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Heating fluids, foods or other contents, or identifying relevant characteristics of the contents has been problematic for many individuals. Traditionally, heating or cooking foods or fluids have been performed on a stovetop. The food or fluid is placed in a pot and the pot is placed on a burner on a stove. The stove is turned on such that a filament is heated. The pot, which is placed in contact with the filament, is heated accordingly. After the contents of the pot is heated sufficiently, the heat may be manually shut off. The stove may utilize electricity to heat a filament or may utilize gas. If gas is used, a flame is produced at a burner and the pot is placed on top of the flame. In this way, the flame heats the pot which in turn heats the contents of the pot.
However, an individual desiring to heat food or fluids must have a pot and a stove readily available. Because stoves are often large and cumbersome, it is often not convenient for an individual to heat the contents of the pot or container at locations other than the kitchen. For example, if the individual is traveling or is at a location lacking kitchen facilities, the individual may not be able to heat food or fluids.
Similarly, hot pots have been used in which the pot is connected to an electrical cord that powers the pot. An electrical plug attached to the electrical cord is plugged into a wall outlet to provide power to the hot pot. In this way, the hot pot may be electrically powered to heat the contents of the hot pot. No stove top is used for the hot pot. However, using a hot pot, an individual is unable to utilize a stove top in heating the food or fluids contained in the hot pot. Rather, the hot pot can only be heated through the attached electrical cord. In the event that the electrical cord is unavailable or if there is no available electrical outlet or source of electricity, the individual desiring heating of the contents of the hot pot would be unable to heat the contents as desired. If the individual wishes to use a stovetop to heat the contents of the hot pot, the individual must first transfer the contents to a non-electrically powered pot and heat the non-electrically powered pot on the stove top. This wastes time and resources and leads to frustration of the individual. In addition, a hot pot does not provide a means for controlling or setting the temperature of the contents of the hot pot. Thus, an individual is unable to regulate the temperature of the contents of the hot pot or obtain a desired temperature.
Also, the electric hot pot as well as a pot on a stovetop requires a high amount of power to heat contents. The electricity provided to the hot pot via electric current from a source of electricity can be very costly over time. Similarly, the electricity used to power a filament on a stove top or to provide gas to power a gas burner on a stove top is also very costly. This problem is compounded by the lack of the ability to control or set the desired temperature in the pot or stovetop. Because the user cannot set a desired temperature, the pot or stovetop continues to heat the contents even when a desired temperature is reached, thus wasting energy and increasing costs.
Thus, there exists a need for a cost-effective apparatus and method for heating liquids or foods such that power may be conserved. There is also a need for an apparatus for heating liquids or foods that can adapt to the needs of the user and to provide additional information pertaining to the heating process to the user. | {
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Many computing devices are equipped for communication over one or more types of computer networks, including wireless networks. Before a computing device is able to connect to a particular wireless computer network, the device typically may undergo some form of device provisioning. In this context, provisioning a device for wireless network connectivity may refer to any processes related to configuring the device for connectivity with one or more particular wireless device networks. For example, a customer-provided equipment (CPE) device (e.g., laptop, desktop, mobile device, etc.) may be provisioned with certain network settings that enable the device to connect and communicate with a particular wireless (or wired) network. In addition, network components (including access points, wireless routers, etc.) may be added to existing networks or may establish their own network, and may also need to be provisioned. In other examples, networks or devices, including sensors and home monitoring, security, and/or entertainment devices, may be provisioned with network settings that enable the devices (e.g., wireless sensors, cameras, etc.) to connect and communicate with other wireless sensors and with each other. With the Bluetooth protocol, some aspects of provisioning may be performed automatically using a wireless messaging dialog known as pairing. With Wi-Fi, provisioning may involve identifying an access point by name and providing security credentials.
As described herein, there may be particular difficulties, and benefits to connecting one or more wireless networks (and some or all of the devices connected to each “local” network) to a remote, e.g., cloud, server (“the cloud”). In particular, although the additional layer of the cloud server may make provisioning easier, in some variations, the potential for security risks is greater, in particular risk due to remote disruption (e.g., “spoofing”), which is even more serious when attacks may allow the tremendous amount of control over the network and individual devices via provisioning.
For some device use cases, appropriate network settings may be unknown to a manufacturer or service provider associated with a wireless device and provisioning the wireless device before it is provided to an end user may not be feasible for those uses. Further, provisional may also include specifying which network, and which geographic location, the device will be placed. For example, a particular wireless device may be intended for connectivity with a user's personal wireless network at the user's home, where the home network is connected to particular access point and gateway, and the network is connected to a cloud server.
In general, provisioning may refer to the process of preparing and equipping a device or network to allow it to provide new services to its users, and includes altering the state of an existing priority service or capability. For example, device provisioning may refer to authenticating a network device, such as an access point, to verify that a user can connect and operate through the device. In some variations, a device may be provisioned in order that it may communicate and/or be controlled and/or monitored by a cloud server (or software/hardware/firmware operating on a remote, e.g., cloud, server).
Provisioning may configure a system/network to provide a verified user with access to data and technology resources. For example, provisioning may give a user's access based on a unique user identity, and appropriate resources for the user. The provisioning process may monitor access rights and privileges to ensure the security of a resource and user privacy, and may also ensure compliance and minimize the vulnerability of systems to penetration and abuse. Provisioning may also reduce the amount of custom configuration.
Provisioning of “new” devices (e.g., factory-new) device may be relatively straightforward, as the first installer/user of the device is likely to be legitimately adding it to a network (and/or cloud layer). However, provisioning of existing device (e.g., devices that have been previously operated, e.g., as part of an existing network either in communication with a cloud computing environment or as part of an existing network that was not yet in communication with the cloud computing environment. Such existing device may pose an enhanced risk because potential security attacks (e.g., spoofing) may resemble legitimate new provisioning of the devices (e.g., when they change networks, locations or users).
Current techniques for authenticating a network device, including CPEs and access points, may not address the problems identified above. For example, current authentication typically relies on digital tokens (e.g., exchanged between a device and a remote server), or require a user to provide only the address (e.g., MAC address) and/or a passcode to authenticate the network device and may be vulnerable to fraud. The apparatuses (including system and/or devices) and method described herein may address these problems. | {
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Detection and identification or at least classification of unknown substances has long been of great interest and has taken on even greater significance in recent years. Among advanced methodologies that hold a promise for precision detection and identification are various forms of spectroscopy, especially those that employ Raman scattering. Spectroscopy may be used to analyze, characterize and even identify a substance or material using one or both of an absorption spectrum and an emission spectrum that results when the material is illuminated by a form of electromagnetic radiation (for instance, visible light). The absorption and emission spectra produced by illuminating the material determine a spectral ‘fingerprint’ of the material. In general, the spectral fingerprint is characteristic of the particular material or its constituent elements facilitating identification of the material. Among the most powerful of optical emission spectroscopy techniques are those based on Raman-scattering.
Raman-scattering optical spectroscopy employs an emission spectrum or spectral components thereof produced by inelastic scattering of photons by an internal structure of the material being illuminated. These spectral components contained in a response signal (for instance, a Raman signal) may facilitate determination of the material characteristics of an analyte species including identification of the analyte.
Unfortunately, the Raman signal produced by Raman-scattering is extremely weak in many instances compared to elastic or Rayleigh scattering from an analyte species. The Raman signal level or strength may be significantly enhanced by using a Raman-active material (for instance, Raman-active surface), however. For instance, the Raman scattered light generated by a compound (or ion) adsorbed on or within a few nanometers of a structured metal surface can be 103-1012 times greater than the Raman scattered light generated by the same compound in solution or in the gas phase. This process of analyzing a compound is called surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (“SERS”). In recent years, SERS has emerged as a routine and powerful tool for investigating molecular structures and characterizing interfacial and thin-film systems, and even enables single-molecule detection. Engineers, physicists, and chemists continue to seek improvements in systems and methods for performing SERS. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to non-volatile magnetic memory and particularly to manufacturing magneto (also referred to as “magnetic”) tunnel junction (MTJ) included in the non-volatile magnetic memory.
2. Description of Prior Art
It is well known that current memory is experiencing its manufacturing limitations and is subject to dramatically change in the coming years. Magnetic memory offers an alternative to replacing current memory however, manufacturing of magnetic memory, such as magnetic random access memory (MRAM), is experiencing its own set of problems. Challenges, not easy to overcome, remain largely in the fabrication of scalable and reliable magneto (also referred to as “magnetic”) tunnel junction (MTJ), an active and vital part of the MRAM. An MRAM element is typically made of MTJ and surrounding layers, all formed on a substrate. The MTJ generally serves to save information or data by changing its magnetic orientation, which in some MTJs occurs upon the flow of suitable electrical current through the MTJ.
In these types of MTJs, the MTJ is typically made of a fixed layer, fixed in its magnetic orientation, a barrier layer, and a free layer whose magnetic orientation defines the state of the MTJ's and is switchable according to the current flowing therethrough, relative to the magnetic orientation of the fixed layer.
A tantalum layer is typically formed on top of the MTJ and used to establish a connection to the MTJ for incorporating the MTJ in the MRAM. As discussed above, the MTJ is made of a free layer, typically formed below the tantalum layer, a barrier or MgO layer, formed below the free layer, and a fixed layer formed under the MgO layer. The barrier layer is obviously not a metal layer whereas the free and fixed layers are made of metal. Various layers are formed below the fixed layer and above a metal layer, within or above the substrate, in an effort to help the fixed layer maintain its permanent magnetic orientation. During manufacturing, when etching to form the magnetic memory element (or MRAM element), the metals of the layers below the MgO layer, including the metal layer (typically made of copper) result in some of the metal being re-deposited onto the MgO layer therefore undesirably causing shorting. That is, this detrimentally causes defective MRAM elements because the fixed and free layers are effectively shorted together across the barrier (MgO) layer that is positioned between the fixed and free layers.
What is needed is reliable manufacturing of MRAM elements. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information process apparatus, an information processing method, and a recording medium in which an information processing program is recorded. In particular, the present invention relates to an information processing apparatus having the function of adding additional information to an electronic document, an information processing method of the information processing apparatus, and a recording medium in which an information processing program executed in the information processing apparatus is recorded.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, technology has become widely used for adding additional information such as character information, image information, audio information and link information to optional positions on an electronic document without affecting the body of that electronic document. In the present specification, such additional information will be called annotations.
Examples of systems that can add annotations to an electronic document include DocuWorks (registered trademark) of Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd., and Acrobat (registered trademark) of Adobe Systems Incorporated.
In such systems that can add annotations to an electronic document, modes of use are conceivable where annotations are added to a common electronic document by plural users using plural information processing apparatus that each include the function of adding annotations to an electronic document. Examples of such cases include when a common electronic document such as a device manual is edited by plural editors and when collaborative work is done in conferences or meetings while referencing a common electronic document such as a plan.
In such cases, it is desired to display, in real time, annotations added by other users in all of the information processing apparatus that the users are using, so that all of the users are aware of the annotations to the electronic document being referenced; however, there are also cases where, depending on the status of the user, the user wishes to postpone the display of the annotations, such as when a particular user is personally adding an annotation.
As conventional technology that can accommodate this, there has been technology where, in a status notification system such as a buddy list system or an instant messaging system, an “action rule” for changing the manner of display of the status information of buddies and an “application status” representing a status where the action rule is applied are stored in advance with the purpose of realizing, while suppressing the operational burden of the user, the display of status information corresponding to the statuses of the users, and the display of the status information is changed in accordance with the action rule corresponding to the application status only when the status is one corresponding to the application status (e.g., see JP-A-2003-196243).
When this technology is applied to postpone the display of an annotation added by another user, a status when it is all right for the user to display the annotation (e.g., a status where the user is not personally adding an annotation) is stored in advance as the application status.
However, there have been problems in that when this technology is applied to postpone the display of an annotation added by another user, it is necessary for the user to appropriately store the application status, and the operation for this is cumbersome. | {
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This invention relates generally to a data storage tape cartridge and more particularly to a data storage tape cartridge having a two-sided retainer spring for a leader pin.
Cartridges have been used for decades in the computer, audio and video fields. The data storage tape cartridge continues to be an extremely popular form of recording large volumes of information for subsequent retrieval and use. The data storage cartridges typically have a housing which includes a base and a cover. These two components are secured together in a number of ways including screws and sonic welding. Sonic welding is not always acceptable because it causes debris that can settle onto the tape surface and cause errors when reading or writing information. Using screws is not always possible because there is not enough room to place the screws. Further, the cartridges have a tape access opening which is located proximate the leader pin or other end of tape attachment members, on which the tape is secured. The tape is accessed through the tape access opening. The leader pin needs to be secured in the data storage cartridge. The leader pin has been secured in many ways including placing the leader pin in the base and then capturing the leader pin by the cover. One of the problems associated with such a design is that it requires proper alignment for assembly.
The leader pin is often held in place by a one-sided wire form or flat spring configuration. The one-sided designs require locating the spring in the plastic shell very accurately. If the spring is distorted during the welding operation of the assembly process, the spring force on the retaining pin or leader pin will not be consistent. In addition, in assembling the cartridges, keeping the spring and the desired location as it is being secured is always a concern and creates for a more complex assembly process.
The present invention addresses the problems associated in the prior art noted above.
In one embodiment, the invention is a data storage cartridge having a housing with first and second sections operatively connected to form the housing. The housing defines a tape access opening. A first positioning member is operatively connected to the first section and a second positioning member is operatively connected to the second section, the positioning members are in axial alignment. An end of tape attachment member has a first end positioned in the first positioning member and a second end positioned in the second positioning member. A first spring locating member is operatively connected to the first section and a second spring locating member is operatively connected to the second section. A first spring is positioned around the first spring locating member. The first spring has a bias to maintain the first spring in position around the first spring locating member. The first spring contacts the tape attachment member to releasably secure the tape attachment member to the data storage cartridge. A second spring is positioned around the second spring locating member. The second spring has a bias to maintain the second spring in position around the second spring locating member. The second spring contacts the tape attachment member to releasably secure the tape attachment member to the data storage cartridge.
In another embodiment, the invention is a data storage cartridge having a housing with first and second sections operatively connected to form the housing. The housing defines a tape access opening. A first positioning member is operatively connected to the first section and a second positioning member is operatively connected to the second section, the positioning members in axial alignment. An end of tape attachment member has a first end position in the first positioning member and a second end positioned in the second positioning member. A first spring locating member is operatively connected to the first section and the first spring locating member has a first side and a second side. A second spring locating member is operatively connected to the second section, the second spring locating member having a first side and a second side. The first spring has first and second members, the first member in contact with the first side of the spring locating member and the second member in contact with the second side of the spring locating member, the first spring having a bias to position the first spring around the first spring locating member and at least one of the first and second members in contact with the tape attachment member to releasably secure the tape attachment member to the data storage cartridge. A second spring has first and second members. The first member is in contact with the first side of the second spring locating member and the second member is in contact with the second side of the second spring locating member. The second spring has a bias to position the second spring around the second spring locating member, at least one of the first and second members of the second spring in contact with the tape attachment member to releasably secure the tape attachment member to the data storage cartridge.
In another embodiment, the invention is a method of assembly of a data storage cartridge. The data storage cartridge having a first section and a second section, a first positioning member operatively connected to the first section and a second positioning member operatively connected to the second section. The method includes placing a first spring having two members around the first positioning member, wherein the two members are on opposing sides and the two members have a bias force against the first positioning member to hold the first spring in position. A second spring having two members is placed around the second positioning member, wherein the two members are on opposite sides and the two members have a bias force against the second positioning member to hold the second spring in position. At a separate station from the first spring insertion, the first spring is secured in position around the first positioning member. At a separate station from the second spring insertion, the second spring is secured in position around the second positioning member. Then, the first and second sections are operatively connected, wherein the tape attachment member is insertable through a tape access opening to be positioned by the first and second positioning members and releasably held in position by the first and second springs. | {
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The present disclosure relates to data processing by digital computer, and more particularly to gift card services for mobile devices.
Gift cards may provide a form of payment for a particular merchant that may be used at a point of sales. For example, a clothing retailer may issue plastic gift cards that include magnetic strips similar to credit cards, where the gift cards are associated with credit to pay for purchases. A shopper may buy a gift card from the retailer and give it to a friend. Then, the friend may try to purchase clothing from the retailer by using the gift card, where the gift card may be swiped through a point of sales terminal similar to sleeping of a credit card. At the retailer, backend systems may determine whether a sufficient amount of credit exists for the gift card and the purchase may be wholly or partially paid by credit associated with the gift card. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a slot-in optical reproducing apparatus. In particularly, the present invention relates to a slot-in optical reproducing apparatus having a visualized indicator, which shows the disk-loading status inside the apparatus.
2. Prior Art
Due to the popularity of the optical storage medium, such as compact disks, the optical reproducing apparatus for accessing the optical storage medium become much popular. In order to meet the requirements from different optical storage medium specifications and different users, various kinds of optical reproducing apparatus with various kinds of loading mechanism, such as tray-loading, top-loading, etc. have been developed in the market.
Among those optical reproducing apparatus, the slot-in optical reproducing apparatus is a good choice to meet the user who wants to quickly load/eject the disk into/out of the optical reproducing apparatus and meet the light-weight and compact-size requirement. For the above reasons, the slot-in optical reproducing apparatus is widely applied to the auto audio and notebook for accessing the optical storage medium.
Refer to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional slot-in optical reproducing apparatus. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the interior of a conventional slot-in optical reproducing apparatus anchoring a disk. The slot-in optical reproducing apparatus 2 has no tray for holding the disk. As shown, the slot-in optical reproducing apparatus 2 includes a roller 6 powered by a roller motor 10 to move the disk 4 into/out of the slot-in optical reproducing apparatus 2.
The slot-in optical reproducing apparatus 2 provides an disk entrance-and-exit slot 12 for the user to insert/retrieve the disk 4. Before the disk 4 is sent into the slot-in optical reproducing apparatus 2, a block end 8a of the disk block arm 8 in the slot-in optical reproducing apparatus 2 can pose at a state not to close the disk entrance-and-exit slot 12. However, after the disk 4 is put into the slot-in optical reproducing apparatus 2 as shown in FIG. 2, the block end 8a can move up to block the space between the disk 4 and the disk entrance-and-exit slot 12.
Although the user can judge whether the disk 4 is in the slot-in optical reproducing apparatus 2 or not by checking the location of the block end 8a, yet it is still very inconvenient to inspect the element 8a inside the apparatus. In the case that the user needs to move the slot-in optical reproducing apparatus 2 for any reason such as repairing, testing, or shipping, the user usually forgets to remove the disk 4 that has already nested inside the slot-in optical reproducing apparatus 2. Therefore the disk might disappear and precious data on the disk might lose its confidentiality.
For this reason, a new design of the slot-in optical reproducing apparatus is needed to solve the aforesaid disadvantages. | {
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A programmable class can be an application server-side software component that encapsulates the business logic of an application. Objects (instances) of the class are created and managed at runtime as part of an application server to provide enterprise applications with a high level of abstraction. A major mechanism for the efficient reuse of objects is the caches and/or pools that are limited system memories capable of maintaining the objects at various stages of readiness for business use. Usually, a cache can maintain objects at a higher level of readiness than a pool can: although all objects can be pooled, only those objects in a cache can be enrolled in a transaction.
A cache maintains objects that are in two different states, “active” or “idle (inactive)”, distinguished by whether an object is currently enrolled in a transaction or not. An object is considered to be idle when it is not enrolled in a transaction, otherwise it is regarded as active. Objects that are involved in a transaction must be accessible via a cache. At any given time, any of these objects in the cache may hold uncommitted modifications, may be required to be available at commit time for data consistency checks, and may be waiting for future access and possible modification by an application. After a transaction commits, all the objects in the cache that were enrolled in the transaction remain in the cache but are eligible for replacement or re-enrollment in a new transaction.
The price for the gains in response time by the cache and pool is of course paid for by an increased usage of memory. A cache has a ceiling (limit) on its size (the number of objects it can maintain at any time). As the demands on the server providing business applications using objects can be periodic, the maximum allowed size of the cache must be large enough to satisfy the memory demands of peak system usage. A cache may start out empty at deployment time. As objects are enrolled in transactions to serve user requests, the cache grows monotonically to accommodate the increasing processing demands. While the cache may grow to meet increasing demands, it typically may not shrink in response to decreasing demand. Even in systems that are subject to cyclic demand, the memory taken by the cache is often not relinquished even if it is no longer needed after a period of peak demand. As a result, the idle objects that are kept in the cache during off-peak periods are needlessly holding on to the heap space they claimed to handle peak demand, causing an inefficient use of system memory resources. In addition, if the system workload increases to the point that when a newly enrolled object is to be added to the cache that is not large enough to hold all objects currently enrolled in transactions, a system failure may happen and whatever transaction that failed to add the object to the full cache would have to abort its work as a result.
Similarly, a pool starts off with a size equal to the value of the “initial-beans-in-free-pool” property of the pool specified in the configuration data of a class at deployment time. Over time, the size of the pool may grow up to a size that is limited by “max-beans-in-free-pool” property of the pool. As is the case for caches, the pool may automatically grow to meet increasing demands, but it often does not shrink automatically in response to decreasing demand. This is also an inefficient use of system memory resources. | {
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This invention relates to an image copying apparatus in which image information read from originals is copied onto both the front and back sides of a recording medium such as recording paper.
In a conventional image copying apparatus of this type in which copying is possible on both sides of recording paper, the two-sided copying operation is performed by copying image information, which has been read from an original, onto one side of a sheet of paper, turning the sheet over and then copying subsequent image information onto the other side of the sheet of paper.
In a case where originals of the kind shown in FIG. 28A are to be subjected to double-sided copying using the conventional image copying apparatus described above, the double-sided copying is carried out by placing each original on the platen of the apparatus lengthwise, as shown in FIG. 28B. If the copies are to be bound along one side, copying is performed in the state shown in FIG. 28C. However, in a case where each original is placed on the platen sideways, as shown in FIG. 28D, double-sided copying is performed using recording paper provided sideways and the resulting copies are bound along one side, copying takes on the state shown in FIG. 28E, as a result of which even-numbered pages are turned upside down. This is very inconvenient. | {
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1. Technical Field
The inventive concept relates to a semiconductor memory device, and more particularly, to a semiconductor memory device with reduced power noise.
2. Discussion of Related Art
A semiconductor memory device such as a flash memory device receives an external power supply voltage having a low voltage level (e.g., 1.8 V) and generates an internal boosted voltage having a voltage level (e.g., 10 V) that is higher than the power supply voltage to perform program, erase and read operations. Accordingly, a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device includes a boosting circuit for receiving a power supply voltage to generate a boosted voltage, a core unit including a memory cell array, and a logic circuit for controlling the boosting circuit and the core unit and inputting/outputting data to/from the exterior. The boosted voltage generated by the boosting circuit is applied to the memory cell array and used to program, erase and read data stored in a plurality of memory cells in the memory cell array.
When the boosting circuit generates the boosted voltage, particularly, when it begins to generate the boosted voltage, current consumption may suddenly increase. The logic circuit, operating with the power supply voltage, controls the semiconductor memory device and can perform various operations to input/output data even while the boosting circuit is generating the boosted voltage. Accordingly, current consumption occurs in the logic circuit, as well as in the boosting circuit, when the boosting circuit is generating the boosted voltage; further contributing to the sudden increase in current consumption. This sudden change in current consumption may generate a surge or power noise that can obstruct the stability of the level of the power supply voltage. For example, the power supply voltage may be leveled down because the power noise has a greater influence on the logic circuit since the logic circuit operates with a power voltage that is lower than a boosted voltage used to operate the memory cell array. The leveled-down power supply voltage may cause the boosted voltage to be leveled down, which can retard data program, erase and read operations for memory cells, thereby resulting in a reduced operation speed of the semiconductor memory device. Further, the leveled-down power supply voltage may cause the logic circuit to malfunction, potentially resulting in a fatal error in the semiconductor memory device.
In addition, the power noise may be generated solely by the boosting circuit when it generates the boosted voltage and also when current consumption in the logic circuit increases due to performing various operations of the semiconductor memory device while the boosting circuit does not operate. The applied power supply voltage itself may include power noise.
Accordingly, there is a need to reduce the effect of power noise on a semiconductor memory device. | {
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This invention relates generally to a multipurpose rat cage which may be used as a static unit or in connection with a ventilated cage and rack system for housing a variety of rodent types including but not limited to rats, mice, hamsters and guinea pigs.
Ventilated cage and rack systems are well known in the art. One such ventilated cage and rack system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,989,545, assigned to Lab Products, Inc., in which an open rack system including a plurality of shelves, each formed as an air plenum is provided. A ventilation system is connected to the rack system for ventilating each cage in the rack. It is known to house rats for study in such a ventilated cage and rack system.
In prior art ventilated cage and rack systems, cages of different sizes are used to accommodate rodents of different types. These cage sizes are selected according to Institute Laboratory Animal Resources (ILAR) guidelines which set non-binding minimums for the size and dimension of cages for particular rodents. For example, for mice that weigh more than 25 grams, a cage having a floor dimension of at least 15 square inches per mouse is required. Similarly, rats up to 400 grams in size require a cage having floor dimensions of at least 40 square inches per rat. Similar requirements are mandated for hamsters and guinea pigs by the Animal Welfare Act (AWA).
A drawback of the prior art cages is that a variety of different cage sizes, necessary to support the different rodent types, must be inventoried and managed so that the appropriate cage size is available for a particular study. For example, the standard rat cage used in the art has a 140 square inch footprint providing for housing of up to three rats in each cage. On the other hand, the standard size for a mouse cage has become 75 square inches allowing up to five mice of 25 grams each to be housed therein. Rat cages are also taller than mice cages and therefore the wire bar lid holding food and water is higher from the ground in rat cages than mice cages, therefore one cannot readily house mice in the standard rat cage. This problem is exacerbated in large research facilities, for example, the National Institute of Health (NIH), where 20 to 30 different cage sizes have to be coordinated. Furthermore, each different cage size requires that the corresponding rack that supports the particular cage size and corresponding accessories be used. This forces the facility to inventory and manage a variety of different rack sizes as well.
As in any endeavor, real estate is at a premium in a research facility. Research facilities are only so large and can only accommodate a certain amount of racks. Furthermore, racks and cages must be sized to pass through the standard doors to provide sufficient mobility.
The largest cage racks have been for housing rat cages and generally have a length of about 84.42 inches, a depth of about 26.375 inches and a height of about 77.16 inches. These dimensions allow a rack supporting rat cages thereon to pass through a standard door having a height of 6 feet 8 inches and a width of 36 inches. A rack having these dimensions will accommodate up to thirty six standard rat cages and therefore will house one hundred and eight rats therein. A mouse rack will have a very similar footprint, namely, a rack having a height of about 77.9 inches, a width of about 75.25 inches and a depth of about 30 inches. Such a rack supports one hundred and forty cages, each cage having a substantially 75 square inch footprint. Since each cage accommodates five mice, the rack can accommodate seven hundred mice.
One disadvantage of prior art cage and rack systems is that the density of rat population supported by a single rack is relatively low compared to the density of the mouse population supported by the rack. Accordingly, it is desired to not only provide a cage which reduces the inventory of cages required to accommodate a number of species, but also to provide a cage and rack system which, within the standard size constraints of the rack, increases the density of the rat population per rack without substantially sacrificing the density of other species housed in the rat cage. | {
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Typically valves employed in refrigeration systems are solenoid valves. It is not uncommon for these solenoid valves to fail due to the pressure of refrigerant passing through the valves. For example the plunger of the valve can be drawn to the closed position due to the pressure difference across the plunger. Another disadvantage is that the valve can be rendered unable to operate by not being able to move the plunger to the open position. That is, the plunger can be maintained in the closed position unintentionally. | {
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The present invention relates to a method for reducing the molecular weight of a source polycarbonate having a molecular weight in the range of about 22,000 to about 68,000 using an effective amount of a tetraorganophosphonium carboxylate salt as a redistribution catalyst. The term "redistribution" is defined herein as a process for reforming a source polycarbonate having an initial weight average molecular weight to a polycarbonate having a lower weight average molecular weight.
Manufacturers of polycarbonate often produce several grades of polycarbonate falling within a molecular weight in the range of about 16,000 to about 68,000. In many instances, due to the exhaustion of one or more particular polycarbonate grades to satisfy particular marketing demands, build-up in the inventory of rejected or recycled polycarbonate, there can result excesses or shortages of polycarbonate in a particular molecular weight range.
Procedures for converting existing inventories to anticipate future needs or satisfy immediate demands in a particular polycarbonate grade, including the use of recycled or rejected material are often implemented. Polycarbonate modification can be achieved by blending one grade of polycarbonate with a different grade of polycabonate. Another procedure which can be used involves direct modification of molecular weight employing a redistribution catalyst.
There is shown in EP 0595608 (Nov. 27, 1993), a redistribution procedure for modifying organic polycarbonates, such as polymers prepared by the heterogeneous interfacial polymerization of an organic bis hydroxy compound, such as 2,2-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)propane (bisphenol A). A wide variety of redistribution catalysts are illustrated, including a tetraalkylammonium base, such as a tetraalkylammonium hydroxide which is preferred. Another polycarbonate redistribution procedure is shown by Krabbenhoft et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,021,521 employing a catalyst such as tetrabutylammonium tetraphenylborate.
Although various redistribution procedures are available for modifying the molecular weight of polycarbonate to satisfy marketing demands, polycarbonate manufacturers have found that the use of redistribution catalysts often can result in stability problems, or environmental concerns. It has been found for example that a tetraalkylammonium base, such as a tetraalkylammonium hydroxide can form amine residues which can lead to polycarbonate degradation. Upon the degradation of tetraphenylborate catalysts, such as tetrabutylammonium tetraphenylborate, benzene can be generated as a by-product.
It would be desireable, therefore, to be able to produce a wide variety of polycarbonates from a source polycarbonate by a redistribution procedure which did not result in the generation of deleterious or environmentally unattractive residues. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to technology for efficiently compressing or encoding image data or storing or transmitting these data, using holographic fringe patterns.
This application is based on patent application No. Hei 9-137372 and No Hei 10-6216 filed in Japan, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of the Related Art
Holography refers to a technique for reproducing wave fronts from physical objects by means of light diffraction. Commonly, this has developed as a method of positioning for stereoscopic photography. On the other hand, the hologram is a technique for recording optical holographic fringe patterns; these can be determined by means of calculations if the shape of a physical object to be displayed, the wavelength of reference light, and the like, are known. This has been the subject of research for a long period of time in the field of computer holograms. An important merit of such technology is that it is possible to produce a holographic fringe pattern by means of calculations even for objects which do not actually exist; the chief development of such technology has been in fields other than stereoscopic display such as optical communication devices, optical pickups for CD ROM devices, and the like.
An important feature of such holograms other than those used for stereoscopic display is the data redundancy thereof. In other words, there is little effect on the reproduced image even if a portion of the hologram is deleted. As a result, by recording three-dimensional data and image data as holographic fringe patterns, it is possible to achieve techniques which simultaneously support conventional image compression and encoding functions. However, in order to display the holographic fringe patterns as holograms, it is necessary to display the holographic fringe patterns, which contain an enormous number of pixels, in high resolution apparatuses. For this reason, commonly, it is not merely the case that the construction of display apparatuses for computer holograms is difficult, but also the amount of data required to produce the holographic fringe patterns themselves is enormous. For this reason, almost no research has been conducted into image compression/encoding technology employing such holograms.
Even if high resolution apparatuses have been realized as a result of recent developments in electrical display technology, the problem still remains that the amount of data corresponding to an image (a holographic fringe pattern) is enormous. For example, in the case of a 5 inch screen, approximately 8 G pixels or more are required to display a hologram. In contrast, HDTV requires about 2 M pixels, so that approximately 4,000 times the amount of data is required for one image. Conventionally, even if large capacity transmission technologies employing optical fibers or the like were established, the data compression technologies involved constitute difficult problems. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Incentive award programs have been developed in a variety of industries to promote customer loyalty. Generally, such programs reward customers for repeat business with the same merchant or service provider by accumulating reward points which can then be redeemed in a plurality of ways, including exchanging the reward points for additional goods and services that may be selected from an approved list or a redemption catalog for example. The reward points are usually calculated using a predetermined formula or ratio that relates a customer's purchase volume (i.e., in terms of money value or some other volume parameter) to a certain number of reward points. For example, reward points may be issued on a one-for-one basis with each dollar that a customer spends on particular goods and services.
One well-known example of a customer incentive program is a “frequent flyer” program which rewards airlines passengers with “mileage points” based upon the distances that the passengers fly with a particular airline. The mileage points may then be redeemed for free airfare or free car rentals. Other incentive award programs are designed to induce usage of particular financial instruments, such as credit cards or debit cards, by accumulating reward points or dollar value points based upon the volume of purchases made using the particular financial instrument. These types of programs maybe designed such that customers of the financial institution accumulate reward points which can be redeemed for selected goods or services or, alternatively, such that customers accumulate points which have a dollar value which can be applied toward a credit or debit balance, depending on whether the instrument is a credit or debit instrument, for example.
These and other similar incentive award programs are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,774,870 and 6,009,412, issued to Thomas W. Storey and assigned to Netcentives, Inc., both of which are hereby incorporated by reference to the extent that they describe an automated rewards system. For more information on loyalty systems, transaction systems, electronic commerce systems, and digital wallet systems, see, for example, the Shop AMEX™ system as disclosed in Ser. No. 60/230,190 filed Sep. 5, 2000; the RPA as Currency™ and Loyalty Rewards Systems as disclosed in Ser. No. 60/197,296 filed on Apr. 14, 2000, Ser. No. 60/200,492 filed Apr. 28, 2000, and Ser. No. 60/201,114 filed May 2, 2000; a digital wallet system as disclosed in U.S. Ser. No. 09/652,899 filed Aug. 31, 2000; a stored value card as disclosed in Ser. No. 09/241,188 filed on Feb. 1, 1999; a system for facilitating transactions using secondary transaction numbers as disclosed in Ser. No. 09/800,461 filed on Mar. 7, 2001; and also in related provisional application Ser. No. 60/187,620 filed Mar. 7, 2000, Ser. No. 60/200,625 filed Apr. 28, 2000, and Ser. No. 60/213,323 filed May 22, 2000, all of which are herein incorporated by reference. Other examples of online membership reward systems are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,774,870, issued on Jun. 30, 1998, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,009,412, issued on Dec. 29, 1999, both of which are hereby incorporated by reference. A further example of a loyalty and reward program may be found at the AIR MILES® Web site (www.airmiles.ca), which describes a loyalty program offered by The Loyalty Group, a privately held division of Alliance Data Systems of Dallas, Tex., and which is hereby incorporated by reference. Additional information relating to smart card and smart card reader payment technology is disclosed in Ser. No. 60/232,040, filed on Sep. 12, 2000, and U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,742,845; 5,898,838 and 5,905,908, owned by Datascape; all of which are hereby incorporated by reference. Information on point-of-sale systems and the exploitation of point-of-sale data is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,832,457, issued on Nov. 3, 1998 to O'Brien et al., which is hereby incorporated by reference.
Portions of each of the above-described programs may be used to induce customer loyalty to particular merchants or service providers who directly provide goods or services to the consumer. In other words, these prior art frequency awards programs provide a means for retail businesses, financial institutions, and others in direct contact with the customers they service to provide incentives to their customers to encourage repeat and/or volume business. However, these programs do not sufficiently address the similar needs of businesses that are further up in the distribution chain, such as manufacturers, to promote volume purchases by customers based upon, for example, brand loyalty independent of the retail source for the purchase. Additionally, the prior art programs do not provide a means for monitoring, tracking, and/or analyzing consumer and product data across distribution channels for a particular manufacturer and/or the variety of goods which that manufacturer places into the stream of commerce for ultimate sale to consumers by a retailer.
Generally, before a product arrives at a retail establishment for sale to a consumer, the product travels through a distribution chain which originates with the manufacturer. The manufacturer typically sells its products to a wholesaler who in turn sells those products to various retailers. Most modern retailers implement some form of computerization or electronic technology in their day-to-day operations. This technology typically consists of using point-of-sale (POS) systems for automating checkout procedures, assisting sales personnel, and the like. POS systems generally include one or more automated check-out terminals which are capable of inputting or sensing and interpreting a symbol or other indicia related to the product, such as a Universal Product Code (UPC), generally comprising a machine-readable bar code coupled with a human-readable UPC number, that is printed on a label or tag which is placed on each item of merchandise to be purchased. The manufacturer may assign and mark each product that it sells with a UPC. Conventionally, once the product reaches the retailer, the retailer further identifies each product with a Stock Keeping Unit (SKU) number or code as well as other information for identifying a specific item or style of merchandise. The retailer's SKU number may be either an entirely different number used to identify each product (e.g., by style) or a modified version of the manufacturer's UPC number, derived, perhaps, by adding a SKU number to the UPC number for example.
A POS terminal, a kiosk terminal, or a sales person's hand-held terminal might be coupled to a store computer system, such as a network server or some other store platform host, which is able to recognize and process UPC and/or SKU information which has been manually keyed-in or sensed and interpreted by a device, such as a barcode reader, coupled to the terminal. The computer system typically includes a database which stores information relating to the retailer's product inventory, such as stocked merchandise, a UPC and/or SKU number for each item of merchandise, and various types of merchandise identification information, such as price, inventory, style, color, size, etc., which is associated with each UPC and/or SKU number. When a customer purchases an item of merchandise, store personnel frequently use an automated terminal to read the barcode markings which are attached to the item. A computer interprets the UPC and/or SKU number comprised by the barcode, accesses the database to determine the price for each item, and maintains a running total of the total transaction price.
One problem that results from the independent identification schemes of the manufacturer and the retailers is that there is no way for the manufacturer to track the quantity of any particular product that each retailer sold. For example, even if a manufacturer obtains all of the SKU numbers representing items purchased from Retailer 1 and Retailer 2 by consumers, the manufacturer has no means for determining which SKU number corresponds to the manufacturer's UPC, since the UPC's and SKU numbers of the various retailers are not tracked and matched.
Another problem not addressed by prior art systems is that traditional incentive award programs provide little incentive for the business owner to accept a particular financial instrument for payment of goods and services. With an increasingly competitive financial services industry, merchants may accept a greater selection of transaction instruments for payment of goods and services, and/or exclude certain transaction instruments. Among other considerations, merchants often choose to accept transaction instruments from financial services organizations that provide the fastest payout and offer the lowest processing fees. Further, merchants are usually attracted to transaction instruments with a wide distribution. For example, if a large percentage of a merchant's clientele prefer to pay for goods and services using an American Express® charge card, then it would be in the merchant's best interest to obtain an American Express® merchant account. Merchant favoritism toward widely distributed transaction instruments typically provides a competitive disadvantage to financial service start-ups or established financial services companies who wish to enter new foreign markets.
In view of the foregoing, a need exists for an incentive, rewards or loyalty program which overcomes the shortcomings of the prior art. Thus, there is a need for a system and method which provides a universal customer incentive program that networks various levels of the product distribution chain, such as manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers, to provide incentives to consumers to purchase products not only from a particular merchant or group of merchants but also from particular manufacturers, regardless of the specific merchant who sells the manufacturer's products to the consumer. Additionally, a need exists for a system and method for gathering data which associates particular consumer purchasing behaviors and specific products or product criteria across a manufacturer's distribution channels.
Furthermore, a need exists for an incentive, rewards or loyalty program that enables a merchant proprietor to earn rewards based on card member spend with the service establishment. The program would encourage merchant proprietors to apply for and utilize a financial instrument having a loyalty program for their business expenses. The program would also provide an incentive for merchant proprietors to accept a like branded financial instrument for payment from customers, such that the customer transaction account spend volume results in loyalty points added to the merchant proprietor loyalty account. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to computer based sports simulators, and more particularly to golf simulators. In particular, the invention relates to a golf simulator designed to simulate speed golf.
2. Description of the Related Art
Golf is a sport that is continuing to grow in popularity. One of golf's main attractions to enthusiasts is the continual challenge to improving one's game. To become an adept golfer and to maintain golfing proficiency, a significant amount of practice is required. However, few enthusiasts have the available time required to play full rounds of golf or to practice hitting golf balls at outdoor driving ranges. To solve this problem, many have found indoor golf simulators to be a viable alternative.
Golf simulators have been introduced for providing an indoor facility in which a golfer can practice all aspects of the golfing game. Examples of such devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,333,874 to Arnold et al., which is incorporated herein by reference. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Silk-screen printing is a printing process which uses a form—referred to as frame or sieve—constituted by a fabric with a very fine mesh, which is left permeable to the ink in the areas of image to be reproduced and impermeable in the other areas.
The frame is formed by a network that can be made with threads of polyester, nylon or steel stretched over iron or aluminium frames of variable size at a tension of 4-7 bar with a more or less fine mesh according to the chromatic effect that it is desired to obtain, and bears the form of the pattern to be reproduced. Frames normally used for silk-screen printing have a woof that can range from 10 to 150 threads/cm2 according to the type of ink or paint product used and the amount thereof to be released onto the substrate.
Preparation of the frame can be performed manually by tracing thereon with a lithographic crayon the pattern that it is intended to reproduce. This closes with its trace the underlying layers between the woof and the warp. Next, with a special glue, all the spaces not involved in the pattern are closed, and then, using a solvent (alcohol or benzene), all of the thick trace of the crayon is removed, exposing the holes that had been occluded. Preparation of the frame can also be performed mechanically, in particular photomechanically.
Printing may be manual or carried out using special machines. In the first case, the ink is distributed using a spatula, referred to as doctor blade or doctor knife, over the sieve stretched over the appropriate frame.
The doctor blade, in fact, by applying pressure as it slides from one end to the other of the frame causes passage through the network of the ink on the substrate that is to be printed. The average thickness of dry ink deposited for each pass is between 50 and 100 μm.
The machinery used for silk-screen printing is substantially made up of surfaces that apply suction pressure and/or that use special glues either in line or rotating on a carousel with one to eight colours and intermediate drying hoods with IR or UV lamps or hot-air lamps. Said drying devices may moreover be equipped with travelling bands or belts of the length necessary for polymerization of the ink of the paint product used or can carry out manual drying on frames, which can be set on top of one another. This machinery may moreover be equipped with a sheet-in/sheet-out device.
The silk-screen printing system is used generally for printing of fabrics, packaging made of paper, aluminium or plastic materials, road signs and also in the decoration of furniture, crockery and toys.
Printing inks are generally formed by a dyeing part and by a binding part. The dyeing part can be obtained with pigments and with soluble dyes, where by “pigment” is meant an insoluble coloured compound in the binder of the ink, whilst by “soluble dye” is meant a coloured compound that is soluble in the binder. In turn, the binder is constituted by a vehicle, a modifier of the vehicle, and a solvent.
The typical composition of an ink is given in Table 1.
TABLE 1Dyeing partBinding partPigmentSoluble dyeVehicleModifierSolventOrganic(transparent)NaturalPlastifiersAliphatic(transparent)resinsWaxescompoundsInorganicSyntheticOilsAromatic(covering)resinsWetting agentscompoundsStabilizing agentsKetonesAnti-foamingEstersagentsWaterDrying agents
The dyeing part determines the chromatic characteristics of the ink. The organic pigments are characterized by a good transparency, with the exception of carbon black, which is semi-covering, and fluorescent pigments which are covering.
The inorganic pigments possess high covering-power characteristics with the exception of some colours that are transparent (iron blue) or semi-covering (china clay, calcium carbonate, aluminium hydrate). The soluble dyes are, instead, characterized by a very high transparency.
The intensity of the colours is adjusted with covering or transparent thick white inks.
The binding part of a printing ink is constituted, as has been seen, by a vehicle, a modifier, and a solvent.
The vehicle is constituted basically by natural or synthetic resins that bestow upon the ink fundamental characteristics from the chemico-physical standpoint.
Natural resins have had a considerable importance in the formulation of printing inks. Currently, the tendency is, however, to replace them with resins of a synthetic type.
Synthetic resins can be used by themselves or mixed together, and, in a few cases, also mixed with natural resins, should there exist a good degree of compatibility, where by “compatibility” is meant the possibility for two or more resins to form a homogeneous and stable solution that does not give rise over time to phenomena of separation, precipitation, or clouding.
The main resins used are resins of an epoxy, vinyl, hydrocarbon, nitro-cellulose, maleic, melamine, phenol-formaldehyde, urea-formaldehyde, alkyd, polyester, acrylate, or polyurethane type.
Modifiers are used to bestow upon the inks particular characteristics, such as for example plasticity, flexibility, mechanical surface resistance, etc. Esters of phthalic, sebacic and glycolic acids are generally used as plastifiers; as regards waxes, natural ones, such as for example carnauba wax, or synthetic ones, for example polyethylene, are used; as regards oils, linseed, soya and wood oils may be used; finally, as dessicators the salts of manganese, zinc, cobalt and zirconium of naphthene, octoic and linoresinic acids are used.
The solvents have an extremely important dual function: they must bestow upon the ink the fluidity necessary for enabling transfer from the printing form (sieve or frame) to the substrate, and must moreover constitute the mobile phase of the ink-drying process, i.e., the component that must be removed either by penetration or by evaporation or by selective filtration at the moment of application of the ink on the substrate.
The film of ink that remains on the material has a constant thickness, in all cases much greater than that of the typographic and lithographic processes; as a result it achieves much greater covering-power effects. This enables prints with high resistance to light and to chemical agents to be obtained. Furthermore, the system does not call for high printing pressures that are necessary in other processes. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of gas-propelled projectiles. More specifically, the invention comprises a marker flare projectile having an improved delay column ignition system
2. Description of the Related Art
Although the present invention can be configured to operate from a variety of different launchers, it was primarily developed to be fired from launchers adapted to fire 40 mm grenades (such as the U.S. Army's M433). The invention incorporates elements from a prior design reduced to practice by the same inventor. The prior design is disclosed and claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,004,074 to Van Stratum (2006), which is hereby expressly incorporated by reference.
Gas-propelled projectiles typically use solid propellant encapsulated in a cartridge case. A projectile is seated in the open mouth of the cartridge case. Ignition of the propellant is provided by percussive or electrical means. The burning propellant generates pressurized gas which forces the projectile out of the mouth of the case and then typically through a barrel bore.
This type of system is typically used to launch 40 mm grenades. The same approach can be used to launch other types of projectiles, however. An example of such a projectile is a marker flare. A marker flare projectile has a mass which is similar to that of a grenade round. Thus, the propulsion system developed for use with grenade rounds can be used to launch a marker flare. The incorporated U.S. Pat. No. 7,004,074 illustrates and describes an effective approach to the problem of launching large masses at low velocities. The '074 invention uses a high-pressure cartridge embedded within a low-pressure larger cartridge. A burst cup metering system is used to meter propellant gases from the high pressure cartridge into the low pressure cartridge, thereby accelerating the projectile in a smooth and controlled fashion. This approach helps to reduce the peak recoil loads experienced by a user. The high pressure found within the high pressure cartridge also ensures the reliable ignition and combustion of the propellant it contains.
The burst cup approach results in hot metered gases exiting the high pressure case in the direction of the mouth of the low pressure case. The present invention makes use of this phenomenon. In addition to propelling the marker flare down the bore of the firing weapon, the hot gases exiting the high pressure case are used to ignite a delay column in the aft end of the marker flare round. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Y-Chromosome Determination
Over the years a number of methods have been developed for making a determination either directly or indirectly of the presence of the Y chromosome in a particular tissue sample.
Barr Body Test
The barr body test is an indirect method for determining that an XY karyology may be present in a tissue sample. Buckle smear and other tissue samples dyed with Giemsa reagent stain reveal the presence of any X chromosomes beyond one copy per cell. These chromosomes appear as barr bodies within the cell nucleus.
Unfortunately, the buckle smear method is not always accurate in predicting the presence of a Y chromosome. For instance, an XO genotype would give the same results as an XY genotype. Also, at various stages in the cell growth and division cycle or in certain tissue samples, barr bodies fail to become visible. Therefore, barr body testing is generally limited to non-critical screening assays.
Because of the limitations of barr body analysis, this method is not appropriate for use in invasively sampled fetal cells, such as chorionic villi or amniocentesis samples. The invasive sampling techniques used are expensive and not without risks. Therefore, multiple sampling is generally unacceptable, as are delays in re-diagnosis which can occur when test results are equivocal. Even a low level of false diagnosis is unacceptable in situations where prenatal gender would be the basis of pregnancy termination.
Karyology
With the advent of tissue culture techniques, direct karyology of cells became possible. However, there are several limitations to this technique. The sample tissue must be in an active growth phase during analysis to be useful in karyology. This is because the sample cells must be dividing for the chromosomes to be arrested in their condensed, visible metaphase stage.
In the case of mammalian tissue sample growth systems such as are required in conventional human prenatal diagnosis, karyology techniques have proven to be time consuming and expensive. Mammalian cell lines are highly fastidious in their culturing parameters and cell media requirements. Further, any contamination of mammalian tissue culture material can result in complete failure of growth of the cells. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Information workers/users have become accustomed to generating, editing and receiving large numbers of electronic documents and other information (e.g., electronic communications, images, data, etc.). In a given enterprise situation, for example, a company, school, social network, etc., a given information worker/user may encounter hundreds (or more) of documents or other content items, each with varying degrees of relevance or importance to the information worker. For example, the information worker may generate a document for a rush work project that may be of the highest relevance at the time of the project. For another example, the information worker may receive a document generated by his/her manager that similarly is of very high relevance to the information worker. On the other hand, he/she may receive a document or may have access to a document or other information via his/her enterprise dealing with a project he/she is no longer involved with, and thus, the document may be of low relevance or importance to the information worker. The typical information worker/user needs to know about those documents or other content or information items that are relevant, important or interesting to him/her, but he/she does not necessarily need to have all documents and/or other content items surfaced to him/her regardless of their relevance. Thus, a need exists for methods, systems, and articles of manufacture for surfacing documents and other information to a given user that might be important to the user without surfacing to the user documents or other information that are not particularly interesting or relevant to the user. It is with respect to these and other considerations that the present invention has been made. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The invention relates generally to submicron lithography and more particularly to deep UV projection lithography, and apparatus for performing same.
There is currently great interest in the development of lithographic techniques for integrated circuit fabrication, particularly for producing submicron line widths. After its initial demonstration in 1972, proximity print x-ray lithography (PPXRL) appeared to be the lithography of choice for future submicron work. PPXRL uses "hard" x-rays (wavelengths of 0.3 to 2 nm) to expose a mask consisting of an x-ray absorber pattern (usually gold or tungsten) on an x-ray transparent membrane (silicon, silicon nitride, boron nitride, etc) at some finite distance (5 to 50 microns) from a resist coated wafer. Unfortunately, PPXRL has several fundamental constraints arising from diffraction effects, penumbra and secondary photoelectron range which may limit replications to linewidths greater than 200 nm. Even with these limitations, it appeared that PPXRL would be the primary lithographic tool for linewidths from 200 nm to 1 micron and would meet lithographic needs for many years to come.
However, PPXRL has not reached expectations. There are three primary reasons for this: (1) a high brightness x-ray source was needed to obtain high wafer throughput, (2) the hard x-rays required masks with thick absorber patterns and high-aspect-ratio submicron structures which are difficult to produce and (3) the thin, x-ray transparent membranes have had severe distortion and lifetime problems. While solutions to these problems were pursued, optical lithography has advanced its capabilities so that it can now replicate 500 nm linewidths. This has reduced the immediate need for PPXRL. With the fundamental resolution limitations of PPXRL and some mask issues still unresolved, it is questionable if PPXRL will ever meet original expectations.
New advances in the field of x-ray optics have been responsible for many new x-ray optical components such as normal incidence soft x-ray mirrors, beamsplitters and highly dispersive multilayer mirrors. These new optical components have made it possible to design and build new instruments such as x-ray microscopes, telescopes, waveguides and interferometers. It is highly desirable to apply these new x-ray optical components to produce a soft x-ray projection lithography (XRPL) system which is capable of projecting a magnified or demagnified image of an existing pattern from a mask onto a resist coated substrate.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 308,332, filed Feb. 9, 1989, is directed to a soft x-ray reduction camera for submicron lithography for performing soft x-ray projection lithography. A method and apparatus are described for imaging a reflecting, or alternatively a transmissive, x-ray mask onto an integrated circuit wafer using substantially normal incidence x-ray optics. The necessary x-ray optics can be produced using currently available thin-film multilayer technology. Radiation sources in the 2-250 nm range can be utilized.
An x-ray reduction camera is formed of a pair of spherical x-ray mirrors positioned in a spaced apart relationship having a common center of curvature; a camera could also be formed with aspherical mirrors. The convex surface of the shorter radius (primary) mirror and the concave surface of the larger radius (secondary) mirror are coated with periodic multilayers of alternating high index/low index materials, e.g. Cr/C, Mo/Si or B/Ru, to provide high x-ray reflectivity at near normal incidence. A transmissive or reflecting mask is positioned relative to the mirrors so that x-rays incident on the mask are transmitted through or reflected by the mask onto the primary mirror which reflects the x-rays to the secondary mirror which reflects the x-rays to an image plane. A laser generated plasma source or a synchrotron can be used to produce soft x-rays. A condenser system is used to provide uniform illumination of the mask by the source. The transmission mask can be used in an on-axis embodiment in which the mask is aligned on a common axis with the two mirrors, or in an off-axis embodiment which provides higher collection efficiency. A reflection mask off-axis embodiment is preferable since mask requirements are easier, e.g. a patterned multilayer on a thick substrate. The mask substrate is curved to produce a flat image. A resist coated wafer is placed at the image plane so that a reduced image of the mask is transferred thereto.
Using x-ray optical components in accordance with the invention, a soft x-ray reduction camera (XRRC) with 1-10x demagnification and capable of producing sub-100 nm lines can be built. An XRRC has many advantages over a PPXRL system including superior resolution and ease of mask fabrication. In a preferred XRRC design, the x-rays reflect off a mask pattern on a thick substrate rather than transmit through a thin membrane. The mask fabrication technology for the XRRC system has already been demonstrated (the masks are patterned multilayer mirrors). In addition, since the XRRC demagnifies the original mask pattern, optical lithography can be used to generate a mask suitable to produce 100 nm linewidth patterns at the image plane of a 5.times. reduction system. However, the XRRC requires a soft x-ray source.
In the 1970s considerable work was done on e-beam pumped rare gas excimers. Fluorescers (incoherent radiators) and lasers (coherent radiators) were produced using xenon, krypton, argon, and other gases and mixtures thereof. This work is exemplified by the following papers: Ernest E. Huber, Jr. et al. "Sustainer Enhancement of the VUV Fluorescence in High-Pressure Xenon", IEEE Journal of Ouantum Electronics, Vol. QE-12, No. 6, June 1976; Charles W. Werner et al. "Radiative and Kinetic Mechanisms in Bond-Free Excimer Lasers", IEEE Journal of Ouantum Electronics, Vol. QE=13, No. 9, Sept. 1977; C.W. Werner et al. "Dynamic Model of High-Pressure Rare-Gas Excimer Lasers", Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 25, No. 4, Aug. 15, 1974; E.V. George et al. "Kinetic Model of Ultraviolet Inversions in High-Pressure Rare-Gas Plasmas", Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 23, No. 3, Aug. 1, 1973. The work has more recently been extended to e-beam pumped liquids and solids, as shown by Ernest E. Huber, Jr. et al. "Excited Fluorescence In Solid Noble Gases Excited By 10-30 kV Electrons", Optics Communications, Vol. 11, No. 2, June 1974. The excimer fluorescers and lasers provide radiation at VUV wavelenghts which extends down and overlaps with the soft x-ray region. Thus incoherent excimer radiators (fluorescers) could be used as sources for submicron lithography. | {
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A seat lifter device which is used in vertical position adjustment of a vehicle seat is generally provided with a link mechanism which causes a seat to undergo lifting and lowering operations, a pinion gear which meshes with an input gear provided in the link mechanism, and a rotational control device which controls the rotation of the pinion gear. In a case in which the seat lifter device is a manual system seat lifter device, a configuration is adopted in which the vertical position of the seat which is supported by the link mechanism is adjusted by transmitting a drive force which is input to the operation handle to the pinion gear via the rotational control device.
For example, the rotational control device (a clutch unit) of the seat lifter device which is disclosed in JP-A-2013-224692 (Reference 1) is capable of moving the seat in the vertical direction through a pulling up operation or a pushing down operation of the operation handle which is linked to the rotational control device. The rotational control device includes a first meshing member which rotates integrally with the rotating shaft of the pinion gear, and a second meshing member which meshes with the first meshing member. By forming a so-called stepped lock system rotation restriction mechanism which restricts the rotation of the pinion gear through the meshing of the first and the second meshing members, it becomes possible to stably hold the vertical position (a lifting position) of the seat in a state in which the operation handle is not being operated.
A rotational control device of the related art includes a sliding contact member which applies frictional resistance to the rotating shaft through sliding contact with the rotating shaft of the pinion gear. Accordingly, the seat is configured so as to not suddenly move downward due to the seat load, even in a state in which the rotational restriction of the rotation restriction mechanism is released during the operation of the operation handle.
However, in the configuration of the related art, in a case in which the braking force (the holding force) based on the friction resistance is excessive, after operating the operation handle, the rotating shaft of the pinion gear may not be capable of rotating to a position at which the first and second meshing members which form the rotation restriction mechanism correctly mesh. In this case, subsequently, due to vibration and the like, a passenger sitting on the seat may feel uneasy in relation to vibrations and sounds which are generated when the meshing position is shifted.
Meanwhile, in a case in which the braking force which is applied to the rotating shaft is set low in order to avoid shifting the meshing position, when releasing the meshing between the first and second meshing members, the release operation of the meshing members is performed in a state in which a great load is applied to the meshing members. Since an increase in the operation force and generation of a release sound which are associated with performing the release operation of the meshing members in a state in which a great load is applied to the meshing members may become factors in reducing the operational comfort, from this perspective, there is room for further improvement. | {
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This invention relates generally to motor operation, and more specifically to methods and systems for operating motors, including one or more of an electronically commutated motor (ECM), which is sometimes referred to as a brushless DC motor, a variable speed induction motor (VSIM), and a switched reluctance motor (SRM).
Using the ECM as an example, such motors operate using a DC voltage. However, due to the availability of AC voltage outlets, ECMs are typically equipped for operation using an AC voltage. More specifically, ECMs are typically fabricated with a rectification circuit therein which rectifies the readily available AC voltage to a DC voltage that can be utilized by the operation components of the ECM (brushless DC motor). VSIMs and SRMs also operate utilizing a DC voltage.
Solar panels, when impinged by light, output a DC voltage. Based on the construction of the solar panel, the voltage is typically in the 12-36 volt range. While some devices are fabricated to utilize such a range of DC voltage, in other applications, an inverter is utilized to transform the DC voltage to the more typical 110 VAC or 230 VAC. This “inversion” to an AC voltage allows solar panels to be utilized to provide power to many conventional devices. However, the component cost of the inverter circuit may take away from the benefit of using solar power to operate electrical equipment, especially when the electrical equipment to be powered has a cost that is less than that of the inverter circuit. With regard to providing power for ECM operation, it has also been considered inefficient to invert the DC voltage from solar panels to an AC voltage (for application to a connector of an ECM) then rectify that AC voltage back to DC (using the internal rectifier circuit) for motor operation.
To provide an amount of power to operate such equipment, the 12-36 volts DC solar panels have been traditionally connected in parallel in order to provide an increased amount of current. However, it is known that connecting solar panels in series will increase the DC voltage output. However, such a configuration has heretofore been considered unconventional, since a relatively small percentage of electrical power consuming devices are configured to utilize high voltage DC as a power source. | {
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As a brushless motor, there is a so-called inner rotor type motor having a stator on which a coil is wound and a rotor rotatably provided in a radial inside of the stator. A plurality of permanent magnets are disposed on an outer circumferential surface of the rotor of this type so that magnetic poles thereof are disposed alternately in a circumferential direction. Meanwhile, the stator is configured with a cylindrical stator housing and a cylindrical stator core which is engaged with and fixed to an inner circumferential surface of the stator housing. For example, the stator core is formed in a cylindrical shape by stacking electromagnetic steel plates, and windings are wound around teeth of the stator core.
In this type of brushless motor, to improve magnetic characteristics of the rotor, it is known to change a magnetic orientation of each segment type permanent magnet from a radial orientation (an orientation in a direction in which a magnetic field toward the stator is diffused toward the stator) to a parallel orientation (an orientation in which the magnetic fields toward the stator are parallel to each other toward the stator) or a reverse radial orientation (an orientation in which the magnetic field toward the stator converges toward the stator) (for example, refer to Patent Document 1). | {
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Prior single channel adaptive line enhancers that employ up/down conversion require that unrealistic constraints be imposed on the internal bandpass filter in order to achieve satisfactory performance. For instance, in order to avoid excessive folding in at D.C., bandpass filter gain should be down at least 30 dB at the local oscillator frequency. However, filter gain should be near 0 dB throughout the rest of the passband in order to achieve reasonable narrowband rejection figures.
This is true because in order to achieve the best performance from the adaptive line enhancer, the weight accumulators of the line enhancer should utilize the full dynamic range available to them. But attenuation in the narrowband channel causes the values in the weight accumulators to increase in order to compensate for this attenuation, which eventually results in railing of the weight accumulators with a consequent degradation of filter performance. If a passband of 50 MHz which is centered at 1.7 GHz is required and both of the above constraints are imposed, bandpass filters become impractical. In order to compensate, two stage down conversion may be attempted, but the resulting greater complexity, larger hardware requirements and an increased residual error because of phase noise make this approach undesirable.
Adaptive line enhancers (ALE) employ feedback to enhance the narrowband frequency spectrum that is present in a broadband noise field or to suppress narrowband interference in a broadband signal. Adaptive line enhancers are constructed so that they automatically adjust to variations in the input signal in order to provide a least mean square (LMS) approximation of a Wiener-Hopf filter. This device uses a number of stored weight values which are continuously adjusted so that the device automatically filters out the components of the signal which are not correlated in time, and passes correlated stable spectral lines. This enhanced narrowband signal is subtracted from the composite input signal to generate the error or feedback signal.
The McCool et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,238,746 issued Dec. 9, 1980 entitled "Adaptive Line Enhancer," the McCool et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,243,935 issued Jan. 6, 1981 entitled "Adaptive Detector" and the article entitled "The Time-Sequenced Adaptive Filter" by Ferrara, Jr. and Widrow which was published 1981 in the IEEE Transactions on Circuits and Systems, Vol. CAS-28 (1981) June N 6, New York USA show prior art devices and/or provide discussions of the theoretical basis of the adaptive line enhancer. | {
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The following description relates to encrypting data using a public-key encryption process.
Public-key encryption algorithms are often used for secure data communication, for example, in hybrid symmetric/asymmetric schemes and other types of schemes. Some enterprises and standards bodies have specified security standards or policies for the treatment of files while an electronic device is locked. For example, the National Information Assurance Partnership (NIAP) requires that data be encrypted with public-key cryptography and that, once the data is encrypted, the encrypted data not be decryptable until the private key holder returns.
Like reference symbols in the various drawings indicate like elements. | {
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Optical interference filters rely on principles of interference that modify reflected intensities of light incident on a surface. A familiar example of interference is the colors created when light reflects from a thin layer of oil floating on water. Briefly stated, by modifying the interface of a substance and its environment with a third material, reflectivity of the substance can be significantly altered. This principle is used in the fabrication of optical interference filters. These filters can be used as one of, or as the main filtering element in optical add/drop multiplexers employed in optical communication systems to select one or more channels from a transmission signal.
In its most simple form, an optical interference filter includes a cavity which is comprised of two partial reflectors separated by a spacer. Each partial reflector, also referred to as a quarter-wave stack, is typically constructed by depositing alternating layers of high and low refractive index dielectric materials upon a substrate where each layer has an optical thickness (defined as: physical thickness.times.refractive index) of a quarter wave (.lambda./4) at the desired wavelength of the filter. The spacer is typically a half-wave (or multiple half-wave) layer. An interference filter has an associated transmission characteristic which is a function of the reflectance of the layers of high and low index materials associated with the stack.
In many applications, optical interference filters are constructed using multiple cavities. Typically, cavities are deposited on top of other cavities, with a quarter-wave layer of low index material therebetween. Multicavity filters produce transmission spectra that are preferred in optical communication systems where sharp slopes and square passbands are needed to select one or more optical channels. The larger the number of cavities employed, the steeper the slope of the transmission bandwidth associated with a particular filter. The transmission bandwidth of a multicavity filter is wider as compared with the transmission bandwidth associated with a single cavity filter.
FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary transmission spectrum (normalized to 1.55 .mu.m) for a quarter-wave stack having a plurality of high/low refractive index dielectric layers. The stack is tuned to reject wavelengths in the 1.5.mu.m range and exhibits ripple sidelobes referenced at 5.
FIG. 2 is an exemplary transmission spectrum (normalized to 1.55 .mu.m) for a single cavity optical interference filter utilizing a pair of stacks each having the transmission spectrum shown in FIG. 1. As can be seen in FIG. 2 the transmission response is acceptable at .lambda./.lambda..sub.0 =1.0 which corresponds to 1.55 .mu.m (.lambda./.lambda..sub.0 =1.55 .mu.m/1.55 .mu.m). However, the response at 0.845 which corresponds to approximately 1.31 .mu.m (.lambda./.lambda..sub.0 =1.31 .mu.m/1.55 .mu.m) falls on the sideband and/or within the ripple band of the transmission spectrum, thereby making transmission of a particular wavelength in this range unreliable. More specifically, the single cavity interference filter produces high transmittance at wavelengths referenced at 10, but also produces relatively low transmittance as referenced at 15. Thus, transmission at wavelengths in the 1.5 .mu.m range may be reliable while transmission for wavelengths within the ripple band or sideband slope are subject to variations in the transmission characteristic. This is also true for wavelengths in the 1.6 .mu.m range (.lambda./.lambda..sub.0 =1.62 .mu.m/1.55 .mu.m). FIG. 2 demonstrates that interference filters typically provide a single reliable passband.
As noted above, optical systems can utilize one or more interference filters to select particular channels from a transmission signal. For example, a first filter may be used to select a pay-load channel associated with voice and/or data transmission in the 1.5 .mu.m range and a second filter is used to select a service channel in the 1.3 .mu.m or 1.6 .mu.m range which carries system level and/or network monitoring information. The use of two separate filters, however, has several disadvantages. First, it increases overall system cost since it requires the manufacture and installation of two individual components. Secondly, optical networks typically have a predetermined loss budget, if exceeded, can compromise signal integrity. Each component, in this case an optical filter, contributes some loss to the overall network. By using two separate filters to select a payload channel and a service channel, each filter negatively impacts a network's loss budget.
Thus, there is a need for a filtering element used with optical communication systems capable of selecting a first and a second optical passbands. There is a further need to provide such a filtering element which reliably selects at least one wavelength corresponding to a payload channel as well as a wavelength corresponding to a service channel within an optical network. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the power supply systems that include DC-to-DC conversion operations. More particularly, this invention relates to an improved circuit design and configuration with an asymmetrical full bridge DC-to-DC converter with wide input voltage range.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventional art of design and manufacture of a DC-to-DC converter is still limited by lacking of an optimal topology that is suitable for high input voltage and wide input range operations.
FIG. 1 shows the configuration and key operation waveforms of single-ended forward DC-to-DC converter. In this type converter only one switch S1 is employed in the transformer primary side. When the switch S1 turns on, the transformer primary winding is connected to the input voltage Vin, the energy is delivered from source to load by the transformer coupling. When the switch S1 turns off, the transformer primary winding is connected to the magnetic reset circuit MR, which generates a negative voltage xe2x88x92Vr applying to the transformer primary winding and reset the magnetizing current to zero. In this process, the switch S1 must endure the voltage of Vin+Vr, which is much higher than input voltage. The magnetic reset circuit may be a RCD circuit, an auxiliary winding, or an active clamped circuit, of which the reset voltages are different according to the different circuit parameters. For general applications, the rated voltage of the switch S1 should be twice of input voltage. Due to higher rated voltage requirement for main switch, single-ended forward DC-to-DC converter is not suitable for high input voltage applications.
FIG. 2 shows the configuration and key operation waveforms of dual switch forward DC-to-DC converter. Two switches are employed in primary side. When the two switches turn on simultaneously, the transformer primary winding is connected to the input voltage and the energy is delivered from source to load. When the two switches turn off simultaneously, the magnetizing current passes by the two clamping diodes, which is denoted as Da1 and Da2 in FIG. 2. The input voltage is applied to primary winding reversely and reset magnetizing current to zero. Since the drain-to-source voltage of the switches is clamped by Da1 and Da2 to the input voltage, the switches only endure one time of the input voltage. This type converter is suitable for higher input voltage system.
However, the magnetic reset mechanism of dual switch forward converter is not optimal for wide input application. Since the reset voltage is equal to the input voltage, the reset time is also equal to the turn-on time of the switches in order to keep the voltage-second balance for transformer. With the decrease of the input voltage, the turn-on time should increase to output enough power. However, since the reset time also increases, the maximum duty cycle is limited within 50% in low input voltage. With the increase of the input voltage, the duty cycle becomes small and deteriorates the performance of the converter. By this reason this type converter is not suitable for wide input voltage applications.
In full-bridge type converter, four switches are employed in primary side, which turn on and turn off alternately to delivery the energy from source to load and keep the magnetic balance for transformer naturally. FIG. 3 shows a typical phase shift full bridge DC-to-DC converter. The key operation waveforms are shown in the figure as well.
In order to achieve the Zero-Voltage-Switching conditions for switches, phase-shift control logic is applied to four switches. Referring to FIG. 3, switches in each leg are driven by two compensative signals with fixed 50% duty cycle. That is, S1 and S4 turn on and turn off alternately, and S2 and S3 turn on and turn off alternately. The phase-shift of two legs is changeable. The overlap of S1 and S2 turn-on time is the effective duty cycle time for the transformer. So the output can be regulated by controlling the phase-shift of two legs.
It is easy to obtain the zero-voltage-switching condition for switches by using phase-shift control, however it brings out the circulation current problem. As shown in FIG. 3, in the time interval of S1 and S3 common turn-on or S2 and S4 common turn-on, the primary current circulates in primary switches and primary winding, and does not deliver energy to load. In wide input application, the effective duty cycle became smaller; the circulation current will cause larger conduction loss.
If the asymmetrical control logic is applied in full bridge structure, it also can regulate the output and obtain zero-voltage-switching for primary switches. FIG. 4 shows the conventional asymmetrical full bridge DC-to-DC converter and its key operation waveforms.
In FIG. 4, S1 and S2 turn on and turn off synchronously, S3 and S4 turn on and turn off synchronously. S1, S2 turn on with a duty cycle of D and S3 and S4 turn on with a duty cycle of 1-D. The block capacitor Cb, which is connected in series with the primary winding, offers a DC bias to keep the voltage-second balance for the transformer. Since both in S1, S2 turn-on and S3, S4 turn-on, the energy delivery process is going on, there is no more circulation current problem. But the magnetizing current has a DC bias, which will cause the trouble in transformer design. Another problem of this type converter is the non-linear control characteristic of output voltage to switching duty cycle. Duty cycle and conversion efficiency varies sharply with the variations of input and output voltage.
For the above reasons, a need still exists in the art of designing and manufacturing DC-to-DC converter to provide an optimal topology suitable for application to wide and high input voltage to accomplish several design objects. These design objects may include a goal of providing a DC-to-DC converter that imposes minimized voltage stress on switches, maximizes the switch duty cycle to ensure high conversion efficiency for wide operation range, and achieves soft-switching conditions for main switches. These design objects require new and improved converter configurations as will be described below.
In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, an asymmetrical full bridge circuit is presented which is used in a DC-to-DC converter. The circuit comprises two main switches and two auxiliary switches, a compensative capacitor connected in series with the branch circuit of the auxiliary switches. One main switch and one auxiliary switch form one leg of the full bridge, and the other main switch and the other auxiliary switch form the other leg of the full bridge. The primary winding of the transformer is connected to the center points of two legs.
Two main switches turn on and turn off synchronously, and two auxiliary switches turn on and turn off synchronously also. When two main switches turn on, two auxiliary switches remains OFF and the energy is transferred from source to load, when two main switches turn off, two auxiliary switches turn on, and reset the transformer. The compensative capacitor offers a DC bias to keep the voltage-second balance for the transformer.
In the further embodiment of this invention, the asymmetrical full bridge circuit further includes an extra inductor that connects in series with the primary winding of the transformer. At the end of reset process, this inductor assists the main switches to obtain the zero-voltage-switching condition.
In the further embodiment of this invention, the asymmetrical full bridge circuit further includes a saturable inductor that connects in series with the secondary winding of the transformer. At the end of reset process, this saturable inductor assists the main switches to obtain the zero-voltage-switching condition.
This invention proposes a new topology for the design of DC-to-DC converter. The advantages of this topology are presented in following aspects. First, voltage stress of all the switches including main switches and auxiliary switches is equal to the input voltage or less than the input voltage. This topology can be used in high input applications. Second, the duty cycle of the main switches can be greater than 50% in low input, and in whole input range the duty cycle is maximized and keeps higher conversion efficiency in whole input range. So this topology is suitable for wide input applications. Third, the soft-switching condition is always satisfied for auxiliary switches, and can be obtain for main switches by properly circuit designing. So this topology is suitable for higher switching frequency applications.
In the other embodiment of this invention, an asymmetrical full bridge DC-to-DC converter includes an asymmetrical full bridge circuit with two main switches two auxiliary switches and a compensative capacitor, a transformer with a primary winding and a secondary winding, and a rectification circuit with two rectifiers and a output inductor. Wherein, the secondary has a tapping point. Each terminal of the secondary winding connects a rectifier, and each rectifier connects to the output inductor and further connects to one terminal of the load. The other terminal of the load connects to the tapping point of the secondary winding.
This topology not only has the advantages of preferred embodiment of the present invention, but also has the features that the output voltage ripple is minimized and a smaller output inductor is needed. | {
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1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to the use of laser emitted optical energy or radio frequency ("RF") energy for joining, repairing or reconstructing biological tissue. In particular, the present invention relates to a method of utilizing a collagen welding rod material in combination with such optical or RF energy as a filler to join, repair or rebuild biological tissue.
2. Background Art
Optical energy, in particular that generated by lasers, has been applied and utilized in the medical field for a variety of surgical purposes. The medical industry initially utilized industrial lasers for the destruction of tumors or surface lesions in patients. At that time, the lasers were relatively crude, high powered and ineffective for delicate internal biological applications.
Subsequently, a variety of cauterization techniques were developed utilizing either laser or RF techniques. Laser optical energy was also utilized to reduce the flow of blood in an open wound or in a surgically created incision: the optical energy being supplied in sufficient quantity to sear or burn the blood vessels thus sealing the open ends of the capillaries and preventing blood flow. A typical use of laser cauterization is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,122,853. Again, the types of lasers utilized at that time provided very high power application and very high wattage with the surrounding tissue also being destroyed, thus causing longer healing times, infection and scarring.
As newer, lower powered lasers were developed, techniques were developed for atheroma ablation or other endarterectomy procedures for blood vessels. One such procedure is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,878,492. The CO.sub.2, YAG and Excimer lasers all provided substantial improvements in these procedures due to their lower power output. These more sophisticated devices each provide better aiming of a narrower optical energy beam such that destruction of the walls of the blood vessels can be minimized. Also, advances in optical fiber technology allowed the surgeon to conduct more accurately the optical energy to the desired location with greater precision.
Lasers have also been used to "glaze" the internal surfaces of blood vessels after balloon dilation and laser angioplasty in an attempt to prevent medical recollapse, intimal fibroplasia, and reobliteration.
Another procedure which has been developed includes the use of optical energy for welding or otherwise joining or connecting biological tissue. The original attempts to carry out these procedures began in the late 1960's and almost all universally met with failure not so much because of an inability to weld or join the tissue together, but because of the weakness of the resulting weld. The use of the lower powered laser devices, either alone or in combination with physiologic solutions, however, allowed the surgeon to cool the weld site sufficiently to obtain slight improvements in weld strength. Furthermore, RF energy has recently been utilized in both uni- and bi-polar generators to attempt to "weld" or "solder" biological tissue.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,672,969 discloses one method and apparatus for utilizing laser emitted optical energy to effect wound closure or other reconstruction of biological tissue by applying the optical energy to produce thermal heating of the biological tissue to degree suitable for denaturing the tissue proteins such that the collagenous elements of the tissue form a "biological glue" which seals the tissue to effect the joining. This glue is later reabsorbed by the body during the healing process. The patent discloses a number of different types of lasers with preference stated for the Nd:YAG type, because its particular wavelength allows optical energy to propagate without substantial attenuation through water and/or blood for absorption in the tissue to be repaired.
Despite these improvements, however, the weakness of the weld joint still remains as the primary disadvantage of this procedure and extensive current research is being conducted in an attempt to improve on that deficiency. I have now invented a simple yet elegant welding procedure for biological tissue utilizing laser or RF energy which overcomes the shortcomings of the prior art. | {
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Such a resonant circuit is disclosed for instance, in an article by W. A. Tabisz, P. Gradzki and F. C. Lee published in the IEEE Power Electronics Specialists Conference Record, 1987, p. 404-413, Zero-Voltage-Switched quasi-Resonant buck and flyback Converters-Experimental results at 10 MHz. In general, resonant LC circuits using switching means as well as diodes have been employed for a variety of purposes at various frequencies and at relatively high or low power levels. In electronic applications based on the use of integrated circuits, one field having substantially relied on resonant and so-called quasi-resonant circuits is that of power supply circuits, particularly those using power MOSFETs at high frequencies, e.g. 10 MHz. The above article is an example of such DC/DC converter developments.
While many resonant-mode topologies have been defined for such High Frequency DC/DC converters using MOSFETs, the described buck ZVS-QRC uses the initially defined resonant circuit as a quasi-resonant MOSFET gate drive. This even more particular application of such resonant circuits is especially significant as turning a MOSFET on/off requires charging/discharging the input capacitance appearing between its gate and source bringing significant power dissipation, proportional to the frequency, and switching speed problems, Using another lower power MOSFET, driven by a non-resonant gate drive, as switching means between the gate and the converter reference potential connected to the source through the converter flywheel diode, when this control MOSFET is off the controlled converter power MOSFET is on. Upon the control MOSFET being turned on, the gate potential of the controlled power MOSFET practically drops to the common reference potential whereas its source potential remains momentarily higher due to the parasitic capacitance of the flywheel diode. Hence, this negative bias between gate and source reduces the turn-off time of the controlled power MOSFET. While the control MOSFET is on, the inductance current increases linearly but this peaks off upon the control MOSFET being turned off, thereby setting up the series resonant circuit formed by the inductance and the controlled power MOSFET input capacitance. Upon the inductance current returning to zero, resonance is stopped by a diode in series with the inductance becoming blocked, the gate to source potential reaching the necessary potential for the controlled power MOSFET to be turned on in a resonant manner reducing the power dissipation by half as compared to conventional gate drives. As for the above control MOSFET, these drive circuits can rely on bipolar transistors, gates and other integrated circuits.
With other topologies or applications in which the source of the power MOSFET exceeds 20 volts with respect to the gate drive ground, or in which the source is directly connected to the reference ground, a negative gate drive voltage cannot be obtained. In addition, DC isolated. MOSFET gate drive circuits are needed if the MOSFET source is momentarily above 20 volts with respect to the gate drive ground, e.g. the article by J. D. Repp in the May 1989 Proceedings of the High Frequency Power Conversion Conference, p. 438-445, Ultra fast isolated gate drive circuit. It is pointed out therein that transformer isolated power MOSFET gate drives should possess various desirable properties including low power consumption. For the described 100 watt converter, a consumption of 2.5 watt is deemed low but since this is at 500 kHz only, it is clear that the losses can be quite significant at substantially higher frequencies and indeed, the author states there is room for further improvement in this respect.
Thus, the quasi-resonant gate drive of the first article uses a common reference or ground potential for the power MOSFET input capacitance and for the converter whereas the second article indicates this is not suitable for other converter topologies requiring galvanic isolation provided by a transformer. Moreover, the gate drive of the first article only provides a positive potential across this input capacitance and a negative potential from gate to source is only obtained by a positive potential remaining temporarily at the source with respect to ground, due to the junction capacitance of the flywheel diode used in this buck converter. This resulting negative gate bias is on the other hand desirable for MOSFET turn-off. In addition, this circuit only saves one half of the total gate power as compared to the conventional gate drive. Further, this known circuit implies that the capacitance is charged at the desired positive gate level to turn the power MOSFET on up,on a series diode blocking the resonant current as it decreases to zero, the energy stored in the inductance having then been transferred to the capacitance. Any variation in this energy, i.e. tolerances, will lead to insufficient or excessive voltage across the capacitance. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a heat dissipation device.
An electronic device such as a desktop computer requires a heat dissipation device such as a fan.
2. Brief Discussion of the Related Art
A conventional heat dissipation device mainly employs two control methods, a temperature control method and a pulse width modulation control method, shown in FIGS. 1a and 1b respectively. In FIG. 1a, a temperature sensor 20 is connected to a fan 10. The temperature sensor 20 detects the temperature variation of a heat source, such as an electronic element (not shown) and transmits a signal to change the speed of the fan 10. Reference numbers 12 and 14 represent positive and negative voltage output from a power supply to the fan 10. Reference number 16 is a squared-wave signal FG indicating speed of the fan 10 and the signal transmitted to the electronic device (not shown) serving as a feedback signal.
In FIG. 1b, the speed of the fan 10′ is controlled by a pulse width modulation signal (referred to as a PWM signal herein) 40 from the electronic device. The output of the PWM signal 40 for fan speed control is based on various requirements, for example, a sudden rise in temperature of electronic elements. Reference numbers 12′ and 14′ represent positive and negative voltage from a power supply to the fan 10′. Reference number 16′ is a squared-wave signal FG indicating speed of the fan 10′ and transmitted to the electronic device (not shown) serving as a feedback signal.
Either the fan 10 or the fan 10′ is controlled by a unitary control method. This, however, limits the applicability of the fan to various electronic devices using different control methods.
Thus, a fan provided with several control modes is required for various applications. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a lens-fitted photographic film unit and a method of manufacturing the same. More particularly, the present invention relates to a lens-fitted film unit with which a user can take more photographs than a standard number of the photographable frames of the strip of photographic film contained therein, and a method of manufacturing such a film unit.
2. Description Related to the Prior Art
A 135-type photographic filmstrip (hereinafter referred to as film) in a cassette as defined by ISO code 1007, 1979 version, is given a standard number of photographable frames and a length sufficient for such frames (ISO signifies International Organization for Standardization). A user takes photographs to expose a series of the standard number of frames on the film. There are, however, occasions on which a conventional camera happens to take on standard film one or two exposures in addition to the standard number of exposures. Because such a conventional camera is manually loaded with film by a user, it is impossible, after completing exposure of the film, to estimate with precision the position of the picture frame nearest to the film leader. Thus it cannot be known how much leader can be pulled out of a cassette for development without accidental exposure of a picture to ambient light. In consideration of this, tile prevailing standard provides an allowance of film beyond the length sufficient for the nominal number of exposures.
The available length of the film is defined as the distance between the mouth of the cassette and the film leader when the film is fully drawn out of the cassette. As pointed out above, this available length is set to be longer than the series of the stated number of frames, and includes a lengthwise allowance to be left unexposed, which is approximately four times as long as a single frame. It is therefore possible in a camera to make on a film one to three exposures in addition to the stated number of exposures, which is dependent upon a manner of loading tile camera with the film.
Lens-fitted photographic film units (hereinafter referred to simply as film units) are now on the market, e.g. under the trademark "Quick Snap" (manufactured by Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.). Such known film units are disclosed in e.g. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,884,087 and 4,972,649, and are a single-use camera preloaded with photographic film. Such a film unit has a film housing of which a front cover and a rear cover are secured to a main body, in which body a taking lens, a film wind-up wheel and a shutter mechanism are incorporated. The main body is provided with a film supply chamber and a cassette-containing chamber formed on opposite horizontal sides of the taking lens. The unexposed film is wound in a roll in the film supply chamber. The externally rotatable wind-up wheel is engaged with a spool in the cassette contained in the film take-up chamber. A user who has purchased the film unit winds the film frame by frame back into the cassette after each exposure.
A driven sprocket wheel engages perforations in the film, and, when the film is wound up, is rotated by the moving film. When the film is wound up by one frame, namely eight perforations, responsive rotation of the sprocket causes a wind-up stopping mechanism to prevent the wind-up wheel from rotating further, cocks the shutter mechanism, and steps the count of a count-indicating wheel.
The film unit as manufactured must be inspected before it can be shipped, because the film unit should be usable with high reliability, without difficulties caused by manufacture of the film unit. It is usual to inspect the operation of the shutter mechanism. After the main body is loaded with the drawn-out film and its cassette, the shutter mechanism is cocked and then released, so as to check the operation.
There is a problem in this inspection of the film unit to be shipped. Cocking and releasing of the shutter mechanism for checking the operation must spend one frame of the film, with a length of eight perforations, and thus reduces the lengthwise allowance of the film available for possible exposures in addition to the stated number of photographable frames. If inspection other than the operation of the shutter of the film unit is performed, more than one frame will be spent. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
This is invention is related to device and apparatus and methods for producing white light from luminescent particle excitation and emission.
2. Description of the Related Art
The choice of general illumination sources for commercial and residential lighting is generally governed by a balance of energy efficiency and the ability to faithfully produce colors as measured by the color rendering index (CRI). Existing fluorescent lighting is known to be economical from an energy consumption point of view. However, many users complain that the light produced by the existing fluorescent lighting is of poor spectral quality and produces eye strain and other adverse health effects. Incandescent light is also widely used and is recognized as having excellent spectral quality and the ability to accurately render colors. This high spectral quality is derived from the hot filament, which approximates a blackbody radiator and emits light over many wavelengths, similar to the sun. However, incandescent lighting suffers from very low energy efficiency. Thus, there is a long felt need to produce light sources that use less energy and have a light composition similar to the composition of the sun light.
Solid-state lighting (SSL) is an alternative general illumination and lighting technology that promises the energy efficiency of fluorescent lights and the excellent spectral qualities of incandescent lighting. Typically, commercially available SSL lamps consists of a light emitting diode (LED) surrounded by a phosphor composed of large particles usually larger than 2 μm. The light emitted from the LED is of sufficient energy to cause the phosphor to fluoresce and emit one or more colors of visible light. The most common example of commercial SSL products consists of a blue LED (typically 460 nm) surrounded by a yellow phosphor, such as cerium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG:Ce), that emits lights in a broad band centered at 550 nm. The combination of nominally yellow light emission from the phosphor and blue light from the LED produces a light source that has a generally white appearance. Alternatively, an LED that emits in the ultraviolet (<400 nm) can be used to excite a blend of red, green, and blue phosphors. FIG. 1 is a schematic depiction of the spectrum of light obtained from a solid-state lighting device. While this approach produces white light, it suffers from low efficiency and poor spectral quality due to the limited number of wavelengths.
In addition, while the light intensity from lamps used in current solid-state lighting products is sufficient for applications such as flashlights, it is considered too low and the emission cone is considered too narrow for use in general illumination applications such as room lighting. Hence, there is a need for solid-state light sources that are capable of providing high intensity white light emissions over a large enough area for use in general illumination.
One approach proposed to improve the performance of SSL devices has been to use nanoparticles such as quantum dots as secondary converters to produce white light. “Quantum Dots Lend New Approach to Solid-State Lighting,” Sandia National Laboratory press release Jul. 24, 2003. This approach incorporates quantum dots into a polymer used to encapsulate the light emitting diode (LED) and essentially creates a three-dimensional dome of quantum dots around the LED die. While this method has been successful in producing white light, the three-dimensional dome structure places large quantities of quantum dots in non-optimal positions around the LED and creates potential quantum dot agglomeration issues.
In general, SSL devices can be classified as either proximate or remote phosphor configurations depending upon the proximity of the phosphor and LED (see E. Fred Schubert, Light-Emitting Diodes, Second Edition, Cambridge University Press, 2006). In the proximate phosphor configuration, the phosphor and LED are contained in the same package and the phosphor often lies in intimate contact with the top surface of the LED. In the remote phosphor configuration, the phosphor and LED are physically separated to reduce the thermal efforts of the LED on the phosphor. The previous art described both proximate and remote phosphor configurations that suffer limitations overcome by the described invention. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,357,889 describes a color tunable light source utilizing a remote phosphor. This system requires at a minimum two different LEDs operating at two different wavelengths in order to produce white light. The increase complexity of this system results in increased costs. In another example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,144,131 describes an optical system consisting of a remote phosphor in which the phosphor is doped into a diffuse reflective material. Such a structure creates an optical system limited by the highly reflective properties of the host matrix, which requires that the entire structure contain phosphors, which increases costs. In another example, U.S. Patent Application 2009/0251884 describes an optical system consistent of a remote phosphor in which the phosphor is doped into a diffuse reflective material and the combined structure occupies the entirety of an optical integrating cavity. Such a structure also requires large amounts of phosphors increasing costs. Likewise, in such structures the luminescent material is integrated in a relatively permanent or complicated component that is expensive to replace, limiting the possibility of conveniently and inexpensively exchanging the carrier of the luminescent material for the purpose of maintenance or of allowing a variation of color.
Previously, polymer/quantum dot compound nanofibers have been obtained from electrospinning of the polymer/quantum dot composite solutions, as disclosed in Schlecht et. al., Chem. Mater. 2005, 17, 809-814. However, the nanofibers produced by Schlecht et al. were on the order of 10-20 nm in diameter, in order to produce quantum confinement effects. The size range of the nanoparticles and nanofibers disclosed therein is not advantageous for conversion of a primary light into secondary light emission across the white light spectrum.
Lu. et. al., Nanotechnology, 2005, 16, 2233, also reported the making of Ag2S nanoparticles embedded in polymer fiber matrices by electrospinning. Once again, the size range of the nanoparticles and nanofibers shown therein is not advantageous for conversion of a primary light into secondary light emission across the white light spectrum.
As described in U.S. application Ser. No. 11/559,260, filed on Nov. 13, 2006, entitled “LUMINESCENT DEVICE,” referenced above, highly-efficient, light-producing sheets have been developed based on a combination of photoluminescent particles and polymer nanofibers. These luminescent sheets can be used in a white-light solid-state lighting device in which the sheets are illuminated by a blue light-emitting diode (LED) light source and the sheets will transform the incident blue light into, for example, yellow light. An appropriate mixture of yellow and blue light will produce the appearance of white light.
One particular advantage of these light-producing sheets is that photoluminescent particles are suspended above the nanofibers instead of being contained in a bulk material with a relatively high index of refraction. This arrangement prevents light from being trapped by total internal reflection, as occurs when the nanoparticles are encapsulated within bulk materials. | {
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The present invention relates to ligands which bind to human tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF) in a manner such that upon binding the biological activity of TNF is modified. The type of modification shown here is distinct from previous descriptions of antibodies which bind to TNF alpha and inhibit all TNF alpha activity. The new discovery shows how the different activities of TNF alpha can be selectively inhibited or enhanced. In addition, the present invention relates to a composition comprising a molecule bound to TNF and to methods of therapy utilising TNF and molecules active against TNF. | {
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1. Field of the Invention:
The invention generally relates to a method for attaching a fused-quartz mirror to a metal substrate, and more particularly to a method in which one surface of a fused-quartz mirror is coated with a film of solder, of a class including pure indium solder, and a metal substrate is tinned with a film of indium eutectic alloy, consisting essentially of indium, bismuth, lead and tin and subsequently united with the mirror at a solder/alloy interface.
2. Description of the Prior Art:
A major contaminant found aboard spacecraft is water vapor. Water vapor, of course, is present as a consequence of it having been absorbed in or deposited on substances and structures found aboard spacecraft, or as a result of operations of fuel cells frequently included in spacecraft systems.
As can be appreciated by those familiar with the spacecraft industry, precise determination of spatial distribution and density of water vapor in spacecraft systems and experiments is important to successful operation.
Water vapor often is monitored by cooling a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) to temperatures below 140.degree. K. and observing its mass loading rate. In a fully equipped laboratory, cooling of a QCM readily can be accomplished cryogenically using liquid nitrogen or helium. However, it is generally accepted that radiative cooling is potentially the most practical technique for cooling a QCM in a spacecraft environment, because of the general unavailability of cryogenic fluids aboard such craft.
Radiant coolers usually include a second-surface, fused-quartz mirror bonded to a metal substrate. Unfortunately, the coefficient of thermal expansion of a metal substrate, such as one formed of aluminum, copper and the like, is from fifteen to twenty-five times that of fused quartz. As a consequence, separation of a mirror from its substrate may be expected to occur.
In an effort to overcome the propensity of mirrors to separate from their substrate, radiant coolers have been fabricated utilizing spectrally selected paints and adhesive coatings of metallized plastics in forming the reflective surfaces. Moreover, attempts have been made to bond the mirrors to the substrates utilizing silicone rubber adhesives. Unfortunately, those materials heretofore employed in attempting to avoid the consequences of the differentials of coefficients of expansion which in operation occurs between the substrate and the mirror, have poor outgassing characteristics and thus tend to introduce inaccuracies in the monitoring of water vapor.
Use of thin layers of gold applied to each non-wettable surface of a pair of surfaces to be joined has been proposed for overcoming the aforementioned difficulties. When employing layers of gold for this purpose the layers are positioned in face-to-face contact, and a length of indium wire is placed along one edge of the interface between the layers and heated in a vacuum. The indium is thus caused to flow along the interface between the layers. For example, see the method disclosed in United States Letters Pat. No. 3,857,161. The disadvantages of such a technique is also discussed in the aforementioned patent. For example, it is pointed out that gold applied to the non-wettable surfaces, to serve as a wetting agent for the indium, is highly soluble in indium. Thus, unless a sufficiently thick film of gold is applied to the surface, it may completely dissolve in the molting indium, resulting in a de-wetting of the surfaces and a consequent failure of the seal. Additionally, the strength of the bond thus produced tends to be less than often is desired. Furthermore, it should be apparent that not only is the material utilized economically expensive, the technique is in itself rather complex.
Therefore, as can be appreciated, there currently exists a need for a practical method for bonding second-surface mirrors to radiant coolers which overcomes the aforementioned difficulties and disadvantages.
It is, therefore, the general purpose of the instant invention to provide a method for attaching a fused-quartz mirror to a conductive metal substrate and which has particular utility in the fabrication of radiatively-cooled QCM's for space application. | {
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Polymer-impregnated sheet material, such as fabrics, films, paper and tapes, have been widely employed to form electrical insulation for various electrical equipment and components, including high voltage stator bars of a generator. Formation of such insulation generally involves the use of a pre-impregnated sheet material, often referred to as a prepreg, that can be applied directly to a member to be insulated. Various materials can be employed as the sheet material and the impregnation material, depending on the requirements of the applications.
As taught by U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,812,214, 4,603,182 and 4,656,090 to Markovitz, each assigned to the assignee of this invention, a prepreg of mica paper backed with a woven fabric backer, such as woven fiberglass, is often used in the manufacturing of high voltage stator bars. The mica paper can be employed with a single backer or in combination with two backers, in which one backer can be a woven fabric such as fiberglass while the second can be another woven fabric, a non-woven fabric such as a polyester mat, or a polyester or polyimide film. In each case, an epoxy resin binder is used to permeate through the mica paper and the backers, and to bond each backer to the mica paper so as to form a prepreg sheet.
Prepregs of the type taught by Markovitz are typically slit into tapes that can be more readily wrapped around a conductor, such as a stator bar of a generator. Typically, multiple layers of tape are tightly wrapped around the conductor, usually overlapping by one-half the width of the tape. After being wrapped with a sacrificial release film to protect the tape and prevent contamination, the conductor and its tape wrapping are then placed in an autoclave for vacuum heat treatment and subsequent curing. Vacuum heat treatment is carried out to remove air, moisture and any solvent or volatile compound present in the resin binder, so as to prevent formation of voids in the cured insulation that would otherwise adversely affect the quality of the insulation and induce premature insulation failure due to breakdown under electrical stress. Thereafter, the taped conductor undergoes a cure under pressure to consolidate the tape insulation, such that the resin binder bonds the mica paper and each of its backers together to form a void-free solid insulation.
In order to reliably form a high quality insulation, several requirements must be met in the manufacture and processing of resin-impregnated sheet materials, such as the mica tape and the taped conductor noted above. Preferably, the resin binder is a semi-solid or solid at room temperature, yet sufficiently flexible to make the sheet material pliable. Furthermore, the binder must have a sufficiently high molecular weight to act as an adhesive for bonding the prepreg components together, and must be substantially tack-free to prevent the prepreg from sticking together (i.e., blocking).
In addition, during the manufacture of the prepreg, the resin binder must be able to permeate through the sheet materials, as well as act as an adhesive to the one or two backers used in the construction of the prepreg. One known approach is to add a solvent, such as methyl ethyl ketone, acetone or toluene, to a semi-solid or solid resin so as to reduce its viscosity. While this approach is effective, a shortcoming is the relatively large amount of solvent that must be removed during the subsequent vacuum heat treatment of the taped conductor, an amount that is typically much greater than the moisture content of the tape. As noted previously, if the solvent is not completely removed, the retained solvent will adversely affect the cured properties of the binder and can promote the formation of voids in the cured insulation. An additional shortcoming of the use of solvents is the environmental and safety concerns associated with their use.
An additional requirement is that, during processing of a conductor wrapped or taped with the prepreg, the vacuum heat treatment must sufficiently lower the viscosity of the resin binder within the sheet material and increase the vapor pressure of its volatile compounds, so as to enable the removal of the volatile components. Such a requirement is particularly important in the use of multiple, tightly-wrapped layers of mica tape. For example, vacuum cycles of at least about five hours and often up to about twelve hours, at temperatures of up to about 120.degree. C, are typically required to remove the volatile compounds from the multiple tape layers around a stator bar. However, a significant problem with this step is the tendency for the resin binder to be reactive at the vacuum heat treatment temperatures necessary to adequately reduce the viscosity of the binder so as to remove the volatiles. As a result, the binder will begin to gel, particularly if the temperature is too high, the duration of the cycle is excessive, or if the prepreg is aged such that the resin binder has already begun to react.
Finally, the resin binder must be able to flow under pressure during the curing stage in order to fill all voids between the prepreg layers and between the prepreg and the conductor. However, if gelation has occurred during the vacuum heat treatment cycle, there will be insufficient resin flow during cure, such that voids will likely remain and degrade the effectiveness and the life of the cured insulation. While the reactivity of the binder could be reduced in order to prevent gelation during vacuum heat treatment, the result has been a reactivity which is inadequate to achieve sufficient cure during the cure cycle within a practical process cycle of about twelve hours at about 165.degree. C.
While the above-noted U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,812,214, 4,603,182 and 4,656,090 to Markovitz advanced the art of resin binders that are suitable for forming prepreg mica tapes, the disclosed resins do not exhibit an optimized reactivity. Specifically, these resins exhibit some degree of reactivity at temperatures necessary to completely remove their volatile components. As a result, gelation tends to occur during the vacuum heat treatment cycle, preventing the elimination of voids and thereby degrading the effectiveness and life of the insulation. In the use of these resins, gelation is avoided only by carefully monitoring the hot vacuum cycle, thereby complicating processing. Furthermore, these resins have tended to react over extended periods at room temperature, such as periods in excess of one month, necessitating that they be refrigerated in order to promote their shelf life.
Finally, the resin compositions taught by U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,603,182 and 4,656,090 included styrene or vinyl toluene as diluents, which are reactive and volatile compounds, that can be removed during vacuum heat treatment, and thereby result in a variable product depending on how much was removed. Because these resin compositions have a tendency to gel during the hot vacuum cycle, such gelation hinders the ability to achieve adequate compaction in order to obtain a void-free insulation. Accordingly, the mechanical and electrical properties of a resulting cured insulation can be diminished.
In view of the above, it would be desirable if a resin binder were available that exhibited more optimal reactivity properties, specifically in terms of being: essentially unreactive at room temperature for storage stability; essentially unreactive at about 50.degree. C. to about 120.degree. C. in order to enable manufacture of the prepreg by hot melt soaking; essentially unreactive and having a low viscosity at a suitable vacuum heat treatment temperature so as to remove air, moisture and volatiles during processing of a conductor wrapped or taped with the sheet material; and highly reactive at practical curing temperatures. If such a resin binder were to exist, a substantial improvement could be achieved in the shelf life of mica tapes, the removal of volatile components during processing of the taped conductor, the avoidance of void formation during curing, and the effectiveness and life of the resulting insulation. | {
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This invention relates to a conductive board spacer for fixing two opposing printed boards at a predetermined space while enhancing the function of the printed boards.
Conventionally, this conductive board spacer is composed of synthetic resins or metals.
Japanese Published Examined Patent Application No. 58-35386 and Japanese Published Examined Utility Model Application Nos. 59-27651 and 60-8462 disclose board spacers of synthetic resin having a predetermined length. The synthetic-resin spacers have a supporting member with both ends of the supporting member contacting printed boards. Locking members extend from the ends of the supporting member for engaging fixing holes in the printed boards. The locking members, which are arrowhead-shaped, pass through the holes, resiliently expand outward, return to their original configuration and become secured in the fixing holes. The synthetic-resin spacers thus secure the printed boards, and easily engage and disengage from the boards.
On the other hand, metallic spacers have a long, hexagonal bolt. The bolt engages screwed holes in the printed boards, and nuts screw onto the bolt, thus fixing the spacer to the printed boards. The spacers keep the printed boards a certain distance apart and equalize the ground potential between the printed boards. Signal conductors laid between the printed boards are thus effectively used.
However, the synthetic-resin spacers do not equalize the ground potential between the printed boards. On the other hand, since the metallic spacers must be fixed to or disengaged from the printed boards using the nuts, the application of the spacers is troublesome and time-consuming.
Conductive spacers, which have been developed to provide advantages of the abovementioned spacers, are molded as one piece from synthetic resin with conductive fillers such as metallic particles, having a particle size of several tens of microns, or carbon black.
However, the conductive spacers develop problems. The conductive filler provides conductivity to the conductive spacers. When the conductive filler is mixed into synthetic resin, the electric resistivity of the synthetic resin is reduced, but its mechanical strength is also reduced. The amount of conductive filler must be carefully regulated.
The optimum resistivity for grounding the printed boards each other is 5.times.10.sup.-5 ohm.cm or less. As the amount of the conductive filler is increased to provide optimum conductivity, the synthetic resin becomes brittle. Especially, the excess amount of the conductive filler deteriorates the strength and durability of thin portions of the conductive spacer which portions engage the fixing holes in the printed boards. | {
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Limitations and disadvantages of conventional approaches to reception of signals in the presence of nonlinear distortion will become apparent to one of skill in the art, through comparison of such approaches with some aspects of the present method and system set forth in the remainder of this disclosure with reference to the drawings. | {
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Sealing around metal roof-penetrating pipes to prevent ingress of water and moisture presents problems. The metal pipes expand and contract with varied temperatures that a roof encounters. Ordinary seals and tars under stress over time periods, crack, become loose, and admit water and moisture to penetrate roofs around the through-roof pipes. Over time metal pipe surfaces exposed to the elements become corroded or oxidized and become extremely difficult or totally impossible to seal. Replacement of these damaged or impossible to seal preexisting metal pipes is costly and time-consuming. Hence sealing to these preexisting old corroded metal pipes presents a problem to be solved.
Roof-penetrating metal pipes have different diameters and thicknesses. As an example, cast iron pipes may have larger outer diameters and greater wall thickness as compared to smaller outer diameters and thinner walls of copper roof-penetrating pipes. This pipe size difference creates other problems to be solved.
Needs exist for improved roof-penetrating pipe seals and sealing. | {
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Fixed-wing aircraft, such as airplanes, are capable of flight using wings that generate lift responsive to the forward airspeed of the aircraft, which is generated by forward thrust from one or more jet engines or propellers. The wings have an airfoil cross section that deflects air downward as the aircraft moves forward, generating vertical lift to support the airplane in flight. Fixed-wing aircraft, however, require a runway for takeoff and landing.
Unlike fixed-wing aircraft, vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft do not require runways. Instead, VTOL aircraft are capable of taking off, hovering and landing vertically. One example of VTOL aircraft is a helicopter, which is a rotorcraft having one or more rotors that provide vertical lift and forward thrust to the aircraft. Helicopter rotors not only enable hovering, vertical takeoff and vertical landing, but also enable, forward, aftward and lateral flight. These attributes make helicopters highly versatile for use in congested, isolated or remote areas where fixed-wing aircraft may be unable to takeoff and land. Helicopters, however, typically lack the forward airspeed of fixed-wing aircraft.
A tiltrotor is another example of a VTOL aircraft. Tiltrotor aircraft utilize tiltable rotor systems that are operable to transition between a forward thrust orientation and a vertical lift orientation. The rotor systems are tiltable relative to the fixed wing such that the associated proprotors have a generally horizontal plane of rotation for vertical takeoff, hovering and vertical landing and a generally vertical plane of rotation for forward flight, wherein the fixed wing provides lift. In this manner, tiltrotor aircraft combine the vertical lift capability of a helicopter with the speed and range of fixed-wing aircraft. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Sales of electric vehicles are expected to grow rapidly over the next five years and beyond. Established market research indicates that by 2020, electric vehicles will represent approximately 6% of new light vehicle sales in the United States (roughly 1 million vehicles). By 2020, electric vehicles will be integrated into a smart grid power distribution system, and by 2030, electric vehicles could represent 20% of new light vehicle sales in the United States. A charging system infrastructure must be deployed throughout the United States and globally to support this growth. Efficient and effective infrastructure must include leading edge communication techniques and feature fleet management capability. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of exciting a light for an optical amplification medium fiber which is used in industrial area such as information communication, a laser medical operation, or a laser manufacturing operation; a structure for emitting an excited light into an optical amplification medium fiber; an optical fiber amplifier; and an optical fiber laser.
2. Description of Related Art
For a conventional type of the optical amplification medium fiber as shown in FIG. 12, there has been an optical amplification medium fiber which is provided with an inner cladding 102 around a core 101 into which a rare-earth element is doped, an outer cladding 104 which is disposed on an outer periphery of the inner cladding 102 via a porous layer 103, and a coating 105 thereon. In the porous layer 103, holes 106 and a connecting section 107 which connects the inner cladding 102 and the outer cladding 104 are formed alternately in a circular direction. (See “Jacketed air clad cladding pumped ytterbium-doped fiber laser with wide tuning range” by J. K. Sahu et al, Electronics Letters, Great Britain, 2001, Vol. 37, pages 1116–1117)
There is a large relative refractive index difference between the inner cladding 102 and the porous layer 103 in such an optical amplification medium fiber 110 which has a porous fiber structure. Therefore, it is possible to emit an excited light which has a large aperture number to be incident into the optical amplification medium fiber 110. Thus, there is an advantage in that it is possible to form an optical fiber laser which has a great output. If it is intended to emit the excited light into a side surface of the optical amplification medium fiber 110 so as to excite the optical amplification medium fiber optically, the excited light is dispersed by the porous layer 103. Therefore, efficient incidence cannot be realized; therefore, it is a common procedure in that the excited light is emitted into an end surface of the optical amplification medium fiber 110.
FIG. 13 is a general view for an example for a conventional method for exciting a optical amplification medium fiber optically. In such a method for exciting a light, an excited light 124 is emitted to be incident into the inner cladding 102 of the optical amplification medium fiber 110 by condensing a light of the excited light 124 which is emitted from a laser diode (source for an excited light) 126 on an end surface 111 of the optical amplification medium fiber 110 by a light condensing lens 127 so as to excite the rare-earth element which is doped into core 101 of the optical amplification medium fiber 110.
FIG. 14 is a general view for a first example for a conventional optical fiber amplifier. In such an optical fiber amplifier 140A, a signal light 143 which is output from an end surface 142 of an optical fiber 141 for incident signal light is condensed by the light condensing lens 144 so as to be incident into an end surface 111 of the optical amplification medium fiber 110 through a optical filter 145. Also, the excited light 124 is condensed by the light condensing lens 127 and reflected by the optical filter 145 so as to be incident into the end surface 111 of the optical amplification medium fiber 110. In the optical amplification medium fiber 110, the signal light is amplified by a rare-earth element which is excited by absorbing the excited light 124 so as to be output from an end surface 112 which is disposed opposite to the optical amplification medium fiber 110 as an output signal light 146.
FIG. 15 is a general view for a second example for a conventional optical fiber amplifier. An optical fiber amplifier 140B is provided with a plurality of laser diodes (source for excited light) 126, so as to enhance the intensity for the excited light 124 which is emitted to be incident into the optical amplification medium fiber 110. Consequently, the excited light 124 which is output from these excited light sources 126, 126 are mixed by an optical mixing element 128 which is formed by a silica glass member so as to emit the excited light 124 into an end surface 111 of the optical amplification medium fiber 110 via a light condensing lens 127 and an optical filter 145. By doing this, the optical amplifier 140B can realize more efficient amplitude than in a case in which a piece of excited light source.
FIG. 16 is a general view for a third example for a conventional optical fiber amplifier. In the optical fiber amplifier 140B, a plurality of optical amplifying medium fibers 110a, 110b, 110c are connected via light condensing lenses 144 and optical filters 145 for mixing the excited light 124 and the signal light 143, 147. That is, the signal light 143 which is output from an end surface 142 of the optical fiber 141 into which a signal light is emitted to be incident is emitted to be incident into a first optical amplification medium fiber 110a, a second optical amplification medium fiber 110b, and a third optical amplification medium fiber 110c successively and amplified. The signal light under condition of a space beam 147 is transmitted in a space among the optical amplification medium fibers 110a, 110b, and 110c so as to be mixed with the excited light; thus, the signal light is emitted to be incident into next optical amplification medium fibers 110b and 110c. By doing this, it is possible to obtain an output signal light 146 which has a greater intensity.
FIG. 17 is a general view for another example for a conventional method for exciting a optical amplification medium fiber optically. A so-called double cladding optical amplification medium fiber 210 which is used in this method is proyided with a core 201, an inner cladding 202 which is formed by a silica glass member so as to be formed on an periphery of the core 201, and an outer cladding 203 which is formed on an outer periphery of the inner cladding 202. The outer cladding 203 is a resin coating of which refractive index is slightly lower than that in the inner cladding 202 (for example, the refractive index in the inner cladding 202 is 1.45 and the refractive index in the outer cladding 203 is 1.42). It is possible to realize a waveguide function in the inner cladding 202 by using such refractive index difference.
In this method for exciting the light, an outer cladding 203 of the optical amplification medium fiber 210 is removed in a part of a longitudinal direction. Furthermore, a part of an outer periphery of the inner cladding 202 which is exposed in a coating removed section 211 is ground so as to form a planar ground section 207. An end surface 208 of the optical fiber 220 for excited light incidence is cut diagonally so as to be connected to the ground section 207. Furthermore, a protective resin layer 214 is disposed so as to protect the connecting section 213 and the ground section 207.
According to such a method for exciting the light, the excited light 224 which is transmitted in the optical fiber 220 for excited light incidence is emitted from the connecting section 213 so as to be incident into the optical amplification medium fiber 210 for excited light incidence. Thus, a light is excited in the optical amplification medium fiber 210. (See English Specification for U.S. Pat. No. 6,370,297)
In the optical fiber amplifiers 140A to 140C which use the optical amplification medium fiber 110 which has the above porous fiber structure, it is necessary to emit the signal light 143, 147 and the excited light 124 so as to be incident into the optical amplification medium fiber 110 as a space beam; therefore, it is necessary to dispose an optical system such as a light condensing lens 144 and an optical filter 145. In addition, it is necessary to dispose the optical fiber 141 into which the signal light is emitted to be incident and the excited light source 126 in aligned condition simultaneously. Therefore, very delicate operations such as adjusting an alignment for an optical axis of a light is necessary. Also, even though the optical axis is adjusted desirably, there are problems in that an optical axis may be dis-aligned by a mechanical factors such as a vibration and collision or by a temperature condition; thus, a desirable amplification function may be disturbed.
Also, in a case in which a double-cladding optical amplification medium fiber 210 is used, there is a slight difference for the refractive index for the inner cladding 202 and the outer cladding 203. Therefore, only a component which has a small incidence angle θ in the excited light 224 which is emitted so as to be incident into the optical fiber 220 for excited light incidence can be transmitted in the optical amplification medium fiber 210. A component which has a large incidence angle θ in the excited light 224 leaks in a condition of light loss out of the optical fiber 210 via the outer cladding 203 from the inner cladding 202. That is, there is a problem in that efficiency for emitting the excited light 224 to be incident into the optical amplification medium fiber 210 is not enough; thus, the light loss is undesirably great.
Also, in recent years, optical fiber laser and amplifier have been studied which use a laser oscillation medium such as a silica glass member to which a rare-earth element such as erbium (Er), neodymium (Nd), ytterbium (Yb), and holmium (Ho) is doped and a host glass such as a fluoride glass member.
There is an advantage for an optical fiber laser in that it is possible to realize a small device highly efficiently such that the laser oscillation medium serve for a transmitting medium compatibly. The optical fiber laser is used for various industrial use such as an optical communication, an optical sensor, a material science, and medical science according to the above feature. In particular, a laser which has a higher output power is longed for industrial use such as an optical communication and a material science.
The realization of the higher output power depends on an introduction of the excited light into an area (normally a core is named for such an area) into which a laser activating medium (rare-earth ion) is doped in the optical fiber laser.
An area to which a laser activating medium is doped such as an outer diameter of the core may be approximately 10 μm for an optical fiber laser which is manufactured according to a common method in which the excited light is introduced into an end surface of the rare-earth doped fiber. Therefore, it is very difficult to introduce an excited light into the core efficiently. Also, if there is a dust on an end surface into which the excited light is emitted to be incident in the rare-earth-doped fiber, there is a concern that the end surface may be damaged by a heat.
A method is proposed for introducing the excited light into the core efficiently in which a double-cladding fiber is provided with a first cladding and a second cladding for the laser medium so as to introduce the excited light into an end surface of the double cladding fiber or the side of the double cladding fiber.
An optical fiber laser shown, for example, in FIG. 22 is used for a method in which the excited light is introduced into an end surface of the double cladding fiber.
In such an optical fiber laser, the excited light which is emitted from the excited laser diode module (hereinafter called an “excited LD module”) 201 is condensed by the light condensing lenses 202, 203 so as to be introduced into an end surface of a rare-earth-doped optical fiber 205 via a resonator mirror 204; thus, a light which is emitted therefrom resonates in the resonator mirror 204. Accordingly, the resonating excited mirror is emitted from another end surface of the rare-earth-doped fiber 205 so as to be emitted thereoutside in a laser light condition via the resonator mirror 206.
The cross section of the first cladding of the rare-earth-doped fiber 205 is larger than a core in a non-double-cladding optical fiber; therefore, it is possible to introduce more amount of the excited light into the fiber. Therefore, it is possible to realize a higher output power in the optical fiber laser.
In such a method for introducing the excited light into a side of the double-cladding fiber, for example, a plurality of optical fibers are bundled and the excited light is emitted from a periphery of a structure which is formed by optical medium unitarily. By doing this, an optical fiber laser for emitting the laser light from the end surface of the optical fiber is formed (See Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. Hei 10-190097).
The excited light is introduced into such an optical fiber laser from the side of a plurality of the optical fibers; therefore, an area into which the excited light is introduced can be enlarged greatly.
However, an intense excited light is still condensed on an end surface of the rare-earth-doped fiber according to a method in which the excited light is introduced into an end surface of the double-cladding fiber. Therefore, there is a concern that a section into which the excited light is introduced may be damaged by heat in the double-cladding fiber. If the section into which the excited light is introduced is damaged by a heat, the excited light is not introduced into the rare-earth-doped fiber; thus, the oscillation of the excited light stops in the rare-earth-doped fiber. Therefore, there is a problem that the laser light is not output.
On the other hand, the excited light is transmitted so as to cross a plurality of the optical fibers according to a method in which the excited light is introduced into a side of the double-cladding fiber. Therefore, a problem such as a diminished transmission of the excited light and a dispersion loss may occur in gaps among the optical fibers.
The optical fibers are embedded in an organic bonding agent in order to prevent such a diminished transmission and a dispersion loss. However, such an organic bonding agent has only a low optical power resistance. If the intensity of the excited light is enhanced for obtaining a higher output of the laser light, the organic bonding agent may be denatured; thus, it is not possible to realize a desirable transparency for the organic bonding agent. Accordingly, there may be a case in which the output power of the laser light be decrease extremely. Also, an entire structure which is formed by a plurality of the bundled optical fibers may be damaged by a heat; thus, there may be a case in which the laser light may not be output. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The invention relates to methods and compositions for the sustained release delivery of biologically active agents.
Polymeric materials have been widely used for manufacturing of medical devices, such as artificial organs, implants, medical devices, vascular prostheses, blood pumps, artificial kidney, heart valves, pacemaker lead wire insulation, intra-aortic balloon, artificial hearts, dialyzers and plasma separators, among others. The polymer used within a medical device must be biocompatible (e.g., must not produce toxic, allergic, inflammatory reactions, or other adverse reactions). It is the physical, chemical and biological processes at the interface, between the biological system and the synthetic materials used, which defines the short- and long-term potential applications of a particular device. In general, the exact profile of biocompatibility and biodegradation, including chemical and physical/mechanical properties i.e., elasticity, stress, ductility, toughness, time dependent deformation, strength, fatigue, hardness, wear resistance, and transparency for a biomaterial are extremely variable. To produce the desired properties, polymer blends produced through mixing, have been utilized. However, polymer mixing reduces entropy and induces phase separation. Thus, thermodynamic compatibility becomes an important factor for the functionality and stability of the polymer blend system.
The appropriate biological response to the surface of a device is crucial for biocompatibility. A practical approach taken towards the development of biomedical devices has involved the utilization of polymeric materials that satisfy the bulk material criteria for the device, while applying some form of surface modification. The ideal surface modification specifically tailors the biological surface properties and produces minimal change to the bulk character. Such an approach has advantages over grafting biologically active agents to the bulk polymer chains, since the latter approach brings about significant changes to the physical structure of the polymers. Methods that have been used for the surface modification of polymer surfaces, rather than bulk grafting of the polymers, have included the following: non-covalent coatings (with and without solvent), chemical surface grafting, ion implantation, Langmuir-Blodgett Overlayer and self assembled films, surface modifying additives, surface chemical reactions, and etching and roughening.
The polymeric coating of a medical device may also serve as a repository for delivery of a biologically active agent. Where the active agent is a pharmaceutical drug, it is often desirable to release the drug from the medical device over an extended period of time. Most systems for kinetically controlled direct drug delivery employ a polymer. For example, the agent may be released as the polymer enzymatically degrades or disintegrates in the body or may diffuse out of the polymeric matrix at a controlled rate. A site-specific drug transfer system can produce a high concentration of agent at the treatment site, while minimizing the adverse effects associated with systemic administration.
A polymeric system being used to control release of the drug must be free of impurities that trigger adverse biological responses (i.e., biologically inert), must produce the desired release profile, and must possess the mechanical properties required of the medical device.
In most cases biologically active agents are simply mixed with a polymer platform in a suitable solvent system. The biologically active agent is then released by particle dissolution or diffusion (when the non-bioerodable matrices are used) or during polymer breakdown (when a biodegradable polymer is used). Mixing lowers the entropy and this can result in phase separation throughout the bulk polymer, compromising the physical/mechanical properties of the polymeric coating.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,770,725 describes the covalent attachment of bioactive compounds to polymers with oligofluoro end groups. This approach was used to position biologically active agents at the surface of devices, to improve the biocompatibility of the device surface by modifying the surface with oligofluoro end groups, and to enhance the thermodynamic compatibility of the polymer-bioactive compound conjugate with the base polymer. The polymers described allow the base polymer to retain its bulk properties.
Covalent conjugation is often a multi-step chemical process ending with a covalent linkage between an available functional group in the polymer and a functional group in the biologically active agent. Generally, bioactive agents (i.e., drug) are structurally modified to accomplish covalent conjugation. For some biologically active agents, such modifications may result in the loss of some of the activity of the agent, or may completely inactivate the agent, making it impossible to deliver such an agent using a conjugation strategy.
In view of the potential drawbacks to current biologically active agent localization systems, there exists a need for surface modifying drug delivery platforms which provide for delivery of biologically active agents with a defined profile of release to targeted locations. The present invention addresses these problems and offers advantages over the prior art. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical information reproduction apparatus for reproducing recorded information from an optical recording medium.
2. Description of Related Art
In order to protect its recording surface, an optical disk used as an optical recording medium is provided with, a transmissive substrate with a predetermined thickness in such a way as to cover the recording surface. An optical pickup used as an information reading means reads recorded information from the optical disk in accordance with the amount of reflected light when a reading beam of light is irradiated onto the recording surface through the transmissive substrate.
However, in manufacturing, it is difficult to form the transmissive substrates of all optical disks with a prescribed thickness. Usually, a thickness error of several tens of micrometers occurs. Therefore, the thickness error of the transmissive substrates produces spherical aberration. The production of the spherical aberration sometimes lowers markedly the amplitude level of an information reading signal or a tracking error signal, and, disadvantageously, it lowers information reading accuracy.
The present invention has been made to solve the problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide an optical information reproduction apparatus capable of improving information reading accuracy by correcting spherical aberration even if the spherical aberration is produced by a thickness error of the transmissive substrate of an optical disk.
The present invention is characterized in that an optical information reproduction apparatus for reproducing recorded information from an optical recording medium comprises an optical system that includes a laser generating element for generating a laser beam, an objective lens for condensing the laser beam on a recording surface of the optical recording medium, an objective lens transfer means for transferring the objective lens on a focus adjusting orbit, and a photodetector for obtaining a photoelectric conversion signal by applying photoelectric conversion to reflected light from the optical recording medium; a means for generating a reading signal and a tracking error signal in accordance with the photoelectric conversion signal; a means for controlling the objective lens transfer means so as to transfer the objective lens on the focus adjusting orbit so that the amplitude level of the reading signal reaches a maximum and to retain the objective lens at a position at the maximum level; a spherical aberration correction means for correcting spherical aberration occurring in the optical system to an extent corresponding to the amount of correction; and a means for supplying, to the spherical aberration correction means, a final amount of spherical aberration correction where the amplitude level of the tracking error signal reaches a maximum while changing the amount of correction and detecting the amplitude level of the tracking error signal. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a photo-semiconductor module and a method for manufacturing the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
The optical fiber features xe2x80x9csmall lossxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9csmall diameterxe2x80x9d, and xe2x80x9clight weightxe2x80x9d to thereby reduce the loss significantly as compared to a conventional metallic cable. This difference is remarkable in high speed transmission of signals. To provide broadband services to the general homes in the near future, it is indispensable to develop a low-cost, high-band, and high-sensitivity light reception terminal (ONU: Optical Network Unit).
In realization of a low-cost, high-band, and high-sensitivity light reception terminal (ONU), a super-lattice avalanche photo-diode (hereinafter abbreviated as APD) and a Pin-photodiode (hereinafter abbreviated as PinPD) are drawing the attention from the industries as a photo-receptor element. These photo-receptor elements have been desired to be further improved in characteristics (especially high-frequency characteristic).
In view of the above, it is a main object of the invention to improve the high-frequency characteristic of a light-receiving photo-semiconductor device.
To achieve this object, in short, a photo-semiconductor module of the invention comprises a circuit board, a light-receiving photo-semiconductor device which is flip-chip-wise mounted on this circuit board, and an optical fiber which is fixed to the mounting face or its back face of the light-receiving photo-semiconductor device.
This configuration of the invention makes it possible to connect a light-receiving photo-semiconductor device to the circuit board with a short wiring distance, thus improving the high-frequency characteristic.
Also, the flip-chip-wise mounting method makes it possible to directly radiate heat from the back face of the light-receiving photo-semiconductor device, thus improving the hear radiation performance as compared to a conventional packaging method (by use of a resin-molded product).
Further, by the invention, an optical fiber can be slid on the mounting face or its back face of the light-receiving photo-semiconductor device so that it may be fixed at such a point thereon so as to give the largest light receiving sensitivity, in order to enable alignment while preserving sufficient output properties, thus reducing the manufacturing costs. In particular, the back face of a light-receiving photo-semiconductor device is mirror-face finished often, thus having good flatness originally. This feature facilitates alignment and fixing of an optical fiber onto the back face of the device, thus further improving the productivity.
To align an optical fiber to a light-receiving photo-semiconductor device, the optical fiber may expectedly slid in an alignment groove formed in the surface of the circuit board. By such a method, however, the groove must be machined at a high precision level and also be aligned with the light-receiving photo-semiconductor device at a high accuracy, thus contributing to an increase in the manufacturing costs. Such problems can be solved by the invention.
By the invention, the light-receiving photo-semiconductor device has a photo-absorbing layer formed therein, so that preferably the optical fiber is fixed as opposed to this photo-absorbing layer in a direction perpendicular to the mounting surface. Such a configuration improves the photo-absorbing efficiency.
By the invention, the circuit board has a connection electrode, so that preferably the input/output terminal electrodes of the light-receiving photo-semiconductor device are connected to this connection electrode via a protruding electrode and a conductive adhesive agent.
Also, by the invention, the circuit board has a connection electrode, so that preferably the input/output terminal electrodes of the light-receiving photo-semiconductor device are connected to this connection electrode via solder.
Such a configuration makes it possible to securely connect the device to the circuit board with a short wiring distance, thus further improving the high-frequency characteristic.
By the invention, preferably the surroundings of a connection between the input/output terminal electrodes and the connection electrode are encapsulated with an encapsulating resin. By doing so, a simple construction of resin encapsulation is enough to encapsulate the photo-semiconductor module, thus reducing the costs by that much.
In this case, to secure encapsulation, preferably the opposing portion between the light-receiving photo-semiconductor device and the circuit board except the connection between the input/output terminal electrodes and the connection electrode is encapsulated with the encapsulating resin.
By the invention, the back face is provided with a mounting hole toward the mounting face so that the optical fiber may preferably be inserted into it and fixed. This configuration facilitates and ensures the fixation of the optical fiber.
By the invention, preferably the mounting hole has such a depth that extends to a vicinity of the photo-absorbing layer of the light-receiving photo-semiconductor device. Thus, the photo-absorbing efficiency can be improved further.
By the invention, preferably the light-receiving photo-semiconductor device employs a compound semiconductor substrate having a Pin-photodiode. By thus using the Pin-photodiode, it is possible to obtain a photo-semiconductor module stable in characteristics and reliabilities.
In this case, the circuit board has a connection electrode, so that preferably the connection electrode connected to either one of the P-side electrode and the N-side electrode of the Pin-photodiode is provided at such a site on the circuit board that is opposed to a periphery of the light-receiving photo-semiconductor device. Such a configuration suppresses the occurrence of a floating capacitance between the connection electrode of the circuit board and the light-receiving photo-semiconductor device, thus further improving the high-frequency characteristic.
By the invention, an auxiliary mounting plate with a through-hole is further comprised, so that preferably the auxiliary mounting plate is fixed to the back face with the optical fiber as inserted and fixed to the through-hole to thereby fix the optical fiber to the light-receiving photo-semiconductor device, thus facilitating and securing the fixation of the optical fiber.
In this case, preferably an encapsulating resin is comprised to encapsulate the surroundings of a connection between the input/output terminal electrodes and the connection electrode to thereby fix the auxiliary mounting plate to the back face with this encapsulating resin, thus further facilitating and securing the fixation of the optical fiber.
A photo-semiconductor module of the invention can be manufactured by a method comprising the steps of: forming a protruding electrode on the input/output terminal electrode provided on the mounting face to then give a conductive adhesive agent to this protruding electrode; installing the light-receiving photo-semiconductor device to the circuit board in such a manner that the input/output terminal electrode may butt against the connection electrode provided on the circuit board; hardening the conductive adhesive agent to mount the light-receiving photo-semiconductor device to the circuit board; encapsulating a connection site between the light-receiving photo-semiconductor device and the circuit board with an encapsulating resin; and fixing an optical fiber to the back face.
Similarly, a photo-semiconductor module of the invention can be manufactured by a method comprising the steps of: supplying solder to a connection electrode provided on the circuit board; installing the light-receiving photo-semiconductor device to the circuit board in such a manner that the input/output terminal electrode provided on the mounting face may butt against the connection electrode; melting the solder to mount the light-receiving photo-semiconductor device to the circuit board, encapsulating a connection site between the light-receiving photo-semiconductor device and the circuit board with an encapsulating resin; and fixing an optical fiber to the back face.
In this case, preferably a photo-hardening resin is used as the optical-fiber fixing adhesive agent and the encapsulating resin to thereby photo-harden both these encapsulating resin and optical-fiber fixing resin simultaneously, thus simplifying the step of hardening these resins.
Also, to use a compound semiconductor substrate having a Pin-photodiode to make the light-receiving photo-semiconductor device thereon, preferably the protruding electrode is formed on the terminal electrode with both the shorter-side faces of the compound semiconductor substrate as sandwiched by a jig to thereby enable avoiding damaging of the light-receiving photo-semiconductor device made of even such a relatively brittle substance as a compound semiconductor substrate.
Also, to mount a light-receiving photo-semiconductor device to the circuit board using solder, preferably heat and load are inflicted on the solder to thereby produce a diffused compound between the solder and the input/output terminal electrode, thus enabling securely interconnecting the connection electrode and the input/output terminal electrode without performing an extra step of applying flux to the solder. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to gas generators, and more particularly to a downhole gas generator having multiple independently controlled combustion chambers.
2. Description of Related Art
The following art defines the present state of this field:
Challacombe, U.S. Pat. No. 3,721,297, teaches a system for cleaning wells that includes a series of gas generating modules and explosive caps. The explosive caps are used for generating a series of repeated mild explosions and a series of pressure pulsations, which provides both repetitive shock and repetitive sustained fluid pulsations. The shock is required to break up and loosen various formations and materials formed in the well casing perforations and interstices of surrounding formation. The pulsations achieve repeated flow of the well fluid back and forth through the casing perforations and surrounding formation to thereby remove particles of plugging material that are loosened by the shock waves. The assembly of gas producing modules and explosive caps is interconnected in a string and arranged so that the burning or explosion of one element of the string will, itself, initiate the burning or explosion of the succeeding element, thus eliminating the need for multiple control lines for the desired sequential ignition.
Can, U.S. Pat. No. 4,382,771, teaches a gas and steam generator for use in generating electricity. The generator includes a linear series of combustion chambers wherein water in combination with combustible materials is burned. Each combustion chamber is provided with a reduced nozzle-type outlet for creating great pressures and temperatures within the respective chambers, and each combustion chamber being arranged for receiving combustible materials therein for burning thereof. The initial combustion chamber preferably receives a fuel-oxygen mixture at the inlet end thereof for ignition, with the products of the combustion being maintained at a high pressure and temperature by the restrictive nozzle-type outlet of the chamber. Steam and additional combustible materials are introduced at the nozzle outlet of the chamber for ignition and passage into a next stage combustion chamber whereby additional heat and force is produced for ultimate delivery of great power for a work operation.
Hill et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,633,951, teaches multiple combustion gas generating units that each use rocket fuel type propellants disposed in a well casing at preselected depths. The well casing is filled with a compressible hydraulic fracturing fluid comprising a mixture of liquid, compressed gas, and propant material and precompressed to a pressure of about 1,000 psi (or more) greater than the fracture extension pressure at the depth of the zone to be fractured. At least one of the gas generating units is equipped with perforating shaped charges to form fluid exit perforations at the selected depth of the fracture zone. The gas generating units are simultaneously ignited to generate combustion gasses and perforate the well casing. The perforated zone is fractured by the rapid outflow of an initial charge of sand free combustion gas at the compression pressure followed by a charge of fracturing fluid laden with propellant material and then a second charge of combustion gas.
Tilmont et al., U.S. Pat. No. 8,387,692, teaches a downhole steam generation apparatus that includes an injection section, a combustion section, and an evaporation section. The injection section may include a housing, injector elements, and injector plate.
Ryan et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,558,743, teaches a steam generator for producing steam in a well casing for injection into a borehole for use in secondary and tertiary recovery of hydrocarbons. Fuel is injected axially into a combustion chamber having a reduced orifice in the bottom thereof and oxygen is introduced tangentially from a plurality of ports in the top of the combustion chamber to create a stable vortex flame. A portion of the walls of the combustion chamber are formed from a porous, sintered stainless steel cylinder through which water is pumped to cool the walls of the chamber and to form steam. The combustion products are mixed with a water mist in a steam generating section to form steam.
Fox, U.S. Pat. No. 4,385,661, teaches an apparatus for generation of steam in a borehole. The system includes a feedback preheater for the fuel and water before entering the combustor assembly. First, combustion gases are conducted from the combustion chamber to locations in proximity to the water and fuel supplies. Secondly, both hot combustion gases and steam are conducted from the borehole back to the water and fuel supply. The water used for conversion to steam is passed in a countercurrent manner through a plurality of annular water flow channels surrounding the combustion chamber. In this manner, the water is preheated, and the combustion chamber is cooled simultaneously, thereby minimizing thermal stresses and deterioration of the walls of the combustion chamber. The water is injected through slotted inlets along the combustion chamber wall to provide an unstable boundary layer and stripping of the water from the wall for efficient steam generation. Pressure responsive doors are provided at the steam outlet of the combustor assembly. The module is positioned in the water flow channel to maintain a relatively constant, controlled temperature.
Griffin et al., U.S. 20040069245, teaches a steam generator for reacting a stoichiometric mixture of hydrogen and oxygen, and injecting water into the hot reaction gases. The generator includes a pilot ignition chamber, a combustion and evaporation chamber with reaction zone, an evaporation zone and outlet nozzle, and a catalytic afterburning chamber. The figure also illustrates the feed devices for supplying a fuel, an oxidizing agent and water.
Couto, U.S. 20110000666, teaches a gas generator which generates a vitiated steam, which is a mix of water steam with combustion gases. The device of this invention may also be attached in petroleum wells, making feasible the extraction of petroleum from the mature wells. The device includes a vaporization chamber attached to the combustion chamber of a rocket engine, said combustion chamber is externally involved by a cooling system, and the nozzle includes spray water injectors.
Other references included as a matter of general interest include the following: Tilmont, et al., U.S. 2011/0127036; Retallick, et al., U.S. 2008/0053655; Kraus et al., U.S. 2006/0000427; and Person, 1993/U.S. Pat. No. 5,259,341. The above-described references are hereby incorporated by reference in full.
The prior art teaches the combustion of a fuel for the production of steam for injection into a petrochemical reservoir to force the petrochemicals out through a well or other access point. The prior art systems struggle, however, to adjust the amount of gas injected so that the formation pressure does not exceed the capabilities of the gas generator, especially in formations that are not very porous. The prior art does not teach a gas generator having multiple combustion chambers that can be independently controlled, so that the output of gasses can be controlled to not exceed predetermined pressures. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides further advantages as described in the following summary. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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A large and growing population of users is enjoying entertainment through the consumption of digital media items, such as music, movies, images, electronic books, and so on. The users employ various electronic devices to consume such media items. Among these electronic devices (referred to herein as user devices) are electronic book readers, cellular telephones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), portable media players, tablet computers, netbooks, laptops and the like. These electronic devices wirelessly communicate with a communications infrastructure to enable the consumption of the digital media items. In order to wirelessly communicate with other devices, these electronic devices include one or more antennas. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The present invention refers to a system for evacuating cartridges from the powder chamber or firing chamber of a firearm, normally a cannon, preferably in the direction of a system for expelling cartridges, following upon deflagration of an ammunition.
The ammunition is essentially made up of a cartridge containing the gun powder for the deflagration of the ammunition, and a projectile which is fired by the firearm towards the target.
Such projectiles can be “intelligent”, i.e., comprising a target identifying and targeting system, which is capable of varying the direction of the projectile itself after being shot.
Normally, a system for evacuating cartridges comprises an evacuation tray that is adapted to receive the cartridge subsequent to the firing of the ammunition.
Such a tray is normally positioned in axis with the barrel of the firearm so as to be able to receive the cartridge. Subsequently, such a tray, through a movement mechanism, is moved so as to allow the cartridge to be definitively expelled.
Such movement systems are normally slow, reducing the shooting frequency of the firearm, and they are also unstable, since especially in critical conditions, for example, if applied to a ship, in conditions of sea force 6 and more, they often risk to jam the whole firearm since they are not able to carry out their task.
Moreover, normally, such mechanisms for evacuating cartridges are not provided with safety systems which can avoid incidents between movement mechanism and the loading mechanism in the case of malfunctioning, for example of the movement mechanism. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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In a spread spectrum communication system, the transmitted signal is spread over a frequency band that is significantly wider than the minimum bandwidth required to transmit the signal. By spreading transmission bandwidth across a broader bandwidth than minimally required, power levels at any given frequency within the bandwidth are significantly reduced. In one type of spread spectrum communication system, known as a direct sequence code division multiple access (CDMA) modulation system, a radio frequency (RF) carrier is modulated by a known digital code sequence referred to as a spreading code. The spreading code has a bit rate, or chipping rate, that is much higher than a clock rate of the underlying information signal. The RF carrier may be binary or quadrature modulated by one or more data streams. The data streams have one phase when the spreading code represents a data “one” or “high” and a predetermined phase shift (e.g., 180° for binary modulation and 90° for quadrature modulation) when the spreading code represents a data “zero” or “low”. These types of modulation techniques are commonly referred to as binary shift key modulation (BPSK) and quadrature shift key modulation (QPSK), respectively.
To retrieve the data encoded in a transmitted signal upon being received as a received signal, CDMA systems despread received signal samples with the same spreading code as was used to encode the data. CDMA systems employ a filter for correlating the spreading code with received signal samples to determine the received signal samples in a multi-chip data sequence.
A low power consuming analog filter for CDMA systems is disclosed in Low-Power Consuming Analog-Type Matched Filter for DS-CDMA Mobile Radio, by M. Sawahashi, F. Adachi, G. Shou, and C. Zhou, published in IEICE Transactions Fundamentals, Vol. E79-A, No. 12, December 1996, pp2071–2077.
In one known matched filter, multi-bit received signal samples are clocked through a delay line comprised of a plurality of delay stages, such as a shift register. The delays in the shift register are of a multiple bit width sufficient to accommodate the received signal samples. Each of the delay stages provides a delay of less than one-half of the period of the spreading code clock, or chipping rate, to satisfy the Nyquist sampling theorem. The signal samples propagate down the delay line through a series of successive shifts at a rate corresponding to the chipping rate. Taps at each delay stage provide the delayed signal samples for multiplication by respective tap weights associated with the respective delay stages to produce product terms, which when summed, provide the filter output. The tap weights represent the spreading code used to encode information on the transmission signal prior to being transmitted. The filter output is a correlation of the received signal samples with the spreading code represented by the tap weights.
Each time a new received signal sample is clocked into the delay line, each stage of the delay line is clocked to shift the previously received signal samples along the delay line by one delay stage. A received signal sample that has shifted completely through the delay line is shifted out of the delay line, as is known in the art. A shortcoming of this straight-forward implementation is the amount of power consumed by the delay line due to each stage of the delay line being clocked each time a new received signal sample is introduced into the delay line.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,075,807 teaches a digital matched filter for CDMA systems that include a digital delay line having a plurality of successive delay stages adapted to receive a digital signal and propagate the digital signal therethrough at a fixed rate. A correlator is coupled to the delay line to correlate the digital signal to a predefined spreading code to provide a correlation signal representing a degree of correlation of the digital signal to the spreading code. A window logic unit is coupled to the correlator to enable operation of the correlator only during successive discrete time periods of the correlation signal corresponding to a high degree of correlation of the digital signal to the spreading code. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Obesity is currently one of the major health problems, especially in the industrialised countries, with serious consequences in cardiocirculatory and skeletal terms.
Carbohydrates are an important source of calories, and contribute to the synthesis of fats in individuals predisposed to obesity or type II diabetes. As hyperglycaemia leads to an increase in energy deposits, the availability of substances that reduce bioavailable glucose is very important. As starches are the main source of glucose, specific α-glucosidase and α-amylase inhibitors, obtained from plant materials or by synthesis, have been studied. It has long been known that some seeds and pulses contain substances which can have adverse effects on the diet if eaten before they are completely cooked. Many pulses contain protease inhibitors, amylase inhibitors and substances that discourage predators from continuing to use them by reducing the appetite. These substances, called phytohaemagglutinins, can cause hyperplasia of the pancreas at high doses, but can be useful in appetite control at lower doses.
At high doses, these lectins survive the intestinal transit and bond to the enterocytes where they cause the secretion of cholecystokinin, a trophic hormone that stimulates secretion by the pancreas, consequently causing its enlargement. Cholecystokinin also has favourable effects, because it reduces the appetite by reducing gastric motility.
As excess blood glucose leads to an increase in energy deposits, substances that reduce the availability of free glucose after an intake of starchy carbohydrates in the diet are very important. Most glucose originates from the breakdown of starch, which begins in the mouth due to the effect of ptyalin; this enzyme detaches saccharide chains, which in turn are converted to glucose by saccharases and α-glucosidases. α-amylase, secreted by the pancreas in the duodenum, demolishes the starch in glucose chains in the intestine, where it is converted to glucose due to the effect of α-glucosidase.
It is therefore obvious that in order to achieve a substantial reduction in the release of glucose, it is important to have both α-amylase inhibitors and α-glucosidase inhibitors.
The α-amylase inhibitor in itself considerably reduces the quantity of glucose originating from the starches present in the diet, and reduces the appetite after repeated administration.
It has now surprisingly been found that by combining Phaseolus vulgaris extracts with Salacia oblonga extracts in the ratio of between 1:1 and 1:4, a marked reduction in blood glucose is obtained in humans. It is also known that a reduced food intake leads in any event to a reduction in the accumulation of fatty deposits. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
All patents, patent applications, and publications cited within this application are incorporated herein by reference to the same extent as if each individual patent, patent application or publication was specifically and individually incorporated by reference.
Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) spectroscopy is a powerful method capable of detecting molecular binding events at the nanometer scale by detecting changes in the effective refractive index or thickness of an adsorbed layer on or near an SPR active surface. When light is reflected from an SPR active medium at an angle greater than the critical angle, incident photons can generate surface plasmons. This phenomenon can be observed as a function of the reflected light intensity. The spatial difference of contrast can be acquired in an image format by employing a CCD camera as a detection system, namely SPR microscopy (SPRM).
Typically, SPR microscopy utilizes an angle of incidence of the irradiating beam at the prime SPR angle so that the system is conditioned to operate at its maximum linear response region. The procedure then involves rotating both sample and/or the detector and light source to establish the optimum optical pass configuration. Fine resolution rotation tables or linear diode arrays have been employed to provide the angular scanning function to obtain the SPR reflecting signal dip. Fixed wavelength, coherent angle scanning SPR employing dual rotation tables generally involves instruments having the optical pass configured in the horizontal plane. The physical size required for rotation stages offering fine resolution and providing enough torque to support the swing arms that hold either light source and/or detector gives the SPR instrument a large footprint. Thus, there is a need for an SPR instrument having a reduced footprint that allows SPR angle scanning. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field
Exemplary embodiments relate generally to scan testing for semiconductor devices, and more particularly, to a semiconductor device enabled to undergo a scan test and a test system for testing a semiconductor device.
2. Description of the Related Art
The type of semiconductor testing technique used to test a semiconductor device is as much a design/production consideration as improving density and a complexity of the semiconductor device itself. Reduction of time and cost as well as improvement of testability is considered for mass production of semiconductor devices. Thus, a design-for-testability (DFT) scheme is widely used to improve efficiency of testing during a design phase of the semiconductor device. Scan tests have been important as one of the DFT schemes for testing the semiconductor devices. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a filter switching circuit for selecting one of a plurality of bandpass filters having different frequency bands that allow signals to pass through them.
2. Description of the Related Art
When using television signals on many channels arranged in a broad frequency band, a television signal transmitter divides the television signals into a plurality of smaller bands for transmission in order to prevent disturbance from occurring due to a beat signal between television signals on each channel, harmonics, etc. Accordingly, a plurality of bandpass filters for transmitting the signals in the smaller bands are provided, and one of the bandpass filters is selected.
FIG. 2 shows a conventional filter switching circuit that selects one of a plurality of bandpass filters and connects the selected one between two amplifiers. A printed circuit board 51 has a first amplifier 52 and a second amplifier 53 thereon, with a distance provided therebetween. The first amplifier 52 is formed in an almost rectangular area having a longitudinal dimension Y1 and a lateral dimension X1, and the second amplifier 53 is formed in an almost rectangular area having a longitudinal dimension Y2 and a lateral dimension X2. The output end 52a of the first amplifier 52 and the input end 53a of the second amplifier 53 are opposed to each other.
In an area between the first amplifier 52 and the second amplifier 53, on a side (the lower side in FIG. 2) to a straight line (not shown) connecting the output end 52a and the input end 53a, a plurality of bandpass filters (called a xe2x80x9cbandpass filter 54-1xe2x80x9d to a xe2x80x9cbandpass filter 54-8xe2x80x9d from the top) (hereinafter referred to also as xe2x80x9cbandpass filters 54xe2x80x9d for denoting the entirety of the bandpass filters 54-1 to 54-8) are provided in parallel so as to be almost perpendicular to the straight line and to have equal distances to the output end 52a and the input end 53a.
The bandpass filters 54 are designed so that eight bands obtained by dividing a frequency range (e.g., 50 MHz to 600 MHz) can pass through them. The bandpass filter 54-1 has the highest frequency passband (510 MHz to 600 MHz).
The bandpass filters 54-2 to the 54-7 have sequentially lower frequency passbands, and the bandpass filter 54-8 has the lowest frequency passband (50 MHz to 60 MHz).
Between the first amplifier 52 and the bandpass filters 54, a plurality of relays 55-1 to 55-7 (hereinafter referred to also as xe2x80x9crelays 55xe2x80x9d for denoting the entirety of the relays 55-1 to 55-7) respectively corresponding to the bandpass filters 54-1 to 54-7 are provided. Between the bandpass filters 54 and the second amplifier 53, a plurality of relays 56-1 to 56-7 (hereinafter referred to also xe2x80x9crelays 56xe2x80x9d for denoting the entirety of the relays 56-1 to 56-7) respectively corresponding to the bandpass filters 54-1 to 54-7 are provided.
The relays 55 and 56 consist of, for example, relays having identical structures. Each of the relays 55 and 56 includes a switching terminal a, two fixed terminals to which the switching terminal a selectively connects, that is, a first fixed terminal b and a second fixed terminal c.
Among the relays 55, only the switching terminal a of the relay 55-1 is connected in the smallest distance to the output end 52a. The other relays 55-2 to 55-7 are connected to the output end 52a in seven stages in cascade such that their switching terminals a are sequentially connected to their second fixed terminals c when these are connected to the output end 52a.
Similarly, among the relays 56, only the switching terminal a of the relay 56-1 is connected in the smallest distance to the input end 53a. The other relays 56-2 to 56-7 are connected to the input end 53a in seven stages in cascade such that their switching terminals a are sequentially connected to their second fixed terminals c when these are connected to the input end 53a.
The bandpass filter 54-1 having the highest frequency passband is connected between the first fixed terminals b of the relays 55-1 and 56-1, and the bandpass filter 54-2 having the second highest frequency passband is connected between the first fixed terminals b of the relays 55-2 and 56-2. Similarly, the bandpass filters 54-3 to 54-6, which have sequentially lower frequency passbands, are connected between the relays 55 and the relays 56. The bandpass filter 54-8 is connected between the second fixed terminals c of the relays 55-7 and 56-7.
The switching terminals a of pairs of corresponding relays, that is, a pair of the relays 55-1 and 56-1 to a pair of the relays 55-7 and 56-7 are switched in cooperation so as to be connected to their first fixed terminals b or their second fixed terminals c.
For example, the relay 55-1 and the corresponding relay 56-1 in the first stage are switched in cooperation, and the relay 55-2 and the corresponding relay 56-2 are switched in cooperation. Similarly, the other pairs of relays are switched.
In the above structure, a bandpass filter having a higher frequency passband is connected by a smaller number of relays to the output end 52a and the input end 53a in the smallest distance. Therefore, also in a case in which the frequency of a signal to be transmitted is high, signal loss and level deterioration are reduced. In addition, influence on characteristics of the relays 55 and 56, such as a cutoff frequency and transmission loss, are reduced.
xe2x80x9cNevertheless, in the above structure, the bandpass filter having a higher frequency passband is selected by a smaller number of relays. However, since the bandpass filters 54 and the relays 55 and 56 are provided on one side to the straight line connecting the output end 52a of the first amplifier 52 and the input end 53a of the second amplifier 53, a space B is formed on the other side between the first amplifier 52 and the second amplifier 53 is formed. Accordingly, the space-using efficiency of the printed circuit board 51 deteriorates, thus causing a problem in that the entire size of the printed circuit board 51 enlarges.xe2x80x9d
It is an object of the present invention to provide a switching circuit that selects a bandpass filter having a higher frequency passband by using a smaller number of relays and connects between two amplifiers in a distance as shortest as possible.
To this end, according to an aspect of the present invention, the above object is achieved through provision of a filter switching circuit including a first amplifier formed on a printed circuit board, a second amplifier formed on the printed circuit board separately from the first amplifier, the second amplifier having an input end opposed to the output end of the first amplifier, a plurality of filters having different frequency passbands, and a plurality of relays each having two fixed terminals and a switching terminal for connecting to one of the fixed terminals, the relays connecting one of the filters between the output end and the input end. The filters and the relays are arranged in parallel in columns in an area between the first amplifier and the second amplifier on the printed circuit board so as to cross a straight line connecting the output end and the input end so that one relay among the relays is positioned almost on the straight line while the switching terminal of the one relay is connected to the output end or the input end, and the other relays are connected in cascade to one fixed terminal of the one relay by connecting each switching terminal thereof to either fixed terminal while connecting each of the filters to the other fixed terminal, whereby the frequency passbands of filters having closer connections to the one relay are sequentially higher increased.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the above object is achieved through provision of a filter switching circuit including a first amplifier formed on a printed circuit board, a second amplifier formed on said printed circuit board separately from said first amplifier, said second amplifier having an input end opposed to the output end of said first amplifier, a plurality of filters having different frequency passbands, and first and second groups of relays each having two fixed terminals and a switching terminal for connecting to one of the fixed terminals, the groups of relays being each formed by a plurality of relays for connecting one of said plurality of relays between the output end and the input end. The relays of the first and second groups and the filters are arranged in parallel in an area between said first amplifier and said second amplifier on said printed circuit board so as to cross a straight line connecting the output end and the input end so that the filters are positioned between the first group of relays and the second group of relays, and one relay in the first group of relays and one relay in the second group of relays are arranged almost on said straight line while the switching terminals thereof are separately connected to the output end and the input end so that the other relays in each group of relays are connected in cascade to one fixed terminal of said one relay in each group of relays by connecting each switching terminal thereof to either fixed terminal, and between the other fixed terminals of two corresponding relays among the other relays in the groups of relays, each of the filters is connected, whereby the frequency passbands of filters having closer connections to the said one relay are sequentially higher increased.
As described above, filters and relays are arranged in parallel in columns in an area between a first amplifier and a second amplifier on a printed circuit board so as to cross a straight line connecting the output end of the first amplifier and the input end of the second amplifier so that one relay among the relays is positioned almost on a straight line connecting the output end and the input end while the switching terminal of the one relay is connected to the output end or the input end, and the other relays are connected in cascade to one fixed terminal of the one relay by connecting each switching terminal thereof to either fixed terminal while connecting each of the filters to the other fixed terminal, whereby the frequency passbands of filters having closer connections to the one relay are sequentially higher increased. Thus, a filter having a higher frequency playback is selected by a smaller number of relays to be connected between the output end and the input end in the smallest distance, and a space on the printed circuit board can be effectively used.
In addition, relays of first and second groups and filters are arranged in parallel in an area between a first amplifier and a second amplifier on a printed circuit board so as to cross a straight line connecting the output end of the first amplifier and the input end of the second amplifier so that the filters are positioned between the first group of relays and the second group of relays, and one relay in the first group of relays and one relay in the second group of relays are arranged almost on the straight line while the switching terminals thereof are separately connected to the output end and the input end so that the other relays in each group of relays are connected in cascade to one fixed terminal of the one relay in each group of relays by connecting each switching terminal thereof to either fixed terminal, and between the other fixed terminals of two corresponding relays among the other relays in the groups of relays, each of the filters is connected, whereby the frequency passbands of filters having closer connections to the one relay are sequentially higher increased. Thus, the selected filter is separated from the other relays, and the characteristics of the filters do not deteriorate. | {
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1. Field
An embodiment of the present invention relates to an organic light emitting display and a method of driving the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various flat panel displays (FPD) that are lighter in weight and smaller in volume than comparable cathode ray tube (CRT) displays are being developed. Non-limiting examples of these FPDs include a liquid crystal display (LCD), a field emission display (FED), a plasma display panel (PDP), and an organic light emitting display.
Among the FPDs, the organic light emitting display displays an image using organic light emitting diodes (OLED) that generate light by re-combination of electrons and holes generated to correspond to the flow of current.
The organic light emitting display is widely utilized in a personal digital assistant (PDA), an MP3 player, and/or a mobile telephone due to its excellent color reproducibility and small thickness.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating the structure of an organic light emitting display according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 1, the organic light emitting display includes a pixel unit (a display region) 10, a data driver 20, a scan driver 30, and a controller 40.
A plurality of pixels 11 are arranged in the pixel unit 10 and each of the pixels 11 includes an organic light emitting diode (OLED) that emits light to correspond to the flow of current therein. The pixel unit 10 includes n scan lines S1, S2, . . . , Sn−1, and Sn formed to extend in a first direction (a row direction) and to transmit scan signals, and m data lines D1, D2, . . . , Dm−1, and Dm formed to extend in a second direction (a column direction) crossing the first direction and to transmit data signals.
In addition, the pixel unit 10 receives a first power of a first power source and a second power of a second power source having a lower voltage level than that of the first power source to be driven. Therefore, in the pixel unit 10, current flows to the OLED by utilizing the scan signals, the data signals, the first power source, and the second power source to emit light and to display an image.
The data driver 20 receives data driver control signals DCS and image signals R, G, B data from the controller 40 to generate the data signals. The data driver 20 is coupled to the data lines D1, D2, . . . , Dm−1, and Dm of the pixel unit 10 to apply the generated data signals to the pixel unit 10.
The scan driver 30 receives scan driver control signals SCS from the controller 40 to generate the scan signals. The scan driver 30 is coupled to the scan lines S1, S2, . . . , Sn−1, and Sn to transmit the scan signals to specific rows of the pixel unit 10. The data signal output from the data driver 20 is transmitted to the pixel 11 where the scan signal is transmitted so that the voltage corresponding to the data signal is transmitted to the pixel 11.
The controller 40 controls the data driver 20 and the scan driver 30 so that the pixel unit 10 can display an image.
When the above structured organic light emitting display is used for a mobile telephone, in a standby mode, an image representing date and hour is displayed only on a partial region of the pixel unit and the image is not displayed on the remaining region.
The image is displayed only on the partial region (a partial screen) in order to reduce power consumption and to increase the use time of a battery of the organic light emitting display.
However, in the standby mode, the data driver 20 and the scan driver 30 are driven in the same way. That is, the power consumptions of the data driver 20 and the scan driver 30 do not change in the standby mode. Therefore, in order to reduce power consumption, an improved method of reducing power consumption in the data driver 20 and the scan driver 30 in the standby mode is needed. | {
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Recently, in order to realize eco-friendly technology and solve problems such as energy exhaustion, an electric vehicle has emerged as a social issue. The electric vehicle is driven by using the motor receiving electricity from a battery to output power, thereby not emitting carbon dioxide and reducing noise. Furthermore, the energy efficiency of the motor used in the electric vehicle is higher than that of an engine.
Therefore, as the key technology for realizing such the electric vehicle are technologies on batteries and motors, recently, research on the weight saving, miniaturization and short charge time of battery have been actively conducted. Particularly, as a battery should be used in an optimal temperature environment to maintain optimum performance and long life, the battery applied to the electric vehicle is difficult to use in an optimal temperature environment due to the heat generated during driving of the electric vehicle and the temperature change of the outside.
Therefore, in order to solve these thermal problems, a cooling system has been applied to an inverter LDC (low voltage DC converter), OBC (On Board Charger), motor, battery, etc. Among these, the battery is operated through its own cooling system, but the other motor, inverter LDC and OBC are cooled through a separate cooling system.
The cooling system is basically configured so that the power and electronic components are cooled by the drive of a motor operated by the control of a controller. In more detail, the power and electronic components such as a motor and an inverter, etc., are operated with vehicle start-up, and the coolant from a water pump circulates the cooling target components such as a motor, an inverter, etc., along a single cooling line to cool the cooling target components while the electric water pump is also driven depending on the conditions.
Therefore, as the cooling system of the electric vehicle is composed entirely among one cooling line, there has emerged a need for an integrated motor control system considering a water pump, a drive motor, or a compressor motor that circulates the cooling water of the cooling line.
The foregoing is intended merely to aid in the understanding of the background of the present invention, and is not intended to mean that the present invention falls within the purview of the related art that is already known to those skilled in the art. | {
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This invention relates generally to artificial joints, and in particular to a prosthetic elbow and technique for its implantation. Its primary use is with dogs or other animals, although it may also be applied to human beings.
Degenerative joint disease of an elbow, such as osteoarthritis, trauma, or dysplasia, can debilitate a dog. When non-surgical treatments are no longer effective, a pet owner's only feasible options can be elbow arthrodesis (fusion of the joint), amputation, or euthanasia. Total elbow replacement for dogs is a promising alternative, but has not consistently resulted in an elbow retaining its normal, pain-free joint function over time. Moreover, the process of surgical implantation has been invasive, disrupting lateral collateral ligaments and requiring extensive soft tissue dissection. Consequently, function of the elbow is degraded and the duration of recovery is extended. | {
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A steering-by-wire method has been gradually deployed in a boat as a boat operating system. This method mainly uses a motor pump and relies on hydraulic control thereof.
On the other hand, in order to improve operationality of leaving and getting to the shore, it is suggested to equip a boat with two or more propulsion devices and to control behavior of the boat by output control and rudder angle control of each thereof (for example, see Patent Literature 1). | {
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The dynamics that are involved when a golf club properly hits a golf ball are extremely complicated. Due to the particular configuration of a golf club, both bending and torsional forces are directly transferred from the club head to the club shaft whenever a golf ball is hit. The interaction of these transferred forces with the impact force on the ball is important for at least two reasons. On the one hand, for purposes of control, it is important that the proper indications of the impact force between the golf ball and the club head be transferred through the golf club shaft to the golfer. This gives the golfer the so-called "feel" of the swing. On the other hand, for purposes of power, it is important that the golf ball receive as much of the impact force as possible. For both purposes, it is also important that the club shaft be able to withstand the forces which are generated.
It is not an all together uncommon occurrence for a club head to break or snap off from the club shaft, or for the club shaft to otherwise become permanently deformed, when the club head contacts a golf ball, or some other object, during a golf swing. Based on empirical evidence, it happens most often that this unwanted event is the result of bending forces which are generated on the club shaft as the golf ball is being hit. To illustrate this point, refer for the moment to the drawings and, specifically, to FIGS. 4, 5A and 5B.
During the swing of a golf club, forces are generated on the club even before there is impact with the golf ball (see FIG. 4). From a structural standpoint, these forces are not overly significant. Upon impact with the golf ball, however, forces are generated on the golf club which are, structurally, very significant. As shown in FIG. 5A, during the impact of the club head with a golf ball, the impact force causes the golf shaft to bend. Specifically, the golf shaft bends in a manner which generates a tension force, T.sub.f, on the forward edge of the shaft, and a compression force, C.sub.r, on the rear edge of the shaft. Immediately after impact, the force distribution is reversed and the shaft bends in the opposite direction. As shown in FIG. 5B, once the golf ball has separated from the club head, the shaft bends in a manner which generates a compression force, C.sub.f, on the forward edge of the shaft, and a tension force, T.sub.r, on the rear edge of the shaft. It is known that the action of this force reversal will continue briefly and can either cause a permanent deformation of the shaft or cause the club head to actually snap off the club shaft. To avoid these unwanted results, and to provide a meaningful and useful response to the golfer, the manufacturer of a golf club shaft must address several issues. Specifically, the materials, the characteristics of the materials, and the configuration of the materials that are used for the manufacture of the golf shaft all become important considerations. More specifically, for the dynamic conditions confronted during the swing of a golf club, material elasticity is a primary concern.
Several aspects of material elasticity need to be considered when designing a golf club shaft. To begin, by definition, the elasticity of a material is the tendency of the material to return to its original size or shape, after it has been stretched, compressed, or deformed. While all materials have some elasticity, they also have limits. Specifically, the elastic limit of a material is the limiting value of the deforming force beyond which the material does not return to its original shape or dimensions when the force is removed. Not surprisingly, it happens that different materials have different elastic limits. Furthermore, the responsive behavior of different materials within their respective elastic ranges will also be different.
An indicator of the different responses of materials in their elastic ranges is known as the material's modulus of elasticity. Again, by definition, the modulus of elasticity of a material is the ratio of stress to strain that is experienced by a material in its elastic range. More specifically, the modulus of elasticity is the ratio of the stress that is caused in a material by the action of deforming forces to the strain or change in dimensions or shape of the material during deformation. Insofar as the manufacture of a golf club shaft is concerned, the modulus of elasticity is an important consideration for determining whether the particular material will be able to handle the forces which are generated during a golf swing. Additionally, when different materials are used in the manufacture of a golf club shaft, the location and configuration of these materials, as well as the interactive and cooperative effects of their respective moduli of elasticity will be important considerations.
In light of the above, it is an object of the present invention to provide a golf club shaft which has material characteristics that will withstand the repeated impact forces to which the shaft is routinely subjected during a game of golf. It is another object of the present invention to provide a golf club shaft which is able to transfer impact forces to the golfer in an informative and meaningful manner. Still another object of the present invention is to provide a golf club shaft which focuses and concentrates the impact forces between a club head and a golf ball onto the golf ball for improved performance. Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing a golf club shaft which is relatively easy to perform and comparatively cost effective. | {
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1. Field of Invention:
This invention relates generally to devices for altering the tonal characteristics of drums, specifically to an improved drum damper.
2. Prior Art:
The base drum is used in mot jazz and rock bands. It comprises a cylindrical wooden frame, shell, or counterhoop, about 1 meter in diameter and about 1/2 meter long, with each end covered by a taut "skin" or head. Bass drums are usually positioned with the heads vertical and are struck with a foot pedal operated beater--a pivoted arm with a padded head.
An ideal base drum, when struck by its beater, should produce the desired fundamental tones. Actual drums produce overtones, or harmonics, which are tones composed of the fundamentals and additional tones at higher frequencies. These are usually considered undesirable by most musicians since they make the overall sound hollow and reverberatory--an unwanted effect in most popular bands. However, drummers sometimes want some amount of overtones to suit personal tastes and the acoustics of the playing environment. In their efforts to control, reduce or eliminate the overtones and obtain a desirable sound, drummers place damping materials, such as pillow, foam blocks, or towels inside their drums and against the drum heads, or the drum surfaces. Drummers hold these damping materials against the vertically positioned drum heads with heavy objects, such as bricks and iron weights. Although effective at reducing overtones, this method is unreliable because the damping materials gradually shift during drum play and eventually become ineffective. Therefore, the damping materials require frequent repositioning to maintain their effectiveness. In addition, this method cannot be used on horizontally positioned drum heads because the tops are usually struck, yet there are no existing means to support the damping materials from below such top head.
A method more sophisticated than weighted down pillows is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,589,323 to Belli et al. (1986), where a circular base with multiple apertures and sheets of foam are used to reduce the overtones of a drum and muffle the volume for practice sessions. Although this device is effective at muffling the drum's sound intensity, it is not effective enough at reducing overtones, i.e., still leaves the drum with too hollow a sound, while it provides no means to adjust the amount of overtone reduction. Moreover, this device is unsuitable for actual performances, because these require reduced overtones without reduced volume.
In conclusion, the present "home brew" method for overtone reduction is effective but unreliable, while the patented device provides a fixed but insufficient amount of overtone reduction, and produces an undesirable and significant volume reduction. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fabrication method for a semiconductor memory device, and in particular, to an improved fabrication method of a level semiconductor PN junction array which allows a significant increase of growth in the horizontal direction so that a PN junction array structure can formed by introduction or doping of a CCl.sub.4 or CBr.sub.4 gas when a GaAs or AlGaAs epitaxial layer is grown on a GaAs substrate having a V-shaped or U-shaped recess by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (hereinafter, called MOCVD).
2. Description of the Prior Art
Recently, studies on the fabrication of photoelectro devices on the basis of a chemical composition semiconductor are being conducted, and such photoelectro devices fabrication requires a complicated process.
If a selective epitaxy technology which has been recently studied as one of the MOCVD methods is employed, a three dimensional epitaxial layer can be desirably embodied by putting a test piece in a reaction tube one time without going through a complicated fabrication process for a semiconductor device. As a result, since the complicated construction of a semiconductor device is formed during the growth of a epitaxial layer without being exposed to air during the process, a default and damage on junction boundary surfaces as well as undesired oxidation of the surface of the epitaxial layer can be effectively prevented.
However, in fabricating a photoelectro device for a chemical composition semiconductor according to the conventional art in which the epitaxial layer is formed by the MOCVD method, a horizontal direction PN junction cannot be realized, and therefore, in semiconductor devices using light, the PN junction exists within the semiconductor device, and the light is absorbed into the epitaxial layer before it reaches a PN junction layer, resulting in a large optical loss. | {
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This invention relates to an orthopedic surgical shirt for use by a patient; and, more particularly, it relates to an orthopedic shirt for use by a patient who has undergone treatment for an injury, or shoulder surgery that requires post-operative stabilization of the treated shoulder. As is well known, after sustaining an injury, receiving treatment, or undergoing an operation on a shoulder, an arm, other upper body region, a patient is frequently required to wear a hospital gown during a period of recovery. Patients are also frequently required to wear a brace, an abduction pillow, a sling, or a cast to allow an affected upper body region to heal properly. Abduction pillows, braces, casts, slings and other immobilization devices are frequently used after surgery, and are generally referred to herein as upper body immobilization devices.
Hospital gowns generally have openings located on the front, top, or rear of the gown, and utilize ties to secure the gown. A major problem associated with this type of gown is that a patient must maneuver his affected upper body region and/or an upper body immobilization device to pass through a narrow opening in the sleeve of the gown. The necessity of maneuvering the patient's affected upper body region, and/or upper body immobilization device through the sleeve of the hospital gown can result in pain and discomfort to the patient, and can even severely disturb the affected region. The only other alternative is for a patient to tear the side portion of a hospital gown in such a way as to accommodate an upper body immobilization device.
A similar problem results during the latter stages of a post-operative period, e.g. once a patient is outside the hospital. By way of example, a patient who has undergone rotator cuff repair surgery, a shoulder stabilization procedure, or who has had an upper body injury, frequently needs to remove clothing to examine the affected area, to bathe, to dress, or to undress. However, the clothing must generally be removed while wearing an upper body immobilization device. This procedure can cause the patient discomfort since the immobilized body region must frequently be contorted to fit into standard types of garments. Moreover, these immobilization devices often prevent the patient from wearing aesthetically pleasing garments, by way of example, a T-shirt or dress shirt, without risking discomfort, or disruption of a surgical repair. Consequently, a side of a shirt, or similar garment, is frequently torn open to allow for the patient to accommodate the upper body immobilization device, and to allow for the patient to dress or undress.
There are a number of gowns, vests, and other garments known in the art. These devices either immobilize an injured, treated, or surgically corrected area, or simply serve to clothe the patient. These devices frequently feature fasteners located on the top portion of sleeves, and on the front or rear of gowns. A shortcoming of these garments and devices is that they do not accommodate an upper body immobilization device, serve to aesthetically clothe the patient, allow the patient to dress with minimal maneuvering of, or discomfort to an affected body region. Examples of such garments and devices may be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,422,186, 4,570,268, 4,787,101, 4,920,578, 5,007,412.
It would be highly desirable to solve the variety of problems enumerated above facing a patient who has undergone rotator cuff repair surgery, a shoulder stabilization treatment, who has an upper body injury, and who requires clothing that will accommodate a upper body immobilization device.
The present invention targets the thousands of patients who undergo orthopedic shoulder surgery worldwide, and serves this market by providing an aesthetically pleasing orthopedic surgical shirt that accommodates a upper body immobilization device and allows a patient to dress with minimal discomfort or movement of an immobilized body region, thereby, decreasing the risk that a patient will disrupt a surgical repair in an attempt to get dressed and undressed. | {
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The present invention relates to processing information. In particular, the present invention relates to accessing and ranking definitions of terms.
Definitions include a statement of the meanings of words, phrases and terms and thus are useful information. Searching and finding relevant definitions can be cumbersome and difficult. In some situations, a large number of descriptions related to a term can be accessed, for example using the Internet. In other situations, for example on a company intranet, few descriptions of terms may exist. In either case, it can be cumbersome to manually search through results to find a relevant, useful definition for a term.
A traditional information retrieval process is designed to search for entire relevant documents given an input query, and thus is not suitable for providing useful definitions. Other processes, given questions of “what is X” or “who is X”, extract answers from multiple documents and combine the extracted answers into a single unified answer. This process of question/answering can be a means of helping people find definitions. However, the process is difficult to realize in practice. Usually definitions extracted from different documents describe terms from different perspectives, and thus are not suitable for combination.
Additionally, methods for extracting definitions from documents have also been proposed in text mining applications. These methods resort to human-defined rules for definition extraction. The rules can provide relevant definitions, but also can result in a large amount of information that a user will need to look through to find relevant information. As a result, there is a need to provide relevant definitions to a user in a more efficient, useful manner. | {
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Processing steps used in the semiconductor industry include depositing and etching films on a substrate. Dielectric films are deposited into complex topologies during some processing steps often to provide physical and electrical separation between conductive or semiconductive regions.
Many techniques have been developed to deposit dielectrics into narrow gaps including chemical vapor deposition techniques which sometimes employ plasma excitation. High-density plasma (HDP)-CVD has been used to fill many geometries due to the perpendicular impingement trajectories of the incoming reactants and the simultaneous sputtering activity. Some very narrow gaps have continued to develop voids due, in part, to the lack of mobility following initial impact. Reflowing the material after deposition can fill the void but, if the dielectric has a high reflow temperature (like SiO2), the reflow process may also consume a non-negligible portion of a wafer's thermal budget.
By way of its high surface mobility, flowable materials such as spin-on glass (SOG) have been useful in filling some of the gaps which were incompletely filled by HDP-CVD. SOG is applied as a liquid and cured after application to remove solvents, thereby converting material to a solid glass film. The gap-filling (gapfill) and planarization capabilities are enhanced for SOG when the viscosity is low. Unfortunately, low viscosity materials may shrink significantly during cure. Significant film shrinkage results in high film stress and delamination issues, especially for thick films.
Separating the delivery paths of two components can produce a flowable film during deposition on a substrate surface. FIG. 1 shows a schematic of a substrate processing system with a substrate 115 supported on a pedestal 110 affixed to a pedestal shaft 105. The substrate processing system has separated precursor delivery channels 125 and 135. An organosilane precursor may be delivered through one channel and an oxidizing precursor may be delivered through the other. The oxidizing precursor may be excited by a remote plasma 145 unit. The mixing region 120 of the two components occurs closer to the substrate 115 than alternative processes utilizing a more common delivery path. Since the films are grown rather than poured onto the surface, the organic components needed to decrease viscosity are allowed to evaporate during the process which reduces the shrinkage affiliated with a cure step. Growing films this way limits the time available for adsorbed species to remain mobile, a constraint which may result in deposition of nonuniform films. A baffle 140 or a showerhead (not pictured) may be used to more evenly distribute the precursors in the reaction region.
Gapfill capabilities and deposition uniformity benefit from high surface mobility which may be enabled by plasma excited oxygen radicals introduced from remote plasma unit 145. Precautions may be necessary to ensure that production of plasma excited oxidizer is sufficient and predictable. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Signals transmitted between components of a radio communication network such as a base station and a mobile terminal may include different kinds of distortion components which can disturb receiver performance.
Wireless communication networks 100 may use channel state information (CSI) and channel quality indicators (CQI) 102 as shown in FIG. 1 to represent the channel quality or the corresponding reception performance. An estimate of channel state information 102 between the transmitted signal at a transmitter 110, e.g. a base station and the received signal at a receiver 120, e.g. a mobile terminal of a communication link may be based on limited observations at the receiver 120. In particular, the CSI may be sensitive to effects not visible in the reference symbols embedded into the downlink stream, e.g. cell specific reference symbols (CRS) or channel state information reference symbols (CSI-RS). Examples for such scenarios are non-colliding interference scenarios, i.e. interferer CRS don't collide with those from serving cell and interferer is not fully loaded and colliding interference with different power in carriers used for reference symbols as compared to data carriers.
A small difference between the coding rate for CSI at the receiver 120 and the coding rate for the transmitted signal at the transmitter 110 is inherent due to the granularity of the modulation and coding scheme (MCS) 104. Also very frequently differences in coding rates between CQI and scheduled MCS are due to “mis-configuration” issues, e.g. wrong CQI to MCS mapping 112. These small differences in coding rate may lead to a significant increase of the block error rate (BLER) 106, e.g. above 10 percent of a target BLER and subsequently an increased error rate of acknowledged/non-acknowledged transport blocks 108.
Methods and devices employed in wireless communication networks constantly have to be improved. In particular, it may be desirable to improve the reporting of channel state information of the mobile receiver in situations as described above. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to SAS expanders and more specifically relates to implementation of zoning in SAS expanders enhanced for Fast Context Switching (FCS) capability.
2. Discussion of Related Art
In a SAS environment, one or more SAS initiator devices are coupled with one or more SAS target devices through zero or more intermediate SAS expanders. In general, the collection of SAS expanders (that provide switchable connections between the various initiator and target devices) is referred to as a SAS Service Delivery Subsystem (SDS).
SAS standards provide a feature known as zoning in which zone group identifiers may be associated with each physical link (PHY) of a SAS expander and a zone permissions table may be utilized within the expander to indicate whether devices associated with a first zone group identifier may access devices associated with each other zone group identifier. This zoning feature permits enhanced flexibility in providing security in large enterprise applications where, for example, various individuals or departments of an enterprise may access certain devices in the SAS domain but cannot access other devices in the same domain.
In accordance with present SAS specifications, an open connection is initially established by a SAS initiator transmitting an Open Address Frame (OAF) through the SDS and receiving an acceptance (OPEN_ACCEPT primitive) from the identified SAS target device. The open request and acceptance are routed and passed through each SAS expander between the initiator and target. Once such a connection is established, all PHYs used for the connection by SAS expanders intermediate the initiator and target devices are essentially in a “pass-through” mode until DONE primitives and CLOSE primitives are exchanged between the devices (to thereby close the established connection). Once an expander senses that a previously established connection has been closed, it may again enter its state machine logic to await receipt of a next OAF to establish another connection.
In general, when zoning features are enabled in the SAS expanders, a zone group identifier is associated with a device requesting opening of a connection. That zone group identifier is then forwarded as part of the OAF to allow each expander to determine whether access to the identified SAS target device is permitted in accordance with the zoning configuration. Zone permissions are inspected at each expander to determine whether the zone group identifier associated with the initiator device requesting the connection is permitted to access the zone group identifier associated with the destination target device.
In initially establishing such a requested connection, SAS expanders intermediate the initiator and target devices acquire various resources within the expander to identify the requested connection and identify appropriate routing through PHYs of the expanders to establish and utilize the connection. When the SAS expander detects closure of a previously established connection, resources previously acquired for that connection are released for reuse to establish other connections within the expander.
In some recent developments, one vendor has proposed enhancements or extensions to the SAS protocols to allow multiple connections between a single initiator and multiple SAS target devices to remain open or established such that switching between connections may be performed by a faster switch operation rather than “tearing down” all resources by closing an established connection and re-opening another connection. For example, LSI Corporation proposes enhancements or extensions to the SAS protocols referred to as Fast Context Switching (FCS). An FCS enhanced SAS expander that is coupled to multiple SAS target devices is enhanced to maintain multiple established, open connections and to detect receipt of a new form of SAS frame that requests a fast context switch from the currently utilized, previously established connection to a another presently open, previously established connection. Thus, multiple established connections may remain open between a single SAS initiator and multiple SAS target devices and a new SAS frame (e.g., a SWITCH Address Frame—“SAF”) may be used to rapidly switch between previously established connections without incurring the overhead of “tearing down” and “setting up” each connection sequentially. In essence, the SAF is processed the same as an OAF if there is no presently established connection that may be re-used for the requested new connection. However, if another previously established connection may be re-used, the SAF processing avoids all the overhead processing of “tearing down” and “setting up” connections each time a new connection is requested.
A problem arises in such proposed FCS enhanced SAS expanders in that zoning information required to switch among previously established connections is not correctly passed through the SDS to allow proper determination of zone permissions. In particular, in normal SAS zoning processing, an initiator device transmits an OAF having a zone group identifier field set to zero. The first zoning SAS expander (i.e., first SAS expander within the Zoned Portion of a SAS Delivery Subsystem—ZPSDS) determines the appropriate, configured zone group identifier for the source PHY on which the OAF was received. This first SAS expander then modifies the received OAF to replace the zone group identifier with a predetermined, assigned zone group identifier. The modified OAF is then forwarded through the SDS to establish an appropriate route and connection through the SDS. This and subsequent expanders of the SDS may utilize the corrected zone group identifier to determine whether zone group permissions allow the requested connection. However, in accordance with SAS standards, once an open connection is established, all SAS expanders along the path between the initiator and target devices are in a bypass or pass-through mode essentially ignoring the content of information exchanged between initiator and target until the connection is closed. Thus, an SAF requesting a switch to another previously opened connection may not receive the same processing as an OAF to correct the zone group identifier. Thus, zoning and FCS enhancements have been incompatible.
Thus it is an ongoing challenge to provide mechanisms to combine FCS enhancements in combination with standard SAS zoning features. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an improved rotary valve and more particularly to an improved rotary valve appropriately providing an intake and exhaust valve for internal-combustion engines, e.g., gasoline engines and diesel engines.
2. Description of the Related Art
Prior-art intake and exhaust valves of four-cycle internal-combustion engines which have been provided until now are classified into the following categories: a first form including a valve body which rises perpendicularly from its seat and falls perpendicularly thereon and a second form including a valve body which is in sliding contact with its seat within a valve casing. The first form of the intake and exhaust valves is a poppet valve. The second form comprises a sleeve valve including a sleeve-shaped valve body slidably mounted within engine cylinder and a rotary valve including a valve body which is slidably rotatably mounted within a seat.
At the present time, a poppet valve is predominantly used for intake and exhaust valves of four-cycle gasoline engines. Since the poppet valve has a high sealability, high lubricatability and high reliability, it is predominantly used for practical intake and exhaust valves of an automotive internal-combustion engine. However, the poppet valve is not always suitable for use in a high-speed internal-combustion engine. A camshaft driven poppet valve presently tends to be predominantly used in an internal-combustion engine for passenger car. The camshaft driven poppet valve is yet limited so that a use of it may result in a rapid reduction in engine volumetric efficiency or a destruction of the high-speed engine in an extreme case.
In detail, since the camshaft driven poppet valve is a relatively low rigid, elastic system, a resonance of one of normal vibrations of this system with one of harmonic components of a camming force exerted by the camshaft may cause the operational sequence of the system to be irregular so that a component of the poppet valve jumps and a valve spring exerting its force on the poppet goes out of its normal operation to a surging. An engine in such state produces a high noise, causes the operational timing of the poppet to go out of order and rapidly reduces its power.
Thus, the camshaft driven poppet valve develops the above problems because of its constitution as engine speed increases. In order to overcome the problems in the camshaft driven poppet valve, various non-poppet valves have been proposed and experimentally manufactured. However, all developments of these non-poppet valves have failed and nothing of the various non-poppet valves has been yet realized.
First, a lift valve of the non-poppet valves fails to fit high-speed engine, entails a complication in an operating mechanism for a valve body and produces much noise and low antiknock quality on engine.
Second, the sleeve valve, one form of slide valves, produces a high antiknock quality on engine and includes an operating mechanism for the sleeve more simplified in structure than the operating mechanism for a poppet of the poppet valve. The sleeve valve entails problems in a heat exhaust and a lubrication so that it fails to fit high-speed engine. The sleeve valve also produces an unsatisfactory noise.
Rotary valves are classified into a plurality of categories in accordance with configurations of rotors and arrangements of passages for combustible gas or air and exhaust gas. Since a prior-art intake and exhaust rotary valve includes in principle a rotor revolving at a uniform speed in sliding contact with a seat surface having open edges of intake and exhaust and a combustion chamber to periodically open and shut communications of the intake and the exhaust and combustion chamber, it is best appropriate to a high-speed engine. In particular, it provides a greater opening speed in the communications of the intake and the exhaust and combustion chamber than the poppet valve.
The following drawbacks seem to have blocked an actual use of the rotary valve as the intake and exhaust valve for automotive engine until now although the rotary valve has the above advantages: (i) The rotary valves have a poor sealability in principle. (ii) Therefore, providing a means for pushing the rotor on a seat surface in order to improve the sealability of the rotary valve impairs a smooth operation of the rotor to deteriorate the essential advantages of the rotary valve. In other words, the rotor must smoothly revolve and produce a low friction and low wear, and a lubricating oil consumption of the rotary valve must be low.
FIG. 12 illustrates a Minerva (a motorcar manufacturing corporation in Belgium) type rotary valve. The cylindrical surface of a rotor indicated at 50 has indentations 51a, 51b and 51c. In accordance with the FIG. 12 position of the rotary valve, two lands adjoining the circumferentially opposite edges of the indentation 51c shut a combustion chamber 52 from an intake 53 and an exhaust 54. A rotor 50 further goes from the FIG. 12 position in the direction of the arrow A to open the combustion chamber 52 to the intake 53. Then, a further rotation of the rotor 50 shuts the combustion chamber 52 from the intake 53 while a combustion is performed within the combustion chamber 52. Then, a further rotation of the rotor 50 enables the indentation 51b to open the combustion chamber 52 to the exhaust 54 to exhaust the combustion chamber 52.
FIG. 13 illustrates a sealing arrangement of the FIG. 12 rotary valve. This sealing arrangement comprises a wedge 56 positionally controlled by a control assembly including a screw 55. As seen in FIG. 13, a rightward movement of the wedge 56 more forcibly urges the rotor 50 on sliding-contact surfaces 55a and 55b of a cylinder block through the retainer 57 to better seal the open edge of the exhaust 54 in the seat contact surfaces 55a and the top open edge of the combustion chamber 52 in the sliding-contact surfaces 55b.
In accordance with the Minerva-type rotary valve, a relatively large contact surface area between the cylindrical surface of the rotor and sliding-contact surfaces and an increased contact pressure of the rotor on the sliding-contact surfaces secure the sealability of the rotary valve, so that a frictional resistance to the rotor is large and a lubrication for the rotor entails a problem to greatly reduce the essential advantages of the rotary valve. That is, an increase in the sealability and a reduction in the frictional resistance are in an opposite relation so that a reduced frictional resistance to the rotor reduces the sealability of the rotary valve and on the other hand, an increased sealability of the rotary valve increases the frictional resistance to the rotor.
Since the contact pressure of the rotor is constant and sufficiently large to secure the sealability of the rotary valve when an engine receives a maximum load, it causes a high frictional resistance to the rotor when the engine receives a low load so that the rotor slowly rotates.
A Baer type sleeve-shaped rotary valve and a flat-rotor type rotary valve assembly realized in United Kingdom in 1930 in which a perforated flat integral rotor is arranged within each of intake and exhaust passages for engine cylinders and rotates to perform intake and exhaust strokes of the engine cylinders were proposed. These rotary valves entailed essentially the same drawbacks as the Minerva type rotary valve and failed to be actually used. As understood from the above, the most important problem in the rotary valve is to secure the sealability. | {
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Advances in display technology have presented advertisers with new ways of conveying their message to the public. Now advertisers are able to create and convey their message using displays that not only are able to display detailed color images, but also animated images and even video clips. Not only have the advances in display technology allowed for more detailed and animated displays they have also allowed for increasingly large displays. Most major league stadiums now include a giant video screens for watching replays and displaying advertisements. The color and resolution of these modern displays thus allows advertisers to present their audience with large amounts of information. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The introduction of frame relay in the early 1990's brought lower cost, higher bandwidth, improved reliability, and simpler management control to enterprise wide area networks (WANs) as compared to X.25 and point-to-point leased-line alternatives. Frame relay, together with single-source asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) and multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) services, still dominate the enterprise WAN market for corporate Internet traffic. Such traditional standards tend to have fixed MTU sizes which may be changed by a network administrator. A customer installs one of these networks and pays a single carrier a fee associated with the reliability and bandwidth the particular network provides. For example, a network may be advertised to provide “3 and ½ nines” (99.95%) or better reliability and have a fee based on this reliability and a cost per megabytes per second (Mbps). The present cost for such a network is almost as high as the fee paid back in 1998.
Wi-Fi is a name for wireless local area network (WLAN) based on the IEEE 802.11 set of standards and WiMax is another wireless network based on the IEEE 802.16 set of standards. WiMax supports a much larger range and higher data rates as compared to Wi-Fi. With Wi-Fi and WiMax, the MTU size changes dynamically based on the line of sight between base stations and receivers.
Path MTU discovery allows a sender of Internet Protocol (IP) packets to discover a maximum transmission unit (MTU) of packets that it may send to a given destination. According to RFC4821 Packetization Layer Path MTU Discovery document, the maximum transmission unit (MTU) is the size in bytes of the largest IP packet, including the IP header and payload, that can be transmitted on a link or a path. A link is a communication facility or medium over which nodes can communicate at the link layer, i.e., the layer immediately below IP which is either IPv4 or IPv6. A path through the network is a set of links traversed by a packet between a source node and a destination node.
If a router tries to forward a packet to an interface whose MTU is smaller than the packet size, the router has two options. The router can fragment the packet into pieces small enough to fit within the MTU or it can drop the packet. If a don't fragment (DF) bit of the IP header is set, then the router should drop the packet rather than fragment it. Standard RFC 792 defines an Internet control message protocol (ICMP) message of type 3 (destination unreachable), code 4 (fragmentation needed and DF bit set) that can be returned to the sender of the packet to alert the host that the packet was too large to be transmitted without fragmentation. | {
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In the past, magnetoresistive ("MR") heads and sensors have been used for reading magnetic information stored on both magnetic disk and tape storage systems. Magnetoresistive heads are capable of producing high signal output with low noise that is independent of media velocity if the flying height is a constant. This high signal output and low noise, i.e., high signal to noise ratio, makes possible media noise limited overall system performance at high areal storage densities.
Magnetoresistive heads detect magnetic transitions through the resistance change of an MR read element which varies as a function of the strength and direction of the magnetic flux impinging on the read element. By applying an electrical sense current to the MR head structure an output voltage may be generated which is proportional to the resistance of the material, and in turn proportional to the magnetic field from the media.
A known first class of MR heads typically utilize a single-domain thin film (on the order of 500 angstrom units in thickness) permalloy sensor element with a small internal crystalline anisotropy axis, or "easy axis," typically induced during film deposition by the application of a static magnetic field. These MR heads function according to the anisotropic magnetoresistive ("AMR") effect, where the resistance of the MR sensor element varies as a function of square of the cosine (cos.sup.2) of the angle between the magnetization direction of the sensor element and the sense current direction.
Biasing techniques are typically employed with AMR heads so that the MR sensor element operates in the linear region of its transfer curve and avoids the quadratic response of the cos.sup.2 function. Biasing is often achieved by the addition of a second permalloy layer or soft adjacent layer ("SAL") separated by a spacer from the MR sensor element. A more detailed description of MR heads that operate according to the AMR effect is found in "Magnetoresistive Head Technology", D. Markham et al., Proc. of the Elect. Chem. Soc. Vol. 90-8, p. 185 (1990), which is incorporated herein by reference.
Recently, a second class of MR heads, commonly referred to as spin valves, have been developed that have a more pronounced MR effect. Spin valve MR heads are multilayered structures that typically have two or more magnetic layers separated by a non-magnetic layer. As discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,287,238 to Baumgart et al., the physical phenomena associated with the change in resistance of such layered magnetic structures is variously referred to as the giant magnetoresistive ("GMR") effect or the "spin valve" effect. This effect has been attributed to the spin-dependent transmission of the conduction electrons between magnetic layers through a non-magnetic layer and the accompanying spin-dependent scattering at the layer interfaces.
Unlike conventional AMR heads, the resistance of a spin valve MR head does not change as a function of applied sense current direction. Rather, as described in "Giant Magnetoresistance in Soft Ferromagnetic Multilayers", Dieny et al., American Physical Society Vol. 43, No. 1 p. 1297 (1991), which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, the in-plane resistance between a pair of ferromagnetic layers separated by a non-magnetic layer varies as a function of the cosine of the angle between the magnetization in the two layers.
In spin valve MR heads one or more of the magnetic layers is typically "pinned" through the use of exchange coupling, as is well known in the art, such that their magnetization direction is fixed while the MR sensor element layer is free to rotate under the influence of the fringing fields from the magnetic transitions stored on the media. The fringing fields from the media causes the magnetization direction of the sensor element to rotate relative to the fixed magnetization direction of the pinned magnetic layer or layers. As is the case with conventional AMR heads, spin valve MR heads having an easy axis perpendicular to the magnetic direction of the field to be sensed are known.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,159,513 to Dieny et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 5,206,590 also to Dieny et al., describe a spin valve MR head consisting of a multilayered structure formed on a substrate. Both the aforementioned patents describe a spin valve MR head having a first and second thin film layer of magnetic material separated by a thin film layer of non-magnetic material. The magnetization direction of the first ferromagnetic layer in the absence of an applied magnetic field must be substantially perpendicular to the magnetization direction of the second ferromagnetic layer which is fixed in position.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,287,238 to Baumgart et al., describes a variation on the structure of the spin valve MR head disclosed in the Dieny patents. Baumgart et al. discloses a dual spin valve MR head having first, second and third ferromagnetic layers separated from each other by nonmagnetic layers. The outer ferromagnetic layers in the structure have their magnetic orientation fixed while the middle layer is comprised of soft ferromagnetic material which is free to rotate in magnetic direction in cooperation with the field from the media. As in the Dieny patents, for the described spin valve MR head to work, the magnetic direction of the middle rotating sensor element layer in Baumgart et al. is oriented perpendicular to the magnetization direction of the fixed outer layers when the applied field is zero.
In these known spin valve MR heads which have only one stable magnetization state, an analog output signal is detected by applying a small sense current to the head structure. The voltage output is an analog signal in that it continuously varies as a function of the MR head's resistance. The maximum change in magnetic orientation of the sensor element layer is limited to 90 degrees from its easy axis and typically must be constrained to even more limited rotation to provide for operation in the linear range of the MR material's transfer curve. Therefore, as such a known spin valve MR head passes over a magnetic transition on the recording media the magnetization direction of the sensor element is rotated a maximum of 90 degrees in a time varying manner, causing a change in resistance in the material and a resultant analog voltage output waveform.
In order to recover the actual recorded user data this analog output signal is typically converted into a digital signal during the demodulation process, which typically involves relatively complex peak detection circuitry. In recording channels using partial response maximum likelihood ("PRML") detection, a Viterbi algorithm is utilized that is even more complex than traditional peak detection. Additionally, since in digital recording systems the user data to be stored on the magnetic media is typically written in non-return to zero ("NRZ") format, the non-return to zero inverted (NRZI) data output of spin valve MR heads must then be converted back to NRZ format to recover the user data.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide an MR head capable of producing a digital output in order to simplify magnetic flux transition detection schemes. Also, it would be desirable to eliminate the need for transformation of the recovered data from NRZI to NRZ format. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field
Exemplary embodiments relate to a probe for use in conjunction with an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, and more particularly, to a probe for use in conjunction with an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus which is capable of performing a test by closely adhering to a particular portion of a test subject.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus is an apparatus which is configured to radiate an ultrasonic signal toward a desired portion at an inside of a body from the surface of a subject and to obtain an image with reference to a cross section of a soft tissue or a blood flow by using the information included in the reflected ultrasonic signal in an non-invasive manner. The apparatus as such, as compared with other display apparatuses such as an X-ray photographing apparatus, a CT apparatus (Computerized Tomography Scanner), an MRI (Magnetic Resonance Image), or a nuclear medical diagnostic device, is smaller in size, less expensive, and capable of displaying images obtained in real time, and is not exposed to radiation of an X-ray, and thus relatively safer, thereby being used widely for the diagnosis of medical conditions relating to hearts, abdomens, genital organs, and in gynecology.
In particular, an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus includes a probe which is configured to transmit an ultrasonic signal to a subject in order to obtain an ultrasonic image of the subject and to receive an echo signal that is reflected from the subject.
A probe includes a transducer, a case which is provided with an open upper end thereof, and a cover portion which is coupled to the open upper end of the case in order to directly contact with a surface of the subject.
A transducer includes a piezoelectric layer which is configured to reciprocally change an electrical signal and a sound signal as a piezoelectric object vibrates, an acoustic matching layer which is configured to reduce a difference of a sound impedance between the piezoelectric layer and the subject so that the ultrasonic wave generated at the piezoelectric layer is delivered primarily to the subject, a lens layer which is configured to concentrate the ultrasonic wave which proceeds to a front portion of the piezoelectric layer to a certain position, and a sound absorbing layer which is configured to reduce a distortion of an image by preventing the ultrasonic wave from proceeding to a rear portion of the piezoelectric layer.
A probe which is configured for use in conjunction with an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus includes at least one of a concave-type probe which is used for a diagnosis relating to an abdomen and which has a concave surface thereof, a linear-type probe which is used for a diagnosis relating to one or more of breasts, a thyroid, and testicles and which has a flat surface thereof, an endocavity-type probe which is used for a diagnosis relating to a uterus and an ovary, and a hockey stick-type probe.
A muscular skeletal system (for example, shoulders and knees) having a curved surface thereof may not be convenient for using a linear-type probe provided with a flat surface thereof, as a footprint of the probe has a length which falls approximately within a range of between 40 mm and 50 mm, and thus the probe may not closely adhere to the curved surface of the subject. Therefore, multiple uses of a probe having a small footprint, such as a hockey stick probe, are required in order to perform a scan, and in a case in which a probe other than a linear-type probe is used, the probe may not be closely in contact with the subject, as the body figure of the subject and the shape of a probe may not be in correspondence to each other.
In addition, when an ultrasonic test is performed, an ultrasonic wave does not penetrate a bone and air, so in a case in which a probe configured for an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus directly contacts the skin of the subject, the collection of data is not possible. Thus, in a case in which an ultrasonic wave diagnosis is being performed, a liquid is typically applied on the skin in order to eject the air which is situated in between the probe and the skin of the subject, or a pad provided with a liquid applied thereon is used. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The complete or partial detachment of ligaments, tendons or other soft tissues from their associated bones within the body are relatively commonplace injuries. Such injuries are generally the result of excessive stresses being placed on these tissues. By way of example, tissue detachment may occur as the result of an accident such as a fall, overexertion during a work-related activity, during the course of an athletic event, repetitive stress, or in any one of many other situations and activities.
In the case of a partial detachment, the injury may heal itself, if given sufficient time and provided that care is taken not to expose the injury to further undue stress. In many cases, however, surgery may be needed to reattach the soft tissue to its associated bone or bones. Numerous devices are currently available to reattach the soft tissue to bone. Examples of currently available devices include screws, staples, tacks and suture anchors.
In soft tissue reattachment procedures utilizing suture anchors, one or more anchors, each bearing one or more strands of suture, are deployed in the bone in the desired area of tissue reattachment. The suture may be mounted to the suture anchor by passing through an eyelet associated with the suture anchor, about a portion of the suture anchor, or by in another conventional manner. Free ends or loops of the suture are passed through or around the soft tissue and are used to tie or otherwise secure the soft tissue to the bone. A surgical needle is typically mounted to one end of each suture strand to facilitate passage of the suture through tissue.
Complex or extensive surgical repairs may require the use of several suture anchors and up to several times as many free suture ends. In these procedures, tracking of individual suture strands and their relationship to one another, that is, suture management, can present particular challenges for a surgeon, particularly since such procedures are often arthroscopically performed using remote visualization. The surgeon must be able to identify which suture ends are associated with each suture anchor and with each other, to properly execute a repair and to ensure that a suture is not accidentally demounted from an anchor. In arthroscopic repair procedures, suture management can be particularly difficult because the visibility of the anchors at the surgical site, and of the sutures associated with the anchors, may be very limited. In addition, simply the presence of a large number of suture strands extending from a surgical site can result in physical and visual clutter, further increasing the difficulty of the surgical procedure for the surgeon, and presenting a risk of tangling sutures. Color-coding or otherwise visually marking sutures for identification is known in this art, but can provide only limited relief of these suture management issues, particularly when a required type of suture is available in only a very limited number of visually distinct colors or patterns, and several similarly loaded multi-suture anchors are deployed during a procedure. In addition, visual coding of sutures by itself does not reduce physical or visual clutter associated with a multiplicity of sutures deployed at the surgical site. Yet another factor is the speed and efficiency in which the procedure is performed. The patient is typically best served by being under anesthesia for the shortest possible period of time. Difficulties in managing sutures can complicate and prolong the duration of a procedure.
Accordingly, there remains a need for improved methods and devices for managing sutures in surgical procedures for repairing soft tissue to bone. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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This invention relates to a magnetic recording medium having a magnetic recording layer of ferromagnetic metal film, and more particularly to an improved magnetic recording medium of the character having high output and high C/N characteristics and, moreover, increased durability.
Technology of magnetic recording media using a Co-Ni, Co-Cr, or other ferromagnetic metal film as the magnetic recording layer has been widely studied and carried into practice. It is aimed primarily at higher density recording in video, digital, and other recording techniques and at the introduction of smaller, higher-performance recording-reproducing devices than heretofore.
To enhance the magnetic characteristics of those media for services over broader bandwidths than heretofore, attempts are being made to provide magnetic layers of multiple structures. For example, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 21966/1991 discloses a magnetic recording medium having a magnetic layer fabricated from multiple layers of a ferromagnetic metal by vacuum vapor deposition, ion plating, sputtering, or other technique. The multilayer construction has dual purposes of reducing noise and allowing an under-layer ferromagnetic metal film to secure an output on the low frequency side with a low coercive force and an upper-layer ferromagnetic metal film to secure an output on the high frequency side with a high coercive force.
There is shown in FIG. 1 an exemplary magnetic recording medium of the prior art having multiple layers of a ferromagnetic metal film. Over the surface of a nonmagnetic base, e.g., of polyester are formed two or more magnetic layers, e.g., under-layer ferromagnetic metal films 4, 4' and an upper-layer ferromagnetic metal film 6. Generally, the vapor deposition angles of the individual ferromagnetic metal films (the deposition angles as measured from lines normal to the film surface on the nonmagnetic base, the same applying hereinafter) are made larger in the lower layers and smaller in the upper layers. It is also common that the deposition angle of at least one of the under-layer ferromagnetic metal films 4, 4', e.g., the metal film 4', is made reverse to the deposition angle of the upper-layer ferromagnetic metal protective film 6, so that, as viewed from the magnetic head, a generally low coercive force is maintained to secure a low-frequency output whereas the upper-layer ferromagnetic metal film 6, as viewed from the magnetic head, generally maintains a high coercive force to secure a high-frequency output.
Ferromagnetic metal films usually are worn rather easily by friction with magnetic heads and other sliding members. It has therefore been proposed to apply a lubricant or form a lubricant layer on the ferromagnetic metal film surface to reduce the friction, or to provide a sufficiently hard protective film to increase the wear resistance. For example, Japanese Patent Application Public Disclosure Nos. 132623/1990 and 224132/1991 suggest improvements in the durability and running stability of ferromagnetic metal films by the formation thereon of a diamond-like carbon protective film and by the further formation of a lubricant layer. The diamond-like carbon protective film, which is only slightly permeable to moisture, has an anticorrosive effect and thereby helps maintain the magnetic recording characteristics.
Nevertheless, the recent tendency is toward higher density digital recording on magnetic recording media, and those media of multilayer structures described above are unable to meet the ever growing high output requirements.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a magnetic recording medium capable of higher density recording than before.
The magnetic recording medium of the type comprising a nonmagnetic base of polyethylene terephthalate or other plastic, a ferromagnetic metal layer formed thereon, and a diamond-like carbon protective film further formed thereon has a problem of magnetic characteristic deterioration. This is because the nonmagnetic layer permits the permeation of moisture to some extent and is thereby corrosively attacked from the underside upwardly with extended use. The problem is particularly serious on the high frequency side. Another problem is curling that results from the formation of the ferromagnetic metal film on a plastic surface by vapor deposition, sputtering or the like, with the metal film embraced by the substrate. Formation of the diamond-like carbon protective film on the metal film curls reversely, thus tending to offset the curl with the ferromagnetic metal film. However, unless the two films are properly combined, the curl compensation is inadequate and makes the contact of the medium with a magnetic head incomplete, failing to keep the magnetic recording characteristics constant.
Therefore, it is another object of the invention to provide a magnetic recording medium of a high-output, high-C/N ferromagnetic metal type having a satisfactory anticorrosive effect and a limited curling tendency. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device such as an electrically erasable and programmable read only memory (EEPROM), and more particularly, to a nonvolatile semiconductor device including memory cells each having a split gate for compensating for an over-erasing operation.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, an EEPROM cell includes a P-type semiconductor substrate having an N.sup.+ -type source region and an N.sup.+ -type drain region, a floating gate via an insulating layer on the semiconductor substrate between the source region and the drain region, and a control gate via another insulating layer on the floating gate. In a write mode, a high positive voltage is applied to the drain region and another high positive voltage is applied to the control gate, while the source region is grounded. As a result, hot electrons having an energy larger than an energy barrier of the insulating layer between the floating gate and the semiconductor substrate are introduced into the floating gate, thus completing a writing operation. In this case, the threshold voltage of the EEPROM cell is made higher. On the other hand, in an erase mode, the source region is in a floating state, a positive voltage is applied to the drain region, the substrate is grounded, and a negative voltage (or the ground potential) is applied to the control gate. As a result, the electrons stored in the floating gate are extracted thereform to the drain region utilizing the Fowler-Nordheim tunneling effect. To realize the Fowler-Nordheim tunneling effect, the insulating layers are made very thin.
In the above-mentioned erase mode, however, when more electrons than those introduced in a write mode are extracted from the floating gate, the threshold voltage of the EEPROM cell may be made negative, i.e., the EEPROM cell becomes a depletion type transistor. Such an erasing operation is called an over-erasing operation.
In order to compensate for such an over-erasing operation, there has been known an EEPROM cell having a split gate (see JP-A-2-23672). In this prior art EEPROM cell, an offset length between the floating gate and the source region is determined in self-alignment with the floating gate, to precisely adjust the channel length, the ratio of coupled capacitance of the control gate to the floating gate and the cell area. This will be explained later in detail.
In the above-described prior art EEPROM cell, however, since the ratio of coupled capacitance of the control gate to the floating gate is decreased, the controllability of the control gate to the floating gate is deteriorated. Also, if a channel region is not in alignment with the control gate, the controllability of the control gate is deteriorated. As a result, the efficiency of introducing hot electrons into the floating gate in a write mode, the efficiency of extracting electrons from the floating gate in a read mode, and a read current are reduced.
Further, the above-described prior art EEPROM cell is disadvantageous in terms of integration. | {
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Polymerization of high internal phase emulsions (polyHIPEs) generally require either toxic diluents and/or high cure temperatures. The materials as high internal phase emulsions (HIPEs) when formed are generally incapable for use in vivo or in situ.
Use of three-dimensional networks in vivo has been limited by the fabrication and materials used to prepare the three-dimensional network. Many current materials are not injectable. In addition, many current materials do not achieve proper porosity. Furthermore, materials used to prepare three-dimensional networks or scaffolds in vivo have limitations in the compressive strength and modulus of the material when formed as a network or scaffold. It is also found that many materials are not ready for use after fabrication and require additional modifications before use. | {
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The present invention concerns a method and an apparatus for defrosting frozen logs before debarking. The large production volume of the present wood debarking lines also with frozen logs requires effective defrosting prior to the debarking in a drum. The defrosting conveyor used for this purpose is an expensive apparatus taking a lot of space, its size being dependent on the required defrosting time.
With the defrosting conveyors of prior art, the defrosting is usually implemented so that water of a certain temperature is sprayed on the stream of logs moving on the conveyor. The defrosting is intensified by decreasing the speed of the conveyor, by properly filling up the conveyor, or by increasing the length of transport during the defrosting. Usually, the amount of energy available for defrosting is stable during the whole defrosting process.
According to an older defrosting process, the debarking drum comprised a starting sector with no bark openings, partly filled with water, into which warm water was pumped in the winter time. Due to water pollution problems, these so called wet-debarking drums have today been abandoned. There are presently also various ways of supplying energy, depending on the mill. In new mills, the defrosting energy is delivered by means of a large amount of water of a relatively low temperature, by means of a small amount of water with high temperature, by means of superheated, pressurised water, or by steam.
In the transverse conveyor system of Swedish origin, the defrosting is implemented in two phases, wherein the log bundles initially are defrosted as a large pile, and after the pile has been lowered, an effective after-defrosting takes place.
Experience shows, that a defrosted layer of about 10 mm from the bark surface of the log is required to achieve a good debarking result. It is, however, difficult to provide defrosting evenly for the whole log layer to be transported. Especially large logs are only partly defrosted, and with temperatures of several degrees below zero, the logs freeze again, because the cold heartwood forms a prominent part of the log. There are also problems with the logs on the bottom of the log pile, which are defrosted only by the colder water.
The process of defrosting logs, including heat transmission and temperatures of different wood layers, has been described in the following publications, among others:
Thermal Conductive properties of wood, Green or Dry, USDA Forest Service General Technical Report FPL-9
Heating Frozen and Nonfrozen 1977 Veneer Logs, Forest Products Journal 1972 Vol 22. No. 10
Oppvarming og rengjxc3x6ring av skurtxc3x6mmer fxc3x6r barkning, Norsk Treteknisk Institut Rapport Juni 1979
Upptining av frusen ved, Svenska Forskningslaboratonet, report 549, 11.07.1966 and report 575, 16.11.1966.
The log defrosting method according to the present invention is based on zone-specifically providing heat to the logs in transfer motion on a conveyor, according to their heat receiving capacity immediately from the moment of starting of the defrosting, and at the end of the defrosting process, the amount of heat provided per time unit (length of path) is only a fraction of the amount of heat in the first defrosting phase. Preferably, the heat amount ratio is about 5:1. The defrosting conveyor can be divided into 3 to 10 defrosting zones with a length of, for example, 2-10 meters each. Application of the present invention is particularly suitable for the energy delivery methods mentioned on page 1. By means of the invention, the defrosting energy can be more efficiently utilised, and at the same time water pollution is decreased.
The above mentioned invention is based on the following starting values received from the reference literature:
Heat transmission to the surface of the logs is restricted by the surface resistance.
Thermal conduction from the surface of the logs through the bark and into the wood, causing melting of ice. Thermal conductivity of woodxe2x80x941 KJ/m2hxc2x0 C. (Moisture 50%, old value 0.24 kcal/m2hxc2x0 C.).
Based on the foregoing, the thermal conductivity to different depths from the surface of the log can be calculated.
Based on the heat transmission value and the thermal conductivity to the layer to be defrosted, the surface temperature of the log can be calculated, which gives the probable defrosting depth. At the end of the defrosting process, when the defrosted layer is 10 mm thick, the wood surface receives only about 5% of the heat amount of the starting phase of the defrosting process.
According to the new, intensified defrosting method, heat is brought zone-specifically, according to their heat receiving capacity, to the logs to be defrosted while the logs being transported on a conveyor and the total heat amount is increased in a restricted manner, only as a result of better defrosting. | {
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1. Field
An aspect of the present disclosure relates to a touch screen panel provided to a display device and the like.
2. Description of the Related Technology
A touch screen panel is an input device that allows a user's instruction to be inputted by selecting an instruction content displayed on a screen of a display device or the like with the user's hand or another object.
A touch screen panel is formed on a front face of a display device to convert a contact position into an electrical signal. The user's hand or another object may be directly in contact with the touch screen panel at the contact position. Accordingly, the instruction content selected at the contact position is inputted as an input signal to the display device.
Since such a touch screen panel can be substituted for a separate input device connected to a display device, such as a keyboard or mouse, its application fields have been gradually extended.
Some touch screen panel types are: a resistive overlay touch screen panel, a photosensitive touch screen panel, a capacitive touch screen panel, and the like. A capacitive touch screen panel converts a contact position into an electrical signal by sensing a change in capacitance formed between a conductive sensing pattern and an adjacent sensing pattern, ground electrode or the like when a user's hand or another object is in contact with the touch screen panel. | {
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Most information today is stored electronically and is available on the World Wide Web. This information includes blog posts, articles (e.g., news articles, opinion pieces, etc.), research papers, web pages, microblog posts (e.g., tweets), and many other types of documents. While having this much information available is useful, it may be very difficult to find information relevant to a particular topic for a particular objective. Furthermore, it may be difficult to stay abreast of new information that becomes available regarding the particular topic on a continuing basis.
Search engines exist today to attempt to find documents on the web that relate to a search string input by the user. However, most search engines base their search on just the words and operators (e.g., “and”, “or”, etc.) entered by a user. When a user searches for a particular topic, the search engine will only find documents that use the entered word or words, which will lead to many relevant documents being completely overlooked. Such search engines cannot provide a good overview of the documents that surround a particular topic. | {
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Computing devices can communicate with one another using either synchronous or asynchronous communication. With synchronous communication, a sender of a message waits for a receiver to receive and respond to the message before sending other messages. In some cases, the sender is blocked from performing other processing until the receiver responds to the message. With asynchronous communication, the sender may not need to wait for a response from the receiver before sending other messages or performing other processing. Asynchronous communication allows for the receiver to receive and process the message at a time chosen by the receiver. | {
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A step automatic transmission is known from US 2003/0087720 A1 with a planetary set and pressure-activated transmission shifting elements. The transmission shifting elements are constructed as two switchable couplings which use a common outer disc carrier to accept the outer discs of the couplings. The common outer disc carrier shows a pot-shaped, half cross-sectional geometry whose symmetry axis coincides with the long axis of the transmission input shaft. As a result, the outer disc carrier forms a coupling area within which the disc packet and the servo device of both couplings are positioned.
The two disc packets of the mentioned couplings, which will be examined more closely here, are positioned immediately next to each other in an axial and radial direction. In addition, the servo devices act in such a way on both coupling packets, that the closing direction of both couplings is equal and points away from the pot base of the outer disc carrier. For that reason, the pressure areas of both servo devices are axially directly next to each other.
The piston of the servo device which activates the second disc packet located away from the pot base is axially located between the pistons of the servo device to activate the first disc coupling near the pot base, as well as the pot base of the outer disc carrier. In addition, the piston to activate the first disc packet near the pot base is positioned between the piston for the second disc packet away from the pot base and the disc packet near the pot base.
It should also be noted, that the inner discs of both couplings of this known automatic transmission are carried by two separate inner disc carriers.
By means of this, construction results that the piston to activate the second disc packet away from the pot base axially separates the two pressure areas of both servo devices.
Another characteristic of the transmission is that only the servo device to activate the first disc packet near the pot base is associated with a space for a dynamic, activation pressure compensation. In the process, the mentioned piston which activates the first disc packet near the pot base separates the pressure area for this piston as well as the pressure compensation area axially from each other.
In this transmission the fact that the pressure in the pressure area of the servo device to activate the first coupling near the pot base influences the pressure in the pressure area of the servo device to activate the second coupling away from the pot base and vice versa can be viewed as disadvantageous.
In addition, the fact that the piston must activate the second coupling away from the pot base axially penetrating the outer discs of the first coupling can be viewed as expensive to build, away from the pot base. For that reason, the outer discs of the first coupling near the pot base are equipped with axial penetration openings in the area of their outer diameter through which the mentioned piston is guided. Moreover the outer discs of the first disc coupling must be built comparatively long in a radial direction which then results in an enlarged diameter for the transmission. | {
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Technical Field
The present disclosure pertains to internal combustion engines having a reciprocating piston slidably mounted within a cylinder and, more particularly, to a compression ring adapted to provide a seal between a top surface of the piston and a wall of the cylinder.
Description of the Related Art
Today's most common internal combustion engines are equipped with a cylinder, a piston slidably mounted in the cylinder, and a cylinder head mounted on the cylinder that in combination define a combustion chamber. Such engines are operated with a variety of fuels, including gasoline, diesel, biodiesel, hydrogen, ethanol alcohol (ethyl alcohol), propane, natural gas and others. In the past few years, new technologies have emerged, some in development and some already on the market, in which water, water injection, and other similar liquids are utilized.
In most internal combustion engines employing a piston-cylinder arrangement, the piston is slightly smaller in outside diameter than the inside diameter of the cylinder bore. At least one and usually three rings are used around the circumference of the piston to provide a seal between the piston and the wall of the cylinder. These rings are used in different configurations and are typically made from spring metal.
Most liquid type fuels are fed to the combustion chamber using a carburetor, port fuel injection or direct injection. The liquid fuel is converted to a mist or a spray during its transition to the combustion chamber. Once such spray touches a surface of the combustion chamber, it is turned back to a liquid. One such surface is the cylinder walls. This conversion back to liquid form inhibits complete consumption and burning of the fuel.
In current technologies during compression cycles the top ring is collecting liquid fuel from the cylinder walls, and it becomes trapped in the volume between the piston and cylinder. It is most critical during the compression stroke of a 4-stroke engine, where the pressure is high enough that once the piston reaches top dead center, the combustion creates maximum pressure to push the piston away from the cylinder head. This pressure pushes some of the liquid collected from between the piston and the cylinder wall past the piston and into the oil pan area. This is known as “blow-by.” In a water-based fuel system and in hydrogen-based fuels where the by-product of the combustion is mostly water, such blow-by liquids are mixed with the engine oil residing in the oil pan below the piston.
Piston reciprocation occurs more than 1000 times per minute even at low rpm. In a multiple cylinder engine the amount of blow-by is substantial. The blow-by results in wasted fuel and contamination of the oil, creating a milky type substance that can cause rapid wear of internal parts of the engine and premature failure.
Although the space between the piston cylinder wall and top ring is very small, it can accumulate trapped liquid to a large volume very rapidly. Attempts have been made in the past, with some success, to reduce blow-by by using multiple rings in a variety of shapes and configurations on the piston. None, however, appear to have addressed eliminating or preventing the accumulation of liquid in this space between the piston cylinder wall and the top ring.
Shown in FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an assembly 20 having a piston 22 slidably mounted within a cylinder 24 that is covered with a cylinder head 26 to define a combustion chamber 28. The piston 22 is mounted to a connecting rod 30 that in turn is coupled to a crankshaft 32, which is configured to move the piston 22 in a reciprocating fashion up and down in the cylinder 24. The construction and operation of the crankshaft 32 and connecting rod 30 will not be described in detail herein inasmuch as these are well-known elements to those of skill in the art. Similarly, the cylinder head 26 includes a pair of valves 34, a spark plug 36, and a fuel injector 38 that are in communication with the combustion chamber 28 in a well-known manner. These elements will also not be described in detail herein inasmuch as they form the environment within which the invention is designed to function, and such elements are well known to those of skill in the art.
Turning next to FIG. 2, shown therein in greater detail is a partial enlarged view of the assembly 20 of FIG. 1 showing a top ring 40 mounted within a channel 42 formed in a sidewall 44 of the piston 22. As is well known, the piston 22 has a cylindrical exterior sidewall surface 44 that is slightly smaller in diameter than an exterior sidewall surface 46 of the cylinder 24. The top ring 40, generally known as a compression ring, extends outward from the exterior sidewall surface 44 of the piston 22 to ride up against the interior cylinder wall 46 in a fashion that scrapes liquid 48 off the cylinder wall 46 and reduces blow-by from the combustion chamber 28 to a crankcase area around the connecting rod 30 and crankshaft 32 below the piston 22.
More particularly, during a typical four-stroke combustion cycle, fuel is injected into the combustion chamber 28 via the fuel injector 38. This fuel is shown as a spray 50 in FIG. 1. The spray of liquid fuel 50 can accumulate on the cylinder wall 46 in the form of droplets 48 shown in FIG. 2. During the movement of the piston 22 in a reciprocating fashion within the cylinder 24, the top ring 40 will scrape and collect the droplets 48 in the space 52 between the piston 22 and the cylinder 24. The liquid accumulates as indicated by reference number 54 within the space 52. Under the pressure of combustion, this trapped liquid 54 can blow past the top ring 40 and be injected into the crankcase containing the crankshaft 32, connecting rod 30, and lubricating oil.
Hence, there is a need to eliminate this trapped liquid 54 in the space 52 between the piston 22 and cylinder wall 24 to reduce the potential for damage to the engine, and to increase engine performance. | {
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The invention relates to a shelving consisting essentially of shelving post, crosspiece, shelving base, and clamp bolt, and which can be completed as required with accessories that are known today. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Due to its prevalence in today's society, the internet and other types of networks have become a hub for criminal activity. Criminal enterprises and/or actors often attempt to install malware or other harmful software on systems used by unsuspecting users by directing those users to malicious resources identified by uniform resource identifiers (URIs) (e.g., malicious web addresses). Therefore, it would be helpful to users to know which URIs are malicious and which are safe (non-malicious) before accessing those resources.
Current technology primarily uses rule-based filtering to identify malicious URIs. For example, Proofpoint URL Defense checks a URI against a set of blacklists and internet protocol (IP) reputation scores. If a URI is on a blacklist or associated with a questionable domain, it is classified as malicious. However, this technique is static and does not provide flexibility in adapting to threats. Other techniques have been proposed to create predictive models to classify malicious web site URIs based on certain features that are indicative of suspicious URIs.
A need exists, therefore, for methods and systems that classify URIs based on a plurality of diverse features that can be used to classify new URIs. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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a. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a copying apparatus with a programming capability.
b. Description of the Prior Art
Conventional copiers are generally provided only with limited functions of the preparation of copies of a number each time predetermined for each original or the selection of monochromatic or three-color copying mode in response to each presetting of color mode, and are therefore inconvenient, in case of copying in different sizes, copying in different color modes or copying in different copy numbers for different sizes or different color modes from a same original or in case of copying with different sizes, color modes or copy numbers from different originals, in requiring the operator to readjust the copying mode for each copying. | {
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The present invention relates to the use of apparatus for heating a patient particularly although not solely for optimum location of a patient in relation to a radiant warmer.
One method of warming patients during surgical procedures is to use a radiant warmer positioned above the patient""s head or other body parts having good blood perfusion for example. For example, in our U.S. Pat. No. 5,841,944 we describe an apparatus for supporting and heating an infant using an infrared radiant heater. Typically the radiant heater will have a reflector such that the infrared radiation emitted by the heater will have a relatively narrow beam.
The problem with this method of warming can be positioning the patient relative to the heater element to ensure that enough, but not too much, power is delivered. Another difficulty is knowing how well perfused the skin is, under the warmer.
One way of achieving this in prior art devices is by indicating the height using a tape measure or other measure of distance to attempt to get the optimum level of radiation. This does not allow for inadvertent low or high settings when beds are raised or lowered or accidental heater movement during procedures. Then the patient is manually positioned laterally to a point where the surgical team estimate the radiation beam is toughly the target heating area.
It would therefore be desirable to have a radiant warmer in which it was easy to locate the patient directly in the path of the radiation focussed from the radiant heater. It would also be desirable to ensure that the patient is located at the optimum distance from the radiant heater in order to ensure that the correct level of heating is achieved.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a system for heating a patient which goes some way to achieving the abovementioned desiderata, or which will at least provide the public or industry with a useful choice.
Accordingly the present invention consists in an apparatus adapted to detect radiant heat energy incident on a surface comprising:
a body portion; and
at least two temperature sensing means wherein an unmasked temperature sensing means is located on a first side of said body portion and a masked sensing means is located on the opposite side of said body portion;
adapted such that in use said opposite side faces towards said surface with said masked sensing means juxtaposed in contact with said surface thereby being masked from any radiant heat energy otherwise incident on said surface by said body portion.
To those skilled in the art to which the invention relates, many changes in construction and widely differing embodiments and applications of the invention will suggest themselves without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. The disclosures and the descriptions herein are purely illustrative and are not intended to be in any sense limiting.
The invention consists in the foregoing and also envisages constructions of which the following gives examples. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an optical disc device. More specifically, the present invention relates to an optical disc device for reproducing an optical disc, and to an optical disc reproduction method.
2. Background Information
Optical discs such as CDs (compact discs), DVDs (digital versatile discs), and BDs (Blu-ray Discs™) have come into widespread use in recent years. Furthermore, optical disc devices have been developed as devices that read, record, and reproduce the information recorded on an optical disc, such as audio information or image information. Examples of well known optical disc devices include CD players, DVD players, BD recorders, and CD-ROM drives that are connected to a personal computer.
An optical disc device is equipped with an optical pickup for reading information by directing a laser beam at an optical disc. The optical pickup has a laser diode for directing the laser beam at the information recording face of the optical disc, which is fixed to and rotating on a turntable.
The optical pickup also has a photodetector, such as a photodiode, for receiving reflected light from the information recording face. The optical pickup converts light into an electrical signal by means of this photodetector, and outputs the resulting signal.
In order to read information accurately from an optical disc, tracking must be performed, in which the optical axis of the laser beam is made to track the center of pits formed on the optical disc. To do this, an actuator for driving an object lens in the radial direction of the optical disc, and a tracking servo for controlling the actuator are provided inside the optical pickup device.
To improve the quality of the signal from the optical pickup and to enhance servo performance in an optical disc device such as this, a technique has been employed in which a high-frequency signal is superposed over the drive signal of the laser diode that emits the laser beam.
In relation to this technique, an optical disc device has been disclosed and proposed in which disturbance of the signal from the optical pickup is detected, and the amplitude of the high-frequency signal superposed onto the drive signal (hereinafter referred to as the “high-frequency superposition amplitude”) is varied according to this detection result (see International Publication No. WO 2004/105006 (Patent Literature 1), for example). | {
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1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of switching voltage regulators, and particularly to multi-phase switching voltage regulators.
2. Description of the Related Art
Switching voltage regulators provide a predetermined and substantially constant output voltage from a source voltage that may be fluctuating, or that may be at an inappropriate amplitude for the load. Such regulators typically employ one or more switching elements. The switching elements may be, for example, field-effect transistor (FET) switches. Control circuitry regulates the current supplied to the load by varying the ON-OFF times of the switching elements (i.e., the regulator's duty cycle, which is the percentage of time that a switch is ON during a cycle of operation). Inductors and capacitors are typically used to convert the switched current pulses into a steady flow of load current. Switching regulators are frequently used in portable battery-powered electronic products, as they provide high operating efficiency and long battery life with little heat generation.
A switching voltage regulator may be arranged to operate using one or more different relegation modes. For example, for voltage-mode regulation, a feedback signal Vfb which varies with the regulator's output voltage is fed to a comparator along with a periodic sawtooth waveform; the comparator's output controls the duty cycle of the switching elements. For current-mode regulation, a voltage Vi is generated which is proportional to the current in the output inductor. Vi and Vfb are provided as inputs to a comparator, the output of which controls the duty cycle of the switching elements.
Several methods have been employed to obtain inductor current information for use in a switching regulator's control loop. Typically, a small voltage is sensed, either continuously or periodically sampled, to determine the current. One approach is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,982,160 to Walters et al., in which an R-C network is connected across the output indicator, with the small resulting signal sent to the controller. Another approach is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,847554 to Wilcox et al., which samples the voltage drop across the regulator's MOSFET switches when they are on.
Advanced microprocessors require power supplies that provide a low voltage (e.g., <2 volts) at high current. One way in which high currents are provided is with a multi-phase switching regulator, in which the components of a number (N) of single-phase regulators are repeated to produce N output currents, which are summed together to provide the total output current. However, implementing any of the regulators cited above as a multi-phase regulator requires summing and/or sampling data in the controller IC, which can introduce unwanted complexity and processing delays into the IC design.
Another switching regulator issue concerns maintaining the output voltage within specified limits in response to load transients. One approach to this problem is known as “adaptive voltage positioning” (AVP), in which the output voltage is positioned within the specified range so that it best withstands a load transient. This is conventionally accomplished by establishing a “droop impedance” for the output, by inserting information about the desired output current droop into the output voltage feedback loop as an error signal. However, this approach can result in sluggish and imprecise control on the output voltage for dynamic changes in the load. | {
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This invention relates to electron-beam exposure machines for accurate submicron lithography, particularly for writing on optical and x-ray mask surfaces or directly on semi-conductor surfaces.
Some electron-beam writing pattern systems scan with a single beam for writing individual pixels on the resist layer of a semiconductor workpiece. Each pixel requires a combination of a range of an exposure time and current density. This pixel by pixel approach limits the throughput of such systems.
Some industrial writing-pattern systems use larger, variably shaped apertures to write patterns. Such systems have the disadvantages of producing the same current density with each shape, so that changing the shape area results in current changes and hence variation in bulk space charge within the electron beam. This may alter the plane of best focus and allow proper focusing of only one area. AS the shape size increases, electron to electron interaction increases and the beam broadens and the edge sharpness decreases. Also, the continually changing beam current makes it difficult to maintain a stable column.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,153,843 discloses a system that forms the patterns from an m.times.n array of fixed identical spots each of which receives on or off signals to produce the desired pattern. Such a system requires complex electronic drives to form the desired patterns. Also the system causes the beams from the apertures to recross at a focus point.
An object of the invention is to overcome these disadvantages.
Another object of the invention is to improve electron-beam pattern writing systems.
Another object of the invention is to improve the throughput of electron-beam pattern writing systems. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The invention relates to a process for the preparation of methionine of high bulk density, in which a mixture which comprises a compound which has a foaming action and a compound which influences crystallization is added to the hydrolysis solution, and to the mixture itself.
It is known that the preparation of amino acids is often associated with difficulties. Handling of solutions or suspensions containing amino acids already leads to severe foaming in laboratory processes, but above all of course in industrial production. This undesirable effect can lead not only to the production proceeding in a very problematic manner and with poor space/time yields, but in individual cases also to failure of an economical production of the amino acid.
JP 09000241 thus describes that the addition of various additives from the family of nitrogen-containing polyoxyalkylenes in the fermentative production of amino acids leads to a reduction in foaming. JP 09000241 relates to the preparation of defoamer mixtures which are composed of fats or oils and the reaction products of fatty acids or derivatives thereof and polyalcohols with alkylene oxides. These mixtures are suitable for use in fermentations. It is known that the yield of lysine and tryptophan production can be increased if silicone are used as foam-destroying additives, instead of sunflower oil. The influence of various silicone oils is investigated by comparison in Khim.-Farm. Zh (1972), 6(5), 27–30.
In the carbonate process known from EP 0 780 370, methionine is obtained on acidification of a solution of potassium methioninate with carbon dioxide in accordance with the equation
Methionine is in general precipitated out of these solutions in the form of very flat leaflets, separating off of which proceeds only very slowly and therefore uneconomically.
There are therefore attempts to influence the crystallization properties of the methionine by addition of particular auxiliary substances.
It is demonstrated in JP-11-158140 that the use of various auxiliary substances, such as hydroxymethylpropylcellulose, sorbitan monolaurate or polyvinyl alcohols, influences the crystal habit, and the bulk density of the methionine obtained in this way increases.
These compounds are added in an amount of at least 500 ppm during the crystallization, which is carried out continuously and proceeds in two stages under specific stirring conditions. A round-particled methionine is obtained.
No additive or mixture of additives with the aid of which at the same time the foam which forms in the various stages of methionine preparation can be suppressed and the crystal habit of the methionine which has precipitated out, in particular in the carbonate process, can be improved is known from the prior art. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
The invention relates to a liquid crystal display, in particular for a motor vehicle, having a liquid crystal cell having electrical heating formed by an electrically conductive heating layer on a substrate and two busbars which, on opposite sides of the substrate, lead over the width of the heating layer and are in each case provided with a contact connection for connection to a heating current source.
Liquid crystal displays of the above type are currently known and conventional. The electrical heating makes it possible to achieve short switching times even at low temperatures, with the result that, by way of example, DSTN cells are also suitable for use in the motor vehicle. The two busbars, usually called zero-ohm rails, have the task of ensuring a uniform current flow over the entire width of the electrically conductive heating layer, thereby producing uniform heating of the heating layer and thus of the liquid crystal cell over its entire area.
An attempt has already been made to realize the contact connection of the heating layer by busbars which are to be applied on opposite sides of the heating layer and to which, in turn, an electrical conductor is to be soldered, but this causes considerable costs and does not ensure permanent contact connections.
The invention is based on the problem of designing a liquid crystal display of the type mentioned in the introduction in such a way that the means for contact connection of its heating layer are designed as simply as possible and ensure reliable contact connection.
This problem is solved according to the invention by virtue of the fact that the busbars are in each case formed by a clamp having two limbs, one limb of which clamp reaches over the substrate onto the heating layer and the other limb of which clamp reaches under the substrate, and in that, for connection to the heating current source, a spring element is arranged between one limb of the clamp and a printed circuit board.
Such a clamp can be pushed with little assembly effort onto the substrate, where it forms the busbars for uniform distribution of the electric current. Therefore, it is possible to dispense with separate busbars in the form of conductor tracks applied to the heating layer. The clamp according to the invention may preferably be composed of the same material as the spring element bearing against it, with the result that the transition of the electrical energy from the spring element into the clamp does not pose any difficulties. The substrate may be a separate support or a substrate of the liquid crystal cell.
Particularly uniform current distribution in the layer forming the heating can be achieved if the clamp leads over the entire width of the heating layer.
The clamp can be pushed particularly easily over the edge of the substrate, but is supported with a sufficiently high prestress force on the heating layer, if the limb of the clamp which bears on the heating layer has a profile curved approximately in an S-shaped manner, as seen from the side.
The liquid crystal cell together with the mounted clamp can easily be pushed into a light box of a liquid crystal display without the risk of getting stuck or getting caught if, in accordance with another development of the invention, the lower limb of the clamp is designed as a flat web oriented parallel to the substrate.
Uniformly high press-on forces of the clamp over its entire width onto the heating layer can be achieved by the upper limb of the clamp being formed by a multiplicity of spring tongues running next to one another.
If the liquid crystal display is exposed to particularly strong vibrations and shaking during later operation, another development of the invention can provide for the clamp to be additionally fixed on the substrate by an adhesive.
Production tolerances can be compensated to a particularly great extent if the spring element is a helical spring, because the latter can deform on all sides in order to bridge alignment errors. In addition, the helical spring constitutes a space-saving and cost-effective contact connection. Moreover, construction tolerances can be compensated in a simple manner with such an embodiment.
In order to reduce the diversity of parts, it is also possible, however, for the spring element to be formed by at least one spring limb which is integrally formed on the clamp and whose free end bears with prestress on the printed circuit board.
In order to obtain the simplest possible connection to the heating current source, it is proposed that the spring element is formed by at least one spring lug which is integrally formed on the clamp and on whose other end a plug pin is integrally formed, which is plugged into a plug socket on a printed circuit board.
In order that the electrical resistance is as small as possible, it is proposed that a plurality of spring lugs arranged next to one another merge with a connecting web, on which the plug pin is integrally formed. At the same time, press-in lugs oriented perpendicularly to the plug pin can be provided on said connecting web. Said press-in lugs can make it possible to build up a sufficiently large pressure on the plug pin in order to insert it into the plug socket.
In this arrangement, it is expedient that each spring lug forms an arc whose vertex is remote from the clamp. This form can easily be achieved through a single bending operation. It suffices to reliably compensate the tolerances to be bridged.
The contact connection of the clamp to the heating layer is on the one hand intended to have the smallest possible contact resistance. On the other hand, however, the plug-on force is not intended to be to large because this could possibly destroy the heating layer. Therefore, it is proposed that that limb of the clamp which bears on the heating layer, as viewed from the side, runs into a double arc with two bearing points, and that the lower limb, as viewed from the side, runs in a single arc with one contact point, the contact point of the lower limb lying between the bearing points of the upper limb.
On account of different thermal expansion of the clamp and of the substrate to which the clamp is connected, a relative movement between clamp and substrate can occur in the event of large temperature fluctuations. In order to prevent this, it is advantageous to divide the clamp into a plurality of segments in the longitudinal direction and/or to separate individual spring tongues of the clamp to the greatest possible extent (i.e. that adjacent spring tongues are separated from one another over at least ⅔ of their length). When the clamp is separated into a plurality of segments, a spring element for connection to the heating current source is provided on each segment. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Parasitic nematodes infect over half of the world's human population and also reduce agricultural productivity by more than US$100 billion annually. The most harmful human pathogens are Ascaris lumbricoides, Ancylostoma duodenale, Necator americanus, Trichuris trichiura and Strongyloides stercoralis. These pathogens infect more than 3 billion people causing malnutrition, obstructive intestinal disease and substantial morbidity particularly among school age children (˜125,000 deaths each year) (Pearson, Current Infection Disease Report 4:59–64 (2002)). This will be aggravated in the future by lack of vaccines, limited chemical approaches, and the rapid increase in resistance to antihelmintic drugs (DeClercq et al., Am J Trop Med and Hygiene 57: 25–30 (1997), Hotez et al. Immunological Reviews 171: 163–171 (1999), Crompton, Adv. Parasitology 48: 285–375 (2001). Resistance to dehydration plays a key role in parasitic nematode epidemiology (Pit et al. Ann Trop Med Parasit 94: 165–171 (2000), Solomon et al. Parasitology 119: 621–626 (1999), Solomon et al. J Parasitology 84: 802–805 (1998), Solomon et al Int J Parasitology 27: 1517–1522 (1997)).
Contrary to human and animal parasitic nematodes, beneficial nematodes (Steinernematidae and Heterorhabditidae) are sensitive to dessication stress and other environmental constraints (Solomon et al., Nematology 1: 61–68 (1999), Kaya, Annual Review of Entomology 38: 181–206, (1993)). These nematodes are among the most promising alternatives to the chemical control of insect pests. They can actively locate, infect and kill a wide range of insect pest with the cooperation of a symbiotic bacterium (Xenorhababdus spp. and Photorhabdus spp.), and yet are safe for plants and animals.
Thus, there is a great need for understanding and modifying water stress tolerance of these and other organisms, for example, by decreasing water stress tolerance of pathogenic nematodes, and by increasing water stress tolerance of beneficial nematodes. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
One form of integrated circuit package, called gull-wing because of the shape of the leads, is a popular surface mount design that is easy to solder and inspect. But since the leads are thin and extend away from the body of the package the leads are easily bent or broken. It is important to protect these leads especially for expensive large scale integration (LSI) chips. LSI is herein used as a generally descriptive term for any of the larger packages with large ICs, multiple hybrid ICs, or any other composite type construction. LSI is not limited to a narrow definition.
IC manufacturers routinely package these ICs in trays or carriers that protect the IC pack from static charge and physical harm during routine handling and shipping. It is important to protect the fragile leads. These trays often provide guides that substantially enclose the leads. Such guides prevent the test/burn-in or other use of the ICs while still packaged.
IC end users and test houses prefer, to reduce handling of the chip (herein defined as the packaged IC), to use the trays in which the chips are shipped. ICs often go through a series of handling operations that are a source of failure for such ICs; the ICs are: removed from the shipping carriers, placed in programming/test/burn-in fixtures, programmed/tested, repackaged for stocking or subsequent shipping, and then placed in another socket/fixture or soldered to a PCB for use. This handling (or mishandling) is a source of harm to the ICs.
Sockets are routinely used on PC boards to allow the IC to be changed or interconnections modified as the circuitry and programming are being debugged or upgraded. But in production, sockets are a source of failure, usually due to mechanical problems of alignment, unreliable electrical contacts and sometimes added capacitance and inductance associated with the socket itself. In addition there is an added cost of the socket. Sockets are often bulky with high profiles obviating their use in closely stacked board assemblies. These negatives are balanced by the ability of replacing or reprogramming the chip without damaging the PC board. This is important since LSI chips and completed PC boards are expensive, and replacing a soldered on chip without damaging the board or the replacement chip is a skill that is not routinely done nor recommended in production or even in development environments.
An object of this invention is to provide an IC carrier/socket system wherein the IC package and its gull wing leads are protected during routine inspection, test/burn-in, programming, reprogramming and use.
It is a another object to provide an IC carrier/socket system wherein the IC is placed in the protective carrier that may be placed in a programming/test/burn-in socket for programming/test/burn-in of the IC, and then the carrier (and IC) may be placed in an SMT socket soldered onto a PC board for system debugging.
It is a further object to provide a carrier/socket system wherein the SMT socket may be used on production PC boards thereby allowing field replacement.
Another object of this invention is to provide an SMT/production socket with a contact layout footprint that matches the gull-wing pad footprint of the IC.
It is another object of this invention to provide a carrier/socket system wherein the carrier/socket has minimum impact on the electrical performance of the IC. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Conventionally, video processing devices are known which compress and/or expand a video that is input (hereinafter, referred to as an “input video”) in the vertical direction (or the column direction) and/or the horizontal direction (or the row direction) (hereinafter, referred to as “vertical and horizontal directions”) in accordance with the aspect ratio of a display and display the video (for example, see Patent Literature 1). According to such video processing devices, even when the aspect ratios of an input video and a display do not match each other, by compressing and/or expanding the input video in the vertical and/or horizontal directions, the video can be displayed using the whole display.
Recently, displays are configured to have various aspect ratios according to the uses thereof. For example, as a display used for the rear seat of a vehicle, a display is also proposed which has an aspect ratio (for example, horizontal:vertical=30:9) that is extremely horizontally longer than a display having a general aspect ratio (for example, horizontal:vertical=16:9). | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The present invention relates to a vehicular power control system, a wire harness, and a vehicular power control device that distribute electric power from a power source to a plurality of predetermined loads or respective electronic control units on a vehicle.
In vehicles, various electrical devices and ECUs are arranged in a state where these are dispersed in various places on a vehicle body. For example, electrical devices relating to the traveling of a vehicle, electrical devices relating to an audio system, electrical devices relating to the functions of the vehicle body, and the like are arranged. As respective ones of such electrical devices, generally, various switches, various sensors, various loads, control units, and the like are mounted. It is necessary to supply electric power to such various electrical devices and ECUs from a main power source on a vehicle side (a vehicle-mounted battery and an alternator).
In a power distribution system for vehicles disclosed in Patent Document 1, a plurality of electrical connection boxes are provided in order to distribute electric power. Additionally, the inside of an electrical connection box is equipped with a number of fuses or relays.
Additionally, in a vehicle-mounted system disclosed in Patent Document 2, whether or not electric power is supplied is determined on the basis of the state of a power source, and the amount of power supply to a load when an electric power supply side has received a demand for power supply to the load. This prevents the residual amount of the power source from falling below a minimum necessary amount.
[Patent Document 1] JP-A-2004-56944
[Patent Document 2] JP-A-2008-49982 | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a brake control system that controls braking force applied to a wheel provided on a vehicle and a control method for the brake control system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. JP-A-11-180294, for example, describes a brake hydraulic pressure control system that is provided with a regulator which is connected in series downstream of an accumulator, and a pair of linear control valves, one for increasing pressure and one for decreasing pressure, which supply and discharge brake fluid of the regulator to and from wheel cylinders of four wheels. In this system the pressure increase linear control valve and the pressure decrease linear control valve are both used for the wheel cylinders of all four wheels which enables the number of linear valves to be reduced compared to when the hydraulic pressure is controlled using separate linear control valves provided for each wheel cylinder. From the viewpoint of cost reduction of the system, therefore, using a pair of common linear control valves, i.e., the pressure increase linear control valve and the pressure decrease linear control valve, is advantageous.
In the system described above, the pair of pressure increase and pressure decrease linear control valves control the hydraulic pressure from a power hydraulic pressure source such as an accumulator so that equal hydraulic pressure is introduced into the wheel cylinders of all four wheels. However, from the viewpoint of improving vehicle stability or failsafe ability, for example, it may be desirable to vary the hydraulic pressures introduced from the power hydraulic pressure source into the wheel cylinders so that they are not all equal. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
The manufacture of semiconductors and integrated circuits necessarily involves selective modification of the electrical and physical properties of the substrate from which the devices are to be made. This selective modification is typically accomplished by exposing the substrate to some suitable modifying agent through the windows of an apertured process mask. For example, in the case of silicon, the process mask might comprise a thin, patterned layer of silicon dioxide which has been overlayed on a silicon substrate and the modifying agent might comprise a beam of ions, for example boron.
Advantageously, the process mask is formed in situ, for example, by overlaying the masking material with a layer of some suitable photoresist which is then exposed to the image of the desired mask pattern, using either contact or projection printing. Alternatively, a non-photosensitive resist may be used which is then patterned by electron beam or X-ray lithography. In either event, after exposure, the resist is developed and the exposed portions chemically removed to yield the desired masking pattern.
The next step in the process is generally to remove the underlying masking material, e.g., by a wet chemical etch, through the apertures in the photomask, thereby to form the process mask which is needed for subsequent modification of the underlying silicon substrate.
As is well known, in recent years, there has been an ever-increasing trend towards large scale integration (LSI) and the manufacture of such diverse devices as 16-bit microprocessors, 64K memory chips, etc. Because of the component density in such devices, the line widths which are required to fabricate and to interconnect the active devices on each LSI chip approach .mu.m and sub-.mu.m dimensions.
As a result of these requirements, the use of wet chemical etching to transfer the resist pattern to the underlying device material has become undesirable. The reason for this is that wet chemical etching is an isotropic process; that is, the etch rate is the same in all directions. This means that the etchant tends to undercut the resist at the resist-semiconductor interfaces. The practical effect of this undercutting is that the line widths formed in the process mask are substantially wider than those which were contained in the overlaying resist mask.
To a certain extent, this effect can be compensated for by making the line widths on the photomask substantially narrower than is actually desired for the corresponding line widths on the process mask. This assumes, of course, that the undercutting that occurs during the chemical etch will widen these lines to their desired width. However, since the degree of undercutting that occurs in a given process is difficult to control, this is not an entirely satisfactory solution to the problem. Furthermore, if the line widths on the process mask are such as to push the limits of technology, then obviously to lay down even narrower line widths on the photomask becomes an exceedingly difficult task. This difficulty is compounded by the fact that physical phenomena, such as the wave-length of the light used to transfer the image, may also become significant and limiting factors. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Field of the invention
The present invention relates to a multi-layered printed circuit board (PCB) for efficient electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection, and more particularly to a multi-layered PCB of mobile communication terminals that may improve ESD protection of LCD through efficiently protecting LCD signal lines such as data lines and control lines from ESD.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, metallic decorations are widely used in mobile communication terminals, as design of mobile communication terminals has been emphasized. In mobile communication terminals market, dual folder type mobile communication terminals are mainly manufactured and sold.
However, the dual folder type mobile communication terminals have a problem in that sub-LCD and main-LCD are vulnerable to static electricity (i.e., ESD). The reason why the dual folder type mobile communication terminals are vulnerable to static electricity is because many data lines and control lines are connected with folder portion comparing with existing mobile communication terminals.
Then, a general layout of PCB in mobile communication terminals will be described with reference to FIG. 1 as follows.
FIG. 1 illustrates a general main board PCB in mobile communication terminals, especially, a layout of inner layers having LCD signal lines.
As illustrated in FIG. 1, the PCB is a multi-layered PCB having at least a third inner layer 11, a fourth inner layer 12 and a fifth inner layer 13. Data lines 14 and control lines 15 in connection with LCD are positioned on the third inner layer 11, the fourth inner layer 12 and the fifth inner layer 13.
At this time, the data lines and the control lines on the third inner layer 11 are not protected from ESD by GND region on a layer above the third inner layer 11. And, the data lines and the control lines on the fifth inner layer 13 are not protected from ESD by GND region on a layer below the fifth inner layer 13.
Thus, the data lines and the control lines on the third inner layer 11 and the fifth inner layer 13 are easily damaged by ESD.
In this connection, FIG. 2 illustrates voltages of LCD signal lines on inner layers at the time of applying ESD to the general main board PCB.
It can be known from FIG. 2 that voltages of the data lines on the inner layer are 2.8 volt at normal condition and the voltages are suddenly increased to 4 volt when ESD is applied to the inner layer. In other words, the voltages of the data lines on the inner layer are suddenly increased at degrees of 1.2 volt when ESD is applied.
The surge of 1.2 volt, illustrated in ‘A’ part of FIG. 2, is too big for the data lines on the inner layer to endure, so that data signals, transmitted through the data lines on the inner layer, are easily damaged.
As circuits in the mobile communication terminals are being complicated, it is necessary to arrange more data lines and control lines on PCB. Thus, more ESD protection elements for protecting the data lines and the control lines are needed, so that difficulties in designing and manufacturing PCB are increased.
Further, it becomes difficult to arrange lots of elements on PCB because data lines and control lines occupy wide area of the PCB, as the number of the data lines and control lines are increased. Further, it becomes difficult to maintain original design of mobile communication terminals and to design multi-layered PCBs. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an improved spline element for a seat in a vehicle, which can be adjusted in its height and in its load weight.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the case of spline elements known heretofore, it is necessary for the driver to remove the pressure from the seat in order to adjust the seat for different weights of the driver. Otherwise, it is not possible to adjust the seat because of the strong counter pressure. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Recently, digital printing technology has been proposed as a suitable replacement for traditional camera and photographic film techniques. The traditional film and photographic techniques rely upon a film roll having a number of pre-formatted negatives which are drawn past a lensing system and onto which is imaged a negative of an image taken by the lensing system. Upon the completion of a film roll, the film is rewound into its container and forwarded to a processing shop for processing and development of the negatives so as to produce a corresponding positive set of photos.
Unfortunately, such a system has a number of significant drawbacks. Firstly, the chemicals utilized are obviously very sensitive to light and any light impinging upon the film roll will lead to exposure of the film. They are therefore required to operate in a light sensitive environment where the light imaging is totally controlled. This results in onerous engineering requirements leading to increased expense. Further, film processing techniques require the utilizing of a “negative” and its subsequent processing onto a “positive” film paper through the utilization of processing chemicals and complex silver halide processing etc. This is generally unduly cumbersome, complex and expensive. Further, such a system through its popularity has lead to the standardization on certain size film formats and generally minimal flexibility is possible with the aforementioned techniques.
Recently, all digital cameras have been introduced. These camera devices normally utilize a charge coupled device (CCD) or other form of photosensor connected to a processing chip which in turn is connected to and controls a media storage device which can take the form of a detachable magnetic card. In this type of device, the image is captured by the CCD and stored on the magnetic storage device. At some later time, the image or images which have been captured are down loaded to a computer device and printed out for viewing. The digital camera has the disadvantage that access to images is non-immediate and the further post processing step of loading onto a computer system is required, the further post processing often being a hindrance to ready and expedient use.
Therefore, there remains a general need for an improved form of camera picture image production apparatus which is convenient, simple and effective in operation. Further, there also remains a need for a simple form of portable, immediate print media on which images can be effectively reproduced.
In the parent application, there is disclosed the use of an authentication chip to provide information in connection with the print media and the media colorant that is supplied with the cartridge.
The Applicant has identified that it would be highly desirable to provide a means whereby information concerning one or both of the media and the media colorant could be supplied together with the cartridge. The reason for this is that such information could be used, in a suitable form, by a processor of such a device to enhance operation of a printing mechanism. It will be appreciated that printing mechanisms need to operate differently with different types of media and media colorant. It follows that it would be useful to supply information concerning media and media colorant to a controller of the printing mechanism so that operation of the printing mechanism could be automatically adjusted to suit the particular media and media colorant.
With suitable encryption techniques, this could be used to inhibit after-market refilling. As is well known in the field of printing technology, such after-market refilling has become a cause for substantial concern in the printing industry.
In European patent number EP 0779 497, which claims priority from U.S. application Ser. No. 08/573,100, incorporated herein by reference, there is disclosed a fingerprint acquisition sensor. The sensor is described as an apparatus for detecting topological variations on an object such as a finger. The apparatus includes an array of sensing elements disposed on a substrate which each have a parasitic capacitance. An insulating material that covers the sensing elements defines a receiving surface. When a finger is placed on the receiving surface, the capacitance of the sensors changes. A fingerprint comprises ridges and valleys. It will be appreciated that when the finger is positioned on the surface, the ridges create a greater change in capacitance than the valleys. Thus, data representing the fingerprint can be generated using suitable algorithmic electronic circuits. The fingerprint sensor is in the form of a ceramic metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) device.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,049,620 also claims priority from U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/573,100. This patent discloses a fingerprint-sensing device comprising a planar array of closely spaced capacitive sense elements. The sense elements serve to measure a capacitance between the finger and a single electrode in each sense element. In this patent, each electrode or capacitor plate is charged and then a known current source is used to remove an amount of charge from each plate to measure the capacitance. The measured capacitance varies as a function of a distance between the finger surface and the capacitor plate. Thus, the distance between the finger surface and each capacitor plate can be determined. The distance measurements are used to produce a representation of a pattern of ridges on the finger surface.
Applicant has identified a manner in which this form of technology can be applied to achieve a means whereby printing cartridges can be provided with suitable identification data. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a video transcoding method of transcoding a bit stream of a first video encoding format into a bit stream of a second video encoding format, and a video transcoding apparatus which transcodes a bit stream of a first video encoding format into a bit stream of a second video encoding format.
2. Description of the Related Art
As an international standard method of video encoding, MPEG-1, MPEG-2, and MPEG-4 of ISO/IEC JTC1/SC29/WG11 are known. These encoding methods differ in a video encoding data format from one another. The technology of transforming the bit stream at high speed between such different encoding video data formats is known as a video transcoding technology. This transcoding technology is a re-encoding which once decodes an encoded bit stream and again encodes the decoded bit stream.
In a conventional video transcoding apparatus which transcodes an MPEG-2 format to an MPEG-4 format, the MPEG-2 stream stored in an MPEG-2 stream storage device is decoded by an MPEG-2 decoder.
Generally, the video signal decoded by an MPEG-2 decoder and the video signal encoded by an MPEG-4 encoder differ in a screen size from each other. For this reason, the screen size of the video signal decoded by the MPEG-2 decoder is converted by a screen size converter.
The MPEG-4 encoder encodes the video data from the size converter in the MPEG-4 format to generate an MPEG-4 encoded stream, and stores the MPEG-4 encoded stream in a storage device. At this time, the encoder detects motion vectors of the video data, and the video data is reconstructed based on the motion vectors.
Thus, in the conventional transcoding technology, when transcoding the bit stream from MPEG-2 format to MPEG-4 format, the processing for detecting the motion vector must be executed. For this reason, a long time is required for transcoding the encoding format. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
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