when the communication node resends a data packet to the mobile node and the data packet traverses the firewall, the data packet may match the newly-added entry item of the firewall and pass the filtering of the firewall, thereby traversing the firewall successfully.
As can be seen from the above two cases, no matter whether the CN is in the network protected by the firewall and the MN is outside the network protected by the firewall or the MN is in the network protected by the firewall and the CN is outside the network protected by the firewall, there occurs the same problem that a data packet fails to traverse the firewall and is dropped due to the change of the address of the MN caused by the change of the location of the MN. However, the problem will not occur when the data packet in the network protected by the firewall traverses the firewall. Therefore, the following problem that a data packet traverses a firewall is the existing problem which occurs when the data packet outside the network protected by the firewall traverses the firewall.
At present, in order to solve the problem, some solutions adopt a filtering method based on the home address of the MN. Because the HoA keeps unchanged when the MN moves, and the HoA is contained in a Home Address Destination Option of the data packet sent from the MN to the CN and is contained in a Type 2 Routing Header of the data packet sent from the CN to the MN, the entry item of the firewall always includes such five fixed elements as a source address, a destination address, a source port, a destination port and a protocol number for the MN and the CN.
If the CN is in the network protected by the firewall and the MN is outside the network protected by the firewall, when the MN sends a data packet to the CN, five elements in the entry item of the firewall for matching includes: (1) a source address: the HoA of the MN, (2) a destination address: the address of the CN, (3) a source port: the port of the MN, (4) a destination port: the port of the CN, (5) a protocol number between the CN and the MN. Because the data packet sent from the MN to the CN contains the Home Address Destination Option, the firewall is able to extract the HoA of the MN from the Home Address Destination Option to replace the new CoA of the MN as a source address. Therefore, the changed source address of the MN is able to match the source address in the entry item. In this way, the data packet is able to pass the filtering of the firewall by the filtering method based on the HoA of the MN.
If the MN is in the network protected by the firewall and the CN is outside the network protected by the firewall, when the CN sends a data packet to the MN, five elements in the entry item of the firewall for matching includes: (1) a source address: the address of the CN, (2) a destination address: the HoA of the MN, (3) a source port: the port of the CN, (4) a destination port: the port of the MN, (5) a protocol number between the CN and the MN. Because the packet sent from the CN to the MN contains the Type 2 Routing Header, the firewall is able to extract the HoA of the MN from the Type 2 Routing Header to replace the new CoA of the MN as a destination address. Therefore, the changed destination address of the MN is able to match the destination address in the entry item. In this way, the data packet is able to pass the filtering of the firewall by using the filtering method based on the HoA of the MN.
FIG. 2 is a flowchart for the mobile IPv6 data outside a network protected by a firewall traversing the firewall in the prior art. Suppose the communication registration has been completed between an MN and a CN after the MN moves to a link apart from the home link, the port and protocol number of the MN match the port and protocol number of the CN, the address of the MN in the home link is the home address, the address of the MN in the link apart from the home link is the CoA, and the address of the CN is Home address 1. The method for mobile IPv6 data outside a network protected by the firewall traversing the firewall in the prior art includes the following steps.
Steps 200˜201: The firewall intercepts a data packet outside a network protected by the firewall and determines whether the source address, the destination address, the source port, the destination port and the protocol number of the data packet match five elements in the entry item of the firewall; if the matching is successful, Step 208 is performed; otherwise, Step 202 is performed.
This step is described by two examples.
For one example, if the MN is outside the network protected by the firewall and the CN is in the network protected by the firewall, the entry item includes: a source home address, a destination home address 1, a source port, a destination port and a protocol number. If the MN is in the home link, the source address of the data packet sent from the MN to the CN is still the home address of the MN, i.e. the source home address, and the destination address is the address of the CN, i.e. the destination home address 1, which are able to match the source home address and the destination home address 1 in the entry item. Therefore, the data packet is able to pass the filtering of the firewall, and Step 208 is performed. If the MN moves to a link apart from the home link, the source address of the data packet sent from the MN to the CN is not the home address of the MN but a new CoA which is unable to match the source home address in the entry item. Therefore, the data packet is unable to pass the filtering of the firewall, and Step 202 is performed.
For another example, if the CN is outside the network protected by the firewall and the MN is in the network protected by the firewall, the entry item includes: a source home address 1, a destination home address, a source port, a destination port and a protocol number. If the MN is in the home link, the source address of the data packet sent from the CN to the MN is still the address of the CN, i.e. the source home address 1, and the destination address is the home address of the MN, i.e. the destination home address, which are able to match the source home address 1 and the destination home address in the entry item. Therefore, the data packet is able to pass the filtering of the firewall, and Step 208 performed. If the MN moves to a link apart from the home link, the address of the MN is a new CoA, but the destination address of the data packet sent from the CN to the MN is still the home address of the MN. The destination address of the data packet is able to match the destination home address in the entry item. Therefore, the data packet is able to pass the filtering of the firewall. However, the data packet is unable to be sent to the MN because the address of the MN is changed to the CoA. In this case, even though passing the address matching and Step 208 is performed, the data packet will be dropped.
Steps 202˜203: Query whether the data packet contains a Home Address Destination Option; if the data packet contains a Home Address Destination Option, extract the home address from the Home Address Destination Option to replace the source CoA of the data packet, and Step 204 is performed; otherwise, Step 205 is performed.
In this step, if the data packet includes the Home Address Destination Option, it indicates that the data packet is sent from the MN to the CN, i.e., the MN is outside the network protected by the firewall and the CN is in the network protected by the firewall. Therefore, the five elements in the entry item includes a source home address, a destination home address 1, a source port, a destination port and a protocol number.
Step 204: Match the replaced source address of the data packet, i.e. the home address of the MN with the source home address in the entry item; if the home address of the MN matches the source home address in the entry item, Step 208 is performed; otherwise, Step 209 is performed.
In this step, the replaced source address of the data packet, i.e. the home address of the MN matches the source address in the entry item; if the home address of the MN matches the source address in the entry item, the matching is successful; otherwise, the matching is unsuccessful.
Steps 205˜206: Query whether the data packet contains a Type 2 Routing Header; if the data packet contains a Type 2 Routing Header, extract the home address from the Type 2 Routing Header to replace the destination CoA of the data packet, and Step 207 is performed; otherwise, Step 209 is performed.
In this step, if the data packet includes the Type 2 Routing Header, it indicates that the data packet is sent from the CN to the MN, i.e. the CN is outside the network protected by the firewall and the MN is in the network protected by the firewall. Therefore, the five elements in the entry item includes a source home address 1, a destination home address, a source port, a destination port and a protocol number.
Step 207: Match the replaced destination address of the data packet, i.e. the home address of the MN with the destination home address in the entry item; if the home address of the MN matches the destination home address in the entry item, Step 208 is performed; otherwise, Step 209 is performed.
In this step, the replaced destination address of the data packet, i.e. the home address of the MN matches the destination home address in the entry item; if the home address of the MN matches the destination address in the entry item, the matching is successful; otherwise, the matching is unsuccessful.
Step 208: The data packet traverses the firewall successfully.
Step 209: The data packet is dropped.
The method mentioned above is for mobile IPv6 data outside a network protected by a firewall traversing the firewall. There are still disadvantages using the conventional filtering method based on the home address of the MN when a data packet is sent from the outside of the network protected by the firewall to the inside of the network protected by the firewall. For one thing, as can be seen from the procedure of FIG. 2, the conventional method needs to perform the matching for a data packet of which the current address is unable to match the corresponding address in the entry item by the filtering method based on the home address of the MN, i.e., the conventional method needs to query the option or header of the data packet, which needs a large amount of time and result a low efficiency of traversing the firewall; for another, as can be seen from the above method, when the MN is in the network protected by the firewall and the CN is outside the network protected by the firewall, even though the matching using the conventional filtering method based on the home address of the MN is successful, the data packet passing the filtering of the firewall will be dropped because the destination address changes, which makes the data packet unable to traverse the firewall normally. The detailed procedure has been described through the second example of Steps 200˜201.
It should be noted that the above method is on how the current mobile IPv6 data outside a network protected by a firewall traverses the firewall and when the data packet is sent from the inside of the network protected by the firewall to the outside of the network protected by the firewall, the above filtering method based on the home address of the MN is able to filter the data packet normally; the problem that the data packet traverses the firewall does not occur. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a minutely working method of and apparatus for forming a minute working pattern on a surface, and precisely manufacturing a lens sheet optical element such as a lenticular lens or a Fresnel lens, an orifice plate for an ink jet head, etc.
2. Related Background Art
A transmission type screen used in a projection television set generally comprises a Fresnel lens sheet functioning to condense incident light and disposed on a light source side, and a lenticular lens sheet disposed on an observer side to diffuse the incident light in a horizontal direction. Also, a contrivance for heightening contrast as by forming a black light absorbing port is provided between lenticular lenses in the lenticular lens sheet.
In recent years, however, the higher minuteness of the quality of clear vision, high vision, etc. has been advanced, and high resolution has also been required in the transmission type screen as described above. Accordingly, higher minuteness is also required of the aforementioned lens sheet, and with the higher minuteness of this lens sheet, the distance between lenses is shortened, and a thin lens sheet element is desired in order to shorten the optical path thereof. However, with the higher minuteness, the delicate minute working shape of the lens sheet such as the uniformity of the thickness thereof greatly affects the quality of image.
Also, for an orifice plate for an ink jet head, liquid crystal polymer, polysulfone or the like excellent in oil resistance and heat resistance is generally used as an ink applying port with oil resistance and also heat resistance in a thermal ink jet printer taken into account. Further, a contrivance such as controlling the surface energy of resin film is provided to improve the detachability of ink liquid.
In recent years, however, the resolution of the ink jet printer has been more and more improved and in the above-mentioned orifice plate or an orifice formed on the plate, it has become required to form a very minute shape highly accurately.
As methods of manufacturing an optical element such as a lens sheet, a semiconductor element or an orifice plate there are known, for example, the following methods.
(1) An extrusion heat melting molding method of subjecting a T die to minute working, and forming a continuous minute pattern in a taking-over direction, as described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 5-127258 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 9-043732, and a method of forming and transferring a continuous minute pattern on a take-up roll itself at that time.
(2) A casting method called the cast method of applying a predetermined amount of resin soluble in an organic solvent or the like in a molten state or the precursor or ungulvanized material thereof itself in a dissolved state to the inner surface or the outer surface of a mold, subjecting it to a desolvent process, and further heat-treating it as required, and thereafter peeling it.
(3) A photopolymer method using active energy ray curing type resin comprising ultraviolet ray curing type resin, as described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 8-328264.
(4) A heating press method of again pressing and heating a primary worked article such as a sheet or film of transparent resin to thereby form a minute pattern.
(5) A method of protecting only a necessary portion such as a resin plate, and removing an unnecessary portion by a solvent such as an acid or alkali or physical energy such as a laser beam, as described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 10-076668.
However, to make an optical element of higher minuteness, thin wall and uniform film thickness or an orifice plate of a convex type rectangular parallelepiped required by the use of the above-described minutely working method, the following various problems are encountered.
In the extrusion heat melting molding method of item (1) above, a continuous pattern of the same shape can be formed in the taking-over direction of the film or sheet, but a pattern in the non-taking-over direction cannot be formed. Also, it is difficult take up the extruded film or sheet by a roll machine or the like and therefore, to produce film or a sheet continuously, a very long take-over line is required and as the result, the cost is increased. Further, the uneven shape is crushed when the film or sheet passes the pressing roll.
Also, in the casting method and the photopolymer method of items (2) and (3) above, liquid resin is used and therefore, to obtain a sheet or film of a uniform film thickness, there are difficult problems such as the control of the density of the solution, the adjustment of drying atmosphere, the control of the entrainment of air bubbles, the solvent processing cost in the drying step and the fine adjustment of the application intensity of the active energy such as ultraviolet rays, and as the result, the degree of freedom lacks remarkably.
Further, the heating press method of item (4) above is a technique of reworking a primary molded article and is generally often used, but the heating press machine is very bulky and expensive and therefore, as the result, what is manufactured by the heating press method becomes expensive. Also, when in the heating press method, a sheet of a large area of 50 inches or greater is to be pressed, it is very difficult to uniformly maintain the temperature distribution of the entire surface, and the sheet becomes warped or the lens shape formed by a partial difference in the degree of crystallization may partly differ.
Also, in the method of item (5) removing only the unnecessary portion, when for example, a convex minute pattern is to be formed, most of it is an unnecessary portion and is the object to be removed, and this is irrational in both of production and cost. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
This invention relates to thickened functional fluids characterized by substantially improved wear properties.
It is known that antiwear additives such as zinc dialkyldithiophosphates reduce wear in thickened high-water hydraulic fluids. See for example U.S. Pat. No. 4,481,125. These fluids, however, are limited in their ability to operate in equipment, such as vane pumps, at pressures above 1,000 psi.
New associative thickeners have been developed that can be used to prepare high-water hydraulic fluids which will operate in vane pumps at pressures greater than 2,000 psi. The problem is that the wear rate at these pressures is too high (generally more than 8 mg/hr) even though the fluids contain a traditionally used antiwear additive such as a zinc dialkydithiophosphate.
The instant specification discloses that the addition of certain primary amine compounds will significantly reduce the wear rate.
British Pat. No. 1,409,157 discloses reacting a metal dialkyl dithiophosphate with an amine. However, the British patent relates to a completely non-analogous art, namely, vulcanization of synthetic elastomers and has nothing to do with functional fluids.
One group of useful primary amines is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,313,004. This patent describes certain diaminoalkoxy compounds having the following structural formula: ##STR1## wherein m and n are both numbers from 0 to about 25 and m+n equals at least 1 and R.sub.1 is selected from H and a lower alkyl group having from 1 to about 4 carbon atoms and R.sub.2 is selected from H and an alkyl group containing from 1 to 10 carbon atoms.
At column 6, lines 9-10, the patent indicates that these compounds are generally used as epoxy curing agents. Other uses for the compounds are listed at column 6, lines 9-19, of the patent. It is disclosed that they can be used as oil and fuel adductive intermediates; for the formation of diisocyanate compositions; and to form polyamides. The patent, however, does not teach or suggest that such compounds can be used to reduce the wear rate of thickened hydraulic fluids which contain an antiwear additive. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Communication via wired connections may comprise reception and/or transmission of radio frequency (RF) signals. In this regard, communication devices may transmit and/or receive RF signals carrying exchanged data, with the RF signals being configured in accordance with corresponding wired and/or wireless protocols or standards. Accordingly, signal processing (e.g., of RF signals) must be performed during wireless and/or wired communications to enable proper exchange of information. Exemplary signal processing operations may comprise filtering, amplification, up-convert/down-convert baseband signals, analog-to-digital and/or digital-to-analog conversion, encoding/decoding, encryption/decryption, and/or modulation/demodulation.
Further limitations and disadvantages of conventional and traditional approaches will become apparent to one of skill in the art, through comparison of such systems with the present invention as set forth in the remainder of the present application with reference to the drawings. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
It is well known that many services are provided which enable users to display on screen digital data provided to subscribers. For example, subscribers can receive services related to business and stock market quotations, where the stock market prices are transmitted over telephone lines and are received by a modem at the subscriber's terminal. Having a computer and keyboard entry device enables the subscriber to selectively access digital data which is sent over the telephone lines in order to display this data on the computer screen.
Many services of the type described in the previous paragraph are available, except that the expense of the service is not trivial. Also, the subscriber generally has to have a computer and a modem in order to be able to fully participate in the range of service offered to the subscribers.
Many tv channels transmit programs including digital data for the purpose of close-captioning. The digital data is transmitted with the video signals and is stored in the vertical blanking interval (VBI). This data can be extracted using a decoder which then re-integrates the translated digital data to a regular video signal that can be displayed on the tv screen. This displays the captions on the screen simultaneously with the video picture.
In more detail, an existing system is a teletext system authorized by the FCC in lines 10-18 of the transmission band. Teletext is a one way data transmision system that is sent out as part of a tv signal, whether the signal is sent out via satellite, cable, or regular broadcast tv. This teletext information is available free of charge to viewers, in contrast with the digital data sent to subscribers of various services of the type mentioned hereinabove. There are many types of teletext services being offered at this time covering topics such as cultural affairs, home and catalog shopping, sports, news, financial information, weather, and other types of statistics. Such teletext information is regularly offered by the major networks.
As noted, teletext text and graphics are transmitted as digital data squeezed into a broadcast television signal in the vertical blanking interval. This interval is the time at the end of each television field when the cathode-ray beam is cut off while it returns to start the next field. The VBI is also used for the transmission of information other than teletext information. Such other uses include closed-captioned information, automatic color-balance information and broadcast test data. Teletext is sent as an endless loop of pages where the data for the pages are transmitted serially at the rate of 13,500 bits per second per VBI line used. The total rate of transmission is dependent upon the number of lines (up to 8) used to transmit the data.
At the user end, a decoder is used to convert the teletext data to a regular video signal that can be displayed on a tv screen. Any of the pages in the loop can be accessed at random. However, because an endless-loop format is used, it takes time for each page to come around in the loop. This means that there is a slight delay between the time the page number is entered and the time that the page actually appears on the tv screen. In turn, this imposes a practical limit to the number of pages that a teletext service can offer. One way to alleviate this delay is to transmit the more important pages of information more than once within the endless loop, so that these pages will come up faster. For example, indices are transmitted several times in the loop, since these pages are more important to the users.
When using teletext services, it is not possible to access any page of information without the attendant delay in being able to extract and display the digital information. Further, there is no provision for permanently storing a page of information that is interesting to the user. Rather, the endless loop of information is continuously updated and is often changed so that a desired page is no longer part of the loop of information that is transmitted. Since the presently available teletext decoders are rather expensive and further since the ease of extracting information is limited, such systems have not found great popularity. On the other hand, the online services, while solving many of the teletext services problems, require expensive equipment and are expensive due to their high subscription rates.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an inexpensive apparatus for use with conventional tv sets which will economically enable consumers to utilize the digital data sent with video signals.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a system for use with a conventional tv set which enables one to extract and use digital data sent with tv signals in a manner wherein such information can be extracted, permanently stored, and retrieved for display on a tv screen at any time.
It is another object of the present invention to provide and apparatus enabling the ready extraction, storage, and retrieval for display on a tv screen of digital data sent along with video signals, where the restrictions of an endless-loop format are overcome.
It is another object of this invention to provide an apparatus for extracting and storing digital data sent along with video signals, where the updating of the digital data sent with the video signal does not preclude the display on the tv screen of digital data which is no longer being transmitted with the video signals.
It is another object of this invention to provide a system enabling expanded use of a conventional tv set wherein digital data sent with the tv signal can be selectively accessed and displayed on the tv screen. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a radio frequency (RF) application circuit. More particularly, the present invention relates to a RF application circuit having a switch-block composed of a pair of bipolar junction transistors (BJTs) and applied in a capacitance unit of a LC resonance circuit.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventionally, in the LC (inductance-capacitance) filter or the LC oscillator of a radio frequency (RF) circuit, the switch used in a capacitance bank of a LC resonance circuit is usually implemented with N-channel metal-oxide-semiconductor (NMOS) transistor. This is because the gate side and drain side of the NMOS transistor are separated from each other, thus the DC level of the NMOS transistor is not affected when the NMOS transistor is turned on/off.
However, when the NMOS transistor is served as the switch in the capacitance bank of the LC resonance circuit, the NMOS transistor will be caused the RF circuit consuming a lot of power consumption, this is because the NMOS transistor with a high turned-on resistance value. In order to solve aforementioned problem, conventionally, a plurality of NMOS transistors, which are connected in parallel, can be reduced thereof turned-on resistance value. It is obviously, if the switch in the capacitance bank of the LC resonance circuit are utilized a plurality of NMOS transistors connected in parallel, the element size of the switch is increased, and the turned-off parasitic capacitance value thereof is also increased simultaneously.
In accordance with described above, the increased turned-off parasitic capacitance value of the switch further will be decreased the resolution of the capacitance bank in the LC resonance circuit, and thus the performance of the RF circuit thereof is adversely affected. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
This invention relates generally to the field of floor coverings and more specifically to a Method and Apparatus For Optimization of Floor Covering And System For User Configuration and Real Time Pricing Information. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
“Cloud computing” services provide shared resources, applications, and information to computers and other devices upon request. In cloud computing environments, services can be provided by one or more servers accessible over the Internet rather than installing software locally on in-house computer systems. As such, users having a variety of roles can interact with cloud computing services. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
The present invention relates to an automatic figure drawing apparatus and method, and particularly relates to an automatic figure drawing apparatus and method in a computer aided design system (hereinafter abbreviated as "CAD system").
CAD (Computer Aided Design) is an art which has the purposes of making design high in speed, high in quality, and so on. In a CAD system, in order to attain these objectives, it is important to make automatic figure drawing efficient by re-using figure data and using standard parts figure data.
FIGS. 9(a)-(c) are block system diagrams illustrating a conventional automatic figure drawing apparatus.
FIG. 9(a) shows an apparatus for figure drawing by a parametric system, in which data described in a book or the like, such as inner and outer diameters, width, etc. of a bearing are put into a CAD system, and automatic figure drawing is performed in accordance with a drawing program of this CAD system. There have been problems in this case in that if erroneous data is put into a CAD system, an erroneous figure is drawn on the basis of the erroneous data, and in that it is troublesome to input data in accordance with the order of a predetermined format.
The figure drawing by a parametric system is that in which, for example, a parallelogram is expressed by variables a, b and .alpha. as shown in FIG. 8(c); a regular square being expressed if a=b and .alpha.=90.degree., a rectangle being expressed if a b and .alpha.=90.degree., a parallelogram being expressed if a b and .alpha. 90.degree.. Thus, various quadrilaterals different in kind or size can be expressed in accordance with the variables a, b and .alpha.. There is another figure drawing system, which is called a vector data system. This is a system to express a regular square and a regular triangle by variables a' and b' as shown in FIGS. 8(a) and 8(b) respectively; the variable a' can express only a regular square, while the variable b' can express only a regular triangle. That is, for example, if a rectangle is to be expressed, other variables, such as x and y are used. In the above-mentioned example of quadrilaterals, this system has co-ordinates of start and end points of respective lines as data; in the regular square in FIG. 8(a), its four sides are expressed by co-ordinates a1, a2, a3 and a4 of the constant a', and in the quadrilateral in FIG. 8(c), its four sides are expressed by co-ordinates b1, b2, b3 and b4. Those co-ordinates vary if the size of the figure vary.
Being different from a figure drawing method using a figure drawing program as shown in FIG. 9(a), a figure drawing method shown in FIG. 9(b) is such that necessary data is selected, by inputting a command, from figure data (so-called electronic catalog data) stored in advance in a memory means such as a magnetic disk in which a data base is built. Being different from the case where a person reads catalog data values in a book and inputs the read-out catalog data values into a CAD system as shown in FIG. 9(a), figure data entry error is less because of the electronic catalog data on a magnetic medium. There are however problems in that all the necessary figure data must be stored on a magnetic medium, so that a magnetic disk having a large capacity is required which thereby results in a disadvantage in cost and space, and in the case of using floppy disks, the number of the disks becomes large which results in combersome management thereof.
A figure drawing method shown in FIG. 9(c) is a method in which figure data for CAD is produced by a figure drawing program of a parametric system having a data base which is not running on CAD, and the figure data are read into a CAD system to perform figure drawing. In the method, therefore, there has been a problem of troublesome operation in that another CAD system is required and switching is also necessary. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a single use lancet assembly which is substantially compact, yet effective for piercing a patient's finger or other body part to obtain a blood sample. The single use lancet device is further configured to be substantially safe to transport and to ensure that subsequent uses of a contaminated lancet tip cannot occur.
2. Description of the Related Art
Lancets are commonly utilized instruments which are employed both in hospitals and other medical facilities, as well as by private individuals, such as diabetics, in order to prick or pierce a patient's skin, typically on a finger of a patient, thereby leading to the generation of a blood sample which can be collected for testing. Because of the wide spread use of such lancets, there are a variety of lancet devices which are available for utilization by patients and/or practitioners in a variety of different circumstances.
For example, a typical lancet may merely include a housing with a sharp piercing tip that is pushed into the patient's skin. More commonly, however, lancet devices, which house a piercing tip and/or a lancet, have been developed which effectively encase and fire the lancet into the patient's skin, thereby eliminating the need for the person taking the sample to actually push the lancet tip into the skin.
Within the various types of specialized lancet devices, one variety is typically configured for multiple and/or repeated uses, while another category is particularly configured for single use, after which the entire device is disposed of. Looking in particular to the single use, disposable lancet devices, such devices typically include a housing which contains and directs or drives a piercing tip into the patient's skin, and which is disposed of along with the used lancet. Naturally, so to make such disposable devices cost effective for frequent use, such devices tend to be rather simplistic in nature providing only a sufficient mechanism for firing, and not overly complicating the design so as to minimize that cost.
While existing single use devices are generally effective for achieving the piercing of the skin required for effective operation, such single use, disposable devices typically do not incorporate a large number of safety features to ensure the safe use and disposal of the device. For example, one primary area of safety which must be addressed with all lancet devices pertains to the purposeful and/or inadvertent reuse of a contaminated lancet. Unfortunately, most currently available single use lancet devices are configured such that after a use thereof has been achieved, it is possible for a patient to re-cock the device, thereby allowing for a subsequent, inappropriate use.
As a result, it would be highly beneficial to provide a single use lancet device which is substantially compact and disposable, can be manufactured in a substantially cost effective manner, and which nevertheless is substantially safe to utilize, affirmatively preventing re-use, once contaminated. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
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