Abstract: A method for driving a sheet pile wall into the ground includes providing a sheet pile with at least one sheet pile interlock having a longitudinal opening giving access to an interlock chamber in the sheet pile interlock. The method further includes inserting an inflatable tube device in the interlock chamber, inflating the inflatable tube so that the inflatable tube closes the longitudinal opening, driving the sheet pile into the ground, deflating the inflatable tube and withdrawing the inflatable tube from the interlock device.

Abstract: A hydrocarbon containing formation may be treated using an in situ thermal process. Hydrocarbons, H2, and/or other formation fluids may be produced from the formation. Heat may be applied to the formation from heat sources to raise a temperature of a portion of the formation to a desired temperature. Some of the heat sources may be conductors placed within conduits. The conductors may be resistively heated so that the conductors radiantly heat the conduits. The conduits may transfer heat to the formation.

Abstract: An image display apparatus comprises a line buffer unit which stores binary image data, the binary image data being divided into a plurality of line portion data, each line portion data having a fixed length. Pattern matching units are connected in parallel with the line buffer unit and receives the line portion data respectively, each pattern matching unit determining whether an input pattern of a related line portion data matches with one of reference patterns. When the match occurs each pattern matching unit outputs a truth signal indicating the value one, and otherwise each pattern matching unit outputs a falseness signal indicating the value zero.

Abstract: A process for the preparation of a powder coating composition, wherein 5-90% by weight of at least one monomeric compound selected from glycidyl group-containing unsaturated compounds and methylglycidyl group-containing unsaturated compounds is copolymerized with 95-10% by weight of an ethylenically unsaturated monomer in methanol to obtain a resin solution. The resin solution is spray-dried to obtain a powdery resin. Alternatively, the resin solution is fed to an extruder having a die and a plurality of vent ports and extruded through the die, while removing volatile matters through the vent ports, to obtain extrudates. The extrudates are pulverized to obtain a powdery resin.

Abstract: Various embodiment of control panel assembly and method are provided. In one representative embodiment a control panel assembly includes a key cap that is disposed between a bezel and an electrical circuit. The key cap buckles when it undergoes a compression between the bezel and the electrical circuit.

Abstract: In a computer architecture using a prevalidated tag cache design, logic circuits are added to enable store and invalidation operations without impacting integer load data access times and to invalidate stale cache lines. The logic circuits may include a translation lookaside buffer (TLB) architecture to handle store operations in parallel with a smaller, faster integer load TLB architecture. A store valid module is added to the TLB architecture. The store valid module sets a valid bit when a new cache line is written. The valid bit is cleared on the occurrence of an invalidation operation. The valid bit prevents multiple store updates or invalidates for cache lines that are already invalid. In addition, an invalidation will block load hits on the cache line.

Abstract: The invention concerns co-deposited films with nano-columnar structures. A film of the invention is formed upon a substrate, and includes a nano-columnar structure of a first material and a co-deposited second material.

Abstract: Disclosed is a zoom lens herein. The zoom lens has a first group G1 having a negative focal length, a second group G2 having a positive focal length and a third group G3 having a positive focal length in turn from an object side, and has an opening iris S for moving integrally with the second group G2 on the object side of the second group G2, wherein in variation of magnification from a short focus end to a long focus end, the second group G2 moves monotonously from image side to object side and the first group G1 moves to correct the variation in position of image surface accompanying the variation of magnification. The second group G2 consists of four elements of a positive lens L4, a negative lens L5, a positive lens L6 and a positive lens L7 in turn from the object side.

Abstract: A document processing system for imperceptibly encoding information in displayed images or text. Printed text or other images are modified using gray levels to encode information within existing text or images. The text is modified using digital processing to provide text or images in which adjacent portions of individual text characters, for example, have slightly different gray levels in accordance with an encoding scheme to encode addition information within the existing text. The modifications to the text is so slight that it is imperceptible to the human eye, yet is easily detectable by a machine such as a scanner.

Abstract: An interface of an option pack configured to be used in conjunction with the main unit of a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA). An option pack comprising a connector configured to mate with the main unit of a PDA and provide a plurality of signal paths and a memory storage device such as an EEPROM can be used to store identification and functionally information to be conveyed to the main unit upon insertion of the option pack connector into the main unit. The interface on the option pack provides serial and parallel exchanges between the option pack and main unit and provides safeguards against draining the power on the main unit upon insertion. Further, the interface allows a software application and associated drivers to be downloaded onto the main unit temporarily and removed when a user has no further use for the application or option to save memory space on the main unit.

Abstract: A developing device, used in an image forming device where a developer supported on a developer supporter is thinned by a thinning member, and after being thinned, the developer is adhered to develop a latent image on an image supporter. An adjacent member (a developer scattering blocking member) is disposed at a position adjacent to the thinning member's downstream side in the developer supporter's moving direction, and the adjacent member's thinning member side of the opposite surface that is opposite to the developer supporter and the tip of the thinning member are disposed with an equal distance from the developer supporter. The opposite surface is gradually separated from the developer supporter at the downstream side of the developer supporter's moving direction.

Abstract: An equipment inspecting and evaluating system can be used to inspect and evaluate steam traps by detecting a level of vibrations of each trap and the surface temperature of the housing of that trap. The detected vibration level and temperature are used to determine whether or not steam is leaking through that trap and to what extent steam leakage is. An equipment management system is connected to the inspection and evaluation system by a data transmission cable and receives inspection data of the traps from the inspection and evaluation system. The management system analyzes the received inspection data for computing the number of defective traps, the ratio of defective traps to the entire traps, the loss caused by steam leakage, etc.

Abstract: A semiconductor device 100 includes a low-k dielectric insulator 104. In the preferred embodiment, a low-k dielectric material 104 is deposited. This material 104 is then cured using a plasma cure step. The cure process causes the density of the top portion 106 of layer 104 to be increased. The higher density portion 106, however, also has a higher dielectric constant. As a result, the dielectric constant of the layer 104 can be reduced by removing this higher density portion 106. This leads to a lower dielectric constant (e.g., less than about 3) of the bulk film.

Abstract: A method of operating a static random access memory (SRAM) having a column clear function by performing write operations using a two step process. To perform a write, each cell in a row to be written is preset during a first step. Then, each cell that is to have a zero written to it is cleared using a column clear operation. A column of cells may be cleared by enabling all the rows for clearing, then asserting column clear control signals for each of the columns in the array to be cleared. A subset of columns of a plurality of rows may be cleared by asserting a plurality of column clear signals corresponding to the subset of columns and a plurality of work lines corresponding to the plurality of rows.

Abstract: A selectively lockable orthotic joint is provided that in one embodiment includes at least one pressure sensor and an electronic circuit associated with the pressure sensor for generating or providing a control signal indicative of pressure, force or other value sensed by the sensor. A mechanical orthotic joint is provided that has a locking mechanism that can be selectively locked and unlocked in response to the control signal.

Abstract: A temporal image processing system includes a temporal processing controller receiving at least two images temporally spaced apart, from a scanning unit. The temporal processing controller includes a registration module, which registers a region of interest within the images and generates therefrom a registration signal. The temporal processing controller further includes a confidence module receiving the registration signal and generating a confidence map therefrom. The confidence map enhances contrast of temporal changes in the object relative to a contrast due to misregistrations.

Abstract: A display system (10) for digital color images using six color light sources (12) or two or more multicolor LED arrays (212, 213) or OLEDs (220, 222) to provide an expanded color gamut. Apparatus (10) uses two or more spatial light modulators (20, 21), which may be cycled between two or more color light sources (12) or LED arrays (212, 213) to provide a six-color display output. Pairing of modulated colors using relative luminance helps to minimize flicker effects.

Abstract: In a shaving implement having static and dynamic blades a shaving head includes an approximately rigid guard and a cap spaced away from and approximately parallel to the guard. The guard and cap each extending longitudinally of the shaving head. A static blade is secured to the shaving head and defines a cutting edge located between and approximately parallel to the guard and cap. The shaving head defines a cavity adjacent to the static blade and the cartridge adapted to be slidably received in the cavity includes at least one dynamic blade mounted therein. The dynamic blade is movable relative to the static blade during a shaving operation.

Abstract: Computer method and apparatus for segmenting text streams is disclosed. Given is an input text stream formed of a series of words. A probability member provides working probabilities that a group of words is of a topic selected from a plurality of predetermined topics. The probability member accounts for relationships between words. A processing module receives the input text stream and using the probability member determines probability of certain words in the input text stream being of a same topic. As such, the processing module segments the input text stream into single topic groupings of words, where each grouping is of a respective single topic.

Abstract: The method of the invention enables assignment of addresses to devices in a system, wherein each assigned address allows each device to determine addresses of neighboring devices. The procedure used to assign the addresses employs a multi-order address field, with a number assigned to a respective reference device used as the value that is inserted into a high order position of the address field. In the next lower order position of the address field is inserted the number of the device that is immediately connected to the respective connector. Thereafter, the lower orders of the address field are completed in accord with the physical position of each device in relation to the higher order devices that are coupled to the respective connector. Devices thereafter can determine addresses of adjoining devices by either removing an order from their address or adding an order thereto with a predetermined value inserted.