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11497924

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to magnetic stimulation and more particularly to systems and methods for enabling point-of-care transcranial magnetic stimulation therapy. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Various medical conditions may be treated by the application of magnetic stimulation to anatomical targets associated with specific pathologies. For example, magnetic or inductive stimulation may be used to produce a changing magnetic field that can be directed to induce an electric current in a target anatomy of a patient. Neurons, muscles, and tissue cells are forms of biological circuitry capable of carrying electrical signals and responding to electrical stimuli. When a changing magnetic field is applied to a target anatomy, an electric field is induced, causing electric current to flow in conductive portions of the anatomy. The flow of electric current stimulates biological tissue, resulting in depolarization of neurons in the tissue, which causes the neurons to be more active or less active depending on factors including pulse frequency and excitability of the target tissue. Additionally, the flow of electric current causes muscles associated with the stimulated neurons to contract. Ultimately, the induced electric current may be used to simulate desired chemical reactions in the target anatomy. In contrast to other medical procedures for stimulating a target anatomy, magnetic stimulation may be administered in a non-invasive manner. For example, in performing transcutaneous magnetic stimulation, a magnetic field may be passed through the skin of a patient to induce an electric current in the patient's body for stimulating the target anatomy. Such magnetic stimulation may have beneficial and therapeutic biological effects in treating various portions of the body, including muscles, the spine, and the brain. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a non-invasive form of brain stimulation, which uses a changing magnetic field to produce an electric current in neurological tissue at a target region of the brain via electromagnetic induction. TMS therapy utilizes a stimulator connected to a magnetic coil. The magnetic coil is positioned about the patient's head at a position corresponding to the target region of the brain, and the stimulator delivers electric pulses to the magnetic coil, which induces a changing magnetic field. The magnetic field causes an electric current to be induced in the target region of the brain, resulting in stimulation of the corresponding neurological tissue. In some instances, brain stimulation may be achieved by repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), which uses repetitive electromagnetic pulses applied at repetition rates that enable intended modulation effects of the cortical targets. Various neurologic or psychiatric disorders may be treated using rTMS, including, for example, major depressive disorder (MDD), bipolar disorder, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, pain (including fibromyalgia), posttraumatic stress disorder, autism spectrum disorder, and addiction. rTMS typically may be used to treat such disorders when standard treatments, such as medications, are not effective or are not well tolerated by the patient due to undesirable side effects. TMS is currently administered to a patient by a trained clinician at a clinical facility, such as a hospital, a physician's office, or a clinic. Existing systems for performing TMS therapy generally require a patient to be evaluated and treated using the same TMS system, with close oversight of a properly trained clinician to ensure safe and compliant treatment. A course of therapy for a typical patient being treated for MDD or similar neurologic or psychiatric disorder generally requires repetitive daily treatments over a period of three to six weeks. For patients with such illnesses, frequent travel to a facility offering TMS treatment is often a hardship. Currently, no practical TMS system exists for home or point-of-care (POC) treatment for indications, such as MDD, that require rTMS. Although portable TMS systems have been proposed, such systems do not meet all the requirements for a practical POC TMS system that can safely deliver patient-administered rTMS. Single pulse TMS devices for POC treatment of migraine have been developed and approved by certain regulatory agencies. However, use of single pulse TMS devices is not extendable to treatment of MDD and similar disorders because the treatment protocols for such disorders require repetitive application of much higher power magnetic field pulses, which in turn necessitates greater attention to management of safety risks and higher system power requirements. Other TMS devices have been developed for POC treatment of certain neurological disorders, which use rotating magnets to produce low level magnetic field pulses. Such sub-threshold devices, however, have not been demonstrated to be as effective for treatment of MDD and similar disorders as rTMS administered above stimulation threshold. In sum, current technology does not enable patient-administered POC TMS treatment for indications that require rTMS because existing TMS systems lack the required portability or functionality and/or fail to address the necessary safety and regulatory requirements. A need therefore exists for improved systems and methods for enabling point-of-care magnetic stimulation therapy to alleviate the burden on patients with neurologic or psychiatric disorders that require repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides systems and methods for performing transcutaneous magnetic stimulation to treat a subject. In one aspect, a system for performing transcutaneous magnetic stimulation to treat a subject is provided. In one embodiment, the system includes a first subsystem and a second subsystem in communication with the first subsystem. The first subsystem includes at least one first memory that stores first computer-executable instructions, at least one first processor, a first stimulator, a first magnetic coil, and a first user interface. The first stimulator is in communication with the at least one first processor and configured to generate electric pulses. The first magnetic coil is in communication with the first stimulator and configured to deliver magnetic stimulation to a first subject. The first user interface is in communication with the at least one first processor and configured to receive user inputs related to the magnetic stimulation delivered by the first magnetic coil to the first subject. The at least one first processor is configured to access the at least one first memory and execute the first computer-executable instructions to: determine first subject data associated with the first subject, the first subject data including one or more subject identifiers associated with the first subject; determine, based at least in part on one or more indications of user input from the first user interface, first stimulation parameter data including one or more first parameters associated with operation of the first stimulator or the first magnetic coil for the first subject; and cause the first subject data and the first stimulation parameter data to be stored in association with one another. The second subsystem includes at least one second memory that stores second computer-executable instructions, at least one second processor, a second stimulator, a headpiece, and an image recording device. The second stimulator is in communication with the at least one second processor and configured to generate electric pulses. The headpiece is configured to engage a head of the first subject and includes one or more headpiece identifiers associated with the headpiece, and a second magnetic coil in communication with the second stimulator and configured to deliver magnetic stimulation to the first subject. The second magnetic coil is mounted to a body of the headpiece at a fixed, prescribed location by a secure locking means that can only be released or altered by an authorized person. The image recording device is in communication with the at least one second processor and configured to capture images of the first subject and the headpiece. The at least one second processor is configured to access the at least one second memory and execute the second computer-executable instructions to: receive the first subject data and the first stimulation parameter data; receive first image data associated with the first subject data and the first stimulation parameter data, the first image data corresponding to one or more first images of at least a portion of the first subject and at least a portion of the headpiece; receive second image data from the image recording device, the second image data corresponding to one or more second images of at least a portion of the first subject and at least a portion of the headpiece; determine, based at least in part on the first image data and the second image data, that the first stimulation parameter data is associated with the first subject; and determine, based at least in part on the second image data, that the headpiece is associated with the first subject. In some embodiments, the one or more first parameters includes at least one of: (i) a magnitude and a timing sequence of electric pulses to be generated by the second stimulator, (ii) a magnitude of magnetic stimulation to be delivered by the second magnetic coil, and (iii) a position of the headpiece relative to a target anatomy of the first subject. In some embodiments, the at least one second processor is further configured to enable operation of the second stimulator or the second magnetic coil based at least in part on the determination that the headpiece is associated with the first subject. In some embodiments, the second subsystem further includes a data storage in communication with the at least one second processor, and the at least one second processor is further configured to receive the first subject data, the first stimulation parameter data, and the first image data from the data storage, the first subject data, the first stimulation parameter data, and the first image data being encrypted. In some embodiments, the second subsystem further includes a data storage in communication with the at least one second processor, and the at least one second processor is further configured to: receive the first subject data, the first stimulation parameter data, and the first image data from the first subsystem or a remote server via one or more networks, the first subject data, the first stimulation parameter data, and the first image data being encrypted; and cause the first subject data, the first stimulation parameter data, and the first image data to be stored in association with one another at the data storage. In some embodiments, the second subsystem further includes a data storage in communication with the at least one second processor, and the at least one second processor is further configured to: receive second stimulation parameter data from the first subsystem, a remote server, or a user device associated with a supervising clinician via one or more networks, the second stimulation parameter data being encrypted and including one or more second parameters associated with operation of the second stimulator or the second magnetic coil for the first subject; determine that the second stimulation parameter data supersedes at least a portion of the first stimulation parameter data; and cause the second stimulation parameter data to be stored in association with the first subject data and the first image data at the data storage. In some embodiments, the second subsystem further includes a data storage in communication with the at least one second processor, and the at least one second processor is further configured to: send stimulation history data to the first subsystem, a remote server, or a user device associated with a supervising clinician via one or more networks, the stimulation history data being encrypted and including one or more metrics associated with one or more stimulation sessions administered to the first subject; receive second stimulation parameter data from the first subsystem, the remote server, or the user device via the one or more networks, the second stimulation parameter data being encrypted and including one or more second parameters associated with operation of the second stimulator or the second magnetic coil for the first subject; determine that the second stimulation parameter data supersedes at least a portion of the first stimulation parameter data; and cause the second stimulation parameter data to be stored in association with the first subject data and the first image data at the data storage. In some embodiments, the second subsystem further includes an audio recording device in communication with the at least one second processor and configured to capture audio recordings of the first subject, and the at least one second processor is further configured to: receive first audio data, the first audio data corresponding to one or more first audio recordings of the first subject; receive second audio data from the audio recording device, the second audio data corresponding to one or more second audio recordings of the first subject; and determine, based at least in part on the first image data, the second image data, the first audio data, and the second audio data, that the first stimulation parameter data is associated with the first subject. In some embodiments, the second subsystem further includes an audio recording device in communication with the at least one second processor and configured to capture audio recordings of the first subject, and the at least one second processor is further configured to: receive first audio data, the first audio data corresponding to one or more first audio recordings of the first subject; cause the second stimulator to assume a first operational state; receive second audio data from the audio recording device, the second audio data corresponding to one or more second audio recordings of the first subject and being indicative of a first command associated with a second operational state of the second stimulator; determine, based at least in part on the first audio data, that the second audio data is associated with the first subject; and cause the second stimulator to assume the second operational state based at least in part on the determination that the second audio data is associated with the first subject. In some embodiments, the at least one second processor is further configured to: receive third audio data from the audio recording device, the third audio data corresponding to one or more third audio recordings of a second subject and being indicative of a second command associated with a third operational state of the second stimulator; determine, based at least in part on the first audio data, that the third audio data is not associated with the first subject; and cause the second stimulator to maintain the second operational state based at least in part on the determination that the third audio data is not associated with the first subject. In some embodiments, the one or more second images includes at least a portion of the one or more headpiece identifiers, and the at least one second processor is further configured to determine, based at least in part on the at least a portion of the one or more headpiece identifiers, that the headpiece is associated with the first subject. In some embodiments, the one or more headpiece identifiers includes an encrypted identifier comprising at least one of: (i) a barcode, (ii) a radio frequency identification tag, and (iii) a structural pattern. In some embodiments, the one or more first parameters includes a pre-determined position of the headpiece relative to a target anatomy of the first subject, and the fixed location of the second magnetic coil corresponds to the pre-determined position of the headpiece relative to the target anatomy of the first subject. In some embodiments, the at least one second processor is further configured to determine, at one or more times prior to or during a treatment session and based at least in part on the second image data, that the headpiece is at the pre-determined position relative to the target anatomy of the first subject. In some embodiments, the second subsystem further includes a first indicator in communication with the at least one second processor, and the at least one second processor is further configured to cause activation of the first indicator based at least in part on the determination that the headpiece is at the pre-determined position relative to the target anatomy of the first subject. In some embodiments, the second subsystem further includes a second indicator in communication with the at least one second processor, and the at least one second processor is further configured to: receive third image data from the image recording device, the third image data corresponding to one or more third images of at least a portion of the first subject and at least a portion of the headpiece; determine, based at least in part on the third image data, that the headpiece is not at the pre-determined position relative to the target anatomy of the first subject; and cause activation of the second indicator based at least in part on the determination that the headpiece is not at the pre-determined position, the second indicator being indicative of a movement of the headpiece relative to the head of the first subject toward the pre-determined position relative to the target anatomy of the first subject. In some embodiments, the first indicator and the second indicator are mounted to the body of the headpiece. In some embodiments, the image recording device is mounted to the body of the headpiece. In some embodiments, the second subsystem further includes a mirror configured to reflect light, and the one or more second images includes the at least a portion of the first subject and the at least a portion of the headpiece reflected by the mirror. In some embodiments, the at least one second processor is further configured to: receive third image data from the image recording device, the third image data corresponding to one or more third images of at least a portion of the first subject; determine, based at least in part on the third image data, a state of the first subject, the state of the first subject including one of: (i) an awake state, (ii) an asleep state, and (iii) a seizure state; and enable or disable operation of the second stimulator or the second magnetic coil based at least in part on the state of the first subject. In some embodiments, the state of the first subject includes the asleep state, the second subsystem further includes an alarm in communication with the at least one second processor, and the at least one second processor is further configured to cause activation of the alarm based at least in part on the state of the first subject. In some embodiments, the state of the first subject includes the seizure state, and the at least one second processor is further configured to: disable operation of the second stimulator or the second magnetic coil based at least in part on the state of the first subject; and send an emergency message to the first subsystem, a user device associated with a supervising clinician, or a user device associated with an emergency response service based at least in part on the state of the first subject, the emergency message being indicative of the seizure state. In some embodiments, the second subsystem further includes a second user interface in communication with the at least one second processor, and the at least one second processor is further configured to: cause the second stimulator to assume a first operational state; receive an indication of interaction by the first subject with the second user interface, the indication of interaction being associated with a second operational state of the second stimulator; and cause the second stimulator to assume the second operational state based at least in part on the indication of interaction. In some embodiments, the second subsystem is portable and configured for use at a remote location relative to the first subsystem. In another aspect, a method for performing transcutaneous magnetic stimulation to treat a subject is provided. In one embodiment, the method includes: determining, by at least one first processor coupled to at least one first memory of a first subsystem, first subject data associated with a first subject, the first subject data including one or more subject identifiers associated with the first subject; causing, by the at least one first processor, a first stimulator of the first subsystem to generate a first plurality of electric pulses; causing, by the at least one first processor, a first magnetic coil of the first subsystem to deliver first magnetic stimulation to the first subject; determining, by the at least one first processor and based at least in part on one or more indications of user input from a first user interface of the first subsystem, first stimulation parameter data including one or more first parameters associated with operation of the first stimulator or the first magnetic coil for the first subject; causing, by the at least one first processor, the first subject data and the first stimulation parameter data to be stored in association with one another; receiving, by at least one second processor coupled to at least one second memory of a second subsystem, the first subject data and the first stimulation parameter data; receiving, by the at least one second processor, first image data associated with the first subject data and the first stimulation parameter data, the first image data corresponding to one or more first images of at least a portion of the first subject and at least a portion of a headpiece, the headpiece including one or more headpiece identifiers associated with the headpiece; receiving, by the at least one second processor, second image data from an image recording device of the second subsystem, the second image data corresponding to one or more second images of at least a portion of the first subject and at least a portion of the headpiece; determining, by the at least one second processor and based at least in part on the first image data and the second image data, that the first stimulation parameter data is associated with the first subject; determining, by the at least one second processor and based at least in part on the second image data, that the headpiece is associated with the first subject; and enabling, by the at least one second processor and based at least in part on the determination that the headpiece is associated with the first subject, operation of a second stimulator of the second subsystem or a second magnetic coil of the headpiece, the second stimulator being configured to generate electric pulses, and the second magnetic coil being mounted to a body of the headpiece at a fixed location by a secure locking means and configured to deliver magnetic stimulation to the first subject. In some embodiments, the method further includes: sending, by the at least one second processor, stimulation history data to the first subsystem, a remote server, or a user device associated with a supervising clinician via one or more networks, the stimulation history data being encrypted and including one or more metrics associated with one or more stimulation sessions administered to the first subject; receiving, by the at least one second processor, second stimulation parameter data from the first subsystem, the remote server, or the user device via the one or more networks, the second stimulation parameter data being encrypted and including one or more second parameters associated with operation of the second stimulator or the second magnetic coil for the first subject; determining that the second stimulation parameter data supersedes at least a portion of the first stimulation parameter data; and causing the second stimulation parameter data to be stored in association with the first subject data and the first image data at a data storage of the second subsystem. In some embodiments, the method further includes: causing, by the at least one second processor, the second stimulator to assume a first operational state; receiving, by the at least one second processor, an indication of interaction by the first subject with a second user interface of the second subsystem, the indication of interaction being associated with a second operational state of the second stimulator; and causing, by the at least one second processor and based at least in part on the indication of interaction, the second stimulator to assume the second operational state. These and other aspects and improvements of the present disclosure will become apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art upon review of the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the several drawings and the appended claims.

11535303

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION The present application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2021-0023422 filed on Feb. 22, 2021, the entire contents of which is incorporated herein for all purposes by this reference. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a cowl crossbar mounting structure. More particularly, the present invention relates to a cowl crossbar mounting structure which may maximize internal space. Description of Related Art To make the most of the vehicle's internal space, it is necessary to move the driver's seat forward. When the driver's seat is moved forward, the opening flange of the front door also moves forward, and the space between the front door hinge and the opening flange is insufficient. Therefore, it is difficult to configure the mounting direction of the generally-used cowl crossbar as the width direction of the vehicle to move the driver's seat forward. To solve this, it is necessary to mount the cowl crossbar in the T direction (vehicle body length direction) of the vehicle body, but it is necessary to improve R&H (Ride and Handling) and crash performance due to the lack of connectivity in the vehicle body width direction with the external reinforcement. Furthermore, when mounting in the T direction (vehicle body length direction), the space behind the mounting part cannot be used, so it is necessary to improve the shape to make space for the electrical component configuration. Furthermore, when mounting in the T direction, it is connected to the cowl, so that the sealer line is complicated and the watertight performance is insufficient. The information disclosed in this Background of the Invention section is only for enhancement of understanding of the general background of the invention and may not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information forms the prior art already known to a person skilled in the art. BRIEF SUMMARY Various aspects of the present invention are directed to providing a cowl crossbar mounting structure that improves the vehicle body width direction connectivity with the external rail while mounting the cowl crossbar in the vehicle body length direction to maximize the internal space. Furthermore, the present invention is directed to providing a cowl crossbar mounting structure that secures space for various electronic equipment configurations and improves watertight performance. A cowl crossbar mounting structure according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention may include a front bracket including a matching surface that matches a cowl crossbar, a front pillar internal lower reinforcement including a lower reinforcement connection portion inclined to be combined with a front side internal panel, and a guide bracket provided between the front bracket and the front pillar internal lower reinforcement, wherein the guide bracket includes a bolt guide portion guiding a connection bolt connecting the cowl crossbar is formed in a longitudinal direction of a vehicle body. A matching surface bolt hole through which the connection bolt passes may be formed on the matching surface of the front bracket, and a lower reinforcement bolt hole through which the connection bolt passes may be formed on the front pillar internal lower reinforcement. The cowl crossbar mounting structure according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention may further include a weld nut mounted adjacent to the lower reinforcement bolt hole and engaged with the connection bolt passing through the matching surface bolt hole, the bolt guide portion, and the lower reinforcement bolt hole in series. The front bracket may include a front bracket first connection surface which is curved from the matching surface to be joined to the front side internal panel, and a front bracket second connection surface curved from the matching surface to be engaged to the guide bracket. A front bracket guide hole through which the guide pin of the cowl crossbar passes may be formed on the matching surface of the front bracket. The guide bracket may include a guide bracket body that is engaged to the front bracket second connection surface, and a guide bracket connection surface which is curved from the guide bracket body and is joined to the front side internal panel. A guide bracket guide hole through which the guide pin of the cowl crossbar passes may be formed in the guide bracket. The bolt guide portion may be formed by curling upper and lower portions of the guide bracket body. The front pillar internal lower reinforcement may further include a supporting surface formed by bending from the lower reinforcement connection portion and in contact with the guide bracket, and of which a lower reinforcement bolt hole through which the connection bolt passes. A lower reinforcement guide hole may be formed in the front pillar internal lower reinforcement through which the guide pin of the cowl crossbar passes. A reinforcement bead may be formed on the lower reinforcement connection portion of the front pillar internal lower reinforcement. The cowl crossbar mounting structure according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention may further include a hinge reinforcement coupled with the front pillar internal lower reinforcement, wherein the front side internal panel is disposed between the hinge reinforcement and the front pillar internal lower reinforcement. The hinge reinforcement may include a reinforced body connected to the front side external panel, a reinforce flange combined with the front pillar internal lower reinforcement, and a reinforce side connecting the reinforce body and the reinforce flange. The cowl crossbar mounting structure according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention may further include an external reinforcement provided between the hinge reinforcement and the front side external panel. According to the cowl crossbar mounting structure according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention, it is possible to maximize the indoor space by mounting the cowl crossbar in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body, and it is possible to improve the vehicle body width direction connectivity with the external reinforcement. Furthermore, according to the cowl crossbar mounting structure according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention, space for various electronic equipment configurations may be secured and watertight performance may be improved. Furthermore, the effects obtainable or predicted by the exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be disclosed directly or implicitly in the detailed description of the exemplary embodiments of the present invention. That is, various effects predicted according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be disclosed in the detailed description to be described later. The methods and apparatuses of the present invention have other features and advantages which will be apparent from or are set forth in more detail in the accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein, and the following Detailed Description, which together serve to explain certain principles of the present invention.

11279484

TECHNICAL FIELD Example embodiments generally relate to unmanned equipment and, more particularly, relate to a system and apparatus for providing autonomous fire extinguishing with an unmanned, winged aircraft. BACKGROUND The concept of using aircraft to fight fires has been around for many years. In this regard, fixed-wing aircraft have been designed as airtankers or water bombers that can be filled with water and then deliver their payload on top of fires. Numerous aircraft of varying sizes have been outfitted for this task, with water capacities ranging from a few thousand gallons to as high as 19,000 gallons. Some of these airtankers are further designed to have a special capability for scooping water from the surface of a body of water (e.g., a river, lake, ocean or sea) and then flying to deliver the payload to a fire. This process can be repeated to deliver a relatively high quantity of water to fight a fire almost anywhere including in difficult terrain, or remote areas. While these aircraft can be very valuable in relation to firefighting efforts, they typically require specially trained pilots that can be in short supply, and that have limitations on their flight hours. Thus, their availability and effectiveness can be limited. Accordingly, it may be desirable to provide a system and or devices that are capable of performing unmanned fire extinguishing as described herein. BRIEF SUMMARY OF SOME EXAMPLES In one example embodiment, an aircraft for unmanned firefighting is provided. The aircraft may include a water tank fillable via a scoop operation during flight of the aircraft, and configured to be emptied by a release operation at a target of interest, a communications module configured to employ wireless communication via a ground link and/or a satellite link to provide real time or near real time communication with a remote configuration or monitoring facility, an imaging module configured to obtain image data at the target of interest for identifying updated target information, and a navigation module configured to enable remote or autonomous operation of the aircraft during the scoop operation and the release operation.

11422626

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a U.S. National Phase of International Patent Application No. PCT/JP2017/032519 filed on Sep. 8, 2017, which claims priority benefit of Japanese Patent Application No. JP 2016-245395 filed in the Japan Patent Office on Dec. 19, 2016. Each of the above-referenced applications is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates to an information processing device, an information processing method, and a program. BACKGROUND ART In related art, various techniques have been provided for presenting, in one example, tactile stimulation such as vibration to a user. In one example, Patent Literature 1 below discloses a technique of controlling output of sound or tactile stimulation depending on granularity information of a contact surface between two objects in a case where the objects are relatively moved in a state in which the objects are in contact with each other in the virtual space. CITATION LIST Patent Literature Patent Literature 1: JP 2015-170174A DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION Technical Problem The technique disclosed in Patent Literature 1 however remains the displayed picture unchanged even in a case of varying contents of control relating to output of sound or tactile stimulation. In view of this, the present disclosure provides a novel and improved information processing device, information processing method, and program, capable of controlling display of an image adapted to contents of control relating to output of sensory stimulation. Solution to Problem According to the present disclosure, there is provided an information processing device including: an output control unit configured to control display of an image corresponding to control information with respect to a first output unit configured to output sensory stimulation to a user. Moreover, according to the present disclosure, there is provided an information processing method including: controlling, by a processor, display of an image corresponding to control information with respect to a first output unit configured to output sensory stimulation to a user. Moreover, according to the present disclosure, there is provided a program causing a computer to function as: an output control unit configured to control display of an image corresponding to control information with respect to a first output unit configured to output sensory stimulation to a user. Advantageous Effects of Invention According to the present disclosure as described above, it is possible to control display of an image adapted to contents of control relating to output of sensory stimulation. Moreover, the effects described herein are not necessarily limited, and any of the effects described in the present disclosure may be applied.

11328578

STATEMENT RE: FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH/DEVELOPMENT Not Applicable BACKGROUND 1. Technical Field The present disclosure relates generally to remote alert and emergency resident notification systems for assisted, independent, and memory care facilities, and more particularly, to an interactive wireless life safety communications system for caregivers to connect with patients, residents, other caregivers, and staff, and a reporting platform. 2. Related Art Due to the different levels of disabilities from which an individual can suffer that precludes independent living in one way or another, the degree of care needed to accommodate such individuals and the facilities therefor likewise varies. In general, supervision of or assistance with activities of daily living, including personal hygiene and grooming, dressing and undressing, feeding, bladder and bowel movement, and so forth are provided, as well as provision and/or coordination of healthcare, and monitoring to ensure health, safety, and well-being. At one end of the continuum of care are nursing homes or skilled nursing facilities, which typically accommodate individuals with severe disabilities and require twenty four hour care; while at the other end of the continuum of care is independent living. In between the continuum are assisted living, which helps the elderly and disabled to live active, independent, and dignified lives with maximum personal control while providing for the needs that minimize the exacerbation and effects of chronic conditions. Assisted living facilities may vary in size from a small residential house to very large, multi-building institutions that care for hundreds of residents. Individual apartment-type units may be assigned to each resident, complete with a bedroom and a bathroom, and possibly other space such as a kitchen or a living area. Alternatively, the residential space may be more akin to a hotel or a dormitory, in which there is a private bedroom (and possibly a private bathroom), with shared common areas including kitchens and living areas. Although skilled nursing staff is not typically on-site at all times throughout the day, other trained staff may be available to accommodate the needs of residents, including housekeeping, laundry, and meal preparation. To the extent registered nurses and licensed practical nurses are unavailable on-site, they may be available by phone. One of the modalities by which such nurses and medical personnel can be alerted are devices worn by the residents such as pendants and watches. Upon activation by the wearer, or automatically depending on certain conditions, a signal in response to the emergency may be generated for receipt by the staff. Heretofore the preferred notification modality has been one-way numeric or alphanumeric pagers, which utilize a more robust wireless communications technology that ensures timely delivery of messages and minimizes interference with other life-critical equipment. The concern over unreliable wireless communication links is particularly acute in larger, fully enclosed facilities inside of which cellular telephone coverage is weak and unreliable at best. The deployment of pagers in such an environment partially resolved such issues. However, being one-way devices, the level of interactivity between the pager and staff personnel and the assisted living facility manager(s) was extremely limited. For instance, even though an alert may have been transmitted, there was no way to completely ascertain whether the page was received, and just as importantly, whether any of the staff had responded. Furthermore, even if one of the staff had responded, because there was no way to indicate that such response is ongoing, other staff may also respond and rush to the location of concern. It is possible to include additional information regarding the specific location and the nature of the alert in the page, and it can therefore be expected that the number of responding stuff will be limited to some extent. In many cases, it may be unneeded and hence wasteful of personnel resources, even though it may be desirable for more than one staff member to respond to an alert in some limited circumstances. For more immediate communications between the alerting system, facility management and the responder, two-way voice radio may be utilized. The limited audio fidelity can render communications difficult, and in any case, may require a full-time dispatcher on the management side. Running and participating in such voice radio nets requires particular knowledge of operation, identification, and priority rules. Another disadvantage with radio is that the loud volume necessary for full comprehension may be disruptive to patients/residents. In more widely dispersed facilities where cellular coverage is not restricted inside buildings because of the relative proximity to the outside, mobile telephones may also be utilized. However, similar problems of delays, additional required staff, and the like are attendant thereto. Moreover, with each additional device that is distributed to personnel, the costs and complexity increase substantially. Accordingly, there is a need in the art for an improved interactive wireless life safety communications system for caregivers to connect with residents via alerts and voice, caregiver to caregiver and staff, and caregiver to a reporting system. It would be desirable for the communications between the caregivers and other personnel to be bi-directional with voice capability and easily conducted via an intuitive user interface. BRIEF SUMMARY The present disclosure contemplates an integrated, interactive wireless life safety communications system, as well as various methods for coordinating life and safety services and staff responses in an assisted care facility. These are envisioned to go beyond conventional one-way notification systems, and provide substantially more interactivity amongst managers and caregiver staff alike for improved response times and efficiency. One embodiment is directed to a system that includes a first communications network and a second communications network. In various embodiments, the first communications network and the second communications network may be different. There may also be a central coordination server that is linked to the first communications network and the second communications network. Over the first communications network, the central coordination server may be connected to at least one resident life safety device. Such resident life safety device may be associated with one of a specific location within an assisted care facility and a specific resident thereof. An alarm signal is generated by the resident life safety device upon detection of an alarm condition. The alarm signal may be transmitted to the central coordination server when it is generated. Furthermore, there may be at least one caregiver communications device that is associated with a specific caregiver identity and connected to the central coordination server over the second communications network. The caregiver communications device may be receptive to an alarm notification that is generated by the central coordination server. The caregiver communications device may also be receptive to a caregiver user input. An action status response may be generated from the user input, for transmission to the central coordination server over the second communications network. Another embodiment contemplates a method for coordinating caregiver responses to alert events in the assisted care facility. The method may include generating an alarm signal upon detection of the alert event by a resident life safety device, which may be associated with one of a specific location within the assisted care facility and a specific resident of the same. There may also be a step of transmitting the alarm signal from the resident life safety device to a central coordination server. The resident life safety device may be connected to the central coordination server over a first communications network. The method may include generating an alarm notification on the central coordination server. This can be done in response to a receipt of the alarm signal. There may also be a step of transmitting the alarm notification to at least one caregiver communications device over a second communications network different from the first communications network. Thereafter, there may be a step of receiving a caregiver input on the caregiver communications device. The caregiver input may correspond to an action status response to the received alarm notification. The method may include transmitting the action status response to the central coordination server over the second communications network. There is another method for coordinating caregiver responses to alert events in an assisted care facility. This method may include receiving an alarm signal on the central coordination server. The alarm signal may be from a resident life safety device associated with one of a specific location within the assisted care facility and a specific resident of the assisted care facility. Moreover, the alarm signal may correspond to the alert event as detected by the resident life safety device. There may also be a step of generating an alarm notification on the central coordination server. The alarm notification may be generated in response to the received alarm signal. The method may include transmitting the alarm notification to at least one caregiver communications device. The method may also include receiving an action status response from a first one of the at least one caregiver communications device. The action status response may be associated with the transmitted alarm notification. The present disclosure will be best understood by reference to the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

11302409

FIELD This application relates to non-volatile memory apparatuses and the operation of non-volatile memory apparatuses. BACKGROUND This section provides background information related to the technology associated with the present disclosure and, as such, is not necessarily prior art. Semiconductor memory apparatuses have become more popular for use in various electronic devices. For example, non-volatile semiconductor memory is used in cellular telephones, digital cameras, personal digital assistants, mobile computing devices, non-mobile computing devices and other devices. A charge-storing material such as a floating gate or a charge-trapping material can be used in such memory apparatuses to store a charge which represents a data state. A charge-trapping material can be arranged vertically in a three-dimensional (3D) stacked memory structure, or horizontally in a two-dimensional (2D) memory structure. One example of a 3D memory structure is the Bit Cost Scalable (BiCS) architecture which comprises a stack of alternating conductive and dielectric layers. SUMMARY This section provides a general summary of the present disclosure and is not a comprehensive disclosure of its full scope or all of its features and advantages. An object of the present disclosure is to provide a memory apparatus and a method of operation of the memory apparatus that address and overcome shortcomings described herein. Accordingly, it is an aspect of the present disclosure to provide a storage device. The storage device comprises a block including a plurality of memory cells and a circuit coupled to the plurality of memory cells of the block. The circuit is configured to program memory cells of a plurality of strings of a word line of the block and verify, for a plurality of sets of the memory cells, a data state of a set of the memory cells, where each set of the plurality of sets of the memory cells includes a memory cell from each string of the plurality of strings of the word line. Further, the circuit is configured to determine a number of sets of the plurality of memory cell sets that are verified to be in a first data state and determine, based on the number of sets, whether the block is faulty. Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the description provided herein. The description and specific examples in this summary are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

11238540

BACKGROUND 1. Field This specification relates to a system and a method for automatically accessing, analyzing, and storing documents from a server. 2. Description of the Related Art A certified public accountant may be hired by a taxpayer to prepare and file tax returns on the taxpayer's behalf. Conventionally, these taxpayers collect various tax related documents throughout the year and give them to their tax preparer at one time, when the tax return filing deadline approaches. The transmission of tax documents from the taxpayer client to the tax preparer may be conducted either using physical papers or electronically via a graphical user interface provided by the tax preparer. However, this approach has many drawbacks. The taxpayer may not promptly provide tax documents to the tax preparer. The taxpayer may be over-inclusive in providing documents to the tax preparer, and may mistakenly include documents unrelated to the preparation of the tax return. Alternatively, the taxpayer may be under-inclusive in providing documents to the tax preparer, and mistakenly leave out tax documents required for preparing the tax return. The tax preparer may spend valuable time and resources in order to sort through the various documents provided by the taxpayer. SUMMARY What is described is a method for automatically obtaining tax documents. The method includes automatically identifying, by a server, one or more tax return items associated with the taxpayer by analyzing a prior year tax return. The method also includes generating, by the server, a list of tax return items associated with the taxpayer, the list of tax return items including the automatically identified one or more tax return items associated with the taxpayer, and each tax return item from the list of tax return items having a corresponding tax document to be used to prepare a tax return for the taxpayer. The method also includes receiving, by the server from a taxpayer client device, user authentication information for the taxpayer for a third party database. The method also includes accessing, by the server, the third party database using the user authentication information for the taxpayer. The method also includes receiving, by the server, a document from the third party database. The method also includes automatically determining, by the server, whether the document corresponds to one of the tax return items from the list of tax return items associated with the taxpayer. The method also includes automatically storing, by the server, the document when the document corresponds to one of the tax return items from the list of tax return items associated with the taxpayer. Also described is a system for automatically obtaining tax documents. The system includes a taxpayer client device configured to provide a prior year tax return. The system also includes a server. The server is configured to receive, from the taxpayer client device, the prior year tax return. The server is also configured to automatically identify one or more tax return items associated with the taxpayer by analyzing the prior year tax return. The server is also configured to generate a list of tax return items associated with the taxpayer, the list of tax return items including the automatically identified one or more tax return items associated with the taxpayer, and each account from the list of tax return items having a corresponding tax document to be used to prepare a tax return for the taxpayer. The server is also configured to receive, from the taxpayer client device, user authentication information for the taxpayer for a third party database. The server is also configured to access the third party database using the user authentication information for the taxpayer. The server is also configured to receive a document from the third party database. The server is also configured to automatically determine whether the document corresponds to one of the tax return items from the list of tax return items associated with the taxpayer. The server is also configured to automatically store the document when the document corresponds to one of the tax return items from the list of tax return items associated with the taxpayer. Also described is a server of a system for automatically obtaining tax documents. The server includes a memory configured to store a prior year tax return received from a taxpayer client device. The server also includes a processor. The processor is configured to automatically identify one or more tax return items associated with the taxpayer by analyzing the prior year tax return. The processor is also configured to generate a list of tax return items associated with the taxpayer, the list of tax return items including the automatically identified one or more tax return items associated with the taxpayer, and each tax return item from the list of tax return items having a corresponding tax document to be used to prepare a tax return for the taxpayer. The processor is also configured to receive, from the taxpayer client device, user authentication information for the taxpayer for a third party database. The processor is also configured to access the third party database using the user authentication information for the taxpayer. The processor is also configured to receive a document from the third party database. The processor is also configured to automatically determine whether the document corresponds to one of the tax return items from the list of tax return items associated with the taxpayer. The processor is also configured to automatically store the document when the document corresponds to one of the tax return items from the list of tax return items associated with the taxpayer.

11306793

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The invention is directed to a torque adjustment mechanism for a torsion spring. The torque adjustment mechanism is frequently used in garage door applications, although it should be understood that the invention can be used in other applications. In the garage door industry torsion springs are used to counterbalance the weight of garage or so that the garage door can be relatively easily opened and closed. The garage doors very in size and weight and this requires specific torsion springs, having specific performance parameters to be manufactured and installed to correctly counterbalance new and existing garage doors. To ensure that the proper torsion springs are available, door manufacturers and dealers need to specify and stock a wide variety torsion springs, spring snakes and temporary repair parts to have the appropriate torsion springs for the installation of new doors and to repair existing doors with failed springs. Frequently, the correct torsion spring is not available, and this leads to delays in installing the torsion spring. In addition, an inappropriately sized torsion spring is often used because that is the size of the torsion spring that is available. This can result in an unsatisfactory performance and lifespan for the torsion spring. Being forced to carry a wide range of spring sizes also significantly increases the inventory costs for spring manufacturers and garage door installers. The current invention solves these difficulties by having a torque adjustment mechanism that allows the counterbalance force provided by the torsion spring to be adjusted to fit a wide range of garage door weights and applications. As example, there could be three ranges of torsion springs which would cover the counterbalance weight of typical overhead doors. For demonstration purposes, the range 1 torsion spring could apply to door weights of 90 thru 130 pounds which would equate to 25.79 in-lbs. torque to 37.26 in-lbs. per revolution of pre-tensioning torque. The range 2 torsion spring could be designed for door weights of 130 thru 180 pounds which would equate to 37.26 in.-lbs. torque to 51.59 in.-lbs. per revolution of pre-tensioning torque. The range 3 torsion spring could be designed for door weights of 180 thru 245 pounds which would equate to 51.59 in.-lbs. per revolution of pre-tensioning torque to 70.21 in.-lbs. of torque. In each of these ranges, the torsion spring can be adjusted, by using the concept of the present invention, to provide the desired counterbalance force for all of the garage doors in the range. These are just examples and there could be more or less ranges of torsion springs but every ranges would cover a varying range of weight and torque values. This allows the manufacturer and dealer to only stock a few torsion springs as the performance of the springs can be adjusted to cover many applications. In addition, a tamper proof clamping mechanism may be incorporated to prevent accidental release of stored spring energy. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A torque adjustment mechanism is provided for use with a torsion spring. The torsion spring is a coil spring having a plurality of helical coils that define a hollow core. A torque adjuster is positioned in the interior of the hollow core of the coil spring. The torque adjuster has a circular collar on one end and a securing flange on the other end. The circular collar is designed to fit into the hollow core of the coil spring. A clamp is positioned over the exterior of the coil spring in alignment with the circular collar. The clamp secures the coil spring to circular. The position of the collar in the spring defines the number of the coils that are active and establishes the level torque provided by the torsion spring.

11240564

FIELD The present disclosure relates to the technical field of image processing, and more particularly, to panoramic picture playing methods and a panoramic picture playing device. BACKGROUND With the development of Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) technologies, a variety of VR applications have been developed, such as 3D panoramic video playback, 3D panoramic game experience and 3D panoramic picture live broadcast. A panoramic picture played by an existing VR player is generally a non-planar panoramic picture such as a spherical panoramic picture or a fisheye panoramic picture. When these panoramic pictures are played by using VR glasses, since curved lenses are arranged in the VR glasses, problems of picture deformation and the like are avoided when a user watches the above panoramic pictures. However, in order to share the panoramic pictures sometimes, the user may possibly play the above panoramic pictures in a projection way or play the panoramic pictures by using a flat-panel TV. At this time, since a picture display surface is a plane, and the panoramic pictures are spherical projection planes or fisheye projection planes, when the user uses the above flat-panel video player to play the panoramic pictures, the problem of severe picture stretching is likely to occur at the edge of the pictures. Therefore, it is necessary to provide a panoramic picture playing method and a panoramic picture playing device, so as to solve the problems existing in the prior art. SUMMARY The embodiment of the present disclosure provides panoramic picture playing methods and a panoramic picture playing device which can perform a plane projection operation on a non-planar panoramic picture and avoid severe picture stretching at the edge of the picture, so as to solve the technical problem that severe picture stretching is likely to occur at the edge of the picture during panoramic picture playing with a flat-panel video player of an existing panoramic picture playing method and an existing panoramic picture playing device. An embodiment of the present disclosure provides a panoramic picture playing method, including: acquiring a corresponding non-planar panoramic picture according to a picture acquisition instruction, wherein the non-planar panoramic picture is a panoramic picture having a non-planar projection plane; acquiring a picture content in the non-planar panoramic picture, and determining a main presentation axis and a presentation center of the picture content; establishing a cylindrical projection plane by using the main presentation axis and the presentation center, wherein a cylindrical extending direction of the cylindrical projection plane is substantially perpendicular to the main presentation axis, and the center of the cylindrical projection plane is basically overlapped with the presentation center; converting the non-planar panoramic picture into a cylindrical panoramic picture having the cylindrical projection plane; playing the cylindrical panoramic picture by using a flat-panel display device; receiving a picture adjustment instruction, and acquiring a current display region of the cylindrical panoramic picture in the entire panoramic picture according to the picture adjustment instruction; determining a preset display region of the entire panoramic picture from standby display regions according to the current display region; determining picture adjustment parameters of the cylindrical panoramic picture according to the current display region of the cylindrical panoramic picture in the entire panoramic picture and the preset display region; and adjusting the cylindrical panoramic picture to the preset display region based on the picture adjustment parameters, wherein a center line of the preset display region is basically overlapped with a center line of the entire panoramic picture. A main presentation direction is the same as a horizontal presentation direction of the flat-panel display device. The non-planar panoramic picture includes, but not limited to, a panoramic picture having a spherical projection plane, a conical projection plane, a cubic projection plane or a fisheye projection plane. In the panoramic picture playing method of the present disclosure, the area of the preset display region is substantially equal to the display area of the flat-panel display device. In the panoramic picture playing method of the present disclosure, the entire panoramic picture includes at least one standby display region used to form the preset display region. The area of the standby display region is greater than or equal to the display area of the flat-panel display device. An embodiment of the present disclosure provides a panoramic picture playing method, including: acquiring a corresponding non-planar panoramic picture according to a picture acquisition instruction, wherein the non-planar panoramic picture is a panoramic picture having a non-planar projection plane; acquiring a picture content in the non-planar panoramic picture, and determining a main presentation axis and a presentation center of the picture content; establishing a cylindrical projection plane by using the main presentation axis and the presentation center, wherein a cylindrical extending direction of the cylindrical projection plane is substantially perpendicular to the main presentation axis, and the center of the cylindrical projection plane is basically overlapped with the presentation center; converting the non-planar panoramic picture into a cylindrical panoramic picture having the cylindrical projection plane; and playing the cylindrical panoramic picture by using a flat-panel display device. In the panoramic picture playing method of the present disclosure, a main presentation direction is the same as a horizontal presentation direction of the flat-panel display device. In the panoramic picture playing method of the present disclosure, the non-planar panoramic picture includes, but not limited to, a panoramic picture having a spherical projection plane, a conical projection plane, a cubic projection plane or a fisheye projection plane. In the panoramic picture playing method of the present disclosure, the step of establishing a cylindrical projection plane by using the main presentation direction specifically includes: determining a cylindrical curvature of the cylindrical projection plane according to the resolution and a viewing angle of the non-planar panoramic picture. In the panoramic picture playing method of the present disclosure, a cylindrical radius of the cylindrical projection plane is: r=(W/2)/tan(fov/2) wherein r is the cylindrical radius of the cylindrical projection plane; W is the resolution of the panoramic picture; fov is the viewing angle of the panoramic picture; or a cylindrical radius of the cylindrical projection plane is: r=W/fov wherein r is the cylindrical radius of the cylindrical projection plane; W is the resolution of the panoramic picture; and fov is the viewing angle of the panoramic picture. In the panoramic picture playing method of the present disclosure, the step of converting the non-planar panoramic picture into a cylindrical panoramic picture having the cylindrical projection plane is specifically that: coordinates of a picture point of the cylindrical panoramic picture are: u=tan−1(x/z); v=y/(√{square root over (x2+z2))} wherein x, y and z are three-dimensional coordinates of the picture point in the non-planar panoramic picture; u is a horizontal coordinate of the picture point in the cylindrical panoramic picture; and v is a vertical coordinate of the picture point in the cylindrical panoramic picture. In the panoramic picture playing method of the present disclosure, the panoramic picture playing method further includes: receiving a picture adjustment instruction, and acquiring a current display region of the cylindrical panoramic picture according to the picture adjustment instruction; determining picture adjustment parameters of the cylindrical panoramic picture according to the current display region of the cylindrical panoramic picture and a preset display region; and adjusting the cylindrical panoramic picture to the preset display region based on the picture adjustment parameters, wherein a center line of the preset display region is basically overlapped with a center line of the cylindrical panoramic picture corresponding to the picture content in the main presentation direction. In the panoramic picture playing method of the present disclosure, the area of the preset display region is substantially equal to the display area of the flat-panel display device. In the panoramic picture playing method of the present disclosure, the cylindrical panoramic picture includes at least one standby display region used to form the preset display region. The area of the standby display region is greater than or equal to the display area of the flat-panel display device. In the panoramic picture playing method of the present disclosure, the panoramic picture playing method further includes: determining a preset display region displayed by the flat-panel display device from the standby display regions according to the current display region. In the panoramic picture playing method of the present disclosure, the step of determining a preset display region displayed by the flat-panel display device from the standby display regions according to the current display region includes: acquiring a region center of the current display region; acquiring a center point of the center line of the cylindrical projection plane according to the shortest distance between the region center of the current display region and the center line of the cylindrical projection plane corresponding to the cylindrical panoramic picture; and determining a region center of the preset display region displayed by the flat-panel display device from the standby display regions according to the center point. In the panoramic picture playing method of the present disclosure, the step of determining a region center of the preset display region displayed by the flat-panel display device from the standby display regions according to the center point includes: determining a plurality of standby preset display regions according to the standby display regions; and taking the standby preset display region closest to the center point as the preset display region displayed by the flat-panel display device. In the panoramic picture playing method of the present disclosure, the panoramic picture playing method further includes: setting a center line mark on the center line of the cylindrical panoramic picture corresponding to the picture content in the main presentation direction. In the panoramic picture playing method of the present disclosure, the picture adjustment instruction includes at least one of an entity button instruction, a touch instruction, a voice instruction and a vibration instruction. An embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a panoramic picture playing device, including: a non-planar panoramic picture acquisition module, configured to acquire a corresponding non-planar panoramic picture according to a picture acquisition instruction, wherein the non-planar panoramic picture is a panoramic picture having a non-planar projection plane; a main presentation direction acquisition module, configured to acquire a picture content in the non-planar panoramic picture, and determine a main presentation axis and a presentation center of the picture content; a cylindrical projection plane establishment module, configured to establish a cylindrical projection plane by using the main presentation axis and the presentation center, wherein a cylindrical extending direction of the cylindrical projection plane is substantially perpendicular to the main presentation axis, and the center of the cylindrical projection plane is basically overlapped with the presentation center; a conversion module, configured to convert the non-planar panoramic picture into a cylindrical panoramic picture having the cylindrical projection plane; and a playing module, configured to play the cylindrical panoramic picture by using a flat-panel display device. In the panoramic picture playing device of the present disclosure, a main presentation direction is the same as a horizontal presentation direction of the flat-panel display device. In the panoramic picture playing device of the present disclosure, the non-planar panoramic picture includes, but not limited to, a panoramic picture having a spherical projection plane, a conical projection plane, a cubic projection plane or a fisheye projection plane. In the panoramic picture playing device of the present disclosure, the cylindrical projection plane establishment module is configured to determine a cylindrical curvature of the cylindrical projection plane according to the resolution and a viewing angle of the non-planar panoramic picture. Compared with a panoramic picture playing method and a panoramic picture playing device in the prior art, the panoramic picture playing methods and the panoramic picture playing device of the present disclosure have the advantages that after the non-planar panoramic picture is converted into the cylindrical panoramic picture, the cylindrical panoramic picture is played by using the flat-panel display device, so that the problem that severe picture stretching is likely to occur at the edge of a picture is avoided, and the technical problem that severe picture stretching is likely to occur at the edge of the picture during panoramic picture playing with a flat-panel video player of the existing panoramic picture playing method and panoramic picture playing device is solved.

11314262

FIELD OF THE TECHNOLOGY DISCLOSED The technology disclosed generally relates to detecting location and positioning of a robot, and more particularly relates to application of guiding the robot to perform area coverage tasks employing visual processing, inertial sensor data and wheel odometry data to positioning and guidance technologies. BACKGROUND The subject matter discussed in this section should not be assumed to be prior art merely as a result of its mention in this section. Similarly, a problem mentioned in this section or associated with the subject matter provided as background should not be assumed to have been previously recognized in the prior art. The subject matter in this section merely represents different approaches, which in and of themselves can also correspond to implementations of the claimed technology. Autonomous robots have long been the stuff of science fiction fantasy. One technical challenge in realizing the truly autonomous robot is the need for the robot to be able to identify where they are, where they have been and plan where they are going. Traditional Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) techniques have improved greatly in recent years; however, there remains considerable technical challenge to providing fast accurate and reliable positional awareness to robots and self-guiding mobile platforms. Further, solutions in the field of task planning fail to include sensory data captured in real time, and thus are incapable of conducting planning or altering plans based upon changing conditions sensed in real time. One especially challenging area involves planning and executing tasks in a complex area involving recognizing a location and obstructions accurately and quickly. A variety of different approaches have been tried. For example RFID/WiFi approaches have proven to be expensive and of limited accuracy. Depth sensor based approaches have been found to be high cost and suffer from power drain and interference issues. Marker based approaches require markers placed within the work area—limiting the useful area in which the device can operate. Visual approaches currently are slow leading to failure when used in fast motion applications. Such approaches can also suffer scale ambiguity. Yet these implementations failed to live up to the standards required for widespread adoption. The challenge of providing fast reliable affordable positional awareness to robotic devices heretofore remained largely unsolved.

11311362

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to the field of intraoral dental devices. More particularly, the present invention relates to the field of tongue deflectors/retractors and saliva/fluid ejectors for use in dental treatments and procedures. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Different types of saliva/fluid ejectors and tongue retractors/deflectors for use during dental treatments are known. The present invention is discussed and illustrated in the context of saliva/fluid ejectors and tongue retractors/deflectors, combined in a single device, for use during dental treatments and procedures in the lower jaw (herein referred to as dental treatments). These devices typically involve a tongue shield, tubing with suction hole openings and are connected to dental suction system equipment. During dental treatments, these devices serve to shield and protect the work area in the lower jaw from encroachment and obstruction by the patient's tongue and to simultaneously removed excess fluids (saliva, blood, water, etc.) from the patient's oral cavity. Such issues are readily apparent to dental practitioners, and solutions to address such issues have been sought for as long as dentists and their personnel have been practising dentistry. U.S. Pat. No. 4,017,975 discloses a combination saliva/fluids ejector and tongue retractor device formed with a flattened head/paddle enclosing internal suction passageways. Fluid suction apertures are provided around the top and bottom of the head. The head of the ejector is made of two mating plates that are snapped together around the end of a saliva ejector. The head, placed in the lower jaw, acts both as a guard to keep the tongue away from the lower teeth and to suction fluids from the oral cavity. A chin holder, having an integral side opening, is attached onto the saliva ejector to stabilize the device within the mouth during usage. This device has a number of shortcomings. The head needs to be assembled around the saliva ejector prior to its use. Conventional saliva ejector tubing is of limited strength and subject to deformation, which would adversely affect the stability and effectiveness of the appliance. The suction apertures, especially the lower ones where fluids are most likely to collect, are not protected against soft tissue entrapment, potentially compromising the suctioning function of the device. Further, the chin anchoring holder, attached to the round saliva ejector, is subject to rotational displacement leading to further instability of the device. German Patent No. DE 10 2016 120 215 discloses a combination saliva/fluids ejector and tongue retractor device with a flattened head and suction tubing, integral to the head. The tubing extends into the body of the appliance and is connected at its lower end to the dental suction equipment. It exhibits a single slot for saliva/fluids removal and, on the undersurface of the tubing, two notches to choose from to engage the lower front teeth. In use, the appliance is placed onto the lower front teeth and between the lower side teeth and the tongue. This device also has a number of shortcomings. As illustrated, the head portion does not extend upwards enough to be even with or ideally slightly above the occlusal surfaces of the lower teeth and therefore is not large enough to retract and restrain a significant percentage of curious tongues. The slot designed saliva/fluid removal is unprotected and therefore subject to soft tissue entrapment blocking its suctioning ability. The two slots on the undersurface to the tubing, designed to engage the lower front teeth, are unnecessary and prevent the device from finding its own comfortable position within the patient's mouth. Additionally, there is no chin anchoring mechanism to prevent the device from lifting out of the mouth during use. Finally, designed and sized to attach to a “high-speed” suction line, the device is unnecessarily bulky, awkward and potentially uncomfortable. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Disclosed herein is a dental device for use in the lower jaw during dental treatments as a combination tongue deflector/retractor and saliva/fluids ejector. The dental device is adapted to attach to conventional saliva ejector tubing and dental suction equipment. In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, disclosed herein is a dental device combining the functions of saliva/fluids removal and tongue retraction, when placed during dental treatment in the patient's oral cavity between the patient's tongue and lower teeth. The dental device comprises: (i) a head/paddle portion (referred herein as the head portion) which is substantially flat and has a periphery, and which comprises a hollow canal or tubing (referred to herein as a hollow tubing”) extending around a portion of the periphery and one or more suction holes which are disposed near to the periphery and in communication with the hollow tubing; (ii) a body/shaft portion (referred to herein as the body portion) provided with a bore, the bore in communication at its upper end with the hollow tubing, and in communication at its lower end with a dental suction system or vacuum line (referred to herein as the dental suction system), and wherein the body portion is provided with a ratchet mechanism; and (iii) an arm/handle (referred to herein as the arm), having a collar adapted to adjustably engage with the ratchet mechanism. When the dental device is in operation, the head portion is inserted into one side of the patient's mouth between the lower teeth and the tongue and presents a large surface which acts as a barrier to the tongue, retracting it away from the teeth (i.e. the dentist's work area). Once securely in place, the device is attached to the dental suction system and also functions to remove excess fluids (saliva, blood, water, etc.) from the patient's mouth. The dental device is provided with an adjustable arm, which when in use is configured to abut the underside of the patient's chin, thereby securing the dental device in place during dental treatments. In one embodiment, the arm comprises an elongate first arm extension, a central collar, and an elongate second arm extension. The first arm extension is attached to the collar on the inward-facing (i.e. patient facing) side of the collar, and the second arm extension is attached to the collar on the opposite, outward-facing side of the collar. The body of the dental device is provided with a ratchet mechanism, located on an external surface of the body. The ratchet mechanism is adapted to allow the arm and the body of the dental device to releasably and adjustably engage with each other. In one embodiment, the ratchet mechanism is located on the external surface of the body which is on the inward-facing (i.e. patient-facing) side. In one embodiment, the collar of the arm is adapted to fit around the body and the ratchet mechanism. When engaged with the ratchet mechanism, the collar locks the arm, and therefore the whole device, in place during usage. The arm may be adjusted to the desired position along the ratchet mechanism to fit differently sized patients. In one embodiment, when the collar is disengaged from the ratchet mechanism, the arm is free to slide down the body, allowing the entire dental device to be readily removed from the patient's mouth. In one aspect of the present invention, the ratchet mechanism comprises a plurality of teeth or barbs adapted to engage with and disengage from the collar of the arm. In this aspect, the teeth are adapted such that when downward pressure from the chin is applied to the first arm extension, the collar engages the teeth to anchor and secure the arm in place. On the other hand, when the downward pressure is applied to the second arm extension, the collar disengages away from the teeth—allowing the arm to slide down and off the body of the dental device. In another aspect, the ratchet mechanism may comprise a set of angled teeth or barbs. In this embodiment, the angled teeth are adapted such that they present a surface in an upward direction to the lower edge of the collar, and can firmly engage with the collar in one direction so that the collar will not slip down from that engaged position once so engaged; on the other hand, the angled teeth may present an angled, less abrupt deflecting undersurface in a downward direction to the collar, such that the collar can be readily slid upwards. In order to engage and secure the arm at a desired “height” along the ratchet mechanism, the user simply slides the arm (and hence the collar) to the appropriate “height” and then causes the lower edge of the collar to engage the top edge of one of the angled teeth. When the dental device is no longer required to be secured in place and is to be removed, the ratchet mechanism can allow for “quick-release” of the arm in a swift motion, so the arm can be slid down the body of the dental device. In one aspect, the suction holes are oval in shape, although other shapes are possible. In one embodiment of the present invention, the dental device is also provided with one or more raised ribs or ridges near or on either side of the suction holes. The ribs serve to define guide channels to help direct the flow of fluids toward the holes. They also act to prevent the patient's soft tissues from getting too close to the suction holes and forming an air-tight seal against one or more of the suction holes, thereby protecting and preserving the aspirating function of the dental device. In one aspect, the collar of the arm has an internal cross-section that is substantially square shaped. Correspondingly, the cross-section of the body where the ratchet mechanism is located is also substantially square shaped. This helps to stabilize the arm on the patient's chin by preventing it from rotating about the body of the device.

11357449

FIELD OF INVENTION A miniature laser based vein contrast enhancer that can fit into portable hand held products that a practitioner can carry in their pocket. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION It is known in the art to use an apparatus to enhance the visual appearance of the veins in a patient to facilitate insertion of needles into the veins. An example of such a system is described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,969,754 and 6,556,858 incorporated herein by reference as well as a publication entitled “The Clinical Evaluation of Vein Contrast Enhancement.” Luminetx is currently marketing such a device under the name “Veinviewer Imaging System” and information related thereto is available on its website, which is incorporated herein by reference. The Luminetx Vein Contrast Enhancer (hereinafter referred to as LVCE) utilizes an infrared light source for flooding the region to be enhanced with infrared light generated by an array of LEDs. A CCD imager is then used to capture an image of the infrared light reflected off the patient. The resulting captured image is then projected by a visible light projector onto the patient in a position closely aligned with the image capture system. Given that the CCD imager and the image projector are both two dimensional, and do not occupy the same point in space, it is relatively difficult to design and build a system that closely aligns the captured image and the projected image. A further characteristic of the LVCE is that both the imaging CCD and the projector have fixed focal lengths. Accordingly, the patient must be at a relatively fixed distance relative to the LVCE. This necessitates that the LVCE be positioned at a fixed distance from the region of the patient to be enhanced. The combination of the size of the LVCE and the fixed focal arrangement precludes using the LVCE as small portable units that are hand held. SUMMARY OF INVENTION Finding a vein, necessary for administering intravenous solutions, drips and the like, can often be difficult. During venous penetration, whether for an injection or drip, it is essential to stick a vein in exactly the right location. If a practitioner is only slightly off center, the needle will more than likely just roll off. The present invention is a Miniature Vein Enhancer that includes a Miniature Projection Head and a mounting means for the Miniature Projection head. The Miniature Projection Head of the present invention implements a polarized laser light. This diminishes the effects of specular reflection off the surface of the skin. The Veinviewer Imaging System, produced by Luminetx, uses a polarized filter to polarize the LED light. This polarized LED light is then rotated 90 degrees in front of the camera, thus causing increased power loss. In addition, the IR and visible lasers in the present invention are modulated to allow a regular photodiode to detect the different signals from each wavelength separately. Furthermore, the IR laser power of the present invention is dynamically altered during each scan line, thus increasing the working range of the photodiode, and allowing for constant DC gain. The miniature vein enhancer of the present invention may be used by a practitioner to locate a vein, particularly useful when trying to locate a vein in the very old or very young. More then fifty percent of attempts to find a vein in old people, who have a generally high percentage of loose, fatty tissue, and children, who have a generally high percentage of small veins and “puppy fat” are unsuccessful. The present invention is aimed at reducing and/or preventing the discomfort and delay associated with botched attempts to pierce veins for injections and blood tests. In addition, the present invention can cut the time it takes to set up potentially life-saving intravenous drip. OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to make a Miniature Vein Enhancer that is cost effective to manufacture. It is another object of the present invention to make a Miniature Vein Enhancer that will allow a practitioner pinpoint a vein for intravenous drip, blood tests, and the like. It is still another object of the present invention to make a Miniature Vein Enhancer that will reduce and/or diminish the amount of botched attempts to pierce a vein. It is still a further object of the present invention to make a Miniature Vein Enhancer that is easy to operate. It is another object of the present invention to make a Miniature Vein Enhancer that may be disposed of after use. It is yet another object of the present invention to make a Miniature Vein Enhancer that may be hand held. It is still another object of the invention to make a Miniature Vein Enhancer that implements a Miniature Projection Head in Alternating frame mode. It is yet another object of the present invention to make a Miniature Vein Enhancer that implements a Miniature Projection Head that operates in Dual Buffer Mode. It is yet another object of the present invention to make a Miniature Vein Enhancer that implements a Miniature Projection Head that operates in Real Time Mode.

11480782

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS The application claims priority to Chinese patent application No. 202110879659.9, filed on Aug. 2, 2021, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to the field of optical technology, and more particularly, to a reflective eyepiece optical system and a head-mounted near-to-eye display device. BACKGROUND With the development of electronic devices to ultra-miniaturization, head-mounted display devices and products are constantly emerging in military, industrial, medical, educational, consumption and other fields, and in a typical wearable computing architecture, a head-mounted display device is a key component. The head-mounted display device directs the video image light emitted from a miniature image displayer (e.g., a transmissive or reflective liquid crystal displayer, an organic electroluminescent element, or a DMD element) to the pupil of the user by optical technology to implement virtual magnified images in the near-eye range of the user, so as to provide the user with intuitive, visual images, video, text information. The eyepiece optical system is the core of the head-mounted display device, which realizes the function of displaying a miniature image in front of human eyes to form a virtual magnified image. The head-mounted display device develops in the direction of compact size, light weight, convenient wearing, and load reduction. Meanwhile, a large field-of-view angle and visual comfort experience have gradually become key factors to evaluate the quality of the head-mounted display device. The large field-of-view angle determines a visual experience effect of high liveness, and high image quality and low distortion determine the comfort of visual experience. To meet these requirements, the optical system should try its best to achieve such indexes as a large field-of-view angle, high image resolution, low distortion, small field curvature, and a small volume. It is a great challenge for system design and aberration optimization to satisfy the above optical properties at the same time. In Patent Document 1 (Chinese Patent Publication No. CN101915992A), Patent Document 2 (Chinese Patent Publication No. CN211698430U), Patent Document 3 (Chinese Patent Publication No. CN106662678A), and Patent Document 4 (Chinese Patent Publication No. CN105229514A), a reflective optical system utilizing a combination of traditional optical spherical surfaces and even-order aspherical face shapes is provided respectively, wherein Patent Document 1 adopts a relay scheme, but this scheme adopts a free-form surface reflection means, which greatly increases the difficulty of realizing the entire optical system; the optical systems in the Patent Document 2, Patent Document 3 and Patent Document 4 use reflective optical systems, but the basic optical structures vary greatly from one to another due to different application fields, such as in terms of a matching relationship between a lens face shape and a gap between the lenses. Patent Document 5 (Chinese Patent Publication No. CN207081891U) and Patent Document 6 (Chinese Patent Publication No. CN108604007A) provide an eyepiece optical system that adopts a reflex means, which ensures high-quality imaging; however its optical structure is often limited to single lens reflection, thereby greatly limiting a performance ratio of the entire optical structure. To sum up, the existing optical structures not only have problems such as heavy weight, small field-of-view angle, and insufficient optical performance, but also have problems such as difficulty in processing and mass production due to the difficulty of implementation. SUMMARY The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is that the existing optical structure has the problems of heavy weight, low image quality, distortion, insufficient field-of-view angle, and difficulty in mass production. Aiming at the above-mentioned defects of the prior art, a reflective eyepiece optical system and a head-mounted near-to-eye display device are provided. The technical solutions adopted in the present invention to solve the technical problem thereof are as follows: constructing a reflective eyepiece optical system, including: a first optical element and a second optical element arranged successively along an incident direction of an optical axis of a human eye, and a first lens group located on an optical axis of a miniature image displayer; the first optical element is used for transmitting and reflecting an image light from the miniature image displayer; the second optical element includes an optical reflection surface, and the optical reflection surface is concave to the human eye; the first optical element reflects the image light refracted by the first lens group to the second optical element, and then transmits the image light reflected by the second optical element to the human eye; an effective focal length of the eyepiece optical system is fw, an effective focal length of the first lens group is f1, an effective focal length of the second optical element is f2, and fw, f1, f2satisfy the following relations (1), (2): f1/fw<−0.47  (1); −2.53<f2/fw<−0.64  (2); the first lens group includes a first sub-lens group, a second sub-lens group and a third sub-lens group arranged coaxially and successively along the optical axis direction from an eye viewing side to the miniature image displayer side; the effective focal lengths of the first sub-lens group, the second sub-lens group and the third sub-lens group are a combination of positive, negative and positive; the effective focal length of the first sub-lens group is f11, the effective focal length of the second sub-lens group is f12, the effective focal length of the third sub-lens group is f13, and f11, f12, f13and f1satisfy the following relations (3), (4), (5): 0.19<f11/f1(3); f12/f1<−0.019  (4); 0.019<f13/f1(5). Further, the distance between the first optical element and the second optical element along the optical axis is d1, the distance between the first optical element and the first lens group along the optical axis is d2, and d1and d2satisfy following relation (6): 0.69<d2/d1(6). Further, a maximum effective optical caliber of the second optical element is φ2, which satisfies following relation (7): φ2<70 mm  (7). Further, the first sub-lens group is composed of one lens; the first sub-lens group includes a first lens; and the first lens is a positive lens. Further, the first sub-lens group is composed of two lenses, which are respectively a first lens distant from the miniature image displayer side and a second lens proximate to the miniature image displayer side; both the first lens and the second lens are positive lenses. Further, the effective focal length of the first lens is f111, the effective focal length of the first sub-lens group is f11, and f111and f11satisfy following relation (8), 0.10<|f111/f11|  (8). Further, the optical surface of the first lens proximate to the human eye side is convex to the human eye. Further, the second sub-lens group includes a third lens adjacent to the first sub-lens group; the third lens is a negative lens; the effective focal length of the third lens is f121, and f121satisfies following relation (9): f121<−5.38  (9). Further, the third sub-lens group includes a fourth lens adjacent to the second sub-lens group; the fourth lens is a positive lens; the effective focal length of the fourth lens is f131, and f131satisfies following relation (10): 8.82<f131(10). Further, the effective focal length f11of the first sub-lens group, the effective focal length f12of the second sub-lens group, the effective focal length f13of the third sub-lens group and the effective focal length f1of the first lens group further satisfy following relations (11), (12), (13): 0.74<f11/f1<0.81  (11); −1.03<f12/f1<−0.42  (12); 0.69<f13/f1<1.24  (13). Further, the first optical element is a planar transflective optical element; a reflectivity of the first optical element is Re1, and Re1satisfies relation (14): 20%<Re1<80%  (14). Further, a reflectivity of the optical reflection surface is Re2, and Rea satisfies following relation (15): 20%<Re2(15). Further, an angle of optical axis between the first lens group and the second optical element is λ1, and λ1satisfies following relation (16): 55°<λ1<120°  (16). Further, the eyepiece optical system further includes a planar reflective optical element located between the first lens group and the first optical element; the planar reflective optical element reflects the image light refracted by the first lens group to the first optical element, the first optical element reflects the image light to the second optical element, and then transmits the image light reflected by the second optical element to the human eye; the angle between the first lens group and the first optical element is λ2, and λ2satisfies following relation (17): 60°≤λ2≤180°  (17). Further, the second optical element includes two coaxial optical surfaces of the same face shape. Further, the first lens group includes one or more even-order aspherical face shapes; both optical surfaces of the second optical element are even-order aspherical face shapes. Further, the even-order aspherical face shapes satisfy relational expression (18): Z=cr21+1-(1+k)⁢c2⁢r2+α2⁢r2+α4⁢r4+α6⁢r6+…⁢.(18) Further, the material of the second optical element is an optical plastic material. The present application provides a head-mounted near-to-eye display device, including a miniature image displayer, and further including the reflective eyepiece optical system according to any one of the foregoing content; the eyepiece optical system is located between the human eye and the miniature image displayer. Further, the miniature image displayer is an organic electroluminescent device. Further, the head-mounted near-to-eye display device includes two identical reflective eyepiece optical systems. The present invention has following beneficial effects: the first optical element has transmission and reflection properties, the second optical element includes a reflection surface, the eyepiece optical system composed of the first lens group, the first optical element and the second optical element is used for effectively folding the optical path, which reduces the overall size of the eyepiece optical system and improves the possibility of subsequent mass production, the first lens group includes a first sub-lens group, a second sub-lens group and a third sub-lens group, and the first sub-lens group, the second sub-lens group and the third sub-lens group adopt a combination of positive, negative and positive focal lengths. On the basis of miniaturization, cost and weight reduction for the article, the aberration of the optical system is greatly eliminated, and the basic optical indicators are also improved, ensuring high image quality and increasing the size of the picture angle. Thus an observer can watch large images of full frame, high definition and uniform image quality without any distortion and get visual experience of high liveness via the present invention, which is suitable for near-to-eye displays and similar devices thereof.

11516206

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present disclosure relates in general to the field of computers and similar technologies, and in particular to cybersecurity systems utilized in this field. Still more particularly, the disclosure relates to a method, system, and computer-usable medium for assessing security risks for Internet Protocol (IP) addresses using security risk assessments associated with corresponding digital certificates. Description of the Related Art Users interact with physical, system, data, and services resources of all kinds, as well as each other, on a daily basis. Each of these interactions, whether accidental or intended, poses some degree of security risk. As an example, security risks are present anytime two or more devices communicate with one another over, for example, the Internet. It is often difficult to discern whether a device is communicating with a trusted site or a malicious site. Lists of malicious IP addresses may be published and used in security policies to prevent communication with malicious sites having those IP addresses. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A system of one or more computers can be configured to perform particular operations or actions by virtue of having software, firmware, hardware, or a combination of them installed on the system that in operation causes or cause the system to implement a cybersecurity system having a digital certificate reputation system. One general aspect includes a computer-implemented method for executing one or more security policies in a secured network. The computer-implemented method includes receiving a communication including an Internet Protocol (IP) address and a digital certificate at a device within the secured network; determining whether the IP address is identified as having a high security risk level; if the IP address has a high-security risk level, assigning a security risk level to the digital certificate based on the security risk level of the IP address; and using the security risk level for the digital certificate in executing the one or more security policies. Other embodiments of this aspect include corresponding computer systems, apparatus, and computer programs recorded on one or more computer storage devices, each configured to perform the actions of the methods. Another embodiment is directed to a system including one or more information handling systems, where the one or more information handling systems include: a processor; a data bus coupled to the processor; and a non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium embodying computer program code, the non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium being coupled to the data bus; where the computer program code included in one or more of the information handling systems is executable by the processor of the information handling system so that the information handling system, alone or in combination with other information handling systems, executes operations including: receiving a communication including an Internet Protocol ((IP) address and a digital certificate at a device within the secured network; determining whether the IP address is identified as having a high security risk level; if the IP address has a high-security risk level, assigning a security risk level to the digital certificate based on the security risk level of the IP address; and using the security risk level for the digital certificate in executing the one or more security policies. Another embodiment is directed to a non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium embodying computer program code comprising executable instructions configured for; receiving a communication including an Internet Protocol ((IP) address and a digital certificate at a device within the secured network; determining whether the ip address is identified as having a high security risk level; if the IP address has a high-security risk level, assigning a security risk level to the digital certificate based on the security risk level of the IP address; and using the security risk level for the digital certificate in executing the one or more security policies.

11322886

BACKGROUND Computing systems, for example, storage systems, servers, edge-computing systems, and the like, may include several electronic devices that are installed on a motherboard. The motherboard may include a printed circuit board having several electronic devices (e.g., integrated circuits, resistors, capacitors, transistors, diodes) disposed thereon. Further, the motherboard may also include certain receiving connectors I sockets to receive any additional electronic devices. For example, electronic devices such as, but not limited to, additional integrated circuits, power supply modules, and storage modules having one or more storage devices may be removably coupled to the motherboard via the receiving connectors. Moreover, modern-day computing systems offer increased modularity to accept variety of electronic devices to be removably connected to the motherboards via certain industry standard connectors.

11366117

This is a U.S. national stage application of PCT Application No. PCT/CN2019/090046 under 35 U.S.C. 371, filed Jun. 5, 2019 in Chinese, claiming priority of Chinese Application No. 201910031748.0, filed Jan. 14, 2019, all of which are hereby incorporated by reference. TECHNOLOGY FIELD The present invention is related to the field of breast cancer detection kit and particularly related to an application of exosome TβRII protein as a marker in the preparation of breast cancer diagnostic kit. BACKGROUND TECHNOLOGY Breast cancer is the most common malignancy in women. It ranks second among the most common cancers worldwide. A prominent feature of breast cancer is its susceptibility to metastasis. The most common metastatic organ is bone, and 80% of patients who die because of bone metastases. Tumor metastasis is a very important cause of death in cancer patients, with up to 90% of solid tumor patients dying from tumor metastasis. At present, there are two commonly used methods for detecting breast cancer metastasis. One is immunohistochemical technique, wherein pathological sections are prepared by collecting pathological tissues, and tumor metastasis is detected by detecting related proteins. The other method is Western blot, which has higher specificity. However, both of these methods require acquisition of tumor tissue. For some cancer patients who lack surgical indications or have contraindications for surgery, it is difficult to get the tissue for testing. Moreover, tumor metastasis is random, which increases the number of samples, making it more difficult to detect whether the metastasis happens. Recent studies have found that exosomes play an important role in the occurrence, development and metastasis of cancer. Exosome is a special type of extracellular vesicles that are secreted by most cells and are generally 30-100 nm in diameter. They are microvesicles released from different cells into body fluids such as plasma, cerebrospinal fluid, urine or saliva. These transported substances closely relate to the pathogenesis of most human malignancies. Exosomes are released into the blood from tumor cells can provide cancer-related information and have a good prospect for non-invasive diagnosis of tumors. According to a paper published on Nature by Kalluri on Jun. 24, 2015, a protein called Glypican-1 contained in exosomes derived from pancreatic cancer cells, may be suitable for non-invasive diagnosis and early pancreatic cancer screening during the treatment. Breast cancer metastasis is a major cause of high mortality in breast cancer. Exosomes can reach the metastatic sites before the tumor cells, and can deeply intervene during metastasis. If specific antigens can be detected around the surface of the exosomes, this can help the researchers to give exact diagnosis and treatment to the patients. Specifically, if the specific antigen on the exosomes, which are secreted by breast cancer, can be obtained, the patient's disease state can be accurately determined and treated by accurate treatment. Therefore, studying the active components contained in breast cancer exosomes and their molecular mechanisms and physiological significance in capturing target cells and affecting their functions has become a hot spot in cancer research, building a theoretical foundation for the development of new therapeutic drugs to cancers, such as breast cancer. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The object of the present invention is to provide a kit for detecting breast cancer, which can predict tumor occurrence and development by detecting peripheral blood, and overcome the difficulties that the breast cancer patients are not suitable for tissue specimens of breast cancer patients and the tumor malignancy and metastasis status are impossible to evaluate. To achieve the above object, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions: An application of exosomal TβRII protein as a marker in the preparation of a breast cancer detection kit. Exosomes are extracellular vesicles that can be secreted from tumor cells into the peripheral blood circulation. The present study first publishes that the level of TβRII on the surface of exosomes in the serum of the breast cancer patients increases significantly. The transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) signaling pathway plays a very important role in tumorigenesis and development. TGF-β inhibits tumor growth in early carcinogenesis, and transforms into a tumor promoting factor in the later stage of tumor development. During the later stage of breast cancer, TGF-β pathway is abnormally activated, leading to tumor metastasis. In the early stage of metastasis, it can be found that the exosome secreted by breast cancer cells contains a large amount of transforming growth factor beta receptor 2 (TGFBR2). Therefore, this indicator can be used as a marker for the diagnosis of breast cancer, especially for tumors that are difficult to diagnosis. The present invention also provides a breast cancer detection kit based on detecting TβRII protein in peripheral blood exosomes, comprising a direct-labeled primary antibody against TβRII protein. The kit provided by the present invention utilizes the specific binding of the primary antibody to the TβRII protein on the exosomes, and is able to make the qualitative or quantitative detection of the breast cancer marker TβRII protein by detecting the label on the direct standard primary antibody. Preferably, the direct-labeled primary antibody is labeled with APC. Exosomes are incubated by APC-TβRII direct-labeled primary antibody, and the number of labeled exosomes can be detected by flow cytometry. Specific procedures: loading samples, adjusting and determining the instrument's forward angular scattered light, side angle scattered light and FL1 basic parameters, FSC adopts Line linear form, SSC and FL1 adopt Log logarithm form, in FSC-H/SSC- The exosomes are circled on the H-scatter plot, and the excitation light is selected to be 633 nm. The fluorescence value of the exosomes is obtained in the FSC/APC scattergram, and more than 10,000 exosomes are read, and the scatter plot is analyzed. The detection kit provided by the present invention comprises a reagent for pretreating peripheral blood, and the exosomes are separated and enriched. Preferably, the breast cancer detecting kit further comprises a sodium citrate anticoagulant, wherein the sodium citrate has a mass percentage concentration of 2.5%. Preferably, the breast cancer detecting kit further comprises a PBS buffer. Preferably, the breast cancer detection kit further comprises a TβRII positive exosome standard of known concentration. More preferably, the TβRII positive exosome standard is isolated from the breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231 cell culture supernatant. The expression level of TβRII on the surface of exosomes secreted by MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells is high, which can be used as a positive control for quantifying the number of TβRII positive exosomes in serum. The present invention also provides a method of isolating exosomes in a blood sample, comprising the steps of: (1) adding the sodium citrate anticoagulant to the collected peripheral blood samples, mixing well, centrifuging at 2000-4000 rpm for 10-20 min, and collecting the upper plasma; (2) diluting the plasma with PBS buffer, ultracentrifuging at 100000-120000 g for 1-1.5 h, discarding the supernatant, and resuspending the pellet in PBS buffer, and ultracentrifuging at 100000-120000 g for 1-1.5 h. The precipitate is collected as the excretion body. The use of nanosight and electron microscopy and known Marker (TSG101, CD63, Alix, etc.) detection of exosomes by immunoblotting have confirmed that the precipitated particles obtained from the peripheral blood samples of breast cancer patients by the above method contain breast cancer exosomes. The present invention has these benefits: The present invention finds that the number of TβRII positive exosomes in the serum of breast cancer patients is significantly larger than these of healthy people. And after the surgery, the level of TβRII exosomes in the serum of breast cancer patients reduces greatly, which suggests the value of the TβRII positive exosomes during the diagnosis and prognosis of breast cancer. Therefore, the content of TβRII protein in peripheral blood exosomes can be used as an indicator for breast cancer metastasis, and can also be used as a new target for tumor therapy. Exosome detection has the advantages, such as minimal-invasive, real-time detecting, etc. It can be used as a “liquid biopsy” for tumor development and metastasis. The breast cancer diagnostic kit based on the detection of serum TβRII in serum has a good application prospect in the diagnosis of breast cancer. The detection kit provided by the invention has simple operation, and only needs to extract a small amount of peripheral blood of the test population, and can detect whether the test population has breast cancer, and is convenient and fast compared with the existing detection technology, and the influence of the test population is small. It does not use organic solvents such as phenol and chloroform, and has no toxic and side effects to operators. It is suitable for breast cancer prevention and detection in a large number of people.

11296680

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE This disclosure relates generally to voltage supervisors, and, more particularly, to methods and apparatus to implement temperature insensitive threshold detection for voltage supervisors. SUMMARY An apparatus includes a first switch having a first source terminal, a first drain terminal, and a first gate terminal. The apparatus includes a first resistor having a first resistor terminal and a second resistor terminal. The first resistor terminal is coupled to the first source terminal and the second resistor terminal is coupled to the first drain terminal. The apparatus includes a second resistor having a third resistor terminal and a fourth resistor terminal. The third resistor terminal is coupled to the second resistor terminal. The apparatus includes a third resistor having a fifth resistor terminal and a sixth resistor terminal. The fifth resistor terminal is coupled to the fourth resistor terminal. The apparatus includes a fourth resistor having a seventh resistor terminal and an eighth resistor terminal. The seventh resistor terminal is coupled to the sixth resistor terminal. The apparatus includes a second switch having a second source terminal, a second drain terminal, and a second gate terminal. The second source terminal is coupled to the seventh resistor terminal. The apparatus includes a comparator having an output. The output is coupled to the first gate terminal and the second gate terminal. BACKGROUND Many modern electronic systems (such as mobile phones, laptops, vehicles, televisions, gaming systems, etc.) include multiple power rails for powering electronic system components and subsystems. The multiple power rails may be configured to provide component and/or subsystem isolation or to supply, different supply voltages for different components and/or subsystems, etc. Power supply supervision in such electronic systems may involve monitoring each of the power rails to determine whether they are operating within desired voltage ranges (i.e., in-regulation). Furthermore, power supply sequencing may be required in electronic systems to ensure that the power supplies corresponding to the various power rails are enabled in a proper order. In many existing electronic systems having multiple power rails, power supply supervision is implemented as a separate system function commonly referred to as a supply voltage supervisor.

11251622

TECHNICAL FIELD This disclosure relates generally to electrical power conversion systems, and more specifically to voltage-source converters. BACKGROUND In many power applications, direct-current-to-alternating-current (DC-to-AC), AC-to-DC, DC-to-DC voltage-source converters, and the like have conflicting requirements imposed thereon. Such requirements may include, but are not limited to, high efficiency, high power density, low cost, long service life, high continuous and peak operating current, high reliability, high functional safety, and robust short-circuit current reliability. To complicate matters, while some inverters are employed in power applications in which their particular operating ranges and environments may be limited, thus allowing the use of components particularly suited to those applications, such as certain types of power transistors, inverters employed in other power applications that require a broader range of operating current, functionality, and the like often do not perform in an exemplary manner across the entirety of those ranges.

11466632

This application is the U.S. national phase of International Application No. PCT/EP2019/081146 filed Nov. 13, 2019 which designated the U.S. and claims priority to FR Patent Application No. 1860492 filed Nov. 14, 2018, the entire contents of each of which are hereby incorporated by reference. The present invention generally relates to the techniques of synchronizing an internal combustion engine. More specifically, it relates to a method for determining the state of rotation of at least one camshaft of a heat engine. The control of the performance of an internal combustion engine, as well as the control of the emission of pollutants, are important parameters for motor vehicle manufacturers. To this end, among other things, the position of the pistons in their respective cylinder during an engine cycle needs to be known with relatively high precision. Document FR 2441829 discloses means for detecting information relating to the position of the cylinders by identifying, on a target secured to a crankshaft, zones associated with angular positions corresponding to a determined phase of the stroke of different pistons. The secured target is made up of a disk having identification elements disposed along its periphery. A sensor, generally in a fixed position, then detects these identification elements and generates a signal made up of electric pulses allowing the passage, for example, to a top dead center (TDC) of a reference piston to be identified during an intake phase. However, these sole identification elements are insufficient for precisely knowing the position of the cylinders during the engine cycle. Indeed, for a four-stroke internal combustion engine, the crankshaft completes two revolutions, that is an angle of 720°, before a given piston returns its initial position corresponding to the end of an engine cycle. This means that, based on the sole observation of the rotation of the target secured to the crankshaft, it is not possible to provide information concerning each cylinder without uncertainty with respect to two engine strokes in the cycle, with the identification of the position of the top dead center covering both an intake phase and an exhaust phase. Since precise determination of the position of each cylinder during an engine cycle cannot be deduced from the sole observation of the target secured to the crankshaft, finding additional information is therefore necessary in order to know whether the cylinder is in the first or in the second half of the engine cycle, i.e. the intake, then compression phase during the first revolution of the target secured to the crankshaft, or the expansion, then exhaust phase during the second revolution of said target. In order to obtain such additional information, it is known for a person skilled in the art to use a disk (or target) securely mounted on a camshaft or even on any other shaft that is driven by means of a ½ gear reducer from the crankshaft. Combining signals originating from the crankshaft sensor and from the camshaft sensor allows the system to precisely detect, for example, a top dead center in the intake phase of a reference cylinder. For the sake of optimal control of the combustion, it is increasingly common for an internal combustion engine to comprise at least two camshafts, with, for example, a first camshaft associated with the exhaust and a second camshaft associated with the intake. Furthermore, still for the sake of improving the performance of the internal combustion engine, it is also increasingly common for variable distribution technology to be used, which enables improvement of the synchronization of the opening or closing of the intake or exhaust valves during an engine cycle. Thus, increasing numbers of sensors are used in order to be able to determine the position of the pistons during an engine cycle. FIG. 1illustrates a voltage source sensor2, typically of the prior art, coupled, for example, to an engine control computer4. The sensor2is, for example, a sensor dedicated to detecting the position of a camshaft of an internal combustion engine. Such a sensor2generally comprises three pins, with a first sensor pin2_1coupled, for example, to a first computer pin4_1, which is intended, for example, to transmit a signal for activating the sensor2, a second sensor pin22coupled to a second computer pin4_2, which is intended for receiving a signal representing the position of the camshaft, and, finally, a third sensor pin23coupled to a third computer pin4_3, which is generally coupled to an electrical ground of the vehicle. Despite good performance, the use of 3 pins for the voltage source sensor2with a view to optimizing the connection between the computer and the sensor can be troublesome. FIG. 2shows a current source sensor6as disclosed, for example, in patent application FR 1756119. This sensor6operates and is coupled to the engine control computer4using only two pins. For example, a first sensor pin6_1is coupled to the first computer pin4_1, a second sensor pin6_2is coupled to the second computer pin4_2. Thus, for performance levels identical to those of a voltage source sensor2, one pin is freed up on the engine control computer4, thus enabling savings with respect to the amount of wiring but also with respect to connectors. The current source sensor6delivers information with respect to the shape of a rectangular “current” type signal. Thus, for a current sensor, two current levels are possible and they represent the presence or the absence of a tooth of the target in front of the sensor6. Cleverly, in order to further reduce the amount of wiring, patent application FR 1756119 proposes parallel coupling of at least two current source sensors6; such coupling is possible using a current measurement device called a “shunt”. Thus, for example, it is possible to couple at least two current source sensors6on only two wires. However, with such an assembly, the current levels representing the presence or the absence of teeth in front of the current source sensors6are close and it is difficult to determine the passage of a tooth in front of said sensor6. Furthermore, it is also difficult to determine the source of the change of detected current level. The present invention intends to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art by proposing a method for determining the state of rotation of at least two camshafts of a heat engine using at least two parallel coupled current source sensors. To this end, the present invention relates to, in its most general meaning, a method for detecting the position of at least one movable piston in a cylinder of a four-stroke internal combustion engine, with the movement of the piston driving a crankshaft cooperating with at least one first camshaft and one second camshaft, the crankshaft also cooperating with a first target having a determined number of teeth on a first target periphery, the first camshaft cooperating with a second target and the second camshaft cooperating with a third target, the second target having a determined number of teeth on a second target periphery and the third target having a determined number of teeth on the third target periphery, a first sensor adapted, on the one hand, for detecting the passage of the teeth of the first target and, on the other hand, for generating a first signal (CRK), a second sensor adapted, on the one hand, for detecting the passage of the teeth of the second target and, on the other hand, for generating a second signal (CAM_IN), a third sensor adapted, on the one hand, for detecting the passage of the teeth of the third target and, on the other hand, for generating a third signal (CAM_EX), the second sensor and the third sensor being sensors of the current source type coupled in parallel, the parallel coupling enabling the generation of a fourth signal (CAM_TOT), the second sensor and the third sensor also being coupled to a computer responsible for engine management, the first signal (CRK) being made up of a determined number of edges corresponding to the number of teeth of the first target, the second signal (CAM_IN) being made up of slots corresponding to the passages of the teeth of the second target, the third signal (CAM_EX) being made up of slots corresponding to the passages of the teeth of the third target, the fourth signal (CAM_TOT) being made up of slots corresponding to a sum of the second signal (CAM_IN) and of the third signal (CAM_EX), a slot being made up of a rising edge and a falling edge, a first memory space adapted for storing theoretical angular positions of the slots of the second signal (CAM_IN) relative to the edges of the first signal (CRK) and of the slots of the third signal (CAM_EX) relative to the edges of the first signal (CRK), as well as the directions of the edges of said slots, said method being characterized in that it comprises:a first step (e1) involving initializing a second memory space adapted for storing information associated with the positions of the slots of the fourth signal (CAM_TOT) relative to the edges of the first signal (CRK), the first step (e1) further comprising a step of initializing a counter (CPT) adapted for counting a number of revolutions completed by the first target;a second step (e2) involving waiting for an edge on the fourth signal (CAM_TOT), representing the passage of a tooth of the second target in front of the second sensor or the passage of a tooth of the third target in front of the third sensor, the second step (e2) further comprising proceeding to a third step (e3) when an edge is detected on the fourth signal (CAM_TOT);the third step (e3) involving recording, in the second memory space, on the one hand, the nature of the detected edge, i.e. either a rising edge or a falling edge, and, on the other hand, the angular position of said detected edge relative to the first target;a fourth step (e4) involving testing the value of the counter (CPT), in the case whereby the value of the counter (CPT) is equal to a value N then the method proceeds to a fifth step (e5), otherwise it proceeds to the second step (e2);the fifth step (e5) involving waiting for a new edge on the fourth signal (CAM_TOT), and proceeding to a sixth step (e6) when an edge is detected on the fourth signal (CAM_TOT);the sixth step (e6) involving computing an average of the angular position of the last detected edge with the value of the corresponding edge of the preceding revolution of the first target stored in the second memory space;a seventh step (e7) involving computing a range of angular positions α determined around the average value of the angular position of said detected edge;an eighth step (e8) involving selecting theoretical angular positions of the slots of the second signal (CAM_IN) relative to the edges of the first signal (CRK) and of the slots of the third signal (CAM_EX) relative to the edges of the first signal (CRK) when they are within the range of angular positions computed in the seventh step (e7); in the case whereby no theoretical angular position of the slots of the second signal (CAM_IN) and of the third signal (CAM_EX) is within the range of the computed angular positions, then the method proceeds to a ninth step (e9), in the case whereby a theoretical angular position of a slot of only one of the two signals (CAM_IN) or (CAM_EX) is within the range of computed angular positions, then the method proceeds to a tenth step (e10), in the case whereby a single theoretical angular position of a single slot of the second signal (CAM_IN) and a single theoretical angular position of a single slot of the third signal (CAM_EX) are within the range of the computed angular positions, then the method proceeds to an eleventh step (e11);the ninth step (e9) involving generating a warning synonymous with a failure on at least one of the three signals;the tenth step (e10) involving not assigning the detected edge to the signal (CAM_IN or CAM_EX), with the non-assigning being for the signal (CAM_IN or CAM_EX) that does not have a slot, the theoretical angular position of which is within the range of computed angular positions of said edge;the eleventh step (e11) involving proceeding to the third step (e3) in the case whereby the value of the counter (CPT) is less than the value N, otherwise the method proceeds to a twelfth step (e12). In one embodiment, during the eighth step (e8), in addition, in the case whereby a theoretical angular position of a slot of only one of the two signals (CAM_IN) or (CAM_EX) is within the range of determined angular positions, the direction of said detected edge is compared with the direction of the corresponding signal (CAM_IN) or (CAM_EX). For the sake of optimizing the method of the invention, during the eighth step (e8), in addition, in the case whereby a theoretical angular position of a slot of the second signal (CAM_IN) and a single theoretical angular position of a single slot of the third signal (CAM_EX) are within the range of determined angular positions, the direction of said detected edge is compared with the direction of the corresponding signal (CAM_IN) or (CAM_EX). As an alternative embodiment, the value N of the counter (CPT) equals 2. In order to improve detection, in the sixth step (e6), the average of the angular position of the detected edge is computed on N revolutions of the first target. In the case whereby at least one theoretical angular position of a single slot of the second signal (CAM_IN) and a single theoretical angular position of a single slot of the third signal (CAM_EX) are within the range of computed angular positions and when the counter (CPT) has reached a value N′, a twelfth step (e12) is carried out involving applying a phase-shift of value (V) to one of the two targets. During a thirteenth step (e13), the edges of the fourth signal (CAM_TOT) are also detected and stored. As an alternative embodiment, during a fourteenth step (e14), a comparison is made between the average values of the unassigned edges of the second memory space before the activation of the phase-shifting on one of the two targets and the recorded values of said edges of the fourth signal (CAM_TOT) after the activation of the phase-shifting. In another alternative embodiment, the non-phase-shifted signal is allocated to the signal with the edge not affected by the phase-shifting of the second target.

11416366

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION The present application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a) to Korean patent application number 10-2019-0054505, filed on May 9, 2019, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. BACKGROUND Field of Invention The present disclosure generally relates to a controller and a memory system having the same, and more particularly, to a controller capable of performing a background operation and a memory system having the controller. Description of Related Art A memory system may include a storage device and a controller. The storage device may include a plurality of dies capable of storing data. Each of the dies may include a plurality of memory cells in which data is stored. The memory cells may be implemented as volatile memory cells in which stored data disappears when the supply of power is interrupted, or be implemented as nonvolatile memory cells in which stored data is retained even when the supply of power is interrupted. The controller may control data communication between a host and the storage device. For example, the controller may control the storage device in response to a request from the host. Also, the controller may perform a background operation without any request from the host so as to improve the performance of the memory system. For example, the controller may perform garbage collection or read reclaim. Garbage collection is a function of copying valid data stored in victim blocks to a target block when the number of free blocks is less than a reference number, and increasing the number of free blocks by erasing the victim blocks. Read reclaim is a function of copying data to another block so as to prevent read disturb of a corresponding block, when a read count value obtained by performing a read operation is greater than a reference value. The host may communicate with the storage device through the controller by using an interface protocol such as Peripheral Component Interconnect-Express (PCI-e or PCIe), Advanced Technology Attachment (ATA), Serial ATA (SATA), Parallel ATA (PATA), or Serial Attached SCSI (SAS). Alternatively, any of various other interface protocols, such as a Universal Serial Bus (USB), a Multi-Media Card (MMC), an Enhanced Small Disk Interface (ESDI), and Integrated Drive Electronics (IDE) may be used. SUMMARY Embodiments provide a controller capable of controlling a background operation according to a state of a memory system and a memory system having the controller. In accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a controller including: a background operation manager configured to determine a background operation level according to an amount of first data received from a host and an amount of second data generated in a randomization operation and an error check operation of the first data, and output a background operation signal according to the background operation level; and a processor configured to output a background command set by adjusting an operating operation of a background operation according to the background operation signal. In accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a controller including: a calculator configured to calculate a wear acceleration index (WAI) level by performing a calculation operation on an amount of first data and an amount of second data; a background operation level determination component configured to output a background operation level corresponding to the WAI level, and a background operation signal generator configured to output a background operation signal such that an operating ratio of a background operation is adjusted in response to the background operation level. In accordance with still another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a memory system including: a storage device including a plurality of memory blocks; and a controller configured to control the storage device in response to a request from a host, wherein the controller calculates a wear acceleration index (WAI) level according to an amount of first data received from the host and an amount of second data written to the storage device, and outputs a background command set to the storage device by adjusting an operating ratio of a background operation according to the calculated WAI level. In accordance with still another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a memory system including: a storage device including a plurality of memory blocks, and a controller suitable for: receiving a plurality of items of data from a host, writing some items of data among the plurality of items of data to the storage device, and performing a background operation on the storage device based on a ratio of the received data to the written data.

11216989

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is the National Phase of PCT International Application No. PCT/KR2018/009513, filed on Aug. 20, 2018, which claims priority under 35 U.S.C. 119(a) to Patent Application No. 10-2018-0094598, filed in the Republic of Korea on Aug. 13, 2018, all of these applications are hereby expressly incorporated by reference into the present application. TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates to a mobile device and method for controlling the same and, more particularly, to a mobile device for classifying a texture, adjusting the size of the texture based on the attributes of the texture, and displaying the texture and method for controlling the same. BACKGROUND ART In recent years, mobile devices have been a big issue in daily life with the development of information technology (IT). The mobile devices have become increasingly more functional. Examples of such functions include data and voice communications, capturing images and video via a camera, recording audio, playing music files via a speaker system, and displaying images and video on a display. Some mobile devices further include an electronic game play function or perform a multimedia player function. In particular, current mobile devices may receive a multicast signal that provides visual content such as broadcast, video, or television programs. As the mobile device has become multifunctional, the mobile device has been implemented as a multimedia player with various functions, for example, capturing still images or moving images, playing music or video files, playing games, receiving broadcast, etc. In particular, when the mobile device executes a game application, real-time texture mapping is one of the most important functions. In three-dimensional graphics modeling, a texture refers to an image that represents color, texture, etc., and texture mapping refers to a scheme of creating a detail texture on the surface of a three-dimensional virtual object and coloring thereto based on computer graphics. In the prior art, processing is performed in the following order. First, each texture is rendered on an off-screen frame buffer. Then, a central processing unit (CPU) memory reads the results of rendering through the glReadPixels( ) function. The size of the texture is reduced on the CPU code. The reduced texture is uploaded to a graphics processing unit (GPU) memory again. In the prior art, most uncompressed textures are one-to-one mapped to a screen rather than to an object. When the size of such a texture is adjusted, the texture becomes blurred, that is, the quality of an image is degraded. In addition, it may not be applied to a compressed texture and a dynamic texture. Further, since the processing order is as follows GPU, CPU, and GPU, a large amount of memory capacity is required and the loading time increases, thereby causing inconvenience to users. DISCLOSURE Technical Problem One object of the present disclosure is to provide a mobile device and control method thereof. The mobile device may classify a texture as dynamic and static. When the texture is static, the mobile device may classify the texture as compressed or uncompressed. The mobile device may further classify the texture as mipmapped or non-mipmapped. When the texture is dynamic, the mobile device may classify the texture as a shadow or non-shadow map. The mobile device may adjust the size of the texture based on the attributes of the classified texture. Another of the present disclosure is to provide a mobile device and control method thereof. When a texture is static, compressed, and non-mipmapped, the mobile device may adjust the size of the texture by determining the attributes of the texture as a background image. A further object of the present disclosure is to provide a mobile device and control method thereof. When a texture is dynamic and when the screen aspect ratio of the texture is one to one, the mobile device may adjust the size of the texture by determining the attributes of the texture as a shadow map. It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the objects that could be achieved with the present disclosure are not limited to what has been particularly described hereinabove and the above and other objects that the present disclosure could achieve will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description. Technical Solution In one aspect of the present disclosure, a mobile device is provided. The mobile device may include: a memory configured to store a specific application; a controller configured to: receive a first texture from the memory when the specific application is executed; classify the received first texture as static or dynamic based on texture attributes; when the first texture is static, classify the first texture as compressed or uncompressed depending on whether compression is applied; when the first texture is static and compressed, classify the first texture as mipmapped or non-mipmapped depending on whether mipmap is applied; when the first texture is static and uncompressed, classify the first texture as mipmapped or non-mipmapped depending on whether the mipmap is applied; when the first texture is dynamic, classify the first texture as a shadow map or a non-shadow map based on a screen aspect ratio; and adjust a size of the first texture based on attributes of the classified texture; and a display configured to display the first texture according to a control command from the controller. In another aspect of the present disclosure, a method of controlling a mobile device is provided. The method may include: receiving a first texture from a memory when a specific application stored in the memory is executed; classifying the received first texture as static or dynamic based on texture attributes; when the first texture is static, classifying the first texture as compressed or uncompressed depending on whether compression is applied; when the first texture is static and compressed, classifying the first texture as mipmapped or non-mipmapped depending on whether mipmap is applied; when the first texture is static and uncompressed, classifying the first texture as mipmapped or non-mipmapped depending on whether the mipmap is applied; when the first texture is dynamic, classifying the first texture as a shadow map or a non-shadow map based on a screen aspect ratio; adjusting a size of the first texture based on attributes of the classified texture; and displaying the first texture according to a control command from a controller. Advantageous Effects According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a texture is classified as dynamic or static. When the texture is static, the texture is classified as compressed or uncompressed. The texture is further classified as mipmapped or non-mipmapped. When the texture is dynamic, the texture is classified as a shadow or non-shadow map. Since the size of the texture is adjusted based on the attributes of the classified texture, the size of the texture may be properly adjusted depending on the attributes of the texture, thereby avoiding image quality degradation and improving power efficiency. According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, when a texture is static, compressed, and non-mipmapped, the size of the texture is adjusted by determining the attributes of the texture as a background image. Thus, the size of the texture may be properly adjusted depending on the attributes of the texture, thereby avoiding image quality degradation and decreasing the loading time. According to a further embodiment of the present disclosure, when a texture is dynamic and when the screen aspect ratio of the texture is one to one, the size of the texture is adjusted by determining the attributes of the texture as a shadow map. Thus, the overall resolution may decrease when reduction is performed in a specific case, thereby avoiding image quality degradation and decreasing loading time. It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the effects that could be achieved with the present disclosure are not limited to what has been particularly described hereinabove and other advantages of the present disclosure will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description.

11225002

FIELD This disclosure relates generally to injection molding. RELATED ART Injection molding apparatuses may include a hot runner assembly including injection nozzles that inject melted plastic through injection gates in a cavity plate and into molding cavities to form solid plastic objects defined by the molding cavities. The injection nozzles may be heated to facilitate injection of the melted plastic, whereas the molding cavities may be cooled to facilitate solidification of the melted plastic in the molding cavities. In some injection molding apparatuses, the molding cavities are defined at least in part by gate inserts that are mounted to the cavity plate from the same side of the cavity plate that receives the injection nozzles. In such injection molding apparatuses, removing the gate inserts or cleaning the gate inserts requires detaching the cavity plate from the hot runner assembly, for example by “latching over” the cavity plate to a movable stack assembly. SUMMARY According to one embodiment, there is disclosed an injection molding apparatus comprising: a first injection gate body having front and rear opposite sides and a first aperture extending through the first injection gate body between an injection gate outlet on the front side of the first injection gate body and an opening on the rear side of the first injection gate body; and a second injection gate body having front and rear opposite sides and a second aperture extending through the second injection gate body between an opening on the front side of the second injection gate body and an opening on the rear side of the second injection gate body, the second injection gate body comprising an inner sealing surface defining at least a portion of the second aperture and complementary to an outer sealing surface portion of an injection nozzle such that, when a portion of the injection nozzle is received in the second aperture, the outer sealing surface portion of the injection nozzle contacts the inner sealing surface of the second injection gate body to form a seal between the outer sealing surface portion of the injection nozzle and the inner sealing surface of the second injection gate body, wherein the first injection gate body is connectable to and disconnectable from the second injection gate body from the front side of the second injection gate body such that, when the rear side of the first injection gate body is connected in a connected position to the front side of the second injection gate body, the first aperture is adjacent the second aperture to permit the first aperture to receive at least a front portion of a nozzle tip of the injection nozzle with at least one nozzle outlet of the nozzle tip positioned to inject fluid through the injection gate outlet when the portion of the injection nozzle is received in the second aperture. In some embodiments, the apparatus further comprises a molding body connectable to and disconnectable from the first injection gate body from the front side of the first injection gate body wherein, when the molding body is connected in a connected position to the front side of the first injection gate body, the molding body defines at least a portion of a molding cavity. In some embodiments, when the molding body is connected in the connected position to the front side of the first injection gate body, the molding body and a molding surface on the front side of the first injection gate body define at least a portion of the molding cavity. In some embodiments, the first injection gate body is a gate insert that defines a top panel of a closure for a container, and wherein the molding body is a cavity flange that defines a shell of the closure. In some embodiments, the second injection gate body is a gate pad that is configured to be received in a cavity plate of a cavity assembly. In some embodiments, the second injection gate body defines a recess sized to receive at least a portion of the first injection gate body, and wherein the gate insert is connectable to the gate pad from the front side of the gate pad when the at least a portion of the gate insert is inserted in the recess. In some embodiments, the second injection gate body defines a recess sized to receive at least a portion of the first injection gate body, and wherein the first injection gate body is connectable to the second injection gate body from the front side of the second injection gate body when the at least a portion of the first injection gate body is inserted in the recess. In some embodiments, the outer sealing surface portion of the injection nozzle and the inner sealing surface of the second injection gate body are generally cylindrical. In some embodiments, at least one of the first injection gate body and the second injection gate body defines at least one thermal insulation space between at least one surface of the first injection gate body and at least one surface of the second injection gate body that are adjacent when the first injection gate body is connected in the connected position to the front side of the second injection gate body. In some embodiments, the first injection gate body defines a first abutment surface on the rear side of the first injection gate body and surrounding the opening on the rear side of the first injection gate body. In some embodiments, the second injection gate body defines a second abutment surface on the front side of the second injection gate body and surrounding the opening on the front side of the second injection gate body. In some embodiments, when the first injection gate body is connected in the connected position to the front side of the second injection gate body, the first abutment surface abuts the second abutment surface to form a seal between the first abutment surface and the second abutment surface, and the thermal insulation space is defined between the first abutment surface and the second abutment surface. In some embodiments, the apparatus further comprises the injection nozzle, wherein the injection nozzle comprises a fluid conduit extending through the injection nozzle and terminating at the at least one nozzle outlet, and wherein the outer sealing surface portion surrounds a portion of the fluid conduit. In some embodiments, when the portion of the injection nozzle is received in the second aperture, the injection nozzle is spaced apart from the first injection gate body. According to another embodiment, there is disclosed an injection molding apparatus for use in a cavity plate assembly, the apparatus comprising: a first injection gate body having front and rear opposite sides and a first aperture extending through the first injection gate body between an injection gate outlet on the front side of the first injection gate body and an opening on the rear side of the first injection gate body; and a first molding body connectable to and disconnectable from the first injection gate body from the front side of the first injection gate body and the cavity plate assembly from a front side of the cavity plate assembly, wherein the first molding body defines at least a portion of a first molding cavity shaped to mold at least a portion of a closure for a container. In some embodiments, the apparatus further comprises the cavity plate assembly. In some embodiments, when the first molding body is disconnected from the front side of the first injection gate body and from the cavity plate assembly, the apparatus is free from any structure that would prevent the first injection gate body from being connectable to or disconnectable from the cavity plate assembly from the front side of the cavity plate assembly. In some embodiments, when the first molding body is connected to the front side of the first injection gate body, the first molding body and a molding surface on the front side of the first injection gate body define at least a portion of the first molding cavity. In some embodiments, the apparatus further comprises a second injection gate body having front and rear opposite sides and a second aperture extending through the second injection gate body between an opening on the front side of the second injection gate body and an opening on the rear side of the second injection gate body, wherein the first injection gate body is connectable to and disconnectable from the second injection gate body from the front side of the second injection gate body such that, when the rear side of the first injection gate body is connected in a connected position to the front side of the second injection gate body, the first aperture is adjacent the second aperture. In some embodiments, the second injection gate body comprises a front surface on the front side of the second injection gate body and substantially coplanar with the molding surface on the front side of the first injection gate body when the first injection gate body is connected in the connected position to the front side of the second injection gate body. In some embodiments, the apparatus further comprises a second molding body connectable to and disconnectable from the first injection gate body from the front side of the first injection gate body and the cavity plate assembly from the front side of the cavity plate assembly, wherein the second molding body defines at least a portion of a second molding cavity shaped to mold at least a portion of a closure, for a container, having a height different from a height of the at least a portion of the closure defined by the first molding body. According to another embodiment, there is disclosed a gate insert comprising: an injection gate body having front and rear opposite sides and an aperture extending through the injection gate body between an injection gate outlet on the front side of the injection gate body and an opening on the rear side of the injection gate body, wherein the injection gate body is connectable to and disconnectable from a gate pad in a cavity plate from a front side of the gate pad and from a front side of the cavity plate. In some embodiments, the injection gate body has a tapered alignment surface on the rear side of the injection gate body to facilitate aligning the injection gate body with the gate pad. In some embodiments, the injection gate body has a molding surface on the front side of the injection gate body that defines a top panel of a closure for a container. According to another embodiment, there is disclosed a cavity flange comprising: a molding body defining at least a portion of a molding cavity shaped to mold a shell of a closure for a container, wherein the molding body is connectable to and disconnectable from a gate insert in a cavity plate from a front side of the gate insert and from a front side of the cavity plate. In some embodiments, the molding body has a tapered alignment surface on the rear side of the molding body to facilitate aligning the molding body with the gate insert. Other aspects and features will become apparent to those ordinarily skilled in the art upon review of the following description of illustrative embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying figures.

11404934

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims priority to French Patent Application no. 2002848, filed Mar. 24, 2020, the contents of which is fully incorporated herein by reference. TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to the general field of rotating machines, and more particularly to rotating machines subject to static and/or transient loads, such as for example wind turbines. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Rotating machines generally comprise a rotating shaft supported by at least one bearing, for example a rolling bearing or a magnetic bearing. It is known practice to control magnetic bearings as a function of a displacement relative to the rotor. More particularly, the present invention relates to systems for compensating for the loads applied to the rolling bearing supporting the rotating shaft. The service life of current rolling bearings is considerably affected by the static and variable loads applied. In order to ensure the satisfactory operation of the rolling bearings and improve the service life thereof, it is known practice to use sensors to monitor the bearing, and in particular to detect the load transmitted to the bearing. The deterioration of the rolling bearing can thus be detected and maintenance steps can be anticipated. Reference can be made in this respect to EP 2 507 605-B1. However, monitoring the state of the rolling bearing does not make it possible to avoid the deterioration of the bearing, but only to anticipate maintenance operations. There is a need to improve the reliability of rolling bearings by limiting the deterioration thereof. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention applies particularly to the field of bearings, such as rolling bearings, for example ball bearings, roller bearings and needle bearings. The invention relates to a system for compensating for the stresses applied to at least one bearing suitable for rotatably supporting a rotor shaft of a rotating machine relative to a stator of the machine. The system comprises at least one sensor for measuring an input signal and positioned on at least one element of the bearing, a module for acquiring the input signal configured to convert the input signal into a value of the deformation applied to the rolling bearing, a module for determining a compensation signal as a function of the deformation value, and an amplifier module configured to control at least one magnetic actuator rotatably supporting the shaft of the rotor and comprising at least one electromagnet, the amplifier module being configured to convert the compensation signal into a voltage signal to be transmitted to at least one electromagnet of the magnetic actuator, the magnetic actuator being configured to exert a force on the rotor shaft as a function of the voltage signal. The voltage signal is known as “pulse width modulation” or PWM. In no way limitatively, provision could be made for the acquisition module to also be configured to convert the deformation signal into a signal of the loads applied to the rolling bearing. The compensation signal transmitted to the magnetic actuator makes it possible to generate a force on the rotor shaft and thus reduce the load applied to the bearing. There is thus real-time knowledge of the deformation and/or loads exerted on the bearing in order to compensate for them at least partially through the use of at least one magnetic actuator. Advantageously, the amplifier module comprises a control module configured to determine a duration of the pulses of the voltage signal to be transmitted to the electromagnet of the magnetic actuator as a function of the compensation signal, and a power module configured to supply the necessary current to the electromagnet of the magnetic actuator in order to apply the voltage. The module for determining a compensation signal comprises an electronic control unit configured to receive the deformation value coming from the acquisition module and convert it into a force command, and a converter configured to convert the force command into a compensation signal. The electronic control unit can be a closed-loop control system such as a proportional—integral—derivative, or PID, controller, delivering for example a force signal in digital or analogue form. For example, the compensation signal is a current compensation signal or a flux compensation signal. Conversion into a compensation signal on the basis of a force command is known to a person skilled in the art and will not be described further. For example, the bearing is of the rolling bearing type comprising an inner ring rigidly connected to the cylindrical outer surface of the rotor, an outer ring assembly comprising an outer ring and a casing mounted around the outer ring, and a plurality of rolling elements positioned radially between the rings. For example, the rolling elements are balls. As a variant, other types of rolling elements could be envisaged, such as for example rollers, needles, etc. Two or more rows of rolling elements could also be envisaged. For example, the bearing is a conical bearing. For example, the inner ring is solid and is delimited radially by an inner cylindrical surface and an outer cylindrical surface and axially by two opposite frontal radial surfaces. The inner ring can include, on its outer cylindrical surface, a ring groove forming a raceway for the rolling elements. For example, the outer ring is solid and is delimited radially by an inner cylindrical surface and an outer cylindrical surface and axially by two opposite frontal radial surfaces. The inner cylindrical surface of the outer ring can form a ring groove forming a raceway for the rolling elements. According to one embodiment, the magnetic actuator is an axial magnetic bearing axially supporting the rotor shaft. For example, the axial magnetic bearing comprises a stator core and a rotor core in the form of a disc rigidly connected to the rotor shaft, the stator core comprising a stator magnetic circuit including at least one annular winding and a ferromagnetic body surrounding the winding, and the rotor comprising at least one ferromagnetic part. According to another embodiment, the magnetic actuator is a radial magnetic bearing radially supporting the rotor shaft. For example, the radial magnetic bearing comprises an annular core made from a ferromagnetic material mounted on the outer cylindrical surface of the rotor shaft and a stator core rigidly connected to the stator, the stator core comprising a stator magnetic circuit including at least one annular winding and a ferromagnetic body, and being placed radially facing the rotor core so as to define a radial air gap. According to another embodiment, the system comprises at least two magnetic actuators. For example, the system comprises at least one radial magnetic bearing and/or one axial magnetic bearing. Advantageously, the load sensor is positioned on the outer ring of the rolling bearing. For example, the sensor is positioned on at least one element of the outer ring assembly, for example on the casing or on the outer ring. Advantageously, the sensor is positioned on the outer surface of the outer ring and/or on a lateral surface of the outer ring. The load sensor can comprise at least one network of optical fibres, known as a fibre Bragg grating, delivering an input signal in the form of light. According to one embodiment, the module for acquiring an input signal comprises an optical receiver or interrogator configured to inject or emit an optical signal into the optical fibre and receive an optical signal reflected by the optical fibre. The optical receiver is configured to convert the reflected optical signal into a wavelength. Advantageously, the acquisition module further comprises a converter configured to convert the wavelength signal into a signal or value of the deformation applied to the rolling bearing. In no way limitatively, provision could be made for the converter to also be configured to convert the deformation signal into a signal of the loads applied to the rolling bearing. The sensor could be a strain gauge delivering an input signal in the form of a voltage. According to another embodiment, the system comprises at least two load sensors positioned on the bearing. For example, the sensors are respectively positioned in a corresponding groove made respectively on the outer surface and a lateral surface of the outer ring. According to a second aspect, the invention relates to a rotating machine comprising a stator and a rotor comprising a shaft rotating about an axis of rotation and rotatably supported relative to the stator by at least one rolling bearing and by at least one magnetic bearing, the rotating machine comprising a system for compensating for the stresses applied to the bearing as described above. When the magnetic bearing comprises a plurality of electromagnets each comprising one or more windings, each of the electromagnets receives a voltage signal through the control module of the magnetic bearing. Each of the electromagnets of the magnetic bearing thus receives a voltage signal that is specific to it.

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FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to digital signal processing for control of speakers and more particularly to a method for signal processing for controlling a sparse speaker array to deliver spatialized sound. BACKGROUND Each reference, patent, patent application, or other specifically identified piece of information is expressly incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, for all purposes. Spatialized sound is useful for a range of applications, including virtual reality, augmented reality, and modified reality. Such systems generally consist of audio and video devices, which provide three-dimensional perceptual virtual audio and visual objects. A challenge to creation of such systems is how to update the audio signal processing scheme for a non-stationary listener, so that the listener perceives the intended sound image, and especially using a sparse transducer array. A sound reproduction system that attempts to give a listener a sense of space seeks to make the listener perceive the sound coming from a position where no real sound source may exist. For example, when a listener sits in the “sweet spot” in front of a good two-channel stereo system, it is possible to present a virtual soundstage between the two loudspeakers. If two identical signals are passed to both loudspeakers facing the listener, the listener should perceive the sound as coming from a position directly in front of him or her. If the input is increased to one of the speakers, the virtual sound source will be deviated towards that speaker. This principle is called amplitude stereo, and it has been the most common technique used for mixing two-channel material ever since the two-channel stereo format was first introduced. However, amplitude stereo cannot itself create accurate virtual images outside the angle spanned by the two loudspeakers. In fact, even in between the two loudspeakers, amplitude stereo works well only when the angle spanned by the loudspeakers is 60 degrees or less. Virtual source imaging systems work on the principle that they optimize the acoustic waves (amplitude, phase, delay) at the ears of the listener. A real sound source generates certain interaural time- and level differences at the listener's ears that are used by the auditory system to localize the sound source. For example, a sound source to left of the listener will be louder, and arrive earlier, at the left ear than at the right. A virtual source imaging system is designed to reproduce these cues accurately. In practice, loudspeakers are used to reproduce a set of desired signals in the region around the listener's ears. The inputs to the loudspeakers are determined from the characteristics of the desired signals, and the desired signals must be determined from the characteristics of the sound emitted by the virtual source. Thus, a typical approach to sound localization is determining a head-related transfer function (HRTF) which represents the binaural perception of the listener, along with the effects of the listener's head, and inverting the HRTF and the sound processing and transfer chain to the head, to produce an optimized “desired signal”. Be defining the binaural perception as a spatialized sound, the acoustic emission may be optimized to produce that sound. For example, then HRTF models the pinna of the ears. Barreto, Armando, and Navarun Gupta. “Dynamic modeling of the pinna for audio spatialization.” WSEAS Transactions on Acoustics and Music 1, no. 1 (2004): 77-82. Typically, a single set of transducers only optimally delivers sound for a single head, and seeking to optimize for multiple listeners requires very high order cancellation so that sounds intended for one listener are effectively cancelled at another listener. Outside of an anechoic chamber, accurate multiuser spatialization is difficult, unless headphones are employed. Binaural technology is often used for the reproduction of virtual sound images. Binaural technology is based on the principle that if a sound reproduction system can generate the same sound pressures at the listener's eardrums as would have been produced there by a real sound source, then the listener should not be able to tell the difference between the virtual image and the real sound source. A typical discrete surround-sound system, for example, assumes a specific speaker setup to generate the sweet spot, where the auditory imaging is stable and robust. However, not all areas can accommodate the proper specifications for such a system, further minimizing a sweet spot that is already small. For the implementation of binaural technology over loudspeakers, it is necessary to cancel the cross-talk that prevents a signal meant for one ear from being heard at the other. However, such cross-talk cancellation, normally realized by time-invariant filters, works only for a specific listening location and the sound field can only be controlled in the sweet-spot. A digital sound projector is an array of transducers or loudspeakers that is controlled such that audio input signals are emitted in a controlled fashion within a space in front of the array. Often, the sound is emitted as a beam, directed into an arbitrary direction within the half-space in front of the array. By making use of carefully chosen reflection paths from room features, a listener will perceive a sound beam emitted by the array as if originating from the location of its last reflection. If the last reflection happens in a rear corner, the listener will perceive the sound as if emitted from a source behind him or her. However, human perception also involves echo processing, so that second and higher reflections should have physical correspondence to environments to which the listener is accustomed, or the listener may sense distortion. Thus, if one seeks a perception in a rectangular room that the sound is coming from the front left of the listener, the listener will expect a slightly delayed echo from behind, and a further second order reflection from another wall, each being acoustically colored by the properties of the reflective surfaces. One application of digital sound projectors is to replace conventional discrete surround-sound systems, which typically employ several separate loudspeakers placed at different locations around a listener's position. The digital sound projector, by generating beams for each channel of the surround-sound audio signal, and steering the beams into the appropriate directions, creates a true surround-sound at the listener's position without the need for further loudspeakers or additional wiring. One such system is described in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2009/0161880 of Hooley, et al., the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Cross-talk cancellation is in a sense the ultimate sound reproduction problem since an efficient cross-talk canceller gives one complete control over the sound field at a number of “target” positions. The objective of a cross-talk canceller is to reproduce a desired signal at a single target position while cancelling out the sound perfectly at all remaining target positions. The basic principle of cross-talk cancellation using only two loudspeakers and two target positions has been known for more than 30 years. Atal and Schroeder U.S. Pat. No. 3,236,949 (1966) used physical reasoning to determine how a cross-talk canceller comprising only two loudspeakers placed symmetrically in front of a single listener could work. In order to reproduce a short pulse at the left ear only, the left loudspeaker first emits a positive pulse. This pulse must be cancelled at the right ear by a slightly weaker negative pulse emitted by the right loudspeaker. This negative pulse must then be cancelled at the left ear by another even weaker positive pulse emitted by the left loudspeaker, and so on. Atal and Schroeder's model assumes free-field conditions. The influence of the listener's torso, head and outer ears on the incoming sound waves is ignored. In order to control delivery of the binaural signals, or “target” signals, it is necessary to know how the listener's torso, head, and pinnae (outer ears) modify incoming sound waves as a function of the position of the sound source. This information can be obtained by making measurements on “dummy-heads” or human subjects. The results of such measurements are referred to as “head-related transfer functions”, or HRTFs. HRTFs vary significantly between listeners, particularly at high frequencies. The large statistical variation in HRTFs between listeners is one of the main problems with virtual source imaging over headphones. Headphones offer good control over the reproduced sound. There is no “cross-talk” (the sound does not wrap around the head to the opposite ear), and the acoustical environment does not modify the reproduced sound (room reflections do not interfere with the direct sound). Unfortunately, however, when headphones are used for the reproduction, the virtual image is often perceived as being too close to the head, and sometimes even inside the head. This phenomenon is particularly difficult to avoid when one attempts to place the virtual image directly in front of the listener. It appears to be necessary to compensate not only for the listener's own HRTFs, but also for the response of the headphones used for the reproduction. In addition, the whole sound stage moves with the listener's head (unless head-tracking and sound stage resynthesis is used, and this requires a significant amount of additional processing power). Spatialized Loudspeaker reproduction using linear transducer arrays, on the other hand, provides natural listening conditions but makes it necessary to compensate for cross-talk and also to consider the reflections from the acoustical environment. The Comhear MyBeam™ line array employs Digital Signal Processing (DSP) on identical, equally spaced, individually powered and perfectly phase-aligned speaker elements in a linear array to produce constructive and destructive interference. See, U.S. Pat. No. 9,578,440. The speakers are intended to be placed in a linear array parallel to the inter-aural axis of the listener, in front of the listener. Beamforming or spatial filtering is a signal processing technique used in sensor arrays for directional signal transmission or reception. This is achieved by combining elements in an antenna array in such a way that signals at particular angles experience constructive interference while others experience destructive interference. Beamforming can be used at both the transmitting and receiving ends in order to achieve spatial selectivity. The improvement compared with omnidirectional reception/transmission is known as the directivity of the array. Adaptive beamforming is used to detect and estimate the signal of interest at the output of a sensor array by means of optimal (e.g., least-squares) spatial filtering and interference rejection. The Mybeam™ speaker is active it contains its own amplifiers and I/O and can be configured to include ambience monitoring for automatic level adjustment, and can adapt its beam forming focus to the distance of the listener. and operate in several distinct modalities, including binaural (transaural), single beam-forming optimized for speech and privacy, near field coverage, far field coverage, multiple listeners, etc. In binaural mode, operating in either near or far field coverage, Mybeam™ renders a normal PCM stereo music or video signal (compressed or uncompressed sources) with exceptional clarity, a very wide and detailed sound stage, excellent dynamic range, and communicates a strong sense of envelopment (the image musicality of the speaker is in part a result of sample-accurate phase alignment of the speaker array). Running at up to 96K sample rate, and 24-bit precision, the speakers reproduce Hi Res and HD audio with exceptional fidelity. When reproducing a PCM stereo signal of binaurally processed content, highly resolved 3D audio imaging is easily perceived. Height information as well as frontal 180-degree images are well-rendered and rear imaging is achieved for some sources. Reference form factors include 12 speaker, 10 speaker and 8 speaker versions, in widths of ca. 8 to 22 inches. A spatialized sound reproduction system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,862,227. This system employs z domain filters, and optimizes the coefficients of the filters H1(z) and H2(z) in order to minimize a cost function given by J=E[e12(n)+e22(n)], where EH is the expectation operator, and em(n) represents the error between the desired signal and the reproduced signal at positions near the head. The cost function may also have a term which penalizes the sum of the squared magnitudes of the filter coefficients used in the filters H1(z) and H2(z) in order to improve the conditioning of the inversion problem. Another spatialized sound reproduction system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,307,941. Exemplary embodiments may use, any combination of (i) FIR and/or IIR filters (digital or analog) and (ii) spatial shift signals (e.g., coefficients) generated using any of the following methods: raw impulse response acquisition; balanced model reduction; Hankel norm modeling; least square modeling; modified or unmodified Prony methods; minimum phase reconstruction; Iterative Pre-filtering; or Critical Band Smoothing. U.S. Pat. No. 9,215,544 relates to sound spatialization with multichannel encoding for binaural reproduction on two loudspeakers. A summing process from multiple channels is used to define the left and right speaker signals. U.S. Pat. No. 7,164,768 provides a directional channel audio signal processor. U.S. Pat. No. 8,050,433 provides an apparatus and method for canceling crosstalk between two-channel speakers and two ears of a listener in a stereo sound generation system. U.S. Pat. Nos. 9,197,977 and 9,154,896 relate to a method and apparatus for processing audio signals to create “4D” spatialized sound, using two or more speakers, with multiple-reflection modelling. ISO/IEC FCD 23003-2:200x, Spatial Audio Object Coding (SAOC), Coding of Moving Pictures And Audio, ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 29/WG 11N10843, July 2009, London, UK, discusses stereo downmix transcoding of audio streams from an MPEG audio format. The transcoding is done in two steps: In one step the object parameters (OLD, NRG, IOC, DMG, DCLD) from the SAOC bitstream are transcoded into spatial parameters (CLD, ICC, CPC, ADG) for the MPEG Surround bitstream according to the information of the rendering matrix. In the second step the object downmix is modified according to parameters that are derived from the object parameters and the rendering matrix to form a new downmix signal. Calculations of signals and parameters are done per processing band m and parameter time slot l. The input signals to the transcoder are the stereo downmix denoted as X=xn,k=(l0n,kr0n,k). The data that is available at the transcoder is the covariance matrix E, the rendering matrix Mrenand the downmix matrix D. The covariance matrix E is an approximation of the original signal matrix multiplied with its complex conjugate transpose, SS*≈E, where S=sn,kThe elements of the matrix E are obtained from the object OLDs and IOCs, eij=√{square root over (OLDiOLDj)}IOCij, where OLDil,m=DOLD(i,l,m) and IOCijl,m=DIOC(i,j,l,m). The rendering matrix mrenof size 6×N determines the target rendering of the audio objects S through matrix multiplication Y=yn,k=MrenS. The downmix weight matrix D of size 2×N determines the downmix signal in the form of a matrix with two rows through the matrix multiplication X=DS. The elements dij(i=1,2; j=0 . . . N−1) of the matrix are obtained from the dequantized DCLD and DMG parameters d1⁢j=100.05⁢DMGj⁢100.1⁢DLCDj1+100.1⁢DCLDj,⁢d2⁢j=100.05⁢DMGj⁢11+100.1⁢DCLDj, where DMGj=DDMG(j,l) and DCLDj=DDCLD(j,l). The transcoder determines the parameters for the MPEG Surround decoder according to the target rendering as described by the rendering matrix mren. The six channel target covariance is denoted with F and given by F=YY*=MrenS(MrenS)*=Mren(SS*)Mren*EMren*. The transcoding process can conceptually be divided into two parts. In one part a three-channel rendering is performed to a left, right and center channel. In this stage the parameters for the downmix modification as well as the prediction parameters for the TTT box for the MPS decoder are obtained. In the other part the CLD and ICC parameters for the rendering between the front and surround channels (OTT parameters, left front left surround, right front right surround) are determined. The spatial parameters are determined that control the rendering to a left and right channel, consisting of front and surround signals. These parameters describe the prediction matrix of the TTT box for the MPS decoding CTTT(CPC parameters for the MPS decoder) and the downmix converter matrix G. cTTTis the prediction matrix to obtain the target rendering from the modified downmix {circumflex over (x)}=GX: CTTT{circumflex over (X)}=CTTTGX≈A3S. A3is a reduced rendering matrix of size 3×N, describing the rendering to the left, right and center channel, respectively. It is obtained as A3=D36Mrenwith the 6 to 3 partial downmix matrix D36defined by D3⁢6=(w1000w100w2000w200w3w300). The partial downmix weights wp, p=1,2,3 are adjusted such that the energy of wp(y2p-1+y2p) is equal to the sum of energies ∥y2p-1∥2+∥y2p∥2up to a limit factor. w1=f1,1+f5,5f1,1+f5,5+2⁢f1,5,w2=f2,2+f6,6f2,2+f6,6+2⁢f2,6,w3=0.5, where fi,jdenote the elements of F. For the estimation of the desired prediction matrix CTTTand the downmix preprocessing matrix G we define a prediction matrix C3of size 3×2, that leads to the target rendering C3X≈A3S. Such a matrix is derived by considering the normal equations C3(DED*)≈A3ED*. The solution to the normal equations yields the best possible waveform match for the target output given the object covariance model. G and CTTTare now obtained by solving the system of equations CTTTG=C3. To avoid numerical problems when calculating the term J=(DED*)−1, J is modified. First the eigenvalues λ1,2of J are calculated, solving det(J−λ1,2I)=0. Eigenvalues are sorted in descending (λ1≥λ2) order and the eigenvector corresponding to the larger eigenvalue is calculated according to the equation above. It is assured to lie in the positive x-plane (first element has to be positive). The second eigenvector is obtained from the first by a −90 degrees rotation: J=(v1⁢v2)⁢(λ100λ2)⁢(v1⁢v2)*. A weighting matrix W=(D·diag(C3)) is computed from the downmix matrix D and the prediction matrix c3. Since CTTTis a function of the MPEG Surround prediction parameters c1and c2(as defined in ISO/IEC 23003-1:2007), CTTTG=C3is rewritten in the following way, to find the stationary point or points of the function, Γ⁡(c~1c~2)=b, with Γ=(DTTTC3) W(DTTTC3)* and b=GWC3v, where DTTT=(101011) and v=(1 1 −1). If Γ does not provide a unique solution (det (Γ)<10−3), the point is chosen that lies closest to the point resulting in a TTT pass through. As a first step, the row i of Γ is chosen γ=[γi,1γi,2] where the elements contain most energy, thus γi,12+γi,22≥γj,12+γj,22, j=1,2. Then a solution is determined such that (c~1c~2)=(11)-3⁢y⁢⁢with⁢⁢y=bi,3(∑j=1,2⁢(γi,j)2)+ɛ⁢γT. If the obtained solution for {tilde over (c)}1and {tilde over (c)}2is outside the allowed range for prediction coefficients that is defined as −2≤{tilde over (c)}j≤3 (as defined in ISO/IEC 23003-1:2007), {tilde over (c)}jare calculated as follows. First define the set of points, xpas: xp∈{(min(3,max(-2,--2⁢γ12-b1γ11+ɛ))-2),(min(3,max(-2,-3⁢γ12-b1γ11+ɛ))3)(-2min(3,max(-2,--2⁢γ21-b2γ22+ɛ))),(3min(3,max(-2,-3⁢γ21-b2γ22+ɛ)))}, and the distance function, distFunc(xp)=xp*Γxp1−2bxp. Then the prediction parameters are defined according to: (c~1c~2)=arg⁢⁢minx∈xp⁢(distFunc⁡(x)). The prediction parameters are constrained according to: c1=(1−λ){tilde over (c)}1+λγ1, c2=(1−λ){tilde over (c)}2+λγ2, where λ, γ1and γ2are defined as ⁢γ1=2⁢f1,1+2⁢f5,5-f3,3+f1,3+f5,32⁢f1,1+2⁢f5,5+2⁢f3,3+4⁢f1,3+4⁢f5,3,⁢⁢γ2=2⁢f2,2+2⁢f6,6-f3,3+f2,3+f6,32⁢f2,2+2⁢f6,6+2⁢f3,3+4⁢f2,3+4⁢f6,3,⁢λ=((f1,2+f1,6+f5,2+f5,6+f1,3+f5,3+f2,3+f6,3+f3,3)2(f1,1+f5,5+f3,3+2⁢f1,3+2⁢f5,3)⁢(f2,2+f6,6+f3,3+2⁢f2,3+2⁢f6,3))8. For the MPS decoder, the CPCs are provided in the form DCPC_1=c1(l,m) and is DCPC_2=c2(l,M) The parameters that determine the rendering between front and surround channels can be estimated directly from the target covariance matrix F CLDa,b=10⁢log10⁡(fa,afb,b),ICCa,b=fa,bfa,a⁢fb,b,with⁢(a,b)=(1,2)⁢⁢and⁢⁢(3,4). The MPS parameters are provided in the form CLDhl,m=DCLD(h,l,m) and ICChl,m=DICC(h,l,m) for every OTT box h. The stereo downmix X is processed into the modified downmix signal:=GX, where G=DTTTC3=DTTTMrenED*J. The final stereo output from the SAOC transcoderis produced by mixing X with a decorrelated signal component according to: {circumflex over (X)}=GMbdX+P2Xd, where the decorrelated signal xdis calculated as noted herein, and the mix matrices Gmodand P2according to below. First, define the render upmix error matrix as R=AdiffEAdiff*, where Adiff=DTTTA3−GD, and moreover define the covariance matrix of the predicted signal {circumflex over (R)} as R^=(r^11r^12r^21r^22)=GDED*⁢G*. The gain vector gveccan subsequently be calculated as: gvec=(min(r^11+r11+ɛr11+ɛ,1.5)min(r^22+r22+ɛr22+ɛ,1.5)) and the mix matrix Gmodwill be given as GMod={diag⁡(gvec)⁢G,r12>0,G,otherwise. Similarly, the mix matrix P2is given as: P2={(0000),r12>0,vR⁢diag⁡(Wd),otherwise. To derive vRand Wd, the characteristic equation of R needs to be solved: det(R−λ1,2I)=0, giving the eigenvalues, λ1and λ2. The corresponding eigenvectors vRIand vR2of R can be calculated solving the equation system: (R−λ1,2I)vR1,R2=0. Eigenvalues are sorted in descending (λ1≥λ2) order and the eigenvector corresponding to the larger eigenvalue is calculated according to the equation above. It is assured to lie in the positive x-plane (first element has to be positive). The second eigenvector is obtained from the first by a −90 degrees rotation: R=(vR⁢⁢1⁢vR⁢⁢2)⁢(λ100λ2)⁢(vR⁢⁢1⁢vR⁢⁢2)*. Incorporating P=1(1 1)G, Rdcan be calculated according to: Rd=(rd⁢⁢11rd⁢⁢12rd⁢⁢21rd⁢⁢22)=diag⁡(P1⁡(DED*)⁢P1*), which gives {wd⁢⁢1=min(λ1rd⁢1+ɛ,2),wd⁢2=min(λ2rd⁢2+ɛ,2), and finally, the mix matrix, P2=(vR⁢⁢1vR⁢⁢2)⁢(wd⁢100wd⁢2). The decorrelated signals Xdare created from the decorrelator described in IS O/IEC 23003-1:2007. Hence, the decorrFunc( ) denotes the decorrelation process: Xd=(x1⁢dx2⁢d)=(decorrFunc((10)⁢P1⁢X)decorrFunc((01)⁢P1⁢X)). The SAOC transcoder can let the mix matrices P1, P2and the prediction matrix C3be calculated according to an alternative scheme for the upper frequency range. This alternative scheme is particularly useful for downmix signals where the upper frequency range is coded by a non-waveform preserving coding algorithm e.g., SBR in High Efficiency AAC. For the upper parameter bands, defined by bsTttBandsLow≤pb<numBands, P1, P2and C3should be calculated according to the alternative scheme described below: {P1=(0000),P2=G. Define the energy downmix and energy target vectors, respectively: {edmx=(edmx⁢⁢1edmx⁢⁢2)=diag⁡(DED*)+ɛ⁢⁢I,etar=(etar⁢⁢1etar⁢⁢2etar⁢⁢3)=diag⁡(A3⁢EA3*), and the help matrix T=(t11t12t21t22t31t32)=A3⁢D*+ɛ⁢⁢I. Then calculate the gain vector g=(g1g2g3)=(etar⁢⁢1t1⁢12⁢edmx⁢⁢1+t1⁢22⁢edmx⁢⁢2etar⁢⁢2t2⁢12⁢edmx⁢⁢1+t2⁢22⁢edmx⁢⁢2etar⁢⁢3t3⁢12⁢edmx⁢⁢1+t3⁢22⁢edmx⁢⁢2), which finally gives the new prediction matrix C3=(g1⁢t11g1⁢t12g2⁢t21g2⁢t22g3⁢t31g3⁢t32). For the decoder mode of the SAOC system, the output signal of the downmix preprocessing unit (represented in the hybrid QMF domain) is fed into the corresponding synthesis filterbank as described in ISO/IEC 23003-1:2007 yielding the final output PCM signal. The downmix preprocessing incorporates the mono, stereo and, if required, subsequent binaural processing. The output signal {circumflex over (X)} is computed from the mono downmix signal X and the decorrelated mono downmix signal Xdas {circumflex over (X)}=GX+P2Xd. The decorrelated mono downmix signal Xdis computed as Xd=decorrFunc(X). In case of binaural output the upmix parameters G and P2derived from the SAOC data, rendering information Mrenljmand Head-Related Transfer Function (HRTF) parameters are applied to the downmix signal X (and Xd) yielding the binaural output {circumflex over (X)}. The target binaural rendering matrix Al,mof size 2×N consists of the elements ax,yl,m. Each element ax,yl,mis derived from HRTF parameters and rendering matrix Mrenljmwith elements mi,yl,mThe target binaural rendering matrix Al,mrepresents the relation between all audio input objects y and the desired binaural output. a1,yl,m=∑i=0NHRTF-1⁢mi,yl,m⁢Pi,Lm⁢exp(j⁢ϕim2),⁢a2,yl,m=∑i=0NHRTF-1⁢mi,yl,m⁢Pi,Rm⁢exp(-j⁢ϕim2). The HRTF parameters are given by Pi,Lm, Pi,Rmand ϕimfor each processing band m. The spatial positions for which HRTF parameters are available are characterized by the index i. These parameters are described in ISO/IEC 23003-1:2007. The upmix parameters Gl,mand P2l,mare computed as Gl,m=(PLl,m⁢exp(+j⁢ϕCl,m2)⁢cos⁡(βl,m+αl,m)PRl,m⁢exp(-j⁢ϕCl,m2)⁢cos⁡(βl,m-αl,m)),andP2l,m=(PLl,m⁢exp(+j⁢ϕCl,m2)⁢sin⁡(βl,m+αl,m)PRl,m⁢exp(-j⁢ϕCl,m2)⁢sin⁡(βl,m-αl,m)). The gains PLl,mand PRl,mfor the left and right output channels are PLl,m=f1,1l,mvl,m,and⁢⁢PRl,m=f2,2l,mvl,m. The desired covariance matrix Fl,mof size 2×2 with elements fi,jl,mis given as Fl,m=El,mEl,m(Al,mm) The scalar v is computed as vi,m=DlEl,m(Dl)+ε. The downmix matrix Dlof size 1×N with elements djlcan be found as djl=100.05 DMGjl. The matrix El,mwith elements eijl,mare derived from the following relationship=eijl,m=√{square root over (OLDil,mOLDjl,m)} max(IOCijl,m,0). The inter channel phase difference ϕCl,mis given as ϕCl,m={arg(f1,2l,m),0≤m≤11,0,otherwise.⁢ρCl,m≥0.6, The inter channel coherence ρCl,mis computed as ρCl,m=min(f1,2l,mf1,1l,m⁢f2,2l,m,1). The rotation angles αl,mand βi,mare given as αl,m={12⁢arccos(ρCl,m⁢cos(arg(f1,2l,m))),0≤m≤11,12⁢arccos(ρCl,m),otherwise.⁢ρCl,m<0.6,⁢βl,m=arctan(tan⁡(αl,m)⁢PRl,m-PLl,mPLl,m+PRl,m+ɛ). In case of stereo output, the “x-1-b” processing mode can be applied without using HRTF information. This can be done by deriving all elements αx,yl,mof the rendering matrix A, yielding: α1,yl,m=m1f,yl,m, α2,yl,m=mRf,yl,m. In case of mono output the “x-1-2” processing mode can be applied with the following entries: α1,yl,m=mC,yl,m, α2,yl,m=0. In a stereo to binaural “x-2-b” processing mode, the upmix parameters Gl,mand P2l,mare computed as Gl,m=(PLl,m,1⁢exp(+j⁢ϕl,m,12)⁢cos(βl,m+PLl,m,2⁢exp(+j⁢ϕl,m,22)⁢cos(βl,m+αl,m)αl,m)PRl,m,1⁢exp(-j⁢ϕl,m,12)⁢cos(βl,m-PRl,m,2⁢exp(-j⁢ϕl,m,22)⁢cos(βl,m-αl,m)αl,m)),⁢⁢P2l,m={PLl,m⁢exp(+j⁢arg(c12l,m)2)⁢sin⁡(βl,m+αl,m)PRl,m⁢exp(-j⁢arg(c12l,m)2)⁢sin⁡(βl,m+αl,m)}. The corresponding gains PLl,m,x, PRl,m,xand PLl,m, PRl,mfor the left and right output channels are PLl,m,x=f1,1l,m,xvl,m,x,PRl,m,x=f2,2l,m,xvl,m,x,PLl,m=c1,1l,mvl,m,⁢PRl,m=c2,2l,mvl,m. The desired covariance matrix Fl,m,xof size 2×2 with elements fu,vl,m,xis given as) Fl,m,x=Al,mEl,m,x(Al,m)*. The covariance matrix Cl,mof size 2×2 with elements cu,vl,mof the dry binaural signal is estimated as Cl,m={tilde over (G)}l,mDlEl,m=(Dl)*({tilde over (G)}l,m)*, where G~l,m=(PLl,m,1⁢exp(+j⁢ϕl,m,12)PLl,m,2⁢exp(+j⁢ϕl,m,22)PRl,m,1⁢exp(-j⁢ϕl,m,12)PRl,m,2⁢exp(-j⁢ϕl,m,22)). The corresponding scalars and v are computed as vl,m,x=Dl,xEl,m(Dl,x)+ε, vl,m(Dl,1+Dl,2)El,m(Dl,1+Dl,2)*+ε. The downmix matrix Dl,xof size 1×N with elements dil,xcan be found as dil,1=100.05⁢DMGil⁢100.1⁢DCLDil1+100.1⁢DCLDil,⁢dil,2=100.05⁢DMGil⁢11+100.1⁢DCLDil. The stereo downmix matrix D1of size 2×N with elements dxjcan be found as dxjl=dil,x. The matrix El,m,xwith elements eijl,m,xare derived from the following relationship eijl,m,x=eijl,m(dil,xdil,1+dil,2)⁢(djl,xdjl,1+djl,2). The matrix El,mwith elements eijl,mare given as eijl,m=OLDil,mOLDjl,mmax(IOCijl,m,0). The inter channel phase differences ϕCl,mare given as ϕl,m,x={arg⁢(f1,2l,m,x)⁢,0≤m≤11,0,otherwise.⁢⁢ρCl,m>0.6, The ICCs ρCl,mand ρTl,mare computed as ρTl,m=min⁡(|f1,2l,m|f1,1l,m⁢f2,2l,m,1), ρcl,m=min⁡(|c12l,m|c1⁢1l,m-c2⁢2l,m,1). The rotation angles αl,mand βl,mare given as αl,m=½(arccos(ρTl,m) arccos(ρCl,m)). βl,m=arctan⁡(tan⁡(αl,m)⁢PRl,m-PLl,mPLl,m+PRl,m). In case of stereo output, the stereo preprocessing is directly applied as described above. In case of mono output, the MPEG SAOC system the stereo preprocessing is applied with a single active rendering matrix entry Mrenl,m=(m0,Lf1,m, . . . , mN-1,Lf1,m). The audio signals are defined for every time slot n and every hybrid subband k. The corresponding SAOC parameters are defined for each parameter time slot l and processing band m. The subsequent mapping between the hybrid and parameter domain is specified by Table A.31, ISO/IEC 23003-1:2007. Hence, all calculations are performed with respect to the certain time/band indices and the corresponding dimensionalities are implied for each introduced variable. The OTN/TTN upmix process is represented either by matrix M for the prediction mode or MEnergyfor the energy mode. In the first case M is the product of two matrices exploiting the downmix information and the CPCs for each EAO channel. It is expressed in “parameter-domain” by M=A{tilde over (D)}−1C, where {tilde over (D)}−1is the inverse of the extended downmix matrix {tilde over (D)} and C implies the CPCs. The coefficients mjand njof the extended downmix matrix {tilde over (D)} denote the downmix values for every EAO j for the right and left downmix channel as mj=d1,EAO(j)), nj=d2,EAO(j). In case of a stereo, the extended downmix matrix {tilde over (D)} is and for a mono, it becomes With a stereo downmix, each EAO j holds two CPCs cj,0and cj,1yielding matrix C The CPCs are derived from the transmitted SAOC parameters, i.e., the OLDs, IOCs, DMGs and DCLDs. For one specific EAO channel j=0 . . . NEAO−1 the CPCs can be estimated by c∼j,0=PL⁢oCo,j⁢PR⁢o-PR⁢oCo,j⁢PL⁢o⁢R⁢oPL⁢o⁢PR⁢o-PL⁢o⁢R⁢o2,⁢c∼j,1=PR⁢oCo,j⁢PL⁢o-PL⁢oCo,j⁢PL⁢o⁢R⁢oPL⁢o⁢PR⁢o-PL⁢o⁢R⁢o2. In the following description of the energy quantities PLo, PRoPLoRo, PLoCo,jand PRoCo,j. PL⁢o=O⁢L⁢DL+∑j=0NE⁢A⁢O-1⁢∑k=0NEAO-1⁢mj⁢mk⁢ej,k,⁢PR⁢o=O⁢L⁢DR+∑j=0NEAO-1⁢∑k=0NE⁢A⁢O-1⁢nj⁢nk⁢ej,k,⁢PL⁢o⁢R⁢o=eL,R+∑j=0NEAO-1⁢∑k=0NE⁢A⁢O-1⁢mj⁢nk⁢ej,k,⁢PL⁢oCo,j=mj⁢O⁢L⁢DL+nj⁢eL,R-mj⁢O⁢L⁢Dj-∑i=0i≠jNEAO-1⁢mi⁢ei,j,⁢PR⁢oCo,j=nj⁢O⁢L⁢DR+mj⁢eL,R-nj⁢O⁢L⁢Dj-∑i=0i≠jNE⁢A⁢O-1⁢ni⁢ei,j. The parameters OLDL, OLDRand IOCLRcorrespond to the regular objects and can be derived using downmix information: O⁢L⁢DL=∑i=0N-NEAO-1⁢d0,i2⁢O⁢L⁢Di,⁢OLDR=∑i=0N-NEAO-1⁢d1,i2⁢O⁢L⁢Di,⁢IOCL⁢R={I⁢O⁢C0,1,0,⁢N-NE⁢A⁢O=2, otherwise. The CPCs are constrained by the subsequent limiting functions: γj,1=mj⁢O⁢L⁢DL+nj⁢eL,R-∑i=0NE⁢A⁢O-1⁢mi⁢ei,j2⁢(OL⁢DL+∑i=0NEAO-1⁢∑k=0NE⁢A⁢O-1⁢mi⁢mk⁢ei,k),⁢γj,2=nj⁢O⁢L⁢DR+mj⁢eL,R-∑i=0NEAO-1⁢ni⁢ei,j2⁢(OL⁢DR+∑i=0NEAO-1⁢∑k=0NEAO-1⁢ni⁢nk⁢ei,k). With the weighting factor λ=(PLoRo2PLo⁢PR⁢o)8. The constrained CPCs become cj,0=(1−λ){tilde over (c)}j,0+λγj,0, cj,1=(1−λ){tilde over (c)}j,1+λγj,1. The output of the TTN element yields where X represents the input signal to the SAOC decoder/transcoder. In case of a stereo, the extended downmix matrix {tilde over (D)} matrix is and for a mono, it becomes With a mono downmix, one EAO j is predicted by only one coefficient cjyielding All matrix elements cjare obtained from the SAOC parameters according to the relationships provided above. For the mono downmix case the output signal Y of the OTN element yields In case of a stereo, the matrix MEnergyare obtained from the corresponding OLDs according to The output of the TTN element yields The adaptation of the equations for the mono signal results in The output of the TTN element yields The corresponding OTN matrix MEnergyfor the stereo case can be derived as hence the output signal Y of the OTN element yields Y=MEnergyd0. For the mono case the OTN matrix MEnergyreduces to Julius O. Smith III, Physical Audio Signal Processing For Virtual Musical Instruments And Audio Effects, Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics (CCRMA), Department of Music, Stanford University, Stanford, Calif. 94305 USA, December 2008 Edition (Beta), considers the requirements for acoustically simulating a concert hall or other listening space. Suppose we only need the response at one or more discrete listening points in space (“ears”) due to one or more discrete point sources of acoustic energy. The direct signal propagating from a sound source to a listener's ear can be simulated using a single delay line in series with an attenuation scaling or lowpass filter. Each sound ray arriving at the listening point via one or more reflections can be simulated using a delay-line and some scale factor (or filter). Two rays create a feedforward comb filter. More generally, a tapped delay line FIR filter can simulate many reflections. Each tap brings out one echo at the appropriate delay and gain, and each tap can be independently filtered to simulate air absorption and lossy reflections. In principle, tapped delay lines can accurately simulate any reverberant environment, because reverberation really does consist of many paths of acoustic propagation from each source to each listening point. Tapped delay lines are expensive computationally relative to other techniques, and handle only one “point to point” transfer function, i.e., from one point-source to one ear, and are dependent on the physical environment. In general, the filters should also include filtering by the pinnae of the ears, so that each echo can be perceived as coming from the correct angle of arrival in 3D space; in other words, at least some reverberant reflections should be spatialized so that they appear to come from their natural directions in 3D space. Again, the filters change if anything changes in the listening space, including source or listener position. The basic architecture provides a set of signals, s1(n), s2(n), s3(n), . . . that feed set of filters (h11, h12, h13), (h21, h22, h23), . . . which are then summed to form composite signals y1(n), y2(n), representing signals for two ears. Each filter hijcan be implemented as a tapped delay line FIR filter. In the frequency domain, it is convenient to express the input-output relationship in terms of the transfer function matrix: [Y1⁡(z)Y2⁡(z)]=[H1⁢1⁡(z)H1⁢2⁡(z)H1⁢3⁡(z)H2⁢1⁡(z)H2⁢2⁡(z)H2⁢3⁡(z)]⁡[S1⁡(z)S2⁡(z)S3⁡(z)] Denoting the impulse response of the filter from source j to ear i by hij(n), the two output signals are computed by six convolutions: yi⁡(n)=∑j=13⁢sj*hij⁡(n)=∑j=13⁢∑m=0Mij⁢sj⁡(m)⁢hij⁡(n-m),i=1,2, where Mijdenotes the order of FIR filter hij. Since many of the filter coefficients hij(n) are zero (at least for small n), it is more efficient to implement them as tapped delay lines so that the inner sum becomes sparse. For greater accuracy, each tap may include a lowpass filter which models air absorption and/or spherical spreading loss. For large n, the impulse responses are not sparse, and must either be implemented as very expensive FIR filters, or limited to approximation of the tail of the impulse response using less expensive IIR filters. For music, a typical reverberation time is on the order of one second. Suppose we choose exactly one second for the reverberation time. At an audio sampling rate of 50 kHz, each filter requires 50,000 multiplies and additions per sample, or 2.5 billion multiply-adds per second. Handling three sources and two listening points (ears), we reach 30 billion operations per second for the reverberator. While these numbers can be improved using FFT convolution instead of direct convolution (at the price of introducing a throughput delay which can be a problem for real-time systems), it remains the case that exact implementation of all relevant point-to-point transfer functions in a reverberant space is very expensive computationally. While a tapped delay line FIR filter can provide an accurate model for any point-to-point transfer function in a reverberant environment, it is rarely used for this purpose in practice because of the extremely high computational expense. While there are specialized commercial products that implement reverberation via direct convolution of the input signal with the impulse response, the great majority of artificial reverberation systems use other methods to synthesize the late reverb more economically. One disadvantage of the point-to-point transfer function model is that some or all of the filters must change when anything moves. If instead the computational model was of the whole acoustic space, sources and listeners could be moved as desired without affecting the underlying room simulation. Furthermore, we could use “virtual dummy heads” as listeners, complete with pinnae filters, so that all of the 3D directional aspects of reverberation could be captured in two extracted signals for the ears. Thus, there are compelling reasons to consider a full 3D model of a desired acoustic listening space. Let us briefly estimate the computational requirements of a “brute force” acoustic simulation of a room. It is generally accepted that audio signals require a 20 kHz bandwidth. Since sound travels at about a foot per millisecond, a 20 kHz sinusoid has a wavelength on the order of 1/20 feet, or about half an inch. Since, by elementary sampling theory, we must sample faster than twice the highest frequency present in the signal, we need “grid points” in our simulation separated by a quarter inch or less. At this grid density, simulating an ordinary 12′×12′×8′ room in a home requires more than 100 million grid points. Using finite-difference or waveguide-mesh techniques, the average grid point can be implemented as a multiply-free computation; however, since it has waves coming and going in six spatial directions, it requires on the order of 10 additions per sample. Thus, running such a room simulator at an audio sampling rate of 50 kHz requires on the order of 50 billion additions per second, which is comparable to the three-source, two-ear simulation. Based on limits of perception, the impulse response of a reverberant room can be divided into two segments. The first segment, called the early reflections, consists of the relatively sparse first echoes in the impulse response. The remainder, called the late reverberation, is so densely populated with echoes that it is best to characterize the response statistically in some way. Similarly, the frequency response of a reverberant room can be divided into two segments. The low-frequency interval consists of a relatively sparse distribution of resonant modes, while at higher frequencies the modes are packed so densely that they are best characterized statistically as a random frequency response with certain (regular) statistical properties. The early reflections are a particular target of spatialization filters, so that the echoes come from the right directions in 3D space. It is known that the early reflections have a strong influence on spatial impression, i.e., the listener's perception of the listening-space shape. A lossless prototype reverberator has all of its poles on the unit circle in the z plane, and its reverberation time is infinity. To set the reverberation time to a desired value, we need to move the poles slightly inside the unit circle. Furthermore, we want the high-frequency poles to be more damped than the low-frequency poles. This type of transformation can be obtained using the substitution z−1←G(z)z−1, where G(z) denotes the filtering per sample in the propagation medium (a lowpass filter with gain not exceeding 1 at all frequencies). Thus, to set the reverberation time in an feedback delay network (FDN), we need to find the G(z) which moves the poles where desired, and then design lowpass filters Hi(z)≈GMi(z) which will be placed at the output (or input) of each delay line. All pole radii in the reverberator should vary smoothly with frequency. Let t60(ω) denote the desired reverberation time at radian frequency ω, and let Hi(z) denote the transfer function of the lowpass filter to be placed in series with delay line i. The problem we consider now is how to design these filters to yield the desired reverberation time. We will specify an ideal amplitude response for Hi(z) based on the desired reverberation time at each frequency, and then use conventional filter-design methods to obtain a low-order approximation to this ideal specification. Since losses will be introduced by the substitution z−1←G(z)z−1, we need to find its effect on the pole radii of the lossless prototype. Let piejωiTdenote the ithpole. (Recall that all poles of the lossless prototype are on the unit circle.) If the per-sample loss filter G(z) were zero phase, then the substitution z−1←G(z)z−1would only affect the radius of the poles and not their angles. If the magnitude e response of G(z) is close to 1 along the unit circle, then we have the approximation that the ithpole moves from z=ejωiTto pi=RiejωiT, where Ri=G(RiejωiT)≈G(ejωiT). In other words, when z−1is replaced by G(z)z−1, where G(z) is zero phase and |G(ejω)| is close to (but less than) 1, a pole originally on the unit circle at frequency ωimoves approximately along a radial line in the complex plane to the point at radius Ri≈G(ejωiT). The radius we desire for a pole at frequency ωiis that which gives us the desired t60(ωi): Rit60(ωi)/T=0.001. Thus, the ideal per-sample filter G(z) satisfies |G(ω)|t60(ωi)/T=0.001. The lowpass filter in series with a length Midelay line should therefore approximate Hi(z)=GMi(z), which implies Hi⁡(ej⁢⁢ω⁢⁢T)t6⁢0⁢ωMi⁢T=0.0⁢0⁢1. Taking 20 log10of both sides gives 2⁢0⁢log1⁢0⁢Hi⁡(ej⁢⁢ω⁢⁢T)=-60⁢Mi⁢Tt6⁢0⁡(ω). Now that we have specified the ideal delay-line filter Hi(ejωT), any number of filter-design methods can be used to find a low-order Hi(z) which provides a good approximation. Examples include the functions invfreqz and stmcb in Matlab. Since the variation in reverberation time is typically very smooth with respect to ωithe filters Hi(z) can be very low order. The early reflections should be spatialized by including a head-related transfer function (HRTF) on each tap of the early-reflection delay line. Some kind of spatialization may be needed also for the late reverberation. A true diffuse field consists of a sum of plane waves traveling in all directions in 3D space. Spatialization may also be applied to late reflections, though since these are treated statistically, the implementation is distinct. See also, U.S. Pat. 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Naef, Martin, Oliver Staadt, and Markus Gross. “Spatialized audio rendering for immersive virtual environments.” In Proceedings of the ACM symposium on Virtual reality software and technology, pp. 65-72. ACM, 2002 discloses feedback from a graphics processor unit to perform spatialized audio signal processing. Lauterbach, Christian, Anish Chandak, and Dinesh Manocha. “Interactive sound rendering in complex and dynamic scenes using frustum tracing.” IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics 13, no. 6 (2007): 1672-1679 also employs graphics-style analysis for audio processing. Murphy, David, and Flaithri Neff. “Spatial sound for computer games and virtual reality.” In Game sound technology and player interaction: Concepts and developments, pp. 287-312. IGI Global, 2011 discusses spatialized audio in a computer game and VR context. Begault, Durand R., and Leonard J. 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Malham, David G., and Anthony Myatt. “3-D sound spatialization using ambisonic techniques.” Computer music journal 19, no. 4 (1995): 58-70 discusses use of ambisonic techniques (use of 3D sound fields). See also, Hollerweger, Florian. Periphonic sound spatialization in multi-user virtual environments. Institute of Electronic Music and Acoustics (IEM), Center for Research in Electronic Art Technology (CREATE) Ph.D dissertation 2006. McGee, Ryan, and Matthew Wright. “Sound Element Spatializer.” In ICMC. 2011.; and McGee, Ryan, “Sound Element Spatializer.” (M. S. Thesis, U. California Santa Barbara 2010), presents Sound Element Spatializer (SES), a novel system for the rendering and control of spatial audio. SES provides multiple 3D sound rendering techniques and allows for an arbitrary loudspeaker configuration with an arbitrary number of moving sound sources. Transaural audio processing is discussed in: Baskind, Alexis, Thibaut Carpentier, Markus Noisternig, Olivier Warusfel, and Jean-Marc Lyzwa. “Binaural and transaural spatialization techniques in multichannel 5.1 production (Anwendung binauraler and transauraler Wiedergabetechnik in der 5.1 Musikproduktion).” 27th TONMEISTERTAGUNG VDT INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION, November, 2012 Bosun, Xie, Liu Lulu, and Chengyun Zhang. “Transaural reproduction of spatial surround sound using four actual loudspeakers.” In INTER-NOISE and NOISE-CON Congress and Conference Proceedings, vol. 259, no. 9, pp. 61-69. Institute of Noise Control Engineering, 2019. Casey, Michael A., William G. Gardner, and Sumit Basu. “Vision steered beam-forming and transaural rendering for the artificial life interactive video environment (alive).” In Audio Engineering Society Convention 99. Audio Engineering Society, 1995. Cooper, Duane H., and Jerald L. Bauck. “Prospects for transaural recording.” Journal of the Audio Engineering Society 37, no. 1/2 (1989): 3-19. Fazi, Filippo Maria, and Eric Hamdan. “Stage compression in transaural audio.” In Audio Engineering Society Convention 144. Audio Engineering Society, 2018. Gardner, William Grant. Transaural 3-D audio. Perceptual Computing Section, Media Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1995. Glasal, ralph, Ambiophonics, Replacing Stereophonics to Achieve Concert-Hall Realism, 2nd Ed (2015). Greff, Raphaël. “The use of parametric arrays for transaural applications.” In Proceedings of the 20th International Congress on Acoustics, pp. 1-5. 2010. Guastavino, Catherine, Véronique Larcher, Guillaume Catusseau, and Patrick Boussard. “Spatial audio quality evaluation: comparing transaural, ambisonics and stereo.” Georgia Institute of Technology, 2007. Guldenschuh, Markus, and Alois Sontacchi. “Application of transaural focused sound reproduction.” In 6th Eurocontrol INO-Workshop 2009. 2009. Guldenschuh, Markus, and Alois Sontacchi. “Transaural stereo in a beamforming approach.” In Proc. DAFx, vol. 9, pp. 1-6. 2009. Guldenschuh, Markus, Chris Shaw, and Alois Sontacchi. “Evaluation of a transaural beamformer.” In 27th Congress of the International Council of the Aeronautical Sciences (ICAS 2010). Nizza, Frankreich, pp. 2010-10. 2010. Guldenschuh, Markus. “Transaural beamforming.” PhD diss., Master's thesis, Graz University of Technology, Graz, Austria, 2009. Hartmann, William M., Brad Rakerd, Zane D. Crawford, and Peter Xinya Zhang. “Transaural experiments and a revised duplex theory for the localization of low-frequency tones.” The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America 139, no. 2 (2016): 968-985. Ito, Yu, and Yoichi Haneda. “Investigation into Transaural System with Beamforming Using a Circular Loudspeaker Array Set at Off-center Position from the Listener.” Proc. 23rd Int. Cong. Acoustics (2019). Johannes, Reuben, and Woon-Seng Gan. “3D sound effects with transaural audio beam projection.” In 10th Western Pacific Acoustic Conference, Beijing, China, paper, vol. 244, no. 8, pp. 21-23. 2009. Jost, Adrian, and Jean-Marc Jot. “Transaural 3-d audio with user-controlled calibration.” In Proceedings of COST-G6 Conference on Digital Audio Effects, DAFX2000, Verona, Italy. 2000. Kaiser, Fabio. “Transaural Audio—The reproduction of binaural signals over loudspeakers.” PhD diss., Diploma Thesis, Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Graz/Institut für Elekronische Musik und Akustik/IRCAM, March 2011, 2011. LIU, Lulu, and Bosun XIE. “The limitation of static transaural reproduction with two frontal loudspeakers.” (2019) Méaux, Eric, and Sylvain Marchand. “Synthetic Transaural Audio Rendering (STAR): a Perceptive Approach for Sound Spatialization.” 2019. Samejima, Toshiya, Yo Sasaki, Izumi Taniguchi, and Hiroyuki Kitajima. “Robust transaural sound reproduction system based on feedback control.” Acoustical Science and Technology 31, no. 4 (2010): 251-259. Simon Galvez, Marcos F., and Filippo Maria Fazi. “Loudspeaker arrays for transaural reproduction.” (2015). Simón Gálvez, Marcos Felipe, Miguel Blanco Galindo, and Filippo Maria Fazi. “A study on the effect of reflections and reverberation for low-channel-count Transaural systems.” In INTER-NOISE and NOISE-CON Congress and Conference Proceedings, vol. 259, no. 3, pp. 6111-6122. Institute of Noise Control Engineering, 2019. Villegas, Julián, and Takaya Ninagawa. “Pure-data-based transaural filter with range control.” (2016) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perceptual-based_3D_sound_localization Duraiswami, Grant, Mesgarani, Shamma, Augmented Intelligibility in Simultaneous Multi-talker Environments. 2003, Proceedings of the International Conference on Auditory Display (ICAD'03). Shohei Nagai, Shunichi Kasahara, Jun Rekimot, “Directional communication using spatial sound in human-telepresence.” Proceedings of the 6th Augmented Human International Conference, Singapore 2015, ACM New York, N.Y., USA, ISBN: 978-1-4503-3349-8 Siu-Lan Tan, Annabel J. Cohen, Scott D. Lipscomb, Roger A. Kendall, “The Psychology of Music in Multimedia”, Oxford University Press, 2013. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In one aspect of the present invention, a system and method are provided for three-dimensional (3-D) audio technologies to create a complex immersive auditory scene that immerses the listener, using a sparse linear (or curvilinear) array of acoustic transducers. A sparse array is an array that has discontinuous spacing with respect to an idealized channel model, e.g., four or fewer sonic emitters, where the sound emitted from the transducers is internally modelled at higher dimensionality, and then reduced or superposed. In some cases, the number of sonic emitters is four or more, derived from a larger number of channels of a channel model, e.g., greater than eight. Three dimensional acoustic fields are modelled from mathematical and physical constraints. The systems and methods provide a number of loudspeakers, i.e., free-field acoustic transmission transducers that emit into a space including both ears of the targeted listener. These systems are controlled by complex multichannel algorithms in real time. The system may presume a fixed relationship between the sparse speaker array and the listener's ears, or a feedback system may be employed to track the listener's ears or head movements and position. The algorithm employed provides surround-sound imaging and sound field control by delivering highly localized audio through an array of speakers. Typically, the speakers in a sparse array seek to operate in a wide-angle dispersion mode of emission, rather than a more traditional “beam mode,” in which each transducer emits a narrow angle sound field toward the listener. That is the transducer emission pattern is sufficiently wide to avoid sonic spatial lulls. In some cases, the system supports multiple listeners within an environment, though in that case, either an enhanced stereo mode of operation, or head tracking is employed. For example, when two listeners are within the environment, nominally the same signal is sought to be presented to the left and right ears of each listener, regardless of their orientation in the room. In a non-trivial implementation, this requires that the multiple transducers cooperate to cancel left-ear emissions at each listener's right ear, and cancel right-ear emissions at each listener's left ear. However, heuristics may be employed to reduce the need for a minimum of a pair of transducers for each listener. Typically, the spatial audio is not only normalized for binaural audio amplitude control, but also group delay, so that the correct sounds are perceived to be present at each ear at the right time. Therefore, in some cases, the signals may represent a compromise of fine amplitude and delay control. The source content can thus be virtually steered to various angles so that different dynamically-varying sound fields can be generated for different listeners according to their location. A signal processing method is provided for delivering spatialized sound in various ways using deconvolution filters to deliver discrete Left/Right ear audio signals from the speaker array. The method can be used to provide private listening areas in a public space, address multiple listeners with discrete sound sources, provide spatialization of source material for a single listener (virtual surround sound), and enhance intelligibility of conversations in noisy environments using spatial cues, to name a few applications. In some cases, a microphone or an array of microphones may be used to provide feedback of the sound conditions at a voxel in space, such as at or near the listener's ears. While it might initially seem that, with what amounts to a headset, one could simply use single transducers for each ear, the present technology does not constrain the listener to wear headphones, and the result is more natural. Further, the microphone(s) may be used to initially learn the room conditions, and then not be further required, or may be selectively deployed for only a portion of the environment. Finally, microphones may be used to provide interactive voice communications. In a binaural mode, the speaker array produces two emitted signals, aimed generally towards the primary listener's earsone discrete beam for each ear. The shapes of these beams are designed using a convolutional or inverse filtering approach such that the beam for one ear contributes almost no energy at the listener's other ear. This provides convincing virtual surround sound via binaural source signals. In this mode, binaural sources can be rendered accurately without headphones. A virtual surround sound experience is delivered without physical discrete surround speakers as well. Note that in a real environment, echoes of walls and surfaces color the sound and produce delays, and a natural sound emission will provide these cues related to the environment. The human ear has some ability to distinguish between sounds from front or rear, due to the shape of the ear and head, but the key feature for most source materials is timing and acoustic coloration. Thus, the liveness of an environment may be emulated by delay filters in the processing, with emission of the delayed sounds from the same array with generally the same beaming pattern as the main acoustic signal. In one aspect, a method is provided for producing binaural sound from a speaker array in which a plurality of audio signals is received from a plurality of sources and each audio signal is filtered, through a Head-Related Transfer Function (HRTF) based on the position and orientation of the listener to the emitter array. The filtered audio signals are merged to form binaural signals. In a sparse transducer array, it may be desired to provide cross-over signals between the respective binaural channels, though in cases where the array is sufficiently directional to provide physical isolation of the listener's ears, and the position of the listener is well defined and constrained with respect to the array, cross-over may not be required. Typically, the audio signals are processed to provide cross talk cancellation. When the source signal is prerecorded music or other processed audio, the initial processing may optionally remove the processing effects seeking to isolate original objects and their respective sound emissions, so that the spatialization is accurate for the soundstage. In some cases, the spatial locations inferred in the source are artificial, i.e., object locations are defined as part of a production process, and do not represent an actual position. In such cases, the spatialization may extend back to original sources, and seek to (re)optimize the process, since the original production was likely not optimized for reproduction through a spatialization system. In a sparse linear speaker array, filtered/processed signals for a plurality of virtual channels are processed separately, and then combined, e.g., summed, for each respective virtual speaker into a single speaker signal, then the speaker signal is fed to the respective speaker in the speaker array and transmitted through the respective speaker to the listener. The summing process may correct the time alignment of the respective signals. That is, the original complete array signals have time delays for the respective signals with respect to each ear. When summed without compensation, to produce a composite signal that signal would include multiple incrementally time-delayed representations, which arrive at the ears at different times, representing the same timepoint. Thus, the compression in space leads to an expansion in time. However, since the time delays are programmed per the algorithm, these may be algorithmically compressed to restore the time alignment. The result is that the spatialized sound has an accurate time of arrival at each ear, phase alignment, and a spatialized sound complexity. In another aspect, a method is provided for producing a localized sound from a speaker array by receiving at least one audio signal, filtering each audio signal through a set of spatialization filters (each input audio signal is filtered through a different set of spatialization filters, which may be interactive or ultimately combined), wherein a separate spatialization filter path segment is provided for each speaker in the speaker array so that each input audio signal is filtered through a different spatialization filter segment, summing the filtered audio signals for each respective speaker into a speaker signal, transmitting each speaker signal to the respective speaker in the speaker array, and delivering the signals to one or more regions of the space (typically occupied by one or multiple listeners, respectively). In this way, the complexity of the acoustic signal processing path is simplified as a set of parallel stages representing array locations, with a combiner. An alternate method for providing two-speaker spatialized audio provides an object-based processing algorithm, which beam traces audio paths between respective sources, off scattering objects, to the listener's ears. This later method provides more arbitrary algorithmic complexity, and lower uniformity of each processing path. In some cases, the filters may be implemented as recurrent neural networks or deep neural networks, which typically emulate the same process of spatialization, but without explicit discrete mathematical functions, and seeking an optimum overall effect rather than optimization of each effect in series or parallel. The network may be an overall network that receives the sound input and produces the sound output, or a channelized system in which each channel, which can represent space, frequency band, delay, source object, etc., is processed using a distinct network, and the network outputs combined. Further, the neural networks or other statistical optimization networks may provide coefficients for a generic signal processing chain, such as a digital filter, which may be finite impulse response (FIR) characteristics and/or infinite impulse response (IIR) characteristics, bleed paths to other channels, specialized time and delay equalizers (where direct implementation through FIR or IIR filters is undesired or inconvenient). More typically, a discrete digital signal processing algorithm is employed to process the audio data, based on physical (or virtual) parameters. In some cases, the algorithm may be adaptive, based on automated or manual feedback. For example, a microphone may detect distortion due to resonances or other effects, which are not intrinsically compensated in the basic algorithm. Similarly, a generic HRTF may be employed, which is adapted based on actual parameters of the listener's head. In a further aspect, a speaker array system for producing localized sound comprises an input which receives a plurality of audio signals from at least one source; a computer with a processor and a memory which determines whether the plurality of audio signals should be processed by an audio signal processing system; a speaker array comprising a plurality of loudspeakers; wherein the audio signal processing system comprises: at least one Head-Related Transfer Function (HRTF), which either senses or estimates a spatial relationship of the listener to the speaker array; and combiners configured to combine a plurality of processing channels to form a speaker drive signal. The audio signal processing system implements spatialization filters; wherein the speaker array delivers the respective speaker signals (or the beamforming speaker signals) through the plurality of loudspeakers to one or more listeners. By beamforming, it is intended that the emission of the transducer is not omnidirectional or cardioid, and rather has an axis of emission, with separation between left and right ears greater than 3 dB, preferably greater than 6 dB, more preferably more than 10 dB, and with active cancellation between transducers, higher separations may be achieved. The plurality of audio signals can be processed by the digital signal processing system including binauralization before being delivered to the one or more listeners through the plurality of loudspeakers. A listener head-tracking unit may be provided which adjusts the binaural processing system and acoustic processing system based on a change in a location of the one or more listeners. The binaural processing system may further comprise a binaural processor which computes the left HRTF and right HRTF, or a composite HRTF in real-time. The inventive method employs algorithms that allow it to deliver beams configured to produce binaural sound—targeted sound to each ear—without the use of headphones, by using deconvolution or inverse filters and physical or virtual beamforming. In this way, a virtual surround sound experience can be delivered to the listener of the system. The system avoids the use of classical two-channel “cross-talk cancellation” to provide superior speaker-based binaural sound imaging. Binaural 3D sound reproduction is a type of sound preproduction achieved by headphones. On the other hand, transaural 3D sound reproduction is a type of sound preproduction achieved by loudspeakers. See, Kaiser, Fabio. “Transaural Audio—The reproduction of binaural signals over loudspeakers.” PhD diss., Diploma Thesis, Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Graz/Institut für Elekronische Musik und Akustik/IRCAM, March 2011, 2011. Kaiser, Fabio. “Transaural Audio—The reproduction of binaural signals over loudspeakers.” PhD diss., Diploma Thesis, Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Graz/Institut für Elekronische Musik und Akustik/IRCAM, March 2011, 2011. Kaiser, Fabio. “Transaural Audio—The reproduction of binaural signals over loudspeakers.” PhD diss., Diploma Thesis, Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Graz/Institut für Elekronische Musik und Akustik/IRCAM, March 2011, 2011. Transaural audio is a three-dimensional sound spatialization technique which is capable of reproducing binaural signals over loudspeakers. It is based on the cancellation of the acoustic paths occurring between loudspeakers and the listeners ears. Studies in psychoacoustics reveal that well recorded stereo signals and binaural recordings contain cues that help create robust, detailed 3D auditory images. By focusing left and right channel signals at the appropriate ear, one implementation of 3D spatialized audio, called “MyBeam” (Comhear Inc., San Diego Calif.) maintains key psychoacoustic cues while avoiding crosstalk via precise beamformed directivity. Together, these cues are known as Head Related Transfer Functions (HRTF). Briefly stated, HRTF component cues are interaural time difference (ITD, the difference in arrival time of a sound between two locations), the interaural intensity difference (IID, the difference in intensity of a sound between two locations, sometimes called ILD), and interaural phase difference (IPD, the phase difference of a wave that reaches each ear, dependent on the frequency of the sound wave and the ITD). Once the listener's brain has analyzed IPD, ITD, and ILD, the location of the sound source can be determined with relative accuracy. The present invention provides a method for the optimization of beamforming and controlling a small linear speaker array to produce spatialized, localized, and binaural or trans aural virtual surround or 3D sound. The signal processing method allows a small speaker array to deliver sound in various ways using highly optimized inverse filters, delivering narrow beams of sound to the listener while producing negligible artifacts. Unlike earlier compact beamforming audio technologies, the present method does not rely on ultra-sonic or high-power amplification. The technology may be implemented using low power technologies, producing 98 dB SPL at one meter, while utilizing around 20 watts of peak power. In the case of speaker applications, the primary use-case allows sound from a small (10″-20″) linear array of speakers to focus sound in narrow beams to:Direct sound in a highly intelligible manner where it is desired and effective;Limit sound where it is not wanted or where it may be disruptiveProvide non-headphone based, high definition, steerable audio imaging in which a stereo or binaural signal is directed to the ears of the listener to produce vivid 3D audible perception. In the case of microphone applications, the basic use-case allows sound from an array of microphones (ranging from a few small capsules to dozens in 1-, 2- or 3-dimensional arrangements) to capture sound in narrow beams. These beams may be dynamically steered and may cover many talkers and sound sources within its coverage pattern, amplifying desirable sources and providing for cancellation or suppression of unwanted sources. In a multipoint teleconferencing or videoconferencing application, the technology allows distinct spatialization and localization of each participant in the conference, providing a significant improvement over existing technologies in which the sound of each talker is spatially overlapped. Such overlap can make it difficult to distinguish among the different participants without having each participant identify themselves each time he or she speaks, which can detract from the feel of a natural, in-person conversation. Additionally, the invention can be extended to provide real-time beam steering and tracking of the listener's location using video analysis or motion sensors, therefore continuously optimizing the delivery of binaural or spatialized audio as the listener moves around the room or in front of the speaker array. The system may be smaller and more portable than most, if not all, comparable speaker systems. Thus, the system is useful for not only fixed, structural installations such as in rooms or virtual reality caves, but also for use in private vehicles, e.g., cars, mass transit, such buses, trains and airplanes, and for open areas such as office cubicles and wall-less classrooms. The technology is improved over the MyBeam™, in that it provides similar applications and advantages, while requiring fewer speakers and amplifiers. For example, the method virtualizes a 12-channel beamforming array to two channels. In general, the algorithm downmixes each pair of 6 channels (designed to drive a set of 6 equally spaced-speakers in a line aray) into a single speaker signal for a speaker that is mounted in the middle of where those 6 speakers would be. Typically, the virtual line array is 12 speakers, with 2 real speakers located between elements 3-4 and 9-10. The real speakers are mounted directly in the center of each set of 6 virtual speakers. If (s) is the center-to-center distance between speakers, then the distance from the center of the array to the center of each real speaker is: A=3*s The left speaker is offset −A from the center, and the right speaker is offset A. The primary algorithm is simply a downmix of the 6 virtual channels, with a limiter and/or compressor applied to prevent saturation or clipping. For example, the left channel is: Lout=Limit(L1+L2+L3+L4+L5+L6) However, because of the change in positions of the source of the audio, the delays between the speakers need to be taken into account as described below. In some cases, the phase of some drivers may be altered to limit peaking, while avoiding clipping or limiting distortion. Since six speakers are being combined into one at a different location, the change in distance travelled, i.e., delay, to the listener can be significant particularly at higher frequencies. The delay can be calculated based on the change in travelling distance between the virtual speaker and the real speaker. For this discussion, we will only concern ourselves with the left side of the array. The right side is similar but inverted. To calculate the distance from the listener to each virtual speaker, assume that the speaker, n, is numbered 1 to 6, where 1 is the speaker closest to the center, and 6 is the farthest left. The distance from the center of the array to the speaker is: d=((n−1)+0.5)*s Using the Pythagorean theorem, the distance from the speaker to the listener can be calculated as follows: dn=√{square root over (l2+(((n−1)+0.5)*s)2)} The distance from the real speaker to the listener is dr=√{square root over (l2+(3*s)2)} The sample delay for each speaker can be calculated by the different between the two listener distances. This can them be converted to samples (assuming the speed of sound is 343 m/s and the sample rate is 48 kHz. delay=(dn-dr)343⁢⁢ms*48000⁢⁢Hz This can lead to a significant delay between listener distances. For example, if the speaker-to-speaker distance is 38 mm, and the listener is 500 mm from the array, the delay from the virtual far-left speaker (n=6) to the real speaker is: dn=.52+(5.5*.038)2=.541⁢⁢mdr=.52+(3*.038)2=.513⁢⁢mdelay=.541-.5⁢1⁢23⁢4⁢3*48000=4⁢⁢samples Though the delay seems small, the amount of delay is significant, particularly at higher frequencies, where an entire cycle may be as little as 3 or 4 samples. TABLE 1Delay relative toSpeakerreal speaker1−22−13−1415264 Thus, when combining the signals for the virtual speakers into the physical speaker signal, the time offset is preferably compensated based on the displacement of the virtual speaker from the physical one. This can be accomplished at various places in the signal processing chain. The present technology therefore provides downmixing of spatialized audio virtual channels to maintain delay encoding of virtual channels while minimizing the number of physical drivers and amplifiers required. At similar acoustic output, the power per speaker will, of course, be higher with the downmixing, and this leads to peak power handling limits. Given that the amplitude, phase and delay of each virtual channel is important information, the ability to control peaking is limited. However, given that clipping or limiting is particularly dissonant, control over the other variables is useful in achieving a high power rating. Control may be facilitated by operating on a delay, for example in a speaker system with a 30 Hz lower range, a 125 mS delay may be imposed, to permit calculation of all significant echoes and peak clipping mitigation strategies. Where video content is also presented, such a delay may be reduced. However, delay is not required. In some cases, the listener is not centered with respect to the physical speaker transducers, or multiple listeners are dispersed within an environment. Further, the peak power to a physical transducer resulting from a proposed downmix may exceed a limit. The downmix algorithm in such cases, and others, may be adaptive or flexible, and provide different mappings of virtual transducers to physical speaker transducers. For example, due to listener location or peak level, the allocation of virtual transducers in the virtual array to the physical speaker transducer downmix may be unbalanced, such as, in an array of 12 virtual transducers, 7 virtual transducers downmixed for the left physical transducer, and 5 virtual transducers for the right physical transducer. This has the effect of shifting the axis of sound, and also shifting the additive effect of the adaptively assigned transducer to the other channel. If the transducer is out of phase with respect to the other transducers, the peak will be abated, while if it is in phase, constructive interference will result. The reallocation may be of the virtual transducer at a boundary between groups, or may be a discontinuous virtual transducer. Similarly, the adaptive assignment may be of more than one virtual transducer. In addition, the number of physical transducers may be an even or odd number greater than 2, and generally less than the number of virtual transducers. In the case of three physical transducers, generally located at nominal left, center and right, the allocation between virtual transducers and physical transducers may be adaptive with respect to group size, group transition, continuity of groups, and possible overlap of groups (i.e., portions of the same virtual transducer signal being represented in multiple physical channels) based on location of listener (or multiple listeners), spatialization effects, peak amplitude abatement issues, and listener preferences. The system may employ various technologies to implement an optimal HRTF. In the simplest case, an optimal prototype HRTF is used regardless of listener and environment. In other cases, the characteristics of the listener(s) are determined by logon, direct input, camera, biometric measurement, or other means, and a customized or selected HRTF selected or calculated for the particular listener(s). This is typically implemented within the filtering process, independent of the downmixing process, but in some cases, the customization may be implemented as a post-process or partial post-process to the spatialization filtering. That is, in addition to downmixing, a process after the main spatialization filtering and virtual transducer signal creation may be implemented to adapt or modify the signals dependent on the listener(s), the environment, or other factors, separate from downmixing and timing adjustment. As discussed above, limiting the peak amplitude is potentially important, as a set of virtual transducer signals, e.g., 6, are time aligned and summed, resulting in a peak amplitude potentially six times higher than the peak of any one virtual transducer signal. One way to address this problem is to simply limit the combined signal or use a compander (non-linear amplitude filter). However, these produce distortion, and will interfere with spatialization effects. Other options include phase shifting of some virtual transducer signals, but this may also result in audible artifacts, and requires imposition of a delay. Another option provided is to allocate virtual transducers to downmix groups based on phase and amplitude, especially those transducers near the transition between groups. While this may also be implemented with a delay, it is also possible to near instantaneously shift the group allocation, which may result in a positional artifact, but not a harmonic distortion artifact. Such techniques may also be combined, to minimize perceptual distortion by spreading the effect between the various peak abatement options. It is therefore an object to provide a method for producing transaural spatialized sound, comprising: receiving audio signals representing spatial audio objects; filtering each audio signal through a spatialization filter to generate an array of virtual audio transducer signals for a virtual audio transducer array representing spatialized audio; segregating the array of virtual audio transducer signals into subsets each comprising a plurality of virtual audio transducer signals, each subset being for driving a physical audio transducer situated within a physical location range of the respective subset; time-offsetting respective virtual audio transducer signals of a respective subset based on a time difference of arrival of a sound from a nominal location of respective virtual audio transducer and the physical location of the corresponding physical audio transducer with respect to a targeted ear of a listener; and combining the time-offsetted respective virtual speaker signals of the respective subset as a physical audio transducer drive signal. It is another object to provide a system for producing transaural spatialized sound, comprising: an input configured to receive audio signals representing spatial audio objects; a spatialization audio data filter, configured to process each audio signal to generate an array of virtual audio transducer signals for a virtual audio transducer array representing spatialized audio, the array of virtual audio transducer signals being segregated into subsets each comprising a plurality of virtual audio transducer signals, each subset being for driving a physical audio transducer situated within a physical location range of the respective subset; a time-delay processor, configured to time-offset respective virtual audio transducer signals of a respective subset based on a time difference of arrival of a sound from a nominal location of respective virtual audio transducer and the physical location of the corresponding physical audio transducer with respect to a targeted ear of a listener; and a combiner, configured to combine the time-offset respective virtual speaker signals of the respective subset as a physical audio transducer drive signal. It is a further object to provide a system for producing spatialized sound, comprising: an input configured to receive audio signals representing spatial audio objects; at least one automated processor, configured to: process each audio signal through a spatialization filter to generate an array of virtual audio transducer signals for a virtual audio transducer array representing spatialized audio, the array of virtual audio transducer signals being segregated into subsets each comprising a plurality of virtual audio transducer signals, each subset being for driving a physical audio transducer situated within a physical location range of the respective subset; time-offset respective virtual audio transducer signals of a respective subset based on a time difference of arrival of a sound from a nominal location of respective virtual audio transducer and the physical location of the corresponding physical audio transducer with respect to a targeted ear of a listener; and combine the time-offset respective virtual speaker signals of the respective subset as a physical audio transducer drive signal; and at least one output port configured to present the physical audio transducer drive signals for respective subsets. The method may further comprise abating a peak amplitude of the combined time-offsetted respective virtual audio transducer signals to reduce saturation distortion of the physical audio transducer. The filtering may comprise processing at least two audio channels with a digital signal processor. The filtering may comprise processing at least two audio channels with a graphic processing unit configured to act as an audio signal processor. The array of virtual audio transducer signals may be a linear array of 12 virtual audio transducers. The virtual audio transducer array may be a linear array having at least 3 times a number of virtual audio transducer signals as physical audio transducer drive signals. The virtual audio transducer array may be a linear array having at least 6 times a number of virtual audio transducer signals as physical audio transducer drive signals. Each subset may be a non-overlapping adjacent group of virtual audio transducer signals. Each subset may be a non-overlapping adjacent group of at least 6 virtual audio transducer signals. Each subset may have a virtual audio transducer with a location which overlaps a represented location range of another subset of virtual audio transducer signals. The overlap may be one virtual audio transducer signal. The array of virtual audio transducer signals may be a linear array having 12 virtual audio transducer signals, divided into two non-overlapping groups of 6 adjacent virtual audio transducer signals each, which are respectively combined to form 2 physical audio transducer drive signals. The corresponding physical audio transducer for each group may be located between the 3rd and 4th virtual audio transducer of the adjacent group of 6 virtual audio transducer signals. The physical audio transducer may have a non-directional emission pattern. The virtual audio transducer array may be modelled for directionality. The virtual audio transducer array may be a phased array of audio transducers. The filtering may comprise cross-talk cancellation. The filtering may be performed using reentrant data filters. The method may further comprise receiving a signal representing an ear location of the listener. The method may further comprise tracking a movement of the listener, and adapting the filtering dependent on the tracked movement. The method may further comprise adaptively assigning virtual audio transducer signals to respective subsets. The method may further comprise adaptively determining a head related transfer function of a listener, and filtering according to the adaptively determined a head related transfer function. The method may further comprise sensing a characteristic of a head of the listener, and adapting the head related transfer function in dependence on the characteristic. The filtering may comprise a time-domain filtering, or a frequency-domain filtering. The physical audio transducer drive signal may be delayed by at least 25 mS with respect to the received audio signals representing spatial audio objects. The system may further comprise a peak amplitude abatement filter, limiter or compander, configured to reduce saturation distortion of the physical audio transducer of the combined time-offsetted respective virtual audio transducer signals. The system may further comprise a phase rotator configured to rotate a relative phase of at least one virtual audio transducer signal. The spatialization audio data filter may comprise a digital signal processor configured to process at least two audio channels. The spatialization audio data filter may comprise a graphic processing unit, configured to process at least two audio channels. The spatialization audio data filter may be configured to perform cross-talk cancellation. The spatialization audio data filter may comprise a reentrant data filter. The system may further comprise an input port configured to receive a signal representing an ear location of the listener. The system may further comprise an input configured to receive a signal tracking a movement of the listener, wherein the spatialization audio data filter is adaptive dependent on the tracked movement. Virtual audio transducer signals may be adaptively assigned to respective subsets. The spatialization audio data filter may be dependent on an adaptively determined a head related transfer function of a listener. The system may further comprise an input port configured to receive a signal comprising a sensed characteristic of a head of the listener, wherein the head related transfer function is adapted in dependence on the characteristic. The spatialization audio data filter may comprise a time-domain filter and/or a frequency-domain filter.

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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image pickup apparatus provided with a laminated optical portion, an image pickup unit, and a holding portion, an endoscope including an image pickup apparatus provided with a laminated optical portion, an image pickup unit, and a holding portion, and a manufacturing method of an image pickup apparatus provided with a laminated optical portion, an image pickup unit, and a holding portion. 2. Description of the Related Art Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2013-37244 discloses an image pickup apparatus that accommodates, in a light shielding holder, a lens unit obtained by bonding and then cutting a lens wafer and a light shielding plate wafer and an image pickup device unit. Diameters of endoscopes have been reduced to achieve minimal invasiveness. On the other hand, in order to insert microscopes into lumens with ultrasmall diameters, such as blood vessels or bronchioles, endoscopes with ultrasmall diameters are needed. However, it is not easy to obtain endoscopes with ultrasmall diameters that have insertion portions with diameters of less than 3 mm, for example, through extension of diameter reducing techniques for achieving minimal invasiveness. International Publication No. 2017/203593 discloses an image pickup apparatus configured of a wafer level laminated body. The image pickup apparatus is manufactured by bonding a plurality of optical device wafers and an image pickup device wafer, then disposing a light shielding layer, and cutting the bonded optical device wafers and the image pickup device wafer on which the light shielding layer is disposed. According to the aforementioned method, if defective image pickup devices are included in image pickup device wafers, manufactured image pickup apparatuses include defective products. Therefore, it is preferable to cut image pickup device wafers on which inspection has been conducted and to produce image pickup apparatuses using only non-defective products. For image pickup apparatuses for endoscopes, it is preferable to manufacture a plurality of image pickup apparatuses provided with image pickup devices with different specifications at the same time since many models of endoscopes are to be manufactured in small quantities. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An image pickup apparatus according to an embodiment includes: a first member including an incident surface and an emission surface on an opposite side of the incident surface, in which a plurality of optical members are laminated; a second member including a front surface and a back surface on an opposite side of the front surface and including an image pickup device to which a cover glass is glued, and a third member including a spacer that includes a first main surface and a second main surface on an opposite side of the first main surface and a frame that includes a third main surface and a fourth main surface on an opposite side of the third main surface such that the third main surface faces the second main surface. A first through-hole that penetrates through the spacer and a second through-hole that has a larger sectional area in a direction that perpendicularly intersects an optical axis than a sectional area of the first through-hole and that penetrates through the frame are provided in the third member, the first main surface of the third member is glued to the emission surface of the first member, the second member is disposed such that at least a part of the second member is inserted into the second through-hole, and the front surface abuts on the second main surface of the spacer, and the frame is a frame body that shields light that is incident on the second through-hole from an image pickup side surface that is a side surface of the second member. An endoscope according to an embodiment includes: an image pickup apparatus, in which the image pickup apparatus includes a first member including an incident surface and an emission surface on an opposite side of the incident surface, in which a plurality of optical members are laminated, a second member including a front surface and a back surface on an opposite side of the front surface and including an image pickup device to which a cover glass is glued, and a third member including a spacer that includes a first main surface and a second main surface on an opposite side of the first main surface and a frame that includes a third main surface and a fourth main surface on an opposite side of the third main surface such that the third main surface faces the second main surface. A first through-hole that penetrates through the spacer and a second through-hole that has a larger sectional area in a direction that perpendicularly intersects an optical axis than a sectional area of the first through-hole and that penetrates through the frame are provided in the third member, the first main surface of the third member is glued to the emission surface of the first member, the second member is disposed such that at least a part of the second member is inserted into the second through-hole, and the front surface abuts on the second main surface of the spacer, and the frame is a frame body that shields light that is incident on the second through-hole from an image pickup side surface that is a side surface of the second member. A manufacturing method of an image pickup apparatus according to an embodiment includes: producing a laminated optical wafer, in which a plurality of first members are disposed in an array shape, each of the plurality of first members includes an incident surface and an emission surface on an opposite side of the incident surface, and a plurality of optical members are laminated; producing a holding wafer, in which a plurality of third members are disposed in an array shape, each of the plurality of third members includes a spacer including a first main surface and a second main surface on an opposite side of the first main surface and a frame including a third main surface and a fourth main surface on an opposite side of the third main surface such that the third main surface faces the second main surface, and a first through-hole that penetrates through the spacer and a second through-hole that has a larger sectional area in a direction that perpendicularly intersects an optical axis than a sectional area of the first through-hole and that penetrates through the frame are provided; producing a holding wafer with optical portions, in which the first main surface of each of the plurality of third members is glued to the emission surface of each of the plurality of first members, by gluing the laminated optical wafer and the holding wafer to each other; disposing at least some of second members, each of which includes a front surface and a back surface on an opposite side of the front surface and includes an image pickup device to which a cover glass is glued, at each of the plurality of third members of the holding wafer with the optical portions in a state in which at least the some of the second members are inserted into the second through-hole and the front surface abuts on the second main surface of the spacer; and cutting the holding wafer with the optical portions on which the plurality of second members are disposed.

11406570

FIELD OF INVENTION The present application is generally related to compositions, methods and products useful for composite materials comprising microcapsules. The compositions comprise microcapsules with polymerizable functional groups added to monomeric or polymeric continuous phases that enhance the mechanical properties of the composite. Further, the microcapsules can be filled with liquid phases that further improve the mechanical properties of the composite, or render the composite bioactive for applications including, but not limited to, promoting remineralization and imparting antimicrobial activity to the composite. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Dental composite materials are utilized in many cases to fill caries and to improve tooth health. At one time, metal-based amalgams, then porcelain or other ceramic materials were used in a variety of remedial dental procedures. Now, synthetic composites are used as practical alternatives to these materials for such procedures. A composite is a polymer, otherwise referred to as a resin, which has at least one additive. An additive can be anything added to the polymer or resin to impart a desired property. The composite generally starts out as a paste or liquid and begins to harden when it is activated, either by adding a catalyst, adding water or another solvent, or photoactivation. Advantageously, synthetic composites provide an aesthetically more natural appearance versus porcelain or other ceramic materials. Synthetic composites are typically made from complex mixtures of multiple components. Synthetic composites must be completely dissolvable in a fluid vehicle yet remain flowable and viscous; undergo minimal thermal expansion during polymerization; be biocompatible with surrounding surfaces of tooth enamel and colloidal dentin; and, have aesthetic similarity to natural dentition in terms of color tone and polishable texture. Furthermore, the synthetic composite must have sufficient mechanical strength and elasticity to withstand ordinary compressive occlusive forces, without abnormal wearing and without causing abrasion to dentinal surfaces. The different varieties of synthetic composites may be approximately divided into three main groups of products: synthetic resin-based dental composites, glass-based dental composites, and hybrid dental composites. A synthetic resin-based dental composite typically comprises several monomers combined together. A monomer is a chemical that can be bound as part of a polymer. The synthetic resin-based dental composite includes other materials, such as silicate glass or processed ceramic that provides an essential durability to the composite. These materials may also be made from an inorganic material, consisting of a single type or mixed variety of particulate glass, quartz, or fused silica particles. Using differing types of inorganic materials, with differing diameter sizes or size mixtures, results in differing material characteristics. Glass-based dental composites are made from glass particles, such as powdered fluoroaluminosilicate, dissolved in an aqueous polyalkenoate acid. An acid/base reaction occurs spontaneously, causing precipitation of a metallic polyalkenoate, which subsequently solidifies gradually. The glass particles may be made from silicate, such as silicone dioxide or aluminum silicate, but may also include an intermixture of barium, borosilicate, alumina, aluminum/calcium, sodium fluoride, zirconium, or other inorganic compounds. Some of the earlier glass-based composites were formulated to contain primarily a mixture of acrylic acid and itaconic acid comonomers. However, more recently such hybrid products are modified to include other polymerizable components, such as HEMA or bis-GMA. Hybrid composites are the third category of synthetic dental composites. Hybrid composites combine glass particles with one or more polymers. Hybrid composites may comprise water-soluble polymers other than polyalkenoate, such as hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) and other copolymerizing methacrylate-modified polycarboxylic acids, which are catalyzed by photo activation. Other hybrid composites may be modified to include polymerizable tertiary amines, catalyzed by reaction with peroxides. Synthetic dental composites are increasingly used more often for dental procedures, such as restoration and repair. Restoration and repair include, for example, fillings, crowns, bridges, dentures, orthodontic appliances, cements, posts and ancillary parts for dental implants to name a few. Most common, synthetic dental composites are used for anterior Class III and Class V reconstructions, for smaller size Class I and Class II molar reconstructions, for color-matching of cosmetic veneers, and for cementing of crowns and overlays. Nonetheless certain disadvantages of these materials have been noted. For example, the trace amounts of unconverted monomers and/or catalyst that may remain within the composite and, if subsequently absorbed systemically in humans, may be potentially physiologically harmful. Another major drawback associated with synthetic composites is that they tend to wear more rapidly, especially when placed in appositional contact with load-bearing dental surfaces, a deficiency that often limits the purposeful use of such materials primarily to repair of defects within anterior maxillary or readily visible mandibular surfaces. Perhaps the most significant disadvantage associated with synthetic composites is that they have a comparatively lower resistance to fracture. Even relatively minor surface discontinuities within the composite, whether occurring from injurious trauma or occlusive stress, may progressively widen and expand, eventually resulting in partial or complete disintegration of the reconstruction or repair. This greater susceptibility to fracture is thought to be correlated with the dental reconstruction or repair. Fracture susceptibility is also correlated with the proportional volume of the amount of synthetic composite required, or the lesser fraction of intact enamel and dentinal tooth material that remains available, prior to reconstruction or repair. It is well established from studies of the “cracked tooth syndrome” that once a damaging fracture has occurred, tooth loss may be almost inevitable, especially for carious teeth that have been previously filled. An improved synthetic composite having greater resistance to fracture would be significantly advantageous. The susceptibility of fracture and damage to bone tissue is relevant to children and adults alike whom require filling of caries in tooth materials. However, it is known that certain changes in bone mass occur over the life span of an individual. After about the age of 40 and continuing to the last stages of life, slow bone loss occurs in both men and women. Loss of bone mineral content can be caused by a variety of conditions and may result in significant medical problems. If the process of tissue mineralization is not properly regulated, the result can be too little of the mineral or too much—either of which can compromise bone health, hardness and strength. A number of bone growth disorders are known which cause an imbalance in the bone remodeling cycle. Chief among these are metabolic bone diseases such as osteoporosis, osteoplasia (osteomalacia), chronic renal failure and hyperparathyroidism, which result in abnormal or excessive loss of bone mass known as osteopenia. Other bone diseases, such as Paget's disease, also cause excessive loss of bone mass at localized sites. Osteoporosis is a structural deterioration of the skeleton caused by loss of bone mass resulting from an imbalance in bone formation, bone resorption, or both. Bone resorption is the process by which osteoclasts break down bone and release the minerals, resulting in a transfer of calcium from bone fluid to the blood. Bone resorption dominates the bone formation phase, thereby reducing the weight-bearing capacity of the affected bone. In a healthy adult, the rate at which bone is formed and resorbed is tightly coordinated so as to maintain the renewal of skeletal bone. However, in osteoporotic individuals, an imbalance in these bone remodeling cycles develops which results in both loss of bone mass and in formation of microarchitectural defects in the continuity of the skeleton. These skeletal defects, created by perturbation in the remodeling sequence, accumulate and finally reach a point at which the structural integrity of the skeleton is severely compromised and bone fracture is likely. Although this imbalance occurs gradually in most individuals as they age, it is much more severe and occurs at a rapid rate in postmenopausal women. In addition, osteoporosis also may result from nutritional and endocrine imbalances, hereditary disorders and a number of malignant transformations. Osteoporosis in humans is preceded by clinical osteopenia (bone mineral density that is greater than one standard deviation but less than 2.5 standard deviations below the mean value for young adult bone), a condition found in approximately 25 million people in the United States. Another 7-8 million patients in the United States have been diagnosed with clinical osteoporosis (defined as bone mineral content greater than 2.5 standard deviations below that of mature young adult bone). Osteoporosis is one of the most expensive diseases for the health care system, costing billions of dollars annually in the United States. In addition to health care related costs, long-term residential care and lost working days add to the financial and social costs of this disease. Worldwide, approximately 75 million people are at risk for osteoporosis. The frequency of osteoporosis in the human population increases with age, and among Caucasians is predominant in women, who comprise approximately 80% of the osteoporosis patient pool in the United States. In addition in women, another phase of bone loss occurs possibly due to postmenopausal estrogen deficiencies. During this phase of bone loss, women can lose an additional 10% in the cortical bone and 25% from the trabecular compartment. The increased fragility and susceptibility to fracture of skeletal bone in the aged is aggravated by the greater risk of accidental falls in this population. More than 1.5 million osteoporosis-related bone fractures are reported in the United States each year. Fractured hips, wrists, and vertebrae are among the most common injuries associated with osteoporosis. Hip fractures in particular are extremely uncomfortable and expensive for the patient, and for women correlate with high rates of mortality and morbidity. Patients suffering from chronic renal (kidney) failure almost universally suffer loss of skeletal bone mass, termed renal osteodystrophy. While it is known that kidney malfunction causes a calcium and phosphate imbalance in the blood, to date replenishment of calcium and phosphate by dialysis does not significantly inhibit osteodystrophy in patients suffering from chronic renal failure. In adults, osteodystrophic symptoms often are a significant cause of morbidity. In children, renal failure often results in a failure to grow, due to the failure to maintain and/or to increase bone mass. Osteoplasia, also known as osteomalacia (“soft bones”), is a defect in bone mineralization (e.g., incomplete mineralization), and classically is related to vitamin D deficiency (1,25-dihydroxy vitamin D3). The defect can cause compression fractures in bone, and a decrease in bone mass, as well as extended zones of hypertrophy and proliferative cartilage in place of bone tissue. The deficiency may result from a nutritional deficiency (e.g., rickets in children), malabsorption of vitamin D or calcium, and/or impaired metabolism of the vitamin. Hyperparathyroidism (overproduction of the parathyroid hormone) is known to cause malabsorption of calcium, leading to abnormal bone loss. In children, hyperparathyroidism can inhibit growth, in adults the skeleton integrity is compromised and fracture of the ribs and vertebrae are characteristic. The parathyroid hormone imbalance typically may result from thyroid adenomas or gland hyperplasia or may result from prolonged pharmacological use of a steroid. Secondary hyperparathyroidism also may result from renal osteodystrophy. In the early stages of the disease, osteoclasts are stimulated to resorb bone in response to the excess hormone present. As the disease progresses, the trabecular bone ultimately is resorbed and marrow is replaced with fibrosis, macrophages and areas of hemorrhage as a consequence of microfractures, a condition is referred to clinically as osteitis fibrosa. Paget's disease (osteitis deformans) is a disorder currently thought to have a viral etiology and is characterized by excessive bone resorption at localized sites which flare and heal but which ultimately are chronic and progressive and may lead to malignant transformation. The disease typically affects adults over the age of 25. Although osteoporosis has been defined as an increase in the risk of fracture due to decreased bone mass, none of the presently available treatments for skeletal disorders can substantially increase the bone density of adults. A strong perception exists among physicians that drugs are needed which could increase bone density in adults, particularly in the bones of the wrist, spinal column and hip that are at risk in osteopenia and osteoporosis. Current strategies for the prevention of osteoporosis may offer some benefit to individuals but cannot ensure resolution of the disease. These strategies include moderating physical activity, particularly in weight-bearing activities, with the onset of advanced age, including adequate calcium in the diet, and avoiding consumption of products containing alcohol or tobacco. For patients presenting with clinical osteopenia or osteoporosis, all current therapeutic drugs and strategies are directed to reducing further loss of bone mass by inhibiting the process of bone absorption, a natural component of the bone remodeling process that occurs constitutively. For example, estrogen is now being prescribed to retard bone loss. There is, however, some controversy over whether there is any long term benefit to patients and whether there is any effect at all on patients over 75 years old. Moreover, use of estrogen is believed to increase the risk of breast and endometrial cancer. High doses of dietary calcium with or without vitamin D have also been suggested for postmenopausal women. However, ingestion of high doses of calcium can often have unpleasant gastrointestinal side effects, and serum and urinary calcium levels must be continuously monitored. Other therapeutics which have been suggested include calcitonin, bisphosphonates, anabolic steroids and sodium fluoride. Such therapeutics, however, have undesirable side effects, for example, calcitonin and steroids may cause nausea and provoke an immune reaction, bisphosphonates and sodium fluoride may inhibit repair of fractures, even though bone density increases modestly, which that may prevent their usage. The above disorders are examples of conditions that may lead to bone fractures, fissures or splintering of the bones in the individuals who suffer from a given disorder. Current therapeutic methods are insufficient to treat the disorders leaving a need for improved treatments of bone fractures when they occur in the individual. The present invention provides improved compositions, products and methods for locally treating bone fractures, fissures, splintering and similar breakages of the bone, or by strengthening decomposed bone tissue by increasing the mechanism of mineralization of the bone. It is conceivable that the current invention also causes mineralization of the surrounding connective tissue, such as collagen, cartilage, tendons, ligaments and other dense connective tissue and reticular fibers. The Oral Cavity With respect to tissue decomposition in the oral cavity, it is commonly known in the dental art that certain kinds of tooth decomposition and decay that occurs over time in the mouth is initiated by acid etching of the tooth enamel with the source of the acid being a metabolite resulting from bacterial and enzymatic action on food particles in the oral cavity. It is generally understood that plaque, a soft accumulation on the tooth surface consisting of an organized structure of microorganisms, proteinaceous and carbohydrate substances, epithelial cells, and food debris, is a contributory factor in the development of various pathological conditions of the teeth and soft tissue of the oral cavity. The saccharolytic organisms of the oral cavity which are associated with the plaque, cause a demineralization or decalcification of the tooth beneath the plaque matrix through metabolic activity which results in the accumulation and localized concentration of organic acids. The etching and demineralization of the enamel may continue until they cause the formation of dental caries and periodontal disease within the oral cavity. Teeth are cycled through periods of mineral loss and repair also as a result of pH fluctuations in the oral cavity. The overall loss or gain of mineral at a given tooth location determine whether the carious process will regress, stabilize or advance to an irreversible state. Numerous interrelated patient factors affect the balance between the remineralization and demineralization portions of this cycle and include oral hygiene, diet, and the quantity and quality of saliva. At the most extreme point in this process, a restoration will be required to repair the tooth. Methods for the prevention and reduction of plaque and tooth decay within the oral cavity commonly involve the brushing of the teeth using toothpastes; mechanical removal of the plaque with dental floss; administration and rinsing of the oral cavity with mouthwashes, dentifrices, and antiseptics; remineralization and whitening of the teeth with fluoride agents, calcium agents and whitening agents, and various other applications to the oral cavity. Still missing in the field is a delivery system for the remineralization of teeth that would address the challenges of demineralization facing the teeth continually in the oral cavity. A tooth that has reached an advanced stage of decay often requires installation of a dental restoration within the mouth. Half of all dental restorations fail within 10 years and replacing them consumes 60% of the average dentist's practice time. Current dental materials are challenged by the harsh mechanical and chemical environment of the oral cavity with secondary decay being the major cause of failure. Development of stronger and longer-lasting biocompatible dental restorations by engineering novel dental materials or new resin systems, enhancing existing materials, and incorporating bioactive agents in materials to combat microbial destruction and to sustain the harsh mechanical and chemical environment of the oral cavity continues to be desired. Despite numerous preventive oral health strategies, dental caries remains a significant oral health problem. More than 50% of children aged 6-8 will have dental caries and over 80% of adolescents over age 17 will have experienced the disease. Caries is also seen in adults both as a primary disease and as recurrent disease in already treated teeth. Advances in diagnosis and treatment have led to noninvasive remineralizing techniques to treat caries. However mechanical removal of diseased hard tissue and restoration and replacement of enamel and dentin is still the most widely employed clinical strategy for treating primary caries, restoring function to the tooth and also blocking further decay. In addition, nearly 50% of newly placed restorations are replacement of failed restorations. Clearly, restorative materials are a key component of treating this widespread disease. The selection of a restorative material has significantly changed in recent years. While dental amalgam is still considered a cost effective material, there is a growing demand for tooth colored alternatives that will provide the same clinical longevity that is enjoyed by dental amalgam. The use of composite resins has grown significantly internationally as a material of choice for replacing amalgam as a restorative material for posterior restorations. This demand is partially consumer driven by preference for esthetic materials and the concerns regarding the mercury content of amalgam. It is also driven by dentists recognizing the promise of resin-based bonded materials in preserving and even supporting tooth structure. Numerous studies have suggested that bonding the restoration to the remaining tooth structure decreases fracture of multisurface permanent molar preparations. Unfortunately, posterior teeth restored with direct resin restorative materials have a higher incidence of secondary caries. This has led to shorter clinical service and narrower clinical indications for composite resin materials compared to amalgam. The most frequently cited reason for restoration replacement is recurrent decay around or adjacent to an existing restoration. It is likely that fracture at the margin due to polymerization shrinkage can lead to a clinical environment at the interface between a restoration and the tooth that collects dental plaque and thus promotes decay. Therefore, developing dental materials with anticaries capability is a very high priority for extending the longevity of restorations. Tooth Remineralization Although natural remineralization is always taking place in the oral cavity, the level of activity varies according to conditions in the mouth as discussed. Incorporation of fluoride during the remineralization process has been a keystone for caries prevention. The effectiveness of fluoride release from various delivery platforms, including certain dental restorative materials has been widely demonstrated. It is commonly accepted that caries prevention from fluoride is derived from its incorporation as fluorapatite or fluoride enriched hydroxyapatite in the tooth mineral thereby decreasing the solubility of tooth enamel. More recently, anticaries activity has been demonstrated using the strategy of increasing solution calcium and phosphate concentrations to levels that exceed the ambient concentration in oral fluids. In order for fluoride to be effective at remineralizing previously demineralized enamel, a sufficient amount of calcium and phosphate ions must be available. For every two (2) fluoride ions, ten (10) calcium ions and six (6) phosphate ions are required to form a cell of fluorapatite (Ca10(PO4)6F2). Thus the limiting factor for net enamel remineralization is the availability of calcium and fluoride in saliva. The low solubility of calcium phosphates has limited their use in clinical delivery platforms, especially when in the presence of fluoride ions. These insoluble phosphates can only produce available ions for diffusion into the enamel in an acidic environment. They do not effectively localize to the tooth surface and are difficult to apply in clinically usable forms. Because of their intrinsic solubility, soluble calcium and phosphate ions can only be used at very low concentrations. Thus they do not produce concentration gradients that drive diffusion into the subsurface enamel of the tooth. The solubility challenge is exacerbated by the even lower solubility of calcium fluoride phosphates. Several commercially available approaches exist using calcium and phosphate preparations that have been commercialized into various dental delivery models. These have been reportedly compounded to overcome the limited bioavailability of calcium and phosphate ions for the remineralization process. The first technology uses casein phosphopeptide (CCP) stabilized with amorphous calcium phosphate (ACP) (RECALDENT® CCP-ACP of Cadbury Enterprises Pte. Ltd.). It is hypothesized that the casein phosphopeptide can facilitate the stabilization of high concentrations of ionically available calcium and phosphate even in the presence of fluoride. This formulation binds to pellicle and plaque and while the casein phosphopeptide prevents the formation of dental calculus, the ions are available to diffuse down the concentration gradient to subsurface enamel lesions facilitating remineralization. As compared to the CCP-ACP, in the composition of the invention, biologically available ions are available due to the fact that the salts are already solvated in the microcapsule of the invention. Amorphous calcium phosphate is not soluble in water or saliva. Although the manufacturer claims release of bioavailable ions from amorphous calcium phosphate, it is not as a result of the dissolution of the complex. A second technology (ENAMELON®) uses unstabilized amorphous calcium phosphate. Calcium ions and phosphate ions are introduced as a dentifrice separately in a dual chamber device forming amorphous calcium phosphate in-situ. It is proposed that formation of the amorphous complex promotes remineralization. A third approach uses a so-called bioactive glass (NOVAMIN® of NovaMin Technology Inc.) containing calcium sodium phosphosilicate. It is proposed that the glass releases calcium and phosphate ions that are available to promote remineralization. More recently dental composite formulations have been compounded using zirconia-hybridized ACP that may have the potential for facilitating clinical remineralization. While the Recaldent® and Enamelon® preparations have both in-situ and in-vivo evidence suggesting enhanced remineralization, these are topically applied and do not specifically target the most at risk location for recurrent caries at the tooth restoration interface. While the bioactive glass and the zirconia-hybridized-ACP filler technologies have potential, they are relatively inflexible in terms of the range of formulations in which they might be used due to the challenges of dealing with brittle fillers and some of the limitations on controlling filler particle size. Another approach taken to decrease caries in the oral cavity is the limiting of demineralization of enamel and bone by drinking water fluoridation. It has been shown that the fluoride contained in drinking water incorporates to some extent into hydroxyapatite, the major inorganic component of enamel and bone. Fluoridated hydroxyapatite is less susceptible to demineralization by acids and is thus seen to resist the degradation forces of acidic plaque and pocket metabolites. In addition, fluoride ion concentration in saliva is increased through consumption of fluoridated drinking water. Saliva thus serves as an additional fluoride ion reservoir and in combination with buffering salts naturally found in salivary fluid, fluoride ions are actively exchanged on the enamel surface, further offsetting the effects of demineralizing acid metabolites. Notwithstanding the established benefits of fluoride treatment of teeth, fluoride ion treatment can result in irregular spotting or blotching of the teeth depending on the individual, whether administered through drinking water or by topically applied fluoride treatment. This effect is known to be both concentration-related and patient specific. In addition, the toxicology of fluoride is being studied as to its long term effect on human health. Desired is a targeted approach of fluoridation in the oral cavity. Another approach to limiting the proliferation of microflora in the oral environment is through topical or systematic application of broad-spectrum antibacterial compounds. Reducing the number of oral microflorae in the mouth results in a direct reduction or elimination of plaque and pocket accumulation together with their damaging acidic metabolite production. The major drawback to this particular approach is that a wide variety of benign or beneficial strains of bacteria are found in the oral environment which may be killed by the same antibacterial compounds in the same manner as the harmful strains. In addition, treatment with antibacterial compounds may select for certain bacterial and fungi, which may then become resistant to the antibacterial compound administered and thus proliferate, unrestrained by the symbiotic forces of a properly balanced microflora population. Thus the application or administration of broad-spectrum antibiotics alone is ill-advised for the treatment of caries and a more specific, targeted approach is desired. Tooth Whitening Cosmetic dental whitening or bleaching has become extremely desirable to the general public. Many individuals desire a “bright” smile and white teeth and consider dull and stained teeth cosmetically unattractive. Unfortunately, without preventive or remedial measures, stained teeth are almost inevitable due to the absorbent nature of dental material. Everyday activities such as eating, chewing, or drinking certain foods and beverages (in particular coffee, tea, and red wine) and smoking or other oral use of tobacco products cause undesirable staining of surfaces of teeth. Extrinsic staining of the acquired pellicle arises as a result of compounds such as tannins and polyphenolic compounds which become trapped in and tightly bound to the proteinaceous layer on the surfaces of teeth. This type of staining can usually be removed by mechanical methods of tooth cleaning. In contrast, intrinsic staining occurs when staining compounds penetrate the enamel and even the dentin or arise from sources within the tooth. The chromogens or color causing substances in these materials become part of the pellicle layer and can permeate the enamel layer. Even with regular brushing and flossing, years of chromogen accumulation can impart noticeable tooth discoloration. Intrinsic staining can also result from microbial activity, including that associated with dental plaque. This type of staining is not amenable to mechanical methods of tooth cleaning and chemical methods are required. Without specifically defining the mechanism of action of the present invention, the compositions, products and methods of the present invention enable the precipitation of salts onto the surfaces of the teeth in the oral cavity and make the salts available for adherence to the tooth surface and remineralization of the teeth. The mineralizing salts are deposited in the interstitial spaces of the teeth, making the teeth smoother, increasing the reflection of light from the surface of the teeth and thereby giving the teeth a brighter, more lustrous appearance and whiter visual effect. Furthermore, the remineralization process provides for improved enamel remineralization thus treating and preventing caries in the oral cavity. Accordingly, there is need for improved compositions, methods and products that overcome the limitations of the prior art. The challenge remains to create microcapsules and microcapsule formulations that enhance the mechanical properties of the composite and wherein the liquid phases within the semipermeable microcapsules provide beneficial materials to the composite or surface to which the composite is attached. Such material, therefore, include materials for use in a tooth remineralization technology platform for incorporating stable and effective tissue remineralization ions that can be incorporated into a myriad of dental materials and variety of products. Such a delivery platform would facilitate the formulation of dental products such as any number of dentifrices capable of remineralization of the teeth. The embodiments of the compositions, products and methods, as described herein, satisfy these and other needs. For purposes of use with a tooth material, the ultimate impact is an improved microcapsule having a reduction in recurrent caries, the most prevalent reason for restoration replacement; whitening of the teeth; and resulting improvement in overall strength and health of the teeth in the oral cavity. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Compositions, methods, and products that benefit from improved mechanical properties related to better homogenization of the continuous and discontinuous phase of a composite, by functionalizing the surface of a microcapsule which can then covalently bond with other structures. Another aspect of the present invention provides compositions, products and methods that use microcapsules comprising a polymerizable functional group therein to enhance the material properties of the composite, wherein the microcapsules can be filled with any number of biologic, mechanical, restorative, or other materials which are suitable for treating the materials which the composite is attached to. For example, remineralization materials may include salt ions, which serve to increase bone mineralization at localized sites or remineralization of teeth directly in the oral cavity. Such materials, thus, may be utilized in conjunction with treatments of a wide variety of conditions where it is desired to increase bone or tissue mass as a result of any condition which can be improved by bioavailability of physiological salts, particularly of calcium and phosphate. Another aspect of this invention relates to further improvement of mechanical properties of a composite by the ability to create novel fillers with unique morphologies and chemical compositions. Accordingly, embodiments as described herein relate to the simplification of a manufacturing process that eliminates the need for additional steps for the surface treatment of fillers. Accordingly, the embodiments provide for improvements of the mechanical properties of the composite and it does so in a way that the filler can be made to carry therapeutic agents that can be released in a controllable manner. In further embodiments, disclosed are compositions and methods that improve the mechanical properties of a composite or improve the manufacturing process of fillers used in composites by use of nontherapeutic fillers. The present invention provides products that are useful in a number of industries, especially for oral health care. The present invention provides compositions that include fillers disposed of within the discontinuous phase, wherein a particular filler includes liquid filled microcapsules that are surface functionalized with a polymerizable functional group. These fillers, when combined with monomers and an initiator allow for the generation of a composite that has the continuous and discontinuous phases covalently bonded together. The covalent bonding of the continuous and discontinuous phases leads to a significant improvement in mechanical properties of a composite, especially in the area of fracture mechanics. The composition of this invention affords for the opportunity of producing bondable bioactive microcapsules where the microcapsule is filled with a liquid that contains a therapeutic agent. The composition of this invention not only provides superior fracture properties by nature of the covalent bonding between the filler and continuous phase, but it can provide for improvement of other mechanical properties if the microcapsule is filled with energy absorbing materials such as rubbers or silicones. Another aspect of the disclosure includes bondable bioactive microcapsules suitable for industrial products in the dental materials industry, wherein liquid encapsulated in the bondable microcapsule contained aqueous salt solutions of a calcium, phosphate or fluoride containing salt, then incorporation of those microcapsules in a dental materials product for promoting remineralization. Furthermore, the liquid encapsulated in the bondable microcapsule contained aqueous solutions of an antimicrobial agent, including, but not limited to benzalkonium chloride or cetylpyridinium chloride then incorporation of those microcapsules into a dental materials product with antimicrobial properties would be achieved. Similarly, combinations of remineralizing and antimicrobial compounds are desirable in certain embodiments. In essence, this invention simultaneously enhances the mechanical properties and simplifies the manufacturing of a composite by virtue of having built-in surface functionalization, while adding the benefit of having the filler be therapeutic or mechanically toughening depending on its chemical composition. Another aspect of the disclosure includes a composition comprising of a monomer, an initiator, and a microcapsule encapsulating an aqueous solution of a salt, wherein said microcapsule has a surface functionalized with a polymerizable functional group capable of polymerizing with said monomer. Another aspect of the disclosure includes a composition comprising of a monomer, an initiator, and a microcapsule encapsulating an aqueous solution of a salt, specifically calcium, fluoride or phosphate or combinations thereof, wherein said microcapsule has a surface functionalized with a polymerizable functional group capable of polymerizing with said monomer. Another aspect of the disclosure includes a composition comprising of a polymeric continuous phase and a microcapsule encapsulating an aqueous solution of a salt, specifically calcium, fluoride or phosphate or combinations thereof, wherein said microcapsule has a surface functionalized with a polymerizable functional group capable of polymerizing with said monomer. Another aspect of the disclosure includes a composition comprising of a polymeric continuous phase and a microcapsule encapsulating a fluid, wherein said microcapsule has a surface functionalized with a polymerizable functional group that is covalently bonded to the continuous phase. A further embodiment is directed to a composition comprising a continuous phase comprising a monomer, and a discontinuous phase comprising at least one filler comprising a microcapsule encapsulating a fluid, and an initiator, wherein said microcapsule has a surface functionalized with a polymerizable functional group capable of polymerizing with said monomer. A further embodiment is directed to a composition comprising of a monomer, an initiator, and a microcapsule encapsulating an aqueous solution of a salt selected from the group consisting of: benzalkonium, cetylpyridinium, and iodide, and combinations thereof, wherein said microcapsule has a surface functionalized with a polymerizable functional group capable of polymerizing with said monomer. A further embodiment is directed to a composition comprising of a TEGMA and bis-GMA monomers, an initiator, and a microcapsule encapsulating an aqueous solution of a salt selected from the group consisting of: benzalkonium, cetylpyridinium, and iodide, and combinations thereof, wherein said microcapsule has a surface functionalized with a polymerizable functional group capable of polymerizing with said monomer. The microcapsule is between 2% and 5% w/w of the composition and has methacrylate functional groups on the surface, wherein the methacrylate group reacts with the methacrylate groups of the monomers in the continuous phase. Another aspect of the disclosure provides a method for manufacturing a composition having a microcapsule and a continuous phase, wherein said microcapsule comprises a functionalized surface capable of covalently bonding to the continuous phase comprising: mixing an oligomeric urethane by reaction of a diol and diisocyanate, in which the diisocyanate is used in molar excess, and reacting for a about 1 hour; adding 2-hydroxyethylmethacrylate to the resulting oligomeric urethane mixture to terminate chain ends with methacrylate functional groups; isolating the functionalized urethane; adding the isolated functionalized urethane to an oil phase comprising an emulsifying agent and an organic solvent wherein a surfactant free inverse emulsion is formed with the addition of an aqueous phase that may contain a salt; adding diol to the surfactant free reverse emulsion to polymerize the urethane oligomers and encapsulate the aqueous solution; and isolating the microcapsules by centrifugation. Another aspect of the disclosure provides a method for manufacturing a composition having a microcapsule and a continuous phase, wherein said microcapsule comprises a functionalized surface capable of covalently bonding to the continuous phase comprising: synthesizing oligomeric or polymeric material with functional groups capable of reacting with monomers of a continuous phase; isolating the functionalized oligomeric or polymeric material; adding the isolated functionalized material to an oil phase comprising an emulsifying agent and an organic solvent wherein a surfactant free inverse emulsion is formed with the addition of an aqueous phase that may contain a salt; adding chain extender to the surfactant free reverse emulsion to increase the molecular weight of the functionalized oligomeric or polymeric material and encapsulate the aqueous solution; and isolating the functionalized microcapsules by centrifugation. Another aspect of the invention is a method of use any one of the compositions to impart additional structural features into a polymer or composite material.

11434150

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention Embodiments relate to methods and apparatuses for recovery of water from brine using membrane distillation. Background of the Related Art Due to scarcity of water and stringent environmental regulations there is a heavy emphasis in recovering water from brine generated by reverse osmosis reject streams, thermal desalination plants and evaporators used in zero liquid discharge plants. Due to enforcement of regulations, concentrate generated by these plants typically cannot be discharged or mixed with a fresh stream of water. Therefore there is a need for treatment of these brines to a zero liquid discharge stage. Once ZLD has been reached, salts can be recovered for beneficial use or sent for disposal, usually by landfill (after environmental clearances have been obtained). There has been a surge in shale gas production in several countries in the world. This is required to develop other energy alternatives and hedge against rising oil prices. The production of shale gas also results in production of hydraulic fracturing (“frac”) water and produced water. Frac water and produced water tend to be very high in total dissolved salts. For example, they may range from 30000 ppm to 250000 ppm. Gas producers seek less expensive ways of managing this environmental challenge. One of the current approaches is to send part of the water for disposal to deep well remote locations. This technique is highly transportation intensive and not sustainable in the long term because there are only limited capacities available for deep wells. The current methods that exist for treatment are not very comprehensive. They are also very expensive, and stakeholders are looking for a cheaper alternative, which is simple to implement and easy to operate and maintain. Distillation by membrane is well-known. Membrane distillation has been extensively explored, at least in part because the process can deal with such waters where other membrane systems are limited due to limits of osmotic pressures and scaling, salt concentration and precipitation. Reverse Osmosis (RO) is used for seawater desalination and requires high operating pressure and a good pretreatment process or else the membranes get fouled, effective productivity drops, and efficiency decreases. Modified processes are being worked with RO for higher recovery and for handling water with higher dissolved salts, but the processes require more stringent conditions in pretreatment, and these may be more cost intensive. Desalination of high salinity water through a conventional distillation process requires expensive equipment with exotic metallurgy, whereas hydrophobic polymeric membranes and plastic components are used for membrane distillation. A hydrophobic membrane has high contact angle and thus has a capability to hold the liquid and allow vapor to cross the membrane surface. The temperature or the vapor pressure gradient is the driving force for vapor to transfer, and this occurs at very low pressure. Purity is very high because the membrane allows only vapor transfer. Therefore liquid saline water, when used as feed, results in a distilled water product. Temperature being the driver, the process becomes particularly interesting in those situations where waste heat is available. Vapor content in water keeps increasing with raise in water temperature and water reaches its boiling point. Membrane distillation processes are used between 50 to 90 deg C. to make them efficient. Hydrophobic membranes generally used in membrane distillation are of PP (Poly propylene), PEEK(Polyether ether ketone) PTFE (poly-tetra-fluoro ethylene and PVDF (Poly Vinylidene fluoride), etc. These are flat sheet or hollow fiber membranes. The typical membrane distillation apparatus prepared for operation is in a plate and frame configuration. This generates two compartments; one for hot water supply (feed chamber) and the other to collect vapor (cool chamber) and condense it as product. Membrane distillation is based on hydrophobic membranes. These are microfiltration membranes and have vapor permeability and higher water breakthrough pressure. They do not get wet as they have a high liquid contact angle. There are a variety of methods used in the conventional membrane distillation category. Membrane distillation works based to temperature or vapor pressure gradient as a result of which there is a vapor transfer across the membrane. This is further condensed into pure water. Brine water or salt cannot pass through the membrane barrier due higher water breakthrough pressure. Membrane distillation has been a technology of interest for several decades, and recently it has gained further importance due to improvements in the membrane properties and increase in flux. This provides possible applications where alternative solutions are either not practical or expensive. For example, the reverse osmosis process is limited by osmotic pressure of the feed water and typically cannot handle high concentration brines when the salt concentrations exceed 60000-70000 ppm. They may also need high levels of pretreatment and SDI levels less than 5 and in some cases less than 3. In thermal desalination and evaporative processes the cost may become prohibitive due to materials of construction and the need for corrosion resistant metallurgy, which may make the process price exorbitant. Membrane distillation is not limited by osmotic pressure and may therefore avoid a number of these disadvantages. Conventional membrane distillation typically is categorized into the following types based on the process, their operational modes and construction:1. Direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD): In DCMD mode, hot feed water is circulated in a hot chamber, whereas in a cooling chamber cold water is circulated, and both chambers are separated by hydrophobic membrane. The vapor transferred across the membrane is cooled by the cold water, which is condensed in a cooling chamber. The product keeps adding volume in cool water circulation and is collected.2. Air gap membrane distillation (AGMD): In this mode, the cooling side has an air gap of few millimeters followed by an additional chamber with a conducting surface cooled by water. The cooled conducting surface cools air to maintain a temperature gradient for vapor transfer. The vapor gets condensed, separated, and collected as distillate.3. Vacuum membrane distillation (VMD): As in AGMD, there is also an air gap, but there is no conducting surface or cooling water flow. Vacuum is applied in the air gap to extract the vapors transferred, and the vapors are passed through a condenser to condense and collect. This method generates a low flux and during the process concentrated brine remains in the concentrated compartment and progressively gets more concentrated as more distillate is recovered. This method has the draw back, which result in local precipitation of salts on membranes and also this cannot be used for brines near or above the saturation stage.4. Sweep Gas membrane distillation (SGMD): In this mode, air or a gas like nitrogen is used to carry the vapors and enhance the flux through the membrane The above mentioned conventional membrane distillation processes provide very low flux and also stops working when the water reaches a stage of saturation of salt solubility. Beyond this point crystal deposition starts on the membrane surface, resulting in poor flux and lower salt rejection across the membrane. This also results in irreparable damage to membranes. Also, the conventional membrane distillation process is very expensive in capital costs and involves multiple and complex components to be assembled in a stack design. It has limited capability to pack membrane area and results in lower clean water production, because at a given membrane flux that is low to start with, water production is directly proportional to membrane area. The current designs of membrane distillation are also pressurized and are prone to membrane leakages, which immediately results in loss of product water quality due to huge differential in brine and clean water salt concentration. Some conventional shortcomings of a membrane distillation have been low flux (typically 2-4 LMH), high energy intensity, high cost of membranes due to low flux, and lower packing density of membranes. Because of these, conventional membrane distillation has found limited utilization commercially in the mass market for desalination. With a global shortage of good water availability, conversion or recovery of pure water becomes very important both for domestic and industrial use. Following are some applications where membrane distillation can be extensively employed:a. Increasing the recovery in the conventional desalination processes with a downstream membrane distillation process;b. Increasing the recovery through waste water recycle plants;c. Increasing the recovery of water and reducing waste volumes in a zero liquid discharge plant to reduce capital costs in the thermal evaporation system; andd. Processing a waste stream with high salinity and reusing salts to help discharge issues and also to help preserve the natural resources that are available. BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION We provide a method and apparatus for advanced vacuum membrane distillation. This provides a much higher flux (4 to 6 times) when compared to conventional membrane distillation processes, enables packaging large membrane surface area, and makes the process and equipment very simple to design, operate and maintain. This concept keeps the concentrated brine solution as a part of bulk solution and includes only a distillate compartment assembly, totally avoiding any concentrate compartment assembly. The brine remains in the bulk solution around the membranes in a recirculation mode to facilitate mixing and avoid build up of local concentration and precipitation. The increase in concentration in bulk solution is incremental as compared to local increase in concentration that would happen in conventional membrane distillation, which could result in precipitation. There could be multiple embodiments of this invention of AVMD but the following embodiments are discussed in some details here as various options. The space formed by the membrane surfaces, which form the vapor space under vacuum can be kept under the surface of the hot brine (Method a) or kept suspended in the vapor space in the housing where the brine does not come in contact with the membranes (Method b). Alternatively the membranes can be packed in an outside compartment in contact with the hot brine under recirculation and flashing under circulation so that the vapors can be pulled through the membranes and condensed to generate high purity distillate (Method c). In case of Method (a) the membrane surface comes in contact with brine also gets impacted by the corrosive nature of the brine but in both the (b) and (c) Methods membranes do not come in contact with the brine so there is no threat due to corrosive nature of brine or precipitation of salts even under super saturated conditions. In case of (b) and (c) membranes are suspended in vapor space and not in liquid space, brine, as in case of (a). Whereas (a) is ideal for brine concentration before saturation levels as the housing sizes can be kept compact. Method (b) and (c) can be used for brines before saturation and even after saturation. In both (b) and (c) the housing sizes are typically bigger in size than in Method (a). one can also use a sequential flow concept, for example use (Method a) first before saturation, followed by (b) or (c) when the saturation happens and crystals form in the brine. Methods (b) and (c) can also be used either before or after saturation in a single unit or in a sequential units. In one embodiment of the invention as shown inFIG. 1A, a membrane pouch12is made by sealing two hydrophobic membranes1and2from all sides with one distillate outlet hole4. Multi membrane pouches12, are assembled to make one membrane unit as shown inFIG. 2A, which is submerged in a tank14as shown inFIG. 3. Hot brine water circulates through a tank14with minimal velocity through inlet port15and outlet port16. A vacuum is applied at the distillate outlet port13, and distillate31is recovered from hot feed water29by condensing water vapors through an external condenser25as shown inFIG. 4A. This unit is called a vacuum membrane distillation (AVMD) unit24, and the process is called a AVMD process. In some embodiments the AVMD unit may be fully or partially submerged in the circulating brine; these embodiments may be referred to as AVMD units or with the more specific “SVMD unit.” In case of method (a). In AVMD vacuum can be applied in multiple ways. For example, in one embodiment the vacuum is applied by a vacuum pump28downstream of a condenser25connected to the vapor side of the membrane distillation unit24as shown inFIG. 4A. In other embodiments steam or pneumatically driven ejectors34are used to apply vacuum as shown inFIG. 4B. The pneumatically driven ejectors34can be used where a distillate stream31is not required and water vapors35can be allowed to escape in the air along with the compressed air. This can be done in Methods (a), (b) and (c). Steam and water driven ejectors can be used for different application of volume reduction by membrane distillation. Alternatively compressors or blowers can be used for generating the vacuum in the (a), (b) or c mode and then, utilizing the heat from the vapors sucked from the MD as source of heat after mechanical compression through the compressor within the system or the steam coming from one stage can be compressed and utilized as a heat source for another stage of membrane distillation to optimize energy consumption. The AVMD process allows one to concentrate the brine and recover the heat of condensation of vapors, then to use heat energy to evaporate more brine water in subsequent stages. This makes it easy to recover the heat and make it a multistage process for energy efficiency. Further the entire membrane assembly is made of polymeric components, eliminating the need for metallic components and possible corrosion. In another embodiment of the invention the concentrated hot brine of the AVMD unit is circulated through an inorganic membrane to further concentrate the water to a crystallization stage beyond saturation levels of solubility of salts, where salt crystals can be separated (Method d). Inorganic membranes, for example, ceramic membranes, may be useful in such an embodiment. The water vapors permeate the inorganic membrane and may be condensed on the other side of the membrane by a condenser. One can also apply vacuum on the vapor side and condense the water in an external condenser to generate high purity distillate. This is not possible in the conventional polymeric membrane distillation, where the saturated brine is in contact with membranes, due to deposition of crystals on the membrane surface, which immediately results in loss of flux and rejection properties of membrane due to brine passage. When ceramic membranes are used, they are typically in a configuration similar to the one shown inFIG. 6AandFIG. 6B, in which a plurality of ceramic tubes are arrayed in an enclosure which allows brine to flow through tubes while a vacuum is applied to remove purified water vapor from the tubes. The inorganic membranes can be tubular in an “inside out” or an “outside in” mode, or also can be in plate and frame configuration. The tubular membranes in the “outside in” configuration can be used in a forced circulation mode whereas the tubular membrane in an “inside out” mode typically needs to be operated in forced circulation mode. Due to the nature of the AVMD, which is not plate and frame and where the concentrates brines quickly become a part of the bulk solution, the water recirculation velocity does not need to be high, which is a common feature of the conventional plate and frame membrane distillation process. This process can therefore be used in volume reduction of brines, which may concentrate the brine while recovering high quality distillate for reuse. As one continues to recover the distillate, brine gets concentrated. In an integrated approach, with polymeric membranes, one can stop the process before the salt saturation happens in method (a) and then send the brine for disposal or any other use. Optionally one may take it for further concentration using method (b) or (c) or inorganic membranes (Method D) and crystallize the salts. While the concentration with polymeric membranes happens in a submerged method (a) membrane distillation process, the optional crystallization happens where the polymeric membrane cartridge or membrane pouches are sitting above the brine liquid surface in the vapor space. The crystallization can also be achieved in a ceramic membrane (Method D). This method maintains adequate velocity to prevent precipitation and residence of crystals in low velocity zones. This is possible in ceramic membranes because of the higher mechanical strength of ceramic material. The inorganic membranes may be made of hydrophobic material. They may be different substances. For example, they may be alumina, zirconia, or their blends. They can be used in different configurations including flat sheet or tubular in “inside out” or “outside in” configuration. In the “inside out” mode, salts are retained inside the tubes while the vapors permeate outside the tube. Brine recirculation happens inside the tubes. In the “outside in” mode the salts are retained outside the tubes while the vapors permeate inside the tube and the brine recirculation happens outside the tube. The inorganic membrane area can be packed in pressurized modules or submerged modules. Both operate under vacuum to draw the vapors. Such membranes can be conceptually used for membrane distillation process in general at lower or higher concentrations of salts. At higher salt concentrations closer to saturation levels polymeric membrane membranes are less effective as they lose salt rejection properties due to precipitation of salts on the membrane surface. Therefore they may not provide sustained salt rejections. If cost is a consideration, typically it is preferable to use inorganic membranes only where polymeric membranes will not work because of the higher cost of inorganic membranes. In such a situation typically the bulk of the volume reduction should be preferably done through polymeric membrane and just before saturation the process is shifted to inorganic membrane where salts can precipitate and crystallize. Thus through an optimum integrated process a brine solution can be taken to crystallization stage and a zero liquid discharge process can be achieved. This process can also be operated to get different salts at different stages of brine concentrations for a mixed salts brine. The submerged membrane, Method (a) distillation process allows concentration of the brine and recovery of pure distillate at minimum energy and maximum flow, while the optional crystallization through a forced circulation process enables further concentration of brine, recovers crystals, and recovers high quality distillate. The polymeric membranes are prone to erosion due to presence of crystals in a submerged mode (a), Inorganic membranes are more rugged and may withstand the erosion process. The same intent can also be achieved by using AVMD in submerged mode method (a) for initial concentration before saturation followed by AVMD in method (b) or method (C) for crystallization. This is an integrated approach of going to a crystallizer. This process also be integrated with solar energy to further reduce or eliminate the energy component of the operating cost. For example, solar energy may be used to provide heat for evaporation or crystallization. One embodiment may provide a method for at least one of volume reduction and concentration of brine, including circulating a first brine in a tank, said tank including at least one submerged membrane pouch; creating a negative pressure in said at least one membrane pouch; drawing water vapor from the brine into said at least one membrane pouch, leaving remaining concentrated brine in the tank, wherein the concentrated brine has a higher salt concentration than the first brine; and condensing the water vapor into water for collection, wherein the water for collection includes less impurities than the first brine, and wherein the volume of the concentrated brine is less than the volume of the first brine. In some embodiments the membrane pouch is a polymeric membrane pouch. Another embodiment may include a method for at least one of volume reduction and concentration of brine by forced membrane circulation, including circulating a first brine through an inorganic membrane unit; creating a negative pressure around the membrane unit; drawing water vapor from the first brine through the membrane unit, leaving a concentrated brine; and condensing the water vapor into water for collection, wherein the water for collection includes less impurities than the first brine, and wherein the concentration of the concentrated brine is greater than the concentration of the first brine. In some embodiments the inorganic membrane unit is a tubular inorganic membrane unit. In some embodiments after the step of drawing water vapor from the brine into said at least one membrane pouch, further steps include drawing the concentrated brine through an inorganic membrane; creating a negative pressure around said inorganic membrane; drawing a second water vapor from said inorganic membrane, leaving a second concentrated brine outside the inorganic membrane; and condensing the second water vapor into a second water for collection, wherein the second water for collection includes less impurities than the first brine, and wherein the second concentrated brine is more concentrated than the first brine and more concentrated than the concentrated brine. Methods may include further comprising crystallizing salt from the concentrated brine, wherein the salt can be crystallized to a point that no further concentration of the concentrated brine is possible. This may result in a zero liquid discharge. Brine may come from many sources. For example, it may be a result of cooling tower blow down. That blow down may be pretreated. Methods as reported herein may also be useful for various systems, including purification of water, waste reduction, and zero liquid discharge processing in a water selected from the group consisting of shale gas fracture water, shale gas produced water, oil and gas extraction produced water, flue gas desulphurization waste water, and cooling tower blow down water. Methods may also include preparing purified water vapor through AVMD process, including the steps of circulating water for purification through an enclosure, said enclosure including at least one membrane pouch in method (a), (b) or (c); creating a negative pressure in said at least one membrane pouch; drawing water vapor into said at least one membrane pouch, thereby preparing a purified water vapor. In some embodiments the purified water vapor is sent to an atmosphere through one or more of a vacuum ejector, vapor compressor, and vapor pump. In some embodiments the purified water vapor is compressed and used to exchange heat with circulating water for further membrane distillation. Embodiments may provide a multistage advanced membrane distillation process including circulating water for purification though multiple iterations of processes otherwise disclosed herein, wherein a latent heat of said water vapor is transferred to the brine as heating for a subsequent iteration. As with other processes reported in this disclosure, water that is not turned into vapor may be sent to a crystallizer or for other disposal. Embodiments may also provide a membrane distillation pouch for recovery of water from brine, including a first hydrophobic membrane and a second hydrophobic membrane, where the first membrane and the second membrane are sealed to each other to form an enclosure having an inside and an outside; wherein the first membrane and the second membrane each have a membrane surface, and wherein each membrane surface is on the outside of the pouch; as well as a polymer netting within the pouch and between the first membrane and the second membrane; and a first hole in the first membrane and a second hole in the second membrane, each of said holes placing the inside of the pouch in communication with the outside of the pouch; and a vapor collector, said vapor collector attached to each of the first hole and the second hole, and said vapor collector including at least one opening permitting the inside of the pouch to remain in communication with the outside of the pouch. The first membrane and the second membrane may be one of, for example, of PVDF and PTFE. The vapor collector may be made up of polymeric material. Embodiments may also provide a membrane cartridge, comprising a plurality of pouches where each of said pouches is connected by a header in communication with the vapor collector of each of said pouches. In some embodiments the membrane cartridge includes one or a plurality of spacers between each header. We also provide an Advanced membrane distillation apparatus, including at least one tank comprising an inlet port and an outlet port; and at least one membrane cartridge in operative communication with the inlet port and the outlet port. We may also provide a method for collection of distillate from brine or achieving volume reduction of brine including circulating brine though the AVMD apparatus as described herein through the inlet port and out the outlet port, wherein the brine is placed in contact with the outside of each membrane pouch; placing the header in communication with a condenser inlet port; and creating negative pressure in each membrane pouch, thereby drawing water vapor through each membrane pouch, into the header, and into the condenser inlet port; and condensing water from the water vapor. Various conditions may be useful in some embodiments of the invention. For example, the brine may have a temperature between 60 to 90° C. The water vapor through each membrane pouch may have a flux between 10 to 50 Lm2h. The condensed purified water may have less than 50 ppm dissolved solids. The condensed water has a salt content that is reduced by 99.9 percent and 98% most of the times relative to a salt content of the brine. We may also provide a method for water purification and membrane distillation by ceramic membranes including placing brine in contact with at least one ceramic membrane; creating a negative pressure around the ceramic membrane; drawing water vapor through the at least one ceramic membrane, leaving concentrated brine; and condensing the water vapor into water for collection. In some embodiments heat for process steps may be provided partially or entirely through use of solar energy. We may also provide a method for membrane distillation and brine concentration by concentrating hot brine in brine tank and drawing water vapors through at least one membrane cartridge by creating a negative pressure around membrane cartridge, leaving concentrated brine in brine tank; and condensing the water vapor into water for collection. Salt crystals are removed from brine tank through a solid removal device. The flow diagram of the method is shown inFIG. 7AandFIG. 7B. The membrane cartridge can be placed either inside the brine tank (FIG. 7A) or outside of brine tank (FIG. 7B) depending on the size of the system.

11262517

FIELD This disclosure relates to devices for use in the telecommunications industry, and associated methods. More specifically, this disclosure relates to a termination panel for use in the telecommunications industry, and methods associated with termination panels. BACKGROUND Many local area networks and telecommunication systems utilize termination panels to provide cross-connections between telecommunications equipment. Demand for greater telecommunication services has prompted the increase in circuit densities of termination panels. Notwithstanding the advances made in the art, there is a continuous need for further advances to improve upon high-density termination panels and associated methods. Improvements are needed, for example, to enhance termination access and cable management associated with installation, maintenance, repair, upgrade, and cross-connection procedures related to termination panels. SUMMARY The present disclosure relates to an adapter panel arrangement including a chassis and a panel of adapters. The adapters define open rearward cable connections and open forward cable connections of the panel arrangement. The adapters are arranged in arrays that slide independently of other arrays to provide access to the open rearward and open forward cable connections. A variety of examples of desirable product features or methods are set forth in part in the description that follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practicing various aspects of the disclosure. The aspects of the disclosure may relate to individual features as well as combinations of features. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are explanatory only, and are not restrictive of the claimed invention.

11308499

BACKGROUND Increasingly consumers are conducting financial transactions through Self-Service Terminals (SSTs) without the assistance of a clerk. In fact, in many cases these transactions are conducted without any individual in the vicinity of the SSTs; other than, perhaps, a security camera integrated into the SSTs or in proximity to the SSTs. The most common SST transaction occurs by a customer at an Automated Teller Machine (ATM). Contrary to what the general public believes, ATMs can be compromised and in some ways in a manner that takes advantage of inherent security holes of existing ATMs. For example, in a typical ATM transaction a customer inserts a bank card into a card reader and then enters a Personal Identification Number (PIN) into an encrypted PIN keypad. Software on the ATM receives that encrypted information, which the ATM software cannot decrypt and sends it to an appropriate backend financial system for authentication. The financial sends returns an authorization code to the ATM software and the customer selects and account and an amount to withdraw. This is then sent to the financial system for verification. Again, the financial system returns an authentication. Next, the ATM sends a dispense command to a dispenser and the dispenser dispenses the currency amount associated with the withdrawal. In the above scenario, if the ATM software can be replaced or modified then the amount for withdraw sent to the dispenser can be changed or can be repeated multiple times; thereby fraudulently depleting the ATM of all its currency. Such fraudulent depleting is of particular concern to the owners and operators of the ATMs because the financial system tied to a transaction may only honor the initial authorized amount for withdrawal, leaving the ATM owner and operator with no recourse to recoup the stolen funds. SUMMARY In various embodiments, dispense transactions are suspended on a self-service terminal upon detection of potentially fraudulent activity. According to an embodiment, commands performed on the self-service terminal are monitored to detect fraudulent activity. If a pattern of commands appears to be potentially fraudulent, a dispenser may be placed in a suspend mode.

11376404

TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates to balloon catheters, methods of preparing balloon catheters, and uses of balloon catheters. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to balloon catheters for delivering a therapeutic agent to a blood vessel, wherein the balloon catheters have a coating layer having a hydrophobic therapeutic agent and a combination of additives. BACKGROUND It has become increasingly common to treat a variety of medical conditions by introducing a medical device into the vascular system or other lumen within a human. While such treatment initially appears successful, the initial success is often compromised by the recurrence of disease, such as stenosis (i.e., restenosis) after such treatment. Restenosis involves a physiological response to vascular injury caused by angioplasty. Over time, de-endothelization and injury to smooth muscle cells results in thrombus deposition, leukocyte and macrophage infiltration, smooth muscle cell proliferation/migration, fibrosis, and extracellular matrix deposition. In response to the incidence of restenosis, numerous local drug delivery systems have been developed for the treatment restenosis after balloon angioplasty. Balloon catheters are one such local delivery system that has been found to be effective in the treatment and prevention of restenosis. Generally, balloons coated with an active agent are pressed against the wall of a blood vessel when the blood vessel is dilated to deliver the active agent. Accordingly, it may be advantageous for the active agent in the coating to be rapidly released and absorbed by blood vessel tissues. Any component in the coating which inhibits rapid release of the active agent may be disadvantageous. The iodine contrast agent iopromide has been used with paclitaxel to coat balloon catheters and has met some success in the treatment of restenosis. While it has been reported that such contrast agent improves adhesion of paclitaxel to the balloon surface, iodinated contrast agents suffer from a variety of disadvantages. For example, when used for diagnostic procedures, iodinated contrast agents have complication rates of 5-30%. Additionally, iodinated contrast agents are associated with the risk of bradycardia, ventricular arrthymia, and fibrillation, and may also induce renal failure. Further, the Food and Drug Administration issued a second public health advisory in 2006 concerning a serious late adverse reaction to contrast agents known as Nephrogenic Systemic Fibrosis or Mephrogenic Fibrosing Dermopathy. Moreover, iodinated X-ray contrast agents are unable to cross membrane lipid bilayers in order to enter cells of the vasculature. As a result, they are not optimally effective at carrying hydrophobic therapeutic agents such as paclitaxel into cells. The percentage of paclitaxel reported to be taken up by vascular tissue after deployment of these devices is only 5-20%. Additionally, the compatibility and/or miscibility of paclitaxel and iopromide is not optimal, and the integrity and uniformity of coating is poor. Such deficiencies adversely affect the amount and uniformity of hydrophobic therapeutic agent delivered to target tissue. Accordingly, additional embodiments of coating layers for balloon catheters are desired. SUMMARY In one embodiment, a balloon catheter for delivering a therapeutic agent to a blood vessel is disclosed. The balloon catheter delivers a therapeutic agent to the blood vessel while the balloon catheter is deployed at a target site of the blood vessel. The balloon catheter includes an elongate member, an expandable balloon, and a coating layer. The elongate member has a lumen and a distal end. The expandable balloon is attached to the distal end of the elongate member and is in fluid communication with the lumen of the elongate member. The coating layer overlies an exterior surface of the expandable balloon. The coating layer includes a total drug load of a hydrophobic therapeutic agent and a combination of additives including a first additive and a second additive. The hydrophobic therapeutic agent is one of paclitaxel, rapamycin, or combinations thereof. The first additive is one of PEG sorbitan monolaurates, PEG sorbitan monooleates, or combinations thereof. The second additive is one of sorbitol, sorbitan, xylitol, gluconolactone, lactobionic acid, or combinations thereof. In another embodiment, a balloon catheter for delivering a therapeutic agent to a blood vessel is disclosed. The balloon catheter delivers a therapeutic agent to the blood vessel while the balloon catheter is deployed at a target site of the blood vessel. In this embodiment, the balloon catheter includes an elongate member, an expandable balloon, and a coating layer. The elongate member has a lumen and a distal end. The expandable balloon is attached to the distal end of the elongate member and is in fluid communication with the lumen of the elongate member. The coating layer overlies an exterior surface of the expandable balloon. In this embodiment, the coating layer includes a total drug load of a hydrophobic therapeutic agent and a combination of additives including a first additive and a second additive. The total drug load of the hydrophobic therapeutic agent is from 2.5 μg to 6 μg per square millimeter of the expandable balloon. The hydrophobic therapeutic agent is one of paclitaxel, rapamycin, or combinations thereof. The first additive is one of PEG-20 sorbitan monolaurate, PEG-20 sorbitan monooleate, or combinations thereof. The second additive is one of sorbitol, gluconolactone, or combinations thereof. The ratio by weight of the combination of additives in the coating layer to the hydrophobic therapeutic agent in the coating layer is about 10 to 0.5. It is understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the present disclosure as claimed.

11403323

BACKGROUND The growth of internet in the last two decades has led to a parallel growth of applications or apps. Currently almost every business entity has a corresponding app that allows a user to interact with the company. In order to facilitate a user's interaction with the app, the app requires several inputs from user including user's personal data. Further the app may also require providing access to third party app address, etc. The data flowing through the app and outside the app needs to be monitored and analysed for several reasons. For example, there are security concerns with respect to user data theft for the user data provided at the app. Further there are international regulations like General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) with respect to maintaining user data which needs to be complied with in order for the app to be used by a user in European Union. Current a user manually reviews and classifies data flowing through the application. For example, a user may scan logs and system files related to the application to review and classify the data flowing through the application. A manual process to review and classify data is tedious and prone to error. Therefore there is a need for automated review and classification of application data.

11265412

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S) This application is a U.S. National Phase Patent Application and claims priority to and the benefit of International Application Number PCT/JP2019/006897, filed on Feb. 22, 2019, which claims priority of Japanese Patent Application Number 2018-073191, filed on Apr. 5, 2018, the entire contents of all of which are incorporated herein by reference. TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a cooperation system, a cooperation method, and a computer program product. BACKGROUND ART As mobile terminals become more sophisticated, there is a greater need for using a mobile terminal coupled to an in-vehicle apparatus. Patent Literature 1 discloses an in-vehicle device that has a display unit and performs wireless communication with a portable terminal device, the in-vehicle device including: a wireless-communication establishing unit that, upon detection of a portable terminal device positioned at a predetermined distance allowing wireless communication with the in-vehicle device, establishes the wireless communication with the detected portable terminal device; a data acquiring unit that acquires data provided by the portable terminal device, from the portable terminal device with which the wireless communication has been established by the wireless-communication establishing unit; and an output controller that converts data acquired by the data acquiring unit into a format for outputting the data by the in-vehicle device, and outputs converted data to at least one of the display unit and a speaker. CITATION LIST Patent Literature Patent Literature 1: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2010-130669 SUMMARY OF INVENTION Technical Problem According to the invention described in Patent Literature 1, a user may be confused when a plurality of cooperation schemes are available. Solution to Problem A cooperation system according to a first aspect of the present invention is a cooperation system including a mobile terminal and an in-vehicle apparatus that can be coupled according to a plurality of cooperation schemes by using one or more physical couplings, wherein the mobile terminal includes: an app that outputs at least one of an audio signal and an image signal as output data; a cooperation control section that determines the cooperation scheme to be used for transmission of the output data, based on the cooperation scheme that is operatively functioning; and a library that transmits the output data to the in-vehicle apparatus by using the cooperation scheme determined by the cooperation control section, and the in-vehicle apparatus includes: a protocol control section that receives the output data from the library by using the cooperation scheme; and an output section that reproduces the output data received by the protocol control section. A cooperation method according to a second aspect of the present invention is a cooperation method between a mobile terminal and an in-vehicle apparatus that can be coupled according to a plurality of cooperation schemes by using one or more physical couplings, the cooperation method including: by the mobile terminal, setting at least one of an audio signal and an image signal as output data; determining the cooperation scheme to be used for transmission of the output data, based on the cooperation scheme that is operatively functioning; transmitting the output data to the in-vehicle apparatus by using the determined cooperation scheme; by the in-vehicle apparatus, receiving the output data from the mobile terminal according to the cooperation scheme; and reproducing the received output data. A computer program product according to a third aspect of the present invention records a cooperation program to be executed by a mobile terminal that can be coupled to an in-vehicle apparatus according to a plurality of cooperation schemes by using one or more physical couplings, wherein the cooperation program causes the mobile terminal to: set at least one of an audio signal and an image signal as output data; determine the cooperation scheme to be used for transmission of the output data, based on the cooperation scheme that is operatively functioning; and transmit the output data to the in-vehicle apparatus according to the determined cooperation scheme. Advantageous Effect of Invention According to the present invention, a user is not confused even when a plurality of cooperation schemes are available.

11240883

INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE TO ANY PRIORITY APPLICATIONS Any and all applications for which a foreign or domestic priority claim is identified in the Application Data Sheet as filed with the present application are hereby incorporated by reference under 37 CFR 1.57. BACKGROUND Field This application generally relates to a climate control system, and more specifically, a climate control system with a conductive member. Description of the Related Art Temperature modified air for environmental control of living or working space is typically provided to relatively extensive areas, such as entire buildings, selected offices, or suites of rooms within a building. In the case of vehicles, such as automobiles, the entire vehicle is typically cooled or heated as a unit. There are many situations, however, in which more selective or restrictive air temperature modification is desirable. For example, it is often desirable to provide an individualized climate control for an occupant seat so that substantially instantaneous heating or cooling can be achieved. For example, an automotive vehicle exposed to the summer weather, where the vehicle has been parked in an unshaded area for a long period, can cause the vehicle seat to be very hot and uncomfortable for the occupant for some time after entering and using the vehicle, even with normal air conditioning. Furthermore, even with normal air-conditioning, on a hot day, the occupant's back and other pressure points may remain sweaty while seated. In the winter, it is highly desirable to have the ability to warm the seat of the occupant quickly to facilitate the occupant's comfort, especially where the normal vehicle heater is unlikely to warm the vehicle's interior as quickly. For such reasons, there have been various types of individualized temperature control systems for vehicle seats. Such temperature control systems typically include a distribution system comprising a combination of channels and passages formed in the back and/or seat cushions of the seat. A thermal module thermally conditions the air and delivers the conditioned air to seat channels and passages. The conditioned air flows through the channels and passages to cool or heat the space adjacent the surface of the vehicle seat. Thus, while such systems are useful, there is a continuing desire to improve temperature control apparatuses and methods for a climate control system for vehicle seats and other seating assemblies. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, one aspect of the present application comprises a climate controlled assembly. The assembly comprises a support member having a support surface configured to support an occupant; a blower configured to draw air adjacent the support surface of the support member; a thermoelectric device disposed on the support member and including a main side and a waste side; a heat exchanger conductively coupled to the waste side of the thermoelectric device; and a conductive member conductively coupled to the main side of the thermoelectric device, at least a portion of the conductive member extending along the support surface of the support member, wherein during operation, the blower draws air adjacent the support surface at the same time the thermoelectric device cools the conductive member. In some aspects, the assembly further comprises a channel within the support member, the channel extending from the support surface through a portion of the support member, wherein the blower is configured to withdraw air adjacent the support surface of the support into the channel. In some aspects, the thermoelectric device and the heat exchanger are positioned at least partially within the channel. In some aspects, the support member is a seat for a vehicle. In some aspects, the support member is a bed. In some aspects, the conductive member is a flexible metal mesh. In some aspects, the assembly further comprises a comfort layer and a trim layer covering the support surface of the support member. In some aspects, the conductive member extends along the support surface of the support member below the comfort layer. In some aspects, the conductive member comprises a first conductive member and a second conductive member conductively coupled to the main side of the thermoelectric device. In some aspects, the assembly further comprises an intermediate member conductively coupled to the conductive member and to the main side of the thermoelectric device. Another aspect of the present application comprises a climate controlled assembly. The assembly comprises a support member having a first surface configured to support an occupant; a channel within the support member, the channel extending from the first surface through a portion of the support; a thermoelectric device positioned within the channel; a heat exchanger conductively coupled to a first side of the thermoelectric device, the heat exchanger positioned within the channel; and at least one conductive member conductively coupled to a second side of the thermoelectric device, a portion of the conductive member extending along the first surface of the support member. In some aspects, the assembly further comprises a recess positioned within the support member between the first surface and the channel and a permeable member positioned within the recess. In some aspects, the assembly further comprises a comfort layer positioned on the first surface of the support member, wherein the at least one conductive member is positioned between the permeable member and the comfort layer. In some aspects, the assembly further comprises an insulating layer positioned between the conductive member and the first surface. In some aspects, the assembly further comprises an intermediate conductive member, wherein the at least one conductive member is coupled to the intermediate conductive member and the intermediate conductive member is coupled to the thermoelectric device. Yet another aspect of the present application comprises a method for thermally conditioning a support assembly that includes a support structure that defines a support surface. The method comprises operating a thermoelectric device, the thermoelectric device including a main side and a waste side; drawing air from adjacent the support surface through a heat exchanger conductively coupled to the waste side of the thermoelectric device; cooling, using the thermoelectric device, a conductive member conductively coupled to the main side of the thermoelectric device and located adjacent the support surface; and conductively cooling the support surface by simultaneously performing the steps of drawing air from adjacent the support surface and cooling the conductive member. In some aspects, the conductive member is a flexible conductive member that extends along the support surface. In some aspects, the thermoelectric device is located at least partially within the support structure. Another aspect of the present application comprises a climate control device. The device comprises a thermoelectric device having a main side and a waste side, the thermoelectric device configured to heat or cool air; a first heat exchanger defining a flow path adjacent the waste side of the thermos electric device and conductively coupled to the waste side of the thermoelectric device; and a flexible first conductive member extending beyond the thermoelectric device and conductively coupled to the main side the thermoelectric device. In some aspects, the first conductive member is a flexible woven material. In some aspects, the first conductive member is a flexible metallic material. In some aspects, a length of the first conductive member is at least 150 mm. In some aspects, a length of the first conductive member is at least 200 mm. In some aspects, a length of the first conductive member is at least 50 mm. In some aspects, a length of the first conductive member is between 50 mm and 100 mm. In some aspects, a length of the first conductive member is between 200 mm and 250 mm. In some aspects, the device further comprises an intermediate conductive member, wherein the flexible first conductive member is coupled to the intermediate conductive member and the intermediate conductive member is coupled to the thermoelectric device. Yet another aspect of the present application comprises an apparatus for thermally conditioning a space adjacent a support assembly that includes a support structure that defines a support surface. The apparatus comprises a blower; a thermoelectric device including a main side and a waste side; a heat exchanger conductively coupled to the waste side of the thermoelectric device and defining a flow path adjacent the waste side for receiving fluid from the blower; and a flexible conductive member distanced from the thermoelectric device and conductively coupled to the main side of the thermoelectric device. In some aspects, the flexible conductive member is a flexible woven material. In some aspects, the flexible conductive member is a flexible metallic material. In some aspects, a length of the flexible conductive member is at least 150 mm. In some aspects, a length of the flexible conductive member is at least 200 mm. In some aspects, a length of the flexible conductive member is at least 50 mm. In some aspects, a length of the flexible conductive member is between 50 mm and 100 mm. In some aspects, a length of the flexible conductive member is between 200 mm and 250 mm. In some aspects, the apparatus further comprises an intermediate conductive member, wherein the flexible conductive member is coupled to the intermediate conductive member and the intermediate conductive member is coupled to the thermoelectric device.

11229479

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to therapeutic systems and methods, and more particularly, to techniques that are well suited for the formation of lesions in body tissue. There are many instances where it is beneficial to perform a therapeutic intervention in a patient, using a system that is inserted within the patient's body. One exemplary therapeutic intervention involves the formation of therapeutic lesions in the patient's heart tissue to treat cardiac conditions such as atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, and arrhythmia. Therapeutic lesions may also be used to treat conditions in other regions of the body including, but not limited to, the prostate, liver, brain, gall bladder, uterus, and other solid organs. Typically, the lesions are formed by ablating tissue with one or more electrodes. Electromagnetic radio frequency (“RF”) energy applied by the electrode heats and eventually kills or ablates the tissue to form a lesion. During the ablation of soft tissue (e.g. tissue other than blood, bone and connective tissue), tissue coagulation occurs, which leads to tissue death. Thus, references to the ablation of soft tissue are typically references to soft tissue coagulation. “Tissue coagulation” can refer to the process of cross-linking proteins in tissue to cause the tissue to jell. In soft tissue, it is the fluid within the tissue cell membranes that jells to kill the cells, thereby killing the tissue. Depending on the procedure, a variety of different electrophysiology devices may be used to position one or more electrodes at the target location. Electrodes can be connected to power supply lines and, in some instances, the power to the electrodes can be controlled on an electrode-by-electrode basis. Examples of electrophysiology devices include catheters, surgical probes, and clamps. Currently known surgical probes which can be used to create lesions often include a handle, a relatively short shaft that is from 4 inches to 18 inches in length and either rigid or relatively stiff, and a distal section that is from 1 inch to 10 inches in length and either malleable or somewhat flexible. One or more electrodes are carried by the distal section. Surgical probes are used in epicardial and endocardial procedures, including open heart procedures and minimally invasive procedures where access to the heart is obtained via a thoracotomy, thoracostomy or median sternotomy. Exemplary surgical probes are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,142,994, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference. Clamps, which have a pair of opposable clamp members that may be used to hold a bodily structure or a portion thereof, are used in many types of surgical procedures. Lesion-creating electrodes have also been secured to certain types of clamps. Examples of clamps which carry lesion creating electrodes are discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,142,994, and U.S. Patent Publication Nos. 2003/0158549, 2004/0059325, and 2004/024175, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Such clamps can be useful when the physician intends to position electrodes on opposite sides of a body structure in a bipolar arrangement. Although these and other proposed treatment devices and methods may provide real benefits to patients in need thereof, still further advances would be desirable. For example, there continues to be a need for improved ablation systems and methods that can be used by surgeons to treat patient tissue or anatomical features having various sizes, shapes, densities, and the like. Embodiments of the present invention provide solutions that address the problems which may be associated with known techniques, and hence provide answers to at least some of these outstanding needs. BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An electrode assembly in accordance with embodiments of the present invention includes an electrode that is connected to at least two power supply lines. An electrode assembly (or a plurality of electrode assemblies) may be used in electrophysiology devices including, but not limited to, catheters, surgical probes and clamps. In one exemplary bipolar clamp implementation, an electrode assembly is provided on one clamp member and a similar electrode assembly (e.g. with an electrode and a pair of power return lines) is provided on the other clamp member. In some cases, an electrode assembly may include a single power return line. Such a clamp may be used to form long, continuous lesions without the gaps that may sometimes occur when a plurality of spaced power transmitting electrodes are positioned opposite a plurality of spaced return electrodes. The individual clamp members may include rotatable jawbone members that can be adjusted to be set or fixed at desired angular degrees about their longitudinal axis, thereby enabling a surgeon to create lesion lines in any of a variety of three dimensional configurations. Exemplary systems and methods are well suited for treating patients exhibiting atrial fibrillation, for example by performing tissue ablations and creating lesions at or near the pulmonary veins, as cardiac tissue near the base of the pulmonary veins may harbor sources of aberrant electrical signals that cause the left atrium to contract irregularly. By creating scar or burn tissue around these sources, which may be located at the base of the pulmonary veins, it is possible to restore the left atrium to sinus rhythm, so that the left atrium properly receives signals from the SA or AV node. For example, treatments may involve forming a box lesion on cardiac tissue, so as to remove, diminish, or block off unwanted eddy currents and signals. In some instances, jaw clamps are used to squeeze or “bite” into a portion of the left atrium, and to deliver a burning ablation to the tissue. The clamps can then be removed, leaving a circular or rounded scar. Ablation clamps can be used during a sternotomy or open chest procedure, for example which may involve a valve repair procedure. In some cases, ablation clamps can be used to deliver ablation during a bypass surgery. Hence, embodiments of the present invention encompass techniques for treating atrial fibrillation as part of a concomitant procedure. Often, the jaw clamps will squeeze together two layers of tissue. When the tissue layers are pressed sufficiently tightly against one another, there may be no blood between the layers. One jaw clamp can include an active (−) electrode, and the opposing jaw clamp can include a ground/return (+) electrode. Application of energy through the electrodes operates to heat the tissue, thereby forming a lesion. Embodiments of the present invention provide convenient and efficient mechanisms to change the orientation of the jaw clamps throughout various degrees or rotation. This flexibility allows the surgeon to use a single clamp design to easily access or approach the patient anatomy from different directions. For example, the surgeon may choose to treat cardiac tissue using an inferior approach or using a superior approach. In some cases, the path through which the device is maneuvered may depend on the size of the patient. For example, a physician may elect a superior approach with a larger patient. In some cases, the path through which the device is maneuvered may depend on the patient's anatomy. For example, when approaching the heart, the physician may wish to pursue an inferior approach due to the location of branching great vessels and the conical shape of the rib cage. In some cases, the path through which the device is maneuvered may depend on the location of an access port or incision. For example, if an incision is made slightly high relative to the heart, the physician may chose a superior approach. The clamp jaws can be oriented so that they form an ablation curve that intersects the curve of the atrium. This intersection allows the jaws to bite into the atrium and make an encircling lesion about the base of the pulmonary veins. When holding the device handle, with the distal jaw ends extending away from the user, if the jaws bend to the right they can be considered to be in a “right curve” orientation. Similarly, when holding the device handle, with the distal jaw ends extending away from the user, if the jaws bend to the left they can be considered to be in a “left curve” orientation. Embodiments of the present invention encompass reversible jaw clamps, that can be switched between right curve and left curve orientations. Hence, embodiments provide single devices that can be used for inferior approaches as well as for superior approaches. Similarly, embodiments provide single devices that can be used to deliver energy at or near the left pulmonary veins, as well as at or near the right pulmonary veins. Toward this end, embodiments provide click-jaw embodiments whereby the operator may rotate the orientation of a curved jaw clamp by engaging an actuation mechanism or button of the device. Such rotation or actuation can be performed using two fingers, such as the thumb and forefinger. In some cases, the physician may perform a squeeze-and-release motion to rotate a jaw clamp, for example by ninety degrees. For example, an instroke can rotate the jaw by forty five degrees, and an outstroke can rotate the jaw by another forty five degrees. During actuation, an internal jawbone may rotate within and relative to an external flexible boot to which an electrode is attached. During jawbone rotation, opposing electrodes of a clamp device may remain facing one another. Two squeeze-and-release motions may result in a one hundred and eighty degree rotation of the jaw clamp. These actuation motions can be performed without touching or engaging the jaw electrode itself. In some cases, the physician may rotate the jaw with one hand, while holding the device handle with the other hand. In addition to the left curve and right curve orientations discussed above, surgeons may wish to use treatment devices of the present invention where the jaw clamps are disposed in an “up curve” orientation, which may be useful for performing a scooping motion when navigating down and underneath the patient's vessels. Such techniques may be useful where procedures benefit from special device positioning, or where procedures are performed in a smaller patient. Optionally, surgeons may wish to use treatment devices of the present invention where the jaw clamps are disposed in an “down curve” orientation, which may be useful for performing a dome procedure. For example, the physician may form a small cut in the atrial wall, slide one jaw inside of the atrium, and perform a superior dome lesion between the pulmonary vein pairs while one jaw clamp is inside the atrium, and one jaw clamp is on the outside. Embodiments of the present invention may include temperature control features. For example, the amount of power delivered through one or more electrodes can be controlled based on the temperature of the tissue or an indicator of tissue temperature. In one aspect, embodiments of the present invention encompass systems and methods for forming a lesion on a tissue of a patient. An exemplary system may include an actuator handle assembly, and a clamp assembly coupled with the actuator handle assembly. The clamp assembly may include a first jaw mechanism and a second jaw mechanism. The first jaw mechanism can have a first flexible boot, a first flexible ablation member coupled with the first flexible boot, and a first rotatable jawbone disposed within the first flexible boot. The second jaw mechanism can have a second flexible boot, a second flexible ablation member coupled with the second flexible boot, and a second rotatable jawbone disposed within the second flexible boot. In some cases, the first flexible ablation member includes a serpentine electrode. In some cases, the second flexible ablation member includes a serpentine electrode. Optionally, the first flexible ablation member can have a fishbone electrode. Similarly, the second flexible ablation member can have a fishbone electrode. The first and second flexible boots can be configured such that the first and second ablation members face toward each other upon rotation of the first jawbone, the second jawbone, or both. A treatment system may also include a cooling system having a fluid return lumen, and a fluid delivery lumen disposed within the fluid return lumen. In some cases, a treatment system includes a pull and rotate rotational assembly. In some cases, a treatment system includes a ball and detent rotational assembly. In some cases, a treatment system includes a side ratchet rotational assembly. In some cases, a treatment system includes a tuning fork rotational assembly. Optionally, a treatment system can include a radiofrequency generator capable of delivering a radiofrequency power signal to the clamp assembly. The first ablation element can include a member selected from the group consisting of a radiofrequency ablation element, an infrared laser ablation element, a high intensity focused ultrasound ablation element, a microwave ablation element, a cryoablation ablation element, a chemical agent ablation element, a biological agent ablation element, and a radiation ablation element. In some embodiments, the first and second jaw mechanisms are configured to provide an ablation zone shape that rotates as a result of rotation of the first and second jawbones. In another aspect, embodiments of the present invention encompass treatment systems for forming a lesion on a tissue of a patient. Exemplary treatment systems may include an actuator handle assembly, and a clamp assembly coupled with the actuator handle assembly. The clamp assembly may include a first jaw mechanism and a second jaw mechanism. The first jaw mechanism may include a first flexible boot, a first flexible ablation member coupled with the first flexible boot, and a first rotatable jawbone disposed within the first flexible boot. The second jaw mechanism may include a second flexible boot, a second flexible ablation member coupled with the second flexible boot, and a second rotatable jawbone disposed within the second flexible boot. In some instances, the first flexible ablation member includes a serpentine electrode. In some instances, the second flexible ablation member includes a serpentine electrode. In some instances, the first flexible ablation member includes a fishbone electrode. In some instances, the second flexible ablation member includes a fishbone electrode. Optionally, the first and second flexible boots can be configured such that the first and second ablation members face toward each other upon rotation of the first jawbone, the second jawbone, or both. In some instances, a treatment system may include a cooling system having a fluid return lumen, and a fluid delivery lumen disposed within the fluid return lumen. In some instances, a treatment system may include a pull and rotate rotational assembly. In some instances, a treatment system may include a ball and detent rotational assembly. In some instances, a treatment system may include a side ratchet rotational assembly. In some instances, a treatment system may include a tuning fork rotational assembly. Optionally, a treatment system may include a radiofrequency generator capable of delivering a radiofrequency power signal to the clamp assembly. According to some embodiments, an ablation element can include a radiofrequency ablation element, an infrared laser ablation element, a high intensity focused ultrasound ablation element, a microwave ablation element, a cryoablation ablation element, a chemical agent ablation element, a biological agent ablation element, a radiation ablation element, or the like. In some embodiments, the first and second jaw mechanisms can be configured to provide an ablation zone shape that rotates as a result of rotation of the first and second jawbones. In some instances, a treatment system may include a push and release rotational assembly. In another aspect, embodiments of the present invention encompass methods of delivering an ablation to a tissue of a patient. An exemplary method may include engaging a patient with a treatment system having an actuator handle coupled with a clamp assembly, where the clamp assembly includes a first jaw mechanism and a second jaw mechanism, the first jaw mechanism includes a first flexible boot, a first flexible ablation member coupled with the first flexible boot, and a first rotatable jawbone disposed within the first flexible boot, and the second jaw mechanism includes a second flexible boot, a second flexible ablation member coupled with the second flexible boot, and a second rotatable jawbone disposed within the second flexible boot. Methods may also include delivering an ablation energy through the first flexible ablation member to the tissue of the patient. In some cases, the first flexible ablation member includes a serpentine electrode. In some cases, the second flexible ablation member includes a serpentine electrode. Optionally, the first flexible ablation member can have a fishbone electrode. Similarly, the second flexible ablation member can have a fishbone electrode. Optionally, the first and second flexible boots can be configured such that the first and second ablation members face toward each other throughout rotation of the first jawbone, the second jawbone, or both. Some methods may include cooling the treatment system with a cooling system. Some methods may include rotating the first rotatable jawbone with a pull and rotate rotational assembly. Some methods may include rotating the first rotatable jawbone with a ball and detent rotational assembly. Some methods may include rotating the first rotatable jawbone with a side ratchet rotational assembly. Some methods may include rotating the first rotatable jawbone with a tuning fork rotational assembly. Some methods may include rotating the first rotatable jawbone with a push and release rotational assembly. In yet another aspect, embodiments of the present invention encompass treatment systems for forming a lesion on a tissue of a patient which may include, for example, an actuator handle assembly, a clamp assembly having a first jaw mechanism and a second jaw mechanism, a first push and release rotational assembly coupling the actuator handle with the first jaw mechanism, and a second push and release rotational assembly coupling the actuator handle assembly with the second jaw mechanism. The first jaw mechanism can include a first flexible boot, a first flexible ablation member coupled with the first flexible boot, and a first rotatable jawbone disposed within the first flexible boot. The second jaw mechanism can include a second flexible boot, a second flexible ablation member coupled with the second flexible boot, and a second rotatable jawbone disposed within the second flexible boot. In some instances, the first push and release rotational assembly comprises a first frame button and a first leaf spring. In some instances, the first frame button includes an engagement button, an upper horizontal arm having an upper tooth, a lower horizontal arm having a lower tooth, and a vertical arm having a vertical tooth. Optionally, the leaf spring can include an engagement tab, and the first push and release rotational assembly can include a jawbone base having an engagement aperture that receives the engagement tab. In some instances, the first push and release rotational assembly includes a jawbone base having a jawbone base tooth that can engage an upper tooth, a lower tooth, or a vertical tooth of the first frame button. The above described and many other features and attendant advantages of embodiments of the present invention will become apparent and further understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

11222580

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S) This application is based on and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2018-0068865, filed on Jun. 15, 2018, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. BACKGROUND 1. Field The disclosure relates to a display apparatus including a plurality of light-emitting diode (LED) display modules and a method of manufacturing the display apparatus, and more particularly, to a plurality of LED display modules including a plurality of LED pixels and having operational reliability for processing, a display apparatus including the LED display modules, and a method of manufacturing the display apparatus. 2. Description of Related Art A display apparatus includes a display panel which displays an image, is capable of displaying a broadcast signal, an image signal, or image data in various formats, and is implemented as, for example, a TV, an electronic display, and/or a monitor. With the progress in technology, display apparatuses including various types of display panel have been developed, and recently, a display apparatus including a light-emitting diode (LED) display module has been developed. An LED display apparatus may be implemented by combining a plurality of LED display modules. An LED display module includes a plurality of LEDs. An LED display module according to the related art is typically rectangular, has fixed standards and shapes, and is not processable. Thus, implementation of an LED display apparatus by using an LED display module according to the related art has limitations in that a shape of an LED display cannot be implemented as desired. Thus, when an LED display of various shapes is to be manufactured, an LED display module fitting a shape to be manufactured has to be developed each time, and thus mass production of LED displays of various shapes is difficult and the manufacturing costs are also high. SUMMARY Additional aspects will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the embodiments of the disclosure. According to an embodiment of the disclosure, a display apparatus includes a display including a plurality of light-emitting diode (LED) display modules, wherein each of the plurality of LED display modules includes a plurality of LED pixels; and a controller configured to control operation of each of the plurality of LED pixels, wherein each of the plurality of LED pixels is connected to the controller via a different driving signal line, and at least two of the plurality of LED pixels are connected to the controller via a same power line. The controller may be located in a central area of each LED display module, and the controller may include: a power unit; and an LED driver, wherein each of the plurality of LED pixels may be connected to the LED driver via the different driving signal line, and the at least two of the plurality of LED pixels may be connected to the power unit via the same power line. At least one LED display module among the plurality of LED display modules may be cut to be processed into a shape. At least one LED display module among the plurality of LED display modules may further include either or both of an insulator and an insulating coating. Each of the plurality of LED display modules may be individually manufactured and combined. The display may be formed in a shape According to an embodiment of the disclosure, a method of manufacturing a display apparatus includes a display including a plurality of light-emitting diode (LED) display modules, the method including: receiving form information of the display; determining, based on the form information, processing information including a number of the plurality of LED display modules included in the display, address information of each of the plurality of LED display modules, and shape information of each of the plurality of LED display modules; processing each of the plurality of LED display modules based on the processing information; and forming the display apparatus by assembling the processed plurality of LED display modules, wherein each of the plurality of LED display modules includes: a plurality of LED pixels; and a controller configured to control operation of each of the plurality of LED pixels, and wherein each of the plurality of LED pixels is connected to the controller via a different driving signal line, and at least two of the plurality of LED pixels are connected to the controller via a same power line. The processing of each of the plurality of LED display modules based on the processing information may include cutting and insulating each of the plurality of LED display modules in accordance with the form information of each of the plurality of LED display modules. The receiving form information of the display may include receiving any one or any combination of shape information of the display, size information of the display, and pixel pitch information of the display. According to an embodiment of the disclosure, a display apparatus includes: a display including: a plurality of light-emitting diode (LED) display modules, wherein each of the plurality of LED display modules includes a plurality of LED pixels; and a controller configured to control operation of each of the plurality of LED pixels, wherein each of the plurality of LED pixels is connected to the controller via a different driving signal line, and at least two of the plurality of LED pixels are connected to the controller via a same power line; a memory storing one or more instructions; and at least one processor configured to execute the one or more instructions to: acquire content to be displayed; convert the content based on shape information of each of the plurality of LED display modules; and control the converted content to be displayed on the plurality of LED display modules. The memory may store address information of each of the plurality of LED display modules and shape information of each of the plurality of LED display modules, and wherein the at least one processor may be further configured to execute the one or more instructions to: convert the content based on the address information of each of the plurality of LED display modules and the shape information of each of the plurality of LED display modules, and display, on the plurality of LED display modules, the content based on the address information of each of the plurality of LED display modules. The at least one processor may be further configured to execute the one or more instructions to convert the content by using linear transformation may include any one or any combination of rotation, reflection, scaling, shear, projection, cropping, and edge rounding, based on the shape information of each of one or more of the plurality of LED display modules.

11519709

FIELD The present invention relates generally to position sensors including linear and rotary position sensors, and more particularly to a position sensor having a Wiegand wire, position magnet(s) and a reset magnet in which changes in polarization of the Wiegand wire caused by the position magnet(s) can be reset by the reset magnet. BACKGROUND Many attempts have been made to measure position using linear and rotary position measurement devices that employ a wide variety of different types of position sensing systems using different types of position sensing head arrangements, sensing elements, circuits, techniques and methods with varying degrees of success. Many of these position measurement devices have position determining systems equipped with a fine position sensing system used to determine fine position and a coarse position sensing system designed to determine and retain a position state using power generated by the coarse position sensing system during coarse position sensing system operation. Such position measurement devices equipped with coarse position sensing systems configured to at least partially or even completely power the position determining system are expensive, are relatively inflexible in their implementation, and can suffer coarse position determination problems. More recently, Wiegand wires have been used to improve such position measurement devices. A Wiegand wire is a specially formed wire capable of magnetization with a polarization in a first state when exposed to a magnetic field, and reversal of the polarization in a second state when exposed to a revere of the magnetic field, known as the “Wiegand effect,” including as described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,820,090 (“Bistable Magnetic Device”). In such systems, Wiegand wires and magnets can be configured to move relative to one another so that position sensing can be efficiently provided. However, this typically requires a significant number of magnets arranged with alternating poles oriented toward the Wiegand wires so that the Wiegand wires can switch between polarization states with relative movement in order to provide position determination. It is now desirable to improve such position sensing systems to achieve high accuracy while requiring the least amount of resources possible. SUMMARY The present invention is directed to a position sensor is configured to use a Wiegand wire, position magnet(s) and a reset magnet in which changes in polarization of the Wiegand wire caused by the position magnet(s) can be reset by the reset magnet. The position magnet(s), which can move in relation to the Wiegand wire, can have relatively stronger magnetic flux densities, and the reset magnet, which can be fixed in relation to the Wiegand wire, can have a relatively weaker magnetic flux density. When the position magnet(s) are proximal the Wiegand wire, the relatively stronger position magnet(s) overcome the reset magnet to cause a change in polarization of the Wiegand wire which produces an electrical pulse which can be counted. However, when the position magnet(s) become distal to the Wiegand wire, the relatively weaker reset magnet can reset the polarization of the Wiegand wire to prepare for a next count. As a result, the total number of magnets required in the system can be reduced. In addition, the probability of failing to reset the Wiegand wire can be lowered. Also, Hall effect sensors can be used for direction determination to provide absolute position sensing. Specifically then, one aspect of the present invention can provide a position sensor including: a pulse generator including a pick-up coil wound around a can be configured to move with respect to one another. Also, the pulse generator and the reset magnet can be configured to remain stationary with respect to one another. Also, a magnetic flux density of the position magnet can be greater than a magnetic flux density of the reset magnet. Another aspect of the present invention can provide an absolute position sensor including: a detector including: a pulse generator including a pick-up coil wound around a Wiegand wire; multiple Hall sensors; a reset magnet; and a track carrying multiple position magnets. The detector and the track can be configured to move with respect to one another. Also, the pulse generator and the reset magnet can be configured to remain stationary with respect to one another. Also, magnetic flux densities of the position magnets can be greater than a magnetic flux density of the reset magnet. Also, the detector can be configured to increment or decrement a coarse position counter and resolve a fine position between position magnets using interpolation. In addition, the invention can include a position sensor that preferably is an absolute position sensor that even more preferably is well suited for use as an absolute linear position sensor. While such a position sensor constructed in accordance with the present invention is capable of “infinite length” use, it should be readily apparent that it is not limited to “infinite length” use. The position sensor has a positional signal emitting arrangement that can be formed of a long line (string) of spaced apart magnets mounted to or otherwise carried by or in a track, or other holder and/or arranged in such a manner using another suitable mounting method. A Detector passes over the track in a continuous fashion. A first detector circuit reads and counts each desired magnet pole as it passes over it, to accumulate the incremental distance between each magnet. The sum of magnet distances is then added to the distance calculated by the second detector circuit which interpolates the magnetic flux strength between the incremental magnets. The length of the magnet track limited only by the number of bytes used to store the incremental data. In one embodiment, a 64-bit number or result obtained where magnets at ½ inch intervals would theoretically enable measurement of lengths or distances as great as 1.455 EE 14 miles with interpolating to 8 bits of data using a method of interpolation in accordance with that disclosed herein results in fine position determination to within 0.003 inch accuracy. In other words, fine position measurement accuracy is provided with a position sensor constructed in accordance with the present invention that is greater than believed previously done in conventional linear position sensors. Components of one embodiment of an absolute position sensor equipped with a position determining system having fine position resolution using interpolation in accordance with the present invention include (a) an elongate track containing magnets spaced at even intervals; (b) a detector comprised of two separate measuring elements including (i) digital (on/off) value sensors to detect and count the magnets on an incremental basis providing coarse position, and (ii) analog (scalar) value sensors used in interpolating the position between the incremental magnets providing fine position, and (c) a processor, preferably a central processor, used to (i) sum and store incremental magnet count to provide coarse position and/or coarse motion, and (ii) process and the scalar magnetic flux values to resolve fine position between magnets. The detector is comprised of two parts, the incremental counting unit or subsystem (ICU), which can provide coarse position, and the magnetic (flux) interpolation unit (MIU), which is a fine position resolution subsystem that provides fine position. The position being the detector being the sum of the data contained in the ICU plus the MIU. In one embodiment, a magnetic flux sensor in accordance with the present invention is provided that outputs a signal, such as a pulse, when triggered by a sensor-triggering magnetic field having a magnetic field strength or flux density greater than a sensor trigger flux density threshold of the sensor that also includes a reset magnetic field having a magnetic field strength or flux density greater than a trigger reset flux density threshold of the sensor that resets the sensor in the absence of a triggering magnetic field of a sufficient magnetic field strength or magnetic flux density. In a preferred magnetic flux sensor, the density of the flux through the sensor sufficient to reset the sensor in order for the sensor to trigger upon the flux density or field strength reaching and preferably exceeding the sensor trigger threshold preferably is a trigger reset magnetic flux density that is at least as great and preferably greater than the sensor trigger flux density. In one such preferred magnetic flux sensor, a source of a trigger reset magnetic field having a magnetic field strength of magnetic flux density at or extending through the sensor is greater than the trigger flux density of the sensor without the presence of any other source of a magnetic field having magnetic flux at or extending through the sensor thereby enabling the sensor to reset so the sensor will output a pulse when the flux of a source of a triggering magnetic field at or extending through the sensor reaches and preferably exceeds the trigger magnetic flux density of the sensor. In a preferred embodiment, the magnetic flux sensor is a pulse sensor that outputs a pulse upon being triggered by the triggering magnetic field of a trigger magnetic field source of one polarity with the pulse sensor being reset for being triggered again by the trigger resetting magnetic field of a trigger resetting magnetic field source of an opposite polarity preferably once the triggering magnetic field subsides to a sufficiently low enough flux density to trigger the pulse sensor. In a preferred embodiment, the magnetic flux sensor employs a Wiegand wire carrying a pulse coil with the pulse coil generally coaxial with and telescoped over the Wiegand wire forming a Wiegand wire pulse sensor. A trigger-resettable Wiegand wire pulse sensor in accordance with the present invention further includes a Wiegand wire resetting magnetic field from a source of a magnetic field having a polarity or pole facing generally towards the Wiegand wire that is opposite a Wiegand wire triggering magnetic field from a source of a magnetic field having a polarity or pole also facing generally towards the Wiegand wire but disposed a distance from the Wiegand wire resetting magnetic field such that the Wiegand wire is interposed therebetween. Such a trigger-resettable Wiegand wire pulse sensor, more preferably trigger wire resettable Wiegand wire pulse sensor, employs one source of a magnetic field used to reset the Wiegand wire that can be and which preferably is a steady state magnetic field source, preferably a permanent magnet, which is or provides a trigger reset magnetic field having a pole or polarity opposite another source of a magnetic field used to trigger the Wiegand wire into causing an electrical pulse of current to be outputted from the pulse coil that can be and which preferably is a steady state magnetic field source, preferably another permanent magnet, which is or provides a trigger magnetic field having a magnetic field strength or magnetic flux density greater than that of the trigger reset magnetic field. In a preferred embodiment, the strength of the magnetic field or density of the magnetic flux of the triggering magnetic field, from triggering magnetic field source, preferably triggering steady state magnetic field source, more preferably from permanent trigger magnet, extending through or magnetically coupled with the Wiegand wire of the trigger-resettable pulse sensor is sufficiently greater than the strength of the magnetic field or density of the magnetic flux of the repulsive opposite polarity trigger resetting magnetic field, to trigger the Wiegand wire and cause the pulse coil to output an electrical current pulse. In one such preferred embodiment, the strength of the magnetic field or density of the magnetic flux of the triggering magnetic field source, preferably steady state triggering magnetic field source, more preferably permanent trigger magnet, extending through or magnetically coupled with the Wiegand wire is at least a plurality of times, preferably at least a plurality of pairs of, i.e., at least three, times greater than the opposite polarity strength of the magnetic field or density of the magnetic flux of the repulsive trigger resetting magnetic field, preferably from trigger resetting steady state magnetic field source, more preferably from trigger-resetting permanent magnet. In a preferred trigger resettable Wiegand wire pulse sensor, the Wiegand wire, pulse coil and source of the trigger-resetting magnetic field, preferably steady-state magnetic field source, more preferably trigger-resetting permanent magnet, are formed as a unit, preferably a sensor unit of one-piece and unitary construction that can be and which preferably is plug-and-play or printed circuit board surface mounted electrical component. If desired, such a trigger-resettable Wiegand wire pulse sensor can come in the form of a kit or assembly with at least one, preferably at least a plurality, and more preferably at least a plurality of pairs, i.e., at least three, of stronger magnetic field strength or stronger magnetic flux opposite pole or opposite polarity trigger magnets. Permanent magnets suitable for use as trigger magnets and trigger-reset magnets include magnets rare earth Alnico (AlNiCo), samarium cobalt (SmCo5), or neodymium (NdFeB) magnets. In at least one preferred embodiment, the trigger reset magnet of each trigger-resettable Wiegand wire pulse sensor constructed in accordance with the present invention has a magnetic field strength, flux density, or gauss of no more than 300 gauss, preferably of no more than 250 gauss, and more preferably of no more than about 200 gauss±25 gauss, and each trigger magnet used with such a trigger-resettable Wiegand wire pulse sensor has a magnetic field strength, flux density, or gauss of at least 900 gauss, preferably of at least 950 gauss, and more preferably of at least about 1000 gauss±100 gauss. Such a trigger-resettable Wiegand wire pulse sensor can be in the form of a surface mounted or surface mountable electrical component or circuit, such as an integrated circuit, preferably being in the form of a single inline package (SIP), dual inline package (DIP) quadruple inline package (QIP), zig-zag inline package (ZIP), a molded DIP (MDIP), or plastic DIP (PDIP), that includes at least one Wiegand wire, pulse coil coaxially carried by the Wiegand wire, e.g., a coil of wire helically wrapped around the Wiegand wire substantially the length of the Wiegand wire, and the trigger-reset magnet all of which can be molded or otherwise formed into one of the aforementioned electronic package formats having a plurality of electrical leads or outputs which can be soldered or solder mounted, e.g., surface mounted, to a printed circuit board (PCB). If desired, such a trigger-resettable Wiegand wire pulse sensor in accordance with the present invention can further include an onboard processor, such as a microcontroller, configured with firmware, that is in electrical cooperation, e.g., electrically connected, to one of the Wiegand wire and pulse coil. If desired, such a trigger-resettable Wiegand wire pulse sensor in accordance with the present invention can further include one or a plurality of spaced apart Hall sensors, which also can be in electrical cooperation with the processor, with the firmware configured to process signals from each Hall sensor and the pulse coil.

11405832

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a wireless communication system and, more particularly, to a method for performing a cell change procedure and a device therefor. BACKGROUND ART As an example of a mobile communication system to which the present invention is applicable, a 3rd Generation Partnership Project Long Term Evolution (hereinafter, referred to as LTE) communication system is described in brief. FIG. 1is a view schematically illustrating a network structure of an E-UMTS as an exemplary radio communication system. An Evolved Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (E-UMTS) is an advanced version of a conventional Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) and basic standardization thereof is currently underway in the 3GPP. E-UMTS may be generally referred to as a Long Term Evolution (LTE) system. For details of the technical specifications of the UMTS and E-UMTS, reference can be made to Release 7 and Release 8 of “3rd Generation Partnership Project; Technical Specification Group Radio Access Network”. Referring toFIG. 1, the E-UMTS includes a User Equipment (UE), eNode Bs (eNBs), and an Access Gateway (AG) which is located at an end of the network (E-UTRAN) and connected to an external network. The eNBs may simultaneously transmit multiple data streams for a broadcast service, a multicast service, and/or a unicast service. One or more cells may exist per eNB. The cell is set to operate in one of bandwidths such as 1.25, 2.5, 5, 10, 15, and 20 MHz and provides a downlink (DL) or uplink (UL) transmission service to a plurality of UEs in the bandwidth. Different cells may be set to provide different bandwidths. The eNB controls data transmission or reception to and from a plurality of UEs. The eNB transmits DL scheduling information of DL data to a corresponding UE so as to inform the UE of a time/frequency domain in which the DL data is supposed to be transmitted, coding, a data size, and hybrid automatic repeat and request (HARQ)-related information. In addition, the eNB transmits UL scheduling information of UL data to a corresponding UE so as to inform the UE of a time/frequency domain which may be used by the UE, coding, a data size, and HARQ-related information. An interface for transmitting user traffic or control traffic may be used between eNBs. A core network (CN) may include the AG and a network node or the like for user registration of UEs. The AG manages the mobility of a UE on a tracking area (TA) basis. One TA includes a plurality of cells. Although wireless communication technology has been developed to LTE based on wideband code division multiple access (WCDMA), the demands and expectations of users and service providers are on the rise. In addition, considering other radio access technologies under development, new technological evolution is required to secure high competitiveness in the future. Decrease in cost per bit, increase in service availability, flexible use of frequency bands, a simplified structure, an open interface, appropriate power consumption of UEs, and the like are required. DISCLOSURE Technical Problem An object of the present invention devised to solve the problem lies in a method and device for performing a cell change procedure in a wireless communication system. The technical problems solved by the present invention are not limited to the above technical problems and those skilled in the art may understand other technical problems from the following description. Technical Solution The object of the present invention can be achieved by providing a method for operating by an user equipment (UE) in wireless communication system, the method comprising; receiving configuration information indicating an identifier of a radio bearer to which a cell change procedure to be performed; and performing the cell change procedure in RLC (Radio Link Control) and PDCP (Packet Data Convergence Protocol) entities of the radio bearer indicated in the configuration information, wherein the cell change procedure comprises a re-establishment of the RLC and PDCP entities. In another aspect of the present invention, provided herein is a UE (User Equipment) in the wireless communication system, the UE comprising: an RF (Radio Frequency) module; and a processor to control the RF module, wherein the processor configured to receive configuration information indicating an identifier of a radio bearer to which a cell change procedure be performed and to perform the cell change procedure in RLC (Radio Link Control) and PDCP (Packet Data Convergence Protocol) entities of the radio bearer indicated in the configuration information, wherein the cell change procedure comprises a re-establishment of the RLC and PDCP entities. Preferably, the configuration information is indicated by the first base station on a first type cell or a second base station on a second type cell. Preferably, the configuration information is received through a RRC signaling message. Preferably, the PDCP entity does not change a security key when the re-establishment of the PDCP entity is performed. Preferably, the RLC entity is released after the re-establishment of the RLC entity is performed. Preferably, the method further comprises transmitting a PDCP status report when the RLC entity is added, changed or released. Preferably, the PDCP status report informs that which PDCP SDUs were correctly received and which were not correctly received. Preferably, a PDCP entity of the radio bearer and a RLC entity in a network side of the radio bearer reside on different base station. Preferably, a RRC entity of the UE requests the PDCP entity to perform the re-establishment of the PDCP entity without changing a security key. Preferably, a RRC entity of the UE requests the RLC entity to release after the re-establishment of the RLC entity is performed. Advantageous Effects According to the present invention, a cell change procedure can be efficiently performed in a wireless communication system. Specifically, a re-establishment of RLC (Radio Link Control) and PDCP (Packet Data Convergence Protocol) entities of the radio bearer can be efficiently performed in the cell change procedure. It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that that the effects achieved by the present invention are not limited to what has been particularly described hereinabove and other advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

11487287

BACKGROUND Autonomous vehicles, such as vehicles that do not require a human driver, can be used to aid in the transport of passengers or items from one location to another. Such vehicles may operate in a fully autonomous mode where passengers may provide some initial input, such as a pickup or destination location, and the vehicle maneuvers itself to that location. When a person (or user) wants to be physically transported between two locations via a vehicle, they may use any number of taxi services. To date, these services typically involve a human driver who is given dispatch instructions to a location to pick up and drop off the user. Generally these locations are worked out via physical signals (i.e. flagging down the driver), a phone call where the user explains where he or she actually is, or an in person discussion between the driver and user. These services, while useful, generally fail to provide users with exacting information about where a pickup or drop off will occur. BRIEF SUMMARY One aspect of the disclosure provides a method. The method includes receiving a request for a vehicle from a client computing device, wherein the request identifies a first location; using pre-stored map information and the first location to identify a recommended point according to a set of heuristics, wherein each heuristic of the set of heuristics has a ranking such that the recommended point corresponds to a location that satisfies at least one of the heuristics having a first rank and such that no other location satisfies any other heuristic of the set of heuristics having a higher rank than the first rank, the pre-stored map information identifying a plurality of pre-determined locations for the vehicle to stop, and wherein the recommended point is one of the plurality of pre-determined locations; and providing the recommended point to the client computing device for display on a display of the client computing device with a map. In one example, the at least one heuristic corresponds to the recommended point being (1) a previously identified user-preferred location included in a trip history for a user associated with the client computing device and (2) within a predetermined walking distance of the first location. In another example, the at least one heuristic corresponds to the recommended point being (1) a previous location at which a user associated with the client computing device was picked up or dropped off and (2) included in a trip history for the user and the previous location being within a predetermined walking distance of the first location. In another example, the at least one heuristic corresponds to the recommended point being (1) a predesignated preferred pullover spot for the vehicle according to the map information and (2) within a predetermined walking distance of the first location, and the map information identifies a plurality of predesignated preferred pullover spots for the vehicle. In another example, the at least one heuristic corresponds to the recommended point being (1) a predesignated preferred pullover spot for the vehicle according to the map information and (2) within a predetermined walking distance of the first location. In another example, the at least one heuristic corresponds to the recommended point being (1) within a predetermined distance of a known entrance of a building according to the map information and (2) the first location is within a building outline of the map information. In another example, the at least one heuristic corresponds to the recommended point being (1) within a predetermined distance of a handicapped parking spot according to the map information and (2) within a predetermined walking distance of the first location. In another example, the at least one heuristic corresponds to the recommended point being within a predetermined distance of a location of a street address corresponding to the first location when (1) the first location is a GPS location of the client computing device and (2) the GPS location corresponds to a residential area identified in the map information. In another example, the at least one heuristic corresponds to the recommended point being a closest predetermined stopping location to the first location according to the map information identifying a plurality of predetermined stopping locations for the vehicle to pull over. In another example, the method also includes receiving a current location of the client computing device; determining a walkable path between the current location and the recommended point using the map information; and providing the walkable path for display on the map with the recommended point. In another example, the map information identifies a set of predetermined locations for the vehicle to stop, and the method also includes identifying a subset of the plurality of pre-determined locations that are within a predetermined radial distance of the first location and providing the subset for display on the map when a user pans on the map. In another example, the method also includes receiving a request for additional pre-determined locations for a new location, identifying a second subset of the plurality of pre-determined locations that are within a predetermined radial distance of the new location, and providing the second subset for display on the map when a user pans on the map. In another example, the map information identifies a set of predetermined locations for the vehicle to stop, and the method also includes receiving a current location of the client computing device; identifying a subset of the plurality of pre-determined locations that are within a predetermined radial distance of the current location; and providing the subset for display on the map when a user pans on the map. In this example, the method also includes receiving a request for additional pre-determined locations for a new location, identifying a second subset of the plurality of pre-determined locations that are within a predetermined radial distance of the new location, providing the second subset for display on the map when a user pans on the map. In another example, the method also includes receiving a confirmation message identifying the first location and dispatching a vehicle to pick up or drop off a passenger at the first location. Another aspect of the disclosure provides a system including one or more server computing devices having one or more processors. The one or more processors re configured to receive a request for a vehicle from a client computing device, wherein the request identifies a first location; use pre-stored map information and the first location to identify a recommended point according to a set of heuristics, wherein each heuristic of the set of heuristics has a ranking such that the recommended point corresponds to a location that satisfies at least one of the heuristics having a first rank and such that no other location satisfies any other heuristic of the set of heuristics having a higher rank than the first rank, the pre-stored map information identifying a plurality of pre-determined locations for the vehicle to stop, and wherein the recommended point is one of the plurality of pre-determined locations; and provide the recommended point to the client computing device for display on a display of the client computing device with a map. In one example, the at least one heuristic corresponds to the recommended point being (1) a previously identified user-preferred location included in a trip history for a user associated with the client computing device and (2) within a predetermined walking distance of the first location. In another example, the at least one heuristic corresponds to the recommended point being (1) a previous location at which a user associated with the client computing device was picked up or dropped off and (2) included in a trip history for the user and the previous location being within a predetermined walking distance of the first location. In another example, the at least one heuristic corresponds to the recommended point being (1) a predesignated preferred pullover spot for the vehicle according to the map information and (2) within a predetermined walking distance of the first location, and the map information identifies a plurality of predesignated preferred pullover spots for the vehicle. In another example, the at least one heuristic corresponds to the recommended point being (1) within a predetermined distance of a known entrance of a building according to the map information and (2) the first location is within a building outline of the map information.

11236460

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS This application is a U.S. National Stage Application under 35 U.S.C. § 371 of PCT Application No. PCT/KR2017/004139, filed Apr. 18, 2017, which claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2016-0047129, filed Apr. 18, 2016, whose entire disclosures are hereby incorporated by reference. TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a drain pump driving apparatus and a laundry treatment machine including the same and, more particularly, a drain pump driving apparatus capable of accurately calculating a lift without using a water pressure sensor and a water level sensor, and a laundry treatment machine including the same. BACKGROUND ART Generally, a laundry treatment machine performs washing by using friction force between laundry and a washing tub that is rotated by a driving force of a motor transmitted thereto with a detergent, wash water and laundry put in a drum. The laundry treatment machine may produce a laundry washing effect with little damage to the laundry and no tangled laundry. A drain pump is used to drain residual water from the washing tub in the laundry treatment machine, and various methods for stable operation of the drain pump are being discussed. DISCLOSURE Technical Problem An object of the present invention is to provide a drain pump driving apparatus capable of accurately calculating a lift without using a water pressure sensor and a water level sensor, and a laundry treatment machine including the same. Technical Solution In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a drain pump driving apparatus including: a motor to drive a drain pump; an inverter to convert a direct current (DC) power to an alternating current (AC) power by a switching operation, and output the converted AC power to the motor; an output current detector to detect an output current flowing to the motor; and a controller configured to control the inverter, wherein the controller is further configured to calculate a speed of the motor based on the output current, and calculate a lift, which is a difference between a water level of a water introduction part through which water flows into the drain pump and a water level of a water discharge part for discharging water from the drain pump, based on the calculated speed. Meanwhile, in order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a laundry treatment machine including: a washing tub; a driving unit configured to drive the washing tub; a drain pump; and a drain pump driving apparatus configured to drive the drain pump, wherein the drain pump driving apparatus includes: a motor to drive the drain pump; an inverter to convert a direct current (DC) power to an alternating current (AC) power by a switching operation, and output the converted AC power to the motor; an output current detector to detect an output current flowing to the motor; and a controller configured to control the inverter, wherein the controller is further configured to calculate a speed of the motor based on an output current, and calculate a lift, which is a difference between a water level of a water introduction part through which water flows into the drain pump and s water level of a water discharge part for discharging water from the drain pump, based on the calculated speed. Advantageous Effects In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, the above and other objects may be accomplished by the provision of a drain pump driving apparatus including a motor to drive the drain pump, an inverter to convert a direct current (DC) power to an alternating current (AC) power by a switching operation and output the converted AC power to the motor, an output current detector to detect an output current flowing to the motor, and a controller configured to control the inverter, wherein the controller may calculate a speed of the motor based on the output current and calculates a lift, which is a difference between the water level of a water introduction part through which water flows into the drain pump and the water level of a water discharge part for discharging water from the drain pump, based on the calculated speed. Accordingly, the lift may be accurately calculated without using any water pressure sensor or water level sensor. Therefore, manufacturing costs may be reduced. As the rotational speed of the motor is controlled to be varied based on the calculated lift, drainage may be performed smoothly, and power consumption may be reduced.

11411134

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This application is a national stage application under 35 U.S.C. § 371 of International Application No. PCT/CN2019/089021, filed May 29, 2019, which claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 201910074093.5, filed Jan. 25, 2019. Each of the forgoing applications is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes. TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to display technology, more particularly, to a light emitting apparatus, a method of fabricating a light emitting apparatus, and a method of emitting light using a light emitting apparatus. BACKGROUND The light emitting diodes (LEDs) have lots of advantages including simple structure, small size, energy efficiency, extended life, durability, and directional emissions. The LEDs have gradually replaced traditional light bulbs and fluorescent lamps. Also, the LEDs are widely used in photovoltaic systems. SUMMARY In one aspect, the present invention provides a light emitting apparatus, comprising a frame structure having a bottom side and a reflective lateral side connecting to the bottom side; and a first light emitting element and a second light emitting element on the bottom side of the frame structure; wherein the first light emitting element is configured to emit a first light having a first wavelength range along a first direction substantially parallel to a main surface of the bottom side of the frame structure; the second light emitting element is configured to emit a second light having a second wavelength range along a second direction substantially parallel to the main surface of the bottom side of the frame structure, wherein the first direction and the second direction are substantially opposite to each other; and the reflective lateral side of the frame structure is configured to reflect the first light having the first wavelength range into a first reflected light and reflect the second light having the second wavelength range into a second reflected light, wherein the first reflected light and the second reflected light transmit out of a substantially transparent top side of the light emitting apparatus in form of a composite light comprising a first component of the first wavelength range and a second component of the second wavelength range, wherein the substantially transparent top side is opposite to the bottom side. Optionally, the light emitting apparatus further comprises a base substrate between the first light emitting element and the second light emitting element; wherein the first light emitting element, the base substrate, and the second light emitting element are sequentially arranged along a direction substantially parallel to the main surface of the bottom side; the first light emitting element and the second light emitting element are respectively on a first side and a second side of the base substrate, wherein the first side and the second side are two substantially opposite sides of the base substrate, and the first side and the second side are respectively substantially perpendicular to the main surface of the bottom side; and orthographic projections of the first light emitting element and the second light emitting element on a plane containing the first side of the base substrate are substantially non-overlapping with an orthographic projection of the bottom side on the plane containing the first side of the base substrate. Optionally, the base substrate is a growth substrate for epitaxial growth of layers of the first light emitting element and layers of the second light emitting element. Optionally, the first light emitting element comprises a first quantum-well layer on the first side of the base substrate configured to emit the first light having the first wavelength range toward the reflective lateral side of the frame structure; the second light emitting element comprises a second quantum-well layer on the second side of the base substrate configured to emit the second light having the second wavelength range toward the reflective lateral side of the frame structure; the first light having the first wavelength range transmits from the first quantum-well layer to the reflective lateral side without transmitting through the second quantum-well layer; the second light having the second wavelength range transmits from the second quantum-well layer to the reflective lateral side without transmitting through the first quantum-well layer; and the first quantum-well layer, the base substrate, and the second quantum-well layer are sequentially arranged along a direction substantially parallel to the main surface of the bottom side. Optionally, the light emitting apparatus further comprises a first reflective layer between the base substrate and the first quantum-well layer, and configured to reflect light emitted from the first quantum-well layer toward the reflective lateral side of the frame structure; and a second reflective layer between the base substrate and the second quantum-well layer, and configured to reflect light emitted from the second quantum-well layer toward the reflective lateral side of the frame structure; and the first quantum-well layer, the first reflective layer, the base substrate, the second reflective layer, and the second quantum-well layer are sequentially arranged along the direction substantially parallel to the main surface of the bottom side. Optionally, the first reflective layer is a distributed Bragg reflector; and the second reflective layer is a distributed Bragg reflector. Optionally, the first light emitting element further comprises a first type doped semiconductor layer on a side of the first quantum-well layer closer to the base substrate; and a second type doped semiconductor layer on a side of the first quantum-well layer away from the base substrate; wherein the second light emitting element further comprises a third type doped semiconductor layer on a side of the second quantum-well layer closer to the base substrate; and a fourth type doped semiconductor layer on a side of the second quantum-well layer away from the base substrate; wherein the second type doped semiconductor layer, the first quantum-well layer, the first type doped semiconductor layer, the first reflective layer, the base substrate, the second reflective layer, the third type doped semiconductor layer, the second quantum-well layer, and the fourth type doped semiconductor layer are sequentially arranged along the direction substantially parallel to the main surface of the bottom side. Optionally, the first light emitting element further comprises a first electrode on a side of the first type doped semiconductor layer away from the base substrate; and a second electrode on a side of the second type doped semiconductor layer away from the base substrate; wherein an orthographic projection of the first electrode on the base substrate is substantially non-overlapping with an orthographic projection of the first quantum-well layer on the base substrate; and an orthographic projection of the second electrode on the base substrate at least partially overlaps with the orthographic projection of the first quantum-well layer on the base substrate. Optionally, the second light emitting element further comprises a third electrode on a side of the third type doped semiconductor layer away from the base substrate; and a fourth electrode on a side of the fourth type doped semiconductor layer away from the base substrate; wherein an orthographic projection of the third electrode on the base substrate is substantially non-overlapping with an orthographic projection of the second quantum-well layer on the base substrate; and an orthographic projection of the fourth electrode on the base substrate at least partially overlaps with the orthographic projection of the second quantum-well layer on the base substrate. Optionally, the composite light is a light of white color. Optionally, the light emitting apparatus further comprises a first buffer layer between the base substrate and the first reflective layer; and a second buffer layer between the base substrate and the second reflective layer. Optionally, a vertical cross-section of the frame structure along a plane perpendicular to the bottom side of the frame structure and containing a geometric center of the bottom side has a substantially inverted trapezoidal shape having an opening on a side away from the bottom side. Optionally, the lateral side of the substantially inverted trapezoidal shape are curved lines. Optionally, the light emitting apparatus is absent of any wavelength conversion layer. Optionally, the substantially transparent top side of the light emitting apparatus has an arch shape protruding along a direction opposite to the bottom side of the frame structure. Optionally, the bottom side of the frame structure has a rectangular shape or a trapezoidal shape. In another aspect, the present invention provides a method of fabricating a light emitting apparatus, comprising forming a frame structure having a bottom side and a reflective lateral side connecting to the bottom side; forming a first light emitting element and a second light emitting element on the bottom side of the frame structure; wherein the first light emitting element is formed to emit a first light having a first wavelength range along a first direction substantially parallel to a main surface of the bottom side of the frame structure; the second light emitting element is formed to emit a second light having a second wavelength range along a second direction substantially parallel to the main surface of the bottom side of the frame structure, wherein the first direction and the second direction are substantially opposite to each other; and the reflective lateral side of the frame structure is formed to reflect the first light having the first wavelength range into a first reflected light and reflect the second light having the second wavelength range into a second reflected light, wherein the first reflected light and the second reflected light transmit out of a substantially transparent top side of the light emitting apparatus in form of a composite light comprising a first component of the first wavelength range and a second component of the second wavelength range, wherein the substantially transparent top side is opposite to the bottom side Optionally, forming the first light emitting element and the second light emitting element on the bottom side of the frame structure comprises providing a growth substrate; forming a first reflective layer on a first side of the growth substrate; forming a first type doped semiconductor layer on a side of the first reflective layer away from the growth substrate; forming a first quantum-well layer on a side of the first type doped semiconductor layer away from the growth substrate; forming a second type doped semiconductor layer on a side of the first quantum-well layer away from the growth substrate; forming a second reflective layer on a second side of the growth substrate, the first side and the second side are two substantially opposite sides of the growth substrate; forming a third type doped semiconductor layer on a side of the second reflective layer away from the growth substrate; forming a second quantum-well layer on a side of the third type doped semiconductor layer away from the growth substrate; forming a fourth type doped semiconductor layer on a side of the second quantum-well layer away from the growth substrate; wherein the second type doped semiconductor layer, the first quantum-well layer, the first type doped semiconductor layer, the first reflective layer, the base substrate, the second reflective layer, the third type doped semiconductor layer, the second quantum-well layer, and the fourth type doped semiconductor layer are sequentially arranged along the direction substantially parallel to the main surface of the bottom side. In another aspect, the present invention provides a method of emitting light using a light emitting apparatus, comprising emitting a first light having a first wavelength range along a first direction substantially parallel to a main surface of a bottom side of a frame structure using a first light emitting element on the bottom side of the frame structure; emitting a second light having a second wavelength range along a second direction substantially parallel to the main surface of the bottom side of the frame structure using a second light emitting element on the bottom side of the frame structure; reflecting the first light having the first wavelength range into a first reflected light and reflect the second light having the second wavelength range into a second reflected light using a reflective lateral side of the frame structure; and transmitting the first reflected light and the second reflected light out of a substantially transparent top side of the light emitting apparatus in form of a composite light comprising a first component of the first wavelength range and a second component of the second wavelength range; wherein the first direction and the second direction are substantially opposite to each other; the reflective lateral side of the frame structure is connected to the bottom side of the frame structure; and the substantially transparent top side of the light emitting apparatus is opposite to the bottom side of the frame structure. Optionally, the first light emitting element comprises the first quantum-well layer on the first side of the base substrate; and the second light emitting element comprises a second quantum-well layer on the second side of the base substrate. The method further comprises emitting the first light having the first wavelength range toward the reflective lateral side of the frame structure using the first quantum-well layer; and emitting the second light having the second wavelength range toward the reflective lateral side of the frame structure using the second quantum-well layer; wherein the first light having the first wavelength range transmits from the first quantum-well layer to the reflective lateral side without transmitting through the second quantum-well layer; and the second light having the second wavelength range transmits from the second quantum-well layer to the reflective lateral side without transmitting through the first quantum-well layer.

11340206

FIELD This application relates generally to pH measurement of an aqueous sample, and, more particularly, to pH measurement of an aqueous sample using a pressure compensated sensor. BACKGROUND Ensuring water quality is critical to the health and well-being of humans, animals, and plants, which are reliant on water for survival. One parameter of water that may be measured is the pH. The measurement of pH of an aqueous sample is critical in a number of industries such as pharmaceuticals, biomedical, water supply, and other manufacturing fields. Measurement of pH may allow for proper treatment of water or ensuring proper water quality for sensitive purposes, and allows for identifying the overall quality of the water. Another important application of pH is in scientific studies of natural water including oceans, lakes, rivers, and estuaries. BRIEF SUMMARY One embodiment provides a pressure compensated pH sensor apparatus, comprising: a pH sensing component comprising a sensing portion that is exposed to a fluid source when in use; a pressure chamber located in a position under the sensing portion and that surrounds all of the sensing portion not exposed to the fluid source when in use; and a pressure compensation mechanism located within the pressure chamber, wherein the pressure compensation mechanism reacts to pressure from an environment outside the apparatus, thereby support the sensing portion. Another embodiment provides a pressure compensated pH sensor probe, comprising: a pH sensing component comprising a sensing portion that is exposed to a fluid source when in use; a reference component; a pressure chamber fluidly located between the sensing portion and the reference component; a pressure compensation mechanism fluidly communicating with the pressure chamber, the sensing portion, and the reference component, wherein the pressure compensation mechanism reacts to pressure from an environment outside the apparatus, thereby supporting both reference component and the sensing portion. The foregoing is a summary and thus may contain simplifications, generalizations, and omissions of detail; consequently, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the summary is illustrative only and is not intended to be in any way limiting. For a better understanding of the embodiments, together with other and further features and advantages thereof, reference is made to the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The scope of the invention will be pointed out in the appended claims.

11281934

BACKGROUND The proliferation of access to the Internet has significantly expanded participation in social networks and social media platforms as a means of sharing information. Internet memes are an example of information that is shared over the Internet, typically using social networks and social media platforms. Internet memes are pieces of digital media (e.g., digital images or digital video clips) combined with a text word or phrase to convey or represent a particular theme or meaning. Internet memes can be used to promote or share different types of information, including humor, news, entertainment, etc. An objective of many Internet meme creators and promotors is to have an Internet meme become “viral,” where sharing of a viral Internet meme proliferates quickly over a short period of time.

11425461

TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates to a content distribution server, a content distribution method, and a program. BACKGROUND ART There are systems in which users are able to communicate with each other in virtual space. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique that provides a virtual environment for users to communicate with each other. In this virtual environment, it is possible to set browsing rights for virtual messages in the virtual space. In this case, only browsers who have browsing rights can browse through the virtual messages. When a browser without browsing right attempts to browse through the virtual messages, the virtual messages are hidden or blurred. In recent years, services that deliver live content via a network have become widespread as live broadcasting over the internet. Technologies been proposed for live broadcasting over the internet in which the distributor appears as a virtual character (avatar) in virtual space in video that is distributed as live content. PRIOR ART DOCUMENTS Patent Documents Patent Document 1: WO 2008/106196 A1 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Problem to be Solved by the Invention The technology disclosed in Patent Document 1 is premised on all users inhabiting the virtual space as virtual characters. In this case, all users share the virtual space from the same viewpoint. In live Internet broadcasting by contrast, there are not only users who inhabit the virtual space as virtual characters (primarily distributors) but also users who simply watch the video (primarily viewers). In this case, the viewpoint varies by user. Therefore, it is sometimes not preferable for all users to share the virtual space from the same viewpoint. Current live internet broadcasting systems are designed so that a distributor, viewers, and participants who participate in the distributed content browse the same virtual space. The distributor wears an HMD (head mounted display) and distributes content while watching video in virtual space. Movements by the distributor in real space are reflected in movements of a virtual character in virtual space using a motion capture technology. Here, the distributor may want to check a script or a timekeeper while distributing content. Because the distributor is wearing an HMD, a script or timekeeper cannot be checked in real space. Therefore, an object indicating a script or timekeeper is preferably displayed in virtual space. However, an object indicating a script or timekeeper is not an object that the distributor wants the viewer to see. In addition, the distributor may want to check the virtual camera used to record distributed content or an object indicating the position of the virtual camera. However, an object indicating a virtual camera or the position of a virtual camera is not an object that the distributor wants the viewer to see. As mentioned above, an object displayed in virtual space for the convenience of the distributor, such as a script, timekeeper, or virtual camera (position of the virtual camera) is preferably not disclosed to viewers. However, sometimes the distributor may wish to disclose these objects to participants (viewers or other distributors) who participate in the content distributed by the distributor. Therefore, a mechanism for restricting the disclosure of objects displayed in virtual space based on distribution status is required for the convenience of the distributor. Because the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1 is used to control browsing rights to virtual messages addressed to others, it is not a mechanism that can be used to restrict the disclosure of objects displayed in virtual space at the convenience of the distributor. In view of these circumstances, it is an object of the present disclosure to provide a content distribution server etc. that is able to impose a public restriction on an object displayed in virtual space at the convenience of a distributor. Means for Solving the Problem In order to achieve this object, a first aspect of the present invention is a content distribution server comprising: a distribution unit that distributes live content for synthesizing video in virtual space with information on the distributor as information on a virtual character; and a first setting receiving unit that receives a disclosure restriction setting from a distributor terminal used by the distributor for restricting an object present in the virtual space displayed on the distributor terminal from being displayed on a viewer terminal used by a viewer viewing the live content. In order to achieve this object, a second aspect of the present invention is a content distribution method comprising: a distribution step of distributing live content for synthesizing video in virtual space with information on the distributor as information on a virtual character; and a first setting receiving step of receiving a disclosure restriction setting from a distributor terminal used by the distributor for restricting an object present in the virtual space displayed on the distributor terminal from being displayed on a viewer terminal used by a viewer viewing the live content. In order to achieve this object, a third aspect of the present invention is a program causing a computer to function as a distribution means for distributing live content for synthesizing video in virtual space with information on the distributor as information on a virtual character; and a first setting receiving means for receiving a disclosure restriction setting from a distributor terminal used by the distributor for restricting an object present in the virtual space displayed on the distributor terminal from being displayed on a viewer terminal used by a viewer viewing the live content. Effects of the Invention The present disclosure is able to provide a content distribution server etc. that is able to impose a public restriction on an object displayed in virtual space at the convenience of a distributor.

11236217

PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT This disclosure was created pursuant to a joint development agreement between Eastman Chemical Company, a Delaware corporation, and Continental Reifen Deutschland GmbH, a German corporation, that in effect on or before the date the claimed invention was made, and the claimed invention was made as a result of activities undertaken within the scope of the joint development agreement. FIELD Modified thermoplastic resins are disclosed in which the fraction of oligomer is reduced, where oligomers are defined as dimer, trimer, tetramer, and/or pentamer species of monomers used to produce the modified thermoplastic resin. The low oligomer content of the modified thermoplastic resins provides a higher glass transition temperature (Tg) to z-average molecular weight (Mz) ratio (Tg/Mz) than is currently available with corresponding unmodified commercial thermoplastic resins. The modified thermoplastic resins can improve the performance properties of the rubber and elastomer compositions and cured rubber and elastomer compounds. Further, methods of preparing the modified thermoplastic resins are disclosed. Various uses and end products that impart excellent performance due to the unexpected properties of these modified thermoplastic resins are also disclosed. BACKGROUND Hydrocarbon and natural thermoplastic resins can be used to modify the viscoelastic properties of rubber compositions, such as those used in the manufacture of rubber-based products, including tire tread compounds, such that tire tread performance properties (such as wet grip, rolling resistance) are enhanced. Resins can also be used as processing aids to reduce the compound viscosity, and they can provide an improvement in tack which is needed for the tire construction process. Resins are increasingly used in rubber mixtures for vehicle tire applications, in particular in rubber mixtures for tire treads. U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0222197 discloses tire treads containing thermoplastic resins in amounts exceeding 50 phr. A good compatibility between rubber and thermoplastic resin is a prerequisite for achieving high thermoplastic resin loadings in the polymer matrix. Current thermoplastic resin technology for tires uses high glass transition thermoplastic resins to modify the rubber glass transition temperature Tg and viscoelastic properties to improve wet grip and rolling resistance performance balance. The wet grip performance must be balanced with other tire properties including rolling resistance and wear that are affected by the introduction of thermoplastic resin. Hydrocarbon thermoplastic resins are added to an internal mixer along with elastomers, reinforcing particulate fillers, and other ingredients to form the rubber compounds used in the construction of automobile tires. The formation of a single-phase blend of thermoplastic resin and elastomer is critical to the effectiveness of the thermoplastic resin to modify the viscoelastic properties of the elastomer. One use case of thermoplastic resins in tire tread applications is to increase the glass transition temperature (Tg) of the elastomer compound such that there is higher hysteretic energy loss for the mechanism of improved tire wet grip performance. However, this increase in hysteresis for wet grip must be balanced by the need for low hysteresis compound properties at elevated temperatures in order to achieve low rolling resistance (fuel efficient) tires. The ability of a thermoplastic resin to effectively balance the wet grip and rolling resistance performance requirements in this way depends on the thermoplastic resin glass transition temperature (Tg), number average molecular weight (Mn), and molecular weight distribution. The Tg of typical hydrocarbon thermoplastic resins have a strong dependence on molecular weight, Mn. Low Tg thermoplastic resins have low Mn, while increasing Mn increases the thermoplastic resin Tg. In a typical thermoplastic resin molecular weight distribution, the low molecular weight thermoplastic resin species are not efficient for modifying the elastomer Tg because they have lower glass transition temperatures. Additionally, the very high molecular weight thermoplastic resin species (characterized by the z-average molecular weight, Mz) are not efficient either because they are not compatible with the elastomers. The current method to increase the thermoplastic resin Tg is by increasing the molecular weight; however, this is not efficient because during typical polymerization conditions, the amount of incompatible high molecular weight thermoplastic resin increases with increasing Mn. It is therefore desirable to obtain a modified thermoplastic resin in which the modified thermoplastic resin has a high Tg while maintaining a low Mz to most efficiently modify the elastomer compound Tg while maintaining compatibility with the rubber matrix. SUMMARY Provided herein are modified thermoplastic resin compositions. It has been discovered that modification of thermoplastic resins by reducing the relative amount of oligomer present in the modified thermoplastic resin as compared to a corresponding unmodified thermoplastic resin, where oligomers are defined as dimer, trimer, tetramer, and/or pentamer species of monomers used to produce the modified thermoplastic resin provides a higher glass transition temperature (Tg) to z-average molecular weight (Mz) ratio (Tg/Mz) than is currently available with corresponding unmodified commercial thermoplastic resins. The modification of thermoplastic resins according to the methods disclosed herein confers superior unexpected properties to products incorporating such modified thermoplastic resins, such that products, such as rubber products, adhesive, molded plastics, tires, belts, gaskets, hoses, and the like, possess superior properties as compared to similar products without the disclosed modified thermoplastic resins. Disclosed are also methods of obtaining, manufacturing, or creating such modified thermoplastic resins, as well as various products incorporating the disclosed modified thermoplastic resins. Thus, disclosed herein are vulcanized rubber compositions that comprise an elastomer, a filler, and a modified thermoplastic resin prepared by polymerization of one or more monomers. In such compositions, the modified thermoplastic resins comprise less than or equal to 55 wt % oligomers by gel permeation chromatography (GPC), or less than or equal to 38 wt % by high resolution thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The oligomers consist of dimers, trimers, tetramers, pentamers, or a mixture thereof, of the one or more monomers. In such embodiments, the modified thermoplastic resins have a glass transition temperature (Tg) of between −50° C. and 160° C., between 0° C. and 140° C., or between 20° C. and 120° C., the number average molecular weight (Mn) of the modified thermoplastic resins is less than or equal to 1,000 g/mol, 500 g/mol, or 250 g/mol, and/or wherein the z-average molecular weight (Mz) is less than or equal to 9,000 g/mol, 8,000 g/mol, or 6,000 g/mol. In another embodiment, the modified thermoplastic resins described herein are obtained by modification of pure monomer thermoplastic resin (PMR), C5 thermoplastic resin, C5/C9 thermoplastic resin, C9 thermoplastic resin, hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated pure monomer (PMR) thermoplastic resin, hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated C5 thermoplastic resin, hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated C5/C9 thermoplastic resin, hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated C9 thermoplastic resin, hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated dicyclopentadiene (DCPD) thermoplastic resin, terpene thermoplastic resin, indene-coumarone (IC) thermoplastic resin, or a mixture thereof. In such compositions, the modified thermoplastic resin is present in an amount of from 5 to 400 phr, 5 to 150 phr, from 5 to 120 phr, or from 5 to 100 phr. Additionally, in such embodiments, the elastomer is one or more of natural polyisoprene, synthetic polyisoprene, solution-polymerized styrene-butadiene (SSBR), and/or butadiene rubber (BR). Such compositions also optionally comprise at least one of a silica, carbon black, a silane coupling agent, a processing oil, a zinc compound, a wax, a vulcanizing agent, a vulcanizing retardant, a vulcanizing accelerator, and/or an antioxidant. Also disclosed are articles, such as a tire, hose, gasket, belt, or shoe sole, wherein at least one component of the tire, hose, gasket, belt, or shoe sole comprises the vulcanized rubber composition of claim1. For example, the hose, gasket, tire, or belt are components of an engine, mechanical system, or an assembly line system. Further, the at least one component of the tire, in one embodiment, is a tread or a sidewall of the tire. In another embodiment, disclosed are vulcanized rubber compositions that comprise an elastomer, a filler, and a modified thermoplastic resin prepared by polymerization of one or more monomers, wherein the modified thermoplastic resin possesses the properties of formula I: S=(TgMz)/[Oligomer⁢×(1-T10Tmax)].I In such embodiments, Tg is the glass transition temperature of the modified thermoplastic resin, Mz is the z-average molecular weight of the modified thermoplastic resin, Oligomer is the fraction of oligomer present in the modified thermoplastic resin as measured by high resolution thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) or gel permeation chromatography (GPC), T10is the temperature at which the modified thermoplastic resin loses about 10% of its weight as measured by high resolution TGA, Tmaxis the temperature of the maximum first derivative value of the modified thermoplastic resin as measured by high resolution TGA, and oligomers consist of dimers, trimers, tetramer, and pentamer species of the one or more monomers. In such embodiments, the value of S is greater than or equal to 2 and less than 50,000 when Oligomer is determined by GPC, or greater than or equal to 5 and less than 10,000 when Oligomer is determined by high resolution TGA, and/or the value of Mz is less than or equal to 9,000 g/mol. In such embodiments, the modified thermoplastic resin is obtained by modification of pure monomer thermoplastic resin (PMR), C5 thermoplastic resin, C5/C9 thermoplastic resin, C9 thermoplastic resin, hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated pure monomer (PMR) thermoplastic resin, hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated C5 thermoplastic resin, hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated C5/C9 thermoplastic resin, hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated C9 thermoplastic resin, hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated dicyclopentadiene (DCPD) thermoplastic resin, terpene thermoplastic resin, indene-coumarone (IC) thermoplastic resin, or a mixture thereof. In such embodiments, the elastomer is one or more of natural polyisoprene, synthetic polyisoprene, solution-polymerized styrene-butadiene (SSBR), and/or butadiene rubber (BR). Further, in one embodiment where the modified thermoplastic resin is defined by Formula I, the Oligomer is determined by high resolution TGA, and: (a) the modified thermoplastic resin is a PMR resin, where the value of Tg/Mz is greater than or equal to 0.14, and: the weight percent of oligomer is less than 17, and/or the value of T10/Tmaxis greater than or equal to 0.90, and/or the value of S is greater than 12; (b) the modified thermoplastic resin is C5 resin, and: the weight percent of oligomer is less than 14, and/or the value of T10/Tmaxis greater than or equal to 0.92, and/or the value of S is greater than or equal to 5; (c) the modified thermoplastic resin is a C5/C9 resin, and: the weight percent of oligomer is less than 15, and/or the value of T10/Tmaxis greater than or equal to 0.92, and/or the value of S is greater than or equal to 10; (d) the modified thermoplastic resin is a C9 resin, where the value of Tg/Mz is greater than or equal to 0.12, and: the weight percent of oligomer is less than or equal to 15, and/or the value of T10/Tmaxis greater than or equal to 0.88, and/or the value of S is greater than or equal to 16; (e) the modified thermoplastic resin is a hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated DCPD resin, where the value of Tg/Mz is greater than 0.25, and the weight percent of oligomer is less than 31, and/or the value of T10/Tmaxis greater than 0.85, and/or the value of S is greater than or equal to 10; (f) the modified thermoplastic resin is a hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated PMR resin, where the value of Tg/Mz is greater than or equal to 0.30, and: the weight percent of oligomer is less than or equal to 16, and/or the value of T10/Tmaxis greater than 0.85, and/or the value of S is greater than or equal to 22; (g) the modified thermoplastic resin is a hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated PMR resin, where the value of Tg/Mz is less than 0.30, and: the weight percent of oligomer is less than 38, and/or the value of T10/Tmaxis greater than 0.75, and/or the value of S is greater than or equal to 5; (h) the modified thermoplastic resin is a hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated C5 resin or a hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated C5/C9 resin, and: the weight percent of oligomer is less than 30, and/or the value of T10/Tmaxis greater than or equal to 0.90, and/or the value of S is greater than or equal to 10; and/or (i) the modified thermoplastic resin is hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated C9, where the value of Tg/Mz is greater than or equal to 0.19, and: the weight percent of oligomer is less than or equal to 13, and/or the value of T10/Tmaxis greater than 0.90, and/or the value of S is greater than or equal to 16. Further, in another embodiment where the modified thermoplastic resin is defined by Formula I, the Oligomer is determined by GPC, and: (a) the modified thermoplastic resin is a PMR resin, the value of Tg/Mz is greater than or equal to 0.14 K/(g/mol), the Oligomer having a molecular weight of less than 300 g/mol is less than or equal to 0.02, and the Oligomer having a molecular weight of less than 600 g/mol is less than or equal to 0.1; (b) the modified thermoplastic resin is a C5 resin, and wherein: the Oligomer having a molecular weight of less than 300 g/mol is less than 0.03, or the Oligomer having a molecular weight of less than 600 g/mol is less than 0.17; (c) the modified thermoplastic resin is a C5/C9 resin, and wherein: the Oligomer having a molecular weight of less than 300 g/mol is less than 0.03, or the Oligomer having a molecular weight of less than 600 g/mol is less than 0.17; (d) the modified thermoplastic resin is a C9 resin, the value of Tg/Mz is greater than 0.09 K/(g/mol), the Oligomer having a molecular weight of less than 300 g/mol is less than or equal to 0.05, and the Oligomer having a molecular weight of less than 600 g/mol is less than 0.25; (e) the modified thermoplastic resin is a hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated DCPD resin, the value of Tg/Mz is greater than or equal to 0.25 K/(g/mol), and wherein: the Oligomer having a molecular weight of less than 300 g/mol is less than 0.16, or the Oligomer having a molecular weight of less than 600 g/mol is less than 0.55; (f) the modified thermoplastic resin is a hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated C5 resin and/or a hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated C5/C9 resin, and wherein: the Oligomer having a molecular weight of less than 300 g/mol is less than 0.15, or the Oligomer having a molecular weight of less than 600 g/mol is less than 0.45; (g) the modified thermoplastic resin is hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated C9 resin, the value of Tg/Mz is greater than 0.19 K/(g/mol), and wherein: the Oligomer having a molecular weight of less than 300 g/mol is less than or equal to 0.08, and the Oligomer having a molecular weight of less than 600 g/mol is less than 0.3; and/or (h) the modified thermoplastic resin is a hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated PMR resin, and: the value of Tg/Mz is greater than or equal to 0.30 K/(g/mol), the Oligomer having a molecular weight of less than 300 g/mol is less than 0.08, or the Oligomer having a molecular weight of less than 600 g/mol is less than 0.40, or the value of Tg/Mz is less than 0.30 K/(g/mol), the Oligomer having a molecular weight of less than 300 g/mol is less than 0.09, or the Oligomer having a molecular weight of less than 600 g/mol is less than 0.25.

11504260

TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates to a rigidifying brace and corresponding methods for retaining an organ in an expanded state. BACKGROUND Generally, edema and tissue swelling are considered pathologic conditions to be treated by medical interventions, such as compression garments. However, in some instances, inducing and maintaining a chronic edema state may be beneficial when the desired goal is to ultimately induce tissue augmentation and enlargement. For example, the applicant has previously developed devices and techniques for manipulating and molding soft tissue with active external tissue expanders like the Brava Bra (see, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,536,233; 5,662,583; 5,676,634; 5,695,445; 5,701,917; 6,478,656; 6,500,112; 6,641,527; and 6,699,176, all of which are incorporated herein by reference) or the external passive expander splint (see, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 9,066,795 and 9,522,058, both of which are incorporated herein by reference). Existing compression bandages apply external compressive forces to soft tissue, which counteract any distention induced by such devices and techniques. For example, laces, straps, or other components may immobilize the soft tissue. Existing passive bandages also often include an adhesive layer that conforms and sticks to the treated body part and a rigidifying layer that stiffens the construct to preserve and maintain the soft tissue until healing ensues. The rigidifying factors in these existing braces often rely on curing or polymerization of a chemical. SUMMARY Thus, it may be desirable to develop new devices and techniques for bracing distended tissues and retaining organs in expanded states. The devices and methods disclosed herein may preserve iatrogenically or otherwise induced swollen tissue conditions while remaining passive. In addition, the devices and methods disclosed herein may prevent the natural tendency of distended and expanded tissues and organs to recoil, which may allow for maintaining a potentially beneficial chronic swelling or edema. Furthermore, the devices and methods disclosed herein may use interlocking materials to rigidify, thereby avoiding certain drawbacks of existing compression bandages. For instance, achieving rigidity by polymerization of a chemical is a one-time, irreversible process, whereas the devices and methods disclosed herein may be used multiple times and at varying degrees of rigidity. Additionally, braces that achieve rigidity induced by physical agents, such as temperature, face mechanical phase variations. In contrast to these prior art processes, embodiments of the present disclosure rely upon air aspiration to interlock the loosely textured components of the rigidifying layer to stiffen it, as depicted inFIG. 1below. In the following description, certain aspects and embodiments will become evident. It should be understood that the aspects and embodiments, in their broadest sense, could be practiced without having one or more features of these aspects and embodiments. It should be understood that these aspects and embodiments are merely exemplary. According to some embodiments, the disclosure provides a passive stent for retaining an organ in an expanded state. In such embodiments, the passive stent may comprise an inner layer; an outer layer; and a middle layer enclosed by the inner layer and the outer layer and comprising a plurality of components configured to interlock upon application of a vacuum. The middle layer may be configured to substantially conform to an external surface of the organ after interlocking. Additionally, the middle layer may be configured to maintain the organ in the expanded state after interlocking. In such embodiments, the middle layer may comprise at least one of foam or putty. The at least one of foam or putty may be textured and may comprise textured polyurethane and/or textured polybutene. Additionally or alternatively, the middle layer may comprise a plurality of strips comprising sponge or cellulose. Additionally or alternatively, the middle layer may comprise at least one fibrous material. For example, the at least one fibrous material may comprise paper, such as sandpaper. Additionally or alternatively, the middle layer may comprise a gel with fibers. In such embodiments, the fibers may comprise at least one polyester. Additionally or alternatively, the middle layer may comprise a plurality of sheets of malleable fabric. Additionally or alternatively, the middle layer may comprise a gel with beads. In such embodiments, the beads may comprise microbeads. In any embodiments described above, the inner layer may be configured to adhere to the organ using surface tension induced upon interlocking of the middle layer. Additionally or alternatively, the inner layer may be configured to adhere to the organ upon application of a vacuum to a volume (e.g., a volume of air) between the inner layer and a surface of the organ. Accordingly, the brace may further comprise a port allowing for application of the vacuum to the volume through at least the inner layer. Additionally or alternatively, the inner layer may be configured to adhere to the organ using at least one adhesive layer between the inner layer and a surface of the organ. In any embodiments described above, the brace may further comprise a port allowing for application of the vacuum to the middle layer through at least one of the inner layer and the outer layer. According to some embodiments, the disclosure provides a brassiere. In such embodiments the brassiere may comprise two cups, each configured to support a breast. Each cup may comprise an inner layer; an outer layer; a middle layer enclosed by the inner layer and the outer layer and comprising a plurality of components configured to interlock upon application of a vacuum; and a port configured to allow the application of the vacuum to the middle layer. The middle layer may be configured to substantially conform to an external surface of the breasts after interlocking. Additionally, the middle layer may be configured to maintain the breasts in the expanded state after interlocking. In such embodiments, the brassiere may further comprise a semi-rigid frame defining peripheries of the two cups and configured to secure the two cups to peripheries of the breasts. Additionally or alternatively, the brassiere may further comprise a peripheral extension surrounding at least a portion of the two cups and configured to block airflow between the inner layer and skin of the breasts. In some embodiments, the extension is shirt-like. Additionally or alternatively, the brassiere may further comprise fabric configured to conform to a torso and block airflow between the inner layer and skin of the breasts. In some embodiments, the fabric conforms to the torso and the breasts. According to some embodiments, the disclosure provides a method for retaining an organ in an expanded state. In such embodiments, the method may comprise applying at least one force to the organ to place the organ in the expanded state; applying a passive stent to an external surface of the organ, wherein the passive stent comprises at least one layer comprising a plurality of components; and applying a vacuum to the passive stent sufficient to interlock the plurality of components in the at least one layer. The at least one layer may be configured to maintain the organ in the expanded state after interlocking. In such embodiments, the organ may comprise a breast. In any embodiments described above, applying the passive stent may comprise adjusting a morphology of the passive stent to substantially conform to a morphology of the external surface. In any embodiments described above, applying the vacuum may comprise applying suction to a port of the passive stent such that gas is removed from the at least one layer of the passive stent. Exemplary objects and advantages will be set forth in part in the description that follows, or may be learned by practice of the exemplary embodiments. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention, as claimed.

11272577

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The subject matter of the present disclosure relates generally to water heater appliances and more particularly to control panels for water heater appliances. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Water heaters provide for the heating and storage of water for various uses. A heat source is provided for raising the temperature of water in a water tank. The heat energy may be supplied e.g., by gas burners, electrically resistant coils, or a heat pump using a refrigerant cycle. Typically, the water tank is surrounded by a casing and is insulated to prevent the water stowed within the water tank from heat loss before use. The casing typically includes a jacket or wrapper that wraps around the tank. The wrapper typically has a curved outer surface. Some water heaters include a control panel, e.g., for controlling various aspects of the water heater. In some instances, the control panel is mounted to the outer surface of the wrapper or another curved surface of the casing. The radius of curvature of the curved surface of the casing can vary between different water heater platforms. Thus, a control panel must be designed for each water heater platform so that the control panel can be mounted to the curved surface of the casing. Designing and manufacturing a control panel for each water heater platform may be burdensome on resources, may increase manufacturing costs, and requires operators to install a multitude of different control panel designs. Further, to assemble or service the electrical wires and components of control panels of conventional water heaters, operators have had to hold the control panel in one hand and connect or service the wires or electrical components using the other hand. Holding the control panel and assembling/servicing wires and components of the control panel is challenging and inconvenient. Accordingly, a water heater appliance that addresses one or more of the challenges noted above would be useful. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Aspects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the following description, or may be apparent from the description, or may be learned through practice of the invention. In one exemplary embodiment, a water heater appliance is provided. The water heater appliance includes a casing having a curved surface, wherein the curved surface of the casing has a first radius of curvature. The water heater appliance also includes a tank positioned within the casing and defining a chamber for heating water. Moreover, the water heater appliance includes a heating source in thermal communication with the tank for selectively heating water within the chamber. In addition, the water heater appliance includes a control panel assembly. The control panel assembly includes a control panel and a frame coupled or integral with the control panel and mounted to the casing, the frame having a curved contact surface engaged with and conforming to the curved surface of the casing, and wherein the curved contact surface of the frame has a second radius of curvature that is the same as or less than the first radius of curvature of the curved surface. In another exemplary embodiment, a water heater appliance is provided. The water heater appliance includes a casing and a tank positioned within the casing and defining a chamber for heating water. Further, the water heater appliance includes a heating source in thermal communication with the tank for selectively heating water within the chamber. The water heater appliance also includes a control panel assembly. The control panel assembly includes a frame mounted to the casing and a control panel rotatably coupled with the frame between a closed position and an open position. These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following description and appended claims. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

11534410

TECHNICAL FIELD The presently-disclosed subject matter generally relates to PEGylated lipid nanoparticles and methods of use. In particular, certain embodiments of the presently-disclosed subject matter relate to amphotericin B loaded PEGylated lipid nanoparticles (PEG-NLC-AmB) (as lyophilized particles or as a colloidal aqueous dispersion) and the administration to a subject in need thereof. In some embodiments, the polyethylene glycol (PEG) has a particular molecular weight, as described herein BACKGROUND Ocular fungal infections if not treated can lead to permanently impaired vision and can be sight/life-threatening in certain cases, such as in immunocompromised patients1. Infected superficial ocular tissues, such as the cornea (Keratomycosis), can be treated with natamycin—a polyene antibiotic. Currently, natamycin is the only approved ophthalmic formulation that is available commercially. Natamycin, however, is not very effective againstCandidawhich is the most common ocular fungal infection. Once treatment failure with natamycin is observed, physicians switch to other off-label topical antifungals or systemic therapy. However, treatment of infections caused by deep-rooted fungi require potent antifungals, such as amphotericin B, fluconazole, and voriconazole, either alone or in combination (administered topically or systemically). Amphotericin B is a potent polyene anti-mycotic and drug of choice to treat infections caused by invasive pathogenic fungi, such asCandidaspp.,Aspergillus fumigatus, Cryptococcus neoformans, and protozoan parasiteLeishmaniaspp.2. The newer generation azole antifungals, such as fluconazole, voriconazole, and posaconazole, have similar potency and better ocular permeation in comparison to amphotericin B, but retain major disadvantages of the azole class of antifungals: resistance and cross-resistance2-4. Despite the potency and clinical utility of amphotericin B, there are various challenges associated with the delivery of amphotericin B. It is practically insoluble in water, methanol, and ethanol; with a molecular weight of 924.1 Daltons; and log P of 0.8, making formulation of an effective ophthalmic dosage form very challenging. Additionally, solution stability and ocular tissue permeation of amphotericin B also manifests as a formidable challenge. Amphotericin B has very poor ocular permeability and an extremely slow flux across cornea as observed in a human clinical study5. In general, the complex ocular barriers—such as tear turnover, the complex ultrastructure of the cornea, various metabolizing enzymes, and efflux transporters—reduce ocular bioavailability of topically administered compounds to less than 5%6-12 An ocular formulation for amphotericin B is currently not available. Thus, in cases of severe fungal infection, the intravenous preparations (freeze-dried powders) are reconstituted in water for injection, balanced salt solution (BSS) or dextrose 5% solution (D5W) and either instilled topically or as an intravitreal injection, depending on the site of infection. A limitation of the intravenous preparations that are used off-label is that they need to be used within a day following reconstitution with sterile water for injection (as per the instruction from the manufacturer). Furthermore, these formulations do not allow the addition of any preservatives, as it leads to precipitation, which further limits their ophthalmic use since multidose ophthalmic formulations needs to pass the preservative efficacy test requirements. In recent years nanoparticulate dosage forms have emerged as a promising ocular formulation platform for poorly water-soluble compounds due to enhanced retention on the ocular surface as well as better penetration into the ocular tissues. A few attempts have been made to fabricate formulations that might enhance the ocular permeability of amphotericin B, e.g. Eudragit® (methacrylic acid copolymer) nanoparticles, chitosan and lecithin-based nanoparticles13, micro-emulsions14, and cyclodextrin-poloxamer nanoparticles15. These reports describe amphotericin B nanoparticles or nanodispersion and demonstrate its in vitro anti-fungal activity, drug release profile, ocular irritation studies, and pre-corneal residence kinetics, but lack evaluation of stability, safety, and biodistribution in animal models to show suitability for ocular drug delivery. Furthermore, sterilization of the above formulations and residual organic solvents needs to be assessed to evaluate suitability for ocular drug delivery. Although a number of polymeric particulate systems have been investigated, use of lipid nanoparticles have risen to the forefront in recent years because of better biocompatibility of lipids with the ocular tissues. A lipid nanoparticle is a nanoparticle system comprising the drug, or combination of active ingredients/drugs, dissolved or dispersed in a lipid system. The lipid nanoparticles are prepared by mixing a lipid phase and an aqueous phase, under mixing and controlled temperature conditions. The mixture is then passed through a high-shear homogenizer followed by high-pressure homogenization. The resultant mixture (hot emulsion) on cooling to room temperature yields the lipid nanoparticles suspended in an aqueous phase. The lipid nanoparticles exist in the solid state at room temperature forming an opaque to translucent colloidal dispersion in an aqueous medium (also may be referred to as a colloidal aqueous dispersion). The solution can be lyophilized to yield the lipid nanoparticles as a powder or cake. Other known technologies can also be used to prepare the lipid nanoparticles. A solid lipid nanoparticle (SLN) is a lipid nanoparticle wherein the active, or combination of actives, are dispersed or dissolved in a lipid that exists in the solid state at room temperature. A combination of such lipids may also be used to prepare the appropriate formulation. A nanostructure lipid carrier (NLC), an advanced version of the SLNs, is a nanoparticle wherein the active, or combination of actives, are dispersed or dissolved in a combination of lipids; at least one of the lipids exists in the solid state at room temperature and at least one of the lipids exists in the liquid state at room temperature. The presence of liquid lipid within the solid lipid matrix allows increased drug loading and also improves formulation stability. When two or more active ingredients are present in the formulation at least one of the actives is dissolved/dispersed in the lipid phase. The other active/s may be added to the lipid phase or to the aqueous phase. Addition of the active to the aqueous phase can take place before or after the formation of the lipid nanoparticles. When added to the aqueous phase, the active ingredient may either be absorbed/adsorbed on the surface of the SLNs/NLCs or remain dissolved/suspended in the aqueous phase. In one embodiment all active ingredients are dissolved or dispersed in the lipid phase. PEGylation is defined as the modification of the surface of the lipid nanoparticles using polyethylene glycol (PEG) of various molecular weights or their derivatives (functionalized PEGs). The PEG may be added as a lipid-PEG conjugate in the lipid phase of the SLN or NLC. The PEG or its derivatives may also be added to the aqueous phase after formation of the SLNs/NLCs following which the added PEG or PEG derivatives adsorbs on to the surface of the SLNs or NLCs. Mucoadhesive, stable, and/or stealth nanoparticles are achieved by surface modifying agents such as PEG, chitosan, lipids with amine functional group, etc. PEGylation of nanoparticles renders the surface of the nanoparticles hydrophilic and enhances ocular bioavailability through modified interactions with the mucous layer and corneal epithelium16. PEGylation also imparts stability to the lipid nanoparticles during processing and storage of the formulation, as well as when the lipid nanoparticles are exposed to biological fluids, such as aqueous humor and vitreous humor. Physical and chemical stabilization is believed to be achieved by reducing steric hindrance between the lipid nanoparticles and reducing contact between the lipid nanoparticles and surrounding substances (e.g. enzymes, oxidants, and other degradation causing agents)16-19. PEGylation of lipid nanoparticles can either be attained by conjugation or electrostatic interaction with a lipid on the surface of the lipid nanoparticles. The major advantage of conjugated PEGylation over electrostatic PEGylation is preventing dissociation of the PEG in the aqueous environment16. It is important in the present invention for the molecular weight of PEG to be in the range of 1K-5K for drug loading, stability, autoclavability, permeability and antimicrobial activity. Ophthalmic amphotericin B formulations are currently not available commercially and the intravenous formulations in the market cannot be stored post-reconstitution for more than 24 hours. An ophthalmic amphotericin B formulation would thus provide significant advantages. Of particular interest would be to provide a formulation with good stability that can be administered at an effective dose in ophthalmic formulation. The PEGylated NLC formulations described herein meet these objectives.

11335206

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to classroom educational systems. The present invention more particularly relates to a pedagogical device and communication method for a teacher driven classroom. 2. Description of Related Prior Art Historically, educational systems relied heavily on classroom dissemination of knowledge. The typical classroom included a multitude of students arrayed and sitting facing in a singular direction, with a teacher or teachers set in the front of the classroom. Oftentimes, the teacher's presentation includes the support of certain teachers aides, such as a chalkboard/whiteboard, pointers, projectors, and more recently, advanced audiovisual demonstration devices. One aspect of the standard classroom is the benefit of placing a single teacher in front of multiple students in an interactive setting. While it is common for the teacher to lecture in a one-way communication transfer from teacher to students, the interactive space of the classroom allows for dialogue between one teacher and one or more students. Particularly with regard to child and elementary education, it is important for the teacher to maintain behavioral control over all student participants. To this end, the teacher may have specific parochial responsibilities for the children, and otherwise control aspects of the classroom beyond purely the educational material. For instance, while a teacher may be disseminating knowledge, fielding questions, or otherwise discussing pertinent material, auxiliary, related, and unrelated material is often brought to the attention of the teacher. As an example, a student may interrupt the teacher to ask to be excused to attend to a restroom, or otherwise leave the classroom. Students may also wish to interrupt a lecture to request scheduling, or particularly disrupt the environment. In some instances, a malicious motive may inspire a student to disrupt the classroom with a joke, or otherwise. Should such student succeed in interrupting the lecture, or otherwise distracting the teacher, the educational environment of all the students suffers. While numerous devices have been developed and used to facilitate interactivity with teachers, for instance push-button notifications to answer multiple choice questions, etc., these classroom response clickers have limited interactivity, often forcing the teacher to prepare multiple choice questions ahead of the class period, with little other flexibility (beyond attendance). Other systems have been devised for remote/video lectures. The present invention relates to a device enabling a multitude of communication means for the teacher in a classroom that is easy to use and focuses on student comprehension. It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide a communication device to allow a participant to communicate with a lead person. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a system of devices enabling each student participant to communicate a specific category of messages to a teacher. It is as yet a further object of the present invention to provide a method of pedagogy wherein a lecturer may interact with student participants via a signaling communication system. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method of teaching whereby a teacher may selectively call on one or more students in a serial or parallel fashion in order to enhance, or otherwise minimize disruption, of an educational lesson. These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art as the description thereof proceeds. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed to an interactive classroom communication device that can be mounted on a desktop surface. The device is preferably a light unit with a light emitter adapted to display multiple light colors. The light unit may be programmed, or controlled by a student to select an appropriate light color based on the current scheme and the nature of the student action. The desktop surface may include an indentation, or landing point, on which the light unit may be placed into and stationed on the desk. The surface may be circular so as to allow the student to easily place, or may include a notch, or other imperfection which forces the orientation of the light unit to ensure a front facing side (with display) and a rear (potentially for control buttons). The light emitter may be outfitted with a dome, the dome may function as an off-switch. By holding the light button, a student may select to blink the light. The light unit may directly plug into a port on the desktop fitted to power the unit. Inductive charging/power may be employed through the desktop. Otherwise, the unit may include a battery or power storage that can be charged on the desk, or may be set into charging stations in the classroom, or charged with a separate, potentially portable, unit. The unit may include a memory system to store information regarding the frequency and color choices of the student. The unit may also include a display to demonstrate the number of each color selection to the student. A complementary receiver may be employed, possibly as part of a display clock, or otherwise, and preferably on the wall, or another high station capable of receiving signals transmitted from the student-based light units. The data can then be transponded, or sent, on to a central processor for analysis. The analyzed data may be transmitted and displayed in real-time on a teacher display. The present invention also includes a method of operating a classroom with students and a managerial leader, proctor, or teacher. A teacher addresses the students either orally and/or visually, and preferably in front of the class. Students respond with a light-based communication device, the color of the light indicating the nature of the student response or action. The light units may be mounted on the student desks, or may be set as a paddle, ring, band, or otherwise set for view by teacher. Information for each device may be recorded, including the nature and frequency of action. The device may send a signal to a central receiver positioned in the classroom, said central receiver receiving signals from multiple light-based communication devices and separately storing data for each of the light-based communication devices. Alternatively, a recorder may simply record the light and video in the room, associate each light-up with a specific unit, and record same, without requiring any signal, beyond the indicator light to be sent to the central receiver. As an example of a scheme useful with this method, a teacher may propose a query to the classroom, and one or more students may indicate a response by selection of one of four separate colors on a light-based communication device. The students may each either light up their light-based communication device or leave it off. A first color indicates a request for clarification, a second color indicates a response to the question, and a third color indicates an irrelevant interjection. Each unit may issue a signal indicating both the specific unit identity and the nature and frequency of specific light selections. The unit may transmit such information to a central receiver. The central receiver may receive and store data from one or more light-based communication devices. The data may then be processed from one or more light based communication devices to provide information. This information may be transmitted to a teacher terminal and displaying same on the teacher terminal.

11380694

This application claims priority for Taiwan (R.O.C.) patent application no. 109103372 filed on 4 Feb. 2020, the content of which is incorporated by reference in its entirely. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a non-volatile memory, particularly to a low-voltage anti-fuse element using an improved gate structure to reduce the breakdown voltage. Description of the Related Art Non-volatile memories, such as EEPROM, EEPROM, and flash memory, which features electric programmability and erasability and would not lose its memory after power is turned off, has been widely used in electronic products in the computer and information age. However, the structure of the read-only memory or flash memory described above is relatively complicated. The reliability is relatively low, and the manufacturing cost is high. Therefore, one time programmable memory (OTP) with high reliability and low manufacturing cost can be used in many places. OTP using fuses or anti-fuses as components is more flexible in use. Traditional fuses mainly include metal fuses and polycrystalline silicon fuses. The writing method mainly uses a high-energy laser or a large current to blow the fuse. The resistance of the fuse will increase after writing, and the power consumption is large. The anti-fuse mainly adds a dielectric layer between the two conductors as a capacitive manner. When writing, a bias voltage is applied to the conductors at both ends, which causes the dielectric layer to be collapsed and broken down. The resistance of the anti-fuse would be decreased after writing. With the rapid development of the integrated circuits, the size of components is shrinking. In recent years, MOS devices have been used to make the anti-fuse elements. The writing method is based on the breakdown mechanism of the gate dielectric layer. Since the anti-fuse element is based on the breakdown of the gate dielectric layer to form a permanent conductive path, a high voltage must be applied to collapse the gate dielectric layer. A relatively high current is required to achieve breakdown of the gate dielectric layer. Further, when the conventional non-volatile memories, especially embedded products, are fabricated with an advanced process, many additional processes are usually necessary, which increase the difficulties and cost of the fabrication. Therefore, all the advanced processes are endeavoring to develop a low-voltage non-volatile memory. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to overcome the abovementioned problems of the conventional technology, the present invention provides a low-voltage anti-fuse element, wherein the gate on the gate dielectric layer is formed with an extending tapered sharp corner portion. When the operation is performed, the density of the charge at the sharp corner portion is higher to reduce the breakdown voltage and greatly reduce the current required to program the anti-fuse element. To achieve the abovementioned objectives, the present invention provides a low-voltage anti-fuse element. The low-voltage anti-fuse element includes a substrate, a first gate dielectric layer, a first gate, and a first ion-doped region. The first gate dielectric layer is disposed on the substrate. The first gate includes a body portion and a sharp corner portion extending and gradually reducing from one side of the body portion, and the body portion and the sharp corner portion are adjacent to the first gate dielectric layer. The first ion-doped region is disposed in the substrate on one side of the first gate dielectric layer. An electric field is generated between the first gate and the first ion-doped region when a write voltage is applied between the first gate and the first ion-doped region. The electric field is concentrated at the sharp corner portion. The first gate dielectric layer below the sharp corner portion is liable to cause breakdown, so as to reduce the breakdown voltage. In an embodiment of the present invention, the substrate is a P-type semiconductor substrate or an N-type semiconductor substrate. While the substrate is a P-type semiconductor substrate, the first ion-doped region is an N-type ion-doped region. While the substrate is an N-type semiconductor substrate, the first ion-doped region is a P-type ion-doped region. In an embodiment of the present invention, the low-voltage anti-fuse element further includes an access transistor adjacent to the first ion-doped region. The access transistor comprises a second gate dielectric layer, a second gate, and a second ion-doped region. The second gate dielectric layer is disposed on the substrate. The second gate is stacked on the second gate dielectric layer. The second ion-doped region is disposed in the substrate on one side of the second gate dielectric layer away from the first ion-doped region, and the first ion-doped region is doped with the same type ions as the second ion-doped region. In an embodiment of the present invention, the low-voltage anti-fuse element further includes a well region. The well region is disposed in the substrate and below the first ion-doped region. The well region and the first ion-doped region are doped with different types of ions. Since the gate structure is designed to have a sharp corner portion, the first gate dielectric layer below the sharp corner portion would be easier to break down due to the principle of higher density of charges at the sharp corner portion. Thereby, a low operating voltage and a low operating current can be used. Moreover, the gate area is reduced to achieve the effect of reducing the size of the component, thus reducing the production cost of the anti-fuse component. Below, the embodiments are described in detail in cooperation with the drawings to make easily understood the technical contents, characteristics and accomplishments of the present invention.

11467526

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a lock mechanism of a drawer unit provided in an image forming apparatus. Description of the Related Art If a sheet supplied to an image apparatus is a sheet that is not envisioned to be used in that image forming apparatus by design, or a conveyance roller is worn, a sheet jam may occur. When a jam occurs, a user must manually remove the sheet remaining in a conveyance path. Image forming apparatuses may have a maintenance door and a drawer unit. The maintenance door is opened when removing a jammed sheet or when replacing consumables. The drawer unit forms a portion of the conveyance path and is pulled out for maintenance of a fixing device and the like. In U.S. Pat. No. 9,176,462, a lock mechanism for prohibiting pulling out of a drawer unit in a case where there is a sheet spanning the drawer unit and the conveyance path is proposed. By this, tearing of the sheet is prevented. According to Japanese Patent Laid-Open No 2001-272892, avoiding hot swapping by disconnecting supply of power to the drawer unit when a door is opened is proposed. Conventionally, a lock mechanism of a drawer unit and a mechanism for avoiding hot swapping could not be concurrently achieved. This is because, when a door is opened, supply of power to the drawer unit is disconnected in order to avoid hot swapping, which then disengages an electronic lock mechanism. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides an image forming apparatus comprising: a first conveyance path configured to convey a sheet; a drawer unit including a second conveyance path for conveying the sheet, after the sheet is handed over from the first conveyance path, and configured to be able to be pulled out; a power supply configured to supply power to the drawer unit; a door configured to be able to be opened/closed; a lock unit which is provided in the drawer unit, which has a locked state in which pulling out of the drawer unit is prohibited in a case where a sheet is spanning the first conveyance path and the drawer unit and an unlocked state in which pulling out of the drawer unit is permitted in a case where a sheet is not spanning the first conveyance path and the drawer unit, and which is configured to maintain the locked state using power supplied to the drawer unit from the power supply, and which is configured not to maintain the locked state when the supply of the power is disconnected; a jam sensor configured to detect a sheet jam; and a processor configured to, when the sheet jam is detected, in a case where a sheet is spanning the first conveyance path and the drawer unit, without depending on whether the boor is in an open state or a closed state, maintain the lock unit in the locked state by supplying power to the lock unit via the drawer unit from the power supply, and in a case where a sheet is not spanning the first conveyance path and the drawer unit, control supplying and disconnecting of power to the drawer unit from the power supply in accordance with whether the door is in a closed state or an open state. Further features of the present intention will become apparent front the following description of exemplary embodiments (with reference to the attached drawings).

11454854

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS An Application Data Sheet is filed concurrently with this specification as part of the present application. Each application that the present application claims benefit of or priority to as identified in the concurrently filed Application Data Sheet is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety and for all purposes. BACKGROUND Electrochromism is a phenomenon in which a material exhibits a reversible electrochemically-mediated change in an optical property when placed in a different electronic state, typically by being subjected to a voltage change. The optical property is typically one or more of color, transmittance, absorbance, and reflectance. Electrochromic materials may be incorporated into, for example, windows for home, commercial and other uses as thin film coatings on the window glass. The color, transmittance, absorbance, and/or reflectance of such windows may be changed by inducing a change in the electrochromic material, for example, electrochromic windows are windows that can be darkened or lightened electronically. A small voltage applied to an electrochromic device of the window will cause them to darken; reversing the voltage polarity causes them to lighten. This capability allows control of the amount of light that passes through the windows, and presents an opportunity for electrochromic windows to be used as energy-saving devices. While electrochromic devices, and particularly electrochromic windows, are finding acceptance in building designs and construction, they have not begun to realize their full commercial potential. SUMMARY Certain aspects of this disclosure pertain to a window having (1) at least two lites, (2) an electrochromic device disposed or couples with on one of the lites (3) a transparent display disposed on one of the lites, and (4) a controller configured to control an optical state of the electrochromic device and an optical state of the transparent display. The window may be in the form of an insulated glass unit (“IGU”). In some embodiments, the electrochromic and the transparent display are disposed on the same lite. In some embodiments, the controller is configured to adjust the transparent display between substantially transparent and substantially opaque optical states. In some embodiments, the controller is configured to adjust the transparent display to a translucent optical state. In some embodiments, the display is a pixelated display, and the controller is also configured to display an image or a graphical user interface on the pixelated display. For example, a graphical user interface displaying options for controlling the optical state of the window or another window can be displayed. In some embodiments, the transparent display is an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display. An OLED display in some embodiments can be used to provide lighting to an interior or exterior environment. In some embodiments, the transparent display is an electrowetting display having a plurality of pixels where each pixel has at least one cell that can be oscillated between a transparent state and an opaque state. In some cases, the cells are configured to oscillate at a frequency of at least about 30 Hertz, and in some cases, at a frequency of at least about 60 Hertz. In some embodiments, each pixel has a cell that is substantially white (or substantially black) in its opaque state. When the pixels of an electrowetting display can be turned white (or an otherwise light color), the window may include a projector that projects an image onto the electrowetting display. Some of the pixels of an electrowetting display may include cells that provide different colors from one another in their opaque state. In some embodiments, the transparent display is a passive coating that is substantially transparent to an observer but reflects projected light to form an image. The window may include a projector that projects an image onto the transparent display. A projector may, in some cases, be located on or within a frame configured to hold the window. In some embodiments, the window includes a light guide that directs the image from the projector to the transparent display. In some embodiments, the window may include a touch-sensitive screen, e.g., associated with the transparent display. This is one type of sensor, tactile, but embodiments may include other sensing capabilities. In some embodiments, the window also includes an environmental sensor configured to detect at least one chemical. The environmental sensor may include multiple gas sensors that react differently to different gases. The window controller may be configured to receive data from the environmental sensor and have logic for determining a gas based on reactions to the gas by the at least two gas sensors. In some embodiments, the lite having the disposed or coupled transparent display is configured to be removed from the window. In some embodiments, the controller is configured to control the optical state of the electrochromic device based on the current optical state of the transparent display. In some embodiments, the controller is configured to control the optical state of the transparent display based on received user instructions. User instructions can be provided, e.g., from a mobile device in communication with the controller or from a web-based application. The window in some cases may include a microphone in communication with the controller so that the controller can receive audible user instructions. In some case, the window includes a camera in communication with the controller and the user instructions are received detecting user motion (e.g., gestures provided by a user). In some case, the window includes a touch sensor (in some cases located on the same lite as a transparent display) disposed on a lite and in communication with the controller, wherein the controller is configured to receive user instructions provided by user interaction with the touch sensor. Another aspect of this disclosure pertains to a window having (1) at least two lites; (2) an electrochromic device disposed on one of the at least two lites; (3) an environmental sensor disposed on one of the lites; and (4) a controller configured to control the optical state of the electrochromic device and detect and/or quantify the presence of at least one chemical. The environmental sensor may be disposed on or coupled to one of the lites. In some cases, it is configured to determine a concentration of carbon monoxide, lead, ground-level ozone, particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide, and/or sulfur dioxide. In some cases, the environmental sensor is further configured to detect a dust level on a surface of at least one of the two lites. Another aspect of this disclosure pertains to a building having: (A) a plurality of windows between the interior and the exterior of the building, where each window has an electrochromic device and a transparent display in the window's viewable region, and where the display is substantially transparent when viewed in at least one direction for at least one optical state; (B) a communications interface configured to receive instructions for controlling the optical state of the display for each of the plurality of widows; and (C) a plurality of controllers connected via a network that are configured to control the optical state of the electrochromic device and the display for each of the plurality of widows, wherein the controllers are configured to control the display for at least one window based on the received instructions. In some cases, the communications interface is also configured to receive instructions for controlling the optical state of the electrochromic device for at least one of the plurality of windows. In some cases, at least one of the displays in the building is pixelated and configured to display an image. The controllers may be configured to display images on pixelated display(s) based on the received instructions. In some cases, e.g., signage applications, the controllers can be configured to display an image such that the image is partitioned across multiple displays (e.g., a subset of displays on, e.g., one side of a building) based on received instructions. An image displayed by the at least one pixelated display is visible from the exterior of the building and/or from the exterior of the building depending on the configuration. In some cases, window displays in a building include organic light emitting diode (OLED) displays or electrowetting displays. Electrowetting displays can, in some embodiments, be adjusted between substantially transparent and substantially opaque optical states. This can allow for the display to act as a privacy curtain. In some cases, a transparent window display may be a passive coating that reflects projected light. In some cases, the communications interface in the building is configured to receive instructions via the internet or via a mobile device. The communications interface, in some embodiments, includes one or more sensors in communication with the plurality of controllers that are configured to receive audible instructions, touch-based instructions, and/or gesture-based instructions. These and other features of the disclosure will be described in more detail below.

11521665

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention This invention relates to non-volatile memories, and more specifically, to non-volatile memories having write detect circuitry. Background Non-volatile memories are utilized for storing data in an electronic system including when the system is powered down. One type of non-volatile memory is a resistive memory, in which each bit cell of a resistive memory includes a resistive storage element which is in either a high resistive state (HRS) or a low resistive state (LRS), depending on the logic state of the bit cell. In some embodiments, a bit cell can become an OTP cell by destructively writing and fusing the bits cell, leaving it in a permanent shorted state. However, once the destructive write occurs, the bit cell and periphery circuitry of the memory array may experience increased stress.

11441428

TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates to a turbine blade and a steam turbine including the same. BACKGROUND In a turbine such as a steam turbine or a gas turbine, a loss may be caused by a fluid flow in a blade row. Thus, it is proposed that a concave portion and a convex portion are disposed in an end wall (side wall) of a platform to which an airfoil portion of a turbine blade is connected, thereby suppressing the fluid loss in the turbine. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a turbine blade which includes a concave portion (passagethrough) disposed in the vicinity of a convex portion on suction surface and a convex portion (bump) disposed in the vicinity of a leading edge on a pressure surface of an airfoil portion, in a region of suction surface of the airfoil portion of an end wall of a platform. CITATION LIST Patent Literature Patent Document 1: US Patent Application Publication No. 2017/0226863 SUMMARY Technical Problem In general, a static pressure tends to be low in the vicinity of a convex portion on a suction surface in operation of a turbine, and thus it is considered that disposing the concave portion in the vicinity of the convex portion on the suction surface in the vicinity of the end wall of the platform, it is possible to increase the static pressure in the above-described portion to reduce a blade loading. Meanwhile, a leakage flow from the upstream side of a turbine blade may flow into the turbine blade in accordance with, for example, the type of turbine. In this case, a loss owing to the above-described leakage flow may be caused. Conventionally, however, an end wall shape for reducing such loss owing to the leakage flow has not been proposed, and Patent Document 1 does not mention the end wall shape for reducing the loss owing to the leakage flow, either. In view of the above, an object of at least one embodiment of the present invention is to provide a turbine blade capable of reducing a loss which may be caused by a leakage flow, and a steam turbine including the same. Solution to Problem (1) A turbine blade according to at least some embodiments of the present invention includes an airfoil portion having a pressure surface and a suction surface each of which extends between a leading edge and a trailing edge, and a platform including an end wall to which a base-end portion of the airfoil portion is connected. The end wall includes a concave portion on suction surface disposed at least in a region of suction surface of the end wall, and a convex portion on pressure surface disposed at least in a region of pressure surface of the end wall. The concave portion on suction surface has a bottom point located on an axially upstream side of a tangent point on the suction surface, the suction surface having a tangential line extending in an axial direction through the tangent point. The end wall has at least one contour line on the concave portion on suction surface, the at least one contour line having a normal line on an intersection point between the at least one contour line and the suction surface such that a normal vector having a negative gradient along the normal line is directed toward the airfoil portion. The convex portion on pressure surface has a peak point located on an axially downstream side of the tangent point. A leakage flow without a circumferential component may flow into the vicinity of the end wall of the turbine blade from the upstream side of the turbine blade. The leakage flow flows into the rotating turbine blade and then heads for the suction surface of the turbine blade, which may cause a collision (back hit) of the leakage flow against the suction surface, or due to an interaction between the leakage flow and a flow (main flow) including the circumferential component, may cause circumferential non-uniformity of a static pressure distribution. In this regard, in the above configuration (1), the bottom point of the concave portion on suction surface is located on the axially upstream side of the above-described tangent point, and the above-described normal vector is directed toward the airfoil portion. That is, the bottom point of the concave portion on suction surface is located close to the suction surface on the axially upstream side of a position where the suction surface protrudes the most (a position of the above-described tangent point), and the concave portion on suction surface has an obliquity descending toward the suction surface in the vicinity of the suction surface. Thus, it is possible to increase the static pressure in the vicinity of the above-described position, making it possible to alleviate the circumferential non-uniformity of the static pressure distribution in the vicinity of the end wall in the axially upstream portion of the turbine blade, or to reduce the collision (back hit) of the leakage flow from the upstream side of the turbine blade against the suction surface. Thus, it is possible to reduce the circumferential non-uniformity of the static pressure distribution and a loss owing to the back hit of the leakage flow. Moreover, in the above configuration (1), the peak point of the convex portion on pressure surface is located on the axially downstream side of the above-described tangent point. That is, the peak point of the convex portion on pressure surface is located on the axially downstream side of the bottom point of the concave portion on suction surface. Thus, it is possible to reduce the static pressure in the vicinity of the above-described position, making it possible to reduce a secondary flow from the pressure surface toward the suction surface of the adjacent turbine blade, and to prevent, for example, a leakage flow avoiding a collision against the suction surface by the above-described concave portion on suction surface from becoming the secondary flow in the vicinity of the pressure surface. Thus, it is possible to reduce a secondary flow loss in the turbine blade. In view of the foregoing, with the above configuration (1), it is possible to effectively reduce the loss which may be caused by the leakage flow in the turbine. (2) In some embodiments, in the above configuration (1), the convex portion on pressure surface has at least one contour line having a normal line on an intersection point between the at least one contour line and the pressure surface such that a normal vector having a positive gradient along the normal line is directed toward the airfoil portion. With the above configuration (2), the above-described normal vector is directed toward the airfoil portion. That is, the peak point of the convex portion on pressure surface is located close to the pressure surface, and the convex portion on pressure surface has an obliquity ascending toward the pressure surface in the vicinity of the pressure surface. Thus, it is possible to reduce the static pressure in the vicinity of the above-described position, making to possible to effectively reduce the secondary flow in the turbine blade and to reduce the loss by the secondary flow more effectively. (3) In some embodiments, in the above configuration (1) or (2), the convex portion on pressure surface expands along the pressure surface at least from a position of the peak point to a position of the bottom point of the concave portion on suction surface in the axial direction. With the above configuration (3), since the convex portion on pressure surface extends along the pressure surface over a wide range at least from the position of the peak point of the convex portion on pressure surface to the position of the bottom point of the concave portion on suction surface in the axial direction, it is possible to reduce the static pressure over the wide range in the vicinity of the pressure surface. Thus, it is possible to effectively prevent the leakage flow avoiding the collision against the suction surface by the concave portion on suction surface from becoming the secondary flow in the vicinity of the pressure surface of the adjacent turbine blade. Thus, it is possible to effectively reduce the secondary flow loss in the turbine blade. (4) In some embodiments, in any one of the above configurations (1) to (3), a ratio L1/L0of an axial distance L1between the bottom point of the concave portion on suction surface and the peak point of the convex portion on pressure surface to an axial length L0of the airfoil portion on the end wall is at least 0.1 and at most 0.9. With the above configuration (4), since the ratio L1/L0of the distance L1between the bottom point of the concave portion on suction surface and the peak point of the convex portion on pressure surface to the axial length L0of the airfoil portion on the end wall is at least 0.1 and at most 0.9, the leakage flow avoiding the collision against the suction surface by the concave portion on suction surface is easily introduced to the vicinity of the convex portion on pressure surface. Thus, it is possible to effectively prevent the leakage flow from becoming the secondary flow in the vicinity of the pressure surface and to effectively reduce the secondary flow loss in the turbine blade. (5) In some embodiments, in any one of the above configurations (1) to (4), an angle between an axial straight line, and a straight line that connects the bottom point of the concave portion on suction surface and the peak point of the convex portion on pressure surface of an adjacent turbine blade is not less than 10 degrees and not greater than 80 degrees. With the above configuration (5), since the angle between the axial straight line, and the straight line that connects the bottom point of the concave portion on suction surface and the peak point of the convex portion on pressure surface of the adjacent turbine blade is not less than 10 degrees and not greater than 80 degrees, the leakage flow avoiding the collision against the suction surface by the concave portion on suction surface is easily introduced to the vicinity of the convex portion on pressure surface. Thus, it is possible to effectively prevent the leakage flow from becoming the secondary flow in the vicinity of the pressure surface and to effectively reduce the secondary flow loss in the turbine blade. (6) In some embodiments, in any one of the above configurations (1) to (5), the convex portion on pressure surface extends along the pressure surface over not less than 90% of an axial length L0of the airfoil portion on the end wall. With the above configuration (6), since the convex portion on pressure surface extends along the pressure surface over not less than 90% of the axial length L0of the airfoil portion on the end wall in the axial direction, it is possible to reduce the static pressure over the wide range in the vicinity of the pressure surface. Thus, it is possible to effectively prevent the leakage flow avoiding the collision against the suction surface by the concave portion on suction surface from becoming the secondary flow in the vicinity of the pressure surface of the adjacent turbine blade. Thus, it is possible to effectively reduce the secondary flow loss in the turbine blade. (7) In some embodiments, in any one of the above configurations (1) to (6), the turbine blade is configured such that the concave portion on suction surface and the convex portion on pressure surface of an adjacent turbine blade form a smooth slope from the bottom point of the concave portion on suction surface to the peak point of the convex portion on pressure surface. With the above configuration (7), since the concave portion on suction surface and the convex portion on pressure surface of the adjacent turbine blade form the smooth slope from the bottom point of the concave portion on suction surface to the peak point of the convex portion on pressure surface, it is possible to smoothly introduce the leakage flow avoiding the collision against the suction surface by the concave portion on suction surface to the vicinity of the convex portion on pressure surface. Thus, it is possible to effectively prevent the leakage flow from becoming the secondary flow in the vicinity of the pressure surface and to effectively reduce the secondary flow loss in the turbine blade. (8) In some embodiments, in any one of the above configurations (1) to (7), the end wall further includes a convex portion on suction surface disposed at least in the region of suction surface, and the convex portion on suction surface expands along the suction surface over a range that includes a throat forming position located on the axially downstream side of the tangent point on the suction surface. With the above configuration (8), since the above-described convex portion on suction surface is disposed in the end wall, it is possible to reduce the static pressure in the vicinity of the convex portion on suction surface, making it possible to make the contour line on the suction surface more parallel to the blade height direction in the range including the throat forming position in the vicinity of the end wall. Moreover, since the concave portion on suction surface has the obliquity ascending downstream from the bottom point along the suction surface, it is possible to make the contour line on the suction surface described above much more parallel to the blade height direction at an axial position of the concave portion on suction surface. Thus, it is possible to suppress curl-up of a secondary flow swirl that may be caused in the vicinity of the base-end portion of the airfoil portion, and to reduce the secondary flow loss more effectively. (9) In some embodiments, in the above configuration (8), the convex portion on pressure surface and the convex portion on suction surface of an adjacent turbine blade share at least one contour line. With the above configuration (9), since the convex portion on pressure surface and the convex portion on suction surface of the adjacent turbine blade share at least one contour, between the turbine blades adjacent to each other, the end wall has a shape formed by smoothly connecting the convex portion on pressure surface and the convex portion on suction surface. Thus, blocking of a fluid flow between the turbine blades is suppressed, making it possible to suppress a decrease in turbine efficiency. (10) In some embodiments, in any one of the above configurations (1) to (9), a ratio L2/L0of an axial distance L2between the leading edge and a front end of the platform to an axial length L0of the airfoil portion on the end wall is at most 0.1. In accordance with, for example, the type of turbine, the turbine blade in which the ratio L2/L0of the axial distance L2between the leading edge of the airfoil portion and the front end of the platform to the axial length L0of the airfoil portion on the end wall is at most 0.1 as in the above configuration (10), that is, a turbine blade having the relatively short axial distance L2between the front end of the platform and the leading edge of the airfoil portion may be used. In this regard, with the above configuration (10), when the above-described turbine blade having the relatively short axial distance L2between the front end of the platform and the leading edge of the airfoil portion is adopted, as described in the above configuration (1), it is possible to effectively reduce the loss which may be caused by the leakage flow in the turbine. (11) In some embodiments, in any one of the above configurations (1) to (10), the base-end portion of the airfoil portion includes a fillet portion disposed in a connection portion to the platform, and an axial distance L2between the leading edge and a front end of the platform is not less than 50% and not greater than 100% of a width of the fillet portion in a planar view. With the above configuration (11), in accordance with, for example, the type of turbine, the turbine blade in which the axial distance L2between the leading edge of the airfoil portion and the front end of the platform is not less than 50% and not greater than 100% of the width of the fillet portion disposed in the base-end portion of the airfoil portion as in the above configuration (11), that is, the turbine blade having the relatively short axial distance L2between the front end of the platform and the leading edge of the airfoil portion may be used. In this regard, with the above configuration (11), when the above-described turbine blade having the relatively short axial distance L2between the front end of the platform and the leading edge of the airfoil portion is adopted, as described in the above configuration (1), it is possible to effectively reduce the loss which may be caused by the leakage flow in the turbine. (12) In some embodiments, in any one of the above configurations (1) to (11), the concave portion on suction surface extends without crossing a dividing line forming a boundary with an adjacent turbine blade. With the above configuration (12), since the concave portion on suction surface extends without crossing the dividing line forming the boundary with the adjacent turbine blade and does not stride over the dividing line, productivity of the turbine blade is good. (13) A steam turbine according to at least some embodiments of the present invention includes the turbine blade according to any one of the above configurations (1) to (12). In the steam turbine, the leakage flow without the circumferential component may flow into the vicinity of the end wall of the turbine blade from the upstream side of the turbine blade. The leakage flow flows into the rotating turbine blade and then heads for the suction surface of the turbine blade, which may cause a collision (back hit) of the leakage flow against the suction surface, or due to an interaction between the leakage flow and a flow (main flow) including the circumferential component, may cause circumferential non-uniformity of a static pressure distribution. In this regard, in the above configuration (13), the bottom point of the concave portion on suction surface is located on the axially upstream side of the above-described tangent point, and the above-described normal vector is directed toward the airfoil portion. That is, the bottom point of the concave portion on suction surface is located close to the suction surface on the axially upstream side of a position where the suction surface protrudes the most (a position of the above-described tangent point), and the concave portion on suction surface has an obliquity descending toward the suction surface in the vicinity of the suction surface. Thus, it is possible to increase the static pressure in the vicinity of the above-described position, making it possible to alleviate the circumferential non-uniformity of the static pressure distribution in the vicinity of the end wall in the axially upstream portion of the turbine blade, or to reduce the collision (back hit) of the leakage flow from the upstream side of the turbine blade against the suction surface. Thus, it is possible to reduce the circumferential non-uniformity of the static pressure distribution and a loss owing to the back hit of the leakage flow. Moreover, in the above configuration (13), the peak point of the convex portion on pressure surface is located on the axially downstream side of the above-described tangent point. That is, the peak point of the convex portion on pressure surface is located on the axially downstream side of the bottom point of the concave portion on suction surface. Thus, it is possible to reduce the static pressure in the vicinity of the above-described position, making it possible to reduce a secondary flow from the pressure surface toward the suction surface of the adjacent turbine blade, and to prevent, for example, a leakage flow avoiding a collision against the suction surface by the above-described concave portion on suction surface from becoming the secondary flow in the vicinity of the pressure surface. Thus, it is possible to reduce a secondary flow loss in the turbine blade. In view of the foregoing, with the above configuration (13), it is possible to effectively reduce the loss which may be caused by the leakage flow in the turbine. (14) In some embodiments, in the above configuration (13), the steam turbine includes a rotor blade which is the turbine blade, and a stator vane disposed adjacent to the rotor blade on an upstream side of the rotor blade in an axial direction of the steam turbine, and a ratio L3/L0of an axial width L3of a cavity formed between the rotor blade and the stator vane to an axial length L0of the airfoil portion on the end wall is at least 0.15. In the steam turbine in which the ratio L3/L0of the axial width L3of the cavity to the axial length L0of the airfoil portion is at least 0.15 as in the above configuration (14), that is, in the steam turbine including the relatively wide cavity, an influence by the leakage flow from the cavity may be prominent, and a collision of the above-described leakage flow against the suction surface and the circumferential non-uniformity of the static pressure distribution are likely to occur. In this regard, with the above configuration (14), as described in the above configuration (13), it is possible to reduce the circumferential non-uniformity of the static pressure distribution and the loss owing to back hit of the leakage flow, or to reduce the secondary flow loss in the turbine blade. Thus, with the above configuration (13), it is possible to effectively reduce the loss which may be caused by the leakage flow in the turbine. Advantageous Effects An object of at least one embodiment of the present invention is to provide a turbine blade capable of reducing a loss which may be caused by a leakage flow, and a steam turbine including the same.

11374541

TECHNICAL FIELD This application relates generally to signal processing and, more particularly, to common-mode rejection circuits. BACKGROUND Differential amplifiers have been used traditionally to suppress noise in electrical circuits and systems. Noise can include typical differential noise or common-mode noise which is often suppressed by a differential-to-single-ended receiver circuit, for example differential amplifier. Two typical types of common-mode noise include: noise generated in traces on printed circuit boards, wires and cables due to electromagnetic induction that causes a difference in potential (e.g., noise) between the data signal source ground and the circuit ground and; current flowing into the ground of a circuit from another circuit which causes a ground potential to rise. In either case, the ground potential, i.e., the reference for a circuit, can fluctuate because of noise. Because typical filters are often incapable of removing common-mode noise, differential amplifiers are often implemented to suppress common-mode noise. For high speed data circuit and system designs, one of the most challenging tasks is how to prevent noise from coupling to routing channels that may cause random system failures. One conventional technique widely adopted in the industry is to convert single-ended signals to differential signals and route the signals differentially and, at the receiver, convert the differentially-routed signals back to normal single-ended signals. In this way, the receiver can reject common-mode noise. Unfortunately, a problem remains where noise does not couple evenly on the positive and negative traces of one differential pair. Designers of differential receivers have innovated many techniques to improve common-mode rejection based on an assumption that the noise coupled to each signal of one differential pair is the same. But, existing receivers have not been designed or implemented in ways to compensate for uneven noise coupling to a differential pair. In practice, it is not practical to guarantee even noise coupling to a differential pair. This is because the radiators or the high speed signal traces generating common noise are always being routed on one side of a differential pair or the other side of the same pair. In this case, the noise coupled is not even, the signal closest to the radiator has more noise than the signal further away from the radiator in one differential pair. Other conventional noise suppression techniques include carefully routing and placing data signals away from noisy circuitries which often increases system complexity and cost. SUMMARY The application, in various implementations, addresses deficiencies associated with existing common-mode rejection techniques for a differential receiver. This application describes an exemplary circuit with two differential receivers monitoring common noise at two terminals, positive and negative, of a differential pair. The first receiver looks for noise on the positive terminal while the second receiver looks for noise on the negative terminal. The two receivers are designed to output two out of phase signals, and the outputs of these are inputs to a summing amplifier. In this implementation, the summing amplifier cancels the common-mode noise. For normal differential signals, the negative path may be clamped at plus and minus 0.1 volts (V), assuming that the maximum noise coupled is 100 mV in a receiver design, and this reduces the normal signal swing by 0.1 V. To compensate for this loss, gain may be added to the summing amplifier. In certain configurations, a receiver circuit uses two differential-to-single ended receivers to detect common-mode noise. The circuit may use diodes to clamp the voltage swing of one receiver path to allow for normal signals propagating through the circuit. Then a summing amplifier cancels and/or suppresses the common-mode noise. Differential mode noise can appear as normal differential signals where existing receivers in the industry cannot distinguish between normal signals and differential mode noise. The receivers, systems, and/or methods described herein, in certain implementations, advantageously solve this problem of differential mode noise appearing as normal differential signals by cancelling, suppressing, and/or rejecting such differential mode noise at the summing amplifier or circuit when, for example, the differential mode noise is less than 100 mV. In one aspect, a common-mode rejection receiver includes a first differential amplifier arranged to receive a differential signal including receiving a positive signal of the differential signal at a first non-inverting input port and receiving a negative signal of the differential signal at a first inverting input port. The first differential amplifier also outputs a first differentiated signal based on a voltage differential between the positive signal and the negative signal. The receiver includes a clamping circuit arranged to receive the first differentiated signal, limit a magnitude of the first differential signal to a pre-determined limit, and output a clamped signal. The receiver also includes a second differential amplifier arranged to receive the differential signal including receiving the positive signal of the differential signal at a second inverting input port and receiving the negative signal of the differential signal at a second non-inverting input port. The second differential amplifier also outputs a second differentiated signal based on a voltage differential between the positive signal and the negative signal. The receiver further includes a matching circuit arranged to receive the second differentiated signal and output a matched signal. The receiver also includes a summing circuit arranged to receive the clamped signal and the matched signal, add the clamped signal and matched signal, and output a receiver output signal based on a sum of the clamped signal and matched signal. The pre-determined limit may be a fraction of a magnitude of the first differentiated signal. The pre-determined limit may be less than or equal to one of 1/10, 1/20, 1/30, 1/40 of the magnitude of the first differentiated signal. The pre-determined limit may be less than or equal to one of 100 mV, 50 mV, 33 mV, and 25 mV. The magnitude and/or amplitude of the second differentiated signal may be inverted with respect to the positive signal of the differential signal. The matching circuit may be arranged to apply a voltage bias to the second differentiated signal similar to a voltage bias applied by the clamping circuit to the first differentiated signal. The clamping circuit may include at least one diode arranged to limit the magnitude of the first differentiated signal. The matching circuit may include at least one diode configured within the receiver to avoid limiting a magnitude of the second differentiated signal. The at least one diode of the matching circuit may be coupled to a power supply voltage of the receiver to avoid limiting the magnitude of the second differentiated signal. In another aspect, a method for performing common-mode rejection at a receiver includes: receiving, at a first differential amplifier, a differential signal including receiving a positive signal of the differential signal at a first non-inverting input port and receiving a negative signal of the differential signal at a first inverting input port; outputting, from the first differential amplifier, a first differentiated signal based on a voltage differential between the positive signal and the negative signal; receiving, at a clamping circuit, the first differentiated signal; limiting, at the clamping circuit, a magnitude of the first differentiated signal to a pre-determined limit; receiving, at a second differential amplifier, the differential signal including receiving the positive signal of the differential signal at a second inverting input port and receiving the negative signal of the differential signal at a second non-inverting input port; outputting, from the second differential amplifier, a second differentiated signal based on a voltage differential between the positive signal and the negative signal; receiving, at a matching circuit, the second differentiated signal; outputting a matched signal from the matching circuit; receiving, at a summing circuit, the clamped signal and the matched signal; adding, at the summing circuit, the clamped signal and matched signal; and outputting, from the summing circuit, a receiver output signal based on a sum of the clamped signal and matched signal. In a further aspect, a common-mode rejection system includes an input interface arranged to receive a differential signal. The system includes a first differential receiver circuit, coupled to the input interface, arranged to: i) receive the differential signal including receiving a positive signal of the differential signal at a first non-inverting input port and receiving a negative signal of the differential signal at a first inverting input port, and ii) output a first differentiated signal based on a voltage differential between the positive signal and the negative signal. The system also includes a clamping circuit arranged to receive the first differentiated signal, limit a magnitude of the first differentiated signal to a pre-determined limit, and output a clamped signal. The system includes a second differential receiver circuit, coupled to the input interface, arranged to: i) receive the differential signal including receiving the positive signal of the differential signal at a second inverting input port and receiving the negative signal of the differential signal at a second non-inverting input port, and ii) output a second differentiated signal based on a voltage differential between the positive signal and the negative signal. The system also includes a matching circuit arranged to receive the second differentiated signal and output a matched signal. The system further includes a summing circuit arranged to receive the clamped signal and the matched signal, add the clamped signal and matched signal, and output a receiver output signal based on a sum of the clamped signal and matched signal. In this circuit design, regardless whether noise is being coupled to the positive side or negative side of the differential pair, the noise outputs of the two receivers have the same amplitude but opposite polarities, 180 degrees out of phase with each other. To cancel the noise, it is simply by adding the two signals together using the summing amplifier. For normal signals, due to clamping circuit described above, there is a 100 mV reduction in amplitude, which can be compensated by adding 100 mV gain at the summing amplifier. Any two or more of the features described in this specification, including in this summary section, may be combined to form implementations not specifically described in this specification. The details of one or more implementations are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the following description. Other features and advantages will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims.

11406078

BACKGROUND There are numerous steps in the development of any novel, desirable maize variety. Plant breeding begins with the analysis and definition of problems and weaknesses of the current germplasm, the establishment of program goals, and the definition of specific breeding objectives. The next step is selection of germplasm that possess the traits to meet the program goals. The breeder's goal is to combine in a single variety or hybrid, various desirable traits. For field crops, these traits may include resistance to diseases and insects, resistance to heat and drought, reducing the time to crop maturity, greater yield, altered fatty acid profile, abiotic stress tolerance, improvements in compositional traits, and better agronomic characteristics and quality. These product development processes, which lead to the final step of marketing and distribution, can take from six to twelve years from the time the first cross is made until the finished seed is delivered to the farmer for planting. Therefore, development of new varieties and hybrids is a time-consuming process. A continuing goal of maize breeders is to develop stable, high yielding maize varieties and hybrids that are agronomically sound with maximal yield over one or more different conditions and environments. SUMMARY Provided is a novel maize,Zea maysL., variety, designated PH4D3B and processes for making PH4D3B. Seed of maize variety PH4D3B, plants of maize variety PH4D3B, plant parts and cells of maize variety PH4D3B, and to processes for making a maize plant that comprise crossing maize variety PH4D3B with another maize plant are provided. Also provided are maize plants having all the physiological and morphological characteristics of the inbred maize variety PH4D3B. Processes are provided for making a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into PH4D3B through one or more of backcross conversion, genetic manipulation and transformation, and to the maize seed, plant and plant parts produced thereby. Hybrid maize seed, plants or plant parts produced by crossing the variety PH4D3B or a locus conversion of PH4D3B with another maize variety are also provided. The inbred maize plant may further comprise a cytoplasmic or nuclear factor capable of conferring male sterility or otherwise preventing self-pollination, such as by self-incompatibility. Parts of the maize plant described herein are also provided, for example, pollen obtained from an inbred plant and an ovule of the inbred plant. Seed of the inbred maize variety PH4D3B is provided. The inbred maize seed may be an essentially homogeneous population of inbred maize seed of the variety designated PH4D3B. Essentially homogeneous populations of inbred seed are generally free from substantial numbers of other seed. Therefore, inbred seed generally forms at least about 97% of the total seed. The population of inbred maize seed may be particularly defined as being essentially free from hybrid seed. The inbred seed population may be separately grown to provide an essentially homogeneous population of inbred maize plants designated PH4D3B. Compositions are provided comprising a seed of maize variety PH4D3B comprised in plant seed growth media. In certain embodiments, the plant seed growth media is a soil or synthetic cultivation medium. In specific embodiments, the growth medium may be comprised in a container or may, for example, be soil in a field. Maize variety PH4D3B comprising an added heritable trait is provided. The heritable trait may comprise a genetic locus that is a dominant or recessive allele. In certain embodiments, a plant of maize variety PH4D3B comprising a single locus conversion is provided. The locus conversion may be one which confers one or more traits such as, for example, male sterility, herbicide tolerance, insect resistance, disease resistance (including, for example) bacterial, fungal, nematode or viral disease, waxy starch, modified fatty acid metabolism, modified phytic acid metabolism, modified carbohydrate metabolism and modified protein metabolism is provided. The trait may be, for example, conferred by a naturally occurring maize gene introduced into the genome of the variety by backcrossing, a natural or induced mutation, or a transgene introduced through genetic transformation techniques. When introduced through transformation, a genetic locus may comprise one or more transgenes integrated at a single chromosomal location. An inbred maize plant of the variety designated PH4D3B is provided, wherein a cytoplasmically-inherited trait has been introduced into the inbred plant. Such cytoplasmically-inherited traits are passed to progeny through the female parent in a particular cross. An exemplary cytoplasmically-inherited trait is the male sterility trait. Cytoplasmic-male sterility (CMS) is a pollen abortion phenomenon determined by the interaction between the genes in the cytoplasm and the nucleus. Alteration in the mitochondrial genome and the lack of restorer genes in the nucleus will lead to pollen abortion. With either a normal cytoplasm or the presence of restorer gene(s) in the nucleus, the plant will produce pollen normally. A CMS plant can be pollinated by a maintainer version of the same variety, which has a normal cytoplasm but lacks the restorer gene(s) in the nucleus, and continues to be male sterile in the next generation. The male fertility of a CMS plant can be restored by a restorer version of the same variety, which has the restorer gene(s) in the nucleus. With the restorer gene(s) in the nucleus, the offspring of the male-sterile plant can produce normal pollen grains and propagate. A cytoplasmically inherited trait may be a naturally occurring maize trait or a trait introduced through genetic transformation techniques. A tissue culture of regenerable cells of a plant of variety PH4D3B is provided. The tissue culture can be capable of regenerating plants capable of expressing all of the physiological and morphological or phenotypic characteristics of the variety, and of regenerating plants having substantially the same genotype as other plants of the variety. Examples of some of the physiological and morphological characteristics that may be assessed include characteristics related to yield, maturity, and kernel quality. The regenerable cells in such tissue cultures can be derived, for example, from embryos, meristematic cells, immature tassels, microspores, pollen, leaves, anthers, roots, root tips, silk, flowers, kernels, ears, cobs, husks, or stalks, or from callus or protoplasts derived from those tissues. Maize plants regenerated from the tissue cultures, and plants having all the physiological and morphological characteristics of variety PH4D3B are also provided. Processes are provided for producing maize seeds or plants, which processes generally comprise crossing a first parent maize plant as a male or female parent with a second parent maize plant, wherein at least one of the first or second parent maize plants is a plant of the variety designated PH4D3B. These processes may be further exemplified as processes for preparing hybrid maize seed or plants, wherein a first inbred maize plant is crossed with a second maize plant of a different, distinct variety to provide a hybrid that has, as one of its parents, the inbred maize plant variety PH4D3B. In these processes, crossing will result in the production of seed. The seed production occurs regardless of whether the seed is collected or not. In some embodiments, the first step in “crossing” comprises planting, such as in pollinating proximity, seeds of a first and second parent maize plant, and preferably, seeds of a first inbred maize plant and a second, distinct inbred maize plant. Where the plants are not in pollinating proximity, pollination can be acheived by transferring a pollen or tassel bag from one plant to the other as described below. A second step comprises cultivating or growing the seeds of said first and second parent maize plants into plants that bear flowers—male flowers (tassels) and female flowers (silks). A third step comprises preventing self-pollination of the plants, i.e., preventing the silks of a plant from being fertilized by any plant of the same variety, including the same plant. This can be done by emasculating the male flowers of the first or second parent maize plant, (i.e., treating or manipulating the tassels so as to prevent pollen production, to produce an emasculated parent maize plant). Self-incompatibility systems may also be used in some hybrid crops for the same purpose. Self-incompatible plants still shed viable pollen and can pollinate plants of other varieties but are incapable of pollinating themselves or other plants of the same variety. A fourth step may comprise allowing cross-pollination to occur between the first and second parent maize plants. When the plants are not in pollinating proximity, this is done by placing a bag, usually paper or glassine, over the tassels of the first plant and another bag over the silks of the incipient ear on the second plant. The bags are left in place for at least 24 hours. Since pollen is viable for less than 24 hours, this assures that the silks are not pollinated from other pollen sources, that any stray pollen on the tassels of the first plant is dead, and that the only pollen transferred comes from the first plant. The pollen bag over the tassel of the first plant is then shaken vigorously to enhance release of pollen from the tassels, and the shoot bag is removed from the silks of the incipient ear on the second plant. Finally, the pollen bag is removed from the tassel of the first plant and is placed over the silks of the incipient ear of the second plant, shaken again and left in place. Yet another step comprises harvesting the seeds from at least one of the parent maize plants. The harvested seed can be grown to produce a maize plant or hybrid maize plant. Also provided are maize seed and plants produced by a process that comprises crossing a first parent maize plant with a second parent maize plant, wherein at least one of the first or second parent maize plants is a plant of the variety designated PH4D3B. In one embodiment, maize seed and plants produced by the process are first generation (F1) hybrid maize seed and plants produced by crossing an inbred with another, distinct plant such as another inbred. Seed of an F1 hybrid maize plant and an F1 hybrid maize plant and seed thereof are provided. The genetic complement of the maize plant variety designated PH4D3B is provided. The phrase “genetic complement” is used to refer to the aggregate of nucleotide sequences, the expression of which sequences defines the phenotype of, in the present case, a maize plant, or a cell or tissue of that plant. A genetic complement thus represents the genetic make-up of an inbred cell, tissue or plant, and a hybrid genetic complement represents the genetic make-up of a hybrid cell, tissue or plant. Maize plant cells that have a genetic complement in accordance with the inbred maize plant cells disclosed herein, and plants, seeds and diploid plants containing such cells are provided. Plant genetic complements may be assessed by genetic marker profiles, and by the expression of phenotypic traits that are characteristic of the expression of the genetic complement, e.g., isozyme typing profiles. It is understood that variety PH4D3B could be identified by any of the many well-known techniques used for genetic profiling disclosed herein. In another aspect, hybrid genetic complements are provided, as represented by maize plant cells, tissues, plants, and seeds, formed by the combination of a haploid genetic complement of an inbred maize plant disclosed herein with a haploid genetic complement of a second maize plant, such as, another, distinct inbred maize plant. In another aspect, a maize plant regenerated from a tissue culture that comprises a hybrid genetic complement of the inbred maize plant disclosed herein. Methods of producing an inbred maize plant derived from the maize variety PH4D3B are provided, the method comprising the steps of: (a) preparing a progeny plant derived from maize variety PH4D3B, wherein said preparing comprises crossing a plant of the maize variety PH4D3B with a second maize plant; (b) crossing the progeny plant with itself or a second plant to produce a seed of a progeny plant of a subsequent generation; (c) repeating steps (a) and (b) with sufficient inbreeding until a seed of an inbred maize plant derived from the variety PH4D3B is produced. In the method, it may be desirable to select particular plants resulting from step (c) for continued crossing according to steps (b) and (c). By selecting plants having one or more desirable traits, an inbred maize plant derived from the maize variety PH4D3B is obtained which possesses some of the desirable traits of maize variety PH4D3B as well as potentially other selected traits.

11292433

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS Not Applicable STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT Not Applicable THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT Not Applicable INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC OR AS A TEXT FILE VIA THE OFFICE ELECTRONIC FILING SYSTEM Not Applicable STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR OR JOINT INVENTOR Not Applicable BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION (1) Field of the Invention The disclosure relates to windshield cleaning devices and more particularly pertains to a new windshield cleaning device for cleaning the interior of an automobile windshield. The present device includes a solar powered housing with a pair of pivoting blades and a fluid dispenser. (2) Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98 The prior art relates to windshield cleaning devices. Known devices are often integrated into a windshield and are not available to position within a windshield as needed. Many known devices designed to clean the interior of a windshield also clean the exterior of the windshield. Other known devices move laterally along a track rather than creating a traditional pivoting movement. BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a housing having a housing front side, a housing back side, a housing left side, a housing right side, a housing top side, and a housing bottom side. The housing top side has a pair of wiper apertures extending therethrough. An engagement member is coupled to the housing. The engagement member is coupled to the housing bottom side and is configured to selectively engage a dashboard of a vehicle adjacent a windshield of the vehicle. A power source is coupled to the housing. An electric motor is coupled within the housing. A gearbox is coupled within the housing and is in operational communication with the electric motor. A wiper linkage is coupled to the gearbox within the housing and extends from beneath the pair of wiper apertures. A pair of wiper arms is coupled to the housing. The pair of wiper arms is pivotably coupled to the housing backside and extends through the pair of wiper apertures. A pair of wiper blades is coupled to the pair of wiper arms. The pair of wiper blades is configured to contact and clean the windshield of the vehicle as the pair of wiper arms pivots. A wiper button is coupled to the housing. The wiper button is in operational communication with the electric motor to activate the movement of the pair of wiper arms. There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.

11264712

BACKGROUND 1. Technical Field The present disclosure is related to radar detection systems and, in particular, to a radar sensor having a radome formed with one or more trenches for reducing coupling between transmit and receive antennas of the radar sensor. 2. Discussion of Related Art Radar sensor modules, for example, automotive radar sensor modules, typically include at least one transmit (Tx) antenna and at least one receive (Rx) antenna formed on a surface, e.g., top surface, of a substrate, which can be a printed circuit board (PCB). Digital, analog and RF circuitry associated with the sensor can be mounted on the PCB on the same surface as the antennas and/or on the opposite, e.g., bottom, surface. Certain portions of the circuitry can be mounted on one surface, and other portions can be mounted on the opposite surface. For example, the RF and analog circuitry can be mounted on the top surface, and the digital circuitry can be mounted on the bottom surface. Alternatively, the sensor can include a second PCB on which some or all of the associated circuitry can be mounted. Again, for example, the RF and analog circuitry can be mounted on the first PCB with the antennas, and the digital circuitry can be mounted on the second PCB. In radar sensors, in particular, automotive radar sensors used in automotive radar systems, it is important that the radar sensors be small and compact. As the demand for small size and compactness increases, so does the need to place electronic components in close proximity to each other. As the spacing between electronic components is reduced, interference between the closely packed components can significantly and adversely affect performance of the sensor. This is especially true in the case of the Tx and Rx antennas. For example, radiation emitted by the Tx antenna(s) can be unintentionally picked up by the Rx antenna(s). This undesirable coupled interference can significantly degrade performance of the sensor. SUMMARY According to one aspect, a radar sensor module is provided. The radar sensor module includes a substrate, at least one transmit antenna formed on a surface of the substrate, and at least one receive antenna formed on the surface of the substrate. A radome is disposed over the surface of the substrate and the at least one transmit antenna and the at least one receive antenna, such that a gap is located between the surface of the substrate and an underside of the radome in which a portion of radiation emitted from the at least one transmit antenna can propagate. At least one trench is formed in the underside of the radome and is electromagnetically coupled to the gap, the at least one trench being sized, shaped and positioned with respect to the gap such that the portion of radiation emitted from the at least one transmit antenna is substantially prevented from propagating toward the receiving antenna. In some exemplary embodiments, the substrate is a printed circuit board (PCB). In some exemplary embodiments, the at least one transmit antenna and the at least one receive antenna are antenna patch arrays formed on the surface of the substrate. In some exemplary embodiments, the trench is sized, shaped and positioned to act as a waveguide stub electromagnetically coupled to the gap, such that the trench is configured as an electromagnetic stop. In some exemplary embodiments, the trench is sized, shaped and positioned to act as a waveguide stub electromagnetically coupled to the gap, such that the trench is configured as an electromagnetic stop at an operating frequency of the radar sensor module. The operating frequency of the radar sensor module can be in the range of 76 GHz to 77 GHz. The trench can have a width of approximately 1 mm and a depth of approximately 1.8 mm. The gap can have a height of approximately 1 mm. The radome can have a thickness of approximately 2.5 mm. In some exemplary embodiments, the operating frequency of the radar sensor module can be in the range of 76 GHz to 78 GHz. The trench can have a width of approximately 1 mm and a depth of approximately 1.8 mm. The gap can have a height of approximately 1 mm. The radome can have a thickness of approximately 2.5 mm. In some exemplary embodiments, the trench is positioned vertically over the surface of the substrate and laterally between the at least one transmit antenna and the at least one receive antenna. In some exemplary embodiments, the radar sensor module further comprises a second transmit antenna formed on the surface of the substrate immediately adjacent to the at least one transmit antenna. In some exemplary embodiments, the radar sensor module further comprises a second receive antenna formed on the surface of the substrate adjacent to the at least one receive antenna. The first and second transmit antennas form a group of transmit antennas and the first and second receive antennas form a group of receive antennas, and the trench is positioned vertically over the surface of the substrate and laterally between the group of transmit antennas and the group of receive antennas. The radar sensor module can be an automotive radar sensor module.

11389601

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to liquid nebulizers, and more particularly, to an aperture plate for such liquid nebulizers capable of aerosol delivery of liquid formulations having a controlled liquid droplet size suitable for pulmonary drug delivery. The invention further relates to the formation and use of aperture plates employed to produce such aerosols. BACKGROUND In drug delivery applications, especially drug delivery to the pulmonary system of a patient, liquid nebulizers are advantageous in that they are capable of delivering a fine mist of aerosol to a patient. A goal of such nebulizer devices is to assure a consistent droplet size and/or flow rate and/or velocity of the expelled droplets to maximize delivery to the targeted portion of the pulmonary system, such as the deep lung. Some liquid nebulizers use a perforated plate, such as an aperture plate (AP), mesh plate, or vibrating plate, through which a liquid is forced in order to deliver a fine mist of aerosol. In particular, vibrating mesh-type liquid nebulizers are advantageous over other types of aerosolization devices, such as jet nebulizers or ultrasound nebulizers, in that they are capable of delivering a fine aerosol mist comprising a droplet size and droplet size range appropriate for pulmonary delivery, and can do so with relatively high efficiency and reliability. Such vibrating mesh nebulizers can be advantageously small, do not require large and/or external power sources, and do not introduce extraneous gases into a patient's pulmonary system. Aperture plates manufactured for liquid drug pulmonary delivery are often designed to have apertures sized to produce droplets (also sometimes referred to as particles) of a size range from about 1-6 μm. Conveniently, the aperture plate may be provided with at least about 1,000 apertures so that a volume of liquid in a range from about 4-30 μL may be produced within a time of less than about one second. In this way, a sufficient dosage may be aerosolized. An aperture size of the aperture plate of about 1-6 μm is useful because this particle size range provides a deposition profile of aerosol droplets into the pulmonary system. More particularly, a size range of about 1-4 μm is useful because this particle size range provides a deposition profile of aerosol droplets into the deep lung (comprising the bronchi and bronchioles, and sometimes referred to as the pulmonary region), with a higher effective dose delivered, and concomitant therapeutic benefits. A particle size range larger than about 6 μm may decrease appropriate dispersal of the liquid into the pulmonary region of the lung. Therefore, providing an appropriate aperture size range, and controlling the aperture size distribution, and thereby the size distribution of liquid droplets, is a concern in this industry. Development of a cost-efficient manufacturing process to consistently and reliably manufacture aperture plates having the appropriate aperture sizes has been a challenge for the electroforming technology typically used to produce aperture plates. Electroforming is a well established plating technology as it has been widely used in the inkjet printer industry. Such devices typically have large geometry apertures (about 10 μm or larger, in some examples). In a typical electroforming process, a metal forming process is used to form thin parts through electrodeposition onto a base form, referred to as a mandrel. In a basic electroforming process, an electrolytic bath is used to deposit an electroplatable metal onto a patterned conductive surface, such as metalized (i.e., deposited with a thin layer of metal) glass or stainless steel. Once the plated material has been built up to a desired thickness, the electroformed part is stripped off the master substrate. This process affords adequate reproducibility of the master and therefore permits production with good repeatability and process control for larger geometry (greater than about 10 μm) apertures. The mandrel is usually made of a conductive material, such as stainless steel. The object being electroformed may be a permanent part of the end product or may be temporary, and removed later, leaving only the metal form, i.e., “the electroform”. The electroforming process is, however, disadvantageous in many respects. Electroforming is very susceptible to imperfections, and defects at a mandrel surface (e.g., a supporting substrate surface) adversely affect the quality of a resultant aperture plate. As a result, high manufacturing yield and process consistency has remained elusive. A typical aperture plate manufacturing yield is about 30%, and a 100% downstream assembly line inspection may be required because of process variability. A cross-sectional view of an electroformed aperture plate and a typical process flow are shown inFIG. 1AandFIG. 1B, respectively, according to the prior art. Conventionally, as shown inFIG. 1A, an aperture plate102is formed through three-dimensional growth of plating material on an array of dome-shaped patterns104with a specific diameter and spacing. The dome pattern104is lithographically patterned, and then heat treated on a stainless steel mandrel. The dome-shaped structure104acts only as an insulating layer for subsequent plating, precluding accurate and precise control of aperture geometry. The diameter and height of the dome-shaped structure104determines the approximate aperture106size and shape of aperture plates102produced through this process. The spacing or pitch between the dome-shaped structures104is a factor in determining the final aperture plate102thickness because the aperture106size is determined by the plating time, that is, a longer plating time results in a smaller aperture106size. As a result, the aperture plate hole density for a conventional, electroformed aperture plate102is fixed for any given plate thickness. Because flow rate is proportional to the aperture plate aperture (or hole) density, the hole density limitation of electroforming requires increasing the diameter of the aperture plate in order to deliver a higher flow rate. By “aperture density” it is meant the number of apertures per square unit of aperture plate, such as the number of apertures per mm2. This has a significantly negative impact on manufacturing costs and manufacturing yield, e.g., the costs may be higher and yields may be lower. Moreover, particularly in medical applications, it is often preferable to minimize the diameter of an aperture plate so that the entire device is as small as possible, both for positioning and space requirements, and to minimize power consumption. Another limiting factor with the prior art electroforming process is aperture size control. As shown inFIGS. 2A-2D, to achieve a smaller aperture202, the risk of aperture plate hole blockage increases greatly (due to a diffusion limiting factor near the tapered aperture area). The three-dimensional growth has both a linear horizontal growth rHand a linear vertical growth rL. At a large aperture202size (typically greater than about 10 μm), there is approximately a linear relationship between the horizontal growth rHand the vertical growth rLwhich allows for the aperture202size to be relatively well controlled. However, once the aperture202size reaches a smaller dimension, the linearity no longer holds, and controlling the aperture202size becomes difficult. This non-linearity typically starts at aperture sizes of about 10 μm or smaller, such as smaller than about 9 μm or 8 μm or 7 μm or 6 μm. As can be seen inFIGS. 2A-2D, the longer the growth time, as indicated by the time (t) values in each figure, the thicker the layer204becomes and the smaller the corresponding aperture202becomes. Because the thickness204and aperture202size are interrelated during the three-dimensional growth, plating conditions must be monitored and modified during the plating process if the final desired aperture202size is to be achieved, and this is not always successful. In some cases, as shown inFIG. 2D, the growth of the aperture plate may fail due to the layer being overgrown which causes the apertures202to close. It is well known in the art that plating thickness204can fluctuate, sometimes by over 10%, across the plating layer due to inherent limits of this process technology. Again, this makes it very difficult to control both the final aperture plate thickness204and aperture202size. SUMMARY According to one or more embodiments, a method for manufacturing an aperture plate includes depositing a releasable seed layer above a substrate, applying a first patterned photolithography mask above the releasable seed layer, the first patterned photolithography mask having a negative pattern to a desired aperture pattern, electroplating a first material above the exposed portions of the releasable seed layer and defined by the first mask, applying a second photolithography mask above the first material, the second photolithography mask having a negative pattern to a first cavity, electroplating a second material above the exposed portions of the first material and defined by the second mask, removing both masks, and etching the releasable seed layer to release the first material and the second material. The first material and the second material form an aperture plate for use in aerosolizing a liquid. According to another embodiment, an aperture plate for use in aerosolizing a liquid includes a first material having a plurality of apertures therein, the first material having a characteristic of being formed through a photolithography process, a second material above the first material, the second material having a first cavity above the plurality of apertures in the first material, wherein the second material has a characteristic of being formed through a photolithography process. The first material and the second material form an aperture plate. In yet another embodiment, an aperture plate adapted for use in aerosolizing a liquid produced by a process which includes the steps of: a) depositing a releasable seed layer above a substrate, b) applying a first patterned photolithography mask above the releasable seed layer, the first patterned photolithography mask having a negative pattern to a desired aperture pattern, c) electroplating a first material above the exposed portions of the releasable seed layer and defined by the first mask to form a substantially planar structure having a plurality of apertures therethrough, d) applying a second photolithography mask above the first material, the second photolithography mask having a negative pattern to a first cavity, wherein the first cavity is positioned above the plurality of apertures, e) electroplating a second material above the exposed portions of the first material and defined by the second mask, f) removing both masks, and g) etching the releasable seed layer to release the first material and the second material. Other aspects and embodiments of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, which, when taken in conjunction with the drawings, illustrate by way of example the principles of the invention.

11222475

BACKGROUND Augmented Reality (“AR”) is a technology that overlays computer-generated graphics (i.e., virtual content) on a view of a real-world environment to provide an enhanced view of the real-world environment. In this respect, virtual content is generally superimposed in such a way as to appear as a natural part of the real-world environment. To superimpose virtual content on a view of the real-world environment, a computing device with AR capabilities (which may be referred to herein as an “AR-enabled device”), generally functions to present a view of the real-world environment that has overlaid virtual content, which may be generated by the AR-enabled device or received from another computing device. Many types of AR-enabled devices exist, such as a smartphone, tablet, laptop, and wearable devices (e.g., head-mounted displays), among other computing devices. Depending on the type of AR-enabled device being used to experience AR, an enhanced view that superimposes virtual content on a view of the real-world environment may be presented in various manners. For example, in certain types of AR-enabled devices such as a head-mounted display, the view of the real-world environment may be what the user perceives through the lens of the head-mounted display, and the enhanced view may be presented on the head-mounted display with virtual content overlaid on the view of the real-world environment. As another example, the enhanced view may be presented on a display screen of an AR-enabled device, in which case the computing device may comprise a camera that captures the real-world environment in the form of image data that is presented via the display screen along with the overlaid virtual content. OVERVIEW AR can provide value in various fields in which the use of AR is currently limited. For instance, AR can enhance user experience in various fields, including construction, industrial design, entertainment (e.g., gaming), and/or home decoration, as some non-limiting examples. Generally speaking, in the field of construction, a construction project may involve the creation, review, and sometimes revision, of plans of the construction project. These plans may comprise visual representations of the construction project that visually communicate information about the construction project, such as how to assemble or construct the project. Such visual representations tend to take one of at least two different forms. One form may be a two-dimensional (“2D”) model, such as an architectural drawing, a construction blueprint, engineering schematics (or the like), in which 2D line segments of the 2D model represent certain physical elements of the construction project (e.g., walls, ducts, etc.). In this respect, a 2D model may be embodied either in paper form or in a computerized form, such as an image file (e.g., a PDF, JPEG, etc.). To advance over 2D models, computerized, three-dimensional (“3D”) technology was developed as another form in which information about a construction project can be visually communicated. In this respect, a 3D model of the construction project is typically embodied in a computerized form, such as in a Building Information Model (“BIM”) file, with 3D meshes visually representing the physical elements of the construction project (e.g., walls, ducts, ceilings, pipes, conduits, etc.). The BIM file can include a vast amount of data describing the individual physical elements of the construction project and the relationships between these individual physical elements, including for instance, the relative position, size, and/or shape of each element, and an indication of where each element will reside in relation to the other elements in the construction project. Correspondingly, specialized software has been developed that is capable of accessing a BIM file and rendering a 3D model of the construction project from one or more perspectives. One type of specialized software tool that currently exists is known as a “BIM viewer.” Generally speaking, the BIM viewer is a software tool that accesses the information contained within a BIM file (or a combination of BIM files) for a particular construction project and then, based on that file (or those files), is configured to cause a client station (e.g., a desktop computer, a laptop, a tablet, or the like) to render a 3D model of the computerized representation of the construction project. The BIM viewer software tool may also facilitate navigation of the rendered 3D model of the construction project. For example, the BIM viewer software tool may facilitate navigation of the 3D model by adjusting the perspective along either or both of the lateral axes, adjusting the perspective directly along the vertical axis, and/or by adjusting the orientation of the perspective along the two lateral axes and the vertical axis. In practice, to facilitate these types of navigation, the BIM viewer software tool may generate a graphical user interface (GUI) that presents the 3D model of the construction project as well as one or more navigational controls overlaid on the 3D model. The BIM viewer tool may also be configured to receive user input at the navigational controls (e.g., a touch, or a touch combined with a drag), and, based on a respective user input, change the position of the perspective from which the BIM viewer tool renders the 3D model. These navigational controls may take various forms. As some possibilities, these navigational controls may take the form of one or more of (1) a “Walk” navigational control through which a user may provide a user input in order to reposition the perspective of the 3D model in any direction laterally and at variable speed regardless of the current perspective's orientation, (2) an “Up/Down” navigational control through which a user may provide a user input in order to reposition the perspective of the 3D model up or down along the vertical Z-axis and at variable speed regardless of the current perspective's orientation, (3) a “Look” navigational control through which a user may provide a user input in order to reposition the orientation of the perspective of the 3D model in any direction laterally and at variable speed regardless of the current perspective's orientation, (4) a 2D inset control through which a user may immediately relocate the perspective to any position within the construction project and at any orientation, and (5) an “elevation control” control through which a user may provide a user input in order to reposition the perspective of the 3D model to a preset position along the vertical Z-axis to provide a view of a particular floor of the construction project, among combinations of the forgoing navigational controls as well as other possibilities. Existing BIM viewer software tools are typically deployed on client stations (e.g., a desktop computer, a laptop, a tablet, or the like), which may have drawbacks. First, such client stations running a BIM viewer software tool may provide an inadequate user experience. For instance, such client stations running a BIM viewer software tool may have navigation controls (such as the navigation controls described above) that are unintuitive to many users, and navigation typically requires multiple user inputs to reposition the perspective and/or orientation of the 3D model in a manner desired by a user. As a result, there is typically a learning curve for the user to navigate the rendered 3D model and navigating the rendered 3D model using the navigation controls can often times be inefficient. Second, while a BIM viewer software tool can be deployed on client stations to visually communicate information about a construction project, some level of comprehension of the rendered 3D model is required by the user to compare the 3D model with the construction site for the construction project and gain insights about the construction site for the construction project. For instance, some level of comprehension of the rendered 3D model is required by the user to identify various types of issues (e.g., electrical, mechanical, installation, etc.) associated with the construction project, which may not be readily apparent to the user. To address these problems and other problems associated with the software tools described above (e.g., the BIM viewer software tool), what is needed is an improved software tool that leverages AR technology in order to facilitate improved navigation and user interaction with a 3D model of a construction project. However, creating such an improved software tool that leverages AR technology presents its own set of challenges. For instance, a relatively accurate alignment of virtual content (e.g., a virtual 3D model of the construction project) on a view of a real-world environment is required, such that the virtual content is rendered in a way as to appear a natural part of the real-world environment. To accomplish this goal, the position and orientation (or sometimes referred to as the “pose”) of an AR-enabled device must be determined, and based on the determination, the AR-enabled device must present an enhanced view that properly aligns the virtual content onto the view of the real-world environment. Currently, some AR software applications exist that are capable of superimposing virtual content onto a view of a real-world environment. For instance, some AR software applications may utilize a visual tracking technique known as “marker-based AR,” which generally involves (1) placing a visual marker that is embedded with information identifying virtual content, such as a Quick Response (“QR”) code, on a real object, (2) associating the coordinates of where the visual marker was placed with the real object using an AR software application, (3) calculating the position and orientation of an AR-enabled device relative to the visual marker that may be detected by the AR-enabled device, and then (4) providing an enhanced view of the real-world environment by properly aligning the virtual content associated with the visual marker with the view of the real-world environment. However, this visual tracking technique has many drawbacks for scenarios that involve superimposing virtual content (e.g., a 3D model) on a view of a real-world environment that includes large objects and/or many objects. For instance, the process of placing QR codes on large objects and associating the coordinates of where each QR code was placed on a given object may become impractical in scenarios that involve superimposing virtual content on a real-world environment such as a building, which may include various large objects such as floors, walls, ceilings, or the like. Further, while a user experiencing AR may detect a QR code with an AR-enabled device to perceive a view of the real-world environment with virtual content that is properly overlaid on the real-world environment, once the AR-enabled device is moved away from the QR code and can no longer detect the QR code, the virtual content that is overlaid on the real-world environment may become misaligned, which degrades the user's AR experience. While some AR software applications may utilize another visual tracking technique known as “markerless AR” to alleviate this problem by relying on the AR-enabled device's sensors (e.g., an accelerometer, a gyroscope, and/or GPS unit) to calculate the pose of the AR-enabled device, such sensors may become unreliable in certain real-world environments as the AR-enabled device is moved away from one area of a real-world environment to another area that is further away from a QR code. To address these and other problems with existing visual tracking techniques, disclosed herein is software technology that leverages improved AR technology to facilitate presentation of virtual content (e.g., a 2D model of a construction project, a 3D model of a construction project, etc.) overlaid on a view of a real-world environment (e.g., a construction site for the construction project). At a high level, the disclosed software technology may include an AR software application that comprises (1) a first software component that functions to position an AR-enabled device within a virtual 3D model of a real-world environment, (2) a second software component that functions to establish alignment between the virtual 3D model of the real-world environment and the real-world environment, and (3) a third software component that functions to navigate the virtual 3D model of the real-world environment as a user navigates the real-world environment. The software components of the disclosed AR software application are described in further detail below. Additionally, also disclosed herein is an “insights” software application that functions to (i) obtain, from one or more computing devices (including but not limited to AR-enabled devices that are provisioned with the disclosed AR software application), a plurality of 3D models of a real-world environment that represent the real-world environment at different periods of time, (ii) compare the obtained plurality of 3D models of the real-world environment, and then (iii) based on the comparison, provide insights about the real-world environment (e.g., insights about how the construction project is progressing). This insights software application is also described in further detail below. Accordingly, in one aspect, disclosed herein is a method that involves a computing device (e.g., an AR-enabled device) (1) based on user input, determining an initial position and orientation of the computing device within a virtual 3D model of a real-world environment; (2) aligning the virtual 3D model of the real-world environment with the real-world environment; and (3) causing a display screen to present the aligned virtual 3D model as overlaid virtual content on a view of the real-world environment. In another aspect, disclosed herein is a computing device (e.g., an AR-enabled device) that includes one or more sensors, a user input interface, a display screen, at least one processor, a non-transitory computer-readable medium, and program instructions stored on the non-transitory computer-readable medium that are executable by the at least one processor to cause the computing device to carry out the functions disclosed herein, including but not limited to the functions of the foregoing method. In yet another aspect, disclosed herein is a non-transitory computer-readable medium having program instructions stored thereon that are executable such that a computing device (e.g., an AR-enabled device) is configured to carry out the functions disclosed herein, including but not limited to the functions of the foregoing method. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate these as well as numerous other aspects in reading the following disclosure.

11418586

BACKGROUND Discovery of devices and software applications on a managed network has become an important aspect of being able to operate such a network. Typically, discovery is an automated process controlled by a remote network management platform and involves scanning devices disposed within the managed network. The results of these scans may characterize the hardware of these devices and the software applications disposed thereon as configuration items. In some cases, relationships between configurations items may also be discernable. Configuration items may be stored in a configuration management database (CMDB) of the remote network management platform. Traditional discovery is agentless, in that no discovery-assisting software is deployed on devices in order for the devices to be discovered. Agent-based discovery can be used to replace, partially replace, or complement agentless discovery. For example, a discovery agent may be able to detect information that might be more difficult for traditional agentless discovery procedures to identify. Typically, a discovery agent communicates with a computational instance of the network management platform by way of a proxy server, such as a management, instrumentation, and discovery (MID) server. However, due to changes to proxy servers, including frequent and unpredictable activations and deactivations, there may be challenges in the discovery and identification of suitable proxy servers with which the endpoint device can communicate. SUMMARY The embodiments herein employ agent-based discovery to facilitate a number of advantageous features of discovery and discovery-related technologies. Endpoint devices associated with a managed network are configured with discovery agents—software operating on the endpoints that facilitate discovery and other operations by executing commands on the endpoint devices and providing the output to a computational instance of a remote network management platform by way of a proxy server. Typically, when a discovery agent is installed in an endpoint device, it is preconfigured (e.g., in a text file on the endpoint device) with one or more network addresses of proxy servers. This, on its own, is generally not an effective way of specifying proxy servers. Proxy servers may be activated or deactivated in a frequent and unpredictable fashion, and these changes may not be available to the discovery agent. For example, a proxy server may not be available or may be unreachable when the discovery agent attempts to contact it. Also, even when a proxy server is available, it may be carrying a larger load than other available proxy servers. As described in the embodiments herein, a discovery agent may be configured to receive, by way of a preconfigured, intermediary proxy server, a registration payload that includes a list of available proxy servers. Such a list may include proxy servers that were not preconfigured, and the list can be periodically updated by the computational instance to include proxy servers that have been activated and to remove proxy servers that have been deactivated. The discovery agent, in turn, may use this updated list to maintain nearly uninterrupted connectivity with the computational instance by way of an available proxy server. Additionally, the agent-based framework described herein can be used to reduce latency between agents and proxy servers as well as to balance load across proxy servers. For example, a discovery agent may perform connectivity tests between the endpoint device and each of the proxy servers in the list. Based on the outcome of these tests, the discovery agent may select a proxy server based on its response time, favoring proxy servers with lower response times over proxy servers with higher response times. Further, the discovery agent may determine a number of currently connected discovery agents for each of the proxy servers, and may select a proxy server that has a lower number of currently connected discovery agents, thereby balancing the load across the proxy servers. Other advantages may also exist. Accordingly, a first example embodiment may involve a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by an endpoint device, cause the endpoint device to perform operations including: (i) establishing, by the endpoint device, a first communication channel with an intermediary proxy server; (ii) receiving, from a computational instance and via the intermediary proxy server, a registration payload comprising a list of available proxy servers; (iii) ranking, at the endpoint device, the list of available proxy servers; (iv) selecting, by the endpoint device, a particular proxy server from the list of available proxy servers as ranked; (v) establishing, by the endpoint device, a second communication channel with the particular proxy server; and (vi) communicating, by the endpoint device, with the computational instance via the particular proxy server by utilizing the second communication channel. In a second example embodiment, an article of manufacture may include a persistent storage, including a CMDB representing devices and software applications disposed within a managed network and relationships therebetween. The second example embodiment may also involve a proxy server configured to relay discovery information between a plurality of endpoint devices associated with the managed network and the CMDB, wherein respective discovery agents are disposed within each of the endpoint devices, and wherein each endpoint device contains one or more processors configured to execute program instructions that perform operations in accordance with the first example embodiment. In a third example embodiment, a computing system may include at least one processor, as well as memory and program instructions. The program instructions may be stored in the memory, and upon execution by the at least one processor, cause the computing system to perform operations in accordance with the first example embodiment. In a fourth example embodiment, a system may include various means for carrying out each of the operations of the first example embodiment. These, as well as other embodiments, aspects, advantages, and alternatives, will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art by reading the following detailed description, with reference where appropriate to the accompanying drawings. Further, this summary and other descriptions and figures provided herein are intended to illustrate embodiments by way of example only and, as such, that numerous variations are possible. For instance, structural elements and process steps can be rearranged, combined, distributed, eliminated, or otherwise changed, while remaining within the scope of the embodiments as claimed.

11358579

The present invention relates to an electrohydraulic brake actuator for generating a brake pressure for operating one or multiple hydraulic wheel brakes. The brake actuator is provided for a power braking action of a motor vehicle (motorcycle or motorcar), but is likewise usable for other vehicles, which have one or multiple hydraulic brakes. For redundancy, it is possible to provide two brake actuators according to the present invention, to which respectively a subset of the wheel brakes of a motor vehicle or of another vehicle are connected. BACKGROUND INFORMATION German Patent No. DE 44 45 975 A1 describes a hydraulic wheel brake for a motor vehicle having an electrohydraulic brake actuator, which includes an electric motor, a screw drive, which is drivable by the electric motor and which converts a rotational drive motion of the electric motor into a displacement, and a piston-cylinder unit, whose piston is displaceable in the cylinder for building up a hydraulic pressure via the screw drive. The hydraulic wheel brake is connected to the cylinder of the piston-cylinder unit by interposing a solenoid valve. Such a wheel brake having an electrohydraulic brake actuator may be provided for each vehicle wheel. SUMMARY An example electrohydraulic brake actuator according to the present invention has a piston-cylinder unit, a rotation-translation conversion gear, and an electric motor. The rotation-translation conversion gear is rotationally drivable by the electric motor and converts a rotational movement of the electric motor into a displacement, which displaces a piston in a cylinder of the piston-cylinder unit. Conversely, it is also possible to displace the cylinder on the piston. The rotation-translation conversion gear may include a screw drive, for example a spindle drive or a ball screw. A cam drive, a rack-and-pinion drive, a crankshaft drive or a cam gear are also possible, for example. The list is provided by way of example and is not exhaustive. A mechanical reduction gear, in particular a pinion gear and for example a planetary gear, may be interposed between the electric motor and the rotation-translation conversion gear. The electric motor together with the rotation-translation conversion gear and, if applicable, an interposed reduction gear, may also be understood as an electromechanical actuator. The displacement of the piston in the cylinder may also be understood as an operation of the piston-cylinder unit. It generates a brake pressure in the cylinder and in one or multiple hydraulic wheel brakes connected to the cylinder, which operates the wheel brake(s). During a displacement of the piston in the cylinder for generating pressure, the piston-cylinder unit of the electrohydraulic brake actuator reduces a pressure-generating piston surface. The pressure-generating piston surface is a surface of the piston, to which brake fluid is applied and which reduces a volume in the cylinder for generating pressure so as to generate a brake pressure. Multiple pressure-generating surfaces of the piston are also possible. During the displacement, the pressure-generating piston surface may be reduced continuously or in one or multiple steps. The reduction of the pressure-generating piston surface reduces a displacement force required for displacing the piston. It is an advantage of the present invention that at the beginning of the displacement of the piston in the cylinder, a greater pressure-generating piston surface displaces more brake fluid volume per displacement distance from the cylinder and thereby activates one or multiple connected hydraulic wheel brakes quickly and generates a brake force quickly. As stated, the reduction of the pressure-generating piston surface reduces the displacement force required for the further displacement of the piston and for increasing the brake pressure. Advantageous embodiments and refinements of the present invention are described herein. The piston-cylinder unit of the example electrohydraulic brake actuator according to the present invention may have two or even more pistons having pressure-generating piston surfaces of different sizes, of which initially, to generate pressure, a piston having a greater or the greatest pressure-generating piston surface is displaced in the cylinder. Subsequently, a piston having a smaller pressure-generating piston surface is displaced in the cylinder in order to increase pressure. Another possibility is that initially, for generating pressure, two or even more pistons are displaced jointly and subsequently, for increasing pressure, fewer pistons or only one piston are displaced in the cylinder. The pistons may have pressure-generating piston surfaces of equal sizes or of different sizes.

11280755

BACKGROUND Reference electrodes are used in electrochemical measurements. A reference electrode is typically stable and has a well understood electrode potential. A silver/silver chloride reference electrode is an aqueous reference electrode that finds use in a wide variety of applications.

11430965

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims priority to and the benefit of Republic of Korea Patent Application No. 10-2018-0159938 filed in the Republic of Korea on Dec. 12, 2018, which is hereby incorporated by reference. BACKGROUND Technical Field The present disclosure relates to an organic light emitting diode, and more particularly, to an organic light emitting diode (OLED) having high emitting efficiency and long lifespan and an organic light emitting display device including the same. Description of the Related Art Recently, requirement for flat panel display devices having small occupied area is increased. Among the flat panel display devices, a technology of an organic light emitting display device, which includes an OLED, is rapidly developed. The OLED emits light by injecting electrons from a cathode as an electron injection electrode and holes from an anode as a hole injection electrode into an organic emitting layer, combining the electrons with the holes, generating an exciton, and transforming the exciton from an excited state to a ground state. A flexible transparent substrate, for example, a plastic substrate, can be used as a base substrate where elements are formed. In addition, the OLED can be operated at a voltage (e.g., 10V or below) lower than a voltage required to operate other display devices and has low power consumption. Moreover, the light from the OLED has excellent color purity. The OLED may include a first electrode, which is formed over a substrate and acts as an anode, a second electrode, which faces the first electrode and acts as a cathode, and an organic emitting layer therebetween. Recently, an organic light emitting display device, which includes an OLED, which emits white light in a red pixel, a green pixel and a blue pixel, and a color filter, is introduced. The light emitting diode may be called as a white organic light emitting diode (W-OLED). The above W-OLED has a stack structure which includes at least two emitting parts. However, a driving voltage of the stack structure W-OLED is increased, and a lifespan of the stack structure W-OLED is decreased. SUMMARY Accordingly, embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to an organic light emitting diode and an organic light emitting display device including the same that substantially obviate one or more of the problems due to limitations and disadvantages of the related art. Additional features and aspects will be set forth in the description that follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the inventive concepts provided herein. Other features and aspects of the inventive concepts may be realized and attained by the structure particularly pointed out in the written description, or derivable therefrom, and the claims hereof as well as the appended drawings. To achieve these and other aspects of the inventive concepts, as embodied and broadly described, an organic light emitting diode comprises a first electrode; a second electrode facing the first electrode; and an organic emitting layer between the first and second electrodes, wherein the organic emitting layer includes a first emitting part between the first and second electrodes, a second emitting part between the first emitting part and the second electrode, and a charge generation layer between the first emitting part and the second emitting part; wherein the charge generation layer includes an n-type charge generation layer between the first emitting part and the second emitting part, and a p-type charge generation layer between the n-type charge generation layer and the second emitting part, and wherein the p-type charge generation layer has a multi-layered structure, where an organic charge generation material layer and an inorganic charge generation material layer are alternately stacked. In another aspect, an organic light emitting diode comprises a first electrode; a second electrode facing the first electrode; and an organic emitting layer between the first and second electrodes; wherein the organic emitting layer includes a multi-stack structure comprising a plurality of emitting parts, and a charge generation layer between the adjacent emitting parts; wherein the charge generation layer includes an n-type charge generation layer and a p-type charge generation layer; wherein the p-type charge generation layer includes first and second layers and a third layer between the first and second layers, and wherein each of the first and second layers includes one of organic charge generation material and inorganic charge generation material, and the third layer includes the other one of organic charge generation material and inorganic charge generation material. In another aspect, an organic light emitting display device comprises a substrate; and an organic light emitting diode over the substrate, the organic light emitting diode including: a first electrode; a second electrode facing the first electrode; and an organic emitting layer between the first and second electrodes, wherein the organic emitting layer includes a first emitting part between the first and second electrodes, a second emitting part between the first emitting part and the second electrode, and a charge generation layer between the first emitting part and the second emitting part; wherein the charge generation layer includes an n-type charge generation layer between the first emitting part and the second emitting part, and a p-type charge generation layer between the n-type charge generation layer and the second emitting part, and wherein the p-type charge generation layer has a multi-layered structure, where an organic charge generation material layer and an inorganic charge generation material layer are alternately stacked. In another aspect, an organic light emitting display device comprises a substrate; and an organic light emitting diode over the substrate, the organic light emitting diode including: a first electrode; a second electrode facing the first electrode; and an organic emitting layer between the first and second electrodes; wherein the organic emitting layer includes a multi-stack structure comprising a plurality of emitting parts, and a charge generation layer between the adjacent emitting parts; wherein the charge generation layer includes an n-type charge generation layer and a p-type charge generation layer; wherein the p-type charge generation layer includes first and second layers and a third layer between the first and second layers, and wherein each of the first and second layers includes one of organic charge generation material and inorganic charge generation material, and the third layer includes the other one of organic charge generation material and inorganic charge generation material. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the inventive concepts as claimed.

11405299

TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates generally to determining node behavior in deterministic networks, thereby improving computing network operations. BACKGROUND In some cases, a computing network may be designed and/or operated according to principles of Deterministic Networking (DetNet). DetNet may be used to carry application data traffic that may have stringent service level agreement (SLA) requirements, such as real-time network services that may demand low data loss, low jitter, and/or controlled latency. Some example network services that may benefit from DetNet include streaming media services, industrial automation, vehicle control, and emergency calls. DetNet devices may be configured with behaviors such as packet replication, elimination, and/or ordering functions (e.g., PAREO, PREOF) for data handling. Using PREOF, a packet replication function may replicate data packets over different path segments. Packet elimination may avoid duplication by eliminating redundant packets at a merge point. Packet ordering function may be responsible for delivering packets in appropriate order. Furthermore, PREOF may be extended with additional behaviors (e.g., overhearing) to expand the application of the DetNet devices and/or architecture, such as for wireless applications.

11467915

BACKGROUND Devices may generate information based on existing information. For example, devices may obtain information and derive information based on the obtained information. Once information is derived or obtained, the information may be stored as part of data for future use. If the data is lost, the information may be unavailable for future use. SUMMARY In one aspect, a backup manager for providing backup services in accordance with one or more embodiments of the invention includes storage and a backup orchestrator. The storage stores prediction models. The backup orchestrator obtains a computing resource availability for a client; generates a prediction model of the prediction models using the computing resource availability for the client; predicts, using the prediction model and live data, a future computing resource availability for the client; and initiates generation of a backup for the client at an unscheduled time that is based, at least in part, on the future computing resource availability. In one aspect, a method for providing backup services in accordance with one or more embodiments of the invention includes obtaining a computing resource availability for a client; generating a prediction model using the computing resource availability for the client; predicting, using the prediction model and live data, a future computing resource availability for the client; and initiating generation of a backup for the client at an unscheduled time that is based, at least in part, on the future computing resource availability. In one aspect, a non-transitory computer readable medium in accordance with one or more embodiments of the invention includes computer readable program code, which when executed by a computer processor enables the computer processor to perform a method for providing backup services, the method includes obtaining a computing resource availability for a client; generating a prediction model using the computing resource availability for the client; predicting, using the prediction model and live data, a future computing resource availability for the client; and initiating generation of a backup for the client at an unscheduled time that is based, at least in part, on the future computing resource availability.

11327414

FIELD Embodiments described herein relate generally to a toner. BACKGROUND A melting point of toner containing non-crystalline polyester decreases when a portion of the non-crystalline polyester is replaced with crystalline polyester. Accordingly, when such toner is used in electrophotographic printing, the toner image can be fixed on a recording medium at a relatively low temperature. However, toner containing crystalline polyester generally is more difficult to store stably, i.e., without degradation of the toner's characteristics (hereinafter this may be referred to as “storage stability”). A toner having a low melting point also tends to have a low viscosity upon melting. For that reason, when such toner is used in printing, high temperature offset is likely to occur.

11230081

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims the priority of German Patent Application Serial No. DE 10 2018 211 141.3, filed on Jul. 5, 2018, pursuant to 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d), the content of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety as if fully set forth herein. FIELD OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to a corrugated board plant for producing corrugated board. The invention further relates to a method for producing corrugated board. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Corrugated board plants are generally known from prior art. It is common practice to stack the corrugated board thus produced in the form of sheets. The sheets arranged in a stack are generally identical. However, the sheets arranged in the different stacks frequently differ from each other. It is known through prior public use to insert an identification sheet into each stack by hand, which allows the respective stack or its assignment to a particular order to be identified easily. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention is based on the object of providing a corrugated board plant, which is particularly functionally safe and efficient. Another object is to provide a corresponding method for producing corrugated board. According to the invention, this object is achieved by a corrugated board plant, comprising a corrugated board production assembly for producing a double-face laminated web of corrugated board, at least one cutting assembly arranged downstream of the corrugated board production assembly, which has a cross-cutting device for producing sheets from the double-face web of corrugated board and is capable of producing at least one identification sheet from the double-face laminated web of corrugated board, which is different from the sheets, and a stack depositing area arranged downstream of the cutting assembly for stacking the stacks and the at least one identification sheet in such a way as to form a stack, which is identifiable by means of the at least one identification sheet, in particular for further processing. According to another aspect of the invention, this object is achieved by a method for producing corrugated board, comprising the steps of producing a double-face laminated web of corrugated board in a corrugated board production assembly, producing stacks from the double-face laminated web of corrugated board by means of a cross-cutting device of a cutting assembly, producing at least one identification sheet from the double-face laminated web of corrugated board by means of the cutting assembly, the at least one identification sheet differing from the sheets, and stacking the sheets and the at least one identification sheet in a stack depositing area in such a way as to form a stack, which is identifiable by means of the at least one identification sheet, in particular for further processing. The key element of the invention is in particular a cutting assembly, which is capable of creating (order) sheets according to order, in particular for further processing, on the one hand, and at least one identification sheet on the other, which is inserted into the respective stack to allow it to be identified easily or to mark it in such a way as to be identified easily. The at least one identification sheet is producible and insertable into the respective stack automatically or autonomously by means of the cutting assembly. This allows an operator, for example, to identify the stacks produced by means of the at least one identification sheet, which is characteristic for this stack, for further transport, a production of a cardboard box or the like. Except for the at least one identification sheet disposed therein, the sheets arranged in one stack are preferably identical. Advantageously, they are arranged on top of each other in the respective stack. The finished double-face laminated web of corrugated board preferably comprises at least one inner corrugated web and an outer smooth cover web and a laminating web. The double-face laminated web of corrugated board comprises a total of three layers, five layers or seven layers, for example. It is preferably endless. The double-face laminated web of corrugated board is cut to desired sizes by means of the cutting assembly. Advantageously, the cross-cutting device is capable of separating the entire double-face laminated web of corrugated board across its entire width. It is associated to the double-face laminated web of corrugated board. For example, the cross-cutting device is configured as a short cross-cutting device, which is otherwise used in particular in the event of an order change. Advantageously, the cutting assembly is in signal connection with a control unit, said signal connection preferably being wireless or wired. It allows a transmission of signals. The control unit is preferably electronic. It emits signals to the respective unit(s). The expressions “upstream”, “downstream”, “arranged in front of” and “arranged behind” used in this disclosure refer in particular to a transport direction of the respective web or of the sheets. It is expedient if the cross-cutting device as claimed in sub-claim2is in signal connection with the, in particular central, control unit and is actuated accordingly by the latter to create the at least one identification sheet. The at least one cross-cutting member of the cross-cutting device, which is actuable accordingly to produce the at least one identification sheet, is preferably configured as a cross-cutting roller. To produce the at least one identification sheet, the at least one cross-cutting member is for example operated preferably at a different cut length than that used for the production of the sheets. When the at least one cross-cutting member is actuated at a later point in time to produce the at least one identification sheet than to produce the sheets, an identification sheet is produced, which is longer than the sheets and can thus be identified. When the at least one cross-cutting member is actuated at an earlier point in time to produce the at least one identification sheet than to produce the sheets, an identification sheet is produced, which is shorter than the sheets and can thus be identified. Advantageously, the longitudinal cutting/grooving device, which is capable of producing the at least one identification sheet and preferably has at least one cutting knife, which is actuable accordingly to produce the at least one identification sheet, is in signal connection with the control unit. The longitudinal cutting/grooving device in particular performs the task of longitudinally cutting the transported double-face laminated web of corrugated board and of grooving it in such a way as to comply with cardboard box cutouts to be produced. The longitudinal cutting/grooving device advantageously comprises at least one longitudinal cutting unit, which is preferably adjustable in a width direction/transverse direction of the double-face laminated web of corrugated board, and is preferably capable of cutting the double-face laminated web of corrugated board into partial webs at a distance from its longitudinal edge. The longitudinal cutting/grooving device preferably has two grooving units arranged one behind the other in a transport direction of the double-face laminated web of corrugated board. It is advantageous if each grooving unit has a grooving tool and a counterpart grooving tool interacting therewith during use. It is expedient if the at least one cutting knife, which is actuable accordingly to produce the at least one identification sheet, is in the shape of a circular disc and is drivable for rotation. The at least one cutting knife of the longitudinal cutting/grooving device, which moves laterally in a transverse direction of the identification sheet while the at least one identification sheet is being produced, is displaceable in a transverse direction of the double-face laminated web of corrugated board. For example, it is displaceable relative to the double-face web of corrugated board in a laterally outward direction, thus forming at least one identification lug, or in a laterally inward direction, thus forming at least one identification recess. The at least one cutting knife of the longitudinal cutting/grooving device, which changes its engagement depth with the double-face laminated web of corrugated board while the at least one identification sheet is being produced, is displaceable preferably vertically. It is in particular capable of engaging the double-face laminated web of corrugated board at various depths, which—on account of the circular design of the cutting knife—causes cuts with different lengths to be produced in the double-face laminated web of corrugated board. This again provides a simple manner of producing at least one identification recess and/or identification lug in the at least one identification sheet. The at least one edge knife of the longitudinal cutting/grooving device is in particular capable of cutting or separating edge strips from the double-face laminated web of corrugated board. The at least one longitudinal cutting knife is in particular capable of producing partial webs from the double-face laminated web of corrugated board, which are therefore identical in design, by means of at least one longitudinal cut. The at least one identification sheet configured such that it is visible from outside in the stack, in particular laterally from outside, in particular by an operator, allows the entire stack to be identified easily. The at least one identification sheet may for example be disposed at the very bottom or at the very top or in-between in the stack. The at least one identification sheet differs from the sheets in particular in terms of its design, in other words its shape or geometry, which allows it to be identified easily. The at least one identification sheet is for example shorter or longer than the sheets in the stack. The at least one identification sheet is for example wider or narrower than the sheets in the stack. For example, it has straight longitudinal edges and/or transverse edges. Alternatively, it has a non-uniform length and/or width. The at least one identification sheet is for example symmetric or non-symmetric. A preferred embodiment of the invention will hereinafter be described by way of example, taken in conjunction with the enclosed drawing.

11354917

FIELD OF THE INVENTION This description relates generally to security improvement for credential documents and specifically to a method and system for detecting images of fraudulently generated or photocopied secure credential documents using texture analysis. BACKGROUND The use of mobile devices such as cell phones and tablets can lead to rising rates of identity theft and fraud. Moreover, capturing samples of secure credentials to remotely authenticate identity poses challenges. SUMMARY A method and system for detecting images of fraudulently generated or photocopied secure credential documents using texture analysis is disclosed. One or more processors receive an image of a secure credential document from a computer device. The one or more processors segment the image of the secure credential document into multiple regions. For each region of the multiple regions, the one or more processors extract local high-resolution texture features from the image of the secure credential document. The one or more processors generate a score based on the local high-resolution texture features using a machine learning model. The score is indicative of a likelihood that the image of the secure credential document is fraudulently generated or photocopied. The one or more processors transmit a message to a display device indicating that the image of the secure credential document is fraudulently generated or photocopied. In some embodiments, the one or more processors remove a background of the image of the secure credential document. In some embodiments, the background of the image of the secure credential document includes at least one of a margin of the image of the secure credential document or texture information. In some embodiments, the removing of the background of the image of the secure credential document includes cropping, by the one or more processors, the image of the secure credential document. In some embodiments, the secure credential document includes at least one of a driver's license, an identity document, a passport, or a social security card. In some embodiments, the multiple regions include a polygonal grid pattern. In some embodiments, the one or more processors convert the image of the secure credential document into a grayscale image of the secure credential document. In some embodiments, the local high-resolution texture features include local binary pattern (LBP) features. In some embodiments, the one or more processors construct a histogram of the LBP features. The histogram is for the generating of the score using the machine learning model. In some embodiments, the one or more processors reduce the LBP features to a Rotationally Invariant Uniform set to decrease a size of the histogram. In some embodiments, the one or more processors normalize the histogram by at least one of subtracting a mean of the histogram, or dividing the histogram by a magnitude of the histogram. In some embodiments, the one or more processors generate training sets from images of secure credential documents and fraudulently generated or photocopied images of the secure credential documents. The one or more processors extract training features from the training sets. In some embodiments, the generating of the score based on the local high-resolution texture features includes detecting, by the one or more processors, texture artifacts from the local high-resolution texture features. The texture artifacts include at least one of noise or color pixilation. In some embodiments, the image of the secure credential document is fraudulently generated by at least one of printing the secure credential document, or displaying the image of the secure credential document on a digital display of the computer device. In some embodiments, the generating of the score based on the local high-resolution texture features includes detecting, by the one or more processors, texture artifacts including at least one of pixel patterns or subpixel patterns. These and other aspects, features, and implementations can be expressed as methods, apparatus, systems, components, program products, means or steps for performing a function, and in other ways. These and other aspects, features, and implementations will become apparent from the following descriptions, including the claims.

11242615

TECHNICAL FIELD The invention relates to the technical field of compound semiconductor single crystal growth, and in particular to a growth method and an apparatus for preparing high-yield crystals. BACKGROUND ART Vertical Gradient Freeze (VGF) is a preferred method for preparing high quality InP crystals generally comprising the following growth steps: putting the synthesized compound semiconductor polycrystalline material, a seed crystal, a sealing agent and the like into a crucible and sealing the crucible in a vacuumized furnace body, melting the polycrystalline material and the seed crystal through temperature gradient control, and slowly growing a single crystal from the seed crystal end upwards. In actual crystal production, orderly and precise control of procedures, such as heating materials, temperature maintenance, and slowly cooling, is required. Due to the apparatus, control and transmission, convection, radiation, etc., the thermal field is extremely complicated and the control is difficult. Especially, for the growth process of single crystals such as indium phosphide, its high dissociation pressure requires a high-temperature and high-pressure growth environment, and its low stacking fault energy is very prone to twin defects; further, its critical shear stress is small, making the preparation of high-quality indium phosphide crystals very difficult. Due to the high probability of twinning, the yield is low, and the cost is high, restricting its wide application in the fields of optical fiber communication, microelectronics and solar energy. Improving crystal growth yield is a hot and difficult point in the field of single crystal growth. The invention patent 201410293610.5 discloses a process for growing high-quality compound semiconductor single crystal by R-VGF method. Based on the growth process of single crystal by VGF method, a rotating process is added to obtain a uniformly distributed radial temperature field, beneficial to the effective heat dissipation of the axial temperature field. The process mainly aims to obtain a temperature field environment suitable for high-quality single crystal growth, but in practical application. due to the fact that a plurality of thermocouples of each hot area are monitored, the circuit is complex, on the other hand, due to rotation, the probability of the positions of the crucible, the furnace body and the like deviating from neutrality increases, leading to a reduced yield, and poor product consistency. Therefore, it is an urgent technical problem to be solved in the art to develop a single crystal growth method and a mated apparatus with good stability and high yield. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the technical problems of low single crystal growth yield and high cost of the existing VGF method, the invention provides a growth method and an apparatus for preparing high-yield crystals, which adopt the technical scheme that an auxiliary crucibles are additionally arranged on a main crucible so as to correct the crystal orientation change caused by twins, so that the overall crystal growth yield is improved with low processing difficulty, and good stability. The technical scheme adopted by the invention is as follows: a growth method for preparing high-yield crystals by a crystal growth crucible and a mated heating furnace. The crystal growth crucible, in a structure, comprises a main crucible sequentially provided with a seed crystal portion, a growth portion, a necking portion and a feeding growth portion from bottom to top, and auxiliary crucibles dispersed on the necking portion of the main crucible; the method sequentially comprises steps of feeding materials, vacuumizing, melting materials in the main crucible, melting materials in the auxiliary crucibles, cooling the main crucible, cooling the auxiliary crucibles successively and disassembling the furnace to remove a crystal ingot; the step of feeding materials comprises putting a seed crystal into the seed crystal portion according to a crystal plane index (h1k1l1) perpendicular to a crystal growth direction; feeding a polycrystalline crushed material into the growth portion, the feeding growth portion of the main crucible and the auxiliary crucibles respectively, and then feeding a sealant; and controlling an included angle between center lines of auxiliary crucible and the main crucible (6) to be θ, and an included angle between center lines of the auxiliary crucibles to be φ or a multiple of φ, with θ and φ being satisfied cos θ=|(h1h2+k1k2+l1l2)|/[(h12+l12+k12)(h22+l22+k22)]0.5, cos φ=|(h3h4+k3k4+l3l4)|/[(h32+l32+k32)(h42+l42+k42)]0.5 wherein (h1k1l1) is the crystal plane index perpendicular to the crystal growth direction; after twins are generated, the crystal plane perpendicular to the crystal ingot along the crystal growth direction is converted into (h2k2l2); (h3k3l3) and (h4k4l4) are crystal plane indices perpendicular to the crystal growth crystal plane and passing through twin lines on adjacent crystal growth crystal planes. Further, the auxiliary crucible, in a structure, comprises, a connection portion connected to the necking portion of the main crucible, a branch growth portion and a balance tube sequentially from bottom to top, a top end of the balance tube being higher than the necking portion of the crystal growth crucible. Furthermore, the method specifically comprises the following steps: {circle around (1)} feeding materials: putting the seed crystal into the seed crystal portion according to the crystal plane index perpendicular to the crystal growth direction, putting the polycrystalline crushed material into growth portion, the feeding growth portion of the main crucible and the auxiliary crucible, respectively, and then putting the sealant; {circle around (2)} vacuumizing; vacuumizing a furnace body, and filling inert gas to 1.8-2.5 MPa; {circle around (3)} melting materials in the main crucible: allowing, by means of a heating assembly and thermometric couples of the main crucible, the main crucible to form a temperature gradient sequentially increased from bottom to top, and controlling the temperature at the seed crystal portion to be lower than a melting point of the crystal to enable the polycrystalline material in the main crucible to melt; {circle around (4)} melting materials in the auxiliary crucibles: controlling, by means of heating assemblies and thermometric couples mated for each auxiliary crucible, the temperature of each auxiliary crucible to rise from bottom to top sequentially, thereby forming a temperature gradient in each auxiliary crucible from bottom to top to melt polycrystalline materials in the auxiliary crucibles; {circle around (5)} cooling the main crucible: controlling, by means of the heating assembly and the thermometric couples of the main crucible, the main crucible to form a temperature gradient sequentially reduced from bottom to top, and controlling the temperature at the seed crystal portion to be lower than the melting point of the crystal; {circle around (6)} cooling the auxiliary crucibles sequentially: controlling each auxiliary crucible to cool from bottom to top sequentially, and controlling the auxiliary crucible to form a temperature gradient reduced from bottom to top sequentially when a temperature at a joint of auxiliary crucible and the main crucible is lower than the melting point of the crystal, and allowing the melting point isotherms of the crystal in auxiliary crucibles same as that in the main crucible; and {circle around (7)} controlling the heating assembly to slowly cool the main crucible and the auxiliary crucible to room temperature when the temperature at the balance tube of each auxiliary crucible is lower than the melting point of the crystal, and disassembling the furnace to remove the crystal ingot. The invention also provides a high-yield crystal growth crucible comprising a main crucible, wherein the main crucible, in a structure, comprises a main crucible seed crystal portion and a main crucible growth portion from bottom to top sequentially, and auxiliary crucibles are arranged on the main crucible along a circumferential direction. Furthermore, an included angle between center lines of auxiliary crucible and the main crucible (6) is θ, cos θ=|(h1h2+k1k2+l1l2)|/[(h12+l12+k12) (h22+l22+k22)]0.5, wherein h1k1l1h2k2l2are crystal plane indices, a crystal plane perpendicular to a crystal growth direction is (h1k1l1); and the crystal plane perpendicular to the ingot in the direction of crystal growth is converted to (h2k2l2) after twins are generated. Further, the main crucible comprises a seed crystal portion, a growth portion, a necking portion and a feeding growth portion successively from bottom to top, and the auxiliary crucible is provided at the necking portion of the main crucible; and the auxiliary crucible, in a structure, comprises a connection portion connected with the necking portion of the main crucible, a branch growth portion and a balance tube from bottom to top sequentially, wherein a top end of the balance tube is higher than the necking portion of the main crucible. Further, an included angle between center lines of the auxiliary crucibles is φ or a multiple of φ, cos φ=|(h3h4+k3k4+l3l4)|/[(h32+l32+k32) (h42+l42+k42)]0.5, wherein (h3k3l3) and (h4k4l4) are crystal plane indices perpendicular to the crystal growth crystal plane and passing through twin lines on adjacent crystal growth crystal planes. A growth method for preparing a high-yield InP crystal comprises the following steps: {circle around (1)} feeding materials: putting the seed crystal into the seed crystal portion according to the crystal plane index (h1k1l1) perpendicular to the crystal growth direction, putting the polycrystalline crushed material into growth portion, the feeding growth portion of the main crucible and the auxiliary crucible, respectively, and then putting the sealant; {circle around (2)} vacuumizing; vacuumizing a furnace body, and filling inert gas to 1.8-2.5 MPa; {circle around (3)} melting materials in the main crucible: allowing, by means of a heating assembly and thermometric couples of the main crucible, the main crucible to form a temperature gradient sequentially increased from bottom to top, and controlling the temperature at the seed crystal portion to be lower than 1060-1065° C. to enable the polycrystalline material in the main crucible to melt; {circle around (4)} melting materials in the auxiliary crucibles: controlling, by means of heating assemblies and thermometric couples mated for each auxiliary crucible, the temperature of each auxiliary crucible to rise from bottom to top sequentially, thereby forming a temperature gradient in each auxiliary crucible from bottom to top to melt polycrystalline materials in the auxiliary crucibles; {circle around (5)} cooling the main crucible: controlling, by means of the heating assembly and the thermometric couples of the main crucible, the main crucible to form a temperature gradient sequentially reduced from bottom to top, and controlling the temperature at the seed crystal portion to be lower than 1060-1065° C.; {circle around (6)} cooling the auxiliary crucibles sequentially: controlling each auxiliary crucible to cool from bottom to top sequentially, and controlling the auxiliary crucible to form a temperature gradient reduced from bottom to top sequentially when a temperature at a joint of auxiliary crucible and the main crucible is lower than 1060-1065° C., and allowing 1062° C. isotherms in the auxiliary crucible same as that in the main crucible; and {circle around (7)} controlling the heating assembly to slowly cool the main crucible and the auxiliary crucible to room temperature when the temperature at the balance tube of each auxiliary crucible is lower than the melting point of the crystal, and disassembling the furnace to remove the crystal ingot. Further, in the step of feeding materials, the seed crystal (10) is put in a crystal orientation of <100>, and the auxiliary crucible is axially parallel to the <011> crystal orientation of the seed crystal. Further, the included angle between the center lines of the auxiliary crucibles is 90° or 180° or 360°. Furthermore, in the step of feeding materials, the seed crystal is put in a crystal orientation of <111>, and the included angle between center lines of the auxiliary crucibles is 60° or 120°. In the technical scheme, the invention provides a growth method for preparing high-yield crystals by a heating furnace, a crystal growth crucible and a matched control system. the crystal growth crucible, in a structure, comprises a main crucible sequentially provided with a seed crystal portion, a growth portion, a necking portion and a feeding growth portion from bottom to top, and auxiliary crucibles dispersed on the necking portion of the main crucible; the method sequentially comprises steps of feeding materials, vacuumizing, melting materials in the main crucible, melting materials in the auxiliary crucibles, cooling the main crucible, cooling the auxiliary crucibles successively and disassembling the furnace to remove a crystal ingot; the step of feeding materials comprises putting a seed crystal into the seed crystal portion according to a crystal plane index <h1k1l1> perpendicular to a crystal growth direction; feeding a polycrystalline crushed material into the growth portion, the feeding growth portion of the main crucible and the auxiliary crucible respectively, and then feeding a sealant to seal polycrystalline materials during heating, wherein, the main idea of the invention for improving the crystal growth rate is that an auxiliary crucible is adopted to correct the twin orientation generated in the main crucible crystal growth process, and the included angle between auxiliary crucible and the main crucible and the relative position between the auxiliary crucibles each other are controlled according to different crystal types and according to the crystal orientation of crystal growth in the main crucible (or the crystal orientation along the crystal growth method when a seed crystal is put in), the relation between the crystal growth orientation and the twin crystal orientation; the seed crystal is put into the seed crystal portion in the main crucible according to the crystal plane index (h1k1l1) perpendicular to the crystal growth direction, and polycrystalline crushed materials are put into the main crucible growth portion, the feeding growth portion and the auxiliary crucibles respectively, and followed by putting the sealants; in this case, the included angle between the center lines of auxiliary crucible and the main crucible needs to be controlled to be θ, the included angle between the center lines of the auxiliary crucibles to φ or a multiple of φ, and θ and φ satisfy the following formulas cos θ=|(h1h2+k1k2+l1l2)|/[(h12+l12+k12)(h22+l22+k22)]0.5, cos φ=|(h3h4+k3k4+l3l4)|/[(h32+l32+k32)(h42+l42+k42)]0.5 to achieve the correction. wherein, (h1k1l1) is the crystal plane index perpendicular to the crystal growth direction; after twins are generated, the crystal plane perpendicular to the crystal ingot along the crystal growth direction is converted into (h2k2l2); (h3k3l3) and (h4k4l4) are crystal plane indices perpendicular to the crystal growth crystal plane and passing through twin lines on adjacent crystal growth crystal planes. The present invention has following beneficial effects: (1) the growth method for preparing the high-yield crystal provided by the invention, by adding the auxiliary crucible on the main crucible to change the crystal orientation change caused by twins, realizes the finished crystal added to the auxiliary crucible; and the overall yield is improved for the growth process of the dislocation crystal with large probability; and (2) the crucible position can be customized according to the influence of twins on the crystal growth direction, suitable for various crystal preparation processes, improving the yield obviously, reducing the crystal processing difficulty, and improving the material utilization rate.

11348544

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION The present application claims priority of Chinese Patent Application No. 202011344707.6 filed to the CNIPA on Nov. 26, 2020, the content of which is hereby incorporated by reference. TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates to, but is not limited to, the field of display technology, in particular to an electronic paper display apparatus, and a method for driving the electronic paper display apparatus. BACKGROUND Electronic paper (E-paper, also called as electronic ink) display apparatus has advantages of eye protection and power saving, which has drawn wide attention. An electronic paper display apparatus includes multiple microcapsules, and electrically charged black particles and white particles are encapsulated in each microcapsule. Gray tone display of the electronic paper display apparatus depends on distribution of the black particles and the white particles in the microcapsules, while the distribution of the black particles and the white particles depends on the applied voltage sequence, which is, a driving waveform. Thus, optimization of the driving waveform directly affects the display effect of the electronic paper display apparatus. SUMMARY The following is a summary of subject matter described in detail herein. This summary is not intended to limit the protection scope of the claims. Embodiments of the present disclosure provide an electronic paper display apparatus, and a method for driving the electronic paper display apparatus. In one aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a method for driving an electronic paper display apparatus. The electronic paper display apparatus includes multiple microcapsules, and a first electrode and a second electrode disposed on opposite sides of at least one of the microcapsules; the at least one microcapsule includes black particles and white particles, wherein an electric property of charges carried by the black particles and an electric property of charges carried by the white particles are opposite. The driving method includes: applying a first driving signal to a first electrode of a microcapsule to be displayed in white, and applying a second driving signal to a first electrode of a microcapsule to be displayed in black according to a black-and-white particle image to be displayed. The first driving signal includes a first sub-driving signal applied in a display stage, wherein the first sub-driving signal is configured to drive the white particles in the microcapsule to be displayed in white to be closer to a display side relative to the black particles. The second driving signal includes a second sub-driving signal applied in the display stage, wherein the second sub-driving signal is configured to drive the black particles in the microcapsule to be displayed in black to be closer to the display side relative to the white particles. An effective voltage of the first sub-driving signal and an effective voltage of the second sub-driving signal are alternately applied in sequence. In some exemplary embodiments, the effective voltage of the first sub-driving signal and the effective voltage of the second sub-driving signal have a same absolute value and opposite electrical properties. In some exemplary embodiments, the first sub-driving signal includes at least one first pulse unit, and the second sub-driving signal includes at least one second pulse unit. The at least one first pulse unit and the at least one second pulse unit are in one-to-one correspondence. In some exemplary embodiments, each first pulse unit includes a first voltage and a first common voltage which are sequentially applied; each second pulse unit includes a second voltage and a second common voltage which are sequentially applied; and the first voltage and the second voltage have opposite electrical properties. The first voltage is equal to the effective voltage of the first sub-driving signal, and the second voltage is equal to the effective voltage of the second sub-driving signal. The first voltage has same application duration of as the second common voltage, and the first common voltage has same application duration as the second voltage. In some exemplary embodiments, the first voltage has a same application duration as the second voltage. In some exemplary embodiments, the first sub-driving signal includes N first pulse units, and the second sub-driving signal includes N second pulse units, wherein N is an integer greater than 1. An end moment of a first voltage of a n-th first pulse unit is a start moment of a second voltage of a corresponding n-th second pulse unit, and an end moment of the second voltage of the n-th second pulse unit is a start moment of a first voltage of a (n+1)-th first pulse unit, wherein n is an integer greater than 0 and less than N. In some exemplary embodiments, the first driving signal further includes a third sub-driving signal applied in a balance stage before the display stage; and the second driving signal further includes a fourth sub-driving signal applied in the balance stage before the display stage. A product of an absolute value of the effective voltage of the third sub-driving signal and an application duration thereof is equal to a product of an absolute value of the effective voltage of the fourth sub-driving signal and an application duration thereof. The effective voltage of the third sub-driving signal and the effective voltage of the fourth sub-driving signal have the same absolute value and opposite electrical properties. In some exemplary embodiments, the effective voltage of the third sub-driving signal and the effective voltage of the first sub-driving signal have opposite electrical properties. The effective voltage of the fourth sub-driving signal and the effective voltage of the second sub-driving signal have opposite electrical properties. In some exemplary embodiments, the first driving signal further includes a fifth sub-driving signal applied in a shaking stage between the display stage and the balance stage. The second driving signal further includes a sixth sub-driving signal applied in the shaking stage between the display stage and the balance stage. The fifth sub-driving signal and the sixth sub-driving signal each include pulse signals with alternating positive and negative voltages. In some exemplary embodiments, absolute values of effective voltages of the first sub-driving signal, the second sub-driving signal, the third sub-driving signal, the fourth sub-driving signal, the fifth sub-driving signal and the sixth sub-driving signal are all the same. In another aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure further provides an electronic paper display apparatus, which includes: multiple microcapsules, and a first electrode and a second electrode disposed on opposite sides of at least one of the microcapsule; the at least one microcapsule includes black particles and white particles, wherein an electric property of charges carried by the black particles and an electric property of charges carried by the white particles are opposite. The electronic paper display apparatus further includes a processor, which is configured to execute any one of the aforementioned driving method. In another aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a computer program that implements any one of the aforementioned driving methods when the computer program is executed by a processor. Other aspects will be understood after the drawings and the detailed description are read and understood.

11328540

FIELD This application generally relates to vehicle data sharing, and more particularly, to vehicle data sharing with interested parties. BACKGROUND Transports, such as cars, motorcycles, trucks, planes, trains, etc., are experiencing varying conditions as they are being utilized, such as road conditions, traffic patterns, performance of other vehicles, vehicle conditions, safety conditions, weather conditions, etc. Other types of data, which may be identified from the interior and/or exterior of a vehicle, include user actions, such as entertainment selections, navigation information, tire pressure, etc. Such data may be stored in a database which maintains data in a single database at one particular location. This location is often a central computer, for example, a desktop central processing unit (CPU). Information stored on a centralized database is typically accessible from multiple different points. A centralized database is easy to manage, maintain, and control, especially for purposes of security because of its single location. Within a centralized database, data redundancy is minimized as a single storing place of all data also implies that a given set of data only has one primary record. However, a centralized database suffers from significant drawbacks. For example, a centralized database has a single point of failure. In particular, if there are no fault-tolerance considerations and a failure occurs (for example a hardware, firmware, and/or a software failure), all data within the database is lost and work of all users is interrupted. Furthermore, because a database storage system has minimal to no data redundancy, data that is unexpectedly lost is very difficult to retrieve other than through manual operation from back-up storage. Conventionally, a centralized database is limited by its ability to prevent fraudulent claims made by entities attempting to submit multiple claims for a single occurrence. Information that is important, such as access permissions and private user data may require further data management infrastructure and procedures to ensure privacy and consent to share such data is preserved. SUMMARY One example embodiment may provide a system, comprising one or more of at least one sensor on a transport, and a server that stores a privacy setting for data associated with the at least one sensor wherein, based on the privacy setting, data is collected and transmitted from the at least one sensor to the server, wherein the privacy setting is associated with an anonymity of a user associated with the transport and with the data, wherein the data is used by the server to complete an action, wherein the server provides a value to the transport based on a result of the action. Another example embodiment may provide a method, comprising one or more of storing a privacy setting for data associated with at least one sensor on a transport, collecting data based on the privacy setting associated with the at least one sensor, transmitting the data to a server, wherein the privacy setting is associated with an anonymity of a user with the transport and with the data, completing an action at the server using the data, and providing, at the server, a value to the transport based on the result of the action. A further example embodiment may provide a non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions, that when read by a processor, cause the processor to perform one or more of storing a privacy setting for data associated with at least one sensor on a transport, collecting data based on the privacy setting associated with the at least one sensor, transmitting the data to a server, wherein the privacy setting is associated with an anonymity of a user with the transport and with the data, completing an action at the server using the data, and providing, at the server, a value to the transport based on the result of the action. Yet a further example embodiment may provide a system comprising a server configured to perform one or more of assign sensor data from a transport to one or more categories based on sensor data share permissions stored in a profile associated with a transport, send the sensor data to one or more recipients based on the one or more categories, and provide a value to the transport by the one or more recipients based on the sensor data via a smart contract which references the sensor data sent to the one or more recipients, the value being provided to the transport, a date associated with the sent sensor data, and a date associated with the provided value. Yet a further example embodiment may provide a method comprising one or more of assigning sensor data from a transport to one or more categories based on sensor data share permissions stored in a profile associated with a transport, sending the sensor data to one or more recipients based on the one or more categories, and providing a value to the transport by the one or more recipients based on the sensor data via a smart contract which references the sensor data sent to the one or more recipients, the value being provided to the transport, a date associated with the sent sensor data, and a date associated with the provided value. Yet a further example embodiment may provide a non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions, that when read by a processor, cause the processor to perform one or more of assigning sensor data from a transport to one or more categories based on sensor data share permissions stored in a profile associated with a transport, sending the sensor data to one or more recipients based on the one or more categories, and providing a value to the transport by the one or more recipients based on the sensor data via a smart contract which references the sensor data sent to the one or more recipients, the value being provided to the transport, a date associated with the sent sensor data, and a date associated with the provided value. Still yet another example embodiment may provide a method that includes one or more of receiving, at a server, sensor data from one or more sensors disposed on a vehicle, receiving, at the server, additional sensor data from a computing device operating inside the vehicle, determining the sensor data and the additional sensor data correspond to the vehicle's operational status, determining whether one or more of the sensor data and the additional sensor data exceed one or more thresholds, and when one or more of the sensor data and the additional sensor data exceed the one or more thresholds, providing a value to the vehicle. Yet another example embodiment may provide a system that includes a vehicle, a computing device operating inside the vehicle, and a server configured to perform one or more of receive sensor data from one or more sensors disposed on the vehicle, receive additional sensor data from the computing device operating inside the vehicle, determine the sensor data and the additional sensor data correspond to the vehicle's operational status, determine whether one or more of the sensor data and the additional sensor data exceed one or more thresholds, and when one or more of the sensor data and the additional sensor data exceed the one or more thresholds, provide a value to the vehicle. Still yet another example embodiment may provide a non-transitory computer readable storage medium configured to store instructions that when executed cause a processor to perform one or more of receiving, at a server, sensor data from one or more sensors disposed on a vehicle, receiving, at the server, additional sensor data from a computing device operating inside the vehicle, determining the sensor data and the additional sensor data correspond to the vehicle's operational status, determining whether one or more of the sensor data and the additional sensor data exceed one or more thresholds, and when one or more of the sensor data and the additional sensor data exceed the one or more thresholds, providing a value to the vehicle.

11402191

BACKGROUND 1. Technical Field This disclosure relates generally to explosive charges and, more particularly, to methods and systems for deactivation of said explosive charges. 2. Background Information Explosives may frequently be used in oil and gas exploration and extraction, mining, and other industrial applications. Such explosives may include, for example, shaped charges, detonating cord, boosters, percussion igniters and initiators, etc. One challenge commonly encountered by explosive operators is the management of their explosive inventory. A particular project may require several different types and sizes of explosives in order to account for various conditions which may be encountered. Further, the explosive operator may prefer to have extra explosives on hand in the event they become necessary for the particular project. As a result, at the end of a project, unused explosive products may remain. In many countries, because of strict import and export laws, once these explosive products enter the country, it may not be possible to export them. These remaining explosives must be stored under strict conditions and may eventually exceed their allowable shelf-lives (typically five-years from the date of manufacture) without being used, thereby requiring disposal (e.g., destruction) of the remaining explosives. Depending on the location of the remaining explosives, various laws and/or government agencies may control or oversee the disposal of the remaining explosives and, in many cases, disposal of the remaining explosives can be expensive. One reason that explosive disposal costs may be high is that even though designated shelf-life requirements may prohibit use of the explosive after a particular length of time, the explosive remains active, thereby requiring safe storage, handling, and ultimately, disposal. A common means for disposal of explosives is by open air burning (e.g., using diesel fuel) the explosive products, which presents environmental issues but renders the explosive deactivated and reduced to ashes and other discreet components. Unfortunately, some explosive products may contain heavy metals, lead, graphite, tungsten, or other dangerous material which, if not properly contained and disposed of, may create additional environmental hazards. A less common way to dispose of the explosive products is to dismantle the explosives into their core components, primarily by soaking the explosives in vats filled with water, alcohol, or other solvents and then working to remove the outer metal (aluminum, steel or zinc) shells or cases. Sonic vibration may assist with this process and does not pose a risk, however, the batch size is small, which extends the time and cost of disposal. This deactivation process may additionally produce contaminated water requiring additional costs for disposal. Accordingly, what is needed are improved methods and systems for deactivating explosives which address one or more of the above-discussed concerns. SUMMARY It should be understood that any or all of the features or embodiments described herein can be used or combined in any combination with each and every other feature or embodiment described herein unless expressly noted otherwise. According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a perforating gun assembly includes a body having an axial length extending between a first axial end and a second axial end, an outer radial surface extending between the first axial end and the second axial end, and an inner bore and at least one explosive charge extending from the outer radial surface to the inner bore. The at least one explosive charge includes a charge casing and a cavity liner mounted within the charge casing. The charge casing and the cavity liner define a charge cavity there between. The at least one explosive charge further includes an explosive material retained within the charge cavity. The at least one explosive charge further includes a deactivation composition retained within the charge cavity. In any of the aspects or embodiments described above and herein, the charge cavity is in fluid communication with the inner bore. In any of the aspects or embodiments described above and herein, the at least one explosive charge further includes an adhesive disposed between and in contact with the explosive material and the cavity liner. The adhesive contains the deactivation composition. In any of the aspects or embodiments described above and herein, the deactivation composition is disposed on an interior surface of the charge casing in contact with the explosive material. In any of the aspects or embodiments described above and herein, the at least one explosive charge further includes a bonder intermixed with the explosive material. The binder contains the deactivation composition. According to another aspect of the present disclosure, an explosive charge includes a charge casing and a cavity liner mounted within the charge casing. The charge casing and the cavity liner define a charge cavity there between. The explosive charge further includes an explosive material retained within the charge cavity. The explosive charge further includes a deactivation composition retained within the charge cavity. In any of the aspects or embodiments described above and herein, the explosive charge further includes an adhesive disposed between and in contact with the explosive material and the cavity liner. The adhesive contains the deactivation composition. In any of the aspects or embodiments described above and herein, the deactivation composition is disposed on an interior surface of the charge casing in contact with the explosive material. In any of the aspects or embodiments described above and herein, the explosive charge further includes a binder intermixed with the explosive material. The binder contains the deactivation composition. In any of the aspects or embodiments described above and herein, the deactivation composition includes a microorganism. According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a method for deactivating an explosive charge includes providing the explosive charge including a charge casing and a cavity liner mounted within the charge casing. The charge casing and the cavity liner define a charge cavity there between. The explosive charge further includes an explosive material retained within the charge cavity. The method further includes deactivating the explosive charge with a deactivation composition retained within the charge cavity by causing the deactivation composition to transition from a dormant state to an active state. In any of the aspects or embodiments described above and herein, the deactivation composition has a deactivation temperature range within which the deactivation composition transitions to the active state. In any of the aspects or embodiments described above and herein, causing the deactivation composition to transition from a dormant state to an active state includes exposing the explosive charge to a temperature condition within the deactivation temperature range. In any of the aspects or embodiments described above and herein, the deactivation temperature range is higher than a threshold temperature for the explosive charge. In any of the aspects or embodiments described above and herein, the method further includes maintaining the explosive charge at a storage temperature less than the threshold temperature prior to deactivating the explosive charge. In any of the aspects or embodiments described above and herein, the deactivation composition comprises a microorganism. In any of the aspects or embodiments described above and herein, the explosive charge further includes an adhesive disposed between and in contact with the explosive material and the cavity liner. The adhesive contains the deactivation composition. In any of the aspects or embodiments described above and herein, the method further includes degrading the adhesive causing the deactivation composition to interact with the explosive material. In any of the aspects or embodiments described above and herein, the explosive charge further includes a binder intermixed with the explosive material. The binder contains the deactivation composition. In any of the aspects or embodiments described above and herein, the method further includes degrading the binder causing the deactivation composition to interact with the explosive material. The present disclosure, and all its aspects, embodiments and advantages associated therewith will become more readily apparent in view of the detailed description provided below, including the accompanying drawings.

11391076

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a rail for guiding a carriage of a furniture door and a piece of furniture with at least one such rail. In addition, the invention relates to a method for producing such a piece of furniture. Rails for guiding a carriage of a furniture door which are arranged as a complete package on a side panel of a piece of furniture are already known. This means that the rails are fastened to the side panel for example by means of screws. This has the disadvantage that the entire rail has to be unscrewed again in the event of maintenance work or other repairs. Furthermore, after the maintenance work or repairs have been carried out, the rail has to be fastened to the side panel again, with the result that new fastening holes may be necessary in order to guarantee a secure hold of the rail, and thus of the furniture door. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The object of the invention is to avoid the above-described disadvantages and to specify an improved rail compared with the state of the art and an improved piece of furniture, with the result that carrying out maintenance work or other repairs is made easier. A further object of the invention is to specify an improved method for producing such a piece of furniture, in order in turn to make it easier to carry out maintenance work. An essential idea with respect to the rail according to the invention is that the rail has at least one installation part, wherein the at least one installation part is fastenable to a furniture part, which is formed by a side panel of a piece of furniture, and releasably connectable to a guide part, wherein the guide part has at least one guide for the carriage. In other words, it is thus possible to connect only the installation part fixedly to the piece of furniture, wherein a guide part can be arranged on this installation part. Thus, an important advantage is that the rail according to the invention can also be arranged in narrow slots. The installation part needs to be fastened to a furniture part only once, wherein only the connection between installation part and guide part needs to be released to carry out maintenance work or other repairs, with the result that the installation part can remain on the furniture part. In order that the above-named work is additionally made easier, it can moreover be provided that the at least one installation part is formed as a, preferably profiled, installation rail, wherein the guide rail is displaceably mounted on the installation rail. The guide rail can thus be displaced along the installation rail, with the result that the connection between the guide part and the installation part can be released by a displacement of these two parts relative to each other. In the case of a piece of furniture with at least one furniture door, in particular a folding-sliding door, at least one rail and at least one carriage arranged on the at least one furniture door, it can be provided that the piece of furniture has at least two rails arranged one over the other and at least two carriages. Larger furniture doors can thereby be guided with the aid of the rails.

11233197

BACKGROUND In recent years, unconventional nonvolatile memory (NVM) devices, such as ferroelectric random access memory (FRAM) devices, resistive random access memory (RRAM) devices, and phase change random access memory (PCRAM) devices have emerged. In particular, PCRAM devices, which exhibit a switching behavior between a high resistance state and a low resistance state, have various advantages over conventional NVM devices. Such advantages include, for example, compatible fabrication steps with current complementary-metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) technologies, low-cost fabrication, a compact structure, flexible scalability, fast switching, high integration density, etc. Generally, a PCRAM device includes a top electrode (e.g., an anode) and a bottom electrode (e.g., a cathode) with a phase change material layer interposed therebetween. Further, the bottom electrode is coupled to the phase change material layer with a conductive structure, typically knows as a “heater” structure. To transition the PCRAM device to the low resistance state, which is typically referred to as a set operation, a relatively low electrical current signal is applied on the phase change material layer through the heater structure to anneal the phase change material layer at a temperature between respective crystallization (lower) and melting (higher) temperatures of the phase change material layer so as to crystallize the phase change material layer; and to transition the PCRAM device to the high resistance state, which is typically referred to as a reset operation, a relatively high electrical current signal is applied on the phase change material layer via the heater structure to anneal the phase change material layer at a temperature higher than the melting (higher) temperature of the phase change material layer so as to amorphorize the phase change material layer. In particular, a current level of the applied electrical current signal that can successfully amorphorize/crystallize the phase change material layer is proportional to a contact area size at an interface between the heater structure and the phase change material layer. For example, the bigger the contact area size is, the higher the current level of the applied electrical current signal needs to be. The heater structures of existing PCRAM devices, however, couple respective phase change material layers with relatively large contact areas, which disadvantageously requires respective current levels to be relatively high. Various issues may accordingly occur in exiting PCRAM devices when applying such a high current level signal, for example, less reliability, higher power consumption, etc. Thus, existing PCRAM devices and methods to make the same are not entirely satisfactory.

11218236

BACKGROUND Field The present disclosure relates generally to communication systems, and more particularly, to wireless communication using multiplexing. Background Wireless communication systems are widely deployed to provide various telecommunication services such as telephony, video, data, messaging, and broadcasts. Typical wireless communication systems may employ multiple-access technologies capable of supporting communication with multiple users by sharing available system resources. Examples of such multiple-access technologies include code division multiple access (CDMA) systems, time division multiple access (TDMA) systems, frequency division multiple access (FDMA) systems, orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) systems, single-carrier frequency division multiple access (SC-FDMA) systems, and time division synchronous code division multiple access (TD-SCDMA) systems. These multiple access technologies have been adopted in various telecommunication standards to provide a common protocol that enables different wireless devices to communicate on a municipal, national, regional, and even global level. An example telecommunication standard is 5G New Radio (NR). 5G NR is part of a continuous mobile broadband evolution promulgated by Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) to meet new requirements associated with latency, reliability, security, scalability (e.g., with Internet of Things (Iota)), and other requirements. Some aspects of 5G NR may be based on the 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) standard. There exists a need for further improvements in 5G NR technology. These improvements may also be applicable to other multi-access technologies and the telecommunication standards that employ these technologies. SUMMARY The following presents a simplified summary of one or more aspects in order to provide a basic understanding of such aspects. This summary is not an extensive overview of all contemplated aspects, and is intended to neither identify key or critical elements of all aspects nor delineate the scope of any or all aspects. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts of one or more aspects in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later. In an aspect of the disclosure, a method, a computer-readable medium, and an apparatus are provided. The apparatus may be a base station. The apparatus sets a first numerology for at least one synchronization signal of one or more synchronization signals to be different from a second numerology for at least one data signal of the one or more data signals. The apparatus transmits the one or more synchronization signals to a user equipment (UE) based on the first numerology. The apparatus transmits the one or more data signals to the UE based on the second numerology. In an aspect, the apparatus may be a base station. The apparatus includes means for setting a first numerology for at least one synchronization signal of one or more synchronization signals to be different from a second numerology for at least one data signal of the one or more data signals. The apparatus includes means for transmitting the one or more synchronization signals to a UE based on the first numerology. The apparatus includes means for transmitting the one or more data signals to the UE based on the second numerology. In an aspect, the apparatus may be a base station including a memory and at least one processor coupled to the memory. The at least one processor is configured to: set a first numerology for at least one synchronization signal of one or more synchronization signals to be different from a second numerology for at least one data signal of the one or more data signals, transmit the one or more synchronization signals to a UE based on the first numerology, and transmit the one or more data signals to the UE based on the second numerology. In an aspect, a computer-readable medium storing computer executable code for wireless communication by a base station comprises code to: set a first numerology for at least one synchronization signal of one or more synchronization signals to be different from a second numerology for at least one data signal of the one or more data signals, transmit the one or more synchronization signals to a UE based on the first numerology, and transmit the one or more data signals to the UE based on the second numerology. In another aspect of the disclosure, a method, a computer-readable medium, and an apparatus are provided. The apparatus may be a UE. The apparatus receives one or more synchronization signals from a base station based on a first numerology. The apparatus receives one or more data signals from the base station based on a second numerology, where the second numerology is different from the first numerology. In an aspect, the apparatus may be a UE. The apparatus includes means for receiving one or more synchronization signals from a base station based on a first numerology. The apparatus includes means for receiving one or more data signals from the base station based on a second numerology, where the second numerology is different from the first numerology. In an aspect, the apparatus may be a UE including a memory and at least one processor coupled to the memory. The at least one processor is configured to: receive one or more synchronization signals from a base station based on a first numerology, and receive one or more data signals from the base station based on a second numerology, where the second numerology is different from the first numerology. In an aspect, a computer-readable medium storing computer executable code for wireless communication by a UE comprises code to: receive one or more synchronization signals from a base station based on a first numerology, and receive one or more data signals from the base station based on a second numerology, where the second numerology is different from the first numerology. To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the one or more aspects comprise the features hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims. The following description and the annexed drawings set forth in detail certain illustrative features of the one or more aspects. These features are indicative, however, of but a few of the various ways in which the principles of various aspects may be employed, and this description is intended to include all such aspects and their equivalents.

11353047

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a hydraulic system for a work machine and the work machine having the hydraulic system. Description of Related Art Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2013-36274 discloses a work machine such as a skid steer loader and a compact track loader to which an auxiliary attachment is attached. The work machine disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2013-36274 includes a control valve configured to control a hydraulic actuator of the auxiliary attachment. A joint is connected to the control valve through a fluid tube. A hydraulic hose of the hydraulic actuator is capable of being connected to the joint. In this manner, the control valve is operated, and thereby the hydraulic actuator is operated. BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A hydraulic system for a work machine includes a tank to store an operation fluid, a hydraulic device to be operated by the operation fluid, a control valve to control the hydraulic device, a first fluid tube connecting the hydraulic device and the control valve, the first fluid tube being to supply the operation fluid from the control valve to the hydraulic device, a second fluid tube branching from the first fluid tube and connected to the tank, a switch valve provided to the second fluid tube, the switch valve being to control a flow rate of the operation fluid, and an oil cooler provided to the second fluid tube between the switch valve and the tank. A hydraulic system for a work machine includes a hydraulic device to be operated by an operation fluid, a control valve to control the hydraulic device, a first fluid tube connecting the hydraulic device and the control valve, the first fluid tube being to supply the operation fluid from the control valve to the hydraulic device, a second fluid tube connected to the first fluid tube, the second fluid tube being capable of draining the operation fluid of the first fluid tube, a first operation valve provided to the second fluid tube and configured to change an aperture of the first operation valve, including a pressure-receiving portion to receive a pressure of a pilot fluid that is a part of the operation fluid used for control, a seventh fluid tube connected to the pressure-receiving portion of the first operation valve, a second operation valve provided to the seventh fluid tube and configured to change an aperture of the second operation valve, the second operation valve being to change the pressure of the pilot fluid to be applied to the pressure-receiving portion of the first operation valve in accordance with the aperture. A hydraulic system for a work machine includes a working hydraulic pump to output an operation fluid, an extending hydraulic pump to output the operation fluid, a hydraulic device to be operated by the operation fluid, a control valve to control the hydraulic device, a first fluid tube connecting the hydraulic device and the control valve, the first fluid tube being to supply the operation fluid from the control valve to the hydraulic device, a second fluid tube connected to the first fluid tube, the second fluid tube being capable of draining the operation fluid of the first fluid tube, an eighth fluid tube branching the first fluid tube and connected to the extending hydraulic pump, a first operation valve including a pressure-receiving portion to receive a pressure of a pilot fluid that is a part of the operation fluid used for control, the first operation valve being provided to the second fluid tube and configured to change an aperture of the first operation valve in accordance with the pressure of the pilot fluid applied to the pressure-receiving portion, a third operation valve including a pressure-receiving portion to receive the pressure of the pilot fluid, the third operation valve being provided to the eighth fluid tube and configured to change an aperture of the third operation valve, a seventh fluid tube connected to the pressure-receiving portion of the first operation valve, and a ninth fluid tube connected to the pressure-receiving portion of the third operation valve and to the seventh fluid tube. A work machine includes any one of the hydraulic systems mentioned above, a machine body, a working device disposed on the machine body, a connection member disposed on the working device and on an intermediate portion of the first fluid tube included in the hydraulic system, wherein a branching portion where the second fluid tube of the hydraulic system branches from the first fluid tube is disposed between the connection member and the control valve. A work machine includes the hydraulic system mentioned above, a machine body, a working device disposed on the machine body, a connection member disposed on the working device and on an intermediate portion of the first fluid tube included in the hydraulic system, wherein a branching portion where the eighth fluid tube of the hydraulic system branches from the first fluid tube is disposed between the connection member and the control valve.

11391710

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a U.S. National Phase Application of International Patent Application No. PCT/EP2018/073327, filed Aug. 30, 2018, which claims the benefit of priority to European Patent Application No. 17189083.3, filed Sep. 1, 2017, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein. FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a method for predicting the methane (CH4) emission of a dairy cow comprising: determining the total amount of milk of a dairy cow per one day (a); determining the energy corrected milk value (ECM) of the milk of the dairy cow of the same day as in a) (b); determining the percentage amount of saturated fatty acids (SFAs) of the total milk fat of the dairy cow of the same day as in a) and the percentage amount of stearic acid (C18:0) of the total milk fat of the dairy cow of the same day as in a) (c); and calculating the daily amount of methane emitted by the dairy cow based on the ECM as determined according to (b), the percentage amount of SFAs of the total milk fat as determined according to (c) and the percentage amount of C18:0 of the total milk fat as determined according to (c). BACKGROUND Livestock contributes about 18% to global anthropogenic greenhouse gas emission (Hristov et al. 2013), wherein cattle represent a main portion of livestock. Methane mitigation opportunities by feeding and genetic selection have been reported to range from 2.5 to 19% in cattle (Knapp et al. 2014; Pickering et al. 2015). Although breeding low-methane emitting cows seems to be possible through genetic selection, this requires determination of methane emission in large numbers of individuals using respiration chambers or the SF6 method. Large scale measurements in respiration chambers, although the gold standard for methane quantification, are not feasible (Hill et al. 2016) for farm animals. Biochemical relationships between rumen fermentation, CH4production, and milk fatty acid composition suggest the usefulness of milk fatty acid profiles to predict methane emission (liter/day) (Knapp et al. 2014; van Lingen et al. 2014). There are several reports on the relationship between milk fatty acids and methane emission as well as on equations predicting methane yield defined as liter of CH4per kg dry matter intake and methane intensity defined as liter of CH4per kg energy corrected milk (Castro-Montoya et al. 2016; Dijkstra et al. 2011; van Lingen et al. 2014). Quantification of fatty acids is usually done by gas chromatography, the standard procedure to measure the concentration of a large number of fatty acids with high accuracy and precision. However, gas chromatography is unsuitable for routine milk fatty acids determination, but infrared spectroscopy reliably predicted major milk fatty acids and groups of fatty acids (De Marchi et al. 2014; Soyeurt et al. 2011). Infrared spectra from milk are inexpensively recordable on a large scale but have only a moderate power for predicting minor single milk fatty acids (Van Gastelen and Dijkstra 2016; De Marchi et al., 2014). Although earlier studies reported prediction models based on global infrared milk spectra (Dehareng et al. 2012; Vanlierde et al. 2015), there is so far no published methane prediction equation based on fatty acid composition derived from infrared spectroscopy. Dry matter intake is the main determinant for CH4emission (Hristov et al. 2013; Knapp et al. 2014), but cow-individual feed intake information is not available on farms. The object of the present invention was therefore the provision of a method for predicting the methane emission of a dairy cow which does not require knowledge of the daily dry matter intake. The method should be usable for dairy cows, of which feed intake on an individual basis is not known. SUMMARY According to the present invention, it was found that this object can be solved by a method for predicting the methane (CH4) emission of a dairy cow comprising:a) determining the total amount of milk (M) of a dairy cow per one day;b) determining the energy corrected milk value (ECM) of the milk of the dairy cow of the same day as in a);c) determining the percentage amount of saturated fatty acids (SFAs) of the total milk fat of the dairy cow of the same day as in a) and the percentage amount of stearic acid (C18:0) of the total milk fat of the dairy cow of the same day as in a);d) calculating the daily amount of methane emitted by the dairy cow based on the ECM as determined according to (b), the percentage amount of SFAs of the total milk fat as determined according to (c) and the percentage amount of C18:0 of the total milk fat as determined according to (c).

11494419

TECHNICAL FIELD This disclosure relates to computer systems for processing documents and more particularly to computer systems for clustering documents. BACKGROUND Document clustering algorithms attempt to group documents together based on their how well they match in content. Documents that are relevant to a certain topic will typically be allocated to the same cluster. Documents allocated to different cluster, however, should have different characteristics. Clustering can involve large volumes of documents, such as text files, e-mails, journal articles, etc. Companies may try to use a text analysis clustering approach that analyzes the textual content of the volumes of data. A text clustering process can be very time consuming to implement properly because of the unstructured nature of the data and frequently provides poor results with clusters having an unacceptable number of unrelated documents. Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a computer system for organizing electronic documents with an improved clustering or grouping approach. SUMMARY In accordance with the teachings provided herein, systems, methods, apparatuses, non-transitory computer-readable medium for operation upon data processing devices are provided for generating clusters of technical documents. For example, a method can include analyzing degree of similarity among the technical documents using a hierarchical taxonomy code similarity model and a text clustering model. Clusters of the technical documents are generated based upon the analyzed degrees of similarity from the models. As another example, processor-implemented methods, systems, and non-transitory computer-readable medium are provided for restructuring clusters of technical documents that are directed to specific technical areas and includes receiving, by one or more data processors, the technical documents which are associated with multiple taxonomy codes for describing different technical subject matter areas of the technical documents. The taxonomy codes are associated with a hierarchical technical subject matter taxonomy which establishes a network of parent-child technical subject matter code relationships for describing technical subject matter at different levels of detail. Degrees of similarity among the technical subject matter areas of the technical documents are determined through a hierarchical taxonomy code similarity model and a text clustering model. The hierarchical taxonomy code similarity model determines the degrees of similarity among the technical documents' hierarchical taxonomy codes based upon the technical documents' network of parent-child subject matter code relationships within the hierarchical technical subject matter taxonomy. The text clustering model determines the degrees of similarity among the technical documents by generating a first set of clusters that cluster together the technical documents of similar technical subject matter areas. At least a portion of the first set of clusters of the technical documents is restructured into a second set of clusters based upon the degrees of similarity from the hierarchical taxonomy code similarity model and the determined degrees of similarity from the text clustering model. As yet another example, a processor-implemented method is provided for restructuring clusters of technical documents that are directed to specific technical areas and includes receiving, by one or more data processors, technical documents which are associated with hierarchical taxonomy codes for describing the technical areas of the technical documents. Degrees of similarity are determined among the technical areas of the technical documents through a hierarchical taxonomy code similarity model and a text clustering model. The hierarchical taxonomy code similarity model determines degrees of similarity among the technical document's hierarchical taxonomy codes that indicate in a multi-layer hierarchical manner the technical areas of the technical documents. The text clustering model generates a first set of clusters that cluster the technical documents in similar technical areas. At least a portion of the first set of clusters of the technical documents are restructured into a second set of clusters based upon the determined degrees of similarity of the hierarchical taxonomy code similarity model and the technical documents identified as similar by the text clustering model. As another example, a non-transitory computer-readable medium has stored there on instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processors to: receive, by one or more data processors, technical documents which are associated with hierarchical taxonomy codes for describing the technical areas of the technical documents; determine, by the one or more data processors, degrees of similarity among the technical areas of the technical documents through a hierarchical taxonomy code similarity model and a text clustering model; wherein the hierarchical taxonomy code similarity model determines degrees of similarity among the technical document's hierarchical taxonomy codes that indicate in a multi-layer hierarchical manner the technical areas of the technical documents; wherein the text clustering model generates a first set of clusters that cluster the technical documents in similar technical areas; and restructure, by the one or more data processors, at least a portion of the first set of clusters of the technical documents into a second set of clusters based upon the determined degrees of similarity of the hierarchical taxonomy code similarity model and the technical documents identified as similar by the text clustering model.

11440827

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a method of preparing and separating biopolymers and biopolymer fractions from sewage sludge. In particular, the present invention relates to the preparation and separation of biopolymers and biopolymer fractions which are derived from micro-organisms, especially micro-organisms or biomass arising from wastewater treatments. Such wastewater treatments include for example activated sludge processes which are commonly used for the treatment of municipal sewage. Such sludges may contain biopolymers or biopolymer fractions in the form of peptidoglycan or deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) fractions or a combination of these two materials. The biomass which arises from the treatment of wastewater generated in households, commercial properties and industry is commonly known as sewage sludge. That is, the term sewage sludge refers to sludge which has not been subjected to a digestion stage, whilst biological sludge is a sludge that is generated from the biological treatment of sewage. In Europe, the treatment of sewage sludge follows the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC). Annual sludge production currently stands at 1.3 M tonnes for the UK and 10M tonnes for Europe. Globally, the volume of sludge is expected to increase significantly over the coming years as many of the developing economies start to implement their own pollution control measures. Consequently, sewage sludge will need to be either:i) treated to provide a source of energy and valuable raw materials which may be recovered for useful applications; orii) destroyed to prevent pollution. Presently there are only two practical options for sludge management, namely agricultural recycling or incineration. Agricultural recycling is regarded as the best practicable environmental option. Incineration, on the other hand, is much more costly and socially objectionable. However, incineration is still preferred due to the possible risks arising with agricultural recycling. The most common method of sludge treatment is digestion, specifically anaerobic digestion, which recovers the energy content of the sludge as biogas and reduces the odour and pathogen level of the sludge to make it suitable for agricultural recycling. In general, anaerobic digestion comprises a series of complex biochemical reactions mediated by a consortium of micro-organisms that convert organic compounds into methane and carbon dioxide. Anaerobic digestion is also a stabilization process, achieving odour, pathogen, and mass reduction. The digested sludge residue arising from anaerobic digestion primarily comprises various types of bacteria and hence bacterial cells. Bacterial cells represent a huge untapped resource globally. Most bacteria in sludge are gram-negative, and in activated sludge account for over 90% of the bacteria strains. Gram negative bacteria possess a relatively ‘thin’ cell wall consisting of only a few layers of peptidoglycan which comprises about 10% of the biomass of the bacteria. Peptidoglycan (also known as murein) is a unique biopolymer which consists of both D- and L-amino acids. The basic structure of peptidoglycan consists of a carbohydrate backbone of alternating residues of β-(1,4) linked N-acetyl glucosamine and N-acetyl muramic acid. Attached to the N-acetyl muramic acid is a peptide chain of 3 to 5 amino acids. The peptide chain can be cross-linked to another peptide chain on another carbohydrate strand forming a 3-D mesh-like layer. In contrast, the intracellular components DNA and RNA account for about 23% of the dry mass of a bacteria cell. The remainder of the biomass, that is, the 67% of the dry mass that constitutes the bacteria cell, includes for example polysaccharides, proteins and phospholipids. The polysaccharides, proteins and phospholipids which are found largely outside the cell wall are often referred to as the extracellular polymeric substances (EPS). The EPS typically account for 50% of cell biomass. Both DNA and RNA are biopolymers composed of repeating units of nucleotides. Each nucleotide consists of a sugar, a phosphate and a nucleic acid base. The bases are hydrophobic and relatively insoluble in water at the near neutral pH of the cell. At acidic or alkaline pH they become charged, and their solubility in water increases. The interactions between DNA and metals, particularly heavy metals, have been extensively studied. The binding of metals to the nucleic acids generally occurs through the formation of complexes. DNA therefore acts as a biological ligand for metals and may associate with metals after cell lysis. Exciting possibilities have been suggested for the use of biopolymers and biopolymer fractions isolated from sewage sludge. For example, it has been mooted that biopolymers and biopolymer fractions from sewage sludge could be employed as substitutes for polymers and copolymers commonly used as flocculants/coagulants in municipal and industrial wastewater treatment. Alternatively, biopolymers and biopolymer fractions have been suggested as potentially useful products for wastewater treatment and the removal of undesirable contaminants such as heavy metals or valuable commodities such as phosphorus. However, hitherto there are no known methods for commercial manufacture of biopolymers and the efficacy of their use in any of the suggested applications so far has never been demonstrated in practice. Nevertheless, if new methods were available to enable the biopolymers to be recovered, preferably in a relatively pure form, the biopolymers and biopolymers fractions would potentially provide a viable income for sludge producers and, more importantly, a new option for sludge management. Therefore there exists the need for a suitable method for the preparation of biopolymers and biopolymer fractions from sewage sludge. More particularly there exists the need for a method of preparing biopolymers and biopolymer fractions which also allows the isolation and separation of biopolymers and biopolymer fractions from sewage sludge. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an aim of the present invention to provide a method for the preparation and separation of biopolymers and biopolymer fractions from sewage sludge which addresses the requirements of the industry. It is a further aim of the present invention to provide a new and improved method for the preparation and separation of biopolymers and biopolymer fractions from sewage sludge which is both effective and efficient and which may be applied to wastewater treatment applications.

11288350

BACKGROUND The present disclosure relates generally to systems and methods for processing eye imagery. DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART The human iris can be used as a source of biometric information. Biometric information can provide authentication or identification of an individual. The process of extracting biometric information, broadly called a biometric template, typically has many challenges. SUMMARY Details of one or more implementations of the subject matter described in this specification are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, aspects, and advantages will become apparent from the description, the drawings, and the claims. Neither this summary nor the following detailed description purports to define or limit the scope of the inventive subject matter. In one aspect, a method for adjusting a level of blue light exposed to an eye is disclosed. The method is performed under control of a hardware computer processor. The method comprises receiving an initial eye image obtained by an image capture device, adjusting a level of blue light exposed to an eye associated with the initial eye image, receiving an adjustment eye image of the eye exposed to the adjusted level of blue light, detecting a change in a pupillary response of the adjustment eye image relative to the initial eye image, determining that the detected change in the pupillary response passes a biometric application threshold, and performing a biometric application. The method can be performed by a head mounted display system that includes a processor configured to adjust the level of blue light. In another aspect, a method for identifying a human individual is described. The method is performed under control of a hardware computer processor. The method comprises adjusting a level of blue light, receiving an eye image of an eye exposed to the adjusted level of blue light, detecting a change in a pupillary response by comparison of the received eye image to a reference image, determining that the pupillary response corresponds to a biometric characteristic of a human individual, and allowing access to a biometric application based on the pupillary response determination. The method can be performed by a head mounted display system that includes a processor configured to identify a human individual. Accordingly, systems and methods for blue light adjustment with a wearable display system are provided. Embodiments of the systems and methods for blue light adjustment can include receiving an initial eye image obtained by an image capture device; adjusting a level of blue light exposed to an eye associated with the initial eye image; receiving an adjustment eye image of the eye exposed to the adjusted level of blue light; detecting a change in a pupillary response of the adjustment eye image relative to the initial eye image; determining that the detected change in the pupillary response passes a biometric application threshold; and utilizing eye images or the detected change in the pupillary response for a biometric application. Embodiments of the systems and methods for blue light adjustment can include receiving an eye image of an eye exposed to the adjusted level of blue light; detecting a change in a pupillary response by comparison of the received eye image to a reference image; determining that the pupillary response corresponds to a biometric characteristic of a human individual; and allowing access to a biometric application based on the pupillary response determination or performing a biometric security application based on the pupillary response determination. Head-mounted, wearable augmented reality devices configured to perform embodiments of the disclosed blue light adjustment methods are provided.

11314107

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to the field of skew calibration for optical signal transmission. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Numerous electronic technologies such as digital computers, calculators, audio devices, video equipment, and telephone systems facilitate increased productivity and cost reduction in analyzing and communicating data and information in most areas of business, science, education, and entertainment. There can be various types of communications including optical communications (e.g., light emitting diodes (LEDs), laser, fiber, visible, non-visible, etc.). Accurately communicating the information is typically very important and signal fidelity is often critical. Achieving proper relationships (e.g., synchronous, particular predetermined delay, etc.) between electrode signals in multi-electrode optical modular can be particularly problematic. Signal timing with respect to other signals can be critical. Synchronous transmission of different signals can be important and inappropriate signal skew often has a significant impact on signal fidelity. Traditional approaches to skew detection and calibration typically involve manual intervention and relatively expensive and complex circuitry. Conventional skew and calibration techniques also often involve manual input and off chip components. The reliance on manual input can introduce errors and increase costs. The use of off chip components can introduce problematic delays that interfere or distort the measurement and adjustment values of on chip signal skew delays and mismatches. Properly dealing with delay mismatches at sub-picosecond levels can be essential for segmented multi-electrode optical modulator based transmitters. As the speeds start to increase and get higher, an unintended misalignment or mismatch of signals from the electrodes becomes an increasingly important factor and critical to the performance of the system. It is traditionally difficult and expensive to accurately and efficiently measure and compensate for delay mismatches between transmitters at sub-picosecond levels. SUMMARY The present invention facilitates optical modulation skew adjustment. In one embodiment, an on chip optical device driver system includes an on chip serializer, an on chip multiplexing component, an output stage, on chip skew detector, and an on chip skew calibration component. The serializer is communicatively coupled to the multiplexing component which is communicatively coupled to output stage. The skew calibration component is communicatively coupled to the multiplexing component. The components of the driver system can cooperatively operate to provide modulated driver signals to drive configuration of optical signals. The serializer is configured to receive parallel data signals and forward corresponding serial data signals. The multiplexing component is configured to selectively output an in-phase component and a quadrature component of the serial data signals, including implementing skew adjustments to aspects of a first output signal and a second output signal. The output stage is configured to output signals that modulate an optical signal, including the first output signal and the second output signal. The on chip skew detector is configured to detect a skew difference between the first output signal and the second output signal. In one exemplary implementation, the skew calibration component is configured to direct skew adjustment between the first output signal and the second output signal. In one embodiment, the driver system further comprises a first switch and a second switch. The first switch is configured to selectively couple the on chip skew calibration component to the skew detector and the output stage. The second switch is configured to selectively couple the on chip skew calibration component to an in-phase interpolator aspect and a quadrature interpolator aspect of the skew adjustment component. In one exemplary implementation, the skew calibration component comprises an analog comparator and a digital to analog converter. The digital to analog converter can be configured to tune to calibration loop mismatches such as the analog comparator inherent offset voltage etc. In one embodiment, the multiplexing component comprises a multiplexer, a first phase interpolator component, a second phase interpolator component, and a clock divider. The multiplexer is communicatively coupled to the first phase interpolator component and the second phase interpolator component. The multiplexer is configured to selectively output an in-phase component and a quadrature component of the serial data signals. The first phase interpolator component is configured to forward an in-phase selection signal to the multiplexer. The second phase interpolator component is configured to forward quadrature selection signal to the multiplexer. In one embodiment, the skew is adjusted so there is zero skew difference between the first output signal and the second output signal. In one exemplary implementation, the skew is adjusted so there is fixed skew difference between the first output signal and the second output signal. The first output signal can be associated with a first modulation lane and the second output signal is associated with a second modulation lane. In one embodiment, the first output signal and the second output signal can be 180 degrees out of phase during calibration. The first output signal can be considered a positive signal of the first modulation lane and the second output signal can be considered a negative signal of the second modulation lane. In one embodiment, an exemplary on chip optical device driver method includes detecting a skew difference between a first output signal and a second output signal on a chip, and adjusting the skew on chip based upon results of the detecting. The first output signal and the second output signal are modulation signals configured to modulate respective optical signals. In one embodiment, the first output signal is associated with a first modulation lane and the second output signal is associated with a second modulation lane. The first output signal can be considered a positive signal of the first modulation lane and the second output signal can be considered a negative signal of the second modulation lane. In one embodiment, detecting the skew difference includes applying a signal pattern from a plurality of transmitters, and enabling a skew detector. In one embodiment, adjusting the skew includes enabling a calibration mode, and performing an offset adjustment process on the first output signal with respect to the second output signal. The offset adjustment process can include applying an offset current adjustment on chip to at least one of the first output signal and the second output signal, and comparing the results of the offset current application, wherein the applying an offset current adjustment and comparing the results are performed iteratively/progressively until a resulting particular skew value is achieved. The offset adjustment process can include an auto zero calibration process in which the resulting particular skew value is zero and indicates there is no skew between the first output signal and the second output signal. The offset adjustment process can include adjusting, on chip, a delay between the first output signal and a second output signal. An on chip optical device driver method can also include selectively switching between a calibration mode and normal mode. In one embodiment, an on chip optical device driver method further comprises tuning a mismatch loop.

11435421

This application claims the benefit of European Patent Application No. EP 18209962, filed on Dec. 4, 2018, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. BACKGROUND The present embodiments relate to a medical imaging system including one or more peripheral components and a device attached to such a peripheral component. Medical imaging systems (e.g., magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) systems or computer tomography (CT) imaging systems) are widespread. Often, such medical imaging systems implement a modular approach in which various peripheral components may be selectively attached or detached to and from the medical imaging system. In this regard, the medical imaging system typically includes a central control unit that is configured to control operation of the medical imaging system based on data associated with the attached peripheral components. Attaching peripheral components to the medical imaging system becomes more complex as the number of possible peripheral components increases. For example, different peripheral components may employ different communication protocols or may require certain drivers to be provisioned. To provide compatibility with various peripheral components, in reference implementations, respective component-specific control logic is provisioned in the control unit. Maintenance and interoperability of such specific control logic in the control unit of the medical system is complex and error prone. For example, it may be required to service and maintain a large number of control logic for the various peripheral components. SUMMARY AND DESCRIPTION The scope of the present invention is defined solely by the appended claims and is not affected to any degree by the statements within this summary. The present embodiments may obviate one or more of the drawbacks or limitations in the related art. For example, advanced techniques of attaching peripheral components to a medical imaging system are provided. As another example, advanced techniques that overcome or mitigate at least some of the above-identified restrictions and drawbacks are provided. A medical imaging system includes a peripheral component and a control unit. The control unit is configured to control operation of the medical imaging system based on data associated with the peripheral component. Also, the medical imaging system includes a device. The device is attached to the peripheral component. The device is configured to communicate the data with the control unit. For example, the device may receive at least a part of the data and/or may transmit at least a part of the data. Bi-directional communication is possible. A device for a medical imaging system is configured to communicate data with a control unit of the medical imaging system. The data is associated with a peripheral component of the medical imaging system. A method includes communicating data with a control unit of the medical imaging system. The data is associated with a peripheral component of the medical imaging system. A computer program, a computer program product, and/or a computer-readable storage medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium) are provided. The computer program, the computer program product, and/or the computer-readable storage medium include program code that may be executed by at least one processor. Executing the program code causes the at least one processor to perform a method. The method includes communicating data with a control unit of the medical imaging system. The data is associated with a peripheral component of the medical imaging system.

11397580

RELATED APPLICATIONS This is the first patent application related to this matter. FIELD The present disclosure is related to methods, devices and media for increasing the efficiency of vector processors, and in particular to methods, devices and media for reducing register pressure in flexible vector processors. BACKGROUND A vector processor (also called an array processor) is a processor device, such as a central processing unit (CPU) or graphics processor unit (GPU), that implements an instruction set containing some instructions (called “vector instructions”) that operate on one-dimensional arrays of data called vectors, such that a single operation is performed on each scalar element of the vector. A vector processor is defined in contrast to conventional scalar processors, whose instructions (i.e. scalar instructions) operate on single data items (i.e. scalar values). In some contexts, vector processors may improve performance, such as numerical simulation and graphical rendering. Instruction scheduling (also called simply “scheduling” herein) is a process performed by a software compiler as part of the process of converting human-readable source code into processor-executable machine code. A compiler schedules instructions to optimize instruction-level parallelism, which may improve the performance of some processors. The functional module or process of a compiler that performs scheduling may be called a scheduler. Scheduling may need to overcome a number of difficulties. Increasing instruction level parallelism (ILP) may make the optimization task of a scheduler more complex. The scheduler may also need to avoid spilling, which is what happens when values need to be loaded from or stored in a memory because the processor has an insufficient number of registers to store all values currently being used by the scheduled instructions of the processor. Loading and storing from a memory (such as a random access memory (RAM)) is much slower than loading or storing values in registers of the processor. Spilling is usually a concern of a preliminary scheduling process called the pre-register allocation (pre-RA) scheduler that generates a preliminary schedule for the instructions in the source code before each value created or used in the source code is allocated to a specific register. In graphics processing units (GPUs), there may be additional scheduling concerns. A GPU may include a large number of independent hardware scheduling units called threads, each of which can schedule and process data in parallel. In GPUs, the register file (i.e. the set of GPU registers which can store values) is shared between all threads. Thus, the more registers a given thread consumes, the fewer threads can run in parallel. Spilling is also extremely expensive in GPUs due to the increased latency involved in accessing memory relative to the time required to access the register file. Furthermore, GPUs have another type of parallelism in addition to ILP called thread level parallelism (TLP). Warps are groups of threads that are scheduled for execution together. A single execution unit of the GPU may have a single execution pipeline, but it keeps track of the state of multiple warps. Each cycle, a subsystem of the GPU called the hardware warp scheduler picks a ready warp to schedule. However, if a warp is not considered ready if its next instruction is not ready, i.e. the warp is waiting for a previous instruction to finish. Thus, in a GPU, latency can be dictated by a number of factors. In a first scenario, wherein the GPU has a very large number of warps (i.e. high TLP), the execution pipeline will always be busy and will never stall (i.e. will never remain idle, thereby introducing unnecessary latency). Even if the ILP of the code is very high (i.e., the code contains a large number of no-op instructions that occur when an instruction has to wait for one or more cycles for another instruction to complete), the execution pipeline will always have another warp that can be executed in place of the warp containing the no-op instruction. In a second scenario, the TLP is low due to an insufficient number of warps. High ILP then potentially becomes critical for performance. In a third scenario, the instruction pipeline contains a large number of long latency operations. This may require both high TLP and high ILP to reduce the frequency of stalls. Thus, there is a need for compilers that can optimize the scheduling of instructions for vector processors to maximize ILP and/or TLP to improve the performance of the processor. SUMMARY In various embodiments described herein, methods, devices and media are disclosed that reduce register pressure in flexible vector processors. Register pressure refers to the oversaturation or overpopulation of registers with values being used by pending instructions such that spilling becomes a risk. Flexible vector processors are processors that are capable of executing both scalar instructions and vector instructions. Whereas multiple scalar instructions may be vectorized (i.e. converted into a single vector instruction) by a compiler to optimize the ILP of the code when executed by a flexible vector processor, in some cases excessive vectorization of code may result in high levels of register pressure, potentially leading to spilling and therefore reduced TLP and reduced performance. Example embodiments described herein may operate to selectively re-scalarize (i.e. re-convert back into scalar instructions) vector instructions in a sequence of instructions such that register pressure is reduced and TLP is increased. The scheduler of a compiler—and in particular, its pre-RA scheduler—affects both TLP and ILP. Thus, one goal of a compiler is to optimize TLP and ILP using its pre-RA scheduler and post-RA scheduler. In performing this optimization, schedulers may be configured to categorize instructions into two broad types: fixed latency operations (which usually incur short latency) and variable latency operations (which usually incur long latency). This categorization may be used in some embodiments to group instructions by similar latency and thereby optimize TLP. As used herein, the terms “vector instruction” and “vectorized instruction” may be used interchangeably to mean a single operation performed on a plurality of values. Similarly, the terms “scalar instruction” and “scalarized instruction” may be used interchangeably to mean a single operation performed on a single scalar value. As used in the present disclosure, the term “vector processor” may refer to a same-instruction-multiple-data (SIMD) processing architecture that processes multiple elements of the data vector concurrently, or to processors configured to execute instruction “bursts”: vector instructions that map to a sequence of scalar instructions operating on data in consecutive registers. Some burst-enabled vector processors may be configured to execute bursts of variable vector length; these processors may be referred to herein as “flexible vector processors”. Thus, as used herein, the term “flexible vector processor device” means a processor device, such as a CPU or GPU, configured to execute both vector instructions and scalar instructions. In some embodiments, a flexible vector processor device may be configured to execute vector instructions of a variable vector length. As used herein, the term “vector” refers to a linear array of multiple elements. A vector may be a data array. The “length” of the vector indicates the number of data elements in the vector, and may be used interchangeably with the term “width”. The data elements of a vector are typically scalar data values. As used herein, the term “scalarize” or “re-scalarize” refers to a process by which a vector is converted into its constituent scalar data elements, or by which a vector instruction is converted into its constituent scalar instructions. Similarly, the term “vectorize” or “re-vectorize” refers to a process by which a set of scalar data values is converted into a vector, or by which a set of scalar instructions is converted into a single vector instruction. When a vector instruction or vector is scalarized and then two or more of the resulting scalar instructions or scalars are re-vectorized, the length of the resulting vector instruction or vector may be the same or different from the original vector instruction or vector, as described in various examples below. As used herein, a “sequence” of instructions refers to an ordered plurality of instructions. A “region” of a sequence of instructions refers to a set of one or more consecutive instructions in the sequence. In some aspects, the present disclosure describes a method for reducing the number of registers required to execute a sequence of instructions using a processor device. The processor device is configured to execute vectorized instructions. A vectorized instruction comprises a single operation performed on a plurality of values. The method comprises receiving the sequence of instructions, replacing a vectorized instruction of the sequence with a plurality of shorter-length instructions such that a register pressure of the processor device at a first position in the sequence of instructions is reduced, and compiling the sequence of instructions into machine code executable by the processor device. The register pressure indicates a number of registers required to store a set of inputs and a set of outputs of the sequence of instructions at a position in the sequence of instructions. In some examples, each shorter-length instruction comprises a scalar instruction, or a vectorized instruction having a vector length shorter than a vector length of the vectorized instruction being replaced. In some examples, the method further comprises identifying a high-pressure region of the sequence of instructions including at least one high-pressure position at which the register pressure is above a register pressure threshold, and replacing each of one or more vectorized instructions in the high-pressure region with a plurality of shorter-length instructions such that the register pressure at the high-pressure position is reduced. In some examples, identifying the high-pressure region comprises identifying the high-pressure position based on the register pressure of the high-pressure position, identifying a subsequent instruction that is dependent on an output of an instruction at the high-pressure position, identifying one or more additional instructions of the sequence of instructions such that the subsequent instruction is directly dependent on an output of each additional instruction, and defining the high-pressure region as comprising the instruction at the high-pressure position, the subsequent instruction, and each additional instruction. In some examples, replacing each vectorized instruction in the high-pressure region with a plurality of shorter-length instructions comprises identifying a splitting factor for the high-pressure region, splitting each vectorized instruction into a number of shorter-length instructions equal to the splitting factor, and reordering the shorter-length instructions, such that the number of registers required to simultaneously store all values in use at the high-pressure position is reduced by a register pressure delta value. In some examples, the method further comprises, after identifying the high-pressure region, identifying an expected register pressure delta value that can be achieved through replacing each vectorized instruction in the high-pressure region with a plurality of shorter-length instructions using the splitting factor, and in response to determining that the expected register pressure delta value does not satisfy a reduction criterion, re-defining the high-pressure region to include one or more instructions directly dependent upon the output of one of the instructions in the initial definition of the high-pressure region, or one or more instructions upon whose output one of the instructions in the initial definition of the high-pressure region is dependent. In some examples, the reduction criterion is satisfied by an expected register pressure delta value that reduces the register pressure of the high-pressure position below the register pressure threshold. In some examples, the reduction criterion is satisfied by an expected register pressure delta value that reduces a peak height of the register pressure of the high-pressure position below a peak height threshold. The peak height of the high-pressure position is defined as a difference between the register pressure of the high-pressure position and a baseline register pressure. In some examples, the baseline register pressure is the higher of a register pressure at the beginning of the high-pressure region, and a register pressure at the end of the high-pressure region. In some examples, replacing the vectorized instruction with a plurality of shorter-length instructions comprises, for each of a plurality of vectorized instructions of the sequence, replacing the vectorized instruction with a plurality of scalar instructions such that each scalar instruction is associated with a burst marker identifying the scalar instruction as part of a burst corresponding to the vectorized instruction. In some examples, the burst marker includes a burst identifier corresponding to the vectorized instruction. In some examples, the burst marker includes position information regarding a position of the scalar instruction within the burst. The position of the scalar instruction within the burst corresponds to a position within the vectorized instruction of an operation corresponding to the scalarized instruction. In some examples, the method further comprises ordering the scalar instructions according to one or more scheduling heuristics, and re-vectorizing one or more of the scalar instructions. In some examples, the one or more scheduling heuristics include at least one heuristic selected from the following: a register pressure heuristic for minimizing register pressure, a latency heuristic for minimizing latency, and a code size heuristic for minimizing code size by ordering two or more scalar instructions identified as part of the same burst adjacent to each other. In some examples, re-vectorizing one or more of the scalar instructions comprises several steps. One or more groups of burst candidates are identified. Each group of burst candidates comprises a plurality of adjacent instructions identified as belonging to the same burst. Each instruction in a group of burst candidate is a burst candidate. For each burst candidate, all dependencies of the burst candidate are identified. Each dependency is an instruction upon whose output the burst candidate directly depends. In response to determining that the dependencies of a first burst candidate are all burst candidates, the group of burst candidates including the first burst candidate are re-vectorized. In some examples, the method further comprises, in response to determining that at least one dependency of a second burst candidate is not a burst candidate, configuring the group of burst candidates including the second burst candidate such that the instructions in the group return their results to a group of consecutive registers. In some aspects, the present disclosure describes a device. The device comprises a processor device configured to execute vectorized instructions, and a memory. A vectorized instruction comprises a single operation performed on a plurality of values. The memory stores machine code executable by the processor device, the machine code being compiled according to the method steps described above. In some aspects, the present disclosure describes a processor-readable medium having tangibly stored thereon machine code executable by a processor device configured to execute vectorized instructions, the machine code being compiled according to the method steps described above.

11483377

BACKGROUND Online social media services, such as social networking systems and content sharing platforms, provide an environment for discussing time-based media (TBM) content. Accounts may discuss TBM content posted by other accounts through social media content items (SMCIs). These SMCIs may be indirectly associated with TBM content about news events, television shows, movies, sporting events, or concerts. However, entities that create and distribute TBM content may not know which accounts are interested in the TBM content. Content distributors and promoters may reach a target audience indirectly through broadcasting, but they lack a mechanism to send supplemental TBM content to the target audience directly.

11221339

FIELD OF INVENTION The present disclosure relates to the field of mapping of protein-protein and protein-ligand binding interfaces binding sites using cysteine labeling and surface display libraries. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In order to rationally design effective vaccines against bacterial and viral pathogens and to improve the efficacy of therapeutic antibodies, it is important to have rapid and reliable methods to map conformational epitopes. Such a methodology can be extended to map any macromolecular binding site. There are only a few methods to localize discontinuous epitopes such as three-dimensional structural determination of the antigen antibody complex by X-ray crystallography (Amit et al, 1986) or NMR (Rosen & Anglister, 2009; Zvi et al, 1995), alanine scanning (Cunningham & Wells, 1989; Weiss et al, 2000) and H/2H-exchange coupled to mass spectrometry (Carina et al, 2015; Pandit et al., 2012). However, such methods require highly purified, soluble antibody-protein complexes and are quite laborious. An alternate approach involves chemical tethering of the antigen to the solid surface via a cysteine residue, thus masking the area around the cysteine to prevent antibody binding to the antigen and hence define the location of the antibody epitope (Ivanenkov et al, 2010; Paus & Winter, 2006). A significant disadvantage of this technique is that one needs to express and purify all the cysteine mutants individually. Yeast displaying a random mutagenesis library (Chao et al, 2004; Levy et al, 2007) a rationally designed mutant panel (Mata-Fink et al, 2013), or more recently site-saturation mutagenesis coupled to deep mutational scanning (Kowalsky et al, 2015; Van Blarcom et al., 2015) of an antigen has been used to map conformational epitopes. The main disadvantage of these methods is that similar to alanine scanning, mutating a residue to alanine or any other single residue will not always inhibit or prevent the binding of antibody to the antigen. Further, because a few hotspot residues contribute disproportionately to binding energetics, mutations of many residues in physical proximity to the antibody may be well tolerated and these epitopic residues will be missed. In addition, mutations at buried residues remote from the binding site can destabilize the protein and thus will also lead to loss of binding. Hence, if the structure of the antigen is not known it is difficult to determine if loss of binding is because of mutation in the epitope or in the protein interior. Thus, although saturation mutagenesis methodologies are powerful, they require considerable expertise and costs in library construction and analysis of deep sequencing data. Controller of Cell Division or Death B (CcdB) is a globuler, dimeric protein with 101 residues per protomer, involved in the maintenance of the F plasmid in cells by a mechanism involving its binding to and poisoning of DNA Gyrase (Dao-thi, Van Melderen at el., 2005). This protein has been used to elucidate the method of the instant invention. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In an aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a method of identifying binding sites of a molecule of interest to a receptor protein, said method comprising: (a) obtaining a display population, wherein said population comprises cells, phage or virus (hereafter collectively referred to for convenience as ‘cells’), each member expressing on its surface mutant variants of the receptor protein, wherein said mutant variant has at least a single amino acid residue mutated to cysteine; (b) contacting a cysteine specific probe with said population, wherein said cysteine specific probe binds to the cysteine residue on the mutant variant; (c) contacting said molecule of interest with said population; and (d) detecting binding of molecule of interest to said mutant variant of the receptor protein, wherein lack of binding of the molecule of interest to the mutant variant is indicative that the corresponding amino acid residue in the receptor protein at the same position as that of the substituted cysteine in the mutated variant is involved in binding of the molecule of interest. In an aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a method of identifying binding sites of a molecule of interest to a receptor protein, said method comprising: (a) obtaining a display population, wherein said population comprises cells, phage or virus (hereafter collectively referred to for convenience as ‘cells’), each member expressing on its surface mutant variants of the receptor protein, wherein said mutant variant has at least a single amino acid residue mutated to an amino acid residue selected from the group consisting of cysteine, alanine, serine, and any other amino acid; (b) contacting a cysteine specific probe with said population, wherein said cysteine specific probe binds to the cysteine residue on the mutant variant; (c) contacting said molecule of interest with said population; and (d) detecting binding of molecule of interest to said mutant variant of the receptor protein, wherein lack of binding of the molecule of interest to the mutant variant is indicative that the corresponding amino acid residue in the receptor protein at the same position as that of the substituted cysteine in the mutated variant is involved in binding of the molecule of interest. In an aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a yeast, phage, or lentiviral surface display library, wherein each member of the library has tethered to its surface a receptor protein mutant variant, wherein each variant has at least a single amino acid residue mutated to an amino acid residue selected from the group consisting of cysteine, alanine, serine, any other amino acid. In an aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a method of preparing a surface display library, wherein each member of the library has tethered to its surface a receptor protein mutant variant, wherein said receptor protein has no cysteine residues, each variant has a single mutation, and said mutation is a substituted cysteine, said method comprising: (a) obtaining a receptor protein; creating a population of receptor protein mutant variants, wherein each mutant variant contains a single amino acid residue mutated to cysteine; and (c) tethering mutant variants to yeast, mammalian, phage, or viral surface to obtain a surface display library. In an aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a method of preparing a surface display library, wherein each member of the library has tethered to its surface a receptor protein mutant variant, wherein said receptor protein has “n” number of cysteine residues involved in binding of molecule of interest, and in each mutant variant, the “n” number of cysteine residues of the receptor protein are substituted with alanine or serine, and further, an additional single substitution to cysteine is made at an amino acid position which is not any of the “n” number of cysteine residues in the receptor protein, said method comprising: (a) obtaining a receptor protein, wherein said receptor protein has “n” number of cysteine residues involved in binding of molecule of interest; (b) creating a population of receptor protein mutant variants, wherein in each mutant variant, the “n” number of cysteine residues of the receptor protein are substituted with alanine or serine, and further, an additional single substitution to cysteine is made at an amino acid position which is not any of the “n” number of cysteine residues in the receptor protein; and (c) tethering mutant variants to yeast, phage, lentiviral, viral or mammalian cell surface to obtain a surface display library. These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present subject matter will be better understood with reference to the following description and appended claims. This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form. This summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter.

11245479

This application is a 35 U.S.C. § 371 national phase filing of International Application No. PCT/CN2016/109650, filed Dec. 13, 2016, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. TECHNICAL FIELD Embodiments of the disclosure generally relate to wireless communication, and, more particularly, to method, apparatus, computer program and computer readable storage medium for antenna performance evaluation as well as base station comprising the apparatus. BACKGROUND Antenna array has been widely used in base stations. It generally comprises a set of individual antenna units such as orthogonal dipole antenna units shown inFIG. 1. In combination with multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) technologies, the capacity of wireless channel may be increased without increasing the bandwidth and transmission power. Recently, massive MIMO (also known as large-scale antenna systems, very large MIMO, or hyper MIMO) has been developed. It makes use of a very large amount (e.g., hundreds or thousands) of service antennas that are operated fully coherently and adaptively. Thereby, the transmission and reception of signal energy may be focused into ever-smaller regions of space. This may bring huge improvements in throughput and energy efficiency, in particular when combined with simultaneous scheduling of a large number (e.g., tens or hundreds) of user terminals. Therefore, it is very important to keep an antenna array in a good performance state. To this end, it may be necessary to evaluate the performance of the antenna array from time to time. In view of this, it would be desirable to provide an effective and convenient way to evaluate the performance of an antenna array. SUMMARY This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in detailed description. This summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter. One of the objects of the disclosure is to provide an effective and convenient way to evaluate the performance of an antenna array. According to one aspect of the disclosure, it is provided a method for antenna performance evaluation. The method comprises acquiring signal metrics and positions of a plurality of user equipments (UEs) within a coverage area of an antenna array. The method further comprises generating, from the signal metrics and positions, an antenna performance map showing how signal metric as a variable changes relative to position as another variable. The method further comprises determining obstacle related information based on the generated antenna performance map and a reference antenna performance map. Based on the aspect described above, the performance of an antenna array can be evaluated by means of merely two antenna performance maps. Optionally, the step of determining comprises calculating the changes between the two antenna performance maps at a plurality of positions. The step of determining further comprises in response to the change at a position being larger than or equal to a threshold, determining that there is an obstacle at the position or between the antenna array and the position. Optionally, in response to the change at a position being larger than or equal to the threshold for a predetermined time length or more, it is determined that there is an obstacle at the position or between the antenna array and the position. Optionally, the reference antenna performance map was generated during an initial operation after setup of the antenna array. Optionally, the steps of acquiring, generating and determining are performed periodically. Optionally, the reference antenna performance map was generated during the previous period. Optionally, the position is represented by a UE's direction, and the UE's direction comprises direction of arrival (DOA) or beam index of the UE. Optionally, the position is represented by a combination of a UE's direction and a distance between the antenna array and the UE. Optionally, the signal metric comprises one of, or combination of, the following: signal power received from an uplink transmission of a UE; and reference signal receiving power (RSRP) reported from a UE. Optionally, the method further comprises informing a UE of the generated antenna performance map and/or the obstacle related information. According to another aspect of the disclosure, it is provided an apparatus for antenna performance evaluation. The apparatus comprises a processor and a memory. The memory contains instructions executable by the processor, whereby the apparatus is operative to acquire signal metrics and positions of a plurality of user equipments (UEs) within a coverage area of an antenna array. The instructions are executable by the processor, whereby the apparatus is further operative to generate, from the signal metrics and positions, an antenna performance map showing how signal metric as a variable changes relative to position as another variable. The instructions are executable by the processor, whereby the apparatus is further operative to determine obstacle related information based on the generated antenna performance map and a reference antenna performance map. According to another aspect of the disclosure, it is provided a base station. The base station comprises an antenna array, a transceiver unit, a baseband unit and the apparatus according to the above aspect. The apparatus receives an output from the baseband unit to acquire the signal metrics and positions. According to another aspect of the disclosure, it is provided a computer program. The computer program comprises instructions which when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform the method according to the above aspect. According to another aspect of the disclosure, it is provided a computer readable storage medium. The computer readable storage medium comprises instructions which when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform the method according to the above aspect. According to another aspect of the disclosure, it is provided an apparatus for antenna performance evaluation. The apparatus comprises an acquisition module for acquiring signal metrics and positions of a plurality of user equipments (UEs) within a coverage area of an antenna array. The apparatus further comprises a generation module for generating, from the signal metrics and positions, an antenna performance map showing how signal metric as a variable changes relative to position as another variable. The apparatus further comprises a determination module for determining obstacle related information based on the generated antenna performance map and a reference antenna performance map. These and other objects, features and advantages of the disclosure will become apparent from the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments thereof, which are to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings.

11239149

FIELD Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to the field of integrated circuits, and more particularly, to fuse elements and memory arrays. BACKGROUND An integrated circuit (IC) may include many components, e.g., transistors, resistors, capacitors, diodes, formed on a semiconductor substrate. In addition, ICs may often include one or more types of memory arrays formed by multiple memory cells, such as a CMOS memory array including multiple memory cells, an antifuse memory array including multiple antifuse elements, or a fuse memory array including multiple fuse elements. In electronics and electrical engineering, a fuse element may be an electrical safety device that operates to provide overcurrent protection of an electrical circuit. Normally, a fuse element may include a copper wire, strip, or interconnect, which may melt or break down when too much current flows through it, thereby interrupting the current. A fuse element with a copper wire may melt at a high current, and may create a void space in the fuse element after the copper wire has been melted, which may post security risks. In addition, a fuse memory array including multiple fuse elements with copper wire may occupy a large area.

11317397

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to wireless communications, and more particularly, to a method and apparatus for configuring subband aggregation in a new radio access technology (NR) carrier in a wireless communication system. Related Art 3rd generation partnership project (3GPP) long-term evolution (LTE) is a technology for enabling high-speed packet communications. Many schemes have been proposed for the LTE objective including those that aim to reduce user and provider costs, improve service quality, and expand and improve coverage and system capacity. The 3GPP LTE requires reduced cost per bit, increased service availability, flexible use of a frequency band, a simple structure, an open interface, and adequate power consumption of a terminal as an upper-level requirement. As more and more communication devices require more communication capacity, there is a need for improved mobile broadband communication over existing radio access technology. Also, massive machine type communications (MTC), which provides various services by connecting many devices and objects, is one of the major issues to be considered in the next generation communication. In addition, communication system design considering reliability/latency sensitive service/UE is being discussed. The introduction of next generation radio access technology considering enhanced mobile broadband communication (eMBB), massive MTC (mMTC), ultra-reliable and low latency communication (URLLC) is discussed. This new technology may be called new radio access technology (new RAT or NR) for convenience. In NR, analog beamforming may be introduced. In case of millimeter wave (mmW), the wavelength is shortened so that a plurality of antennas can be installed in the same area. For example, in the 30 GHz band, a total of 100 antenna elements can be installed in a 2-dimension array of 0.5 lambda (wavelength) intervals on a panel of 5 by 5 cm with a wavelength of 1 cm. Therefore, in mmW, multiple antenna elements can be used to increase the beamforming gain to increase the coverage or increase the throughput. In this case, if a transceiver unit (TXRU) is provided so that transmission power and phase can be adjusted for each antenna element, independent beamforming is possible for each frequency resource. However, installing a TXRU on all 100 antenna elements has a problem in terms of cost effectiveness. Therefore, a method of mapping a plurality of antenna elements to one TXRU and adjusting the direction of a beam using an analog phase shifter is considered. This analog beamforming method has a disadvantage that it cannot perform frequency selective beaming because it can make only one beam direction in all bands. A hybrid beamforming with B TXRUs, which is an intermediate form of digital beamforming and analog beamforming, and fewer than Q antenna elements, can be considered. In this case, although there is a difference depending on the connection method of the B TXRU and Q antenna elements, the direction of the beam that can be simultaneously transmitted is limited to B or less. For operating NR efficiently, various schemes have been discussed. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a method and apparatus for configuring subband aggregation in a new radio access technology (NR) carrier in a wireless communication system. The present invention proposes handling wideband carrier where different user equipments (UEs) may support different UE system bandwidth and also the configured bandwidth is changed for UE power saving and efficient resource management. In an aspect, a method for configuring a data subband by a user equipment (UE) in a wireless communication system is provided. The method includes receiving an indication of a data subband from a network, configuring at least one data subband according to the indication, and performing communication with the network via the at least one data subband. One data subband consists of contiguous or non-contiguous physical resource blocks (PRBs). In another aspect, a user equipment (UE) in a wireless communication system is provided. The UE includes a memory, a transceiver, and a processor, operably coupled to the memory and the transceiver, that controls the transceiver to receive an indication of a data subband from a network, configures at least one data subband according to the indication, and controls the transceiver to perform communication with the network via the at least one data subband. One data subband consists of contiguous or non-contiguous physical resource blocks (PRBs). Efficient communication between UE and network and resource management can be enabled by using subbands in a NR carrier.

11241475

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a U.S. National Phase Application of PCT International Application Number PCT/JP2017/023633, filed on Jun. 27, 2017, designating the United States of America and published in the Japanese language, which is an International Application of and claims the benefit of priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2016-127102, filed on Jun. 27, 2016. The disclosures of the above-referenced applications are hereby expressly incorporated by reference in their entireties. REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING A Sequence Listing submitted as an ASCII text file via EFS-Web is hereby incorporated by reference in accordance with 35 U.S.C. § 1.52(e). The name of the ASCII text file for the Sequence Listing is SeqList-IWAT008-002APC.txt, the date of creation of the ASCII text file is Oct. 24, 2018, and the size of the ASCII text file is 1 KB. TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an agent for preventing and/or treating osteogenesis imperfecta and other diseases. In particular, the present invention relates to an agent for preventing and/or treating osteogenesis imperfecta, osteoporosis and/or osteoarthritis. BACKGROUND ART Osteogenesis imperfecta is a disease characterized by bone fragility and is caused by congenital defects in the synthesis of collagen, which is one of the principal components of bones. Typical symptoms are easily breakable bones, progressive bone deformity, etc. The disease occurs in one in approximately 20,000 people, and has been recognized as a rare and intractable disease. During the period of infancy and childhood, patients with osteogenesis imperfecta may experience multiple bone fractures, including frequent long bone fractures and continuous spinal compression fractures, and may also have severe bone deformity, resulting in inability to walk and other disabilities. Even after the patients reach the adulthood, they may require a wheelchair and/or nursing care (Non Patent Literature 1). Bisphosphonates have inhibitory effects on bone resorption and are only one therapeutic option that has been approved as effective for internal treatment of the disease in Japan. Cyclical intravenous administration of bisphosphonates has been proven effective for prevention of bone fractures. Their efficacy is known to be based on their ability to inhibit the activity of osteoclasts and thereby to suppress bone resorption. However, osteoclasts play an important role in the healing of bone fractures during the repair stage, and the inhibitory effects of bisphosphonates on the activity of osteoclasts may reduce the function of osteoclasts. If the patients already have a bone fracture, the administration of bisphosphonates has the risk of delaying the healing of the bone fracture, and is therefore contraindicated in osteogenesis imperfecta patients with bone fractures. Another problem of bisphosphonates is adverse effects, such as hypocalcemia, dyspnea, etc. Accordingly, there is a need for development of a novel osteogenesis-promoting agent that offers enhanced efficacy and safety in the treatment of osteogenesis imperfecta. Bisphosphonates, based on the observation of the healing process of bone fractures in osteogenesis imperfecta, have also been reported to delay disappearance of fracture lines as compared with no use of bisphosphonates (Non Patent Literature 2). Microfractures occur even in normal bones and accumulation of microfractures is often observed in old bones. Administration of bisphosphonates induces osteopetrosis and increases fractures (Non Patent Literature 3). Bisphosphonates are known not to affect bone growth directly; however, bones grow while maintaining their shapes through continuous remodeling, and if bone remodeling is continuously suppressed by bisphosphonates, the risk of the malformation of bones may arise (Non Patent Literature 4). Accordingly, there is a need for a novel osteogenesis-promoting agent as a therapeutic drug for osteogenesis imperfecta that can promote osteogenesis through a novel mechanism of action without inhibiting the activity of osteoclasts, and thereby is capable of preventing bone fractures and promoting the healing of bone fractures. Most of osteogenesis imperfecta patients are infants and children, and accordingly a novel osteogenesis-promoting agent is also required to cause no growth abnormalities in patients and to be an orally available form that is easily taken. During skeletal development, most of skeletal bones except the skull bones and the clavicles are formed through the process of endochondral ossification. In other words, each skeletal bone is first formed as cartilage. Then the chondrocytes in the center of the diaphysis of the cartilage hypertrophy, and enter into apoptosis. Osteoblasts and osteoclasts migrate from blood vessels into the central region, and the cartilage is replaced with bone tissue to form a bone (Non Patent Literature 5). Similarly, during the repair stage in the healing process of bone fractures, mesenchymal stem cell-derived chondrocytes form cartilage around the fracture site and fill the fracture gap prior to fibrous callus formation through membranous ossification. The cartilage is then enlarged. After blood vessel penetration, the cartilage is calcified. The calcified cartilage is then absorbed by osteoclasts, and replaced by bone tissue produced by osteoblasts (endochondral ossification). In this manner, the cartilage produced after bone fractures is exclusively replaced with bone tissue, and the fibrous callus is replaced with the lamellar bone, leading to bone fusion (Non Patent Literature 6). The roles of various types of mesenchymal stem cell-derived cell populations, including chondrocytes, osteoblasts, osteoclasts, etc., in osteogenesis and healing of bone fractures have been gradually clarified. Certain peptides are known to have a promoting activity on the proliferation of osteoblastic precursor cells (Patent Literature 1). However, the effect of the peptides on osteogenesis and fracture healing in skeletal diseases such as osteogenesis imperfecta is largely unknown. For treatment of osteoporosis and osteoarthritis, several medicinal drugs are currently available, but the efficacy is far from a satisfactory level. In these circumstances, the present invention provides a preventive and/or therapeutic drug for osteogenesis imperfecta, osteoporosis and osteoarthritis as described in detail below. CITATION LIST Patent Literature Patent Literature 1: WO 2015/129726 Non Patent Literature Non Patent Literature 1: Kotsukeiseifuzensho no Shinryo Guideline (the Committee on Pharmaceutical Affairs of the Japanese Society for Pediatric Endocrinology), The Journal of the Japan Pediatric Society. 2006; 110:1467-1471.Non Patent Literature 2: Hiroyuki Tanaka (supervised by Yoshiki Seino: Hone no Byoki to Tsukiau niha, revised edition, Medical Review Co., Ltd.:198-199, 2010).Non Patent Literature 3: Mashiba T, Hirano T, Turner C H, et al.: Suppressed bone turnover by bisphosphonates increases microdamage accumulation and reduces some biomechanical properties in dog rib. J Bone Miner Res 15:613-620, 2000.Non Patent Literature 4: Whyte M P, Wenkert D, Clements K L, et al.: Bisphosphonate-induced osteopetrosis. N Engl J Med 349:457-463, 2003.Non Patent Literature 5: Noriyuki Tsumaki, Hone/nankotsu no Saisei, Experimental medicine, Vol. 32, No. 7 (special issue), 177-184.Non Patent Literature 6: Arata Nakajima et al., Recent progress in fracture healing research through molecular and cellular biology, Chiba Medical Journal 86:83-91, 2010. SUMMARY OF INVENTION Technical Problem An object of the present invention is to provide a novel and effective agent for preventing and/or treating osteogenesis imperfecta, osteoporosis and/or osteoarthritis. Solution to Problem The inventors conducted extensive research and as a result found that peptides consisting of the amino acid sequences of SEQ ID NOs: 1 and 2 have a proliferation-promoting effect on chondrogenic cells and osteoblastic precursor cells as well as a promoting effect on IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor) production. In connection with the above effects, oral administration of the peptide consisting of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1 to rats in the growth phase promotes osteogenesis in a dose-dependent manner, and also promotes the growth of the hypertrophic cartilage layer and the growth plate. The peptide was also found to promote the proliferation of osteoblastic precursor cells, bone calcification and bone volume increase in the secondary cancellous bone. Also found was that oral administration of the peptide consisting of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1 promotes long bone growth. These effects were also observed when the peptide consisting of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2 was administered. The inventors also found the following. When orally administered, the peptide consisting of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1 is poorly digested by gastric juice, but is metabolized by intestinal juice into the peptide consisting of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2, which is then absorbed through the intestinal mucosa. The peptide consisting of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2, when orally administered, is not decomposed any further in the stomach and intestines, and is absorbed through the intestinal mucosa into the body. The peptide consisting of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2 that has been absorbed into the body promotes the proliferation of mesenchymal stem cell-derived chondrocytes, which undergo endochondral ossification, and then the peptide promotes the proliferation of osteoblasts, thereby promoting osteogenesis and fracture healing. The peptide consisting of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2, when orally administered, also promotes the production of IGF-1 in the liver. The produced IGF-1 not only promotes osteogenesis and fracture healing but also promotes bone growth together with the peptide consisting of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2. Therefore, the peptides consisting of the amino acid sequences of SEQ ID NOs: 1 and 2 are found to be useful as novel oral drugs capable of preventing bone fractures and promoting fracture healing in osteogenesis imperfecta through a novel mechanism of action without inhibiting the activity of osteoclasts, which inhibition is unavoidable in the use of the currently available therapeutic drugs bisphosphonates. The present invention will effectively contribute to treatment of osteogenesis imperfecta by serving as the world's first “oral available drug for osteogenesis imperfecta having promoting effects on fracture healing and long bone growth”. Patent Literature 1, supra, discloses, as preferred embodiments, a pentapeptide, a heptapeptide, an octapeptide and a pentadecapeptide each having a specific sequence. According to the present invention, the peptides consisting of the amino acid sequences of SEQ ID NOs: 1 and 2 unexpectedly exhibit significant effects not only on osteogenesis imperfecta but also on the promotion of the healing of bone fractures. Of these peptides, the peptide consisting of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2 is distinguished over those specifically disclosed in Patent Literature 1, and has advantages of being able to be efficiently synthesized due to its simple structure and being able to be efficiently absorbed into the body. The peptide consisting of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2 also has advantages over the peptide consisting of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1 in that it has higher effects per unit mass and thus the size of the dosage form can be conveniently reduced. That is, the present invention includes the following. (1) An agent for preventing and/or treating osteogenesis imperfecta, the agent comprising a peptide consisting of one of the following amino acid sequences: (a) Val-Asn-Pro-Glu-Ser-Glu-Glu-Glu (SEQ ID NO: 1) and (b) Val-Asn-Pro-Glu (SEQ ID NO: 2). (2) An agent for preventing and/or treating osteoporosis, the agent comprising a peptide consisting of one of the following amino acid sequences: (a) Val-Asn-Pro-Glu-Ser-Glu-Glu-Glu (SEQ ID NO: 1) and (b) Val-Asn-Pro-Glu (SEQ ID NO: 2). (3) An agent for preventing and/or treating osteoarthritis, the agent comprising a peptide consisting of one of the following amino acid sequences: (a) Val-Asn-Pro-Glu-Ser-Glu-Glu-Glu (SEQ ID NO: 1) and (b) Val-Asn-Pro-Glu (SEQ ID NO: 2). (4) The agent according to any one of the above (1) to (3), which is an agent for preventing a bone fracture and/or promoting the healing of a bone fracture. (5) The agent according to any one of the above (1) to (4), which is for oral administration. (6) A medicament for preventing and/or treating osteogenesis imperfecta, osteoporosis and/or osteoarthritis, the medicament comprising the agent according to any one of the above (1) to (5). (7) The agent or medicament according to any one of the above (1) to (6), which promotes osteogenesis. (8) A combination comprising the agent or medicament according to any one of the above (1) to (6) and another medicament for preventing and/or treating osteogenesis imperfecta, osteoporosis and/or osteoarthritis. The present invention also includes the following aspects. (9) The agent according to any one of the above (1) to (3), which comprises, as an active ingredient, the peptide consisting of the amino acid sequence (b) Val-Asn-Pro-Glu (SEQ ID NO: 2). (10) The agent according to the above (9), which is for preventing a bone fracture and/or promoting the healing of a bone fracture. (11) A pharmaceutical composition for preventing and/or treating osteogenesis imperfecta, osteoporosis and/or osteoarthritis, the composition comprising the peptide according to any one of the above (1) to (3), wherein the composition is administered simultaneously or sequentially with a compound having an inhibitory effect on osteoclasts or with a bisphosphonate. (12) A pharmaceutical composition for a patient undergoing therapy with a compound having an inhibitory effect on osteoclasts or with a bisphosphonate, the composition comprising, as an active ingredient, the peptide according to any one of the above (1) to (3). Advantageous Effects of Invention The present invention provides a novel agent for preventing and/or treating osteogenesis imperfecta, osteoporosis and/or osteoarthritis. The agent can be orally available. The agent has osteogenic function. The agent has the effects of preventing bone fractures and/or promoting the healing of bone fractures. The agent is particularly advantageous in that it does not inhibit the activity of osteoclasts and that it has few adverse effects, for example, it does not cause hypocalcemia etc.

11425490

FIELD This generally relates to enhancing a listening experience and, more particularly, to enhancing a user's listening experience by adjusting physical attributes of an audio playback system based on detected environmental attributes of the system's environment. BACKGROUND Some user electronic devices may be operative to playback audio data for a listening user. However, the quality of the listening experience is often diminished by variables in the device's environment. SUMMARY Systems, methods, and computer-readable media are provided for enhancing a user's listening experience by adjusting physical attributes of an audio playback system based on detected environmental attributes of the system's environment. As an example, a method of enhancing a listening experience of a user of an electronic device is provided that may include emitting sound waves from an audio output component of the electronic device using audio data electrical signals, detecting, with the electronic device, environmental attribute data indicative of an environmental attribute of an environment of the electronic device, processing the detected environmental attribute data, using the electronic device, to generate physical attribute adjustment data, and adjusting a physical attribute of the electronic device using the physical attribute adjustment data, wherein the physical attribute of the electronic device includes an orientation of the audio output component with respect to the environment, a position of a sound wave reflecting component with respect to the audio output component, a geometry of a sound wave passageway for the emitted sound waves, or a tautness of a membrane of the audio output component. As an example, an electronic device is provided that may include a lower housing structure including an audio output component that emits sound waves into an environment of the electronic device, an upper housing structure including a display output component, a hinge structure coupling the lower housing structure to the upper housing structure, a sensor input component that detects environmental attribute data indicative of an environmental attribute of the environment of the electronic device, and a movement output component that adjusts the position of the upper housing structure with respect to the lower housing structure through rotation about the hinge structure based on the detected environmental attribute data for changing the reflection of the sound waves in the environment. As yet another example, a product is provided that may include a non-transitory computer-readable medium and computer-readable instructions, stored on the computer-readable medium, that, when executed, are effective to cause a computer to detect environmental attribute data indicative of an environmental attribute of an ambient environment of the computer and adjust a physical attribute of the computer based on the environmental attribute data, wherein the physical attribute includes a position of an element of an audio output component of the computer with respect to the ambient environment of the computer, and wherein the environmental attribute includes geometry of the ambient environment, location of the user with respect to the audio output component, geometry of an ear of the user, and otoacoustic emission of an ear of the user. This Summary is provided only to present some example embodiments, so as to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the subject matter described in this document. Accordingly, it will be appreciated that the features described in this Summary are only examples and should not be construed to narrow the scope or spirit of the subject matter described herein in any way. Unless otherwise stated, features described in the context of one example may be combined or used with features described in the context of one or more other examples. Other features, aspects, and advantages of the subject matter described herein will become apparent from the following Detailed Description, Figures, and Claims.

11287452

BACKGROUND Comparators are commonly used in electronic devices to compare different signals of the electronic devices. StrongARM comparator or StrongARM latch has become popular for its advantages of no static power dissipation and directly outputting rail-to-rail outputs. For example, StrongARM comparator is an essential component in Serializer/Desrializer (SerDes) or power supply monitoring (PSM) circuits and may be treated as an analog figure of merit (FoM) for monitoring power efficiency of the SerDes or PSM circuits. In high speed multi-channel SerDes and advanced PSM, hundreds or thousands of StrongARM comparators may be used, causing relatively high power consumption. The power consumption of the StrongARM comparator is almost same during each clock cycle, since the power consumption is dominated in each refreshing cycle. In addition, low power is the major concern for numerous applications adopting the advance technology like mobile phones, portable devices etc. Hence, low power comparator is desirable to be developed in this technical field.

11300392

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of Invention The present invention relates to fused, hand grenades with a unique shape and one size fits all application. Modern grenades that are designed for the US forces are often found in shapes such as round and oval. However, when grenades are thrown they don't always stay on target. They can roll beyond target or back to the soldier. This is a safety issue in a situation of war. Different types of grenades are manufactured for different circumstances. Currently, there is no “one size fits all” grenade. With this in mind, the T.R.I. Grenade was made. BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to fused hand grenades with a shape to allow for more control. Hand grenades are small sized bombs which can be thrown by hand. There are three types of grenades: chemical, gas, and explosive. This grenade in particular can be used for all of the above. Modern hand grenades are specifically designed for particular circumstances both in warfare and civil situations. With the T.R.I. Grenade, this differentiation is not necessary since one size fits all. The T.R.I. Grenade can be used far all circumstances. The only difference is the substance it is infused with. Modern hand grenades manufactured for US forces are shaped in a ball or rounded shape with no harsh edges. With this in mind, the T.R.I. Grenade was manufactured in a triangular shape. The shape of this grenade allows for more control and comfort for the user. Due to its shape, the grenade will not roll beyond its target. Where it is thrown and aimed to is where it will stay. With a triangular, cylinder-like shape, the grenade will always land on a flat surface. The force at which it is thrown does not matter its shape will force the grenade to stop. The fuse found within the grenade was designed with openings, slots, on the cylinder in order to allow for the substance to be more effective during explosion. In instances of tear gas, these openings allow for an even distribution throughout the chambers of the grenade. It also allows for the housing of the grenade to break and explode in a more efficient manner during lethal detonation.

11437758

This patent application is directed to a connector assembly with a mating assist mechanism, particularly a connector assembly having a fixed gear rack and a pinion gear configured to translate along the fixed gear rack. BACKGROUND Mating assist mechanisms such as levers or gear driven cams that have been used in prior electrical connector assembly designs as shown inFIGS. 1A and 1Bare typically mounted to a shaft that is fixed within one connector of the electrical connector assembly. In these electrical connector assembly designs, all of the mating force is generated at the interface between the mechanical assist mechanism and the mating connector. SUMMARY According to one or more aspects of the present disclosure, a connector assembly includes a first connector that has a fixed gear rack and a pinion gear engaged with the fixed gear rack and rotatable around a trunnion that is disposed in a first slot. The pinion gear and fixed gear rack cooperate to translate the trunnion along the slot as the pinion gear rotates. The first connector also contains a lever connected to the pinion gear configured to rotate the pinion gear and an actuator arm connected to the pinion gear defining a post protruding from the actuator arm. The connector assembly further includes a second connector configured to mate with the first connector and defining a second slot and a passage that is sized, shaped, and arranged to receive the post into the second slot. In one or more embodiments of the connector assembly according to the previous paragraph, the lever is movable from an initial position to a final position. The post is positioned to enter the passage and be disposed in the one end of the second slot when the lever is in the final position. The post translates from one end of the second slot toward an opposite end of the second slot and the trunnion translates from one end of the first slot to an opposite end of the first slot as the lever is moved from the initial position to the final position. In one or more embodiments of the connector assembly according to any one of the previous paragraphs, the fixed gear rack and the first slot are linear. Alternatively, the fixed gear rack and the first slot are curved. In one or more embodiments of the connector assembly according to any one of the previous paragraphs, the fixed gear rack and the first slot are parallel to one another. In one or more embodiments of the connector assembly according to any one of the previous paragraphs, the post has a cylindrical shape. In one or more embodiments of the connector assembly according to any one of the previous paragraphs, the post defines a compound curved shape comprising two different radii. In one or more embodiments of the connector assembly according to any one of the previous paragraphs, the first slot first connector is oriented parallel to the second slot in the second connector. In one or more embodiments of the connector assembly according to any one of the previous paragraphs, the fixed gear rack and the first slot are linear. Alternatively, the fixed gear rack and the first slot are curved. In one or more embodiments of the connector assembly according to any one of the previous paragraphs, the first slot in the first connector is oriented perpendicularly to the second slot in the second connector. According to one or more aspects of the present disclosure, a connector assembly includes a first connector and a second connector configured to mate with the first connector along a mating axis. The first connector has a fixed gear rack, a pinion gear engaged with the fixed gear rack and configured to translate along the fixed gear rack, a first actuator connected to the pinion gear configured to rotate the pinion gear, and a second actuator connected to the pinion gear configured to rotate with the pinion gear. Rotation of the pinion gear translates the pinion gear along the fixed gear rack. The second actuator engages the second connector and moves the first connector relative to the second connector along the mating axis as the pinion gear rotates. In one or more embodiments of the connector assembly according to the previous paragraph, the pinion gear has a trunnion disposed within a first slot in the first connector having a major axis that is parallel with the translation axis. In one or more embodiments of the connector assembly according to any one of the previous paragraphs, the second actuator includes an arm projecting from the pinion gear having a post protruding from a free end of the arm. The post is disposed within a second slot defined by the second connector. In one or more embodiments of the connector assembly according to any one of the previous paragraphs, the post translates from one end of the second slot toward an opposite end of the second slot as the trunnion translates from one end of the first slot to an opposite end of the first slot. In one or more embodiments of the connector assembly according to any one of the previous paragraphs, the second slot is aligned orthogonally to the mating axis and wherein the second connector defines a passage shaped, sized, and arranged to allow the post to enter the second slot as the first connector is mated with the second connector. In one or more embodiments of the connector assembly according to any one of the previous paragraphs, the first actuator includes a lever projecting from the pinion gear that is movable from an initial position to a final position. The post is positioned to enter the passage and be disposed in the one end of the second slot to a final position when the lever is in the final position and the post translates from the one end of the second slot toward the opposite end of the second slot and the trunnion translates from the one end of the first slot to the opposite end of the first slot as the lever moves from the initial position to the final position, thereby moving the first connector relative to the second connector along the mating axis. In one or more embodiments of the connector assembly according to any one of the previous paragraphs, the first slot is oriented perpendicularly to the second slot and the post moves in a direction orthogonal to the movement of the trunnion as the post translates from the one end of the second slot toward the opposite end of the second slot and trunnion translates from the one end of the first slot to the opposite end of the first slot. Alternatively, the first slot is oriented parallel to the second slot and the post moves in a direction parallel and opposite to the movement of the trunnion as the post translates from the one end of the second slot toward the opposite end of the second slot and trunnion translates from the one end of the first slot to the opposite end of the first slot. In one or more embodiments of the connector assembly according to any one of the previous paragraphs, the first actuator includes a lever projecting from the pinion gear that is movable from an initial position to a final position. The post is positioned to enter the passage and be disposed in the one end of the second slot to a final position when the lever is in the final position and the post translates from the one end of the second slot toward the opposite end of the second slot and trunnion translates from the one end of the first slot to the opposite end of the first slot as the lever moves from the initial position to the final position, thereby moving the first connector relative to the second connector along the mating axis. According to one or more aspects of the present disclosure, a connector assembly includes a first connector, a second connector configured to mate with the first connector along a mating axis, and a means for drawing the first and second connectors together along a mating axis. In one or more embodiments of the connector assembly according to the previous paragraph, the connector assembly further includes a means for moving a portion of the drawing means from an initial position in which the first and second connectors are unmated to a final position in which the first and second connectors are fully mated.

11494544

CROSS-REFERENCE TO THE RELATED APPLICATION This application is based on and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2020-0103437, filed on Aug. 18, 2020, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. BACKGROUND The disclosure relates to an integrated circuit (IC) and, more particularly, to an IC including cells of different heights and a method of designing the IC. An IC may have a high level of integration due to the development of a semiconductor process and may also be required to have high performance. For example, small-sized devices, e.g., transistors, may reduce an area of an IC, and large-sized devices may be desirable to increase an operating speed of an IC. Therefore, to achieve functions and an operating speed required for an IC, an IC may be designed taking into account both a level of integration and performance. SUMMARY The disclosure provides an integrated circuit (IC) including cells of different heights to take into account both a level of integration and performance and a method of designing the IC. In accordance with an aspect of the disclosure, an integrated circuit (IC) includes a first column in which a plurality of first cells are aligned and placed in a plurality of first rows, each first row of the plurality of first rows having a first width and extending in a first horizontal direction, the first column including a plurality of first gate electrodes extending, at a first pitch, in a second horizontal direction perpendicular to the first horizontal direction; a second column in which a plurality of second cells are aligned and placed in a plurality of second rows, each second row of the plurality of second rows having a second width and extending in the first horizontal direction, the second column including a plurality of second gate electrodes extending in the second horizontal direction at a second pitch; and an interface column extending in the second horizontal direction between the first column and the second column, the interface column including at least one interface gate electrode extending in the second horizontal direction, wherein the at least one interface gate electrode includes at least one of a first interface gate electrode spaced apart from an outer one of the plurality of first gate electrodes by the first pitch; and a second interface gate electrode spaced apart from an outer one of the plurality of second gate electrodes by the second pitch. In accordance with an aspect of the disclosure, an integrated circuit (IC) includes a first column including a plurality of first power rails, each first power rail of the plurality of first power rails being configured to provide a first supply voltage or a second supply voltage to a plurality of first cells and extending in a first horizontal direction at a first pitch; a second column including a plurality of second power rails configured to provide the first supply voltage or the second supply voltage to a plurality of second cells and extending in the first horizontal direction at a second pitch; and an interface column extending in a second horizontal direction perpendicular to the first horizontal direction between the first column and the second column, wherein the interface column includes a first power line connected to a first group of the plurality of first power rails and extending in the second horizontal direction, the first group of the plurality of first power rails being configured to provide the first supply voltage; a second power line connected to a first group of the plurality of second power rails and extending in the second horizontal direction, the first group of the plurality of second power rails being configured to provide the first supply voltage; and at least one first conductive pattern extending in the first horizontal direction and connecting the first power line to the second power line. In accordance with an aspect of the disclosure, an integrated circuit (IC) includes a first column including a plurality of first cells aligned in a plurality of first rows, each first row of the plurality of first rows having a first width and extending in a first horizontal direction; a second column including a plurality of second cells aligned in a plurality of second rows, each second row of the plurality of second rows having a second width and extending in the first horizontal direction; and an interface column extending in a second horizontal direction perpendicular to the first horizontal direction between the first column and the second column, wherein the interface column includes at least one well tap configured to provide a first supply voltage to a well; and at least one substrate tap configured to provide a second supply voltage to a substrate. In accordance with an aspect of the disclosure, a method of designing an integrated circuit, the method being performed by at least one processor configured to execute a series of instructions, includes obtaining input data defining a plurality of first cells each having a first height and a plurality of second cells each having a second height; defining at least one first column in which the plurality of first cells are aligned and placed in a plurality of first rows, the plurality of first rows extending in a first horizontal direction, and at least one second column in which the plurality of second cells are aligned and placed in a plurality of second rows, the plurality of second rows extending in the first horizontal direction; and placing pre-placement cells in at least one interface column, the at least one interface column extending in a second horizontal direction perpendicular to the first horizontal direction between the at least one first column and the at least one second column.

11448805

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION The present application claims priority to and the benefit of Japanese Patent Application No. 2016-167400 filed Aug. 29, 2016, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates to an optical member, a method of manufacturing an optical member, and an image display system. BACKGROUND A head-up display for projecting image light onto the front windshield of a moveable body and displaying an enlarged virtual image is known. SUMMARY An optical member according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a light-transmissive substrate, which includes a substrate surface, and a plurality of reflecting surfaces located inside the substrate and configured to reflect at least a portion of incident light. At least a portion of the plurality of reflecting surfaces is inclined at a predetermined angle relative to the substrate surface so as to collect at least a portion of the incident light. A method, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, of manufacturing an optical member includes forming a plurality of reflecting surfaces on an inclined face of a light-transmissive first substrate including a first surface and a second surface that is opposite the first surface and includes the inclined face. The inclined face is inclined relative to the first surface. The plurality of reflecting surfaces is configured to reflect at least a portion of incident light. At least a portion of the plurality of reflecting surfaces is inclined at a predetermined angle relative to the first surface so as to collect at least a portion of the incident light. The method of manufacturing includes forming a second substrate on top of the second surface of the first substrate and the plurality of reflecting surfaces. An image display system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes an optical member and an image display apparatus. The optical member includes a light-transmissive substrate, which includes a substrate surface, and a plurality of reflecting surfaces located inside the substrate and configured to reflect at least a portion of incident light. The image display apparatus is configured to emit image projection light onto the optical member to display a virtual image. At least a portion of the plurality of reflecting surfaces is inclined at a predetermined angle relative to the substrate surface so as to collect at least a portion of the incident light.

11308268

BACKGROUND The present invention relates generally to the field of computing, and more particularly to table recognition and data classification. Documents, such as a hypertext mark-up language (HTML) and portable document format (PDF) files, may contain valuable data within tables. In order to extract data, search and precisely answer questions from arbitrary tables, a computer system may capture the related context, such as headers, of each data cell. Generally, header cells are not annotated in tables, namely tables converted from PDF to HTML. SUMMARY Embodiments of the present invention disclose a method, computer system, and a computer program product for detecting one or more semantic headers in one or more tabular structures by utilizing a custom pre-trained embeddings model. The present invention may include receiving the custom pre-trained embeddings model, wherein the received custom pre-trained embeddings model provides a context associated with each term included in each cell from a plurality of cells associated with the one or more tabular structures in one or more documents. The present invention may also include computing one or more dot product values associated with the one or more tabular structures from the one or more documents based on the context of each cell from the plurality of cells associated with the one or more tabular structures in the one or more documents, wherein the one or more tabular structures in the one or more documents is identified by parsing the one or more documents. The present invention may then include generating one or more similarity feature values based on the computed one or more dot product values, wherein the computed one or more dot product values are normalized. The present invention may further include detecting the one or more semantic headers associated with the one or more tabular structures from the one or more documents based on the one or more similarity feature values.

11451163

TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates to a power converter. BACKGROUND ART In power conditioners connected to an inverter motor, a solar power generation system, a storage battery, a fuel cell, or the like, a power converter including a multi-level inverter is used (e.g., patent literature 1). FIG. 12is a circuit diagram of an inverter apparatus shown in FIG. 2 of patent document 1. An inverter apparatus101includes a first input end IN1, a second input end IN2that receive an input of a DC power supply voltage, a first output end OUT1and a second output end OUT2that output an AC voltage. A first three-level circuit121is connected between the first input end IN1and the ground, a second three-level circuit122is connected between the second input end IN2and the ground, and a bridge clamping circuit130is connected between the first three-level circuit121and the second three-level circuit122. Vdc/2 is applied to the first input end IN1, and −Vdc/2 is applied to the second input end IN2. The potential at the output end of the first three-level circuit121is in a range Vdc/2-0, and the potential at the output end of the second three-level circuit122is in a range 0-−Vdc/2. Therefore, the inverter apparatus101functions as a five-level circuit that performs voltage conversion by using five voltage levels by means of the first three-level circuit121and the second three-level circuit122. The bridge clamping circuit130switches between a state (first state) of connecting (clamping) the output of the first three-level circuit121to the first output end OUT1via an inductor L1and connecting (clamping) the output of the second three-level circuit122to the second output end OUT2via an inductor L2and a state (second state) of connecting (clamping) the output of the first three-level circuit121to the second output end OUT2via the inductor L2and connecting (clamping) the output of the second three-level circuit122to the first output end OUT1via the inductor L1. The first state corresponds to the first half in a cycle of the power supply frequency, and the second state corresponds to the second half of a cycle of the power supply frequency.[Patent Literature 1] Japanese Patent 5626293 SUMMARY OF INVENTION Technical Problem In the inverter apparatus disclosed in patent literature 1, two three-level flying capacitor circuits are connected in series. Therefore, switching elements having a low withstand voltage can be used for each of switching elements S1-S8, but switching elements having a high withstand voltage need be used for switching elements S1U, S2U, S1W, S2W forming the bridge clamping circuit130in the output stage. We have become aware of a need to develop a power converter in which switching elements having a low withstand voltage that are less expensive and offer higher performance can be used for the switching elements in the output stage. The disclosure addresses an issue in the related art, and a general purpose thereof is to provide a power converter that is less expensive and offers higher performance. Solution to Problem The power converter according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes: a first flying capacitor circuit and a second flying capacitor circuit connected in series so as to be in parallel with a DC power supply; a third flying capacitor circuit and a fourth flying capacitor circuit connected in series so as to be in parallel with the DC power supply and the first flying capacitor circuit and the second flying capacitor circuit connected in series; a first switching element and a second switching element connected in series between output terminals of the first flying capacitor circuit and the second flying capacitor circuit; a third switching element and a fourth switching element connected in series between output terminals of the third flying capacitor circuit and the fourth flying capacitor circuit; a first output terminal provided at a midpoint between the first switching element and the second switching element connected in series, and a second output terminal provided at a midpoint between the third switching element and the fourth switching element connected in series, wherein a node between the first flying capacitor circuit and the second flying capacitor circuit and a node between the third flying capacitor circuit and the fourth flying capacitor circuit are connected to a midpoint of the DC power supply voltage, and an AC power is output from the first output terminal and the second output terminal. The power converter according to another embodiment of the present disclosure includes: a first flying capacitor circuit and a second flying capacitor circuit connected in series so as to be in parallel with a DC power supply; a third flying capacitor circuit and a fourth flying capacitor circuit connected in series so as to be in parallel with the DC power supply and the first flying capacitor circuit and the second flying capacitor circuit connected in series; a first switching element and a second switching element connected in series between output terminals of the first flying capacitor circuit and the second flying capacitor circuit; a third switching element and a fourth switching element connected in series between output terminals of the third flying capacitor circuit and the fourth flying capacitor circuit; a first output terminal provided at a midpoint between the first switching element and the second switching element connected in series, and a second output terminal provided at a midpoint between the third switching element and the fourth switching element connected in series, wherein a node between the first flying capacitor circuit and the second flying capacitor circuit and a node between the third flying capacitor circuit and the fourth flying capacitor circuit are connected to a midpoint of a DC power supply voltage, an AC power is output from the first output terminal and the second output terminal, a difference between an output voltage of the first flying capacitor circuit and an output voltage of the second flying capacitor circuit and a difference between an output voltage of the third flying capacitor circuit and an output voltage of the fourth flying capacitor circuit are controlled to be half the DC power supply voltage or smaller, the first switching element, the second switching element, the third switching element, and the fourth switching element are controlled to operate when a polarity of the AC power output from the first output terminal and the second output terminal is switched, and switching patterns of switching elements forming the first flying capacitor circuit, the second flying capacitor circuit, the third flying capacitor circuit, and the fourth flying capacitor circuit induced to output a voltage half the DC power supply voltage from the first output terminal and the second output terminal include a first switching pattern in which a flying capacitor forming the first flying capacitor circuit, the second flying capacitor circuit, the third flying capacitor circuit, or the fourth flying capacitor circuit is charged and a second switching pattern in which the flying capacitor is discharged. Advantageous Effects of Invention According to the present disclosure, a power converter that is less expensive and offers higher performance is provided.

11287126

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2018-0152750, filed on Nov. 30, 2018, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. BACKGROUND 1. Field Apparatuses and methods consistent with exemplary embodiments relate to a system for controlling a boiler apparatus in a power plant to ensure combustion under optimized conditions, and more particularly, to a system for controlling an operation of a boiler on the basis of optimum control values for control objects of the boiler, the optimum control values being calculated by an internal algorithm for minimizing emissions while improving boiler combustion efficiency, and a method therefor. 2. Description of the Related Art A thermal power plant has a boiler therein to heat water by using an exothermic reaction generated when burning fuel such as coal or the like, thereby producing steam for driving a turbine. When a combustion occurs in the boiler, emissions such as nitrogen oxides and carbon dioxide are generated. In recent years, the combustion environment is controlled to generate less emission because an operation of the power plant requires considerable cost to manage such emissions, and efforts are being made to increase the combustion efficiency of boilers. In a related art thermal power plant, a boiler control, that is, combustion control, has been performed, by a skilled expert by adjusting combustion environment parameters of a boiler with reference to performance test data during a trial run, and then starting a boiler operation. In addition, after the boiler operation has been started, the combustion control is performed by fine-tuning an offset value. Therefore, according to the related art boiler operating method, because it is not easy to control the boiler in an optimum combustion state when the boiler is operating, stable combustion control for the stability of the boiler has been given more priority than the optimum control thereof. There has been a problem in the related art that the optimum combustion environment of a boiler could not be properly implemented. In order to solve the problem, studies have been made to optimize combustion control of the boiler by automatically acquiring and analyzing operating data of a boiler in real time and automatically adjusting various control variables of the boiler according to the analyzed result. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Aspects of one or more exemplary embodiments provide a system and method for controlling a boiler in a power plant to maximize the combustion efficiency of the boiler while minimizing the generation of emissions including nitrogen oxides and carbon oxides. Aspects of one or more exemplary embodiments provide a method for controlling an operation of a boiler in real time, and particularly, at controlling an operation of a boiler in real time within limits not excessively affecting a current boiler state according to a value calculated by an optimization operation. Additional aspects will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will become apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the exemplary embodiments. According to an aspect of an exemplary embodiment, there is provided a system for controlling an operation of a boiler, the system including: an optimizer configured to perform a combustion optimization operation for the boiler using a boiler combustion model to calculate an optimum control value for at least one control object of the boiler; and an output controller configured to receive the calculated optimum control value from the optimizer and control the control object according to the optimum control value. The output controller may receive an updated optimum control value from the optimizer for a preset period of time. The output controller may control the control object with the optimum control value for a plurality of sub-periods of time each shorter than the preset period of time. The output controller may control the control object by a variation allowed during the sub-period of times for each sub-period of time. The preset period of time may be divided into a plurality of sub-periods of time, and the control object may be controlled by a same variation for each sub-period of time. The system may further include a task manager configured to collect at least one of operation data and state data of a boiler that is in operation, and determine whether to perform the combustion optimization operation for the boiler based on the at least one operation data or state data. The operation data may include at least one of a power generation output, a command value and an instantaneous value, and wherein the state data includes at least one of a fluctuation in a boiler output, a fuel fluctuation, and a temperature or pressure in each component of the boiler. The system may further include a modeler configured to create a boiler combustion model to be used for an operation in the optimizer. The system may further include a pre-processor configured to filter data required for the modeler to create an arbitrary boiler combustion model. According to an aspect of another exemplary embodiment, there is provided a method for controlling an operation of a boiler, the method including: performing, by an optimizer, a combustion optimization operation for the boiler using a boiler combustion model to calculate an optimum control value for at least one control object of the boiler; and controlling, by an output controller, the control object according to the optimum control value. The calculating the optimum control value may be performed for a preset period of time. In the controlling the control object, the control object may be controlled with the optimum control value for a plurality of sub-periods of time each shorter than the preset period of time. In the controlling the control object, the control object may be controlled by a variation allowed during the sub-period of time. In the controlling the control object, the preset period of time may be divided into a plurality of sub-periods of time, and the control object may be controlled by a same variation for each sub-period of time The method may further include: collecting, by a task manager, at least one of operation data and state data of a boiler that is in operation, and determining, by the task manager, whether to perform the combustion optimization operation for the boiler based on the at least one operation data or state data. The operation data may include at least one of a power generation output, a command value and an instantaneous value, and wherein the state data may include at least one of a fluctuation in a boiler output, a fuel fluctuation, and a temperature or pressure in each component of the boiler. The method may further include creating, by a modeler, a boiler combustion model to be used in the combustion optimization operation for the boiler, wherein the boiler combustion model is created by using an artificial neural network. The method may further include filtering, by a pre-processor, data required in the creating the boiler combustion model. According to an aspect of another exemplary embodiment, there is provided a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions of executing a method of controlling an operation of a boiler, the method including: performing a combustion optimization operation for the boiler using a boiler combustion model to calculate an optimum control value for at least one control object of the boiler; and controlling the control object according to the optimum control value. According to one or more exemplary embodiments, the combustion efficiency of the boiler in a power plant can be improved and the emissions causing environmental pollution can also be minimized, whereby the cost of treating the emissions can be significantly reduced, thereby significantly reducing the operating cost of the power plant. Further, the control objects can be controlled gradually up to a set point calculated by the optimization operation within limits not excessively affecting the current operation state of the boiler in controlling the operation of the boiler in real time, thereby preventing the occurrence of problems caused by a sudden change in the operation state.

11418409

BACKGROUND In electronic design, a semiconductor intellectual property (“IP”) core (often referred to as an “IP core,” or “IP block”) references a reusable unit of logic, cell, or integrated circuit (commonly called a “chip”) layout and design. It gets its name because it may refer to information that is the legal Intellectual Property of a particular party. In the context of this disclosure, IP will refer to the logic and/or metadata associated with design specifications of a chip or System on a Chip (“SoC”). Traditional SoC design involves multiple manual steps, which may be prone to introducing errors: first a system engineer manually enters IP information to form a textual front end system specification, and then designers read the text before entering the design details into one or more electronic design automation (EDA) tools. In general, system engineers utilize document processors such as text editors or document processing systems to produce and maintain textual specification data. These textual specifications may use a version control system designed for software development to assist in version tracking but the standard version control system does not have any built-in knowledge of the technical requirements for chip design. Throughout the lifecycle of an SoC design process (e.g., requirements gathering, specification definition, coding and layout design, memory mapping, production and testing) parameters of an actual design are likely to change many times. In prior art systems, there is no mechanism to communicate changes or identify dependent components that are or may be affected by any particular change. As a result, the system engineer may not be aware of the recent IP changes (e.g., changes to metadata defining specifications for the logic on a chip). Further, a system designer may introduce typos in the specification process either at the beginning or throughout the development lifecycle. The designer could also misinterpret the design intent and make the wrong design. Any of the above mentioned errors (and others) may not be detected until the SoC is mass produced (e.g., fabricated) leading to considerable effort and money to fix. Another problem with traditional SoC design flow is lack of coherent SoC data to produce correct SoC specific collaterals, such as SoC specific device drivers, tools, and customer documentation packages. In the prior art, those collaterals were commonly generated manually and somewhat asynchronously, possibly leading to inconsistencies with the actual SoC design. Further, for prior art systems it may be very difficult to check whether collaterals match the actual SoC design or not. Commercial EDA software attempted to address some of these problems, helping to integrate modules consistently based on module metadata. But they did not address the co-design problem, and interfacing them to the existing module library and design ecosystem presents additional challenges. Furthermore, EDA tools were concerned with integrating existing modules, but creating SoC infrastructure (e.g. interrupt fabric and addressable interconnect) with the right architectural data for the generators is even more complex. These software packages often provide some capability for user-defined extensions, but could still represent a significant resource investment to get the customization needed. Simply put, off the shelf EDA tools (even with customization) do not present a viable solution to address the above identified issues. The correct solution would be a custom “executable specification” tool that handled metadata-based module integration, helped with the co-design problem, could assist with the creation of SoC infrastructure, was architecture aware and integrated well with the existing EDA tools and flows. It should also simplify the data entry process, making the specification team's job easier. And support a collaborative specification effort, as the task is often split by domains of expertise across many team members. Disclosed examples describe multiple possible implementations and features of such a solution. The solution is collectively referred to as, “Virtual White Board” (VWB), in part because it should enable a team to “sketch” out a block diagram of a device as the basis for the specification, with prompts for detail as needed. Disclosed examples of VWB represent a comprehensive web based collaborative design tool to address the above problems by providing enhanced development communication, coordination, collateral information coordination (e.g., matching documentation), specification automation, and testing. A novel full cycle (feedback loop) testing implementation is also incorporated into VWB. SUMMARY In a first disclosed example, a computer-implemented method of integrated circuit (IC) chip design or a computer readable medium to configure a computer to perform a method of integrated circuit chip design is provided. This method may include: receiving an indication identifying a collaborative development project identifier for an integrated circuit at a design stage of a development lifecycle for the integrated circuit; obtaining information from one or more databases, the information including metadata for each of a set of associated IP modules included in the integrated circuit; processing the metadata for the set of associated IP modules to determine physical relationship information relative to location and interconnection on the integrated circuit for each IP module relative to other IP modules in the set of associated IP modules; presenting a graphical representation of at least a portion of the IC chip design on a graphical user interface communicatively coupled to a computer system; receiving an indication of change from the graphical user interface regarding the graphical representation; and storing updates to at least a portion of the metadata in the one or more database, the updates reflecting changes to attributes of the metadata consistent with the indication of change from the graphical user interface. Example 1 may be extended such that the indication of change from the graphical user interface represents an indication of change based on a drag and drop operation; the drag and drop operation represents an alteration of a memory map for at least one of the set of associated IP modules; the indication of change from the graphical user interface represents an indication of change reflecting addition of a module instance to the set of associated IP modules; and/or the indication of change from the graphical user interface represents changing a revision of a module instance from a first revision identifier to a second revision identifier in the set of associated IP modules. Example one may also include analyzing changes in interfaces between a first revision of the module instance and the second revision of the module instance to identify changed interfaces and consistent interfaces; and presenting a dialog box emphasizing the changed interfaces. In some examples, emphasizing the changed interfaces comprises adding a visual clue to each of the changed interfaces in the dialog box; emphasizing the changed interfaces comprises not showing at least a portion of the consistent interfaces in the dialog box; and/or the changed interfaces are selected from the group consisting of: interrupts, inputs, outputs, power requirements, ports, and communication busses. Example 1 may also include generating a resistor transfer level (RTL) output representative of at least a portion of the integrated circuit; performing a validation test using the RTL output; and adjusting at least a portion of the metadata for the set of associated IP modules based on the validation test. Finally, example 1 may further include generating a comprehensive consistent set of collaterals representing the integrated circuit, the set of collaterals including at least resistor transfer level (RTL) output, software code, verification, and test information. In a second example, an apparatus that includes a network communications interface; a memory; and one or more processing units, communicatively coupled to the memory and the network communications interface, wherein the memory stores instructions configured to cause the one or more processing units to: provide a collaborative development environment for one or more teams of end-users, the collaborative environment containing code modules designed to understand attributes of integrated circuit chip design; interface with one or more databases configured to store IP information and related metadata about a set of associated IP modules included in a collaborative development project; provide graphical information, via the network communication interface, pertaining to at least a portion of the set of associated IP modules to a display device associated with an end-user; receive information from the end-user relating to changes in functionality of at least one module from the set of associated IP modules; and provide an indication of the changes to members of a first team of the one or more teams of end-users, the first team not including the end-user. In this example, the indication of the changes may be an alert message containing information about the at least one module, the graphical user interface may be web based, and the integrated circuit chip may be a system on a chip (SoC) as opposed to a standard, possibly less complicated, IC.

11426604

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a U.S. national phase application of International Application No. PCT/EP2017/069882, filed on Aug. 7, 2017, which claims the benefit of EP Application Serial No. 16183154.0 filed on Aug. 8, 2016 and is incorporated herein by reference. FIELD OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to field of radiation treatment and more specifically to the use of magnetic resonance imaging for radiation treatment. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Computed tomography (CT) images and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) images are nowadays routinely utilized in the radiation therapy (RT) planning. In order to ensure safe and effective treatment, it is important that the same patient position and orientation is used in the treatment at linear accelerator (linac) table as was used during the imaging session prior to treatment planning. To improve patient positioning, for example, a flat tabletop can be used at MRI when imaging for RT purposes instead of the regular curved MRI imaging tabletop since also the linac treatment table is flat. MRI uses specialized detecting coils to record the MRI signals. Due to coil geometry it may not be always possible to setup the patient so that it would be similar to what is used at the linac, or alternative coil solutions need to be used. For example, diagnostic brain imaging is done using a head coil, but for radiation therapy planning purposes another coil solution needs to be used to enable using the flat tabletop and head mask needed for head fixation. Not being able to use the head coil may mean a compromise in the image quality, especially respect to geometrical accuracy and image intensity homogeneity. This may be a major disadvantage in possible MRI-only brain applications where the therapy planning for brain radiation treatment would be done solely based on MRI images. The use of MRI coils in combination with irradiation is for example described in US 2011/0050226A1. US 2011/0050226A1 describes an RF coil used for MR imaging that is designed so that it remains in place in the field of view of an X-Ray imaging system and comprises a support board on which copper conductive traces and copper printed capacitors are carried. The attenuation of the X-Rays caused by the copper traces is visible in the radiation image but this is compensated by arranging the non-conductive material of the support board such that the attenuation of substantially the whole of the RF coil located within the field of view is substantially constant throughout the field of view. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the invention to address the above mentioned issues related to image quality and patient positioning. This object is achieved by a mock-up antenna according to claim1. The object is also achieved by a coil system according to claim4. By means of the invention, normal diagnostic radiofrequency (RF) coils can be used during imaging prior to radiation treatment for the purpose to be used for radiation treatment planning. The terms radiation treatment or radiation treatment delivery in this context designate the application of a first kind of radiation (or first radiation, or therapeutic radiation) to a (part or parts of) a patient's body for therapeutic purposes, e.g. the radiation produced by a linear accelerator or any other kind of radiation producing device, that is or may be used for therapeutic purposes in nuclear medicine. In some embodiments of the invention, the first kind of radiation may also be a radio frequency radiation. The possibility of using standard diagnostic RF coils may improve the image quality of the resulting MRI images. It is considered very important in the field of radiation treatment that the position of the patient while being on the treatment table accurately matches the position he had when the planning images were acquired. This requirement is addressed by the invention by means of the mock-up coil having an inner surface configured to be positioned towards a patient during radiation treatment delivery in a way such that it affects the patient's position and/or orientation. In other words, the inner surface has a shape substantially similar to a shape of a working magnetic resonance antenna used during the acquisition of the planning MRI. Because both the working antenna and the mock up antenna have a similar outline for the inner surface both antennas will deform and/or orient the patient in a similar way and thereby patient positioning can be done sufficiently reproducible. The mock-up (and corresponding working antenna) may be positioned in direct contact with the patient. However, there may also be non-direct contact between the patient and the (mock-up) antenna for example thermoweldable material, like e.g. a pillow may be positioned between the patient and the (mock-up) antenna. In order to accurately (re)position the patient it is desirable to fixate the (mock-up) antenna in a certain position. Therefore, the (mock-up) antenna comprises connection means configured to allow a connection between the mock up antenna and a fixation means. The fixation means is in turn configured to fixate a position of the mock-up antenna during radiotherapy. The connection means could be any location on the (mock-up) antenna suitable for connecting a fixation means to. A fixation means is not necessarily a part of the (mock-up) antenna, but could also be part of for example the MRI system and/or patient support. The fixation means could for example be a pillow, a radiation treatment mask, an indexed table with holes and/or pins to connect to the (mock-up) antenna, screws, and/or straps. To the skilled person it will be obvious that many alternatives could be available. According to embodiments of the invention, the fixation means are part of the (mock-up) antenna. This is advantageous, because it may limit the number of loose pieces required for setting up the patient. According to further embodiments of the invention, the mock-up antenna may have an outline and/or appearance substantially similar to an outline and/or appearance of the (corresponding) working antenna used during the acquisition of the planning magnetic resonance image. This embodiment is advantageous, because it may make it easier for the user to see which mock-up antenna matches which working antenna. In this way positioning errors by using an incorrect mock-up antenna may be prevented. Alternatively or additionally, the mock-up antenna could be labeled such that it is easily recognizable to which working antenna it corresponds. According to other embodiments of the invention the mock-up antenna is made substantially lighter and/or smaller than the corresponding working antenna. As described above, according to another aspect, the invention is a coil system comprising both a working antenna and a (corresponding) mock-up antenna. The mock-up antenna comprises an inner surface configured to be positioned towards the patient during radiotherapy delivery, wherein the inner surface of the mock-up antenna has a shape substantially similar to a shape of the inner surface of the working MRI antenna. Within the coil system the mock-up antenna is the same as the mock-up antenna described above. In addition to this, the coil system also comprises a working antenna. It may be advantageous for a hospital to buy a combination of a working and mock-up antenna from the same vendor, because in this way it may be easier to guarantee the similarity in shape of the inner surface. Similarly to the mock-up coil, also in the coil system the mock-up coil could comprise fixation means. The same or similar fixation means could be used in the working antenna. These and other aspects of the invention will be apparent from and elucidated with reference to the embodiments described hereinafter.