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1. Field
Aspects of embodiments according to the present invention relate to a display device and a driving method thereof.
2. Description of Related Art
In recent years, various flat panel displays, with reduced weight and volume compared to that of cathode ray tube devices, have been developed. Some examples of the flat panel display devices include a liquid crystal display (LCD), a field emission display (FED), a plasma display panel (PDP), and an organic light emitting display.
Among the various flat panel displays, the organic light emitting display displays an image by using organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) which generate light by the recombination of electrons and holes. The organic light emitting display has fast response, low power consumption, and excellent emission efficiency, luminance, and viewing angle. The organic light emitting diode (OLED) display may be classified as a passive matrix organic light emitting diode (PMOLED) display or an active matrix organic light emitting diode (AMOLED) display, according to a driving method of the OLEDs.
In the passive matrix type (PMOLED), an anode and a cathode are formed crossing each other and a cathode line and an anode line are selected to be driven. In the active matrix type (AMOLED), a thin film transistor and a capacitor are integrated in each pixel to maintain a voltage by the capacitance of the capacitor. The passive matrix type has a simple structure and thus, it has a low cost. However, the passive matrix type is not as suitable for fabricating large sized or high-resolution panels. The active matrix type, on the other hand, enables the fabrication of large-sized and high-resolution panels. However, its control method is more complex and its cost is relatively high compared to PMOLED displays. The AMOLED display, which selectively lights every unit pixel, has been widely used.
In newer AMOLED display devices, such as a portable communication device or digital imaging device, bi-directional driving is being proposed as a way to provide improved viewing angle characteristics of the display panel, as well as to allow the display panel to be reversed depending on installation positions. However, the display device including the bi-directional scan driver and a corresponding pixel circuit may have the problem of an increase in panel D/S because of an increase in circuit complexity and an increase in the number of elements. Accordingly, there is a demand for the development of a driving method of pixels that are driven by bi-directional scanning, in association with a circuit design of a scan driver for reducing the overall panel D/S in the display device by decreasing the driving circuit area of the bi-directional scan driver.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the invention and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art. | {
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I. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a polishing apparatus and a substrate processing apparatus, and more particularly to a polishing apparatus for removing surface roughness produced at a peripheral portion (a bevel portion and an edge portion) of a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer, or for removing a film formed on a peripheral portion of a substrate, and to a substrate processing apparatus having such a polishing apparatus.
II. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, according to finer structures and higher integration of semiconductor devices, it has become more important to manage particles. One of the major problems in managing particles is dust caused by surface roughness produced at a bevel portion and an edge portion of a semiconductor wafer (substrate) in a fabrication process of semiconductor devices. In this case, a bevel portion means, as shown in FIG. 11, a portion B having a curvature in a cross-section of an edge of a semiconductor wafer W, and an edge portion means a flat portion E extending about several millimeters radially inwardly from the bevel portion B of the wafer. Hereinafter, the bevel portion and the edge portion will be collectively referred to as a peripheral portion.
In the fabrication process of the semiconductor devices, a large number of needle-like fine projections may be formed on the peripheral portion of the semiconductor wafer, thereby producing the surface roughness. The needle-like projections may be broken in transferring or processing the semiconductor wafer and thus produce the particles. Since such particles lead to a lower yield, it is necessary to remove the needle-like projections formed on the peripheral portion of the semiconductor wafer.
There has recently been a tendency to use Cu as interconnect material of the semiconductor devices and to use low-k material as dielectric. If Cu formed on the peripheral portion of the semiconductor wafer is attached to an arm of a transfer robot or a cassette in which the semiconductor wafer is accommodated, Cu may be diffused to contaminate other processes, resulting in a so-called cross contamination. Since low-k film has a very low strength, it may be detached from the peripheral portion of the semiconductor wafer during CMP process and may damage, e.g. scratch, a patterned surface. Therefore, it is important to completely remove Cu and low-k film from the peripheral portion of the semiconductor wafer.
From such situations, in the semiconductor fabrication process, the polishing of the peripheral portion of the substrate is carried out using a polishing tape having fixed abrasive attached on a surface thereof. In this kind of polishing process, the polishing tape is brought into sliding contact with the peripheral portion of the substrate while the substrate is being rotated, thereby removing the needle-like projections and the film formed on the peripheral portion of the substrate. However, when the polishing tape is in sliding contact with the peripheral portion of the substrate, polishing wastes (shavings) are scattered around the substrate. If such polishing wastes are attached to the device part of the substrate, defects may be caused in this device part, resulting in a low yield. Therefore, it is necessary to prevent the polishing wastes from attaching to the substrate. Further, also in a cleaning process, a drying process, and a substrate-transferring process after the polishing process, it is necessary to prevent the polishing wastes and particles, which have been produced in the polishing process, from attaching to the substrate. | {
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Polarization-dependent loss (PDL), i.e. insertion loss dependent upon the state of polarization of the input light, is particularly undesirable in optical detectors. Various ways have been proposed to render an optical detector insensitive to the state of polarization of the input light. For example, it has been proposed to interpose in front of the optical detector an optical element which exhibits polarization-dependent loss approximately equal to that of the optical detector and orient the optical element and optical detector so that their polarization-dependent losses cancel. In theory, this technique should be capable of excellent results. In practice, however, differing characteristics of the optical element and optical detector make it difficult to match the amounts of polarization-dependent loss and orient the optical element to achieve the required cancellation over a wide wavelength and temperature range.
An alternative proposal involves interposing in front of the optical detector an optical element, such as Erbium doped optical fiber, which absorbs the polarized input light and spontaneously emits unpolarized light, at another wavelength, which is captured by the detector. Although this technique is capable of reducing the polarization dependence effects at the optical detector to very low levels, it requires restriction of the range of wavelengths of the input light and also results in low optical efficiency. Also, in order to make a low PDL measurement of the input power, the coupling of the input light into the Erbium doped fiber must be made in a manner which has low polarization dependence. These requirements limit the number of applications for this technique. | {
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This invention relates to a rotary device, which preferably is a pulley for use with an endless flexible drive element such as a belt, and whose effective diameter is variable in order to achieve a variable transmission ratio between the pulley and another pulley or pulleys with which the flexible drive element cooperates.
The invention has been devised in relation to such a pulley which comprises a pair of sheave members rotatable about an axis and supported for movement relative to one another in the direction along said axis, the sheave members having generally frusto-conical driving surfaces facing one another to define a generally V-section annular groove therebetween; and a drive ring disposed between the sheave members and having an external circumferential surface engagable by the drive belt and side surfaces engaging said facing generally frusto-conical driving surfaces of the sheave members, the drive ring being constrained between the sheave members and being able to assume an eccentric position relative thereto when permitted by the dimensions of the groove defined between the sheave members in accordance with the relative axial position thereof. Such a pulley will hereafter be referred to as a pulley of the kind specified.
In a pulley of the kind specified, as the distance between the driving surfaces of the sheave members increases (i.e. the V-section groove there between becomes wider) the drive ring is able to assume an increasingly eccentric position relative to tie sheave members and is caused to do so by the tension of the belt entrained around it. It may be the tension in the belt which causes the drive ring to assume an eccentric position and increase the distance between the sheave members. As the speed at which the drive ring is driven by the sheave members is dependent on the effective diameter at which they are engaged by the drive ring, the effective diameter of the pulley is decreased.
A pulley of the kind specified may be required to be used in the auxiliary drive system of an internal combustion engine for a motor vehicle. It is usual to arrange for the auxiliaries, which may comprise one or more of the following, namely an alternator, a water pump, a cooling fan, a power steering pump, an air conditioning pump, and so on, to be driven from the engine crank shaft by a belt. If a pulley of the kind specified is provided on the engine crank shaft, a variable transmission ratio may be provided between the crank shaft and the auxiliaries, so that the latter can be driven at a reasonably high speed when the engine is running slowly and yet not be over-speeded when the engine is being operated at its maximum speed. A means for maintaining the required tension in the drive belt or for causing a speed-dependent increase in belt tension, is, of course, additionally required when a pulley of the kind specified is thus used.
When a pulley of the kind specified is in use, it is a requirement that the drive ring should remain in a constant or substantially constant axial position, to maintain its alignment with the other pulley or pulleys with which the drive belt cooperates. It is the object of the present invention to provide a pulley of the kind specified with a convenient construction which enables this requirement to be met. In fulfilling this object, however, it will be appreciated as pointed out hereafter that the present invention is applicable to devices other than a pulley of the kind specified. | {
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Closed Captioning feeds accompanying video and audio broadcasts help hearing impaired individuals understand and enjoy content that might otherwise be inaccessible to them. Currently, most television broadcasts, both live and pre-recorded, are transmitted with accompanying Closed Captioning or Subtitles. Advances in data storage and transmission technology have also come about that allow quick access to properly organized data of a variety of different file formats. | {
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This invention relates to actuator arms for data storage disc drives, and particularly to rigid actuator arms formed of pliable material, such as sheet metal, with integral struts arranged to support an actuator coil.
Rotating disc data storage devices store data along concentric tracks of a rotatable disc. An actuator assembly positions a transducer adjacent a selected track to transfer data between the disc media and the transducer. Electrical conductors couple the transducer to external circuitry, such as a data processor, so that data may be transferred to the transducer to write data to the medium and so that data read from the from the medium by the transducer may be transferred from the transducer. The actuator assembly consists of a rigid actuator arm that is pivotably mounted to the frame of the disc drive, a flexible suspension at the distal end of the actuator arm, a transducer mounted to the flexible suspension to xe2x80x9cflyxe2x80x9d a predetermined distance from the rotating storage medium, and a motor that rotates the actuator arm about the pivot point to move the transducer across the tracks on the medium. The suspension is resilient to provide a force, or load, to counter the upward force imposed on the transducer by the air movement supporting the transducer as it flies adjacent the rotating medium.
It is important that the actuator assembly have minimum weight to minimize inertia that may adversely affect the response of the motor and arm to actuation signals to move the transducer across tracks of the medium. The arm of the actuator assembly must be sufficiently rigid so that impulse and acceleration forces on the arm during a track seek operation does not bend or distort the arm.
Presently, arms of actuator assemblies are constructed of sturdy, lightweight materials, such as aluminum and aluminum alloys, plastic, and metal encapsulated plastic. The flexible suspension is attached to a distal end of the arm, such as by fasteners, swaging, staking, etc. Additionally, support mechanisms are employed to attach the motor, such as a coil, to the proximal end of the arm. These attachment mechanisms add weight to the actuator assemblies, adversely affecting inertia. Moreover, these attachments often require multiple assembly steps, adding to the cost of the actuator assembly. The present invention provides a solution to these and other problems, and offers other advantages over the prior art.
In accordance with the present invention, an actuator arm for a rotary actuator assembly is arranged to position a transducer adjacent a track on a rotatable data storage medium of a disc drive to transfer data between the transducer and the medium. The actuator arm comprises a substantially planar sheet of pliable material defining a longitudinal actuator arm having longitudinal edges, a distal end for supporting the transducer, a proximal end supporting an actuator coil, and a bore hole through the sheet having an axis aligned with the pivot bearing axis. The bore hole is arranged to receive the pivot bearing on the disc drive so that the arm may pivot about the pivot bearing axis for arcuate movement of the transducer. A strut integral with the sheet extends substantially normal to the plane of the sheet along at least a portion of at least one longitudinal edge and/or the proximal end of the arm. The strut provides rigidity to at least a portion of the arm.
In one embodiment, the strut includes a first integral strut portion extending along at least a portion of at least one longitudinal edge of the arm and a second integral strut portion defining a support at the proximal end of the arm. The actuator coil is wrapped about the support on the sheet.
In another embodiment, the strut includes first and second strut portions that extend along opposite longitudinal edges of the arm from a region of the bore hole to a location proximal the distal end. The strut portions define a rigid portion between the strut portions and a flexible suspension region distal to the rigid portion.
Other features and benefits that characterize embodiments of the present invention will be apparent upon reading the following detailed description and review of the associated drawings. | {
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The present disclosure relates to semiconductor device fabrication and in particular to conditioning of polishing pad used during substrate polishing and planarization processes of semiconductor fabrication.
During semiconductor fabrication a substrate may be polished or planarized to remove a layer or portion thereof from the substrate. One such process is known as chemical mechanical polishing (CMP). In a typical CMP process, a substrate is supported by an apparatus, which presses the substrate against a polishing pad (e.g., a rotating pad). Often the pad polishes the substrate in the presence of a polishing slurry, water, or other fluid. During the polishing, the properties of the polishing pad may be altered, for example, changing the polishing rate or quality (e.g., uniformity). Thus, pad conditioning is performed to restore the polishing pad by reconditioning the surface of the polishing pad that comes into contact with the substrate during polishing. Improving the pad conditioning is desired. | {
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1. Field Of The Invention
This invention relates to semiconductor devices and, more particularly, to the use of a polysilicon layer for local interconnect in a CMOS technology incorporating silicon dioxide sidewall spacers.
2. Description Of The Relevant Art
The use of a polysilicon layer for local interconnect has been reported in the literature for both bipolar and MOS technologies. In bipolar processes, a polysilicon layer can be used to electrically contact the base and collector regions of bipolar transistors. In MOS technologies, a polysilicon layer can be used to electrically contact the source-drain regions of the MOS transistors. The electrical contacts so formed are termed "buried contacts." By suitable patterning of the polysilicon layer forming the buried contacts, a local interconnect may be formed. Global interconnects then are formed by contacting the polysilicon layer using conventional metal interconnects.
In the past, local interconnects were formed using metal interconnects. Since the number of metal layers which may be formed on a given portion of a wafer is limited, the use of a polysilicon layer for local interconnect allows the metal layer that was formerly used for local interconnect to be employed as an additional global interconnect layer. In addition to the advantages in layout provided by an additional global interconnect layer, the use of a polysilicon layer to form device contacts also results in an improvement in transistor performance through reduction in device parasitic areas (e.g., the extrinsic base area in bipolar transistors). It also results in simplification of contact etch technology for shallow junctions where very high etch selectivity to the substrate is required. This is particularly important in processes where dielectric planarization is performed before contact etch, because contact may be made to the polysilicon layer rather than the shallow junction.
Known devices which use a polysilicon layer for local interconnect do not employ silicon dioxide sidewall spacers on the polysilicon layer. For example. FIG. 1 shows a semiconductor structure 1 wherein a polysilicon layer 2 forms a buried contact 3 to an active region 5. Structure 1 is silicided so that a silicide layer 6 extends over the top and sides of polysilicon layer 2 and thereafter along the surface of active region 5. Consequently, a source or drain current I.sub.S/D flows primarily along the silicided surface 6 to the active region 5.
In advanced CMOS or BiCMOS processes having very high packing densities, oxide sidewall spacers 7 (FIG. 2) are essential to ensure electrical isolation between polysilicon layer 2 and the polysilicon layer forming the gate (not shown). However, any silicide layer 6 now formed is discontinuous because no silicide forms over the oxide sidewall spacers 7. Consequently, a source/drain current I.sub.S/D flowing along the silicide layer 6 on the upper surface of polysilicon layer 2 must flow through the buried contact 3 and into the active region 5, beneath the sidewall spacer 7, and thereafter back to the silicided portion 6 of the active region 5. Because current must cross the buried contact 3 between the polysilicon layer 2 and the active region 5, a high series resistance may result. This high series resistance can degrade the performance of the device below acceptable levels in many applications. As a natural result of this concern, the use of a polysilicon layer for local interconnect in the presence of sidewall spacers has been avoided.
Finally, known devices which use a polysilicon layer for local interconnect limit contacts to N-type active regions to avoid the additional steps required when processing a polysilicon layer with differently doped regions. This hinders the flexibility of the polysilicon interconnect scheme or eliminates it altogether. | {
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In PET imaging, a subject is injected with a radiopharmaceutical which targets particular tissues typically through absorption based on a metabolic activity. As the radiopharmaceutical decays, positrons are emitted which annihilate in contact with an electron to form a pair of photons emitted 180° opposite along a line of response (LOR). The emitted gamma photons are recorded by PET detectors surrounding the subject. The locations of the annihilation events are computed from the recorded gamma photons which provide an image of the tissues targeted by the radiopharmaceutical. The emitted photons are affected by the density of tissues between the point of the annihilation event and the detector by either absorption or deflection. The recorded amount of radiopharmaceutical present in tissue is attenuated from the actual amount by the tissue density along the LORs. Correction for attenuation of PET image data seeks to accurately identify the tissue density at each voxel with an attenuation correction map for the subject being imaged.
Developing attenuation correction maps has been performed with X-ray radiation devices such CT scanners where recorded levels of X-ray radiation attenuation or transmission used to reconstruct images correlate strongly with tissue density. Newer techniques seek to use magnetic resonance systems (MR based attenuation correction—“MRAC”) which avoid exposure of the subject to X-ray radiation. However, magnetic resonance imaging does not inherently differentiate tissue density.
Water and fat images are used to segment tissues for tissue classification. Current MR techniques, such as Dixon or mDixon, for concurrently obtaining water and fat images are typically optimized to produce the best possible spatial resolution in a given data acquisition time. In the Dixon technique, more fully described in U.S. Publication No. 2010/0052674, an in-phase image (0°) and an out-of-phase image (180°) are reconstructed from data collected at two echo times in a pulse sequence timed such that the phase difference between water and fat is usually 180° at the first echo time and 0° or (360°) at the second echo time. In the mDixon technique, more fully described in International Patent Application PCT/IB2010/050745, the constraints on the phase difference between water and fat at the first and at the second echo time are relaxed, allowing two arbitrary echo times with phase differences between water and fat other than 0° and 180°.
In the Dixon technique, long TRs (repetition times) may be experienced which results in long data acquisition times. For example, when imaging a station of a whole body image, the time needed to collect all data exceeds a typical subject's capability to hold his or her breath, leading to image artifacts induced by respiratory motion and thus in tissue misclassification in attenuation maps at a voxel level.
Typical PET systems provide a resolution of ≥2 mm, whereas typical MR systems achieve a resolution of ≤1 mm. In consequence, the MR system usually classifies each voxel of the tissue at a higher resolution in the attenuation map, which is then later aggregated, averaged, interpolated, etc. to map to the coarser resolution of the PET system to perform the attenuation correction. | {
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This invention relates to a method of reading the radiation image recorded two-dimensionally in an imaging plate that uses a stimulable phosphor as a radiation detecting medium. The invention relates particularly to a method characterized by rapid reading of the radiation image in the imaging plate and its continuous reading as the plate is illuminated with radiation. Because of these features, the invention is useful in understanding dynamic events based on rapid processing and real-time radiation image detection as in medical X-ray diagnosis, X-ray structural analysis and research, neutral structural analysis and research, and autoradiography using X-rays and neutrons.
FIG. 1 shows a conventional method of reading the radiation image recorded two-dimensionally in an imaging plate that uses a stimulable phosphor as a radiation detecting medium. An irradiated imaging plate 201 on a transport belt 202 is moved as it is scanned over the surface with a spot beam of exciting light 204 from a light source 203 that has been reflected by a galvano-mirror 205. The exciting light is typically laser light. The exciting light 204 generates photostimulated fluorescence 206 that is directed by a condensing guide 207 typically made of an optical fiber bundle and passed through a bandpass optical filter 208 having the wavelength of the photostimulated fluorescence as a center wavelength before it is detected with a photomultiplier tube 209. The detected light is then supplied to a signal processor 210, where it is converted to digital signals in accordance with intensity and reconstructed as a radiation image; this is the process of reading the radiation image recorded two-dimensionally in the imaging plate 201 [Nucl. Instr. and Meth., A246, p. 572-578 (1986); Gendai Kagaku, No. 223, p. 29-36 (1989)].
Another method currently used to transport the imaging plate is by rotating it on a drum [Nucl. Instr. and Meth., A310, p. 366-368 (1991); Hoshasen, Vol. 23, No. 2, p. 43-51 (1995)].
In the conventional method of reading radiation images, an imaging plate mounted on a belt or a drum is moved as its surface is scanned two-dimensionally pixel by pixel with a spot beam of laser light. Reading the radiation image from the entire surface of the imaging plate by this method is a time-consuming job. In addition, the imaging plate is moved mechanically in order to read one of the two axes in two-dimensional scanning and this not only limits the moving speed but also increases the chance of mechanical troubles. As a result, it has been difficult to perform real-time detection of the radiation image at high speed as the imaging plate is illuminated with radiation.
As a further problem, detecting the photostimulated fluorescence from the same side of the imaging plate as where the exciting light is incident makes the system highly sensitive to the intense scattering of the exciting light which can be background noise to the radiation image. In order to avoid the undesired effects of the scattered light, improvements have been made on the technique of processing the surface of the imaging plate and the method of condensing the photostimulated fluorescence by the condensing guide.
The principal object of the invention is to provide a method of reading the radiation image in an imaging plate that is capable of rapid reading of the radiation image with high sensitivity and reduced background noise from the scattering of exciting light, that minimizes the mechanically moving parts to reduce the causes of trouble, and that enables the radiation image to be read continuously in real time and stored as a digital image while the imaging plate is illuminated with radiation.
In order to attain this object, the exciting light for reading the photostimulated fluorescence from color centers created by radiation in the bulk of the stimulable phosphor used as a detecting medium in the imaging plate is applied in a rectangular shape to the front side of the imaging plate whereas the photostimulated fluorescence from the back side of the imaging plate is detected with a planar array of wavelength shifters that is positioned at right angles to the rectangular shape of exciting light, thereby reading the two-dimensionally recorded radiation image. This enables the radiation image to be read from the imaging plate at high speed since the whole image can be read by scanning with the moving rectangular shape of exciting light. As a further advantage, the imaging plate fixed on the scan table is scanned by illumination with the rectangular shape of exciting light and this reduces the causes of trouble since the only mechanical part of the system is found in the mechanism for performing one-directional scan.
The imaging plate used in the method of the invention which relies upon a stimulable phosphor as a detection medium is capable of transmitting light through both front and back sides and exciting light is incident on the front side whereas the photostimulated fluorescence emitted from the back side is detected. Therefore, almost all of the scattered exciting light that is emitted simultaneously with the photostimulated fluorescence is rejected by the bandpass optical filter that is placed behind the imaging plate and which has the wavelength of the photostimulated fluorescence as a center wavelength. Any leakage of the scattered exciting light from the optical filter is incident on the wavelength shifters in fiber form at right angles and only a very portion of it propagates through the shifters. The fluorescence shifted in wavelength by the wavelength shifters is passed through a bandpass optical filter having the wavelength of the fluorescence as a central wavelength and this ensures that the scattered exciting light will not be launched into a photodetector to become background noise to the radiation image.
The imaging plate used in the invention may be so modified as to comprise a planar array of fibers made of a transparent glass capable of emitting photostimulated fluorescence. Since this type of glass itself is in fiber form, the imaging plate allows for efficient reading of photostimulated fluorescence from the color centers created by radiation. The already described method of reading can be employed without any change and the radiation image in the imaging plate can be read at high speed and with high sensitivity by scanning with the moving rectangular shape of exciting light.
In the conventional method, a photomultiplier tube has been used as a photodetector. In the invention, a multi-channel photodetector is substituted that consists of optics, a streak tube and a CCD camera. The streak tube consists of a photocathode, electrodes with a slit, a deflector, a micro-plate channel and a fluorescent screen. The fluorescence emitted from the array of wavelength shifters is passed through the optics and allowed to be incident on the horizontal axis of the streak tube. Since the streak tube sweeps the deflector by time, its vertical axis is swept in correspondence with the reading position in the longitudinal direction of the imaging plate, whereby a streak image is produced on the fluorescent screen. The streak image is cumulatively detected with the CCD camera capable of two-dimensional recording and the accumulated signals are digitized with a signal processor, thereby reading the radiation image recorded two-dimensionally in the imaging plate. Using this multi-channel photodetector, one can detect photostimulated fluorescence, integrate the amount of fluorescence and store a large volume of data within very short times. On the other hand, if photomultiplier tubes are to be used, their number must be equal to that of the wavelength shifters used and the same numbers of signal amplifiers, integrators and analog/digital converters must also be used at subsequent stages; this raises the need to use a huge volume of modules but offers the advantage of enabling real-time processing. It should also be noted that the time required for the analog/digital converters to digitize signals is xe2x80x9cdead timexe2x80x9d, which is a dominant factor in determining the scanning time.
The present inventors also developed a method of condensing and detecting photostimulated fluorescence via optical fibers as a means for effective use of the multi-channel photodetector composed of optics, a streak tube and a CCD camera. This method uses an imaging plate reading apparatus comprising an imaging plate using a stimulable phosphor as a detecting medium, an exciting light source that emits a wavelength of light capable of exciting the stimulable phosphor, a mechanism by which the exciting light outputted from the exciting light source is applied in a rectangular shape, a single array of optical fibers into which the rectangular shape of photostimulated fluorescence produced by illumination with the exciting light is launched from an end to be condensed, a scan mechanism in which both the mechanism for applying the exciting light in a rectangular shape and the optical fiber array are mounted on the moving section and which moves them simultaneously to scan the entire surface of the imaging plate, a bandpass optical filter having the wavelength of the photostimulated fluorescence as a central wavelength, a multi-channel photodetector for detecting in multiple channels the photostimulated fluorescence outputted from the optical fiber array and which consists of optics, a streak tube and a CCD camera in combination, and a signal processor for processing the detection signals from the multiple channels. In this apparatus, the photostimulated fluorescence condensed by the optical fiber array is passed through the bandpass optical filter having the wavelength of the photostimulated fluorescence as a central wavelength. The photostimulated fluorescence is then passed through the optics and allowed to be incident on the horizontal axis of the streak tube whereas the vertical axis of the streak tube which sweeps by time is swept in correspondence with the reading position in the longitudinal direction of the imaging plate, whereby a streak image is produced on the fluorescent screen of the streak tube. The streak image is cumulatively detected with the CCD camera and the accumulated signals are read, digitized and reconstructed as a radiation image with the signal processor, whereby the radiation image recorded two-dimensionally in the imaging plate can be read.
Thus, it has become possible to perform a rapid process comprising the steps of detecting radiation image signals from the imaging plate, accumulating them, converting them to digital signals, and storing the digital signals in the data storage unit in the signal processor. By synchronizing the step of scanning the rectangular shape of exciting light continuously and repeatedly over the imaging plate from the start to the end point in its longitudinal width with the process comprising the steps of detecting radiation image signals from the imaging plate, accumulating them, converting them to digital signals and storing the digital signals in the storage unit in the signal processor, the two-dimensional radiation image can be continuously read from the imaging plate as it is illuminated with radiation.
However, the use of the multi-channel photodetector composed of optics, a streak tube and a CCD camera has a difficulty in that the process of scanning with exciting light must be suspended until all data accumulated in the CCD camera is digitized and incorporated into the signal processor. To solve this problem, the streak image on the fluorescent screen of the streak tube is detected and accumulated in two or more CCD cameras that are selectively operated in synchronism with the scan of the imaging plate so that while one CCD camera is in the process of detection and accumulation, the radiation image data already accumulated in another CCD camera is read out. With this approach, there is no need to suspend the scanning operation while the accumulated radiation image data is being read out of the CCD cameras and two-dimensional radiation image can be read continuously from the imaging plate as it is illuminated with radiation.
To operate two or more CCD cameras selectively, they are mounted at equal angles on a rotating table and moved in synchronism with repeated scan of the imaging plate with the rectangular shape of exciting light until one CCD camera comes into registry with the streak image on the fluorescent screen of the streak tube. While this CCD camera is in the process of detection and accumulation, the radiation image data already accumulated in another CCD camera is read out. With this approach, there is no need to suspend the scanning operation while the accumulated radiation image data is being read out of the CCD cameras and two-dimensional radiation image can be read continuously from the imaging plate as it is illuminated with radiation.
In the foregoing description, the radiations to be measured are limited to ionizing radiations such as X-rays, xcex3-rays, xcex2-rays, xcex1-rays and particle rays that can be directly measured with the imaging plate, but these are not the sole examples of the invention. If at least one neutron converter selected from among Gd, 6Li and 10B which can convert neutrons to an ionizable radiation is mixed or combined with the radiation detecting stimulable phosphor in the imaging plate, the resulting imaging plate can be used to detect neutrons and hence is suitable for reading two-dimensional neutron images. By continuously scanning this imaging plate for neutron detection, two-dimensional neutron images can be continuously read from the imaging plate as it is illuminated with neutrons. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a conductive composition for use in the formation of a printed circuit and a method for manufacturing a circuit using the conductive composition, more particularly, this invention relates to a conductive composition and a method for manufacturing a printed circuit substrate using the conductive composition which is therefore solderable.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Heretofore, a circuit substrate which can be directly soldered is obtained by etching a copper foil bonded to an insulating substrate or by printing and sintering paste which contains conductive particles of silver, platinum or palladium and fritted glass on an insulating substrate.
However, soldering a copper foil has disadvantages which tend to complicate the process steps, because etching is required and the copper foil is wasted by the etching process. Soldering a sintered paste of silver, platinum or palladium on an insulating substrate has drawbacks because the insulating substrate on which the circuit is formed is an expensive ceramic which can withstand the high sintering temperatures of 600.degree.-900.degree. C. Moreover, the ceramic substrates are mechanically easily damaged during the sintering process. Furthermore, the sintering equipment is sizeable and expensive.
The conventional technology has produced a conductive composition to form a circuit which can be soldered with less expensive material and in simpler steps. Since paste-like conductive composition that contain synthetic resin which can be cured at relatively low temperature is heretofore used as a binder to form a printed circuit, the production of a composition which can be soldered has been attempted on the basis of the conductive composition. As an example, conductive paste in which silver powder is dispersed in epoxy resin or conductive paste in which copper powder is dispersed in phenol resin is printed and baked on a synthetic resin laminated board has been conventionally used.
However, since the above-described conventional conductive composition is covered on the surface of a coating film with the resin so that the ratio of conductive particles to be exposed on the surface is small and the area to be contacted with the solder is small, the conventional conductive composition has a drawback that the bonding strength of the coating film to the solder is weak. Further, the quantity of the conductive particles is increased to increase the bonding strength to the solder, but since the quantity of the resin is decreased, there arises new drawback that the bonding strength between the insulating substrate and the coating film is deteriorated. Moreover, a low melting point solder exhibits worse solderability and is not practical. When silver powder is used as conductive particles, the silver powder is diffused in the solder, decreasing bondability of the soldered silver to the substrate (so-called "silver diffusion" occurrs). Since the silver is expensive, the material costs are increased also. When copper powder is used as the conductive particles, the surfaces of the copper powder particles are oxidized thereby decreasing solderability. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to radiation sources. More particularly, and not by way of any limitation, the present invention is directed to a system and method for providing coherent and substantially uniform radiation or illumination for applications such as, for example, emission microscopy, medical instrumentation and nuclear technology.
2. Description of Related Art
Illumination or radiation sources are important in many industrial, scientific and medical applications. While some of these applications may permit the use of conventional sources, several applications require concentrated and highly bright but uniform illumination or radiation. For example, laser devices which produce intense monochromatic illumination have been used in the past for applications with such special illumination requirements. However, current use of laser illumination is beset with several shortcomings and deficiencies, as will be described in reference to two exemplary applications set forth below.
Light (or photon) emission microscopy is a common failure analysis technique used for analyzing semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) devices. The considerations involved in using photon emission to successfully analyze defects and failure mechanisms in CMOS ICs are well known. IC failure analysis using an emission microscope is performed by collecting visible (390-770 nm), and sometimes near infrared (NIR) (770-1000 nm, with the typical IR band defined as 770-1500 nm), wavelength photons emitted from transistors, p/n junctions, and other photon-generating structures on or near the top (front), electrically-active, silicon surface. These photons are transmitted through the overlying, relatively transparent dielectric layers, passing between or scattered around the patterned, opaque metal interconnections. Detection of photons that emerge from around these overlying layers is referred to as frontside light emission analysis. Correspondingly, imaging light passing through the silicon substrate and emerging from the bottom (back) is referred to as backside light emission analysis.
Custom and commercial systems are routinely used for light emission analysis. The spectral characteristics for these systems are usually dependent upon the type of detector chosen. Most commercial systems use detectors based on image intensifiers or CCD arrays. Although current systems can provide detectors with extended NIR capability for backside analysis, most systems have very low response to photons with wavelengths beyond 1 .mu.m.
There is an increasing interest in backside light emission analysis. This is driven primarily by the advancement of IC fabrication technologies with additional opaque conductor layers and packaging technologies that typically obscure the active side of the die. Backside analysis takes advantage of silicon's transmission of photons with energies less than its indirect silicon bandgap energy, corresponding to wavelengths greater than around 1.107 .mu.m (for undoped silicon). It is commonly known that silicon becomes less transparent as dopants are added. Because of this phenomenon, the heavily doped substrates often used with newer technologies will attenuate NIR light emitted from the active circuits. These and other factors are stimulating research for solutions, including improved substrate thinning techniques, increased NIR imaging sensitivity, and spectral analysis.
It is well known that different types of photon emission processes can be distinguished by their spectra. Photon emission from defects or abnormal operation of silicon microelectronic devices generally falls into the following categories: forward or reverse biased p/n junctions, transistors in saturation, latchup, and gate oxide breakdown. While radiative recombination emission from silicon structures is generally centered around 1.1 .mu.m, commonly used cameras have spectral response centered in the 400-900 nm range and can thus capture only a small portion of the emitted light.
Traditional methods of NIR imaging use an optical filter in conjunction with a broad-spectrum illuminator such as a quartz halogen bulb. The desired wavelengths pass through the filter and are used in the microscope illuminating path. The desired wavelength is selected by the filter when the unwanted light frequencies are rejected. One of the problems of the current technologies is that when a more intense illumination source is used to address at least in part the issue of the poor quantum efficiency of backside emission, the optical filters get degraded or destroyed quickly due to heating. The problem is further compounded by the fact that as the filter bandwidth is narrowed, the total energy is also reduced from the source output. On the other hand, employing longer integration times, by taking the emitted light inputs over a considerable period of time, negatively impacts the through-put. Due to these constraints, it can be appreciated that the current illumination technology cannot provide intense, narrow bandwidth illumination that is highly advantageous in backside emission analysis.
Laser sources can provide very intense, substantially monochromatic illumination. When these sources are used in backside emission analysis, however, interference phenomena cause what is commonly known laser "speckle" that blur the illuminated image. The speckle is seen at least in part due to the nonuniform distribution of radiation energy, giving rise to "hot spots" and "dark areas". While techniques such as diffusing the laser light using a frosted glass, dithering (i.e., scanning the laser beam), et cetera, are sometimes used, they have not been sufficiently effective in alleviating the speckle problem in backside emission imaging. Further, it may be appreciated that the recent popularity of flipchip technologies, rapid escalation in the number of metal interconnect layers and advanced packaging techniques (for example, ball grid arrays, land grid arrays, etc.)--all of which obscure the front side view of the active area--make the need to solve the speckle problem more acute.
Laser illumination is also used in various medical diagnostics and treatment applications. For example, a new method of treatment for cancer in humans, known as "photodynamic therapy" (PDT), involves laser illumination. A mixture of chemicals known as "hematoporphyrin derivative" (H.sub.p D) is known to preferentially remain in cancer cells. When illuminated with light of a specific wavelength and in sufficient intensity, H.sub.p D undergoes a photochemical reaction and kills the cells in which it resides. It can be readily appreciated that PDT devices that would be advantageous to physicians in treating cancer must be capable of not only carrying intense radiation without overheating and self-destruction, but also of providing a uniform pattern of illumination so the physician can irradiate the entire treatment area with intense radiation lethal to the cancel cells, without leaving "dark areas" that could correspond or give rise to undestroyed cells.
For cancers occurring in tubular regions of the human body, the appropriate pattern of radiation for treatment is a uniform cylindrical pattern. Thus, for PDT treatment of esophageal cancer, an optical fiber is typically required to be with an apparatus at one tip that disperses light in a uniform cylindrical pattern. This optical radiating apparatus must produce a reasonably uniform pattern of intense light, without developing "hot spots", optical, thermal or mechanical damage.
One of the current solutions in this area involves providing a tip at an optical fiber that is subjected to chemical etching and roughening procedures. While scattered or diffused light is obtained from the tip, it does not possess the requisite cylindrical and/or circumferential uniformity in intensity. Another approach provides a fiber with a light carrying core that is tapered to a point, allowing the propagating light to escape at each point along the tapered core. Yet another solution involves coating the tip of an optical fiber. It is anticipated, however, that these solutions will add substantially to the cost and complexity of manufacture. | {
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Vibration reduction in mechanical systems is important for a number of reasons, including safety and energy efficiency of the systems. Particularly, vibration in various transportation systems is directly related to ride quality and safety of passengers, and, thus, should be minimized. For example, vertical vibration in vehicles can be controlled by active or passive vibration reduction systems, which are generally referred as suspension systems. Similarly, the vibration induced during an operation of an elevator system can be minimized.
The elevator system typically includes a car, a frame, a roller guide assembly, and guide rails. The roller guides act as a suspension system to minimize the vibration of the elevator car. The car and roller guides are mounted on the frame. The car and frame move along the guide rail as constrained by the guide rollers. There are two principal disturbances which contribute to the levels of vibration in the car: (1) rail-induced forces which are transmitted to the car through the rail guides due to rail irregularities, and (2) direct-car forces such as produced by wind buffeting the building, passenger load distribution or motion.
Some methods, e.g., a method described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,544,721, U.S. Pat. No. 5,329,077, compensate for irregularity of the guide rail in the elevator system to improve the ride comfort. However, the method measures the irregularity of the guide rail with sensors, which is expensive. Also, for the complex elevators systems, controlling the elevator car based only on the horizontal irregularities of the rails can be ineffective.
Specifically, controlling vibration of the elevator car of the elevator system is complicated by the difficulties in determining a state of the elevator system during its operation. Therefore, various systems for controlling lateral vibration of the elevator cars use simple control logic to determine the damping force compensating the disturbance according to detected vibration level. For example, a system described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,909,141 schedules the damping coefficient of a damper according to the travel speed of the elevator car. The resultant control system is not optimal, because the travel speed of the elevator only partially reflects the characteristics of the disturbance. Other methods require various sensors to implement a sophisticated control. For example, a control system described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,011,478 requires position sensors and accelerometers. Such method is expensive. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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One of the most important factors in maintaining good health is physical exercise. A number of major studies in recent years have demonstrated the health benefits of regular physical exercise, particularly in respect to maintaining a healthy cardiovascular system.
The present inventor is also named as the inventor in commonly assigned PCT Application No PCT/AU93/00367 directed to an exercise system which is incorporated herein by reference.
This prior application describes a fitness monitoring system comprising a personal exercise monitoring device preprogrammed with data to guide the user in a desirable exercise regime, the monitoring device including communication means enabling connection to a central computer system for downloading data recorded during an exercise session to the central computer. The central computer has stored information enabling it to rate the user's performance and provide performance reports which enable feedback to the user via a personal trainer.
However, a problem has been found with this prior art system in that when a client reaches their final exercise prescription, it is sometimes found that the final prescription is incorrect and that a slight increase or decrease in exercise heart rate is required to achieve the optimum exercise prescription for that client. It is also sometimes found that the client is not able to keep up with the programmed rate of progression to the final prescription and that an adjustment to the programme is required. However. when clients are asked to alter their exercise prescription they feel that they have failed in some way, whereas in truth the original assessment process simply failed to predict the correct final prescription with sufficient accuracy.
This problem is addressed with an improvement to the exercise monitor, whereby the concept of final prescription has been abandoned and continual user feedback is used to adjust the prescription gradually such that the user always approaches a final heart rate band from below. Once in this final band, the prescription will tend to remain within the band over time depending upon various factors affecting the client. | {
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A long-sought goal in the field of optics has been the ability to receive high-resolution images (i.e., two-dimensional information) that have been transmitted through a distorting medium, such as the atmosphere or a multimode optical fiber. Nonlinear optical techniques have been developed for the correction of images transmitted through "thin" aberrators whose optical transformation properties can be represented by a complex multiplicative phase factor, exp[i.phi.(x,y)], where .phi.(x,y) characterizes the optical distortion produced by the thin aberrator. The optical transformation property of an arbitrary distorting medium (i.e., a "thick" aberrator), however, cannot be adequately described simply by a multiplicative phase factor. In an arbitrary distorting medium characterized by a four-dimensional kernel h(x,y; x.sub.0 y.sub.0), where (x.sub.0,y.sub.0) are the object coordinates and (x,y) are the image coordinates, an input object f(x.sub.0,y.sub.0) results in an output distribution g(x,y) given by: EQU g(x,y)=.intg..intg.f(x.sub.0,y.sub.0) h(x,y; x.sub.0,y.sub.0) dx.sub.0 dy.sub.0.
The approaches and approximations used for representing the optical transformation properties of thin phase distorters (i.e., where the effective optical thickness of the aberrator is less than approximately the wavelength of the light) have been shown to be inadequate for characterizing thick aberrators. Therefore, new methods of determining optical transformation properties of arbitrary distorting media are needed for reconstructing high-resolution images of two-dimensional information transmitted through thick aberrators. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical information record medium that is recordable and has a multi-layered structure having two or more layers such as a two-layered version of CD-R/RW, a two-layered version of DVD±R/RW, or a future multi-layered record medium, and also relates to a method of defining the characteristics of such medium, a method of examining the characteristics of the medium, a method of detecting a signal, a circuit for detecting a signal, and an optical information recording/reproducing apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
It can be said that in recent years, CD-R/RW and DVD±R/RW have been established as an external storage device for PCs. These CD-R/RW and DVD±R/R are expected to provide further increased capacity, and study has been made with respect to the two-layered structure and also a structure for future with further increased numbers of layers.
In such multi-layered media, the distance between layers is set such that light reflected by a record layer different from the record layer being accessed does not interfere with the light reflected from the record layer being accessed. At a point far away from the focus point, light reflected from the medium disperses without being condensed by a lens, resulting in a level that is ignorable as signal magnitude. Optical limitations are imposed, however, such that all the multi-layers need to be disposed within a focus tolerable range (focus depth) that allows various satisfactory characteristics to be obtained. Because of this, the inter-layer distance cannot be widened as much as desired. As a result, interference with the light reflected from other layers occurs to no small extent.
An example of a multi-layered structure that has been put to practical use includes a two-layered version of DVD-ROM. This structure has two layers stamped at the factory and designed for Read-Only, so that a large margin is provided against various fluctuation. For the tracking purpose, the DPD (differential phase detection) method that uses a phase difference derived from the edges of a reproduced signal is employed, which provides a strong tolerance against changes in the light intensity (signal magnitude) caused by the interference with light reflected from other layers. Because of the Read-Only configuration, there is no need to detect a track and/or a wobble resulting from the wobbling of the track (groove). Trouble due to the interference with light reflected from other layers is thus rare.
A medium having a plurality of recordable layers is disclosed in Patent Document 1, 2, and so on, for example. These inventions improve the feasibility of multi-layered recording by specifying the record film characteristics such as record film thickness and record film material of the media designed for multi-layered recording. Further, Patent Document 3 discloses providing a wobble on each layer of a multi-layered record medium and inserting address information into the wobble.
As the feasibility of multi-layered recording increases based on basic research, essential technologies have been identified and invented. Needless to say, various types of servo signals and wobble signals are inevitably necessary in multi-layered media. It is important to manage the characteristics of these signals or define such characteristics as standards in order to improve compatibility and maintain stable quality.
[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2000-235733
[Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2003-091874
[Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2001-052342
In the case of multi-layered record media, the interference with light reflected from other layers becomes a major problem. If an adjacent record layer is unrecorded, for example, it has a high reflectivity, thereby generating intense reflective light. Since the focus of this reflective light is deviated, the light does not converge on the light receiving element. Nonetheless, this light interferes with the intended light reflected from the record layer being accessed, so that the reflected light does not produce an accurate reading. If the adjacent record layer is prerecorded, on the other hand, its reflectance is low, so that the amount of the interference is small. In the case of a multi-layered structure, while interference occurs with any layers of the multi-layered structure, the interface with the adjacent record layer has the largest detrimental effect.
Various signal characteristics of a record medium can be tuned by use of a large number of parameters such as record film composition, record film thickness, groove depth, and groove width. As shown in Patent Documents 1 and 2, the record characteristics may be mainly tuned by selecting a record film material. Patent Document 1 and 2, however, do not teach the specifications of various signals. The term “various signals” used in the present specification and claims include servo signals such as a tracking error signal and a track cross signal obtained when a light beam crosses the tracks formed as grooves in the medium, a wobble signal that includes information about address and medium rotation speed as formed through the wobbling of a track, etc. In addition to these, of course, the amplitude of a reproduced (RF) signal is included as well. The characteristics of these signals are basically defined in terms of the amplitude thereof, and are normalized by use of a sum signal for the purpose of absorbing differences in the measurement conditions such as the intensity of the light beam, the amplification factor of the circuit, and the like. If light reflected from an adjacent record layer interferes to create an error in the sum signal, however, a failure may occur in that accuracy is lost with respect to the error.
The interference with light reflected from an adjacent record layer significantly varies depending on the optical system. This results in the lack of reliability and reduced compatibility.
When an adjacent record layer is a prerecorded area, its reflectivity is low, and the reflected light is weak. In this case, a failure caused by interference with the record layer being accessed may be small.
If the adjacent record layer is a prerecorded area, the recorded data component of the reflective light, despite its weak intensity, interferes with the light reflected from the record layer being accessed. Since the servo signals have different signal bands, the interference may not cause a problem. Since the wobble signal is close to the recorded data band, however, there is a need to pay a close attention. In the definition of the quality of a wobble signal, it is desirable to define a C/N (carrier-to-noise) ratio in the case of an adjacent record layer being prerecorded.
In this manner, the specification of various signals differs depending on the record status (unrecorded or prerecorded) of the adjacent record layer. Because of this, the method of providing definitions that is designed for the record layer having a one-layer (single-layered) structure cannot achieve stable management of the characteristics, not it can determine standard values.
Accordingly, the object of the present invention is to suppress variation and errors in the measurement of characteristics of various signals caused by the interfering light coming from an adjacent record layer, thereby making it possible to manage, define, and examine media parameters with characteristic values having high reliability, compatibility, and reproducibility. | {
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1. Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure relates to an improved support bearing for use, for example, for supporting the wheel end of an automobile axle.
2. Background Art
A bearing for an automotive axle performs several functions. It supports both radial and axial loads, including the weight of the vehicle and the additional wheel loads due to vehicle cornering. It transmits torque from the differential to the wheel. In particular, it is desirable to keep the torque as low as possible.
DE 80 14 137, DE 67 52 038, JP 62-210102, DE 29 07 342, DE 10 45 737, and DE 96 84 32 disclose ball bearing and cylindrical or needle roller bearing arrangements of background interest. However, none of these references discloses the automotive wheel end support bearing described herein. | {
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Optically variable devices are used in a wide variety of applications, both decorative and utilitarian. Optically variable devices can be made in multitude of ways to achieve a variety of effects. Optically variable devices (OVDs) such as holograms are imprinted on credit cards and authentic software documentation; color-shifting images are printed on banknotes, and OVDs enhance the surface appearance of items such as motorcycle helmets and wheel covers.
Optically variable devices can be made as a film or a foil that is pressed, stamped, glued, or otherwise attached to an object, and can also be made using optically variable pigments. One type of optically variable pigment is commonly called a color-shifting pigment because the perceived color of images appropriately printed with such pigments changes as the angle of view and/or illumination is tilted. A common example is the number “20” printed with color-shifting pigment in the lower right-hand corner of a U.S. twenty-dollar banknote, which serves as an anti-counterfeiting device.
Some anti-counterfeiting devices are covert, while others are overt intended to be noticed. Unfortunately, some optically variable devices that are intended to be noticed are not widely known because the optically variable aspect of the device is not sufficiently dramatic or distinguishable from its background. For example, the amount of color-shift of an image printed with color-shifting pigment might not be noticed under uniform fluorescent ceiling lights, but may be more noticeable in direct sunlight or under single-point illumination. This can make it easier for a counterfeiter to pass counterfeit notes without the optically variable feature because the recipient might not be aware of the optically variable feature, or because the counterfeit note might look substantially similar to the authentic note under certain conditions.
Optically variable devices can also be made with magnetic pigments. These magnetic pigments may be aligned with a magnetic field after applying the pigment (typically in a carrier such as an ink vehicle or a paint vehicle) to a surface. However, painting with magnetic pigments has been used mostly for decorative purposes. For example, use of magnetic pigments has been described to produce painted cover wheels having a decorative feature that appears as a three-dimensional shape. A pattern was formed on the painted product by applying a magnetic field to the product while the paint medium still was in a liquid state. The paint medium had dispersed magnetic non-spherical particles that aligned along the magnetic field lines. The field had two regions. The first region contained lines of a magnetic force that were oriented parallel to the surface and arranged in a shape of a desired pattern. The second region contained lines that were non-parallel to the surface of the painted product and arranged around the pattern. To form the pattern, permanent magnets or electromagnets with the shape corresponding to the shape of desired pattern were located underneath the painted product to orient in the magnetic field non-spherical magnetic particles dispersed in the paint while the paint was still wet. When the paint dried, the pattern was visible on the surface of the painted product as the light rays incident on the paint layer were influenced differently by the oriented magnetic particles.
Similarly, a process for producing of a pattern of flaked magnetic particles in fluoropolymer matrix has been described. After coating a product with a composition in liquid form, a magnet with desirable shape was placed on the underside of the substrate. Magnetic flakes dispersed in a liquid organic medium orient themselves parallel to the magnetic field lines, tilting from the original planar orientation. This tilt varied from perpendicular to the surface of a substrate to the original orientation, which included flakes essentially parallel to the surface of the product. The planar oriented flakes reflected incident light back to the viewer, while the reoriented flakes did not, providing the appearance of a three dimensional pattern in the coating.
By way of background prior art, United States Patent Application 20050106367, incorporated herein by reference, published May 19, 2005 in the name of Raksha et al., assigned to JDS Uniphase Corporation, describes a method and apparatus for orienting magnetic flakes such as optically variable flakes.
Although some of the aforementioned methods for providing visually appealing and useful optical effects are now nearly ubiquitous, these devices require enhancements and additional features to make them more recognizable as an authentic article; for example it would be preferable to have the ability to provide yet additional security features.
For example it would be highly desirous to have a security device which provided a color shift with change in incident light or viewing angle including magnetically aligned flakes and optical features associated therewith; and, providing such a device which had a reasonable amount of tactility would be highly advantageous. It would also be preferably to have such a device wherein there was significant contrast and sharpness between regions of the device that Were functionally different. For example a magnetically aligned region of thin film color shifting flakes directly adjacent an embossed region could offer benefits not realizable in two adjacent different magnetically aligned regions.
It is an object of this invention to provide a method for forming an image of a plurality of contrasting, discernible regions, wherein at least one region has magnetic flakes thereon aligned by an applied magnetic field having a predetermined orientation, and another of the discernible regions adjacent to the first discernible region having flakes thereon or an absence of flakes caused by mechanically impressing or pushing away flakes from said second region.
It is an object of this invention to provide a tactile image wherein a tactile transition can be sensed by touching a transition between at least the first and second discernible regions.
It is an object of this invention to provide a banknote or security document which has tactile properties to assist the blind in verifying the authenticity of the note or document.
It is an object of this invention to provide an image having an optically variable region and having a tactile region about the optically variable region. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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A number of machines involved in mining, construction and public works use rolls that are driven for the crushing, mining, milling and the like of earthen materials. These earth working rolls include an array of wear assemblies to engage the material to be worked. The assemblies generally include a component with an impact face that is releasably secured to a base attached to the roll. These components with the impact face are wear parts that are replaced after a certain length of use.
As one example, earth working tips can be provided in a roll crusher for the processing of earthen material in a mining operation. FIG. 1 shows a double roll crusher 10 including a pair of opposed rolls 12 to break up the mined material 14. Each roll 12 is fitted with an array of tips 20 configured to impact and separate the material. The tips are fixed to the roils 12. Generally, the rolls 12 are rotated in opposite directions so that the tips 20 are driven toward each other from the top during normal operation. However, the rolls may be operated in the opposite direction for clearing the crusher. Additionally the rolls may be designed so that the tips are driven toward each other at the bottom of the roll during normal operation. The broken material 14A passing through the roll crusher is deposited on a conveyor for transport to additional processing.
This kind of machinery is generally capital equipment and an important part of the processing operation. Minimizing downtime for maintenance and refurbishment of wear components is a priority. With an array of tips, tip replacement can take the equipment out of service for extended periods.
The tips are close fitting with the bases to provide sufficient support for the tip. Even so, due to the invasiveness of earthen fines and the chaotic nature of a crushing or mining operation, fines commonly get embedded in crevices and openings. The fines consolidate into a concretion with the consistency like concrete and bind mated surfaces. Applied force or a cutting torch is often necessary to separate the components. Hammering and prying of the components may be required which can result in breakage and shrapnel from the target components. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a user interface for executing an operation of object and a command input operation against a computer. In particular, the present invention relates to such user interface capable of instinctively and intelligibly executing an operation of object and a command input operation.
More particularly, the present invention relates to such a proposal pertaining to a user interface environment which instinctively and intelligibly expresses a set of operations by harmonizing a physical interface existing in a real space and a visual interface such as display for displaying a logical space of each computer. In particular, the present invention relates to such a proposal pertaining to a user interface environment capable of easily executing operation for linking mutually a plurality of apparatuses such as a data exchanging operation among these apparatuses
2. Description of the Prior Art
Along with progress of technological innovation in recent years, a wide variety of general-purpose computer systems incorporating high value-added and highly sophisticated functions called work-stations or personal computers have thus been developed and commercially promoted in market with relatively small size and low price. Actually, these computer systems have widely been promoted in universities, research institutions, business enterprises, offices, and even in daily life of individual homes.
Generally, any of computer systems is driven in response to a command input by a user and provides an interactive processing environment by way of displaying the processed result on a display screen. Recently, it is noted that such a character-based user input environment called a CUI (Character User Interface) via a conventional keyboard represented by a DOS (Disk Operating System) shell screen has been shifted to a GUI (Graphical User Interface) that has realized a graphic-based user input operation. Under the GUI environment, such a desk-top with a simulated computer system and an innumerable number of icons are prepared on a display screen.
All of resource objects dealt in a computer system such as files are expressed as icons on a GUI-oriented desk top. By way of directly giving operation (such as click or drag and drop) to a display object on the screen to the icons individually symbolizing specific programs, data, folders, and devices, on the display screen via mouse operation, a user can instinctively operate a computer. In addition, a variety of functions such as menu bars and tool boxes, i.e., a variety of buttons for instantaneously activating every computer processing operation are prepared on the desk top. Accordingly, a style of the command input has become more intelligible for a user by intuition.
Owing to the introduction of the above mentioned GUI environment, a user is enabled to fully operate a computer without specifically learning titles of a specific command and how to use the command, and yet, without executing complex key input operations.
Typically, those coordinate-indicating devices such as a mouse, a track ball, a joy stick, a tablet, or a touch pad are cited as a user input devices operable under the GUI environment. Of these, the mouse has widely been propagated in the computer field, and accordingly, most of computer users are well accustomed to mouse operation based on the drag and drop operation. When newly introducing a computer to business offices or homes, it is not exaggeration to mention that there is no more need to specifically train users how to operate the mouse. As a matter of fact, the GUI based on the mouse operation has already been rooted among many users by way of providing them with a variety of general-purpose functions.
Further, in recent years, as an interactive input/output method in dealing with a computer and other data processing systems, study on interface via the real object has been propagated [refer to annotations 1, 2, 3, and 4].
According to such an interface utilizing the real object, unlike such a basic GUI operating method based on picture information via display output and a general-purpose input device such as a mouse, it is possible to extract such sophisticated function for dealing with real objects properly owned by the human being, and thus, there is such a possibility of utilizing the above interface for computer processing operation.
For example, it is possible for the above interface to quickly operate a plurality of real objects with both hands. Further, by virtue of real affordance [refer to annotation 5] from an real object, it is possible to constitute a more intelligible and intimate interface.
On the other hand, versatility and variableness provided by the GUI will be lost by the introduction of an real object as a means for implementing the user interface. It is relatively difficult to convert use of an real object designed for a specific object, i.e., any physical object, into another object such as computer processing operation. Most of such interface systems thus far proposed have been designed for specific uses, and actually, nothing have been designed to function as general-purpose platforms like the GUI.
Further, in recent years, there is a growing tendency in which interactive means for dealing with a computer or a data network has been shifted from PCs (Personal Computer) to information handling appliances. In other words, instead of executing all the works on a desk top of one computer, there is such a tendency in which users more frequently utilize a wide variety of electric apparatuses such as computer related electronic appliances and mobile apparatuses. Many of these apparatuses incorporate limited number of functions than that of general-purpose computers adopting the GUI, and thus, these apparatuses can utilize more simplified interface. Accordingly, it is conceived that such a simple interface capable of supporting linkage among a number of computers (data exchange appliances) at homes and offices should be designed as urgently as possible.
On the other hand, when computer processes are dispersed to a number of apparatuses due to propagation of network services, it will become greater importance for the operation to execute process for mutually linking a plurality of relevant apparatuses in order to exchange data between individual apparatuses.
For example, in order to transmit data contents comprising video image shown on a TV set in a home to a friend via E-mail using a portable telephone or in order to share a memorandum written on a white board together with an optional picture in an office or project these data on a projection screen, it is necessary to provide such an interface capable of readily executing an operation for exchanging data. However, inasmuch as it is quite difficult to predict combination of those applicable apparatuses and transmission in the form of data in advance, it is desired that such a system capable of easily executing proper function on the part of end users shall be formed. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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In eukaryotes, protein degradation is mediated through the ubiquitin pathway in which proteins targeted for destruction are ligated to the 76 amino acid polypeptide ubiquitin. Ubiquitinated proteins then serve as substrates for the 26S proteasome, a multicatalytic protease, which cleaves proteins into short peptides through the action of its three major proteolytic activities. Proteasome-mediated degradation plays a key role in many processes such as antigen presentation in the context of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I, apoptosis and cell viability, antigen processing, NF-KB activation, and transduction of pro-inflammatory signals.
The 20S proteasome is a 700 kDa cylinder-shaped multi-catalytic protease complex comprised of 28 subunits, classified as alpha- and beta-type, that are arranged in 4 stacked heptameric rings. In yeast and other eukaryotes, 7 different subunits form the outer rings and 7 different subunits comprise the inner rings. The alpha subunits serve as binding sites for the 19S and 11S regulatory complexes, as well as a physical barrier for the inner proteolytic chamber formed by the two subunit rings. Thus, in vivo, the proteasome is believed to exist as a 26S particle. In vivo experiments have shown that inhibition of the 20S form of the proteasome can be readily correlated to inhibition of 26S proteasome.
In addition to the constitutive proteasome, which is ubiquitously expressed, there is an alternative complex, the immunoproteasome, which can be found in immune cells or in cells exposed to inflammatory cytokines, such as IFN-γ and TNF-α. The immunoproteasome differs from the constitutive proteasome in its subunit composition. It contains subunits with chymotrypsin-like (β5i/LMP7), caspase-like (β1i) and trypsin-like (β2i) protease activity, that replace their counterparts in the constitutive proteasome (β5c, β1c, and β2c respectively). When all three IFN-γ-inducible subunits are present, the proteasome is referred to as the “immunoproteasome”. Thus, eukaryotic cells can possess two forms of proteasomes in varying ratios. The immunoproteasome plays an essential role in the generation of antigenic peptide repertoire and shaping MHC class I restricted CD8+ T cell response (see Basler et al. Immunoproteasomes down-regulate presentation of a subdominant T cell epitope from lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus. J Immunol 173:3925-3934, Moebius, J., M. et al. 2010. Immunoproteasomes are essential for survival and expansion of T cells in virus-infected mice. Eur J Immunol 40:3439-3449).
LMP7/β5i is an essential subunit of the immunoproteasome. It regulates inflammatory cytokine production and immune cell functions beyond its role in the generation of MHC class I-restricted epitopes. A small molecule LMP7 inhibitor, PR-957, has been shown to potently block both human and mouse Th1/17 differentiation (see Muchamuel, T., et al. 2009. A selective inhibitor of the immunoproteasome subunit LMP7 blocks cytokine production and attenuates progression of experimental arthritis. Nat Med 15:781-787; Kalim, K. W., et al. 2012. Immunoproteasome Subunit LMP7 Deficiency and Inhibition Suppresses Th1 and Th17 but Enhances Regulatory T Cell Differentiation. J. Immunol. 189:4182-4293), B cell effector functions and production of proinflammatory cytokines (IL-6, TNF-α, IL-23) (see Basler, M., et al. 2010. Prevention of experimental colitis by a selective inhibitor of the immunoproteasome. J Immunol 185:634-641). In addition, LMP7 inhibition with PR-957 has been demonstrated to produce therapeutic benefits in several preclinical autoimmune disease models. For example, PR-957 was shown to significantly inhibit disease activity in murine collagen-induced arthritis, including significant reduction of inflammation and bone erosion (see Muchamuel, T., et al. 2009. A selective inhibitor of the immunoproteasome subunit LMP7 blocks cytokine production and attenuates progression of experimental arthritis. Nat Med 15:781-787). PR-957 also reduced plasma cell numbers and anti-dsDNA IgG levels in the MRL/lpr lupus model, and prevented disease progression. (see Ichikawa, H. T., et al. 2012. Beneficial effect of novel proteasome inhibitors in murine lupus via dual inhibition of type I interferon and autoantibody-secreting cells. Arthritis Rheum 64:493-503). In addition, PR-957 reduced inflammation and tissue destruction in a murine DSS-induced colitis model (see Basler, M., et al. 2010. Prevention of experimental colitis by a selective inhibitor of the immunoproteasome. J Immunol 185:634-641). Also, PR-957 has been shown to be efficacious in an autoantibody-driven Hashimoto's thyroiditis model (see Nagayama, Y., et al. 2012. Prophylactic and therapeutic efficacies of a selective inhibitor of the immunoproteasome for Hashimoto's thyroiditis, but not for Graves' hyperthyroidism, in mice. Clin Exp Immunol. 168:268-273). In addition, LMP7 knockout mice are protected from disease in IBD models (see Basler, M., et al. 2010. Prevention of experimental colitis by a selective inhibitor of the immunoproteasome. J Immunol. 185:634-641; Kalim, K. W., et al. 2012. Immunoproteasome Subunit LMP7 Deficiency and Inhibition Suppresses Th1 and Th17 but Enhances Regulatory T Cell Differentiation. J Immunol. 189:4182-4293; Schmidt, N., et al. 2010. Targeting the proteasome: partial inhibition of the proteasome by bortezomib or deletion of the immunosubunit LMP7 attenuates experimental colitis. Gut 59:896-906. Additionally, inhibition of LMP7 with the selective inhibitor PR-924 has been shown to inhibit growth of multiple myeloma cell lines and primary patient tumor cells, including those resistant to conventional and novel prior therapies (see Singh, A. V., et al. 2011. PR-924, a Selective Inhibitor of the Immunoproteasome Subunit LMP-7, Blocks Multiple Myeloma Cell Growth both in Vitro and in Vivo. Br J Haematol. 2011 January; 152(2): 155-163). | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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In semiconductor devices, particularly semiconductor devices having a multi-layered structure comprising a plurality of stacked thin films, not only the quality of each of the constituent thin films but also their interfacial states greatly influence their performances.
Therefore, in order to obtain a high performance semiconductor device having a multi-layered structure, it is extremely important to make each of the constituent semiconductor thin films of a high quality such that it has few defects or is free of defects. Particularly extra care is required when growing a high quality crystalline thin film on a single crystal substrate or a crystalline thin film by way of epitaxial growth. Various studies have been made to consider this situation.
The formation of a crystalline film by way of epitaxial growth in the prior art is generally performed by means of a CVD process. The CVD process to form, for example, a silicon crystalline thin film is usually carried out at a high temperature operation of 1000.degree. C. or above. In this case, there are various restrictions for the related conditions because of the high temperature. Additionally, it is difficult to satisfy the requirements of shallowing or/and steeply grading a dopant profile in the case of obtaining a highly integrated semiconductor device of a high performance. In view of this, in recent years, research and development have been centralized not on the CVD process but on MBE (molecular beam epitaxy)(see, for instance, A. Ishizaka and Y. Shiraki, J. Electrochem. Soc., 133, pp. 666 (1986)) and a technique of forming an epitaxial film at low temperature by a sputtering process or the like in which the film formation is performed in a ultra-clean atmosphere.
However, there are disadvantages for the MBE process. The film formation process is required to be performed at an elevated temperature of at least 800.degree. C. in order to obtain a high quality Si epitaxial thin-film and it is difficult to perform high concentration doping. Other than these disadvantages, there is the additional disadvantage that it is necessary to precisely and constantly maintain the liquid level of an evaporation source stored in a crucible at a prescribed temperature. Thus, this process is not always effective to form a high quality epitaxial film over a long period of time since the process control is relatively difficult as above described, and the size of the crucible used is limited.
As for the sputtering process, there are advantages such that the film formation may be performed at relatively low temperature, reproducibility is good, continuous film formation is possible, and the process is relatively easily controllable. However, there are inherent disadvantages for the sputtering process such as deposition of a reaction product caused by plasma reaction on the inner face of the reaction chamber, removal of the reaction product deposited, release of atmospheric component gas adsorbed at the inner wall face of the reaction chamber, and release of the constituent materials of the inner wall face of the reaction chamber as a result of the inner wall face being sputtered during film formation. These foreign matters contaminate the film-forming space, often resulting in their being incorporated into a film formed. These problems cannot be disregarded but they are required to be eliminated to obtain a high quality epitaxial film by the sputtering process. Thus, there is a demand for eliminating these problems.
In order to meet the above demand, there are proposed an apparatus comprising a deposition preventive member disposed in a film-forming chamber such that it circumscribes a plasma generation region including the space between a pair of electrodes, wherein the deposition preventive member serves to prevent foreign matters from depositing on the inner face of the film-forming chamber, and another apparatus of the same constitution as that of the former apparatus, except that the apparatus is designed such that a bias voltage can be applied to the deposition preventive member to prevent the constituent materials of the deposition preventive member from being sputtered out.
Specifically, Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 50962/1990 (hereinafter referred to as "Literature 1") discloses a film-forming apparatus using a sputtering process which comprises a film-forming chamber provided with a deposition preventive member therein and a vacuum chamber in which the deposition preventive member previously used is replaced by a new deposition preventive member. This film-forming apparatus is shown in FIG. 4. In FIG. 4, numeral reference 402 indicates a film-forming chamber for forming a prescribed film on a substrate 433. Numeral reference 400 indicates a deposition preventive member, and numeral reference 406 indicates a vacuum chamber in which the deposition preventive member previously used is replaced by a new deposition preventive member. Numeral reference 425 indicates an opening and closing means which is disposed between the film-forming chamber 402 and the vacuum chamber 406. The deposition preventive member 400 is transported from the vacuum chamber 406 to the film-forming chamber 402 or from the film-forming chamber to the vacuum chamber 406 by means of a transporting means 460. Numeral reference 440 indicates a target, numeral reference 401 indicates a shutter, and numeral references 411 and 412 respectively indicate an exhaust valve. In the vacuum chamber 406, there is disposed a baking means 450 which serves to release gas adsorbed at the surface of the deposition preventive member 400.
The film formation in the film-forming apparatus shown in FIG. 4 is carried out in the following manner. That is, the deposition preventive member 400 is subjected to baking treatment in the vacuum chamber 406, followed by transporting the deposition preventive member thus treated into the film-forming chamber 402 by means of the transporting means 460. Film formation is performed by a sputtering process in the film-forming chamber 402 to form a deposited film on a substrate 433 arranged in the film-forming chamber.
According to the film-forming apparatus shown in FIG. 4, film formation may be efficiently performed since deposition of the foregoing reaction product onto the inner face of the film-forming chamber 402 is prevented by the deposition preventive member 400 and the deposition preventive member 400 previously used can be replaced by a new deposition preventive member.
However, in using this apparatus, gases originating from the atmospheric component gas such as H.sub.2 O, CO.sub.2, O.sub.2, etc. remaining in the vacuum chamber 406 become adsorbed at the deposition preventive member 400 as the temperature of the deposition preventive member decreases how much the deposition preventive member should have been subjected to baking treatment in the vacuum chamber. The adsorption of these gases at the deposition preventive member is unavoidably caused even in the case where the inside of the vacuum chamber 406 is evacuated to a high vacuum degree. This results in a problem occurring when the deposition preventive member 400 is transported into the film-forming chamber 402 and film formation is performed therein so that the deposition preventive member 400 is heated not only because of thermal energy from plasma generated in the region circumscribed by the deposition preventive member 400 but also because of thermal energy caused upon heating the substrate. Whereby the gases adsorbed at the deposition preventive member 400 are released to contaminate the film-forming atmosphere. There is also another problem in this case. Charge particles in the plasma collide against the surface of the deposition preventive member 400 to sputter the constituent materials of the deposition preventive member 400 to release those materials, resulting in contaminating the film-forming atmosphere.
Further, The Institute of Electronics, Information and Communication Engineers SDM90-85 ("PRECISION CONTROL 0F PLASMA PARAMETERS IN ADVANCED PLASMA PROCESSING EQUIPMENT"(Aug. 31, 1990), pp. 57-61) (hereinafter referred to as "Literature 2") reports a sputtering process capable of performing film formation while applying a voltage to a shield member (a deposition protective member) for the purpose of controlling the potential of plasma.
Literature 2 describes a suggestion that according to the process described therein, metal contamination caused as a result of the shield member being sputtered may be controlled.
However, Literature 2 describes only control of the plasma potential and indicates a mere possibility for the control of metal contamination caused as a result of the shield member being sputtered.
It is presumed that according to this film-forming process, a film of a good quality to certain extent could be formed since the film formation by a sputtering process is carried out in the film-forming space circumscribed by the shield member (the deposition protective member) while applying a bias voltage to the shield member to control the potential of plasma generated in the film-forming space. However, because gases originated from the atmospheric component gas are adsorbed at the shield member as well as the constituent member of the film-forming chamber, these gases are unavoidably released upon performing the film formation to contaminate the film formed. | {
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Among the many insecticidal and miticidal compounds available, the organotin compounds have reached a relatively high degree of commercial success. Specifically, the organotins described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,264,177, 3,591,614 and 3,591,615 are widely used. These compounds, however, suffer from considerable unstability due to the presence of an ester linkage to the tin atom. Thus, these compounds are quite susceptible to hydrolysis on use. Additionally, the organotin compounds described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,321,361 and 3,321,365 are useful as insecticides. However, these compounds are quite toxic to vegetation and thus have extremely limited use. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Renewable energies collected from thermal solar energy have a significant technological and economic importance in the domestic and industrial sectors. We have thermoelectric solar plants with solar energy concentration by means of cylindrical-parabolic mirrors on solar collection tubes among the most important technologies.
These systems require a maximum absorption of solar energy and the lowest possible energy loss. With this purpose, these systems are configured in vacuum tubes or similar structures that reduce conduction and convection losses and have highly absorbable coatings that absorb solar energy and low emissivity characteristics to decrease energy loss due to thermal radiation in the far infrared spectrum, wherein selective absorbing coatings play an essential role in the performance of the system.
Due to the foregoing, having an appropriate characterization system for absorbing tubes that allows measuring their coefficients of transmission and reflection with spectral resolution (maximum energy absorption and minimum energy loss) and also ensuring the uniformity of these values at all points of the tube becomes relevant. To achieve this, the device must be capable of precisely measuring the extreme values of the coefficients of reflection and transmission (near zero or near the unit), with spectral precision (around 10 nm) in the wavelengths required by the different reference standards and in an automated manner along different points of the tube.
A device that takes a spectral measurement of this type is called a spectrophotometer.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,669,873, Jun. 2, 1987, describes a spectrophotometer that measures the light transmitted, reflected, or radiated on at least one object or layer. The light is taken through fiberglass cable formed by a fiber matrix from the measuring point to the spectrophotometer. The object of the patent is to allow a high number of measuring points, independent from each other, or of several objects based on one single measurement and one single system of analysis, maintaining the precision of the measurement. The system uses its spectroscopic light scattering device, so the light of each fiber is scattered in its wavelengths over different points with a CCD (charge-coupled device), for example, and for each fiber there is a different angle, and therefore, a different CCD. We therefore have an array of fibers during detection, each one with its own CCD, for the individual and simultaneous spectroscopy of the different sample points collected by the different fibers used.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,921,351 of May 1990 describes a spectrophotometer that measures the reflectance of an object using the light of a pulsed tube Xe lamp to emit several flashes within the measuring time and filter ambient light through a high-pass filter.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,815,254, September 1998, describes an apparatus with two measuring modes, one for transmittance and the other for reflectance. The apparatus consists of two optical channels with a detector in each optical channel that measures direct light and reference light. The advantage of using only two channels is that it allows us to have a compact device for the field. Optical channels are preferably formed by optical fibers, and may also be formed by lenses and mirrors. Light is only injected from a fiber to obtain the measurement of transmittance. For the measurement of reflectance, the object is illuminated from several fibers, all of which are positioned in a circumference and introduced at 45°, so the reflection of all the fibers is collected in one single fiber to take the signal to the detector.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,559,941 of May 2003 describes a UV-VIS spectrophotomer with a pulsed Xe light source and solid-state detectors. The dynamic range in the detectors is reduced by modifying the power emitted in the pulses of the light source and the width of the slit at the input of the monochromator. This patent refers to the spatial non-uniformity of the pulses generated in the lamp, which must be considered in the design of the detection to place solid-state detectors instead of photomultipliers.
Patent US2009/0213371A1, of August 2009, describes a spectrophotometer with two detectors. which different spectral ranges overlap to cover a greater spectral range than the spectral range of each one of them individually. It describes a main module containing the light generation and light detection electronics and optics, and a measuring or testing module, both of which are connected by means of two optical fibers. The main module may be connected by USB to a PC. The measuring module is custom manufactured for each different object shape, and are exchanged. It only projects the light on the sample and collects reflected light, which returns to the main module for its detection through the fiber. It uses fiber bundle. The diffraction network is placed in the detection part of the main module, so the detectors are placed in different positions to collect the spectrum corresponding to the exit angle of the diffraction network, that is to say, two detectors are used but the light bundle is not divided (to avoid losing power); instead, the spectrums are spatially separated with the exit angle of the diffraction network.
None of the aforementioned devices or any other similar one device fulfill the necessary requirements for the automated characterization of absorbing tubes for solar collectors, either due to range, sensitivity, and/or mechanical configuration. | {
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This invention features assays and devices for the detection of analytes, and their use in the treatment and diagnosis of disease.
Magnetic sensors have been designed to detect molecular interactions in a variety of media, including biofluids, food products, and soil samples, among other media. Upon target binding, these sensors cause changes in properties of neighboring water molecules (or any solvent molecule with free hydrogens) of a sample, which can be detected by magnetic resonance (NMR/MRI) techniques. Thus, by using these sensors in a liquid sample, it is possible to detect the presence, and potentially quantify the amount, of an analyte at very low concentration. For example, small molecules, DNA, RNA, proteins, carbohydrates, organisms, metabolites, and pathogens (e.g., viruses) can be detected using magnetic sensors.
In general, magnetic sensors are magnetic particles that bind or otherwise link to their intended molecular target to form clusters (aggregates). It is believed that when magnetic particles assemble into clusters and the effective cross sectional area becomes larger (and the cluster number density is smaller), the interactions with the water or other solvent molecules are altered, leading to a change in the measured relaxation rates (e.g., T2, T1, T2*), susceptibility, frequency of precession, among other physical changes. Additionally, cluster formation can be designed to be reversible (e.g., by temperature shift, chemical cleavage, pH shift, etc.) so that “forward” or “reverse” (competitive and inhibition) assays can be developed for detection of specific analytes. Forward (clustering) and reverse (declustering) types of assays can be used to detect a wide variety of biologically relevant materials. The MRS (magnetic resonance switch) phenomenon was previously described (see U.S. Patent Publication No. 20090029392).
Many diagnostic assays require sensitivity in the picomolar or subpicomolar range. In such assays an equally low concentration of paramagnetic particles is employed. As a result, the binding events leading to cluster formation can become a rate-limiting step in the completion of the assay as the collision frequency of antigens, paramagnetic particles, and partially formed clusters is low in this concentration range (see Baudry et al., Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 103:16076 (2006)). The current detection of infectious agents, nucleic acids, small molecules, biowarfare agents and organisms, and molecular targets (biomarkers) or the combination of molecular and immunoassay targets usually requires up-front sample preparation, time to analyze the sample, and single tests for each of the individual analytes. There is a need for a rapid, commercially-realizable NMR-based analyte detection device suitable for use with magnetic nanosensors having four unique features and qualities: 1) little to no sample preparation, 2) multiplex detection across multiple molecular types, 3) rapid acquisition of diagnostic information, and 4) accurate information for point-of-care clinical decision making. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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In a manufacturing site, various analyses have been adopted to improve efficiency of operations. For example, monitoring operation, measuring operation time, or recoding operation is carried out and the result is analyzed. However, such analyses take much time. Thus, an analysis apparatus capable of easily analyzing the operation is desired. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to print schedule control equipment, a print schedule control method, and a program therefor. More specifically, this invention relates to print schedule control equipment for executing schedule control of a device used for a regular print job and a proof print job based on a request of printing, a print schedule control system therefor, a print schedule control method therefor, and a program therefor.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, there are commercial printers (hereinafter, printing contractor) who generate printed matters on requests from customers of individual users and business enterprises. Each of such printing contractors run a business of receiving provision of print data (original copy) and instructions of a print format, the number of copies, a date of delivery, etc. from a customer, forming a printed matter, and delivering it to the customer. These printing contractors are carrying out their businesses using large-scale equipment, such as offset reproduction printing machines known from long ago.
In these days, as printing apparatuses (hereinafter referred to as a printer) of electrographic and ink jet printers are becoming more high-speed and more high-quality, there is also a form of business organization called “copy service”, “printing service”, “print on demand (POD) center,” etc. capable of outputting and delivering in a short time.
A request of printing to these printing businesses is done as follows: the user sends a manuscript written on paper or an electronic medium, such as FD (floppy® disk), MO (magneto-optical disc), CD (compact disk)-ROM (read only memory), etc. and a printing instruction (order instruction) on which the number of print copies of the manuscript, a bookbinding method, an appointed date of delivery, etc. are written to a printing company by mail or directly.
In addition, a system whereby the user gives an order of printing and sends a manuscript on line through the Internet or an intranet (a printing contractor receiving them similarly) has been put to practical use. The printing contractor receives a user's request and forms in-house printing instructions. Then the printing contractor performs printing with a printer connected to a work computer and bookbinding according to the printing instruction and delivers the formed printed matter to the customer to complete operations.
These printing contractors that perform printing entrusted from users must complete printing with stable quality in time for an appointed date of delivery surely. Further, in a large-scale printing center, two or more operators have to process sequentially a lot of printing requests (orders) in parallel using various and versatile printers and work computers. Therefore, resources of human workers (operators who conducts operations), equipment, etc. must be utilized effectively as much as possible. That is, it becomes important how to build up a time table (schedule) that can utilize the resources at their maximum, how to run the schedule, and how to put it into automatization considering an appointed date of delivery and the cost.
However, conventionally, at the time of reception of a new order or alteration of an existing order, each operator is requested to consider a processing procedure (workflow) based on his/her experience, adjust schedules of resources, inform persons in charge of necessary information, and manage printing by means of a hand-written schedule (reservation table) and the like. That is, since printing was carried out entirely by human work, there were problems that it was extremely tedious and inefficient, giving much load to operators conducting print processing, and the work was not automatized. In addition, there is a problem of increase in cost (time and consumable supplies) due to occurrence of non-conformal printed matters that could not be delivered due to operator's human error in setting.
Nowadays, these fields are actively introducing a system that automatically creates and controls schedules of using resources with a computer, and software. Moreover, as shown in JP-A No. 306655/2001 and JP-A No. 63005/2002, the following systems are also being considered: a system that supports and automatizes scheduling of resources, which is the most time-consuming process step; and a system that automatizes print processing.
This scheduling system keeps a plural pieces of order information (print appearance, number of copies, paper size, print data, appointed date of delivery, etc.) and resource information (load situations of operators, capabilities and working situations of apparatuses, such as printer). When a new order comes out, the system automatically creates and manages an optimal schedule of print jobs based on information currently kept. When alteration occurs in conditions of existing orders, print jobs, situations of resources (fault of a printer etc.), the systems automatically conducts readjustment based on schedules of print jobs associated with it. And the system executes print jobs automatically according to created and controlled schedules.
Conventionally, in the case where print jobs are automatically scheduled and executed in a scheduling system, if printing is started without various confirmation operations and mistakes are found after completion of the printing, a lot of wastes may be generated in printing time (occupied time of a printer), operator's working hours, consumable supplies, adjustment work for reprinting, etc., which leads to inefficiency and increase in the cost. That is, when the scheduling system executes automatic print jobs, it is important to confirm in advance the contents of data (conformity to its order), incompleteness of data (missing and deformation), print results (setting of quality and output).
However, with preview display on a host, it is impossible to obtain completely the confirmation of print setting, print quality, location of printed letters (page layout of front location and back location in the case of double-sided printing). Therefore, one of the most assured methods to obtain confirmation is proof printing (printing one copy or a few copies for trial) performed in an environment in which the printing will be executed finally as confirming means. This is an operation step that is practiced surely as a basic rule in the field where high-volume printing is executed and/or print quality is considered.
Conventionally, printing contractors can perform printing work surely and efficiently introducing a scheduling system as described above after performing proof printing to confirm that there is no problem in the printed matter. Moreover, the scheduling system mitigates operator's working load and improves the quality of the printed matters.
However, the conventional scheduling system does not consider specially schedule management of proof print jobs. In this proof printing, any devices (printers and finishing apparatuses) may be used to obtain printed matters in a sense of simply obtaining printed matters. However, when the operator wishes to confirm particular parts that will be different depending on devices such as color impression, locations of staples, etc., the device that will process the regular print job must be used for the proof printing. However, since conventionally there did not exist means for scheduling the proof printing and regular printing in a cooperative manner, it is necessary for the operator to conduct following works: scheduling the regular print job in the future; designating devises; and subsequently performing proof printing with the designated devises. Moreover, there is a case where a target printer is being used by other jobs in performing proof printing, the proof print job cannot be registered in the schedule. Consequently, it becomes necessary to alter a schedule of automatic regular print job, causing a drop in the working efficiency.
Moreover, the conventional scheduling system determines the automatic schedule (print start and end times) of the regular print job simply considering a print processing time required for a part of the printed matter, and does not consider working hours for the operator to confirm a result of the proof print and, as needed, to alter the print setting and adjust print data. For example, when an automatic regular print job is scheduled and proof printing is completed just before the schedule, the automatic regular print job will be executed without reflecting the confirmed result of the proof print. Moreover, it is necessary to alter a schedule of the automatic regular print job in order that the operator confirms the print result in advance. Therefore, in order to conduct automatic scheduling of proof printing, it is necessary to give time allowance between the schedule of proof printing and that of the regular print job. Consequently there is a problem that without its consideration, the effect of the proof printing itself is low and it might degrade working efficiency.
Moreover, the conventional scheduling system does not consider influence of the proof printing on the quality of other automatic regular print job. For example, a printed matter of order A for printing 400 copies of color brochures each having 10 pages counts 4000 sheets in total. If this job is executed as one print job, the print processing will be stopped when printed papers reach the maximum loading number of papers (3000 sheets) for the outlet of a color printer. Moreover, regarding other print jobs, the color printer becomes unusable, which is inefficient. For this reason, the color printer is scheduled to output an automatic regular print job A1 of 200 copies (2,000 sheets) between 1300 and 1400 and an automatic regular print job A2 of 200 copies (2,000 sheets) between 1500 and 1600. The printing will be done in a mode where the operator is expected to remove the printed matter of the automatic regular print job A1 from the outlet during a time between 1400 and 1500.
Here, it is assumed that a print order B of a color manual is scheduled in the same color printer and the operator schedules a proof print job BP in a time between 1400 and 1500 considering only a print processing time for a part of the printed matter. Here, for this proof print job BP, it is further assumed that an attribute directing proof printing after calibration (process of conducting color compensation of the printer) is set.
Then the color printer executes the automatic regular print job A1 (printing), performs the proof print job BP after conducting calibration, and subsequently executes the automatic regular print job A2 (printing). As a result, due to the calibration of the proof print job BP, the printed matter of the automatic regular print job A1 and the printed matter of the automatic regular print job A2 that must exhibit the similar color impression originally will exhibit different color impressions. That is, there is a problem that the print job of proof printing affects the quality of other print jobs.
Moreover, the conventional scheduling system does not consider relation with other print jobs (procedures, steps, etc.). For example, for the purpose of reduction of the cost and speed-up of printing, there is often used a mode in which only a cover (back cover) is printed with a color printer and the text is printed with a monochrome printer, and a color printed matter and a monochrome printed matter are saddle-stitched for bookbinding in a mixed mode finally. When a printing center receives a manuscript of an order (print order C) of forming 300 copies of a seminar material in this form, first only 300 copies of its front cover (back cover) are printed. After completion of printing with a color printer, the printed matter of the front cover (back cover) is loaded at the inserter of a monochrome printer (the inserter is a feeding slot on which a paper to be inserted into an arbitrary position of a printed matter is loaded. The inserter can be set to an arbitrary feeding stage on which print papers are loaded. Next, in a monochrome printer, when one copy of the text is printed, the front cover (or back cover) printed in color for one copy is fed from the inserter to incorporate with text papers and is subjected to saddle stitching for bookbinding to complete one copy of printed matter. After that, the similar processing is repeated to complete printing of 300 copies.
In the case of a workflow where a printed matter is completed using a plurality of printers in a cooperated manner (consecutively) in printing procedures (steps) like this, it is also necessary to perform proof printing in the similar work procedures (steps). Because of this, in the case where schedules of all printers (in the example described above, two) used in the work procedures (steps) are not associated (i.e., proof printing of a print job assigned to a color printer and proof printing of a print job assigned to a monochrome printer are scheduled independently), there occurs a waiting time when the printing proceeds to the next step of a confirmation step or the like. Moreover, there may occur a situation where steps are reversed, resulting in a situation of uncompleted works, bringing a problem that the working efficiency is impaired.
Moreover, for example, when an order (print order D) of printing a high-volume copies (3000 copies) with a plurality of printers in a distributed manner is submitted, there can be a case where the print job is scheduled so as to be divided for a plurality of printers and printing is performed in parallel in a distributed manner as follows: 2000 copies by a high-speed printer A; and 1000 copies by a medium-speed printer. For this reason, it is necessary to perform proof printing with two printers. However, if their schedules are not associated with each other, there can be a case where confirmation works of proof printing need to be performed in different time slots, bringing a problem that the working efficiency is impaired.
Moreover, in the conventional scheduling system, confirmation result of proof printing that is an important process step in the workflow and a schedule of the automatic regular print job are not cooperated. That is, determination of confirmation result and final scheduling of the automatic regular print job is done in a mode where a human worker (mainly an operator) does these tasks. Therefore, for example, when the operator prioritizes an appointed day of delivery and has determined (registered) a printer used for printing and a schedule (start time and date and a use period) of executing automatic regular print job in advance (i.e., case where a proof printed matter is sent to an order client to receive confirmation, but it is expected that an answer is delayed and other cases), the automatic regular print job will be executed when the date comes to a predetermined time and date even when the confirmation work has not been completed. Moreover, when the operator does not fully understand operating procedures of the scheduling system, a human operational mistake (operator's failure in confirmation after scheduling, erroneous registration without confirmation, etc.) will be likely to occur. Therefore, the conventional system is poor in the stringency of the important confirmation work and could not solve sufficiently problems that existed before the scheduling system is introduced.
Moreover, in the conventional scheduling system, a printer to be used and a schedule (start time and date and a use period) whereby the automatic regular print job is executed are not determined until a confirmation step is completed. For this reason, there is a problem that the working efficiency becomes poor because scheduling (assignment of operators, use reservation of mechanical resources) of working steps (printer or inserter installation to a supply inlet of another printer, processing of a bookbinding machine, processing of a cutting machine, processing of packaging) after the print step in the workflow are delayed. The efficiency degradation is evident especially in environments where operators specialized in respective steps (printing setting step, printing execution step, bookbinding step, cutting step, packaging step, etc.) are arranged for division of printing.
Moreover, if there occurred an excess in the processing time of an arbitrary automatic regular print job or a failure of a printer and rescheduling becomes necessary, another automatic regular print jobs following the automatic regular print job are adjusted in a mode of giving additional delay. Furthermore, when the automatic printing cannot be executed because conditions are not satisfied or because of other reasons in automatic scheduling, the printing state reduces to a printer non-assigned state (a suspended state of no schedule where an outputting printer and a date to perform printing are not determined and the regular print job will not be executed automatically). For this reason, rescheduling is conducted always in a direction of delaying a start time, i.e., in a direction of suspending the automatic regular print job, which brings a problem that the working efficiency becomes degraded.
Moreover, when an order is for high-volume printing or requirement of print quality is high, the printing contractors use proof printing heavily. Such a case creates a situation where a lot of outputted matters are generated since the proof printing is performed repeatedly as needed. However, strict control is not given to the printed matters of proof printing that is excluded from delivered goods for customers. Moreover, there exists no system for supporting management of the outputted matters of proof printing and a processing flow. As a result, the outputted matters of proof printing are often left uncontrolled in a stack. Therefore, in the case where a target order is a security job (a job of an order that the customer requires security protection, consideration against information leakage, and privacy regarding the contents of a printed matter), stacking and uncontrolled leaving of the printed matter of proof printing causes a problem and there is a problem of ensuring its security. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
With the development of Internet, a distributed system cannot better satisfy the requirement of the network scalability and management, and therefore, a control and forwarding separation centralized system emerges as the times require. For example: an open flow (OpenFlow) system is a kind of control and forwarding separation centralized system, and an OpenFlow switch (OpenFlow Switch) transforms a packet forwarding process controlled originally and entirely by a switch/router into a process completed by the OpenFlow switch and a controller (Controller) collectively, thereby implementing the separation of data forwarding and routing control. The controller may control a flow table of the OpenFlow switch through an interface operation stipulated in advance, thereby achieving the objective of controlling data forwarding. For a packet entering the OpenFlow switch, the OpenFlow switch may obtain a flow table entry matched with the packet by querying the flow table. According to the flow table entry, an operation required to be executed on the packet may be determined, and the operation, for example, may be to forward the packet to a destination port, to discard the packet or to report the packet to the controller. For the first packet of a flow, the OpenFlow switch may report the packet to the controller because no flow table entry is obtained by matching, and the controller establishes a new flow table entry for the flow to which the packet belongs, and delivers the packet to the OpenFlow switch, so that the OpenFlow switch adds the new flow table entry to the flow table.
However, when all flow table entry resources are in use, the OpenFlow switch cannot add the new flow table entry to the flow table, so that the OpenFlow switch cannot perform timely processing on the new flow, so as to cause the reduction of the reliability of packet processing. Similar problems also exist in other control and forwarding separation centralized systems. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Fatty acids are major carbon and energy stores in the seeds of many agriculturally important species. For the plant they are essential reserves that support germination and seedling establishment until the plant can manufacture its own building blocks and energy through photosynthesis. Recent published data shows that blocking the mobilisation of these fatty acids prevents or severely compromises establishment (Hayashi et al., 1998, Germain et al., 2001). Clearly, efficient germination and seedling establishment are of vital importance to farmers. In addition, the fatty acids deposited in seeds renders them important foodstuffs for humans and animals. There is considerable interest in modifying the levels and composition of fatty acids in seeds to improve their nutritional quality and health benefit. Furthermore, there is considerable interest in engineering crop plants to produce novel fatty acids with industrial benefit. These can be used as feedstocks for the chemical and healthcare industries, with the aim of reducing reliance on petrochemical feedstocks, it is therefore desirable to produce these molecules in a more ecologically friendly and sustainable way and to develop non-food crops for European agriculture.
Plants that are engineered to produce altered fatty acids rarely produce economically viable levels in seeds. The reasons for this are probably complex but one factor may be their turnover, i.e. some proportion is broken down as they are made. Furthermore, if high levels can be achieved this may compromise the ability of these plants to germinate and establish if these altered fatty acids cannot be used efficiently. Clearly this is detrimental to the commercialisation of these plants.
Fatty acids in seeds are stored in oil bodies in the form of triacylglycerols (3 fatty acid molecules joined to a glycerol backbone) which are laid down during seed development. During germination free fatty acids are released by the action of lipases and the fatty acids enter the β-oxidation pathway which is housed within a specialised organelle the glyoxysome. The fatty acids are then metabolised to produce energy and building blocks for the cell. Control of biochemical pathways frequently resides near the beginning of the pathway and in several cases transport steps have been shown to exert high flux control coefficients. This means that transporting a molecule, for example, from compartment A to compartment B is Often an important step in determining the overall rate of the pathway.
There is some evidence to suggest from human studies that proteins of the ATP Binding Cassette family (referred to as ABCs) are involved in fatty acid transport. ABCs are integral membrane proteins that transport a wide variety of molecules across membranes. It is known from the prior art that X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy (X-ALD) is associated with a particular gene mutation (Moser et al., 1993). The clinical symptoms of the disease, results in increasing neurological impairment, progressive mental and physical disability, and eventually death in late childhood or early teens. Biochemically these patients fail to break down very long chain fatty acids. The gene mutated in X-ALD is an ABC transporter closely related to but not identical to another mammalian peroxisomal ABC transporter, PMP70. It is now known that there are 4 of these peroxisomal ABC genes in humans (PMP70, PMP70R, ALD and ALDR. In addition, two homologous genes have been identified in yeast S. cerevisiae (PXA1 and PXA2 also known as PAT1 and PAT2) and have been shown to be transporters of fatty acyl CoAs (Hettema et al., 1996). PXA2 is also known as the COMATOSE (CTS) gene (Russell et al., 2000; Footitt et al., 2002).
Glyoxysomes are cytoplasmic organelles unique to plants. Glyoxysomes are a specialised form of peroxisomes but they also contain enzymes of the glyoxalate cycle. They are abundantly present in the endosperm or cotyledons of oil-rich seeds. It is not known how fatty acids are transported into glyoxysomes.
It is therefore desirous to identify a transport protein or a regulator protein that is involved with the rate of entry of fatty acids into the degradation pathway. Identification and characterisation of the proteins that transport fatty acids into glyoxysomes would offer an attractive target for biotechnology with a view to repress or promote growth or to alter the spectrum of fatty acids which can be utilised by the plant. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Photographic and image processing methods sometimes involve capturing multiple images of the same scene at varying levels of exposure, a technique known as exposure bracketing. High-contrast scenes can cause problems for cameras, which may not be capable of capturing as wide a dynamic range of light and dark within a scene as the human eye is able to perceive. A single camera image taken at a middle exposure might record a scene with bright regions appearing nearly white, or dark regions nearly black. By taking a series of images of the same scene across a range of exposure levels, a camera can correctly capture bright parts of the scene in some of the images, and dark parts in others of the images. Computerized digital imagery functions can extract information contained within the series of images, analyze the extracted information, and then manipulate the data held in the entire series of images to produce a new image that captures the original scene in fuller dynamic range than any of the original individual photographs. The resulting new image is a blended exposure gotten by merging some or all of the original photographs.
Current methods for managing and blending exposure-bracketing images of a scene can be slow, computationally expensive, complex, or ill-suited for non-professional equipment. For example, some high dynamic range (HDR) techniques may require using many bits per color channel, and thus may make large memory and processing demands. Algorithms for manipulating HDR data may be complex, and consequently computationally expensive. Workflows for executing such methods may be complicated enough to discourage non-professionals from using them. In some cases, current methods necessitate use of expensive, specialized monitors. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Earphone packaging may be used, for example, to store, transport, protect and/or present earphones to consumers. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
In a multi-bank memory, a global control block is configured to control word line selection of word line decoding blocks, and local bit line selection and bank selection of the local control blocks. The word line decoding blocks apply word line selection to corresponding memory banks. The local control blocks apply local bit line selection and bank selection to corresponding local input and output (10) blocks. The global control block is further configured to control output generation of global IO blocks. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Cyanide is widely regarded an archetypal poison. In the United States, industrial use exceeds 1 billion pounds yearly in diverse areas including electroplating, plastics and gold extraction. Dzomback, D. A., et al., Cyanide in Water and Soil: Chemistry, Risk and Management. CRC Press: Boca Raton, Fla., 2006.
Cyanide salts are relatively easy to prepare and release hydrogen cyanide from simple reagents. The risk of mass casualties from an industrial accident is highlighted by the Bhopal disaster in 1984 and in terrorist plots to release chemical agents including cyanide in the subways of Tokyo in 1995, Chicago in 2002 and New York in 2003. Additionally, cyanide is also released during combustion of nitrogenous materials and, in addition to carbon monoxide, is a major factor in fatalities by smoke inhalation. Lecarpentier, Y., et al., N. Engl. J. Med. 1991, 325, 1761-1766; Esposito, F. M.; Alarie, Y., J. Fire Sci. 1988, 6, 195-242; and Alarie, Y., Crit. Rev. Toxicol. 2002, 32, 259-289.
The currently available cyanide antidotes in the U.S. are hydroxocobalamin (Cyanokit) and the combination of sodium nitrite and sodium thiosulfate (Nithiodote). Both these treatments are limited in that they must be administered intravenously (iv) over a period of 5-15 min. The need to establish an iv line and the slow infusion rates required render these agents unsuitable for a mass casualty setting. Development of an antidote suitable for rapid intramuscular (im) administration should address the above concerns; however, this requires an antidote that can be delivered in a small volume for rapid absorption.
There are two pathways in mammals that detoxify cyanide as thiocyanate: rhodanese (thiosulfate/cyanide sulfur transferase EC 2.8.1.2) and 3-mercaptopyruvate sulfurtransferase (3-MST, EC 2.8.1.1). While the rhodanse pathway is currently exploited clinically with sodium thiosulfate, 3-MST should be a more efficient pathway in that 3-MST is more widely distributed in tissues, including the central nervous system than rhodanese. Additionally, 3-MST is present in the cytosol as well as in mitochondria whereas rhodanese is concentrated solely in the mitochondria. The endogenous substrate for 3-MST is the deaminated cysteine catabolite, 3-mercaptopyruvate (3-MP, 1) however the poor stability of 3-MP renders this substrate a poor drug candidate. Nagahara, N., et al., Curr. Drug Targets Immune Endocr. Metabol. Disord. 2003, 3, 198-204. Thus, some efforts have focused on developing prodrugs of 3-MP. Nagasawa, H. T., et al., J. Med. Chem. 2007, 50, 6462-6464; Patterson, S. E., et al., J. Med. Chem. 2013, 56, 1346-1349; Singh, H., et al., Anesthesiology and Analgesia 2012, in press; Chan, A., et al., Clin. Toxicol. (Phila.) 2011, 49, 366-373; and Brenner, M., et al., Toxicol. Appl. Pharmacol. 2010, 248, 269-276.
3-Mercaptopyruvic acid (1,3-MP), the endogenous substrate for 3-MST and its dithiane form (2).
The dithiane form of 3-MP (sulfanegenic acid, 2), as a sodium salt (sulfanegen sodium, 3a) is highly effective in rescue of our sublethal murine and lethal swine models of cyanide toxicity when administered intraperitoneally (ip) and iv. Nagasawa, H. T., et al., J. Med. Chem. 2007, 50, 6462-6464; Belani, K. G., et al., Anesth. Analg. 2012, 114, 956-961; and Crankshaw, D. L., et al., Toxicol. Lett. 2007, 175, 111-117. Based on a 60 kg human with a maximum injectable volume of 5 mL dose, calculations revealed that minimal water solubility of 1.05 M was required for effective im administration. However, the aqueous solubility of sulfanegen sodium, 3a, is 0.35 M; hence 3a is not optimal for development as an im cyanide antidote.
Additionally, sulfanegen triethanolamine has been investigated for preclinical development. Patterson, S. E., et al., J. Med. Chem. 2013, 56, 1346-1349. Unfortunately, it has been determined that this sulfanegen salt has poor thermal stability with a short (<6 month) shelf life at room temperature (unpublished results). Accordingly, there is currently a need for a sulfanegen formulation that is well tolerated, has acceptable thermal stability, and is effective in lethal models of cyanide toxicity. Ideally, the formulation will be suitable for im administration. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
In IPTV (Internet protocol television) or other video transmission applications, video signals are processed at different stages. A video signal is usually compressed into a bitstream, which may also be referred to as an elementary stream (ES). The bitstream or ES may be then packetized into a transport stream (TS) and transmitted through an IP channel. The bitstream received at a decoder can be decoded. Error concealment may be performed to the decoded video if necessary. Video quality at the decoder is generally lower than that of the original video due to compression loss and transmission errors. To examine objectively how much the video quality is degraded, the video quality can be measured using transport stream, elementary stream or decoded video. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
A CAM includes an array of memory cells arranged in a matrix of rows and columns. Each memory cell stores a single bit of digital information, i.e., either logic zero or logic one. The bits stored within a row of memory cells constitute a CAM word. During compare operations, a comparand word is received from an input bus and then compared with all the CAM words. For highest performance, conventional CAM architectures simultaneously compare all of their pattern entries with the input bus. For each CAM word that matches the comparand word, a corresponding match line sipal is asserted to indicate a match condition. When there is a match condition, the index or address of the matching CAM word is read from the CAM. Associative information stored in, for instance, an associated RAM, may also be provided. Because CAMs provide a mechanism that enables matches to be quickly located, CAMs have come to be used in devices, such as routers.
Routers are used in interconnected computer networks, such as the Internet, to couple networks together. Such a computer network router is typically connected to two or more distinct networks. For a message sent from one network to another destination network, the router receives the message, in the form of data packets, from one of the networks to which the router is connected and searches a database of routing information to determine to which of the connected networks the data packet should next be sent so that the data packet can reach the destination network. The database of routing information can be quite large in networks composed of many different interconnected networks, such as the Internet. Within each router, routing information received from neighboring routers is used to update its own routing table. That table is then used to control how packets are routed from one neighboring router to another on the network. Because CAMs use dedicated parallel hardware for comparisons, they are ideal for use in routers and other high performance systems.
An Internet protocol (IP) address size is a fixed width for a particular protocol, so a prefix length must be less than or equal to the IP address size. The CAM effectively compares an incoming IP address with all of its contents to find a match. The number of prefix bits can be specified independently for each routing table entry, so lower address bits are ignored within each CAM entry during comparisons. The simplest way to implement that behavior in a CAM is to use a ternary CAM (TCAM) that can be programmed to match entries with a 0, 1 or X (don't care) at each bit position within each CAM entry.
In cases where a TCAM input results in matches found with multiple entries having different prefix lengths, the routing rules require that the match with the longest prefix length is chosen. In the case where only one match is possible for any input pattern, the order in which entries are placed in the TCAM does not matter, as they are all normally compared with the input. When multiple TCAM matches are possible, the simplest way to prioritize matches is on the address at which entries are written into the TCAM. For example, if the TCAM prioritizes entries at its higher programming addresses, then the TCAM loading algorithm can sort data by prefix length to ensure that longer prefix entries are written to the TCAM at a higher address than shorter prefix entries. In IP routing tables, it is not permitted to have identical matching prefix values of the same prefix length.
A known problem with CAMs is that entry miss-matches are far more common than matches, so match lines are usually charged and discharged on every access. As described below in conjunction with FIG. 6, that makes CAM power consumption relatively high compared with other storage devices.
FIG. 6 shows a typical CAM row 10 as having n CAM cells 12(1)-12(n) each coupled to an associated match line ML. A pull-up transistor 14, coupled between a supply voltage VDD and match line ML, has a gate tied to ground potential, and therefore remains in a conductive state. Prior to each compare operation between an n-bit comparand word and an n-bit CAM word stored in CAM cells 12(1)-12(n), match line ML is pre-charged to supply voltage VDD via pull-up transistor 14. The n-bits of the comparand word are compared with corresponding bits of the CAM word in respective CAM cells 12(1)-12(n). If all bits of the comparand word match corresponding bits of the CAM word, the match line ML remains charged to indicate a match condition. Conversely, if one of the comparand bits does not match the corresponding CAM bit, the CAM cell 12 storing that CAM bit discharges match line ML toward ground potential to indicate a mismatch condition.
The match lines in a CAM array are typically pre-charged to the supply voltage VDD for each and every compare operation. Thus, for each mismatch condition, an associated match line ML is first charged toward VDD and then discharged toward ground potential. Current flow associated with this charging and discharging results in undesirable power consumption. Further, as the number of CAM cells in each row of a CAM array increases, capacitive loading on the match lines increases accordingly. As loading on the match lines increases, the current required to charge the match lines toward the supply voltage increases. Accordingly, as CAM words are widened, for example, to accommodate longer Internet addresses, power consumption resulting from charging the match lines during compare operations may significantly increase. Furthermore, because mis-matches are far more common than matches, as Internet Addresses are lengthened and CAM words widened, power consumption increases substantially. Therefore, the need exits for a circuit architecture that reduces the power consumed by the CAM. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
The production of documents such as checks, bank drafts, traveler's checks, currency and the like has special problems associated therewith not normally associated with the production of ordinary printed matter. For example, such documents are prone to unlawful duplication or counterfeiting. Therefore, in order to eliminate or minimize such unlawful acts, the documents are printed using special paper, special inks, and in highly sophisticated and complex patterns.
In addition, security requirements dictate that each of such documents be accounted for by the printing thereon in one or more areas data in the form of serialized numeric and/or alpha-numeric indicia. Such serialization enables the issuer of such documents to maintain a record as to what documents are in circulation. In the case of traveler's checks the issuer has a means of maintaining a record of the precise checks which have been issued to particular customers. Thus, checks that are lost or stolen are easily replaceable and counterfeit or unlawfully duplicated checks are easily identifiable.
Also for various reasons, for example, aesthetics, guaranty of authenticity of origin and genuineness of the document, it is desirable that such documents meet certain quality standards. Thus, much effort is expended by the various agencies and businesses issuing such documents to assure the release of only those documents which meet predetermined quality criteria. Thus, governments issuing currency and businesses issuing documents such as traveler's checks expend great effort to prevent the issuance of flawed or imperfect documents.
Presently known methods of accomplishing the aforegoing, for example, in currency or traveler's check production require that each document be visually inspected for flaws by a human inspector. In practice, the documents are printed in sheets of, for example 8.times.4 documents with each sheet containing 32 documents. Each document is printed with serialized indicia. If all the documents pass the visual inspection for quality, the sheets are cut into individual documents and stacked sequentially according to their serial number.
On the other hand, when visual inspection uncovers one or more flawed documents, the documents are rejected. However, in order that consecutive serialization be maintained, the rejected documents must be replaced with documents previously printed save for the serial numbers. These documents then have the appropriate serial numbers printed thereon and manually placed in correct sequential order.
As can be readily appreciated, the foregoing described procedure of inspection and replacement of rejected documents is time consuming, prone to human error, and costly.
The present invention relates to an apparatus wherein the foregoing procedure of inspection and printing serial numbers is fully automated. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to multifunctional optical fiber bundles for image and signal transmission or sensor applications and particularly to a special kind of the bundles with reduced speckle noise (resulting from spatial inhomogeneity and asymmetry of radiation of specific fibers of the bundle) having ordered structure of fiber positions in its sensitive probe tip according to some prescribed rule.
2. Information Disclosure Statement
Multichannel optical fibers bundles provide very flexible tools for light transmission to and/or light receiving from some object. In general case such a bundles can be designed as a structure of fibers with prescribed positions of their ends in a sensitive probe tip bundled into specific light transmitting and light receiving channels.
Such bundles have many important applications. They can be used, for example, in various spectroscopic devices, process-photometers as a sensitive probe and light transmitting tool. Other applications of the bundles include high sensitive sensors of displacement or vibration measuring systems. Moreover, an ordered optical fiber bundle can be used as a light transmitting and reading device of raster type for linear detecting and light emitting components.
Many optical fiber bundles of various constructions have been designed and numerous methods of manufacturing of the bundles have been developed.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,244,894 describes photoelectric detection device utilizing randomized optical light conducting means which use a randomized single channel bundle.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,702,275 describes a fiber optic encoding-decoding apparatus and method for its fabrication. The apparatus employs an image encoding-decoding single channel bundle. The bundle is fabricated by steps of coiling the fiber into a thyroidal bundle of fiber convolutions. A randomization between fibers can be performed only for reproducing the image portion in random.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,383,192 describes a method of making fiberscope. It utilizes the fiber bundles that comprise a flexible structure of fibers.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,328,143 offers a method of making light-conducting optical multifiber structures which utilize a fiber optical image-transfer device.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,586,562 describes a method of making scrambled branched fiber optics. This method utilizes a mixed scrambling of branched fiber optic which is an initial layer of fibers on a drum of drawing machine. The fibers intermediate the tape strips are secured together by cement, and the fibers are then cut in the lacquered sections.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,674,452 claims a method of fabricating illuminated fiber optics. This method involves initially fabricating a fiber optic conduit, wherein a plurality of light-conducting fibers are formed in a bundle with a predetermined geometrical configuration at the first end and an identical geometrical configuration at the second end of the bundle.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,669,639 describes a method for production of a fused energy-conducting structure and also describes an apparatus for cementing a plurality of fibers in a simple parallel arrangement.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,586,563 offers a method for producing an optical fiber bundle by winding the fiber element onto a drum while it is rotated in one direction so that a layer of the helical wound windings is formed one channel structure on the drum.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,327,584 describes a fiber optic proximity probe, wherein transmitting and receiving fibers are bundled into channels with casual randomization ordering. The random numbers of transmitting or receiving fibers are placed snugly at the probe tip, wherein signals coming from the fibers near-by located fibers are mixed.
None of these inventions, however, discloses an optical fiber bundle whose fibers are arranged according to a programmable order in such a way that a plurality of fibers in the transmitting and receiving channels have spatial type of a layer or a matrix structure providing reduction of speckle noise and maximizing sensitivity as required for sensor and other applications. The speckle noise in each specific fiber is due to dynamic variation of spatially inhomogeneous speckle pattern resulting from the interference of many fiber modes. Collecting the radiation from many fibers included in the bundle can be used for averaging the speckle pattern and thus for reducing the speckle noise. Moreover, the modal noise in a multichannel optical fiber bundle, sensitivity of the signal on distance and angle between a reflecting surface, and the sensitive probe tip essentially depend on the specific structure in which the fiber ends of the optical bundle are ordered in its sensitive probe tip. For example, in optical fiber bundles with some specific ordering of the fiber in sensitive probe tip the sensitivity can be increased and the modal noise decreased in many times in comparison with nonordered bundle. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
The invention relates to compounds useful as xcex23-adrenoreceptor agonists.
For many individuals, a tendency to experience weight problems and even obesity is often symptomatic of disease or disorders of the metabolism associated with serious and even life-threatening conditions. The decade of the 1990""s witnessed dramatic increases in diabetes and obesity in the United States, and at the same time, Americans showed little improvement in eating habits or increasing their physical activity. In a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found a 61 percent increase in the percentage of Americans who are obese from 1991 to 2000 (12.0 percent to 19.8 percent), and a 49 percent increase in the percentage of Americans who have diabetes from 1990 to 2000 (4.9 percent to 7.3 percent). About nine percent of the national health care expenditures in the United States are directly related to obesity and physical inactivity. In 1997, the health care costs associated with diabetes were $98 billion.
A wide variety of approaches to the alleviation of obesity have ebbed and flowed though modem culture, ranging from a diverse collection of dietary strategies, to drugs, to surgical interventions, to hypnosis. All have met with indifferent success at best. A great deal of the difficulty in the art and practice of obesity and weight management has been a consequence of attention focused on the control of appetite, and reducing the amount of food intake. It has long been the belief of many that only by the control of caloric intake is it possible to regulate body weight and fat deposition and utilization. Since appetite is controlled and regulated in the brain, brain pharmacology and the alteration of brain chemistry has been a primary focus of weight regulation and control efforts. Only in very recent times has obesity been addressed in relation to the metabolic pathways of the body and their role and import in fat storage and usage in the body.
Recent research has elucidated some of the mechanisms of obesity and weight gain, and has revealed that much of the limitation of prior and current weight-loss techniques stems from the fact that they are biochemically, and particularly metabolically, unsound and incapable of stimulating, regulating and modulating metabolism of fats in adipose tissues. Increasing efforts have been directed to biochemical research into the mechanisms of fat deposition and metabolism.
Among the biochemical work of note has been the recent recognition of a role of xcex2-adrenoreceptor activity in the metabolism of fats. It has been recognized that agonists for xcex2-adrenoreceptors have, in some cases, produced marked weight loss in animals, particularly humans and other mammals. More recently, the loss of weight has been identified with the xcex2-adrenoreceptor sub-type, xcex23-adrenoreceptor. It has been demonstrated that compounds that are significant xcex23-adrenoreceptor agonists produce marked weight loss in animals, particularly humans and other mammals, and that the loss is sustained with continuation of the administration of such compounds. These compounds provide potent regulation of fat metabolism. The compounds employed to date are also agonists for the xcex21-adrenoreceptor and the xcex22-adrenoreceptor sites. The lack of selectivity represents unwanted side effects of such compounds, and the compounds known as xcex23-adrenoreceptor agonists to-date are not suitable candidates for therapeutic usage because of undesirable side effects.
There is a need in the art for therapeutic agents that are highly potent and highly selective xcex23-adrenoreceptor agonists for effective stimulation, regulation and modulation of metabolism of fats in adipose tissues.
The present invention provides tetraisoquinoline compounds useful as xcex23-adrenoreceptor agonists. In a preferred embodiment, the compounds of the invention are highly specific xcex23-adrenoreceptor agonists that exhibit little or no affinity for the other xcex2-adrenoreceptors.
In one aspect, the present invention provides compounds of the formula:
wherein:
each R1 is xe2x80x94NHS(O)mR, wherein R is alkyl, substituted alkyl, alkoxy, substituted alkoxy, cycloalkyl, substituted cycloalkyl, aryl, substituted aryl, heteroaryl, substituted heteroaryl, heterocycle, or substituted heterocycle;
each X is independently selected from the group consisting of halo, alkyl, substituted alkyl, alkoxy, substituted alkoxy, hydroxy, nitro, amino, and substituted amino;
R2 is benzyl or benzyl substituted with one or more substituents selected from the group consisting of halo, CF3, hydroxy, nitro, alkoxy, substituted alkoxy, alkyl, substituted alkyl, cycloalkyl, substituted cycloalkyl, aryl, substituted aryl, heteroaryl, substituted heteroaryl, heterocycle, substituted heterocycle, amino, and substituted amino of formula xe2x80x94NHRxe2x80x2 or xe2x80x94Rxe2x80x2Rxe2x80x2, wherein each Rxe2x80x2 is alkyl, substituted alkyl, xe2x80x94C(O)Y, xe2x80x94C(O)NHY, or xe2x80x94C(O)SY, wherein Y is alkyl or substituted alkyl;
R3 is H or alkyl;
n is 0-3;
m is 1-2;
p is 1-4;
the sum of n and p is 1-4;
and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof.
In another aspect, the invention provides pharmaceutical compositions comprising at least one compound of Formula I and at least one pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. In a further aspect, the invention provides a method of treating obesity and related conditions that would benefit from stimulating, regulating and modulating metabolism of fats in adipose tissues, specifically by interaction with the xcex23-adrenoreceptor. The method involves administering a compound of Formula I, optionally with one or more pharmaceutically acceptable carriers, to an animal, preferably a human or other mammal.
The present invention now will be described more fully hereinafter. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art.
The following terms as used herein have the meanings indicated.
As used in the specification, and in the appended claims, the singular forms xe2x80x9caxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9canxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cthexe2x80x9d, include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.
The term xe2x80x9calkylxe2x80x9d refers to hydrocarbon chains typically ranging from about 1 to about 12 carbon atoms in length, preferably 1 to about 6 atoms, and includes straight and branched chains. The hydrocarbon chains may be saturated or unsaturated.
xe2x80x9cCycloalkylxe2x80x9d refers to a saturated or unsaturated cyclic hydrocarbon chain, including bridged, fused, or spiro cyclic compounds, preferably comprising 3 to about 12 carbon atoms, more preferably 3 to about 8.
The term xe2x80x9csubstituted alkylxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9csubstituted cycloalkylxe2x80x9d refers to an alkyl or cycloalkyl group substituted with one or more non-interfering substituents, such as, but not limited to, C3-C8 cycloalkyl, e.g., cyclopropyl, cyclobutyl, and the like; acetylene; cyano; alkoxy, e.g., methoxy, ethoxy, and the like; lower alkanoyloxy, e.g., acetoxy; hydroxy; carboxyl; amino; lower alkylamino, e.g., methylamino; ketone; halo, e.g. chloro or bromo; phenyl; substituted phenyl, and the like.
xe2x80x9cAlkoxyxe2x80x9d refers to an xe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94R group, wherein R is alkyl or substituted alkyl, preferably C1-C6 alkyl (e.g., methoxy or ethoxy).
xe2x80x9cArylxe2x80x9d means one or more aromatic rings, each of 5 or 6 core carbon atoms. Multiple aryl rings may be fused, as in naphthyl or unfused, as in biphenyl. Aryl rings may also be fused or unfused with one or more cyclic hydrocarbon, heteroaryl, or heterocyclic rings.
xe2x80x9cSubstituted arylxe2x80x9d is aryl having one or more non-interfering groups as substituents. For substitutions on a phenyl ring, the substituents may be in any orientation (i.e., ortho, meta or para).
xe2x80x9cHeteroarylxe2x80x9d is an aryl group containing from one to four heteroatoms, preferably N, O, or S, or a combination thereof, which heteroaryl group is optionally substituted at carbon or nitrogen atom(s) with C1-6 alkyl, xe2x80x94CF3, phenyl, benzyl, or thienyl, or a carbon atom in the heteroaryl group together with an oxygen atom form a carbonyl group, or which heteroaryl group is optionally fused with a phenyl ring. Heteroaryl rings may also be fused with one or more cyclic hydrocarbon, heterocyclic, aryl, or heteroaryl rings. Heteroaryl includes, but is not limited to, 5-membered heteroaryls having one hetero atom (e.g., thiophenes, pyrroles, furans); 5-membered heteroaryls having two heteroatoms in 1,2 or 1,3 positions (e.g., oxazoles, pyrazoles, imidazoles, thiazoles, purines); 5-membered heteroaryls having three heteroatoms (e.g., triazoles, thiadiazoles); 5-membered heteroaryls having 3 heteroatoms; 6-membered heteroaryls with one heteroatom (e.g., pyridine, quinoline, isoquinoline, phenanthrine, 5,6-cycloheptenopyridine); 6-membered heteroaryls with two heteroatoms (e.g., pyridazines, cinnolines, phthalazines, pyrazines, pyrimidines, quinazolines); 6-membered heteroaryls with three heteroatoms (e.g., 1,3,5-triazine); and 6-membered heteroaryls with four heteroatoms.
xe2x80x9cSubstituted heteroarylxe2x80x9d is heteroaryl having one or more non-interfering groups as substituents.
xe2x80x9cHeterocyclexe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cheterocyclicxe2x80x9d means one or more rings of 5-12 atoms, preferably 5-7 atoms, with or without unsaturation or aromatic character and at least one ring atom which is not carbon. Preferred heteroatoms include sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen. Multiple rings may be fused, as in quinoline or benzofuran.
xe2x80x9cSubstituted heterocyclexe2x80x9d is heterocycle having one or more side chains formed from non-interfering substituents.
xe2x80x9cNon-interfering substituents are those groups that, when present in a molecule, are typically non-reactive with other functional groups contained within the molecule.
Suitable non-interfering substituents or radicals include, but are not limited to, halo, C1-C10 alkyl, C2-C10 alkenyl, C2-C10 alkenyl, C1-C10 alkoxy, C7-C12 aralkyl, C7-C12 alkaryl, C3-C10 cycloalkyl, C3-C10 cycloalkenyl, phenyl, substituted phenyl, toluoyl, xylenyl, biphenyl, C2-C12 alkoxyalkyl, C7-C12 alkoxyaryl, C7-C12 aryloxyalkyl, C6-C12 oxyaryl, C1-C6 alkylsulfonyl, C1-C10 alkylsulfonyl, xe2x80x94(CH2)mxe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94(C1-C10 alkyl) wherein m is from 1 to 8, aryl, substituted aryl, substituted alkoxy, fluoroalkyl, heterocyclic radical, substituted heterocyclic radical, nitroalkyl, xe2x80x94NO2, xe2x80x94CN, xe2x80x94NRC(O)xe2x80x94(C1-C10 alkyl), xe2x80x94C(O)xe2x80x94(C1-C10 alkyl), C2-C10 thioalkyl, xe2x80x94C(O)Oxe2x80x94(C1-C10 alkyl), xe2x80x94OH, xe2x80x94SO2, xe2x95x90S, xe2x80x94COOH, xe2x80x94NR, carbonyl, xe2x80x94C(O)xe2x80x94(C1-C10 alkyl)xe2x80x94CF3, xe2x80x94C(O)xe2x80x94CF3, xe2x80x94C(O)NR2, xe2x80x94(C1-C10 alkyl)xe2x80x94Sxe2x80x94(C6-C12 aryl), xe2x80x94C(O)xe2x80x94(C6-C12 aryl), xe2x80x94(CH2)mxe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94(CH2)mxe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94(C1-C10 alkyl) wherein each m is from 1 to 8, xe2x80x94C(O)NR, xe2x80x94C(S)NR, xe2x80x94SO2NR, xe2x80x94NRC(O)NR, xe2x80x94NRC(S)NR, salts thereof, and the like. Each R as used herein is H, alkyl or substituted alkyl, aryl or substituted aryl, aralkyl, or alkaryl.
xe2x80x9cHeteroatomxe2x80x9d means any non-carbon atom in a hydrocarbon analog compound. Examples include oxygen, sulfur, nitrogen, phosphorus, arsenic, silicon, selenium, tellurium, tin, and boron.
The present invention provides tetraisoquinoline compounds useful as xcex23-adrenoreceptor agonists, preferably highly selective xcex23-adrenoreceptor agonists, having the formula:
wherein:
each R1 is xe2x80x94NHS(O)mR, wherein R is alkyl, substituted alkyl, alkoxy, substituted alkoxy, cycloalkyl, substituted cycloalkyl, aryl, substituted aryl, heteroaryl, substituted heteroaryl, heterocycle, or substituted heterocycle;
each X is independently selected from the group consisting of halo, alkyl, substituted alkyl, alkoxy, substituted alkoxy, hydroxy, nitro, amino, and substituted amino;
R2 is benzyl or benzyl substituted with one or more substituents selected from the group consisting of halo, CF3, hydroxy, nitro, alkoxy, substituted alkoxy, alkyl, substituted alkyl, cycloalkyl, substituted cycloalkyl, aryl, substituted aryl, heteroaryl, substituted heteroaryl, heterocycle, substituted heterocycle, amino, and substituted amino of formula xe2x80x94NHRxe2x80x2 or xe2x80x94NRxe2x80x2Rxe2x80x2, wherein each Rxe2x80x2 is alkyl, substituted alkyl, xe2x80x94C(O)Y, xe2x80x94C(O)NHY, or xe2x80x94C(O)SY, wherein Y is alkyl or substituted alkyl;
R3 is H or alkyl (e.g., C1-C6 alkyl such as methyl, ethyl and the like);
n is 0-3, preferably 1;
m is 1-2, preferably 2;
p is 1-4, preferably 1;
the sum of n and p is 1-4, preferably 2;
and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof.
As used herein, xe2x80x9csubstituted aminoxe2x80x9d encompasses mono- and disubstituted amino groups. Preferred substituents of the xe2x80x9csubstitutedxe2x80x9d groups referred to above include, but are not limited to, C1-C6alkyl, C1-C6 alkoxy, hydroxy, halo, nitro, amino, amino substituted with one or two C1-C6alkyl, CF3, xe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94CF3, phenyl (optionally substituted with one or more C1-C6alkyl, C1-C6 alkoxy, hydroxy, halo, nitro, CF3, xe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94CF3, amino, or amino substituted with one or two C1-C6alkyl), and benzyl (optionally substituted with one or more C1-C6alkyl, C1-C6 alkoxy, hydroxy, halo, nitro, CF3, xe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94CF3, amino, or amino substituted with one or two C1-C6alkyl).
Preferred embodiments of the compounds of the invention include a single R1 sulfonamide moiety at the 7-position. The R group of the sulfonamide moiety is preferably C1-C6alkyl, substituted C1-C6alkyl, phenyl, substituted phenyl, benzyl, or substituted benzyl. Particularly preferred R groups include methyl, ethyl, propyl, butyl, phenyl, and benzyl, wherein the phenyl or benzyl group can be substituted with one or more C1-C6alkyl, C1-C6 alkoxy, hydroxy, halo, nitro, CF3, xe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94CF3, amino, or amino substituted with one or two C1-C6alkyl.
Each X is preferably C1-C6alkyl, C1-C6alkoxy, hydroxy or halo. In one embodiment, n is 1 and X is a hydroxy located at the 6-position.
The benzyl group of R2 is preferably substituted with one or more C1-C6alkoxy (e.g., methoxy, ethoxy) or halo groups (e.g., bromo, iodo). In one embodiment, the R2 group has the structure:
wherein R4, R5, and R6 are independently selected alkoxy or halo. In one preferred embodiment, R4 and R6 are halo, such as bromo, and R5 is C1-C6alkoxy (e.g., methoxy).
As noted above, preferred embodiments include an X group at the 6-position and an R1 group at the 7-position as shown below.
A particularly preferred embodiment of the invention provides compounds of the structure:
wherein:
X is hydroxy;
R1 is xe2x80x94NHS(O)2R, wherein R is selected from the group consisting of C1-C6alkyl, C1-C6alkoxy, phenyl, phenyl substituted with one or more C1-C6alkyl, C1-C6alkoxy, halo, CF3, or xe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94CF3, benzyl, and benzyl substituted with one or more C1-C6alkyl, C1-C6alkoxy, halo, CF3, or xe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94CF3;
R3 is H or methyl, preferably H; and
R4, R5, and R6 are independently selected alkoxy (e.g., methoxy, ethoxy) or halo (e.g., bromo).
While racemic mixtures of compounds of the invention can be active, selective, and bioavailable, isolated isomers are ordinarily of more particular interest. The S(xe2x88x92) isomers are preferred, as they generally provided the highest selectivity and the highest bioavailability. The R(+) isomers are found to be moderately active and retain selectivity, and the R-isomers are in some cases easier to isolate.
The compounds of Formula I may be utilized per se or in the form of a pharmaceutically acceptable salt. If used, a salt of the drug compound should be both pharmacologically and pharmaceutically acceptable, but non-pharmaceutically acceptable salts may conveniently be used to prepare the free active compound or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof and are not excluded from the scope of this invention. Such pharmacologically and pharmaceutically acceptable salts can be prepared by reaction of the drug with an organic or inorganic acid, using standard methods detailed in the literature. Examples of useful salts include, but are not limited to, those prepared from the following acids: hydrochloric, hydrobromic, sulfuric, nitric, phosphoric, maleic, acetic, salicyclic, p-toluenesulfonic, tartaric, citric, methanesulphonic, formic, malonic, succinic, naphthalene-2-sulphonic and benzenesulphonic, and the like. Also, pharmaceutically acceptable salts can be prepared as alkaline metal or alkaline earth salts, such as sodium, potassium, or calcium salts of a carboxylic acid group. Salts prepared from maleic acid and hydrochloric acid are particularly preferred.
Exemplary compounds of Formula I above are shown below:
A convenient protection scheme has been devised for the synthesis of the desired xcex23-adrenoreceptor agonists of the present invention adapted from the procedures disclosed in a previous application assigned to the present assignee and designated U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/164,047, filed Sep. 30, 1998, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein. As those of ordinary skill in the art of chemical synthesis will understand, the procedures there are adapted to the requirements of the present invention by well-known and readily understood adaptations to accommodate selection and use of differing starting reagents. The synthesis methods are generally adapted from methods disclosed in Clark, M. T.; Adejare, A.; Shams, G.; Feller, D. R.; Miller, D. D. xe2x80x9c5-fluoro- and 8fluorotrimetoquinol: selective beta 2-adrenoceptor agonistsxe2x80x9d J Med Chem 1987, 30, 86-90; Harrold, M. W.; Gerhardt, M. A.; Romstedt, K.; Feller, D. R.; Miller, D. D. xe2x80x9cSynthesis and platelet antiaggregatory activity of trimetoquinol analogs as endoperoxide/thromboxane A2 antagonistsxe2x80x9d Drug Des Deliv 1987,1, 193-207; Adejare,A.; Miller, D. D.; Fedynaj S.;Ahn, C. H.; Feller, D. R. xe2x80x9cSyntheses and betaadrenergic agonist and antiaggregatory properties of N-substituted trimetoquinol analoguesxe2x80x9d J Med Chem 1986,29,1603-9.
As illustrated in the appended examples, compounds of the invention can be formed using N-[2-(4-amino-3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-ethyl]-2-(3,5-dibromo-4-methoxyphenyl)-acetamide as a starting point, which can be synthesized as disclosed in Example 1. Isolation of the stereoisomers is performed by known techniques, including recrystallization using diasteromeric salts, chiral column separation using HPLC, adsorption chromatography, and the like.
In another aspect, the invention provides pharmaceutical formulations or compositions, both for veterinary and for human medical use, comprising a compound of Formula I as described above and one or more pharmaceutically acceptable carriers, and optionally any other therapeutic ingredients, stabilizers, or the like. The carrier(s) must be pharmaceutically acceptable in the sense of being compatible with the other ingredients of the formulation and not unduly deleterious to the recipient thereof. The compositions of the invention may also include polymeric excipients/additives or carriers, e.g., polyvinylpyrrolidones, derivatized celluloses such as hydroxymethylcellulose, hydroxyethylcellulose, and hydroxypropylmethylcellulose, Ficolls (a polymeric sugar), hydroxyethylstarch (HES), dextrates (e.g., cyclodextrins, such as 2-hydroxypropyl-xcex2-cyclodextrin and sulfobutylether-xcex2-cyclodextrin), polyethylene glycols, and pectin. The compositions may further include diluents, buffers, binders, disintegrants, thickeners, lubricants, preservatives (including antioxidants), flavoring agents, taste-masking agents, inorganic salts (e.g., sodium chloride), antimicrobial agents (e.g., benzalkonium chloride), sweeteners, antistatic agents, surfactants (e.g., polysorbates such as xe2x80x9cTWEEN 20xe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cTWEEN 80xe2x80x9d, and pluronics such as F68 and F88, available from BASF), sorbitan esters, lipids (e.g., phospholipids such as lecithin and other phosphatidylcholines, phosphatidylethanolamines, fatty acids and fatty esters, steroids (e.g., cholesterol)), and chelating agents (e.g., EDTA, zinc and other such suitable cations). Other pharmaceutical excipients and/or additives suitable for use in the compositions according to the invention are listed in xe2x80x9cRemington: The Science and Practice of Pharmacyxe2x80x9d, 19th ed., Williams and Williams, (1995), and in the xe2x80x9cPhysician""s Desk Referencexe2x80x9d, 52nd ed., Medical Economics, Montvale, N.J. (1998), and in xe2x80x9cHandbook of Pharmaceutical Excipientsxe2x80x9d, Third Ed., Ed. A. H. Kibbe, Pharmaceutical Press, 2000.
The compounds of Formula I above may be formulated in compositions including those suitable for oral, buccal, rectal, topical, nasal, ophthalmic, or parenteral (including intraperitoneal, intravenous, subcutaneous, or intramuscular injection) administration. The compositions may conveniently be presented in unit dosage form and may be prepared by any of the methods well known in the art of pharmacy. All methods include the step of bringing a compound of Formula I into association with a carrier that constitutes one or more accessory ingredients. In general, the compositions are prepared by bringing a compound of the invention into association with a liquid carrier to form a solution or a suspension, or alternatively, bringing a compound of the invention into association with formulation components suitable for forming a solid, optionally a particulate product, and then, if warranted, shaping the product into a desired delivery form. Solid formulations of the invention, when particulate, will typically comprise particles with sizes ranging from about 1 nanometer to about 500 microns. In general, for solid formulations intended for intravenous administration, particles will typically range from about 1 nm to about 10 microns in diameter.
The amount of the compound of Formula I in the formulation will vary depending the specific compound selected, dosage form, target patient population, and other considerations, and will be readily determined by one skilled in the art. The amount of the compound of Formula I in the formulation will be that amount necessary to deliver a therapeutically effective amount of the compound to a patient in need thereof to achieve at least one of the therapeutic effects associated with the compounds of the invention. In practice, this will vary widely depending upon the particular compound, its activity, the severity of the condition to be treated, the patient population, the stability of the formulation, and the like. Compositions will generally contain anywhere from about 1% by weight to about 99% by weight of a compound of the invention, typically from about 5% to about 70% by weight, and more typically from about 10% to about 50% by weight, and will also depend upon the relative amounts of excipients/additives contained in the composition.
In a further aspect, the present invention relates to the field of treating obesity and overweight conditions in animals, particularly humans and other mammals, and associated effects of conditions associated with obesity and overweight, including Type II diabetes mellitus (non-insulin dependent diabetes), insulin resistance, glucose intolerance, hypothyroidism, morbid obesity, and the like.
The regulatory and modulatory effect of the compounds of the present invention are believed to be dependent on continued administration over time, and the attainment of an equilibrium state which is believed to be dose dependent. In that fashion, the present invention affords the control of body fat in animals, particularly humans and other mammals, over sustained periods, at desirable levels of body fat and/or body mass indices, as defined in the medical literature.
The compounds can be formulated into pharmaceutical compositions to serve as highly selective, effective and safe xcex23-adrenoreceptor agonists to provide long-term weight control. In humans, the compositions can be administered to control body fat levels, and to maintain acceptable body fat levels over time. In domesticated animals, the compositions can be administered to attain desirably low fat content in carcass meats intended for human consumption.
The method of treatment generally includes administering a therapeutically effective amount of a compound of Formula I, optionally in a pharmaceutical composition including one or more pharmaceutically acceptable carriers. The therapeutically effective amount is preferably sufficient to stimulate, regulate and modulate metabolism of fats in adipose tissues. The therapeutically effective dosage amount of any specific formulation will vary somewhat from drug to drug, patient to patient, and will depend upon factors such as the condition of the patient and the route of delivery. As a general proposition, a dosage from about 0.5 to about 20 mg/kg body weight, preferably from about 1.0 to about 5.0 mg/kg, will have some therapeutic efficacy. When administered conjointly with other pharmaceutically active agents, even less of the compounds of the invention may be therapeutically effective.
The compounds of the invention can be administered once or several times a day. The duration of the treatment may be once per day for a period of from two to three weeks and may continue for a period of months or even years. The daily dose can be administered either by a single dose in the form of an individual dosage unit or several smaller dosage units or by multiple administration of subdivided dosages at certain intervals. Possible routes of delivery include buccally, subcutaneously, transdermally, intramuscularly, intravenously, orally, or by inhalation. | {
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The present invention relates to an adhesive tape to be applied to the surface of vertical members of automobile door sashes and a positioning apparatus for applying the tape.
Conventionally, automobile door sashes have been painted black or other colors in order to improve their appearance. However, painting not only requires additional manufacturing steps such as masking but also risks causing environmental problems due to the evaporation of solvent into the atmosphere. Recently, to overcome these problems, colored adhesive tape made of vinyl chloride is being used instead of painting. The application of such adhesive tapes is generally carried out in the following manner. A skilled worker, using only the naked eye, attaches one end of the adhesive tape to a specific portion of the door sash, and then presses the tape along the sash with a squeegee or the like.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 338627/1993 describes a tape positioning apparatus 100 which facilitates the application of an adhesive tape to a door sash as shown in FIG. 5. The mechanism of this tape positioning apparatus 100 is as follows. A horizontal member H of a door sash is tightly held between two guide members (not shown) and the tape positioning apparatus 100 is moved along the horizontal member H in the direction of the arrow to apply an adhesive tape T.
However, in the case of applying an adhesive tape by hand, one must decide the positioning and direction of the adhesive tape relative to the door sash based on visual observation. In this case, one needs to carefully position the adhesive tape relative to the vertical member while comparing both ends of the adhesive tape. Such work requires considerable time and can not be sped up in order to shorten the cycle time of the production line.
The above-mentioned tape positioning apparatus 100 also has problems. Since the two guide members are at a fixed distance from each other, the tape positioning apparatus is compatible with the constant width horizontal member H but not with the vertical member V which has a gradually-changing width.
To solve these problems, the present invention was made. An object of the present invention is to provide an adhesive tape which can be quickly, easily and accurately applied to the surface of vertical members of door sashes. Another object is to provide a positioning apparatus for applying the tape.
To achieve these objects, the present invention provides a positioning apparatus for applying an adhesive to the surface of vertical members of automobile door sashes, which comprises:
a main body having a vertical member contact portion and a horizontal member contact portion which contact with go the inner surface of the vertical member and the inner surface of the horizontal member, and an engagement portion having a plurality of engagement projections to engage with a plurality of through-holes in the adhesive tape and arranged to be positioned above the vertical member through contact between the vertical member contact portion and the vertical member and between the horizontal member contact portion and the horizontal member;
a holding member swingably mounted on the main body to tightly hold the horizontal member between itself and the horizontal member contact portion by the force of a spring; and
an adjustment means for adjusting the position and inclination of the engagement portion relative to the surface of the vertical member.
Preferably, the main body of the positioning apparatus comprises an engagement member having the engagement portion, a support member having the vertical member contact portion and the horizontal member contact portion, and the holding member mounted on the support member. Preferably, the adjustment means comprises an elastic body interposed between the engagement member and the support member, and a plurality of bolts with which the engagement member is fixed to the support member opposing the elastic force of the elastic body.
The adjustment means may have a structure enabling positional adjustment of the vertical member contact portion relative to the horizontal member contact portion.
Preferably, the holding member is roughly L-shaped when seen from the side and comprises a holding board portion for tightly holding the horizontal member between itself and the horizontal member contact portion and an operation board portion mounted in a roughly perpendicular direction relative to the holding board; the L shaped holding member is pivotally supported at its corner by the main body and when the operation board and the main body are pinched together against the force of the spring, the space between the holding board and the horizontal member contact portion is increased.
Preferably, the holding board is provided with rollers at the front edge.
By using these positioning apparatuses of the invention, an adhesive tape can be applied quickly and accurately as compared with the application of the same tape by hand because the adjustment means of these positioning apparatuses facilitates the positioning and directional adjustment of the adhesive tape during the attachment of one end of the tape, whereas in conventional manual procedures, positioning must be accomplished by comparing the ends of the adhesive tape.
In addition, using these positioning apparatuses, adhesive tape can easily be applied even to a vertical member having a gradually-changing width, which is difficult to achieve with conventional positioning apparatuses.
The adhesive tape applied to the surface of vertical members of a door sash using the positioning apparatus has a protective film releasably attached to the outer surface and an adhesive layer formed on the inner surface. The adhesive tape comprises three separate portions consisting of a main portion to be attached to the surface of the vertical members, a fitting portion having a plurality of through-holes to engage with the plurality of engagement projections and positioned above the main portion, and a positioning portion having a contour matching the portion of the door near the base of the vertical member and positioned below the main portion, the three portions being integrated by means of a protective film applied.
This adhesive tape has the following advantage. After the main portion is applied to the vertical member using said positioning apparatus, the unnecessary portions, i.e., the fitting portion and the positioning portion, can be easily removed along with the protective film. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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In numerical data or text data stored with passage of time, a time series rule is often included. In order to find the time series rule, a time series pattern extraction apparatus is provided. In the time series pattern extraction apparatus, a usable pattern is extracted from the numerical data or the text data, and presented to an analyst. Examples of numerical data or the text data stored with passage of time include a daily report mentioning sales data or business information in a retail region, a diary recording daily biological data (such as a blood pressure or a pulse), a personal behavior or feeling in a health control region, daily stock price data in a financial region, and news mentioned in a newspaper.
In the time series pattern extraction apparatus of the prior art (Japanese Patent Disclosure (Kokai) No. 2004-287798, pages 7 and 8, and FIG. 12), even if information element in the time series data is either a numerical value or a text, a time series pattern is extracted from the high frequency time series data. Furthermore, even if information element in the time series data is a combination of numerical values and text, the time series pattern is extracted from the high frequency time series data.
In the above-mentioned time series pattern extraction apparatus, a time event representing what time series pattern exists can be extracted from the time series data. However, a time reason why the time series pattern is generated cannot be extracted from the time series data. Accordingly, the analyst must find the time reason by examining a generation process of the time series pattern. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The invention relates to compositions which may be used in the automotive industry, particularly as additives in the preparation of automotive sealants.
In the manufacture of automobiles, the bodies and frame assemblies thereof are coated, or primed, electrostatically with a 100 percent solids powder spray. The compositions of such powder sprays, referred to in the automotive industry as xe2x80x9cpowder primexe2x80x9d, and methods of electrostatically applying the powder prime are well known to those skilled in the automotive industry. It is estimated that on the order of 25,000 pounds per month of 100 percent solids waste powder prime may be generated at each assembly plant in which it is used to prime auto parts, such as frame assemblies. The waste powder prime, that prime which does not remain affixed to the primed auto part and which is recovered subsequent to the electrostatic deposition of the powder prime thereon, currently is being transported to landfills for disposal. It would be considered to be a significant environmental advance and contribution if one were to discover a use of waste powder prime, such that the present practice of disposing of waste powder prime in landfills could be reduced significantly, or totally eliminated.
Also in the manufacture of automobiles, automotive sealants are used in order to prevent air, water and dust intrusion into the passenger compartment of the automobile. These sealants typically are made of plastisols, those being mixtures of plasticizers and polymeric resins such as poly(vinyl chloride), poly(vinyl acetate), or copolymers of vinyl chloride and vinyl acetate. Other polymers may be used as well in preparation of the plastisols. The sealants further may contain ingredients such as fillers, for instance calcium carbonate, talc, calcium oxide, and glass hollowspheres; rheological additives such as thixotropes, for instance silicas and clay derivatives, and pigments, for instance titanium dioxide and carbon black. Because the adhesion of a plastisol to cold-rolled-steel or electrodeposition coatings (E-coat) is poor, conventional sealants must contain adhesion promoters. The most common of the adhesion promoters used in preparation of the sealants is polyamidoamines. Without the adhesion promoters, such sealants will exhibit poor adhesion to such substrates as cold rolled steel and the E-coat.
It has been reported that waste paint sludge which is recovered from automotive xe2x80x9cpaintingxe2x80x9d processes and which contains water, solvent and uncured polymer, may be used in the preparation of automotive sealants. However, before the waste paint sludge may be used to prepare automotive sealants, the waste paint sludge must undergo extensive treatment and processing to remove all or most of the water or solvent from the waste sludge. The xe2x80x9cpaintingxe2x80x9d operations from which the waste sludge is recovered differ from the xe2x80x9celectrostatic depositionxe2x80x9d from which the waste powder prime is recovered. The powder prime never contains water or solvent, either as a virgin material or as a waste material. Additionally, the powder prime does not utilize ingredients such as tackifiers, plasticizers and coalescents, which commonly are used in film-forming xe2x80x9cpaintsxe2x80x9d formulated with water and/or solvents.
The present inventors surprisingly have discovered that waste powder prime may be used, without further recycling or treatment, in order to formulate compositions which may be used in the automotive industry. Specifically, the inventors surprisingly have discovered that waste powder prime may be used in combination with specific plasticizers in order to prepare compositions which may be used as additives in the automotive industry. In particular, the additives are used in the preparation of automotive sealants.
The inventors can identify at least three distinct advantages of their invention over the prior art paint sludge. First, the waste powder prime requires no processing to remove unwanted solvent or water prior to its use in the preparation of automotive sealants. Second, the waste powder prime typically is free or essentially free of components such as tackifiers, plasticizers and coalescents, which commonly are used in film-forming xe2x80x9cpaintsxe2x80x9d formulated with water and/or solvents. As a result, in the formulation of compositions which utilize waste powder prime, the formulator need not be concerned with detrimental affects such components might have on the particular formulated compositions. Finally, the present invention provides a practical and economical solution to a significant environmental need by reducing or eliminating the amount of waste powder prime which is disposed of in landfills, without the need for extensive and expensive recycling processes, while unexpectedly providing improvements in automotive compositions which have not been reported heretofore. It is believed that each of the above advantages in and of itself constitutes a significant improvement over the prior art xe2x80x9cpaint sludgexe2x80x9d containing water and solvent, as discussed above. In addition to the fact that all three of the above advantages may be realized simultaneously, the compositions of the present invention offer other advantages which are disclosed herein below.
The present invention is directed to compositions which may be used as additives in the automotive industry, which compositions comprise waste powder prime (WPP) and a plasticizer selected from the group consisting of 2-ethylhexyl diphenyl phosphate, diisoheptyl phthalate, a linear phthalate based upon C7-C9 alcohols, a mixture of esters, and dipropylene glycol dibenzoate. When used as an additive, in the preparation of formulated automotive sealants which are substantially free of an adhesion promoter, or preferably which are free of an adhesion promoter, the inventive additives provide sealants which exhibit adhesion which is as good as or better than conventional automotive sealants which do contain an adhesion promoter in conventional amounts used to provide adhesion to automotive sealants. Also included within the scope of the present invention are automotive sealant compositions which comprise a polymeric resin, WPP and a plasticizer selected from the group consisting of 2-ethylhexyl diphenyl phosphate, diisoheptyl phthalate, a linear phthalate based upon C7-C9 alcohols, a mixture of esters, and dipropylene glycol dibenzoate. | {
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Recently, in an interior molded article for automobiles such as steering wheel etc., a soft coating portion has been formed with, in view of sense of touch, an integral skin foam of soft polyurethane RIM (Reaction Injection Molding) urethane material! with which a desirable feel can be obtained and a material comprising, as a base, polyvinyl chloride having a large amount of a plasticizer formulated therein (soft PVC material).
These materials are, however, difficult to recycle, so that a substitute is required to be developed in view of saving resources and environmental problems.
That is, RIM urethane material is heat-curable, so that not only the reuse thereof is difficult, but also both the initial cost and the running cost (material cost) are rather expensive.
Although the soft PVC material is thermoplastic, since it includes a large amount of a plasticizer and, additionally, generates chlorine gas by heating, the reuse thereof is also difficult. It also has a high specific gravity and, therefore, is not suitable as an interior molded article for automobiles.
The present inventors had a great interest in various characteristics of TPU such as its feel and have searched for an interior molded article for automobiles. The TPU, however, has a relatively high hardness, so, by solely using the same, a soft (touch) feeling in gripping the integral skin was difficult to obtained. Thus, in order to obtain the soft feeling, the soft type material (Hs JIS K-6301 A! of 70.degree. or less) could be considered to be used. But a given abrasion resistance could hardly be obtained therefrom, so that it was almost impossible to apply the same to an interior molded article for automobiles.
Accordingly, it can be considered to form a soft coating portion with a thermoplastic elastomer such as a thermoplastic polyolefin elastomer or a thermoplastic polystyrene elastomer, which are desirable in recycling properties. However, although, for example, a steering wheel etc., molded from an olefinic TPE which is a currently used thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) is light and provides a soft feel, it is lacking of an abrasion resistance and also undesirably provides a sticky feeling so that it substantially could not be applied to an interior molded article for automobiles. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an industrial controller, and addressees in particular to a fault-tolerant technique for numeric data to be processed by operation.
2. Description of the Related Art
For control in a social infrastructure, industrial controllers in use are mostly employed for a 24-hour service as a given. Such industrial controllers are employed in those systems requiring operation processes to be error-free during their services. There is thus growing role of a fault-tolerant system allowing normal processes to be continued as a whole, even with a trouble caused in part.
Such the background is based on for development of a code theory (non-patent document 1), as well as for introduction of a fault-tolerant technique using an error correcting code, primarily in a storage system, such as a memory as a main (patent document 1). Referred now as the non-patent document 1 is “Sanzyutsu Fugou Riron (arithmetic code theory) by Akio Fukuhara and Munehiro Gotoh, Corona Ltd., Japan, April 1978, pp 32-72, pp 97-181”, and the patent document 1 is Japanese Patent Publication No. 2,665,113.
For the storage system, implementation of a fault-tolerant technique is unavoidable because of, among others, (1) the number of elements very greater than operation circuitry, and (2) the factor of availability higher than operation circuitry. Referred now as operation circuitry is circuitry composed of operation circuits for arithmetic operations, such as addition and subtraction as well as multiplication and division, and their control circuits.
On the contrary, for operation circuitry, implementing a fault-tolerant technique has not been deemed so important, for reasons such as (1) a smaller element number, (2) a lower availability factor, and (3) a greater implementation cost than the storage system.
In the field of a semiconductor process technique, however, as replies to demands for higher densification and higher speeds, recent years have observed developments of a finer fabrication of logic circuit, accompanied by an increasing difficulty in designing a robust circuit with a sufficient margin ensured as in the past.
This induces a software error due to fine particles in logic circuit.
Really, such a development of finer fabrication of circuit is accompanied by an increasing probability in occurrence of a software error due to fine particles, even in operation circuitry of an industrial controller or the like.
On the other hand, for those systems to be provided with a higher reliability as necessary to meet demands for an increase in operation speed and an increase in amount to be processed by operation, attempts are positively made for parallelization of operation circuitry.
In this respect, recently known is an operation processor provided with a plurality of operators for logic operations to be performed as desirable to one or more input operands, and configured to separate from the system such an operator as high of defective fraction, causing another operator to re-execute an operation process having been assigned to that operator, allowing even for an ensured security without damages to functions of the system (patent document 2). Referred now as the patent document 2 is Japanese Patent Application Laying-Open Publication No. 2006-228,121. | {
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The present invention relates generally to an apparatus and process for applying pesticides and other agents and materials to agricultural crops, vines, trees and vegetation.
Insecticides and other agents are commonly applied to crops and other types of vegetation using a variety of techniques, including tunnel sprayers. In a conventional tunnel sprayer, a tractor is used to pull or push a spray rig apparatus such as is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,893,755 issued to J. Phillip Keathley ("Keathley"). In sprayers, similar to Keathley, a canopy or tunnel is formed around a segment of crops or vegetation. A spraying apparatus is then used to inject the desired agent into the confined canopy area. The canopy avoids, to some extent, drift of the agent away from the desired site of application. It is also known to use troughs within a tunnel sprayer canopy to recover and recirculate agent which has deposited on the inner walls of the canopy.
Conventional tunnel sprayers deposit aerosol particles of an agent on crops by spraying the agent directly on to the crops. Thus, existing sprayers known in the art rely on the kinetics of the aerosol particles. There are several mechanisms and effects at work in such an aerosol environment. The principle factor is the droplet size in the aerosol spray. The larger the droplets, the less the surface area on the droplets for a given amount of spray, and the less loss to evaporation for a given amount of spray. This would seem to favor large droplets. However, other effects then come into play.
If a relatively small number of large droplets are used to coat a plant, there will have to be significant overcoverage to insure that the plants are wetted. This means that some areas of the plant surface will receive excessive pesticide to insure complete coverage, and thus the application will be inefficient. In addition, the possibility of both excessive droplet size and precipitation from collision is greatly increased with larger initial droplet sizes.
If, in a conventional sprayer, the droplets are too small, there will be much greater surface area for a given volume of spray, and there will be excessive evaporation and drift. Given these two conflicting effects, the tendency for spray applications has been to use the largest droplets consistent with achieving coverage. The majority of sprays are applied well in excess of 40 microns for field applications. While prior tunnel sprayer limit some of the drift problems, it does not eliminate the conflicting requirements of droplet size and application.
Additional constraints are presented by the requirements for bringing the droplets into contact with the plants. There has been much study of the impact mechanism whereby droplets wet a surface. A collision between aerosol droplets and a surface such that they wet a surface is referred to in the literature as an "effective" collision. There are a large number of factors that influence the mechanism but the size of droplets was found to have an appreciable effect. In a study by Hartley and Brunskill, Surface Phenomena in Chemistry and Biology, Permagon Press (1958) collisions on pea leaves (which have a somewhat hydrophobic surface) were effective when the droplet size was less than 50 microns, and largely ineffective when greater than 125 microns. This shows that efficient wetting is favored by small droplet size. On rough surfaces of the plant, the effect was largely independent of the angle of impact.
In a conventional sprayer, the small droplets in the aerosol mix would lose velocity rapidly and would drift in the atmosphere and would either coagulate into larger droplets, or evaporate and become water vapor. However, the larger droplets would require greater numbers of impacts to produce effective coverage of the plant, and higher velocities.
The other major factor affecting the ability of the droplets to have effective collisions with the plant surface is the wetting of the surface itself. It has been shown in studies by McCully that when particles or the surface are rendered hydrophobic, the effectiveness of collisions is significantly decreased. (McCully, C, et al., Ind. Eng. Chem., 48, 1512 (1956), as referenced in Fuchs, et al, The Mechanics of Aerosols, Dover Press (1989).) The influence of wettability is greatly increased when the kinetic energy of the collisions is low. In the past, pesticide application has relied on high kinetic energy either by the use of large droplets or large droplets in conjunction with high velocity. Thus, the ideal state would be to have high wettability and low kinetic energy while still maintaining the effectiveness of collision.
Conventional tunnel sprayers known in the art provide neither of the two conditions, high wettability and low kinetic energy, required for ideal application of pesticide agents to crops. As seen in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 2,977,715 issued to M. E. Lindsay ("Lindsay") the agent is randomly deposited on the leaves of the vegetation by velocity impingement of the spray onto the vegetation. Lindsay teaches spraying agent into a column of air and then impinging the air column upon plant foliage at an increased velocity. Although Lindsay discloses spraying the aerosol agent into a duct before blowing the air column into the canopy, Lindsay does nothing to change the aerosol environment. Thus, the conditions identified above which produce the best application of the agent are absent from Lindsay. In addition, Lindsay does nothing to control the saturation of the atmosphere surrounding the plants.
Conventional devices control the force of impingement by the pressure supplied by blowers. In devices such as Lindsay, the air discharge is at a substantial velocity such that it causes agitation of the plants; however, because such spray rigs rely on impingement velocity, they do not always apply the agents evenly on the vegetation. Second, more agent than would be desired is deposited on the ground beneath the plants. These factors increase the financial and environmental costs of operating such devices because large quantities of pesticide agents are required and wasted.
In addition to providing inefficient and ineffective coverage of the agent on the target crops, the conventional devices are further disadvantageous because their method of application results in shingling. Shingling occurs when the force of the spray or air is so strong that the leaves of the crops press against each other. The result is that one leaf covers all or a portion of the leaf which is behind it, thereby preventing coverage of both leaf surfaces. This phenomenon is inherent in the conventional tunnel sprayers because of the high velocity required to impinge the large aerosol particles against the crops.
As a result of the above factors, the problem facing the development of a more efficient method and apparatus for the application of agents to crops is to integrate a variety of conflicting requirements involving evaporation, droplet size, inertia of particles, wettability of surfaces and design of a suitable apparatus.
A further problem associated with the use of tunnel sprayers is the turning radius required to turn the tunnel sprayer around in the headland area. The headlands are minimized to increase the percentage of land utilizable for planting; thus, there is a limited turning radius. Therefore, minimal space at the end of a row of crops is provided. Tractors pulling the conventional sprayer, especially tunnel sprayers, cannot be used or are used with difficulty in such areas. Thus, it is desirable to minimize the turning radius of the tractors used in spraying operations and the equipment which they pull.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a more efficient and cost effective method and apparatus for applying agents to crops, vegetation, and trees, while avoiding the problems associated with conventional impingement velocity tunnel sprayers.
Another object of the invention is to utilize a process which will create a large number of effective collisions while nevertheless operating with comparatively low velocities.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide an apparatus and method which will decrease the operation costs of applying agents by maximizing the actual deposition of agents to the crops.
A still further object of the invention is to reduce wasted pesticide agents due to evaporate loss in the deposition process by the means of application and recapture from within the apparatus for reapplication to the crops.
A still further object of the present invention is to minimize the turning radius required for the tractor when pulling a tunnel sprayer. | {
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It is well known in the field of electrical connectors, for example, cable television connectors, that if the connector is not sufficiently secured such as by torquing to the cable jack, a loss or leakage of the signal will occur. One attempt of the prior art to deal with the aforementioned problem is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,655,159 in which a visual sleeve serves to indicate when the connector has been optimally torqued.
One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a novel method for securing a connector in a manner which minimizes, if not prevents, loss of the signal passing through the connector. Included herein is the provision of such a method which clearly indicates or determines whether or not the connector has been sufficiently secured. Further included herein is the provision of such a method which will indicate whether sufficient torque has been applied for securing the connector.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel and improved connector for coaxial cable or other equivalent installations which will establish a secure connection to a mating jack, for example, so as to minimize or prevent leakage of the signal passing through the connector. Included herein is the provision of such a connector which will clearly determine or indicate whether it has been sufficiently secured so as to guard against leakage or loss of the signal. Further included herein is the provision of such a connector which will indicate whether sufficient torque has been applied for securing the connector to a jack, for example, so as to minimize the possibility of signal loss arising from an insecure connection. | {
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This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.
As is conventional, fluid pumps, such as gerotor pumps are used in power transfer units of the type installed in motor vehicles for supplying lubrication to the rotary driven components. Such power transfer units include manual and automatic transmissions, transaxles, and four-wheel drive transfer cases. Typically, a gerotor pump has a stationary outer ring defining a pumping chamber and an inner ring positioned in the pumping chamber and which is fixed for rotation with a driven member (i.e., a shaft, etc.). The inner ring has external lobes which are meshed with and eccentrically offset from internal lobes formed on the outer ring. Since the number of internal lobes is greater than the number of external lobes, driven rotation of the inner ring results in a pumping action wherein a supply of hydraulic fluid is drawn from a sump in the power transfer unit into the suction side of the pumping chamber and is discharged from the pressure side of the pumping chamber at an increased pressure.
A drawback associated with conventional gerotor pumps is that the pumping action is only generated in response to rotation of the inner ring in one direction. As such, gerotor pumps are arranged in most power transfer units to generate the pumping action during rotation of the inner ring in a direction corresponding to forward driven operation of the motor vehicle. Since the gerotor pump does not generate a supply of hydraulic fluid when the inner ring is driven in the opposite direction, an undesirable condition may result wherein an inadequate supply of lubrication is delivered to the rotary components during extended periods of reverse operation. To alleviate this condition, some power transfer units are equipped with a first pump for lubricant supply in forward operation and a second pump for lubricant supply in reverse operation. As is obvious, the addition of a second pump adds both cost and weight to the power transfer unit. Thus, a continuing need exists to develop alternatives to conventional uni-directional gerotor pumps for use in power transfer cases.
To secure these gerotor pumps to the rear transfer case housing, the pump housing typically includes radial tabs formed around an outer periphery thereof, which are configured to engage pockets or keyways in the power transfer case housing to allow the pump to be firmly secured therein. These components are formed such that when the pump housing is installed in the rear transfer case housing, a nominal clearance exists between the radial tabs on the pump housing and the pockets formed in the transfer case housing. This clearance is intended to allow for blind installation of the rear housing over the pump. It is known that this nominal clearance can create undesirable noise issues in some vehicles, which results from the pump tab hitting the rear housing during vehicle operation. Eliminating this potential for noise would thus be highly desirable. | {
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The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for medical imaging and, more particularly, to systems and methods for enhancing images acquired using any of a variety of imaging modalities.
The most common way of extracting information from medical images remains visual analysis by a radiologist, or another trained specialist, which is aimed at determining if an object (e.g. tumor) is present or grading a feature which spans a large portion of the image (e.g. classifying the lung tissue as being healthy or having emphysema). Objects in an image can be hard to detect if the image has a low contrast-to-noise ratio. Increasing object contrast is especially difficult in medical images as it can lead to increased radiation dose or significantly increased scan times. Thus, low contrast-to-noise ratios are especially common in medical imaging. Various methods have been used to enhance medical images, such as smoothing, edge enhancement, histogram equalization, and denoising algorithms. In general, most of these try to reduce noise in the image while maintaining desired features, or to increase contrast in the image. | {
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In wireless communication systems, there are a variety of reasons why a radio access network (RAN) may be unable to set up a call session with a mobile station. One of the most common reasons is that the mobile station may be out of coverage of the RAN. Another reason is that the RAN may have insufficient air interface resources to engage in call control signaling with the mobile station, such as to receive an origination message, send a page message, or the like. Still other examples may exist as well.
Although a call setup failure may occur, it does not necessarily mean that a mobile station is unavailable. Given the number of wireless local area networks (e.g., 802.11, BLUETOOTH, or other networks) that are in use today, a mobile station may often be within the coverage range of a particular WLAN and may be able to place and receive calls via WLAN communication. For instance, it is known today for a mobile station to be able to telephone connectivity via an 802.11 Wi-Fi access point. To provide such connectivity, the access point can be connected with a packet-switched network, and a media gateway system can then be provided as an interface between the packet-switched network and a traditional telephone system such as the public switched telephone network (PSTN). The mobile station can then place and receive telephone calls via a communication path comprising (i) an air interface connection with the access point, (ii) the packet-switched network, (iii) the media gateway system, and (iv) the PSTN or other telephony system.
In addition to being able to gain telephone connectivity via a WLAN access point, also known today are multi-protocol mobile stations (multi-mode devices). Such multi-mode devices are designed to exchange data wirelessly in accordance with more than one protocol. For example, one protocol may be a wireless wide area network (WWAN) protocol such as CDMA, TDMA, AMPS, or GSM, and the other protocol might be a WLAN protocol such as 802.11 or BLUETOOTH. If communication according to one protocol is not available for some reason, the device may then communicate via the other protocol instead. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
This present invention relates to a light source apparatus, and more particularly, to a light source apparatus for an optical projecting system. A light source is disposed on a first optical axis. A second optical axis is perpendicular to the first optical axis. A plurality of light-guiding devices are respectively disposed on the first optical axis, the second optical axis, the first light source or the second light source, for guiding the light emitted by the light sources to be parallel to the second optical axis.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Referring to FIG. 1, FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a light source apparatus for an optical projecting system of the prior art. The light source apparatus 1 as shown in FIG. 1 includes a right light source 11 and a left light source 12. The right light source 11 is disposed on an upper light axis 14. The left light source 12 is disposed on a lower light axis 15. The upper light axis 14 is parallel to the lower light axis 15. A light source reflection module 13 is disposed between the right light source 11 and the left light source 12.
Referring to FIG. 2, FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating the light source reflection module of the light source apparatus of the prior art. The same description as in FIG. 1 will not be described again. The light source reflection module 13 has an upper light source reflection mirror 131 and a lower light source reflection mirror 132, for reflecting light emitted from the light source. The upper light source reflection mirror 131 is set over the lower light source reflection mirror 132. The upper light source reflection mirror 131 and the lower light source reflection mirror 132 are flat reflection mirrors.
The two light sources of the light source apparatus for an optical projecting system of the prior art are set on two light axes parallel to each other. Therefore, the size of the light source apparatus of the prior art must be big enough to contain the light sources on different light axes. However, the light source apparatus of the prior art is too large, and it is inconvenient to use.
As a result, it is necessary to provide a light source apparatus which can accommodate the two light sources but have a smaller size than the prior art. For this reason, the inventor shows his creativity and develops his invention to the best. Therefore, the invention is created. | {
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In active matrix displays (AM-LCD) having an integrated non-linear device as a switching device typified by a non-linear two terminal device such as a variable resistor or diode, and a non-linear three terminals device such as a thin film transistor (TFT), liquid crystal compositions having a high voltage holding ratio are required compared with conventional displays of passive modes such as a twisted nematic mode, guest host mode, super twisted nematic mode, and SBE (Super Birefringence Effect) mode. AM-LCD utilizing a liquid crystal composition having a low voltage holding ratio can not provide a high quality display, since it causes phenomena such as spotting, flickering, and lowering in contrast. Besides, the lowering of voltage holding ratio under the environment in which an AM-LCD is used raises other problems.
Since, in many instances, liquid crystal materials, as a single compound, used for displays do not satisfy various requirements for properties such as temperature range of liquid crystal phase, viscosity, optical anisotropy, dielectric anisotropy, elastic constants (K.sub.11, K.sub.22, K.sub.33), driving voltage, chemical and physical stability and long term stability of them, consumptive electric current, specific resistance, voltage holding ratio, and temperature dependency of these parameters which meet to various displays, a mixture of a plural number of compounds (hereinafter, sometimes, referred to as liquid crystal composition) is generally used.
Heretofore, it is known that the chemical structure of liquid crystalline compounds used for displays is usually a rod-like, and that the chemical structure can roughly be divided into a terminal group portion, ring structure portion, and the portion of bonding group which links a ring with another ring. Ring bonding group portion may sometimes have lateral substitutents.
As the literature which shows such facts, for example, the following can be mentioned:
Literature 1: Takashi INUKAI, Liquid Crystals-Fundamentals, (co-editors; Kohji OKANO and Shunsuke KOBAYASHI), pp. 178-204, published by Baifuhkan Co., Ltd. (1985) PA1 Literature 2: Shunsuke TAKENAKA, Liquid Crystal Materials (edited by Narikazu KUSABAYASHI), pp. 67-94, published by Kohdansha Co., Ltd. (1991) PA1 Literature 3: V. Vill, Landolt-Boernstein/New Series Group IV Volume 7 a-d Liquid Crystals, Springer-Verlag (1992) PA1 Literature 4: D. Demus, H. Demus, H. Zaschke, Fluessige Kristalle in Tabellen, VEB Deutscher Verlag fuer Grundstoff Industrie, Leipzig (1976) PA1 Literature 5: D. Demus, H. Zaschke, Fluessige Kristalle in Tabellen II, VEB Deutscher Verlag fuer Grundstoff Industrie, Leipzig (1984), PA1 (1) A liquid crystal composition comprising at least one liquid crystalline compound expressed by the following general formula (3) and having a total number of carbon atoms of 4 to 24 in the portions of acyclic hydrocarbon in a side chain, in an amount of 70% by weight or more, in the liquid crystal composition, and the average value of the total number of carbon atoms in the liquid crystalline compound in the liquid crystal composition is 5 or more. ##STR1## wherein R represents a chain group having 1 to 12 carbon atoms in the portion of hydrocarbon, A1 and A2 independently represent trans-1,4-cyclohexylene group, or 1,4-phenylene group which may be unsubstituted or lateral position of which may be substituted with fluorine, Z1 and Z2 independently represent single bond, or a bridge group a main chain of which is composed of an even number of atoms, X represents --F, --Cl, --CF.sub.3, --OCF.sub.3, --OCHF.sub.2, --OC.sub.2 F.sub.5, or--OCF.sub.2 CHF.sub.2, Y1 represents flourine atom, Y2 represents hydrogen atom or fluorine atom, and m is 0, 1, 2, or 3. PA1 (2) The liquid crystal composition recited in the aspect (1) mentioned above wherein the portions of the acyclic hydrocarbon are an alkyl group or alkoxy group. PA1 (3) A liquid crystal display utilizing a liquid crystal composition recited in either aspect (1) or (2) mentioned above. PA1 (4) A liquid crystal display of active matrix mode utilizing a liquid crystal composition recited in either aspect (1) or (2) mentioned above. PA1 (5) A liquid crystal composition comprising at least one liquid crystalline compound represented by the following general formula (1) and having a total number of carbon atoms of 4 to 24 in the portions of acyclic hydrocarbon in a side chain, in an amount of 70% by weight or more in the liquid crystal composition, and the average value of the total number of carbon atoms in the liquid crystalline compound in the liquid crystal composition is 5 or more ##STR2## wherein R1 represents an alkyl group or alkoxy group having 4 to 24 carbon atoms; A, B, and C independently represent 1,4-phenylene, trans-1,4-cyclohexylene, 1,3-dioxane-2,5-diyl, pyrimidine-2,5-diyl, or pyridine-2,5-diyl provided that when A, B, and C are 1,4-phenylene, 1 to 4 hydrogen atoms of which may independently be substituted with F, Cl, OCF.sub.3, or CF.sub.3 ; a, b, and c are independently an integer of 0 to 3 provided that a+b.+-.c.ltoreq.3; Z1 and Z2 independently represent single bond, --COO--, or --C.tbd.C--; X represents F, Cl, O(CH.sub.2).sub.n CH.sub.l F.sub.3-l, (CH.sub.2).sub.n CH.sub.l F.sub.3-l, or an alkyl or alkyloxy group having 1 to 24 carbon atoms provided that n is an integer of 0 to 4, and l is an integer of 0 to 2; and Y1 represents for Cl an Y2. PA1 (6) The liquid crystal composition recited in the aspect (5) mentioned above wherein the liquid crystal composition has a CN point or SN point of -10.degree. C. or lower, and a NI point of 60.degree. C. or higher, and is composed of at least 7 liquid crystalline compounds, in which CN point represents crystal-nematic phase transition point, SN point represents smectic-nematic phase transition point, and NI point represents nematic-isotropic liquid phase transition point. PA1 (7) A liquid crystal display utilizing a liquid crystal composition recited in either aspect (5) or (6) mentioned above. PA1 (8) A liquid crystal display of active matrix mode utilizing a liquid crystal composition recited in either aspect (5) or (6). PA1 (9) A process for producing a liquid crystal composition comprising selecting the liquid crystalline compounds mentioned above and their content by using, as a parameter, the number of carbon atoms in the portion of acyclic hydrocarbon in liquid crystalline compounds from which the liquid crystal composition is composed, within the range wherein the total number of carbon atoms in the portions of acyclic hydrocarbon in the liquid crystalline compounds is from 4 to 24, and the average value of the total number of carbon atoms in the portions of acyclic hydrocarbon in the liquid crystalline compounds in the liquid crystal composition is 5 or more, so that the voltage holding ratio of a cell of the liquid crystal is a prescribed value or higher when the cell was prepared by filling the liquid crystal composition. PA1 (10) The process for producing a liquid crystal composition recited in the aspect (9) mentioned above wherein the liquid crystalline compounds are selected from the compounds expressed by the following general formula (4), and its content is 70% by weight or more ##STR3## wherein R1 represents an alkyl group or alkoxy group having 4 to 24 carbon atoms, A, B, and C independently represent 1,4-phenylene, trans-1,4-cyclohexylene, 1,3-dioxane-2,5-diyl, pyrimidine-2,5-diyl, or pyridine-2,5-diyl group, when A, B, and C are 1,4-phenylene, 1 to 4 hydrogen atoms in the phenylene may independently be replaced by F, Cl, OCF.sub.3, or CF.sub.3, a, b, and c are independently an integer of from 0 to 3 provided that a+b+c.ltoreq.3, Z1 and Z2 independently represent single bond, --COO--, --CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 --, or --C.tbd.C--, X represents F, Cl, O(CH.sub.2).sub.n CH.sub.l F.sub.3-l, (CH.sub.2).sub.n CH.sub.l F.sub.3-l, or an alkyl group or alkyloxy group having 1 to 24 carbon atoms wherein n is an integer of from 0 to 4 and l is an integer of from 0 to 2, and Y1 and Y2 independently represent H, F, or Cl. PA1 (11) A liquid crystal composition comprising 70% by weight or more in total of seven or more kinds of the liquid crystalline compounds expressed by the following general formula (3) and having a total number of carbon atoms in a side chain of 4 to 24, average value of the total number of the carbon atoms in the liquid crystalline compounds in the liquid crystal composition being 5 or more ##STR4## wherein R represents a chain group having 1 to 12 carbon atoms in the portions of hydrocarbon, A1 and A2 independently represent trans-1,4-cyclohexylene group or 1,4-phenylene group which phenylene group may be unsubstituted or lateral portion of which may be substituted with fluorine atom, Z1 and Z2 independently represent covalent bond or a bridge group main chain of which is composed of an even number of atoms, X represents --F, --Cl,, --CF.sub.3, --OCF.sub.3, --OCHF.sub.2, --OC.sub.2 F.sub.5, or --OCF.sub.2 CHF.sub.2, Y1 represents fluorine atom, Y2 represents hydrogen atom or fluorine atom, and m is 0, 1, 2, or 3, provided that the bridge group does not include --(CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2).sub.P -- wherein p is 1 or 2.
In more specific explanation, liquid crystalline compounds used for displays are organic compounds having the structure expressed by the following general formula (2) EQU R--(A.sup.1 --Z).sub.n --A.sup.2 --X (2)
wherein R represents a group in a chain form, A.sup.1 and A.sup.2 represent a group in a ring form, Z represents covalent bond or a bonding group (bridge), n is an integer of 1 or greater, and X represents an electron attractive group or a group in a chain form.
Generally, R is called "side chain", the portion of --(A.sup.1 --Z).sub.n -- A.sup.2 -- is called "core", and X is called "terminal group". When the terminal group X is an electron attractive group, it is called "polar group", and when this is a chain form group, it is called another "side chain". In some cases, the ring of the "core" has some substitutents such as halogen at its side position, and such substituents are called "lateral group". While n is an integer of 1 or greater, liquid crystalline compounds in which n is 4 or greater are rare. Also, when n is 2 or greater, in many cases, (A.sup.1 --Z) is not the repetition of the same structure.
As the side chain corresponding to R and X, an alkyl group, alkoxy group, alkenyl group, alkenyloxy group, and oxalkyl group are typical ones. Whereas these groups are usually straight chains, sometimes they are branched. As the polar group corresponding to X, cyano group, a halogen, --CF.sub.3, --OCF.sub.3, --OCHF.sub.2, --OC.sub.2 F.sub.5, --OCF.sub.2 CHF.sub.2, and --NCO are typical ones.
As the ring form group A.sup.1 and A.sup.2 in the core, while six-membered rings such as 1,4-phenylene, trans-1,4-cyclohexylene, 1,3-dioxane-trans-2,5-diyl, and pyrimidine-2,5-diyl are typical ones, five-membered rings, four-membered rings, and condensed rings such as naphthalene are also known. In the case of aromatic rings such as 1,4-phenylene and pyrimidine-2,5-diyl, hydrogen atoms at a side position may sometimes be substituted with a polar group such as a halogen.
As the case in which Z is a bridge group, groups in which a main chain is composed of an even number of atoms, such as --CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 --, --CH.sub.2 O--, --OCH.sub.2 --, --COO--, --OCO--, --CF.sub.2 O--, --OCF.sub.2 --, and --(CH.sub.2).sub.4 -- are known.
Also, there is a case in which hydrogen atom in the compound is substituted with an isotope such as deuterium atom.
Liquid crystalline compounds are classified by their value of dielectric anisotropy (.DELTA..di-elect cons.), and the compounds having a positive value of .DELTA..di-elect cons. are called P type and those having a negative or small value of .DELTA..di-elect cons. are called N type. Compounds expressed by general formula (2) in which X is a polar group are P type, and the compounds in which X is a side chain are N type.
Accordingly, the molecular structure of liquid crystalline compounds can be designed by combining various partial structures, and liquid crystal compositions have been designed by selecting and mixing compounds according to the purpose of their use.
In a conventional structure design of liquid crystalline compounds, the viewpoint considered to be most important is the structure of the polar group and core which strongly affect the physical properties of liquid crystal materials for displays. In AM-LCD, elevation of voltage holding ratio has been required, and one of the physical properties which affects the voltage holding ratio is considered to be specific resistance. That is, liquid crystal materials having a high specific resistance are considered to be necessary for AM-LCD. It is known that as liquid crystal materials to be used for AM-LCD, the materials comprising the compounds having --F, --Cl, --OCF.sub.3, --OCHF.sub.2, --CF.sub.3, --OCF.sub.2 CHF.sub.2, and --OC.sub.2 F.sub.5 as polar group or lateral groups are preferable by their higher specific resistance than the materials comprising the compounds having cyano group. Accordingly, methods for elevating specific resistance, by paying attention to electron attractive groups, have been applied in prior art. However, the prior art wherein attention is directed to electron attractive groups is unsatisfactory in obtaining liquid crystal compositions suitable for AM-LCD having a higher voltage holding ratio. | {
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Current trends in wireless technology are leading towards a future where virtually any object can be network enabled and Internet Protocol (IP) addressable. The pervasive presence of wireless network, including cellular, Wi-Fi, ZigBee, satellite and Bluetooth network, and the migration to a 128-bit IPv6-based address space provides the tools and resources for the paradigm of the Internet of Things (IoT) to become a reality. | {
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This invention relates to certain novel N-hydroxy-N'-sulfonylguanidine compounds, to compositions containing such compounds, and to a method of use of such compositions to control the growth of undesired vegetation.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,127,405 issued Nov. 28, 1978 discloses substituted triazinyl arylsulfonylurea compounds of the following formula: ##STR1## while U.S. Pat. No. 4,169,719 issued Oct. 2, 1979 discloses substituted pyrimidinyl arylsulfonylurea compounds of the following formula: ##STR2## The triazine and pyrimidine compounds within the scope of the U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,127,405 and 4,169,719 include those wherein W can be oxygen or sulfur.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,310,346 issued Jan. 12, 1982 discloses sulfonylisothiourea compounds of the formula ##STR3## wherein
B is C.sub.1 -C.sub.6 alkyl, CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 OCH.sub.3, CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 OCH.sub.2 CH.sub.3, CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 OCH.sub.3, CH.sub.2 Q, ##STR4## where Q is CO.sub.2 -C.sub.1-3 alkyl, ##STR5## phenyl, phenyl substituted with chlorine, CN, C.sub.2-4 alkenyl, C.sub.2-4 alkynyl, OR.sub.11, where R.sub.11 is C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkyl, --CH.sub.2 OCH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 OCH.sub.3 or --CH.sub.2 OCH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 OCH.sub.2 CH.sub.3.
South African Pat. No. 79/2657, published June 30, 1980 discloses sulfonylisothiourea compounds of the formula ##STR6## wherein
R.sub.2 is C.sub.1 -C.sub.20 alkyl; CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 OCH.sub.3 ; CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 OCH.sub.2 CH.sub.3 ; CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 OCH.sub.3 ; CH.sub.2 OA' where A' is C.sub.1 -C.sub.12 alkyl, --CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 OCH.sub.3, --CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 OCH.sub.2 CH.sub.3, phenyl or phenyl substituted with 1-2 NO.sub.2, 1-2 Cl, or 1-2 CH.sub.3 ; CH.sub.2 A, ##STR7## where A is CO.sub.2 (H, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkyl), ##STR8## phenyl, CN, C.sub.2 -C.sub.4 alkenyl, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkynyl, phenyl substituted with 1-2 CH.sub.3, 1-2 NO.sub.2, 1-2 OCH.sub.3, 1-2 chlorine or phenoxy.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,301,286 issued Nov. 17, 1981 discloses O-alkylsulfonylisoureas of the formula ##STR9## wherein
W is Cl, Br or OR.sup.12 ; and
R.sup.12 is C.sub.1 -C.sub.12 alkyl, C.sub.3 -C.sub.4 alkenyl, CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 OCH.sub.3, CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 OCH.sub.2 CH.sub.3, (CH.sub.2).sub.3 OCH.sub.3, benzyl, CHR.sup.13 CO.sub.2 R.sup.14, where R.sup.13 is H or CH.sub.3 and R.sup.14 is C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkyl.
South African Patent Application No. 84/4808 discloses herbicidal sulfonamides of formula ##STR10## wherein
R.sub.1 is a phenyl or phenoxy group;
each of R.sub.2 and R.sub.3 is a lower alkyl or lower alkoxy group; and
R.sub.4 is a hydrogen atom, a lower alkyl group or a lower alkoxy group.
The compounds taught in the above references are useful as general or selective herbicides having both preemergent and postemergent herbicidal activity or plant growth regulant activity. | {
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A stage show production or corporate event can include a number of different effects. The effects can include the automatic movement of stage actors and scenery, complex lighting schemes and other things. The show may call for the movement of large pieces of stage scenery and several show elements may be in motion at the same time. The movements required by the show may be complex, involving both horizontal and vertical movement. The safety of the show participants is critically important. | {
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The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Double Impatiens plant, botanically known as Impatiens walleriana, and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name Coral Duet.
The new Double Impatiens is a naturally-occurring mutation of an unidentified selection of the seed-grown Impatiens walleriana Rosette Mix series (not patented). The new Double Impatiens was discovered and selected by the Inventor in October, 1987, as a flowering plant within a population of plants of the unidentified selection of the Rosette Mix series grown in a controlled environment in Carson City, Mich. The new Double Impatiens was selected on the basis of having both coral and lighter coral pink flowers on the same plant. In addition to the two flower colors on the same plant, plants of the new Double Impatiens are more dwarf and have larger and more numerous flowers than plants of the unidentified selection of the seed-produced Rosette Mix series.
Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings taken at Carson City, Mich., has shown that the unique features of this new Double Impatiens are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction. | {
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The present invention generally relates to a gaming environment. In particular, the present invention relates to player tracking in a gaming environment.
Gaming machines, such as slot machines, fruit machines, or poker machines, have in recent years become one of the more popular, exciting, and sophisticated wagering activities available at casinos and other gambling locations. At the same time, gaming machines have also become a source of greater revenue for gaming establishments. Thus, competition between manufacturers of gaming machines has intensified as competitors vie for business from gaming establishments. Additionally, gaming establishments compete among themselves to attract regular and repeat customers.
A gaming machine providing entertaining and enticing features for players would be highly desirable to attract both new and returning players to a gaming establishment. One way to encourage returning players is a player tracking or player loyalty program at a gaming establishment or network of related gaming establishments. Player loyalty programs reward incentives to players based on criteria, such as a number of visits to a casino, a number of games played, or other such criteria. For example, loyalty points may be assigned based on a criterion and redeemed for rewards such as discounts, free food or drink, lodging, transportation, entertainment, or other reward.
Being able to determine a location of certain players in a gaming establishment would also be highly desirable. Player location may be used to provide management of a gaming establishment with information to direct employees to bring a player his or her usual drink, food, and/or loyalty rewards, for example.
Player tracking may be facilitated by a gaming machine and/or by a reader, such as a card reader or a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader at or near the gaming machine. In some systems, for example, a player swipes his or her player card through a reader at a gaming machine before playing a game at that machine. In other systems, for example, an RFID reader detects an RFID tag embedded within a player card.
In an RFID system, the RFID reader includes a microchip and an antenna that transmits electromagnetic waves in an area around the location of the reader. The RFID tag on the player card also includes a microchip and antenna. When the electromagnetic waves from the reader impact the antenna on the tag, a magnetic field is formed. The RFID tag may be passive and draw power from the magnetic field to power the microchip. An active RFID tag is powered by a battery, for example. The microchip at the RFID tag modulates the waves received from the RFID reader and transmits the modulated waves back to the reader. The reader converts the received waves into digital data identifying the tag. The reader may then transmit data to a server to track player loyalty points and/or player location in a gaming establishment.
In gaming establishments utilizing RFID readers or similar systems, interference may result from multiple readers transmitting signals in close proximity to one another. Additionally, interference may result from multiple RFID tags responding to a single reader's transmission. Such interference may prevent scanning of a player's card or proper accumulation of player loyalty points. A malfunction or inaccuracy in the player loyalty or tracking system negatively impacts repeated customer business and positive reputation at a gaming establishment. Thus, accurate tracking of player loyalty points and/or player location is highly desirable.
An RFID-based player tracking system may include a plurality of readers or receivers, such as RFID readers, a plurality of player identification devices, and a server that may track player location and/or loyalty points. RFID readers transmit an “interrogation” signal to activate RFID tags in the vicinity of the reader. After transmission, the RFID readers “listen” or wait to receive response signals from RFID tags in response to the interrogation signal. When an RFID reader receives a response, data conveyed by the response is relayed to the server for further processing. The server may use the data along with information regarding an identity and location of the RFID reader to determine a location of the RFID tag. The RFID tag may be associated with a particular player profile. Once the identity and location of the player are determined, an action such as initiating a player loyalty session or special attraction mode on a nearby gaming machine may be activated by the server. Additionally, attention may be directed to the player at the location by the gaming establishment.
RFID tags may be implemented as read-write devices, capable of receiving and storing information sent by a nearby RFID reader. Thus, the RFID tag may be used to store information amount a player or holder, such as name, refreshment preferences, access level, and other information. Such information stored at the RFID tag may then be accessible by RFID readers. Information transmitted between an RFID reader and an RFID tag may be encrypted.
RFID readers may be integrated into gaming machines or other gaming systems and/or positioned throughout the floor of the gaming establishment (e.g., a casino). In a crowded environment with many RFID readers, RFID readers may interfere with each other through transmission and/or receipt of signals. Interference, often referred to as reader collision, may occur when two or more RFID readers within range of each other transmit interrogation signals at approximately the same time. Simultaneous transmission may result in erratic reading of RFID tags, reduced reading range, or even an inability to read tags.
Distance between RFID readers that exposes the readers to reader collision varies (from less than a foot to hundreds of feet, for example) depending on factors such as transmitter power, receiver sensitivity, RFID reader frequency, and physical characteristics of transceiver antenna and RFID tags in the area. Environmental factors, such as metal structures that may conduct or reflect radio signals, may also influence a potential for mutual interference.
Systems, such as U.S. Patent Publication No. 2003/0036425A1 to Kaminkow et al, attempt to address reader collision in two primary ways: (1) by shaping an active volume of the RFID reader through use of shielding around RFID reader antenna and/or by varying transmitter power and (2) by using the location manager to control operation of the RFID readers. However, both methods have drawbacks.
Shaping the active volume of an RFID reader by shielding the RFID reader antenna may be somewhat effective in reducing the interference between the RFID readers housed in adjacent gaming systems. However, shielding does not reduce interference between RFID readers housed in gaming machines that face each other from opposing banks of machines. Reducing the power of the transmitters may help reduce interference to a limited extent but also reduces an ability of an interrogation signal to penetrate to an RFID tag held in a wallet, purse or pocket, for example. Reducing power of transmitters to a point that eliminates reader collision may also create blind spots in a system's coverage of a gaming environment, such as a casino floor.
Additionally, the shielding material used to shape the active volume of the RFID reader may also have an undesirable effect of de-tuning the RFID antenna. De-tuning the antenna results in reduced performance of the RFID reader.
Current RFID readers operate autonomously with respect to each other and communicate only with a single, centralized location manager responsible for managing the operation of all RFID readers on a property. Such a system may be managing the operation of hundreds or even thousands of RFID readers, as well as processing data produced by the readers. Extensive management places a heavy burden on current tracking systems. Additionally, a complex network associated with current systems includes inherent delays that reduce responsiveness of the system and impair the ability of the system to process a large number of RFID tags in a timely manner.
Attempts have been made to overcome the difficulty in reading multiple RFID tags in a given area. In one method, a command response protocol is used to interrogate RFID tags with specific identities or groups of identities using a tree algorithm. However, this and other methods are susceptible to blocking efforts, such as denial of service attacks by specially built RFID tags, such as those developed by RSA Laboratories, that respond to all interrogations regardless of the identifier.
Therefore, a system and method that overcome the shortcomings associated with current systems would be highly desirable. A system and method that improve management of RFID devices in a gaming environment would be highly desirable. A system and method that help to avoid deliberate interference, such as denial of service devices, would also be highly desirable.
Thus, there is a need for an improved system and method for synchronizing RFID readers in close proximity in a gaming environment. | {
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This invention relates to an analog space-time relay method and apparatus for a wireless communication channel.
Wireless relays have shown potential for extending communication range and providing good quality of experience. In general, there are two broad relay schemes which can be categorized based on the processing done at the relay stations: digital domain processing and analog domain processing. The “decode and forward” (DNF) scheme is a digital domain processing scheme that has been shown to remove noise at the relay station, although it demands intensive signal processing at the relay nodes. The DNF scheme has also been classified as a “regenerative” relaying scheme where the signal has to be “regenerated” for transmission. The signal received at the relay station from the source is decoded and where errors are present in the decoded signal, these errors will be propagated from the relay station to the destination.
In relation to analog signal processing schemes, the “amplify and forward” (ANF) is an analog scheme that is very simple, but has shown a disadvantage where noise collected at the relay is amplified and transmitted to the destination along with the desired signal.
Another way of performing relaying would be to use a distributed space-time coded (DSTC) scheme where higher diversity may be achieved than that of simple ANF and DNF. DSTC can be implemented using either ANF or DNF schemes. DSTC however suffers from the same disadvantages as that of ANF or DNF i.e. when implemented using ANF, noise collected at the relay is amplified and transmitted on to the destination, and when implemented using DNF, decoding errors at the relay station are propagated from the relay station to the destination.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an analog space-time relay method and apparatus which addresses at least one of the problems of the prior art and/or to provide the public with a useful choice. | {
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Exemplary embodiments generally relate to communications and, more particularly, to alarm systems and to sensing conditions.
Security systems are common in homes and businesses. Security systems alert occupants to intrusions. Security systems, though, may also warn of fire, water, and harmful gases. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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In ITS (intelligent Transport Systems), inter-vehicle communication is carried out to transfer information between cars by using a radio wave. In the inter-vehicle communication that is carried out by using the radio wave in a predetermined band, when the number of cars that are engaged in inter-vehicle communication in a given region increases, the congestion of radio waves may occur to disable communication between the cars.
In communication between mobile phones carried out via a base station, generally, control is performed at the base station to prevent congestion. However, in the inter-vehicle communication, no base station is present to perform control for preventing congestion. Thus, when the number of cars, which are engaged in inter-vehicle communication in a given region, increases, the cars preferably perform control to prevent congestion.
Patent Literature 1 describes a vehicle communication apparatus that performs control to prevent congestion.
The vehicle communication apparatus described in Patent Literature 1 estimates a congestion state level indicating whether congestion will soon occur based on the channel utilization rate. The channel utilization rate indicates the busy rate of a channel engaged in transmission/reception.
In the vehicle communication apparatus described in Patent Literature 1, when the congestion state level is equal to or higher than a predetermined level, the transmission power of its own vehicle is set lower than that of its own vehicle when the congestion state level is lower than the predetermined level.
Thus, the vehicle communication apparatus described in Patent Literature 1 can prevent congestion by setting the transmission power low among communication parameters for its own vehicle. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a filter system and specifically to a system utilizing solid and liquid reagents.
2. Description of Related Art
It is conventionally known to use activated charcoal and other materials as adsorptive elements to remove impurities from an airstream. With the advent of effective fiber cross sections, it is possible to produce fibers which are partially hollow. A particularly effective cross section is one having three T-shaped lobes extending from a central core, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,057,368, which is incorporated herein by reference. Conventional filters have used filtering media coated with solid or liquid materials in a variety of applications; however, many of these applications have relied on absorption, rather than adsorption. Adsorption occurs where particles to be removed attach to the surface of the filter material elements; whereas, absorption occurs where molecular motion mobility is harnessed to move unwanted particles from one zone to another in a non-mechanical manner. The multilobal fiber has been particularly effective as a wicking fiber where certain contaminant-removing liquids or solids are filled in cavities formed within the fiber.
The multilobal fiber filled with solid filtering particles have been used in adsorptive air filtration and odor-removing applications. Such filtering particles have included the use of carbon particles, zeolites, baking soda, cyclodextrins, and solids which could adsorb certain contaminants (see U.S. Pat. No. 5,759,394, which is incorporated herein by reference). Other applications utilizing multilobal-type fibers as wicking fibers also have involved absorptive properties of certain liquids which are filled within the cavities of the fibers. These liquids were typically chosen to lightly absorb odor and gas molecules in a reversible manner from a contaminated airstream to aid in the eventual dispersion of these molecules into a second airstream (see U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,891,221 and 5,704,966, which are incorporated herein by reference).
Maintaining environments free of contaminants is particularly critical in the manufacturing of integrated circuits because wafers are very susceptible to small particles and low levels of certain chemicals. This can be done by manufacturing wafers inside cleanrooms with filtered air. The filters are used to reduce particle and chemical levels to extremely low levels (less than 1 part-per-billion). Semiconductor tools are also sometimes equipped with environmental controls that provide local ultra clean airflow during processing. However, conventional chemical filters have a very short life span, require frequent replacement, and are ineffective at efficiently filtering out certain chemicals. | {
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The rapid growth of Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) deployments in enterprises, hotspots and homes, the improving ability of WLAN access to provide high-quality voice service and the introduction of dual mode handsets that can support both cellular (Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Universal Mobile Telecommunications (UMTS) or Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA)) and WLAN radio have created the need for comprehensive services that converge mobile and fixed-line infrastructures, beginning with voice. One approach to converging mobile and fixed-line infrastructure uses a standardized Next Generation Networking (NGN) architecture called IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS). IMS uses a Voice-over-IP (VoIP) implementation based on a 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) standardized implementation of Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), and runs over the standard Internet Protocol (IP). Voice Call Continuity (VCC) extends an IMS network to cellular coverage and addresses handover. IMS-VCC provides seamless voice call continuity between the cellular domain and any IP-connectivity access networks that support VoIP.
Although the use of WLAN, cellular, and desktop systems to support voice call sessions has provided greater mobility and flexibility however, these technologies have also increased the number of service interruptions (e.g., dropped calls) resulting in an overall decreased system reliability. A service interruption or “dropped call” continues to be the most frustrating experience for most users. Typically, a user experiencing a dropped call will attempt to redial manually which can be difficult if the user is driving. Although a device redial feature may be available, low signal strength may require the user to depress this key multiple times before successfully reestablishing a call, if at all. Service interruptions are also a nuisance in the conference call setting when using a traditional public switched telephone network (PSTN). Such a traditional conference call setting may be supported by a communication center in which various participants are calling a conference call dial-in number in order to be placed into the conference call. When a service interruption occurs for one of the participants, the participant will have to redial the conference call dial-in number, enter any passcodes or the like, all in an attempt to re-enter the conference call session.
When these types of technologies are utilized to establish an important call (such as dialing into a conference bridge or calling a customer), there is a need for a call processing feature to minimize the amount of time a user is not on the call in the event of a service interruption. Therefore, a need exists for automatic redialing call feature management systems and methods that address and solve the aforementioned problems. | {
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1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to diagnosing, troubleshooting, correcting and reporting machine control problems. More particularly, the present invention relates to a system and method for overriding interlocking conditions and providing a maintenance log of such interventions.
2. Background of the Invention
In many machine control systems that utilize a computer or electronic controller, performing a machine function requires satisfaction of certain conditions or interlocks. For example, in order to execute Function A, a certain condition, Condition 1, of the machine must exist or be present. If Condition 1 does not exist, the controller will not allow the machine to execute Function A. In this situation, operator personnel attempting to execute Function A on the machine must diagnose, troubleshoot and correct the machine status to meet Condition 1 before Function A will be executed.
It is possible to have a condition or conditions actually being present, however, the condition may be diagnosed by the machine as not being present or not being satisfied. For example, an input device such as a switch or sensor may have failed to work properly. In such an instance, the condition actually exists, but because the device is not working properly, the condition appears to the machine as not to have been met. Thus, the machine will not execute the related function. Operator personnel must then load another software program on the operator interface computer to ignore or override the unmet condition of the input device.
Existing systems do not allow concurrent, direct, overriding of faulty input device conditions required to implement a machine function. Existing systems require that an operator load another software program on the operator interface computer to override an unmet input condition, or use a separate computer to override inputs with unmet conditions.
The present invention is provided to solve these and other problems.
One embodiment of the present invention is directed to a method of facilitating the operation of a control system comprising one or more operably connected input devices by providing the ability to monitor and directly modify operating parameters of the one or more devices. A software code within the control system includes a function to be executed by the control system. The function is responsive to a device and the device has a condition wherein the condition must be met prior to execution of the function. An unmet condition is identified and displayed. The displayed unmet condition is overridden by designating the condition as being satisfied. The satisfied condition thus allowing the function to be executed.
Another embodiment of the present invention discussed above includes a database log for compiling the input device(s) that was overridden by the machine operator personnel. A maintenance report identifying the one or more devices associated with any unmet condition that was overridden can be generated from the database log.
Yet another embodiment of the present invention includes prompting a user to override an unmet condition. Alternatively, the unmet condition can be automatically overridden after a predetermined amount of overrides of the unmet condition has been executed by the system. A predetermined limit of overrides for the unmet condition is provided to the system. The number of unmet conditions summarized in the log database is compared to the predetermined limit. If the predetermined limit is exceeded, the prompt provided to the user to override the unmet condition is discontinued and the override of the unmet condition will be automatic from thereon.
An object of the present invention is to provide a system and/or process for machine operator personnel to directly override faulty input devices in a control system during execution of a machine function. And to further provide a log listing the overridden conditions and describing suggested maintenance of the control system.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a way of diagnosing, troubleshooting and correcting in an industrial control system utilizing an input device, an electronic controller or computer for logic control, and/or a computer for an operator interface. To this end, a further object of the present invention is to provide a method of reporting maintenance requirements for repairs to be completed during scheduled downtime of the machine. | {
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1. Technical Field
Embodiments described herein relate generally to a semiconductor integrated circuit and, more particularly, to a semiconductor integrated circuit capable of controlling a read command.
2. Background
Typically, a semiconductor integrated circuit operates by synchronizing a command signal and an address with the rising edge of a clock. The trend towards an increase in data bandwidth has a tradeoff in that the number of pins required by the semiconductor integrated circuit is increased. Since a reduced number of pins can be considered beneficial, techniques for achieving such results have been considered.
For example, the use of a multiplexing scheme for the pins has been considered. In this scheme multi-addressing can be performed relative to one address pin using rising and falling edges of a clock. For example, the address pin is used as a first address at the rising edge of the clock, and if the address pin is synchronized with the falling edge of the clock, the address pin can be used as a tenth address. In this way, the requisite number of pins can be partially reduced.
However, a semiconductor integrated circuit typically starts a read or write operation at a subsequent rising edge occurring after multi-addressing is performed twice after an external read or write command is applied to the semiconductor integrated circuit. Thus an address access time (tAA) may be increased in a scheme for reducing the number of requisite pins. | {
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When a chip component is mounted on a printed board, a method is typically used in which the chip component and the printed board are electrically connected through soldering. Further, in order to add a function to vary wiring pitches and a function to perform rewiring, an interposer may be placed between the chip component and the printed board. In general, different constituent materials are used for the printed board, the interposer and the chip component; accordingly, the magnitude of thermal expansion of these parts during a process or under use environment conditions differs from each other. Consequently, stress acts exclusively on solder joint portions in which the printed board, the interposer and the chip component are connected to each other through soldering; thus, poor connection caused by cracks or the like may occur. Therefore, there is a need for a structure which can release the stress acting on the solder joint portion.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2008-244311 (Patent Literature 1) discloses a technique for releasing this stress acting on the solder joint portion. A semiconductor package board described in Patent Literature 1 is characterized by including a first circuit conductive layer electrically connected to a semiconductor device, a second circuit conductive layer having a connecting terminal used for electrical connection with an external component, an insulating layer disposed between the first circuit conductive layer and the second circuit conductive layer, and a via which is a through hole in the insulating layer, used for electrical connection of the first circuit conductive layer and the second circuit conductive layer, and also characterized in that the insulating layer has a dual-layer structure, and Young's modulus of a second insulating layer disposed on the side of the second circuit conductive layer is smaller than that of a first insulating layer disposed on the side of the first circuit conductive layer.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2008-227020 (Patent Literature 2) discloses another example. In Patent Literature 2, an electronic component mounting structure is used in which an electronic component chip having a plurality of protrusion electrodes distributed on the whole mounting surface thereof is mounted via the protrusion electrodes on a substrate. An object of the invention is to release stress produced in the protrusion electrodes caused by temperature rise during the operation of the electronic component and thereby improve the reliability of the electronic component; and a disclosed solution is that the protrusion electrodes are arranged so that the distribution density of the protrusion electrodes becomes higher in a direction from the center to the outer side of the mounting surface of the electronic component chip. In Patent Literature 2, solder bump is given as an illustrative example of the protrusion electrode.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2008-205184 (Patent Literature 3) discloses a mounting structure in which a connecting terminal of a semiconductor device is electrically connected through a connecting member to a circuit board, and the connecting member has a conductive protrusion including a columnar portion, and the cross-sectional area of the columnar portion being the result of cutting the columnar portion by a plane parallel to the surface of the semiconductor device is smaller than the surface area of the connecting terminal of the semiconductor device. The circuit board and the semiconductor device are electrically connected through the conductive portion of the connecting member. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image display device having a function of detecting a defect in a plurality of light-emitting diodes, a drive circuit device, such as a driver IC, and a defect detection method of a light-emitting diode.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a variety of indoor and outdoor event places, indoor and outdoor stadiums and other sport facilities, an image display device for video and information using an LED as an display element (hereinafter, referred to as an LED display) is used for displaying sport live, live telecast and advertisement. In an LED display, a display cell is composed of unit pixels of m lines by n columns. There are monochrome display and color display. In the case of color display, a unit pixel is composed of three LEDs: red (R), green (G) and blue (B).
The LED display used for various uses explained above is generally very large and placed at a high position.
When conducting a test before shipping by operating an LED in a state of being mounted on a display panel or when operating the display in a state of being installed at the use place, electric connection in the LED becomes nearly short-circuited or open due to dusts, temperature and temperature changes, etc. in some cases. In these cases, an LED in a defective condition shows a state of having excessively higher or lower luminance than that of good ones or, furthermore, not illuminating at all, which leads to a deterioration of image quality of the display. A display is arranged with a large number of LEDs and it is possible to specify a defective LED from the luminance. However, in the case of a large-scale LED display used in the above objects, it is very difficult to specify a defective LED by difference of luminance at the time of shipping test because of the large number of the LEDs. Furthermore, when exchanging a defective LED after installment in the use place, judgment of defective or good luminance has to be made, for example, in a state of directly receiving a sun light, so that there are some cases where judgment of defect from good is difficult under a use environment as such. Furthermore, when installed at a high position, a large amount of labor and high maintenance costs are required for exchanging a defective LED.
From the above reasons, there has been a demand for a method of electrically detecting a defective LED or an LED with a high probability of becoming defective before shipping or after installment at the use place. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Known windings or supply windings or rolls of the specified kind generally comprise a wound-up metal line or train (generally of aluminum wire) which is stamped to constitute a corrugated configuration and which by virtue of the stamping forms respective clips which are integrally interconnected at their limb ends. As is known, unwinding of the line of clips from the reel body which carries the winding thereof, which is unwanted by virtue of elastic stress, is prevented by an adhesive strip which is fixed to the end which is exposed in the unrolling direction of the clip line, and the adjoining turns of the winding and/or the reel body. Removal of the adhesive strip prior to feeding the clip line to the clip machine is frequently laborious and residues of the adhesive strip which have remained behind can lead to troubles in the clip machine.
Clip machines of the stated kind (also referred to as closure apparatuses or automatic closure devices) are typically used to close bags or packagings in tubular form (artificial tubular case or natural skin) filled with liquid to pasty or also (in part) granular content by means of closure tools. For that purpose the clips in the form of the line thereof are fed to the closure tools along a predetermined guide path, starting from the clip reel. Equipping the clip machine with such a reel and introducing the clip line and feeding it to the machine in that way is in that case generally very laborious. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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With the advent of the computer age, business enterprises and other organizations utilize project management software for scheduling tasks and allocating resources over the course of a project (i.e., a set of activities of finite duration). For example, modern project management application programs assist project managers in developing plans, assigning resources (e.g., people, equipment, and materials) to tasks, tracking progress, managing budgets and analyzing workloads. Each resource can be assigned to multiple tasks in multiple plans and each task can be assigned multiple resources. Tasks are scheduled based on the resource availability as defined in resource calendars. In short, project management application programs greatly facilitate the management of projects in an organization.
In order for multiple users to access the contents of a single project, modern project management application programs also include a collaboration component for accessing a shared project over a computer network so that multiple users may modify different sections of a project simultaneously. For example, a user may access a shared project to update areas the user is personally responsible for. The collaboration component is implemented on a server in a client-server computer network. In the network, a server stores project data in a central database. Users may view, retrieve, and modify server project data from a conventional desktop or laptop computer (i.e., a client computer) by connecting to the server over the network.
Problems occur, however, when project files retrieved from the server are modified offline by users without a connection or access to the server. For example, a project manager may e-mail a project file to an employee in a remote office to add tasks to a project on which both are working. The remotely located employee does not have access to the server's central database. The remotely located employee modifies the project file (e.g., adds projects tasks) and then e-mails the modified file back to the project manager. In current project management application programs, project files modified offline may not be integrated into an existing project but may only be saved as new project files. As a result, a single project file may be associated with numerous additional project files representing minor modifications to an existing project.
It is with respect to these considerations and others that the various embodiments of the present invention have been made. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The present invention relates to integrated circuit design, and more specifically, to timing delays in circuit design.
External and internal parameters can result in timing violations and subsequent chip failure in integrated circuit chips. Temperature spikes, voltage fluctuations, and stress variations can influence the performance of integrated circuit chips, and often cause undesirable timing violations. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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In the sporting world, players continually strive to improve their performance. In some sports it may be easy for a player to get feedback about his or her performance through measurement and analysis of movements. In racket sports, however, like tennis, table tennis, platform tennis, racketball, squash, badminton, and/or any other racket sports, it may be more difficult for a player to receive feedback about his or her performance. One reason for the difficulty is that there may be two or more players moving about within given boundaries during play, and their movements may make it difficult to collect data and analyze performance. Another reason is that playing racket sports requires using many kinds of strokes, and data collection and analysis for one type of stroke may be different than data collection and analysis for another type of stroke. Moreover, during play, rallies may be taking place, giving a player little time to think about his or her last stroke, or to analyze his or her swing style, footwork, point of impact, and/or any other parameters. While attempts have been made to incorporate certain measuring devices in sports implements, such devices are limited in terms of their function, and thus, are limited in their appeal to players.
Furthermore, in racket sports, a player's performance may depend on multiple parameters. Examples of performance parameters include the player's skill level, the player's playing style, the player's fitness level, the weather or conditions during which a game is played, and how the opponent plays during a game. Sometimes the player may be in an offensive situation, requiring a powerful racket. Other times, the player may be in a defensive situation, requiring a maneuverable racket. While attempts have been made to provide devices for altering the properties of a racket so that the racket can be adapted to different players, skill levels, opponents, environmental conditions, and/or other situations that may be encountered, such devices may be difficult to manipulate during play, may often times lack durability, and/or may produce rattling or other distracting sounds.
It is accordingly an objective of the present disclosure to provide methods and apparatuses for addressing at least some of the above-described deficiencies or other deficiencies in the art. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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It has previously been proposed to construct an insertion machine in which a plurality of pockets are secured to an endless transport mechanism, so that they operate in an endless path. The multi-sheet product, typically a folded substrate which, at the fold line, then forms two sheets, can be inserted in the pocket and, after insertion of a single sheet or a folded insert, the now combined multi-sheet product with the insert can be supplied to a suitable output transport mechanism. The insertion machine is designed to insert, for example, an advertising insert into an already folded newspaper. The already folded newspaper is opened by means of a blade and is retained in open position during the insertion process.
The insertion machine of this structure operates serially, in that one folded product is opened, and insert placed therein, and then is ready to be delivered. The operating speed, thus, is limited and, if a plurality of such structures are to be built and arranged in parallel, for example to increase the output speed, the size of the apparatus becomes excessive.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,295,643 describes an arrangement in which folded products hang by a hanger bar engaged beneath their back, the folded products hanging open. Inserts can be introduced into these folded products which, however, are also introduced serially so that the placement of inserts, if parallel operation is desired, again results in a structure of substantial size. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Implantable medical devices can include cardiac function management (CFM) devices such as implantable pacemakers, implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs), cardiac resynchronization therapy devices (CRTs), and devices that include a combination of such capabilities. The devices can be used to treat patients or subjects using electrical or other therapy, or to aid a physician or caregiver in patient diagnosis through internal monitoring of a patient's condition. The devices may include one or more electrodes in communication with one or more sense amplifiers to monitor electrical heart activity within a patient, and often include one or more sensors to monitor one or more other internal patient parameters.
Implantable medical devices typically include one or more implantable leads that can be positioned to contact the endocardium within one or more heart chambers or positioned to contact the epicardium. The leads include one or more electrodes to deliver electrical stimulation therapy or to sense intrinsic cardiac activity. The leads can be a source of potential device malfunction due to mechanical or electrical failure. An implantable device also typically includes electronics unit within a hermetically sealed housing. The electromechanical interface between the leads and the electronics unit can also be a source of potential device malfunction.
A leadless approach for endocardial pacing can address some of the challenges associated with implantable leads. However, this approach includes conflicting requirements to minimize electrode area for stimulation yet maximize electrode area for sensing. The present inventors have recognized a need for improved electrode design in leadless pacemakers. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Organic electronic devices play an important role in industry. For example, organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) are promising for display applications due to their high power conversion efficiency and low processing costs. Such displays are especially promising for battery-powered, portable electronic devices, including cell-phones, personal digital assistants, handheld personal computers, and DVD players. These applications call for displays with high information content, full color, and fast video rate response time in addition to low power consumption.
OLED's typically contain organic electroluminescent (EL) material layers arranged between an anode and a cathode. Like other organic electronic devices, an OLED may contain other active materials such as buffer layers and charge transport layers. The EL materials can be small molecule materials, such as fluorescent dyes and organometallic complexes, or larger molecule materials, such as conjugated polymers and oligomers. Each EL or active material layer contributes to the overall performance of the display. Thus, when manufacturing an organic electronic device, such as a display containing an OLED, each active material layer such as the EL material, it can be very desirable to deposit the active materials in a controlled fashion onto a suitable underlying surface.
The EL material can be applied to the OLED from a liquid medium. The deposition of the organic EL material in the liquid medium can be accomplished using a continuous method, such as spin-coating, or a discontinuous method, such as ink jet printing. The deposition method should result in complete coverage of the desired area, in order to avoid current-leakage or shorting when the device is in operation. One area currently drawing the attention of researchers is the identification of methods for precise and optimum deposition of organic EL and other active materials from a liquid medium, which in turn results in cost-efficient production of devices containing OLED displays. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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A short message, as a convenient and fast contact way, enjoys the popularity of more and more users in recent years and makes a rapid progress. But the same as an email, a mobile phone short message is increasingly troubled by a lot of spam messages. At present, there are more than 600 million mobile phone users in China, with up to 800 million short messages sent every day and 8 spam messages received by every user every week on an average. For a mobile user, a spam message not only seriously influences a normal life of the user but also harms the individual privacy; for operators, the overflow of spam messages causes a huge investment waste to the infrastructure, such as a short message center, and increases the danger of a network suffering from a malicious attack; therefore, the parties concerned are hustling to set up related laws and regulations, the operators also pay more and more attentions to spam messages and build spam message filtering systems to filter spam messages by technical means so as to create a continuous, sequential and healthy development environment for the development of a short message service (SMS).
Generally, the spam message filtering system filters messages in terms of such aspects as short message content, short message flow and user numbers; one of the basic filtering measures is to filter a short message by matching key words of short message content, for example, the short message content containing key words involving pornography, retroaction and other definitions can be directly filtered out by matching key words. At present, among short messages sent by users, a number of the short messages are long short-messages, wherein the long short-message is a short message with a character number exceeding a certain number (generally exceeding 70 Chinese characters or 160 English characters); the long short-message often may be split into multiple short messages when being sent. After the long short-message is split, the key words defined by the spam message filtering system may be partitioned into multiple short messages, however, the present spam message filtering system processes the long short-message by filtering the split messages respectively, therefore, the message content of the long short-message whose split part contains the key words can not be effectively filtered out. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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In general, business models can involve buying merchandise and services for one price and selling it for another. In the process, sellers can incur spectacular costs marketing to prospective and existing customers, leasing stores, paying employees, buying and maintaining information technology, transporting, and, most importantly, buying and managing the merchandise itself.
Planning, at one level, is a strategic activity. Executives set business objectives and merchandise planners derive strategies to meet them: back to basics to reduce the style count, extended assortments with additional colors and styles, or new lines of business such as health & beauty. On another level, planning is tactical and operational. The plan influences how many styles and colors a merchant will carry. It influences how distributions are planned for stores. It influences when markdowns are expected to be taken for each style and color. It also influences which stores should carry each style.
One of the most important processes of such planning is assortment planning. Assortment planning provides answers to basic questions such as: Which product or service? How much of it? What colors? What sizes? What locations? Who is the target customer? When should it be offered? How long should it be offered? and so forth. Thus, the old adage, the right product, at the right place, at the right time, still holds true in today's marketplace, but with one important change. Sellers —whether traditional brick-and-mortar, e-commerce or a combination of the two—must have a compelling selection of merchandise for the right customer as well. Thus, an effective assortment planning process that provides the right products and services at the right locations at the right time is essential for successful modern business operation.
An effective assortment planning process is ever more necessary in retail environments and particularly in fashion retail environments. Retail environments and fashion retail environments often require that the business adjust to relatively fickle needs of the consumer.
Although assortment planning directly affects product selection, price, timing and micro-merchandising, it has often been de-emphasized due to hectic retail schedules. Extinguishing delivery fires and meeting marketing and financial planning obligations use valuable time, forcing companies to take the easy approach to merchandising: repeating assortment breadth and depth from previous seasons, creating store assortments based on store volume, and ranking items by sales volume alone.
Yet, to attract the right customer in today's increasingly competitive environment, assortment planning must focus on creating appropriate product breadth and depth of products based on the customer's desires and shopping patterns, taking into account lifestyles, climates, trends and more. Furthermore, assortment planning must present a compelling mix of products to illustrate the company's strategic vision.
In view of the foregoing, it would be beneficial to provide a method and system that provides efficient implementation of assortment planning decisions for merchandise. Moreover, it would be beneficial to provide a method and system that allows for more flexible assignments of products and stores to assortments. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Technical Field
This invention relates generally to automotive windshields, and in particular to a temperature sensing and windshield crack detection device.
2. Discussion
The proper functioning of a vehicle's heated backlight of a rear windshield is an important aspect for the daily operation of a vehicle. This proper functioning of the heated backlight is made even more critical during the colder months of the year, when fogging and ice formation on the rear windshield is more likely to occur.
Malfunctions of the heated backlight can occur due to several reasons. A proper and expedient identification of the root cause for the malfunction is very useful for diagnosis of the malfunction. However, previous rear windshield configurations do not allow for early detection of cracks which would be severe enough to render the heated backlight inoperational. Moreover, past configurations do not provide for temperature monitoring of the vehicle's outside environment that would enable the vehicle to perform such functions as automatically turning on the heated backlight whenever the temperature falls below a predetermined set point. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The present invention relates to scanners, and specifically, to integrated barcode scanners.
Barcodes store information about an associated object and can be read by scanners. As barcode scanners have become smaller, the number of uses have increased. Today, barcode scanners are used to price store items, control warehouse inventory, and even route overnight packages.
In reading a barcode, a barcode scanner scans a laser beam across the barcode and detects the reflected light from the barcode. Typically, barcode scanners, including handheld scanners, have been constructed using discrete components. These discrete components, such as laser diodes and rotatable scanning mirrors, are separately manufactured and carefully aligned in the scanner to obtain the proper scanning function.
However, the use of discrete components limits further miniaturization of the barcode scanner, thus restricting additional uses for the barcode scanner. Further, improper alignment of the discrete components can render the scanner inoperative. Thus, the discrete components must be carefully aligned during assembly, making the scanner complex and costly to construct.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide an improved barcode scanner with increased flexibility.
It is also desirable to provide a miniaturized barcode scanner.
It is also desirable to provide a barcode scanner that is simpler to construct.
It is also desirable to decrease the cost of constructing a barcode scanner.
Additional desires fulfilled by the invention will be set forth in the description which follow, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the amended claims.
To achieve the foregoing desires, a scan module on a common substrate provides an omnidirectional scan pattern. More particularly, a scan module formed on a common substrate consistent with the present invention comprises a mirror for scanning light across a target, a support for coupling the mirror to the substrate, and a means for moving the mirror to provide an omnidirectional scan pattern across the target. The moving means may include a combination of a magnet and a coil or a mirror electrode and a substrate electrode. Alternatively, the moving means may include orthogonal hinges, coupled between the mirror and the substrate, made of shape memory alloys. | {
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The present invention relates to electrical connectors. More specifically, the present invention relates to the field of electrical connectors for printed circuit boards.
It is well known in the art to provide an electrical connector which includes contacts having solder tails which may be soldered to the solder pads of a printed circuit board (PCB). The connectors of the prior art provide connectors housings having the electrical contacts securely retained therein so that once the connector is soldered to the PCB the connection is non-removably affixed to the PCB.
Should the PCB require rework, the typical approach for effecting recovery of the PCB requires cutting the contacts proximate to the solder tails to separate the remainder of the connector from the PCB, and then severing the solder connection between the PCB and the solder tail by applying heat or by other method known in the art. The PCB could then be cleaned and reworked so that a new connector could be mounted to the solder pads of the PCB. In these rework procedures, however, the removal of the connector tends to result in the twisting of the contacts while cutting the solder tails. Twisting of the contacts can translate through the solder pads of the PCB to cause scratching and delamination of the PCB, or lifting or detaching of the solder pads from the PCB. Such damage can render the PCB un-reusable.
There is therefore a need in the art for a connector design which provides a quick release between the contacts and the housing so as to minimize the damage to or delamination of the PCB pad during rework. This new design would obviate the need for cutting the contact while it remains soldered to the PCB by providing access to detach the contacts from the housing. This new design would thereby eliminate the chance of damage to or delamination of the masked surfaces of the PCB by the cutting process.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a connector the housing of which may be easily detached from the contacts contained therein.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a connector for a PCB which minimizes the chance of damage to the PCB or its solder pads during rework of the PCB.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a connector for a PCB which obviates the need for cutting of the solder tails connecting the connector to the PCB.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a connector for a PCB which facilitates the recovery process.
These and other objects are obtained by the present invention by providing a connector having a releasable connector housing. The connector supports a number of elongate contacts in a number of elongate cavities defined by the connector housing. Each contact includes a solder tail at one end, a deflectable wiping connection element at the other end, and a contact body therebetween. The contact body includes a deflectable tang extending acutely therefrom in interfering engagement with a locking shoulder extending in the cavity. The housing also defines a tang access aperture in communication with each cavity so as to render each tang accessible therethrough. A separation tool having a prong for each tang may engage the housing through each access aperture to deflect the tangs away from the interfering engagement with the locking shoulders. With each tang simultaneously out of interfering engagement with the locking shoulders, the housing may be separated from the contacts while the contacts are still soldered to a printed circuit board. The solder tails may then be disconnected from the printed circuit board without the need for cutting the contacts. | {
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The present invention relates to a system for simulating shooting sports and particularly to a system for simulating shooting sports such as trap, sporting clays, and skeet shooting.
Shotgun competition came to the United States from England, where it began in the 18th century. The targets were live birds, released from small boxes or traps. "Trap shooting" became very popular and during the last half of the 19th century, challenge matches frequently attracted tens of thousands of spectators. But a dwindling supply of live birds, and growing public sentiment against using them for targets, spurred a search for other targets.
One such inanimate shotgun target system came from London in the mid-1800s and included 21/4-inch glass balls and a launching device or "trap" to launch them. Because the balls were thrown only a few feet straight up from the launching device there was no challenge for Americans weaned on wild game birds. The result was a rash of new patents to improve both glass balls and launching devices. Balls were colored for better visibility, roughened to minimize the glancing off of pellets, and feather-filled to appeal to live-bird shooters. Better launching devices were developed as well. Eventually the now common "dome-saucer" target, "bird," "clay pigeon," or "clay" was developed. Despite the fact that many different inanimate target designs were developed before and after the dome-saucer, none were as practical. Improvements have been made since then, but the basic target remains much the same.
Currently, about 750 million clay targets are launched in America each year. The most dominant consumers are trap shooters, but new shooting sports, especially sporting clays and five-stand, have had significant impact on clay bird consumption.
These "clay" targets have several significant disadvantages. First, they are made from materials such as calcium carbonate--limestone, pitch, and latex paint that are generally not bio-degradable or otherwise environmentally friendly. In fact, the waste from one year's worth of shattered clays would extend for more than 39,000 miles--more than 11/2 times around the earth at the equator. Biodegradable targets made from environmentally friendly materials such as bird seed and sugar, such as the target disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,174,581, have been largely unsuccessful because they do not withstand the force of being thrown from the launching device. Another reason biodegradable targets have been unsuccessful is that they tend to crumble when they impact projectile ammunition which does not provide the definite visual and audible indication of impact provided by the shattering of traditional clay targets.
Another problem with clay targets is that they are best used during the day. Using lights to illuminate existing outdoor shooting ranges could be distracting if illuminated unevenly. Making the targets reflective, such as the target suggested in U.S. Pat. No. 4,592,554 to Gilbertson, would not be practical because of the relative lack of light at night to reflect off the targets. Adding lights to clay targets would not be practical because it could complicate the process of manufacturing the clays, could change the dimensions of the clays, and could be prohibitively expensive since the clays are destroyed after one use. Using clay targets indoors is also problematic and generally requires extensive modifications and safety equipment.
Other problems with shooting sports are associated with the dangers caused by projectile ammunition or "shot." Projectile ammunition that is capable of breaking a target can also pierce human skin. Accordingly, many non-projectile systems have been developed. Most of these non-projectile systems involve using special firearms having integral light or laser mechanisms. Since most shooters prefer to use their own firearms so they can practice under consistent conditions, some non-projectile systems have been mounted above or below the barrel of a standard shotgun. This mounted system, however, does not simulate actual shooting conditions because it throws off the shooter's aim when the beam of light does not emanate from the barrel.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,471,945 and 3,502,333 to G. K. Fleury disclose a light-emitting shotgun cartridge or shell and an electronic trap and skeet target that solve many of the problems of previously known non-projectile systems. Particularly advantageous is the ability to use a light-emitting shell in place of a normal projectile bearing cartridge or shell without additional adapters or firearm modifications. Another advantage of the Fleury shell is that it incorporates a delay time to simulate the delay between projectile ammunition leaving the gun and hitting the target. Because of its primitive design, however, the Fleury shell has several significant disadvantages. For example, a flash lamp embodiment is only designed for a single use and a conventional bulb embodiment is only designed for use at a relatively short range. Another problem is that the light emitted from the shell is not modulated and therefore is indistinguishable from any other incandescent or fluorescent light source of similar or greater brightness. Yet another problem is that the light pattern is determined only by the barrel's inside diameter and cannot be shaped to match a projectile shot pattern. Finally, the demands placed on the battery by the Fleury shell drains available battery energy quickly.
The Fleury shell, discussed above, is meant to be used with the Fleury target. The Fleury target is a self-contained, reusable, light detecting target adapted to simulate the trap or skeet clay target. The Fleury target has a single photosensitive device to detect incident light and an alarm system to provide a visual indication of a target hit.
One problem with the Fleury target is battery life. To solve this problem Fleury provided two externally mounted switches. The power switch is turned "on" to provide power to the alarm and the photosensitive device. The alarm reset switch toggles the alarm system between manual and automatic reset. These switches, however, create additional problems. By being externally mounted, it is likely that the switches will be damaged upon launching or landing. Because the power switch must be manually turned off, power will drain from the batteries if the target is not manually turned off. If the alarm reset switch is set for manual reset, the alarm, which requires a relatively significant amount of power, will drain the battery until it is manually reset. However, because it is often difficult to verify a hit if the automatic reset option is used, the manual reset option is generally preferable to the automatic reset.
Another problem with the Fleury target is that it is difficult to determine if the target is "alive" or if it has been hit. This is because the Fleury target is dark both when it is completely off and also when it is ready to detect a light signal. It is difficult to determine whether the target has been hit because the lights, when used during daytime conditions, are poor visual indicators of a hit.
Yet another problem is that the Fleury target's photosensitive device is unable to distinguish between various bursts of light. Although ambient light might not trigger the photosensitive device, there are natural bursts of light in normal daylight that would trigger the photosensitive device. Also, other light sources, such as flashlights and flash bulbs, could easily trigger the photosensitive device.
Other patents, such as U.S. Pat. No. 4,678,437 to Scott et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,367,516 to Jacob, U.S. Pat. No. 3,938,262 to Dye et al., U.S. Pat. No. 2,174,813 to J. L. Younghusband, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,830,617 to Hancox et al., disclose light and laser devices used to simulate shooting. These devices include various combinations of apparatus either mounted within the ammunition chamber, mounted within the barrel, mounted axially to the barrel, or a combination thereof. None of these devices, however, include a system that accurately simulates live ammunition shooting.
While some regard shooting sports as dangerous, environmentally unsound and hazardous to a shooter's health, shooting sports do serve a purpose. Shooting sports provide recreation for millions of recreational shooters who might otherwise shoot live prey. Shooting sports also provide a valuable means for police, military, and civilian gun owners to become familiar and proficient with their weapons. Shooting sports have also become a popular spectator sport as is evidenced by its popularity during the 1996 Olympic games.
What is needed, then, is a system for simulating shooting sports that provides a non-polluting, non-lethal, inherently safe, reusable, highly reliable, indoor/outdoor form of shotgun shooting simulation. Further, a system is needed that provides as much realism to shooting sports as possible. The system should be inherently friendly to first time users such as women and youth. The system should also simulate shooting sports as nearly as possible so as to provide educational opportunities therefor. Finally, the system should require minimal or no maintenance, set-up, or breakdown. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Application tools transfer paint by sliding a transfer tape having a paint applied on a surface of the transfer tape while bringing the tape into close contact with the object to receive the paint in order to correct errors. In order to enable extended use and reduce the cost of the application tool, there has been suggested an application tool comprising a cartridge body having a supply reel gear and a take-up reel gear meshed with each other. A supply reel and a take-up reel are coaxially attached to each of the supply reel gear and the take-up reel gear. The supply reel and the take-up reel respectively supply and take up a transfer tape through a transfer head. The cartridge body is freely replaceable and is provided within an application tool container structured in such a manner as to be freely separated from the container.
However, in the conventional tool mentioned above, since the application tool container and the cartridge body are not integrally fixed to each other, the force applied to the application tool container by the user is not efficiently transmitted to the cartridge body. Accordingly, when the user firmly presses the transfer tape held by the transfer head against the surface of the object to receive the paint, the force transmitted between the application tool container and the cartridge body is dampened. Therefore, the transfer of the paint attached on the surface of the transfer tape may not be effectively achieved via the transfer head.
Further, since the cartridge body and the application tool container having the cartridge body therein are not integrally fixed, the transfer head for holding the transfer tape is easily deflected. Accordingly, when the user applies a force to the application tool during use of the tool, the transfer head and the paint are easily shifted from the direction which is desired by the user. Further, the transfer tape held by the transfer head may be broken while continuously transferring the paint, thereby inconveniencing the user. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Buried etch stops are often incorporated in interconnect structures, that are part of integrated circuits and microelectronic devices. Interconnect structures comprise metal lines positioned in line level interlayer dielectrics and vias positioned in via level interlayer dielectrics. Interconnect structures provide electrical communication between the multiple conductive layers of integrated circuits and microelectronic devices. Buried etch stop layers having low dielectric constants, thermal stability, and chemical contrast from other patterning dielectric layers allow for the generation of reliable interconnect structures and leads to enhanced device performance.
Buried etch stop layers should be definable by conventional dry etching processes, e.g. reactive ion etch (RIE), and should have compositions that provide chemical contrast to other layers. Additionally, it is advantageous for buried etch stop layers to exhibit thermal stability during high temperature processing and have sufficient adhesion to adjacent layers to withstand planarizing steps and other processes that produce stress on the interconnect structure. Further, the dielectric constant of the buried etch stop layer should be low in order to minimize resistance-capacitance (RC) delays and enhance performance. Buried etch stop layers may need to be permeable to the decomposition of products generated in porous dielectric systems in order to allow out-diffusion of these moieties. Finally, they should be capable of being processed in a cost effective manner.
For buried etch stop layers in interconnect structures having interlayer dielectrics deposited by spin-on-techniques it is advantageous that the buried etch stop layers also be deposited using spin-on techniques in order to decrease process time and cost. When the above layers are all deposited using spin-on-techniques, thermal annealing of the via and line layers may be performed simultaneously with the thermal curing of the buried etch stop.
The application of spin-on dielectrics as buried etch stops has been proposed; however, current implementations have been primarily limited to silsequioxanes, siloxanes, and other related chemistries that are primarily based on silicon-oxygen bonds. One potential drawback of these current implementations is poor etch selectivity with other dielectric layers. In particular, these systems may not exhibit sufficient etch selectivity to silicon carbonitrides, silicon carbides, and silicon nitrides that are commonly used as cap barrier layers. The lack of etch selectivity with these layers precludes the generation of integrated circuits in a controllable manner.
What is needed is a process for forming a buried etch stop in an interconnect structure, where the buried etch stop composition reduces manufacturing costs, produces reliable interconnect structures; and enhances device performance. What is further needed is an interconnect structure where the buried etch stop layer composition has a low dielectric constant; thermal stability; and chemical contrast which facilitates etch processing between other patterning layers. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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In general, there is known an electric working vehicle adopting an electric drive system for a traveling drive system like a large-sized dump truck and the like. Such an electric working vehicle is provided with an electric motor disposed to a vehicle body and an inverter provided between a direct current power supply such as a battery and the electric motor. On the other hand, there is known an electric working vehicle having a configuration that a resistor is connected to an inverter to consume electro motive force regenerated by an electric motor and a blower which supplies cooling air to the resistor is provided (Patent Document 1, Patent Document 2). | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Many color displays, such as, for example, color cathode-ray tubes (CRTs) and field emission devices (FEDs) typically include display screens. The display screens are formed from glass plates coated with an array of three different color-emitting phosphors. To provide contrast, a graphite-based matrix is placed in the interstitial regions between each of the three different color-emitting phosphors.
Many graphite-based matrix compositions lose adherence to glass and exhibits weak internal strength when physical contact is made thereto. During assembly of filed emission devices, spacers are placed in contact with the graphite-based matrix composition. Because of the weakness of the graphite matrix coating, adhesive failure may occur primarily at the coating/glass interface, such that the spacers may fall over. Adhesive failure may also occur within the body of the graphite-based matrix composition causing it to come away from the display screen.
Thus, a need exists for a graphite-based matrix composition with improved adhesion to a glass display screen. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Field of This Invention
This invention relates to the field of drilling gas, oil, water and/or steam wells.
2. Prior Art
In the early days of drilling oil and gas wells, the wells were often drilled by cable tool. That technique involved a sharp weight on the end of a cable that pounded its way into the earth. Hydrocarbons often spewed from the well hole. The modern technique is to drill using a rotary drill, i.e., turning steel knuckles or teeth (on tungsten), located on the drill pipe.
Drilling mud is a fluid that cools the drilling bit (or teeth) while transporting rock cuttings to the surface. The mud also serves to keep any oil or gas underground.
In more detail, most modern drilling is done by means of rotary drilling. The drill bit rotates while bearing down on the bottom of the well, thus gouging and chipping its way downward. When conductingly rotary drilling, the well bore is kept full of liquid during drilling. A weighted fluid (called drilling mud) in the bore hole serves at least two important purposes: (a) by its hydrostatic pressure, it prevents the entry of formation fluids into the well thus preventing blowouts and gushers; and (b) the drilling mud carries the crushed rock to the surface, so that the drilling is continuous until the bit wears out. The drill bit is connected to the surface equipment through a drill pipe, a heavy-walled tubing through which the drilling mud is fed to the bottom of the bore hole. In most cases, the drill pipe also transmits the rotary motion from a turntable at the surface to the drilling bit at the bottom of the hole. The top piece of the drill pipe is a tube of square or octagonal cross section called the kelly, which passes through a square octagonal hole in the turntable (located near the bottom of the derrick). At the bottom end of the drill pipe are extra-heavy sections called drill collars that serve to concentrate the weight on the rotating bit. The drilling mud leaves the drill pipe in such a way that is washes the loose rock from the bottom and carries it to the surface. The drilling bit has a number of jets through which the drilling mud is forced by pressure into the bottom of the drill hole. Drilling mud is carefully formulated to the correct weight and viscosity characteristics for its required tasks. After screening to remove the rock chips, the returning drilling mud is held in open pits for recirculating through the well. The drilling mud is picked up by piston pumps and forced through a swivel joint into the top of the drill pipe.
The characteristic tall derrick contains the hoisting equipment that is used to raise and lower the drill pipe into the well. The drill bit wears quickly and requires frequent replacement, making it necessary to pull the entire drill string from the well and rack it at one side of the derrick. Joints of drill pipe are usually 30 feet long. Sections of two or three such joints are separated and racked vertically while the bit is being changed. Drilling mud is left in the bore hold during this time to prevent excessive flow of fluids into the well.
In drilling wells it is sometime desirable and necessary to reverse the circulation of the drilling fluid through the drill pipe and annulus. (The annulus is the region between the well casing or side and the drill pipe.) Presently, this is done through the open annulus which does not allow for rotation of the drill pipe while reverse circulating the drilling fluid. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Bill payment by telephone has been available primarily from financial institutions for approximately 15 years. Heralded as "home banking" this technology allowed a customer of a bank, savings and loan, or credit union to pay any pre-registered bill with the use of a touch tone telephone and that financial institutions interactive voice response unit (provided that they offered the service). The customer would first have to select a financial institution that offered the service, request to participate in the service, send in a voided check, and then provide a manual list of all the bills that were desired to be paid using this system. In addition, a signature authorization card would have to signed and archived by the financial institution. The financial institution would then manually input all of this information into their computer, and then advise the customer that system access was then available. This process usually took up to two weeks to complete.
Once activated, the customer would then have the capability to call the financial institution and input payment instructions in conjunction with a touch tone telephone and reference each payee by a number that was assigned by the financial institution. This process of bill payment would allow the customer to pay bills by having the bank then issue an "electronic check" to the designated payee. This "electronic" document would then be presented to the Automated Clearing House of the U.S. Banking System for processing and clearing. In reality the process was identical to the processing of a paper check, with the only exception being that there was not any paper involved in the transaction. The payment could still "bounce" and be returned for non-sufficient funds since there was no actual verification on the customer's account balance to insure that sufficient funds were on deposit to cover the transaction. In addition, all in place check clearing time requirements were still in place, as it took typically at least 3-5 days to clear. Until clearing was realized the recipient of the funds never had actual use of the funds used for payment. If a new debt was incurred, it would have to be pre-registered on the system in order to utilize this "electronic" capability. If a customer changed financial institutions, the whole process of pre-registering all debts, signature cards, and a voided check would have to be repeated. Existing pay by phone systems offered some convenience to the user, but were cumbersome to administer and usage was never widespread.
As "home banking" gained more interest, many companies developed special purpose telephones with visual displays and "swipe card readers" that the consumer could purchase that would allow the use of a debit (ATM) card to basically achieve the same purpose as was evident in previously implemented systems (for the purposes of brevity in this disclosure the term "debit card" shall be construed to mean both debit and credit card). The only difference was that the consumer could now "swipe" the debit card through the reader that was part of the telephone. The Automated Clearing House of the U.S. Banking System was still used to process payments, and all pre-registration and signature cards were still required. All "electronic check" clearing time requirements were still needed, and the transaction would still be returned for non-sufficient funds. If a service offered a specialized telephone and bypassed the Automated Clearing House, using debit card networks, the debit card used to process the transaction required a PIN. There was a natural resistance to the purchase of special telephones that proved to be relatively expensive, in addition to the monthly fees necessary to remain a customer of this service.
As personal computers began to proliferate, many systems became available that would allow bill payment in conjunction with a third party service and a personal computer owned by the user with that third party software loaded into it, such as the Prodigy system. Still, however, all of the aforementioned limitations still applied to these personal computer based systems.
In summary, these home banking systems shared many common drawbacks. For example, the burden of pre-registration and the listing of bills to be paid was borne by the consumer. The system required the processing of transactions in the same manner as a paper check, or an electronic check through the Automated Clearing House of the U.S. Banking System. The system presented the possibility that a transaction could be returned for non-sufficient funds reasons. In addition, a clearing time for each transaction of 3-5 days. Furthermore, in many cases, the prior art home banking systems required the use of specialized equipment by the customer (such as special purpose telephones equipped with electronic card readers or encryption devices), or the financial institution offering services to it's customer base.
Moreover, although it is known in the field of accounting to call and manually, in conjunction an operator, verify that a payor had remitted a bill, there is no capability for the recipient of the funds (payee) to electronically immediately and positively inquire as to payment status after it was electronically authorized by the a debit card network. Therefore, what is needed is a universal, real-time bill payment system method and system that uses debit (ATM) cards without the requirement of a PIN (personal identification number) in conjunction with touch tone telephones to initiate consumer bill payments electronically and provide for the elimination of paper checks, as well as the use of the Automated Clearing House. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to: a carboxamide derivative having reduced amide ester content; an efficient production method thereof; and a detergent composition including the carboxamide derivative produced by the production method and having excellent low-temperature stability.
2. Description of the Related Art
Carboxamide is used in a hair conditioner, and it is used as an intermediate of a carboxamide derivative such as amide betaine and amidoamine oxide. In particular, a carboxamide derivative is widely used for cleaning agents such as hair shampoo and dishwashing detergent, cosmetic materials and beauty products since it is less irritating to the skin and has favorable biodegradability.
Carboxamide is usually produced by condensing a fatty acid or an ester thereof with a diamine at a reaction temperature of 80° C. to 200° C. and under a normal or reduced pressure. Also, it is known that an amidoamine oxide as a carboxamide derivative may be obtained by oxidizing carboxamide with hydrogen peroxide, and it is known that amide betaine as a carboxamide derivative may be obtained by reaction of carboxamide with monohaloalkylcarboxylic acid and a salt thereof.
For example, it is considered that the amount of diamine used for the production of highly pure carboxamide is preferably 0.83 times by mole to 1.25 times by mole, and more preferably 1.0 times by mole to 1.2 times by mole, with respect to that of a fatty acid or an ester thereof (paragraph 0017 in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 11-349542). Also, it is known that an addition of organic phosphonic acid in producing amidoamine oxide yields a composition including amidoamine oxide having superior preservation stability at a high temperature of 50° C. in terms of color and odor (paragraphs 0022 and 0023 in JP-A No. 11-152260).
However, sedimentation occurs during low-temperature preservation of amidoamine oxide, which is obtained by reacting hydrogen peroxide with carboxamide obtained by reacting a fatty acid ester with 1.20 times by mole or less with respect to the fatty acid ester of a diamine, and amino betaine, which is obtained by reacting the carboxamide with a monohaloalkylcarboxylic acid or a salt thereof. This causes problems such as decreased commercial value of amidoamine oxide and amide betaine as well as reduced low-temperature stability of a detergent composition which uses thereof. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The invention is based on a connection device for the articulated connection of a wiper blade to a wiper arm.
WO 02/40328 A1 discloses a connection device of this type. It comprises an adapter in the form of a sheet metal claw, a plastic retaining spring and a joining element connected fixedly to the wiper arm. The adapter is fastened by means of claws and/or by welding to a support element of the wiper blade in the form of two spring rails running in parallel. Said adapter has a U shaped cross sectional profile, with, starting from a base part adjacent to the support element, side walls being bent away approximately by 90° from the support element. Openings into which a bearing bolt is inserted in a rotationally fixed manner are provided in the side walls. The retaining spring, which is guided laterally between the side walls of the connection element, is mounted pivotably on said bearing bolt by means of a hub. The retaining spring has latching means and retaining means with which it is clipped into the profile, which is open toward the wiper blade, of the joining element. In the fitted position, the joining element engages from the outside both over the retaining spring and over the side walls of the adapter.
A similar connection device for the articulated connection of a wiper blade to a wiper arm is known from DE 103 47 637 A1. In this case, the adapter, which is in the form of a sheet metal claw, has a central longitudinal web which faces away from the support element of the wiper blade and into which a pivot spindle, which runs transversally, is inserted in a rotationally fixed manner. The retaining spring is mounted pivotably on the pivot spindle, which protrudes in a floating manner on both sides of the longitudinal web, by means of bearing openings which are arranged in lateral spring tongues. The retaining spring, which is manufactured from plastic, surrounds the sheet metal claw from the outside and is clipped by means of latching elements and retaining elements into the joining element which is open toward the wiper blade and is connected fixedly to the wiper arm. The adapter is firstly guided laterally by means of inner guide webs on the sheet metal claw and is secondly inserted at its side walls in the joining element in a manner free from play. For this purpose, use is made of a push button which is provided in a cover wall of the retaining spring at the end of a spring tongue and, in the fitted state, latches into a matching latching hole in a cover wall of the joining element.
Finally, DE 103 40 139 A1 discloses a connection device which has an adapter in the form of a sheet metal claw. The latter is fastened to the support element by means of claws while a central web extends in the longitudinal direction on the side facing away from the support element. A bearing element in the form of an open hub, in which a matching bearing element of a retaining spring is mounted, is integrally formed on an end side of the adapter. The retaining spring has a guide slot with which it is guided laterally on the central web. To limit the pivoting movement between the wiper blade and the wiper arm, the retaining spring has a catch hook which latches onto a projection on the central web during installation and can be released by a push button. Finally, a cover cap is clipped onto the adapter such that the latter and the retaining spring are protected from the surroundings. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Visual impairment is generally understood as vision loss to such a degree as to be considered a signification limitation of visual capability. A visually-impaired individual may be “partially sighted,” “with low vision,” “legally blind,” or “totally blind,” depending upon the degree of visual impairment. Also, depending upon the degree of visual impairment, a visually-impaired individual may require additional support or tools to perform the activities of daily life.
For example, a visually-impaired individual may utilize tactile or auditory feedback tools to assist in the performing of activities of daily life. Such tools may include speech-synthesis systems and systems using braille displays. These and other tools have enabled the visually-impaired to more effectively use mainstream computer applications. The availability of assistive technology for the visually-impaired has been increasing, and there have been increasing efforts to further develop assistive technologies that enable the visually-impaired to more effectively access information available on computer systems. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The deposition of tungsten films using chemical vapor deposition (CVD) techniques is an integral part of many semiconductor fabrication processes. The tungsten films may be used to produce low resistance electrical connections in the form of horizontal interconnects, vias between adjacent metal layers, and contacts between a first metal layer and the devices on a substrate. In a conventional tungsten deposition process on a semiconductor wafer, the wafer is heated to the process temperature in a vacuum chamber, and then a very thin portion of tungsten film, which serves as a seed or nucleation layer, is deposited. Thereafter, the remainder of the tungsten film (the bulk layer) is deposited on the nucleation layer. The bulk layer is generally deposited more rapidly than the nucleation layer, but cannot be produced easily and reliably without first forming the nucleation layer.
Increasingly thin tungsten electrical connects having very low resistance will enable smaller critical dimension devices. Although CVD and other methods are able to deposit nucleation layers, their ability to provide nucleation layers for the deposition of low resistivity tungsten in small critical dimension features is limited. Void-free fill in aggressive features is problematic using conventional CVD tungsten deposition techniques. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a shift lever device for shifting a vehicle transmission.
2. Description of the Related Art
Among shift lever devices for shifting a vehicle transmission, a shift lever device which is used for an automatic transmission can select (change) a desired shift mode (range) through the control of a shift lever. Further, the shift mode selected can be viewed (confirmed) through display windows installed in the upper housing of the shift lever device.
Ordinarily, a light transmitting (transparent) plate member is mounted on the display windows. Further, a lower housing is disposed at the rear surface side of the upper housing. Moreover, a cover slide is disposed between the upper housing and the lower housing, and is thereby supported so as to move slidably. An opening into which a shift lever is inserted is formed on the cover slide. The cover slide is inserted into the opening and is moved with the shift lever by the shift lever. Further, a mark piece on which a red seal or the like is stuck is formed integrally with the cover slide. The mark piece faces the rear surface side portion of the display windows and is spaced apart from them at a predetermined distance. When the cover slide moves with the shift lever, the mark piece moves directly below the display windows in accordance with the respective shift positions. Accordingly, the mark piece stuck with the red seal or the like can be viewed from outside through the display windows. As a result, it is structured such that the shift position of the shift lever is displayed.
The mark piece of the cover slide which is viewed through the display windows must be visible even in the dark. Accordingly, it is structured such that light is irradiated by a light source such as a lamp or the like. When light is appropriately irradiated onto the mark piece in the dark, the mark piece can be reliably viewed through a display window by the light reflected from the mark piece.
In this way, such a mark piece is provided on the cover slide. As described above, the opening is formed on the cover slide, the shift lever is inserted into the opening, and the cover slide is always moved with the shift lever. However, when light is irradiated onto the mark piece, if light escapes from a gap formed between the opening and the shift lever, visibility is in fact hampered. In this case, because the gap between the opening and the shift lever cannot be helped, a method which prevents light from escaping from the gap between the opening and the shift lever is necessary.
Moreover, for example, there is a possibility that water or the like (fluids) may splash into a housing along the shift lever. In this respect, another method which prevents water or the like from splashing into the housings is necessary. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Binding partners are substances that specifically bind to one another, usually through noncovalent interactions. Examples of binding partners include ligand-receptor, antibody-antigen, drug-target, and enzyme-substrate interactions. Binding partners are extremely useful in both therapeutic and diagnostic fields.
Binding partners have been produced in the past by a variety of methods including; harvesting them from nature (e.g., antibody-antigen, and ligand-receptor pairings) and by adventitious identification (e.g. traditional drug development employing random screening of candidate molecules). In some instances these two approaches have been combined. For example, variants of proteins or polypeptides, such as polypeptide fragments, have been made that contain key functional residues that participate in binding. These polypeptide fragments, in turn, have been derivatized by methods akin to traditional drug development. An example of such derivitization would include strategies such as cyclization to conformationally constrain a polypeptide fragment to produce a novel candidate binding partner.
The problem with prior art methods is that naturally occurring ligands may not have proper characteristics for all therapeutic applications. Additionally, polypeptide ligands may not even be available for some target substances. Furthermore, methods for making non-naturally occurring synthetic binding partners are often expensive and difficult, usually requiring complex synthetic methods to produce each candidate. The inability to characterize the structure of the resulting candidate so that rational drug design methods can be applied for further optimization of candidate molecules further hampers these methods.
In an attempt to overcome these problems, Geysen (Geysen, Immun. Today, 6:364-369 [1985]); and (Geysen et al., Mol. Immun., 23:709-715 [1986]) has proposed the use of polypeptide synthesis to provide a framework for systematic iterative binding partner identification and preparation. According to Geysen et al., ibid, short polypeptides, such as dipeptides, are first screened for the ability to bind to a target molecule. The most active dipeptides are then selected for an additional round of testing comprising linking, to the starting dipeptide, and additional residue (or by internally modifying the components of the original starting dipeptide) and then screening this set of candidates for the desired activity. This process is reiterated until the binding partner having the desired properties is identified.
The Geysen et al. method suffers from the disadvantage that the chemistry upon which it is based, peptide synthesis, produces molecules with ill-defined or variable secondary and tertiary structure. As rounds of iterative selection progress, random interactions accelerate among the various substituent groups of the polypeptide so that a true random population of interactive molecules having reproducible higher order structure becomes less and less attainable. For example, interactions between side chains of amino acids, which are sequentially widely separated but which are spatially neighbors, freely occur. Furthermore, sequences that do not facilitate conformationally stable secondary structures provide complex peptide-sidechain interactions which may prevent sidechain interactions of a given amino acid with the target molecule. Such complex interactions are facilitated by the flexibility of the polyamide backbone of the polypeptide candidates. Additionally, candidates may exist in numerous conformations making it difficult to identify the conformer that interacts or binds to the target with greatest affinity or specificity complicating rational drug design.
A final problem with the iterative polypeptide method of Geysen is that, at present, there are no practical methods with which a great diversity of different peptides can be produced, screened and analyzed. By using the twenty naturally occurring amino acids, the total number of all combinations of hexapeptides that must be synthesized is 64,000,000. Even having prepared such a diversity of peptides, there are no methods available with which mixtures of such a diversity of peptides can be rapidly screened to select those peptides having a high affinity for the target molecule. At present, each "adherent" peptide must be recovered in amounts large enough to carry out protein sequencing.
To overcome many of the problems inherent in the Geysen approach, biological selection and screening was chosen as an alternative. Biological selections and screens are powerful tools to probe protein function and to isolate variant proteins with desirable properties (Shortle, Protein Engineering, Oxender and Fox, eds., A. R. Liss, Inc., NY, pp. 103-108 [1988]) and Bowie et al., Science, 247:1306-1310 [1990]). However, a given selection or screen is applicable to only one or a small number of related proteins.
Recently, Smith and coworkers (Smith, Science, 228:1315-1317 [1985]) and Parmley and Smith, Gene, 73:305-318 [1985] have demonstrated that small protein fragments (10-50 amino acids) can be "displayed" efficiently on the surface of filamentous phage by inserting short gene fragments into gene III of the fd phage ("fusion phage"). The gene III minor coat protein (present in about 5 copies at one end of the viron) is important for proper phage assembly and for infection by attachment to the pili of E. coli (see Rasched et al., Microbiol. Rev., 50:401-427 [1986]). Recently, "fusion phage" have been shown to be useful for displaying short mutated peptide sequences for identifying peptides that may react with antibodies (Scott et al., Science 249:386-390, [1990]) and Cwirla et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. U.S.A. 87:6378-6382, [1990]) or a foreign protein (Devlin et al., Science, 249:404-406 [1990]).
There are, however, several important limitations in using such "fusion phage" to identify altered peptides or proteins with new or enhanced binding properties. First, it has been shown (Parmley et al., Gene, 73:305-318, [1988]) that fusion phage are useful only for displaying proteins of less than 100 and preferably less than 50 amino acid residues, because inserts presumably disrupt the function of gene III and therefore phage assembly and infectivity. Second, prior art methods have been unable to select peptides from a library having the highest binding affinity for a target molecule. For example, after exhaustive panning of a random peptide library with an anti-.beta. endorphin monoclonal antibody, Cwirla and co-workers could not separate moderate affinity peptides (K.sub.d .about.10 .mu.M) from higher affinity peptides (K.sub.d .about.0.4 .mu.M) fused to phage. Moreover, the parent .beta.-endorphin peptide sequence which has very high affinity (K.sub.d .about.7 nM), was not panned from the epitope library.
Ladner WO 90/02802 discloses a method for selecting novel binding proteins displayed on the outer surface of cells and viral particles where it is contemplated that the heterologous proteins may have up to 164 amino acid residues. The method contemplates isolating and amplifying the displayed proteins to engineer a new family of binding proteins having desired affinity for a target molecule. More specifically, Ladner discloses a "fusion phage" displaying proteins having "initial protein binding domains" ranging from 46 residues (crambin) to 164 residues (T4 lysozyme) fused to the M13 gene III coat protein. Ladner teaches the use of proteins "no larger than necessary" because it is easier to arrange restriction sites in smaller amino acid sequences and prefers the 58 amino acid residue bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor (BPTI). Small fusion proteins, such as BPTI, are preferred when the target is a protein or macromolecule, while larger fusion proteins, such as T4 lysozyme, are preferred for small target molecules such as steroids because such large proteins have clefts and grooves into which small molecules can fit. The preferred protein, BPTI, is proposed to be fused to gene III at the site disclosed by Smith et al. or de la Cruz et al., J. Biol. Chem., 263:4318-4322 [1988], or to one of the terminii, along with a second synthetic copy of gene III so that "some" unaltered gene III protein will be present. Ladner does not address the problem of successfully panning high affinity peptides from the random peptide library which plagues the biological selection and screening methods of the prior art.
Human growth hormone (hGH) participates in much of the regulation of normal human growth and development. This 22,000 dalton pituitary hormone exhibits a multitude of biological effects including linear growth (somatogenesis), lactation, activation of macrophages, insulin-like and diabetogenic effects among others (Chawla, R, K. (1983) Ann. Rev. Med. 34:519; Edwards, C. K. et al. (1988) Science 239, 769; Thomer, M. O., et al. (1988) J. Clin. Invest. 81, 745). Growth hormone deficiency in children leads to dwarfism which has been successfully treated for more than a decade by exogenous administration of hGH. hGH is a member of a family of homologous hormones that include placental lactogens, prolactins, and other genetic and species variants or growth hormone (Nicoll, C. S., et al., (1986) Endocrine Reviews 7, 169). hGH is unusual among these in that it exhibits broad species specificity and binds to either the cloned somatogenic (Leung, D. W., et al., [1987] Nature 330, 537) or prolactic receptor (Boutin, J. M., et al., [1988] Ce; 53, 69). The cloned gene for hGH has been expressed in a secreted form in Escherichia coli (Chang, C. N., et al., [1987] Gene 55, 189) and its DNA and amino acid sequence has been reported (Goeddel, et al., [1979]Nature 281, 544; Gray, et al., [1985] Gene 39, 247). The three-dimensional structure of hGH is not available. However, the three-dimensional folding pattern for porcine growth hormone (pGH) has been reported at moderate resolution and refinement (Abdel-Meguid, S. S., et al., [1987] Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 84, 6434). Human growth hormone's receptor and antibody epitopes have been identified by homolog-scanning mutagenesis (Cunningham et al., Science 243:1330, 1989). The structure of novel amino terminal methionyl bovine growth hormone containing a spliced-in sequence of human growth hormone including histidine 18 and histidine 21 has been shown (U.S. Pat. No. 4,880,910).
Human growth hormone (hGH) causes a variety of physiological and metabolic effects in various animal models including linear bone growth, lactation, activation of macrophages, insulin-like and diabetogenic effects and others (R. K. Chawla et al., Annu. Rev. Med. 34, 519 (1983); O. G. P. Isaksson et al., Annu. Rev. Physiol. 47, 483 (1985); C. K. Edwards et al., Science 239, 769 (1988); M. O. Thomer and M. L. Vance, J. Clin. Invest. 82, 745 (1988); J. P. Hughes and H. G. Freisen, Ann. Rev. Physiol. 47, 469 (1985)). These biological effects derive from the interaction between hGH and specific cellular receptors.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a rapid and effective method for the systematic preparation of candidate binding substances.
It is another object of this invention to prepare candidate binding substances displayed on surface of a phagemid particle that are conformationally stable.
It is another object of this invention to prepare candidate binding substances comprising fusion proteins of a phage coat protein and a heterologous polypeptide where the polypeptide is greater than 100 amino acids in length and may be more than one subunit and is displayed on a phagemid particle where the polypeptide is encoded by the phagemid genome.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a method for the preparation and selection of binding substances that is sufficiently versatile to present, or display, all peptidyl moieties that could potentially participate in a noncovalent binding interaction, and to present these moieties in a fashion that is sterically confined.
Still another object of the invention is the production of growth hormone variants that exhibit stronger affinity for growth hormone receptor and binding protein.
It is yet another object of this invention to produce expression vector phagemids that contain a suppressible termination codon functionally located between the heterologous polypeptide and the phage coat protein such that detectable fusion protein is produced in a host suppressor cell and only the heterologous polypeptide is produced in a non-suppressor host cell.
Finally, it is an object of this invention to produce a phagemid particle that rarely displays more than one copy of candidate binding proteins on the outer surface of the phagemid particle so that efficient selection of high affinity binding proteins can be achieved.
These and other objects of this invention will be apparent from consideration of the invention as a whole. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
The present invention relates to apparatus for increasing the dynamic range in an input stage of integrating type in an optoelectric receiver.
Two usual optical input stages are a transimpedance stage and an integrating stage. See, for example, the book Semiconductor Devices for Optical Communications, H. Kressel, Springer-Verlag, Berlin, Heidelberg, New York 1980. Integrating stages are better from the sensitivity aspect, since less noise is generated than in transimpedance stages. Since integrating stages easily become over driven they have, however, poorer dynamic properties than transimpedance stages.
To obtain high sensitivity in a receiver with an integrating input stage, it is sought to obtain low capacitance on its amplifier input. Low capacitance causes a high voltage on the amplifier input since the input signal is integrated. The input stage may therefore be over driven already at a moderate level of the input signal. An integrating stage is very sensitive for overamplification, since the signal information is in the derivative of the integrated signal.
Attempting to connect in extra capacitance electrically on the amplifier input to increase the dynamic range results in deteriorated sensitivity, due to unavoidable stray capacitances in the apparatus used for the connection. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Technical Field
The invention relates to the analysis of information. More particularly, the invention relates to a method and apparatus for automatic entity disambiguation.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Spoken and written text consists of characters, words, names, sentences, documents, conversations, and so on, but the world that the text describes consists of distinct objects and events. People now have access to an enormous amount of text, but are generally ultimately interested in actual persons and organizations that interact in the real world. Entity disambiguation, sometimes also referred to as entity tracking, is the process of determining which names, words, or phrases in text correspond to distinct persons, organizations, locations, or other entities. This determination is absolutely essential for reasoning, inference, and the examination of social network structures based on information derived from text.
We use the term entity to mean an object or set of objects in the world. A mention is a reference to an entity, such as a word or phrase in a document. Entities may be referenced by their name, indicated by a common noun or noun phrase, or represented by a pronoun. Mentions may aggregate with other mentions that refer to the same specific real-world object, and, taken together, mentions that refer to the same specific real-world object, and, taken together, the aggregated mentions model an entity. These corpus-wide aggregated models of entities are of primary importance, while the individual mentions of an entity are still of secondary importance (see Mitchell, A.; Strassel, S.; Przybocki, P.; Davis, J. K.; Doddington, G.; Grishman, R.; Meyers, A.; Brunstein, A.; Ferro, L. and Sundheim, B. 2004. Annotation Guidelines for Entity Detection and Tracking (EDT), Version 4.2.6. http://www.ldc.upenn.edu/Projects/ACE/).
Entity disambiguation inherently involves resolving many-to-many relationships. Multiple distinct strings, such as “Abdul Khan,” “Dr. Khan,” and “‘Abd al-Qadir Khan,” may refer to the same entity. Simultaneously, multiple identical mentions refer to distinct entities. For example, literally tens of thousands of men share the name “Abdul Khan.”
Consider the following sentences from a corpus of news text: “Young pacer Yasir Arafat chipped in with two late wickets to finish with two for 36 in 18 overs.” “General Musharraf also apprised Yasir Arafat of the outcome of his negotiations with the Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee at Agra.” “Palestinians demonstrated in Gaza City Sunday in support of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.” “Makkah has announced that the Arafat Gathering (9 Zul-Hajj) will be on Sat 31 Jan. 2004.”
These can be confusing even to a human reader. The first underlined name refers to a Pakistani cricket player, the next two refer to the late Palestinian leader, and the last refers to a place near Mecca, Saudi Arabia. The job of the entity disambiguation system is to automatically assign these four mentions to three distinct entities, correctly grouping only the second mention of “Yasir Arafat” with “Yasser Arafat”.
It would be advantageous to provide an entity disambiguation technique that correctly resolves the above mentions in the context of the entire corpus. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a lens tube of a microscope having a plurality of observation ports, and particularly, to optical path switching means to an observation port.
2. Related Background Art
Conventionally, a lens tube of a microscope having a plurality of observation ports is secured to the main body of the microscope through a circular dovetail, and an optical path switching unit for switching optical paths for a light coming from the main body of the microscope is provided above the circular dovetail. The optical path switching unit has a slide member which is supported to be movable by a guide, and this slide member is provided with three through holes for passing the light coming from the main body of the microscope therethrough. A prism is secured to each of the through holes. An operational lever for moving the slide member is secured to this slide member. It is arranged such that this operational lever is operated to switch to three observation ports to cause the light from the main body of the microscope to enter (see Japanese Patent No. 3318014, for example, FIG. 1).
However, the optical path switching unit of the lens tube of a microscope disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 3318014 requires a space for at least five optical paths including a retreat space of optical members only for sliding the slide member in the lateral direction when the optical path is switched to the three observation ports, which disadvantageously results in an increased size of the system.
In consideration of the above problem, an object of the present invention is to provide a lens tube of a microscope having a small-sized optical path switching means. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Not applicable.
Not applicable.
Not applicable.
This invention is directed to water-in-oil-in-polar solvent multiple emulsions W/O/PS in which the polar solvent (PS) is a non-aqueous polar solvent(s).
Multiple emulsions containing silicone compositions are known in the art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,948,855 (Sep. 7, 1999), assigned to the assignee of this invention, discloses certain water-in-oil-in-water (W1/O/W2) type multiple emulsions. In copending application U.S. Ser. No. 09/352,006, filed Jul. 12, 1999, assigned to the assignee of this invention, certain oil and water in oil three phase emulsions are described. In copending application U.S. Ser. No. 09/435,561, filed Nov. 8, 1999, and U.S. Ser. No. 09/498,714, filed Feb. 7, 2000, both assigned to the assignee of this invention, certain polar solvent-in-oil-in-water (PS1/O/W) type multiple emulsions, as well as certain polar solvent-in-oil-in-polar solvent (PS1/O/PS2) type multiple emulsions, are described.
However, none of the common assignee""s prior references disclose a water-in-oil-in-polar solvent (W/O/PS) type multiple emulsion containing a silicone composition, which is the subject matter of the present invention. One advantage offered by a multiple emulsion of the type W/O/PS is that it can be used to isolate active ingredients which are soluble in similar phases from one another. This is particularly applicable when one active ingredient is very soluble in water W, but only marginally soluble in the non-aqueous polar solvent PS, while the other active ingredient is very soluble in PS and marginally soluble in W. Benefits can be most easily attained, however, when the active ingredients are basically insoluble in the oil O, in order to minimize their transport through O.
The invention relates to a water-in-oil-in-non-aqueous polar solvent W/O/PS type multiple emulsion containing a water phase W dispersed in an oil O as the first continuous phase of primary emulsion W/O by an emulsifier. Primary emulsion W/O is dispersed in a second continuous non-aqueous polar solvent phase PS to form multiple emulsion W/O/PS.
The emulsifier is (i) a silicone elastomer containing polyether groups which is a network of polymeric molecules crosslinked with an xcex1,xcfx89-unsaturated hydrocarbon; (ii) a silicone elastomer containing acrylate/methacrylate grafted polyether groups which is a network of polymeric molecules crosslinked with an xcex1,xcfx89-unsaturated hydrocarbon; or (iii) a silicone elastomer containing polyether groups and alkyl groups with at least ten carbon atoms which is a network of polymeric molecules crosslinked with an xcex1,xcfx89-unsaturated hydrocarbon. In these emulsifiers, the silicone elastomer contains the continuous oil phase O, preferably a silicone oil, although it may contain other types of oils.
These and other features of the invention will become apparent from a consideration of the detailed description.
Not applicable.
As noted above, emulsifier (i) for preparing multiple emulsions according to this invention is a silicone elastomer containing polyether groups which is a network of polymeric molecules crosslinked with an xcex1,xcfx89-unsaturated hydrocarbon. Methods for preparing this type of silicone elastomer are described in detail in the common assignee""s U.S. Pat. No. 5,811,487 (Sep. 22, 1998), incorporated herein by reference.
Generally, such silicone elastomers are prepared by reacting (A) an xe2x95x90Sixe2x80x94H containing polysiloxane; (B) a mono-alkenyl polyether; (C) an xcex1,xcfx89-unsaturated hydrocarbon such as an xcex1,xcfx89-diene, xcex1,xcfx89-diyne, or an xcex1,xcfx89-ene-yne, in the presence of (D) an oil and (E) a platinum catalyst, until a silicone elastomer is formed by crosslinking and addition of xe2x95x90SiH across double or triple bonds in the xcex1,xcfx89-unsaturated hydrocarbon (C).
Emulsifier (ii) for preparing multiple emulsions according to this invention is a silicone elastomer containing acrylate/methacrylate grafted polyether groups which is a network of polymeric molecules crosslinked with an xcex1,xcfx89-unsaturated hydrocarbon. Methods for preparing this type of silicone elastomer are described in detail in the common assignee""s U.S. Pat. No. 5,969,035 (Oct. 19, 1999), incorporated herein by reference.
Generally, such silicone elastomers are prepared by reacting (A) an xe2x95x90Sixe2x80x94H containing polysiloxane; (B) a monoacrylate or monomethacrylate functionalized polyether; (C) an xcex1,xcfx89-unsaturated hydrocarbon such as an xcex1,xcfx89-diene, xcex1,xcfx89-diyne, or an xcex1,xcfx89-ene-yne, in the presence of (D) an oil and (E) a platinum catalyst, until a silicone elastomer is formed by crosslinking and addition of xe2x95x90SiH across double or triple bonds in the xcex1,xcfx89-unsaturated hydrocarbon (C).
Emulsifier (iii) for preparing multiple emulsions according to this invention is a silicone elastomer containing polyether groups and alkyl groups with at least ten carbon atoms which is network of polymeric molecules crosslinked with an xcex1,xcfx89-unsaturated hydrocarbon. Methods for preparing this type of silicone elastomer are described in detail in the common assignee""s copending application U.S. Ser. No. 09/352,006, filed Jul. 12, 1999, referred to above, and incorporated herein by reference.
Generally, such silicone elastomers are prepared by combining and reacting (A) an xe2x95x90Sixe2x80x94H containing polysiloxane; (B) a mono-alkenyl polyether; (C) an xcex1-olefin containing at least ten carbon atoms; (D) an xcex1,xcfx89-unsaturated hydrocarbon such as an xcex1,xcfx89-diene, xcex1,xcfx89-diyne, or an xcex1,xcfx89-ene-yne, in the presence of (E) an oil, and (F) a platinum catalyst, until a silicone elastomer is formed by crosslinking and addition of xe2x95x90SiH across double or triple bonds in the xcex1,xcfx89-unsaturated hydrocarbon (D).
The xcex1,xcfx89-unsaturated hydrocarbon can be an xcex1,xcfx89-diene of the formula CH2xe2x95x90CH(CH2)dCHxe2x95x90CH2 where d is 1-20. Some representative examples of suitable xcex1,xcfx89-dienes are 1,4-pentadiene; 1,5-hexadiene; 1,6-heptadiene; 1,7-octadiene; 1,8-nonadiene; 1,9-decadiene; 1,11-dodecadiene; 1,13-tetradecadiene; and 1,19-eicosadiene. Other xcex1,xcfx89-unsaturated hydrocarbons which can be used include xcex1,xcfx89-diynes of the formula CHxe2x89xa1C(CH2)eCxe2x89xa1CH; or xcex1,xcfx89-ene-ynes of the formula CH2xe2x95x90CH(CH2)eCxe2x89xa1CH where e is 0-20. Some representative examples of suitable xcex1,xcfx89-diynes are 1,3-butadiyne HCxe2x89xa1Cxe2x80x94Cxe2x89xa1CH and 1,5-hexadiyne (dipropargyl) HCxe2x89xa1Cxe2x80x94CH2CH2xe2x80x94Cxe2x89xa1CH. One example of a suitable xcex1,xcfx89-ene-yne is hexene-5-yne-1 CH2xe2x95x90CHCH2CH2Cxe2x89xa1CH.
The common assignee""s U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,811,487 and 5,889,108 contain extensive lists of appropriate oils which can be used, among which are for example, (i) volatile polydimethylsiloxanes such as hexamethyldisiloxane, octamethyltrisiloxane, and decamethylcyclopentasiloxane, (ii) nonvolatile polydimethylsiloxanes having a viscosity generally in the range of 5-1,000 centistoke (mm2/s), (iii) fragrances such as musk and myrrh, and mixtures thereof.
Organic oils such as natural oils derived from animal, vegetable, or mineral sources are also suitable. Most preferred are modern cosmetic oils known to be safe for cosmetic purposes such as almond oil, apricot kernel oil, avocado oil, cacao butter (theobroma oil), carrot seed oil, castor oil, citrus seed oil, coconut oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, cucumber oil, egg oil, jojoba oil, lanolin oil, linseed oil, mineral oil, mink oil, olive oil, palm kernel oil, peach kernel oil, peanut oil, rapeseed oil, safflower oil, sesame oil, shark liver oil, soybean oil, sunflower seed oil, sweet almond oil, tallow (beef) oil, tallow (mutton) oil, turtle oil, vegetable oil, whale oil, and wheat germ oil.
While the term non-aqueous polar solvent is intended to include solvents generally, when the multiple emulsion is intended for personal care applications, then the non-aqueous polar solvent should be one recognized as being cosmetically acceptable. Representative cosmetically acceptable non-aqueous polar solvents which can be used are monohydroxy alcohols such as ethyl alcohol and isopropyl alcohol; diols and triols such as propylene glycol, 1,2-hexanediol CH3(CH2)3CH(OH)CH2OH, and glycerol; glycerol esters such as glyceryl triacetate (triacetin), glyceryl tripropionate (tripropionin), and glyceryl tributyrate (tributyrin); and polyglycols such as polyethylene glycol. In applications other than personal care, these and other non-aqueous polar solvents can be employed.
The non-aqueous polar solvent, as well as the water phase, may contain a non-aqueous polar solvent soluble or water soluble active ingredient, respectively, and the oil phase may contain an oil soluble active ingredient.
Some representative non-aqueous polar solvent soluble active ingredients are (i) non-aqueous polar solvent soluble Vitamins, (ii) non-aqueous polar solvent soluble drugs including activated antiperspirant salts such as aluminum chlorohydrate and aluminum-zirconium trichlorohydrate, or (iii) xcex1-hydroxy acids such as glycolic acid, lactic acid, tartaric acid, and citric acid, i.e., fruit acids.
The common assignee""s U.S. Pat. No. 5,948,855 contains an extensive list of non-aqueous polar solvent soluble and water soluble Vitamins, and non-aqueous polar solvent soluble and water soluble drugs which can be used, among which are Vitamin C, Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12, niacin, folic acid, biotin, and pantothenic acid. The non-aqueous polar solvent soluble and water soluble vitamin can be used in the multiple emulsion in amounts of from 0.01-50 percent by weight.
The common assignee""s U.S. Pat. No. 5,948,855 also contains an extensive list of oil soluble active ingredients such as vitamins and drugs which can be used in the multiple emulsion, among which are Vitamin A1, RETINOL, C2-C18 esters of RETINOL, Vitamin E, TOCOPHEROL, esters of Vitamin E, RETINYL ACETATE, RETINYL PALMITATE, RETINYL PROPIONATE, xcex1-TOCOPHEROL, TOCOPHERSOLAN, TOCOPHERYL ACETATE, TOCOPHERYL LINOLEATE, TOCOPHERYL NICOTINATE, TOCOPHERYL SUCCINATE, and mixtures thereof. The oil-soluble vitamin or drug can be used in the multiple emulsion in amounts of from 0.01-50 percent by weight.
W/O/PS multiple emulsions according to the invention can be prepared by forming a primary emulsion W/O and combining it with a non-aqueous polar solvent PS. For the primary emulsion W/O, it is preferred to use 0.01-99.99 percent by weight of water including the weight of any water soluble active ingredient such as a vitamin which may be carried therein. The oil phase O of the primary emulsion W/o can also comprise 0.01-99.99 percent by weight including the weight of silicone elastomer, oil, and any oil soluble vitamin or active ingredient which may be carried therein. Preferably, the water phase comprises 20-95 percent by weight of the primary emulsion W/O and the oil phase comprises 15-80 percent by weight of the primary emulsion W/O. Multiple emulsions W/O/PS can then be prepared simply by mixing together 0.1-80 percent by weight of primary emulsion W/O and 20-99.9 percent by weight of a non-aqueous polar solvent PS. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Remote access and retrieval of data and information are becoming more desirable and common in both consumer and business environments. As data and information transfer is becoming more and more voluminous and complex, using traditional data links such as voice-band modems is too slow in speed. For example, the use of the Internet to locate and access information is increasing daily, but the retrieval of typical graphics, video, audio, and other complex data forms is generally unsatisfyingly slow using conventional voice-band modems. In fact, the slow rate of existing dial-up analog modems frustrates users, and commerce and interaction using the Internet would have been even higher were it not for the unacceptable delays associated with present day access technology. The ability to provide such desired services as video on demand, television (including HDTV), video catalogs, remote CD-ROMs, high-speed LAN access, electronic library viewing, etc., are similarly impeded by the lack of high speed connections.
Since the alternatives to copper line technology have proven unsatisfactory, solutions to the high speed access problem have been focused on improving the performance of voice band modems. Voice band modems operate at the subscriber premises end over a 3 kHz voice band lines and transmit signals through the core switching network; the phone company network treats them exactly like voice signals. These modems presently transmit up to 33.6 kbps over a 2-wire telephone line, even though the practical speed only twenty years ago was 1.2 kbps. The improvement in voice band modems over the past 20 years has resulted from significant advances in algorithms, digital signal processing, and semiconductor technology. Because such modems are limited to voice bandwidth (3.0 kHz), the rate is bound by the Shannon limit, around 30 kbps. A V.34 modem, for example, achieves 10 bits per Hertz of bandwidth, a figure that approaches the theoretical Shannon limits.
There is a considerable amount of bandwidth available in copper lines, however, that has gone unused by voice band modems, and this is why a proposal known as Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) was suggested in the industry as a high-speed protocol/connection alternative. The practical limits on data rate in conventional telephone line lengths (of 24 gauge twisted pair) vary from 1.544 Mbps for an 18,000 foot connection, to 51.840 Mbps for a 1,000 foot connection. Since a large proportion of current telephone subscribers fall within the 18,000 foot coverage range, ADSL can make the current copper wire act like a much "bigger pipe" for sending computer bits and digital information (like movies and TV channels), while still carrying the voice traffic. For example, an ADSL modem can carry information 200 times faster than the typical voice band modem used today.
ADSL is "asymmetric" in that more data goes downstream (to the subscriber) than upstream (back from the subscriber). The reason for this is a combination of cost, demand, and performance. For example, twisted pair wiring coupling increases with the frequency of the signal. If symmetric signals in many pairs are used within a cable, the data rate and line length become significantly limited by the coupling noise. Since the preponderance of target applications for digital subscriber services is asymmetric, asymmetric bit rate is not perceived to be a serious limitation at this time. Therefore, the ADSL standard proposes up to 6 Mbps for downstream, and up to 640 kbps for upstream. For example, video on demand, home shopping, Internet access, remote LAN access, multimedia access, and specialized PC services all feature high data rate demands downstream, to the subscriber, but relatively low data rates demands upstream. The principal advantage is that all of the high speed data operations take place in a frequency band above the voice band, leaving Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS) service independent and undisturbed, even if an ADSL modem fails. ADSL further provides an economical solution for transmission of high bandwidth information over existing copper line infrastructures.
Specifically, the proposed standard for ADSL divides the available transmission bandwidth into two parts. At the lower 4 kHz band, ordinary (POTS) is provided. The bulk of the rest bandwidth in the range from 4 kHz to about 1 MHz is for data transmission in the downstream direction, which is defined to be from the exchange to the subscriber. The upstream control channel uses a 160 kHz band in between. The signals in each channel can be extracted with an appropriate band-pass filter.
A DMT implementation of ADSL uses the entire available 1 MHz range of a copper phone line. It merely splits the signal into 255 separate channels, and each 4 kHz channel can be made to provide a bit rate up to the best present day voice band (33.6 kbs) modems. This results essentially in overall performance which is equivalent to around two hundred V.34 modems used in parallel on the same line. Because each channel can be configured to a different bit rate according to the channel characteristics, it can be seen that DMT is inherently "rate-adaptive" and extremely flexible for interfacing with different subscriber equipment and line conditions.
A number of problems arise, however, in attempting to implement a full scale ADSL transceiver cost-effectively.
First, to achieve this high bit rate transmission over existing telephone subscriber loops, advanced analog front end (AFE) devices, complicated digital signal processing techniques, and high speed complex digital designs are required. As a result, this pushes current technology limits and imposes both high cost and power consumption. For example, AFE devices in modem applications provide the interface between analog wave forms and digital samples for digital hardware/software processing. In high speed modem technologies such as ADSL, AFE devices need to operate at a very high sampling rate and high accuracy. For example, the DMT technology has a spectrum of 1 MHz and requires sampling above 50 MHz if a sigma-delta analog-to-digital (ADC) method is used. This thus requires the state-of-art ADC technology and imposes a high cost for end users.
Second, the time domain signal in ADSL/DMT transmissions is a summation of a large number of carriers modulated by quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM). This typically results in a large peak-to-peak deviation. As a result, even though a high speed AFE is made possible, a large dynamic range and high resolution AFE is required at the same time to minimize quantization errors.
Third, in addition to the high sampling rate and resolution requirement for ADSL AFEs, the other hardware and software in ADSL environment also needs to operate at a much higher speed than current conventional modem counterparts. For example, to implement the DMT technology in software, a custom and dedicated digital signal process (DSP) of a power of several hundred MIPS (millions instructions per second) is required to process many components such as error encoding and decoding, spectrum transforms, timing synchronization, etc. As with the AFE part of the system, this high speed 2.6 requirement for the signal processing portion of ADSL also results in less flexible, high component costs.
Fourth, requiring a communications device (such as a modem) to fully support the total throughput of a standard such as ADSL may be inefficient in some cases, since many prospective users of high-speed data links may not need to use all the available bandwidth provided by such standards. It is generally more preferable therefore to permit users to throttle or scale the data throughput in a manner they can control, based on their particular application needs, hardware cost budget, etc. For example, a full-scale ADSL system may have the performance level of 200 times conventional V.34 modems, but it is apparent that even a performance improvement of 10-20 times than present day available analog modems would be sufficient for many consumer applications, such as Internet access and similar uses. Thus, unlike conventional analog modems, which are available in various speeds varying generally from 14.4 to 56 Kbps, there are no known ADSL modems which offer scalable performance levels to users.
Fifth, in addition to the implementation challenge, the T1E1.4 ADSL standard does not specify the system interface and user model. Although various high level interface to support T1/E1, ATM, etc. have been described, system integration with high level protocols such as TCP/IP and interface with computer operating systems have not yet been defined. As a result, there is uncertainty how existing and future modem-based applications can work with the ADSL technology. For example, when users run an Internet application which sends and receives data to and from an Internet service provider (ISP), a mutually agreed protocol is required to set up a call and transfer data. Possible protocols available at various levels include ATM (asynchronous transfer mode), TCP/IP, ISDN, and current modem AT commands. Either one of these or a possibly new protocol needs to be defined to facilitate the adoption of ADSL technology. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to display method and an electronic device thereof. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for uniform display of an electronic device having a self-luminous display device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, a self-luminous display device such as an Active Matrix Organic Light Emitting Diodes (AMOLED) having excellent brightness characteristic viewing angle characteristics, is in the limelight as the next generation display device. Accordingly, electronic devices using a self-luminous display device has increased.
The self-luminous display device can provide a high contrast ratio and color expression having a depth using self luminance by an organic material. Based on these visual characteristics, the self-luminous display strongly appeals to a user. However, due to a characteristic in which the light emitting efficiency of respective Red/Green/Blue (R/G/B) active matrixes forming three primary colors is non-linearly reduced in a low brightness region, the self-luminous display device has a disadvantage in that a stain (i.e., non-uniform light emission phenomenon) occurs in a dark region.
Therefore, there is a need for an improved apparatus and method for removing a non-uniform light emission phenomenon in a dark region when displaying a screen using a self-luminous display device in an electronic device.
The above information is presented as background information only to assist with an understanding of the present disclosure. No determination has been made, and no assertion is made, as to whether any of the above might be applicable as prior art with regard to the present invention. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
In any convoy of utility vehicles or other applications wherein a group of vehicles are in close proximity, intra-convoy voice communications and the ability to efficiently transfer data among the vehicles are imperative for safe and efficient operations. This is especially true during operation of convoys of military utility vehicles. One method of real-time, direct voice intra-convoy communications within a convoy is via individual communication devices, such as walkie-talkies, used within the convoy. Other more advanced concepts may incorporate satellite communications from one or more vehicles within the convoy. This satellite communications is hampered by the number of satellite-equipped vehicles, and usually is restricted to satellite text message systems. Furthermore, since the signal must be bounced off a satellite orbiting the earth, there is an inherent delay in the text message communications. This time delay could prove critical to safe convoy operations. There is a need for real-time, voice communications among the vehicles in a convoy.
One of the factors that inhibit communication systems in convoys is the lack of a fixed infrastructure of nodes and antennas in the areas where convoys operate. Attempts have been made to overcome this problem by establishing communication via mobile ad-hoc networks (MANET). A MANET consists of a number of geographically-distributed, potentially mobile nodes sharing one or more common radio channels. MANETs differ from other networks (e.g. Internet, wireless LAN), because a MANET lacks a fixed infrastructure. Instead of having centralized routers/servers and local access points, the network consists of only nodes and each node behaves as a router and forwards packets through the network. A MANET can be created and adjusted on the fly as the nodes enter and exit the network.
In addition to military convoy operations, MANETs are also being developed for civilian use. MANETs are more difficult to administer than a fixed infrastructure network, but there are many situations in which a fixed infrastructure network is impractical or unavailable, e.g. after a natural disaster. Currently, military operations are a major driving force in the development of MANETs, but new applications continue to emerge.
MANETs pose many challenges to current designers. Due to the lack of a central controller and processor, all functions must be distributed amongst the nodes. As a result, all nodes are essentially the same in their construction. Additionally, in a wireless setting the distance between two nodes may be greater than the radio transmission range of the nodes. This forces information to be hopped through other nodes to get to the destination node. As the network grows in size, routing the information through the nodes becomes more complex. As a result, much effort has been put into the design of routing protocols. The routing protocol for a network can greatly affect the speed and quality of a MANETs service. Routing protocols must adapt to the frequent changes in the network, and often must do so with information that is not current with network activities. Further, gathering new information about the network puts a strain on network resources and may not update frequently enough to be effective.
One of the greatest difficulties confronting ad hoc wireless networks is route recovery after a route breakage occurs. Often breakages are the result of two nodes on a route losing communication with each other. Loss of communication can result from one of the nodes leaving the network, or when the distance between nodes becomes longer than the transmission range of the nodes. Physical barriers, interference, and other natural phenomena can also interrupt the communication path. Two opposing protocol designs have been developed to improve route recovery, one proactive and one reactive.
The proactive protocols require each node to maintain a current routing table with routes to every other node in the network regardless of whether any data transmission will occur with the other nodes. Proactive routing protocols have a short latency for discovery of a route, because a source node already has the route to a destination node in its routing table. Maintaining a current routing table, however, causes proactive protocols to use a considerable amount of network resources. Nodes are continually sending packets around the network as they verify routes to ensure their routing tables are up to date. Some examples of proactive protocols are Open Storage Path First (OSPF), Optimal Link State Routing (OLSR), and Topology Broadcast based on Reverse-Path Forwarding (TBRPF).
At the other end of the spectrum are the reactive protocols. Reactive protocols require a node to maintain information only on current or recently used routes in which the node itself is involved. Under these protocols, a source node initiates route discovery only when the source node needs to send packets to a destination that is not on a current route the source node is using. Thus, network resources are not unnecessarily tied up discovering routes that may never be used. The route discovery process, however, will incur a large latency during startup of the route because a new route must be discovered before data can be sent. Reactive protocols generally show better bandwidth efficiency than proactive routing if there are a small number of source-destination pairs. Some examples of reactive protocols are Ad hoc On-demand Muti-path Distance Vector (AOMDV) and Dynamic Source Routing (DSR).
Other approaches have been developed to try and avoid the pitfalls of the proactive and the reactive protocols. One such protocol selectively chooses routes based on factors such as end-to-end delay, route lifetime, and quality of service. Systems have also been developed that balance the packet load across multiple paths. Other approaches have developed a hybrid of proactive and reactive approaches. These hybrid protocols do not discover routes until there is data to send on the route, however, instead of discovering only a single route, the hybrid protocol discovers multiple routes. Multiple routes insure that there is always a backup in case a breakage occurs in the primary route.
For the reasons stated above, and for other reasons stated below which will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading and understanding the present specification, there is a need in the art for a method and apparatus to inexpensively and effectively communicate among vehicles in a convoy or otherwise in close proximity. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display device and, more particularly, to an in-plane switching mode liquid crystal display device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Liquid crystal display devices are typically used because they consume low power and provide high picture quality. A liquid crystal display device is formed by attaching face to face a thin film transistor array substrate and a color filter substrate with a uniform interval therebetween, and disposing a liquid crystal layer between the thin film transistor array substrate and the color filter substrate.
Pixels are arranged on the thin film transistor array substrate in a matrix arrangement. A thin film transistor, a pixel electrode and a capacitor are formed within a pixel. A common electrode, an RGB color filter and a black matrix are formed on the color filter substrate. The common electrode applies an electric field to the liquid crystal layer together with the pixel electrode. The RGB color filter provides color display capabilities. An alignment film is formed at facing surfaces of the thin film transistor array substrate and the color filter substrate and is rubbed to orient the liquid crystal layer in a specified direction.
When an electric field is applied between the pixel electrode and the common electrodes, the liquid crystal rotates due to a dielectric anisotropy. As a result, light is transmitted or blocked by pixels to display a character or an image. However, such a twisted nematic mode liquid crystal display device has a narrow viewing angle. In-plane switching mode LCD arrangements have been recently introduced to improve the narrow viewing angle by aligning liquid crystal molecules in an almost horizontal direction with respect to the substrate.
FIG. 1A depicts a plan view of an in-plane switching mode liquid crystal display (LCD) device in accordance with a related art arrangement. FIG. 1B illustrates a sectional view of an in-plane switching mode liquid crystal display (LCD) device in accordance with a related art arrangement. As shown in FIG. 1A, gate lines 1 and data lines 3 are arranged horizontally and vertically on a first transparent substrate 10, defining pixel regions. Although in an actual liquid crystal display device, the ‘N’ number of gate lines I and the ‘M’ number of data lines 3 cross each other to create an N×M number of pixels. Only one pixel is shown in FIG. 1A for explanatory purposes.
A thin film transistor 9 is disposed at a crossing of the gate line 1 and the data line 3. The thin film transistor 9 includes a gate electrode 1a, a semiconductor layer 5 and source/drain electrodes 2a and 2b. The gate electrode 1a is connected to the gate line 1. The source/drain electrodes 2a and 2b are connected to the data line 3. A gate insulation layer 8 is formed on the entire substrate.
A common line 4 is arranged parallel to the gate line 1 in the pixel region. A pair of electrodes, which are a common electrode 6 and a pixel electrode 7, are arranged parallel to the data line 3 for switching liquid crystal molecules. The common electrode 6 is simultaneously formed with the gate line 1 and connected to the common line 4. The pixel electrode 7 is simultaneously formed with the source/drain electrodes 2a and 2b and connected to the drain electrode 2b of the thin film transistor 9. A passivation film 11 is formed on the entire surface of the substrate 10 including the source/drain electrodes 2a and 2b. A pixel electrode line 14 is formed to overlap the common line 4 and is connected to the pixel electrode 7. The pixel electrode line 14, the common line 4, and the gate insulation layer 8 interposed therebetween, form a storage capacitor (Cst).
A black matrix 21 and a color filter 23 are formed on a second substrate 20, on which an overcoat film is formed for flattening the color filter 23. The black matrix 21 prevents light leakage to the thin film transistor 9, the gate line 1 and the data line 3. The color filter 23 provides color display capabilities to the liquid crystal display device. Alignment films 12a and 12b are formed at facing surfaces of the first and second substrates 10 and 20. The alignment films 12a and 12b determine an initial alignment direction of the liquid crystal. A liquid crystal layer 13 is formed between the first and second substrates 10 and 20. The light transmittance of the liquid crystal layer 13 is controlled by a voltage applied between the common electrode 6 and the pixel electrode 7.
FIG. 2A illustrates the orientation of a liquid crystal molecule in accordance with the related art in-plane switching mode LCD device when no voltage is applied to the LCD device. Referring to FIG. 2A, when no voltage is applied between the common electrode 6 and the pixel electrode 7 of the in-plane switching mode LCD device, a liquid crystal molecule in the liquid crystal layer is arranged along a rubbing direction (the direction indicated by arrow ↑ in the drawing) of the alignment film formed at the facing surfaces of the first and second substrates.
FIG. 2B illustrates the orientation of a liquid crystal molecule in accordance with the related art in-plane switching mode LCD device when a voltage is applied to the LCD device. Referring to FIG. 2B, when a voltage is applied between the common electrode 6 and the pixel electrode 7, an electric field is generated between electrodes 6 and 7, and the liquid crystal molecule transmits light according to the generated electric field.
FIG. 3 is a graph showing variations of the light transmittance characteristics of the related art in-plane switching mode LCD device. As shown in FIG. 3, the light transmittance increases linearly with the voltage applied between the common electrode 6 and the pixel electrode 7. However, if the voltage increases continuously beyond a maximum value, the light transmittance starts to decrease in a parabolic shape. In this case, the voltage Vmax corresponding to a maximum transmittance is obtained when the liquid crystal molecule makes a 45° angle with respect to the initial alignment direction of the alignment film. Moreover, the transmittance of the liquid crystal material is reduced if a voltage higher than Vmax is applied between the common electrode 6 and the pixel electrode 7.
However, the graph in FIG. 3 only depicts a theoretical transmittance. In an actual related art LCD device, the maximum luminance is reached at a voltage lower than the theoretical value Vmax. Thus, luminance is degraded by the application of the theoretical value Vmax to an actual product. Thus, in an actual related art LCD device, the maximum value of the applied voltage is set lower than the theoretical Vmax. Accordingly, maximum luminance of the product cannot generally be reached.
The in-plane switching mode LCD device suffers from the following problems. Liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer 13 are always oriented on the same plane, thus reducing a grey level in the vertical and horizontal viewing angle direction. Although the viewing angle can be enhanced, the transmittance at a voltage higher than Vmax is degraded. In addition, although a voltage Vmax needs be applied to achieve the brightest possible image, picture quality is impacted by the collective arrangement of liquid crystal molecules in one direction. For example, a yellow shift appears when a screen image is viewed in the direction of the shorter side of the liquid crystal molecules. A blue shift occurs when the screen image is viewed in the direction of the longer side of the liquid crystal molecules. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cover structure, and more particularly to a cover structure mounted on a housing of a scan device, such as a scanner, a copy machine, a multifunctional office machine or the like. The cover can be closed so as to cover the document to be scanned. When the cover is opened, a part of the cover can be positioned a certain distance above the housing but is still able to cover the scan window, so that the document can be scanned easily without opening and closing the cover repeatedly, thus substantially saving the scanning time.
2. Description of the Prior Arts
A conventional image input device, such as a flatbed scanner or a copy machine, generally includes a housing and a cover. The cover is a board structure pivotally coupled to the housing, so that the cover can be pivotally raised or lowered relative to the housing. Since there is no positioning device disposed between the cover and the housing, an angle formed between the covers and the housing will always be greater than 90 degrees when the cover is raised to an open position, in order to keep the cover open.
In operation, the user has to raise the cover to an open position to put a document on the scan window, and lower down the cover to press on document before the scan operation can begin. As for the scan operation that do not need to consider the scanning time or when the documents to be scanned are few, the user may not feel inconvenient to open the cover and lower it down repeatedly whenever each document is scanned. However, as for the scan operation that has to consider the scanning time, for documents such as certificates, checks or the like, or the quantity of documents to be scanned is large, this scan operation will be very inconvenient and time-consuming.
The user can raise the cover to an open position over 90 degrees with respect to the housing so as to keep the cover open, or can disassemble the cover from the housing, so that the time of raising and lowering the cover during the scan operation can be saved. However, since the cover does not cover the document, the reflective lights that are not reflected from the document will be transmitted into the image-sensing element, adversely affecting the scan quality.
The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Memory devices are widely used in computers, cellular phones, and many other electronic items. A conventional memory device, such as a three-dimensional (3D) NAND flash memory device, has many memory cells to store information. The memory cells are often organized into blocks. A memory device has circuitry to provide signals to selection components associated with the blocks. The selection components can select memory cells from a portion of a block among the blocks in order to store information in or read information from the selected memory cells. The memory device also has circuitry to provide such signals to the selection components. In structures of some conventional memory devices, such circuitry may occupy a relatively large area in the memory device. Such a large area may impose area limitation in such conventional memory devices. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Recently, in place of a filament bulb, alighting fixture has been commercialized which uses LEDs as a light source, each of which is a semiconductor light-emitting element having a long life and low power consumption. For example, alighting fixture is used in which a plurality of SMD (Surface Mount Device) type LEDs are concentrically mounted on a disc-shaped substrate having a diameter of approximately 60 mm at even intervals. In addition, a lighting fixture is used which uses light-emitting modules each of which a plurality of LED chips are mounted on a substrate in a matrix shape with use of COB (Chip On Board) technology.
With this type of lighting fixture, it has been increasingly demanded that the lighting fixture emit an increasingly larger amount of light. However, since a great number of SMD type LEDs are required to be used in the lighting fixture using the SMD type LEDs, the lighting fixture is upsized. In addition, although a large amount of light is easily emitted when the lighting fixture using light-emitting modules is used, in the case where only one light-emitting module is used for emitting a larger amount of light, heat generated from the light emitting modules is concentrated in one spot and heat radiation performance is lowered. In order to improve heat radiation performance, the heat radiation area must be increased but this also leads to the upsizing the lighting fixture. As described above, the lighting fixture must be upsized for emitting a large amount of light.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a small lighting fixture that emits a large amount of light. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
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