Author: claimsbot

1. A method of forming a polymer coating on a surface of a substrate in a vacuum chamber evacuated to a pressure of less than about 10\u22122 Torr, wherein the method comprises:
(a) providing in the vacuum chamber an evaporation chamber, wherein the evaporation chamber comprises a reservoir of a liquid monomer, wherein the monomer has two or more olefinic groups per molecule and a vapor pressure in the range of 10\u22126 to 10\u22121 Torr at standard temperature and pressure, and wherein the reservoir of liquid monomer is heated at a temperature below that at which thermal polymerization of liquid monomer is initiated, thereby forming a vapor of the monomer;
(b) allowing the vapor formed by heating the reservoir of liquid monomer to flow to the surface of the substrate, the surface at a temperature below the temperature of the liquid monomer reservoir or vapor;
(c) condensing the vapor on the surface of the substrate to deposit a monomer layer on the surface of the substrate; and
(d) polymerizing the monomer layer formed in step (c) to form the polymer coating on the surface of the substrate.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein step (a) further comprises forming the vapor in a heated evaporation chamber, the heated evaporation chamber comprising parallel sides and a gated aperture, the gated aperture adjustable to provide a cross-sectional area from 0 to 30% of the surface area of the reservoir of liquid monomer in the heated evaporation chamber.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein step (a) further comprises heating the liquid monomer to a temperature of less than about 80\xb0 C. to form the vapor.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the surface of the substrate is at a temperature of less than about 30\xb0 C.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the surface of the substrate is at a temperature of less than about 20\xb0 C.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the substrate is a web.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the polymerization is induced by a radiation source.
8. The method of claim 7, wherein the radiation source comprising one or more of the group consisting of e-beam and ultraviolet radiation.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein the vapor pressure of the liquid monomer is from about 10\u22122 to about 10\u22124 Torr at standard temperature and pressure.
10. The method of claim 1, wherein the molecular weight of the monomer is from about 150 to 800.
11. The method of claim 1, wherein the liquid monomer comprises one or more of the group consisting of glycol acrylates, polyglycol acrylates, and polyol polyacrylates.
12. The method of claim 1, wherein the liquid monomer is selected from the group consisting of hexanediol diacrylate, trimethylolpropane triacrylate, and tripropyleneglycol diacrylate.
13. The method of claim 1, wherein the coating formed in step (d) is from about 0.005 \u03bcm to about 10 \u03bcm in thickness.
14. The method of claim 1, wherein the coating formed in step (d) is from about 0.01 \u03bcm to about 1 \u03bcm in thickness.
15. The method of claim 7, wherein the substrate is a web moving past the radiation source.
16. The method of claim 1 wherein evaporation is not carried out with a flash evaporation process.
17. A method of forming a two-part coating on a substrate in a vacuum chamber:
(a) sputtering a first layer onto the substrate;
(b) forming a second layer by:
(i) exposing the substrate to a vapor of monomer, wherein the vapor is formed by heating a reservoir of liquid monomer in an evaporation chamber, wherein the evaporation chamber is positioned in the vacuum chamber, at a temperature below that at which thermal polymerization of the monomer is initiated, wherein the liquid monomer has two or more olefinic groups per molecule, and a vapor pressure in the range of 10\u22126 to 10\u22121 Torr at standard temperature and pressure;
(ii) allowing the vapor formed by heating the reservoir of liquid monomer to flow to the surface of the substrate, the surface at a temperature below the temperature of the liquid monomer reservoir or vapor;
(iii) condensing the vapor on the surface of the substrate to deposit a monomer layer on the surface of the substrate; and
(iv) polymerizing the monomer layer formed in step (c) to form the polymer coating on the surface of the substrate.
18. The method of claim 17 wherein steps (b) is performed prior to step (a).
19. The method of claim 17 wherein the first layer is a metal or metal oxide layer.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. A radio communication system in which a radio terminal transmits uplink user data to a base station through an enhanced dedicated physical data channel and the base station transmits, to the radio terminal, transmission rate control data for controlling a transmission rate of the uplink user data, wherein
the base station includes:
a first selecting unit configured to select as a reduction target terminal the radio terminal of which an assigned transmission rate is to be reduced, where the assigned transmission rate is the transmission rate that the base station has already assigned to the radio terminal;
a first calculating unit configured to calculate a reduction amount of the assigned transmission rate assigned to the reduction target terminal selected by the first selecting unit;
a second selecting unit configured to select as an increase target terminal the radio terminal of which the assigned transmission rate is to be increased;
a second calculating unit configured to calculate an increase amount of the assigned transmission rate assigned to the increase target terminal selected by the second selecting unit; and
a transmitting unit configured to transmit, to the reduction target terminal, the transmission rate control data indicating the transmission rate after the assigned transmission rate is reduced by the reduction amount, and that transmit, to the increase target terminal, the transmission rate control data indicating the transmission rate after the assigned transmission rate is increased by the increase amount,

the second selecting unit selects the increase target terminal when the reduction target terminal is not selected by the first selecting unit,
the second calculating unit calculates the increase amount not to exceed an allowable receiving transmission rate, when the reduction target terminal is not selected by the first selecting unit, and
the allowable receiving transmission rate is equal to or lower than a maximum receiving transmission rate assignable by the base station.
2. The radio communication system according to claim 1, wherein
the radio terminal includes a terminal side transmitting unit configured to transmit information indicating a buffer amount to the base station, where the buffer amount is an uplink user data amount accumulated in a transmission buffer provided in the radio terminal, and
the first selecting unit selects as the reduction target terminal the radio terminal of which the buffer amount is smaller than a predetermined threshold.
3. The radio communication system according to claim 1, wherein
the radio terminal includes a terminal side transmitting unit configured to transmit happiness information to the base station, the happiness information indicating whether or not the transmission rate assigned to the radio terminal is sufficient, and
the first selecting unit selects as the reduction target terminal, the radio thermal that transmits the happiness information indicating the assigned transmission rate is sufficient, with a ratio higher than a predetermined threshold.
4. The radio communication system according to claim 1, wherein
the transmission rate is determined by a transmission power ratio of the enhanced dedicated physical data channel to transmission power of a dedicated physical control channel,
the radio terminal includes a terminal side transmitting unit configured to transmit information indicating the transmission power ratio to the base station, where the transmission power ratio is a ratio of maximum transmission power allowed to the radio terminal to the transmission power of the dedicated physical control channel, and
the first selecting unit selects as the reduction target terminal the radio terminal of which the transmission power ratio is smaller than a predetermined threshold.
5. The radio communication system according to claim 1, wherein
the first selecting unit selects as the reduction target terminal the radio terminal that transmits the uplink user data at the transmission rate lower then the assigned transmission rate.
6. The radio communication system according to claim 1, wherein
the radio terminal transmits the uplink user data to the base station at a transmission time interval assigned to the ratio terminal,
the transmitting unit transmits a stop request to the radio terminal, the stop request requesting stop of using the transmission time interval assigned to the radio terminal, and
the first selecting unit selects as the reduction target terminal the radio terminal to which the transmitting unit fails to send the stop request.
7. The radio communication system according to claim 1, wherein
the base station includes a determination unit configured to determine whether or not a total of an initial transmission rate and the assigned transmission rate exceeds the allowable receiving transmission rate when receiving a communication start request from a second radio terminal which starts a new communication, where the initial transmission rate is the transmission rate initially assigned to the second radio terminal, and
the first selecting unit selects the reduction target terminal when the total of the initial transmission rate and the assigned transmission rate exceeds the allowable receiving transmission rate.
8. The radio communication system according to claim 1, wherein
the base station includes a detecting unit configured to detect a discard of the uplink user data received from the radio terminal, and
the first selecting unit selects the reduction target terminal when the detecting unit detects the discard of the uplink user data.
9. The radio communication system according to claim 1, comprising:
a serving cell configured to transmit, to the radio terminal as the transmission rate control data, absolute transmission rate control data for directly indicating the transmission rate of the uplink user data and relative transmission rate control data for relatively indicating the transmission rate of the uplink user data; and
a non-serving cell configured to transmit the relative transmission rate control data to the radio terminal without transmitting the absolute transmission rate control data, wherein
the serving cell includes the first selecting unit, the first calculating unit, the second selecting unit, the second calculating unit, and the transmitting unit,
the non-serving cell includes an instructing unit configured to instruct the serving cell to decrease the transmission rate of the uplink user data when received power of the uplink user data received from the radio terminal exceeds a predetermined interference threshold, and
the first selecting unit selects the reduction target terminal according to an instruction of the instructing unit.
10. The radio communication system according to claim 1, wherein
the radio terminal transmits the uplink user data to the base station at a transmission time interval assigned to the radio terminal,
the base station includes a specifying unit configured to specify a decrease target transmission time interval being the transmission time interval in which a total of transmission rates assignable by the base station exceeds the allowable receiving transmission rate, and
the first selecting unit selects the reduction target terminal at the decrease target transmission time interval.
11. The radio communication system according to claim 1, wherein
the first selecting unit selects the reduction target terminal when a difference between total received power in a bandwidth used for reception from the radio terminal and target received power targeted in the bandwidth falls within a predetermined range.
12. A radio communication method in which a radio terminal transmits uplink user data to a base station through an enhanced dedicated physical data channel and the base station transmits transmission rate control data for controlling a transmission rate of the uplink user data to the radio terminal, the radio communication method comprising:
(A) causing the base station to select as a reduction target terminal the radio terminal of which an assigned transmission rate is to be reduced, where the assigned transmission rate is the transmission rate that the base station have already assigned to the radio terminal;
(B) causing the base station to calculate a reduction amount of the assigned transmission rate assigned to the reduction target terminal selected in the (A);
(C) causing the base station to select as an increase target terminal the radio terminal of which the assigned transmission rate is to be increased;
(D) causing the base station to calculate an increase amount of the assigned transmission rate assigned to the increase target terminal selected in the (C); and
(E) causing the base station to transmit, to the reduction target terminal, the transmission rate control data indicating the transmission rate after the assigned transmission rate is reduced by the reduction amount and to transmit, to the increase target terminal, the transmission rate control data indicating the transmission rate after the assigned transmission rate is increased by the increase amount, wherein
in the (C), the increase target terminal is selected when the reduction target terminal is not selected in the (A),
in the (D), the increase amount is calculated not to exceed an allowable receiving transmission rate, when the reduction target terminal is not selected in (A), and
the allowable receiving transmission rate is equal to or lower than a maximum receiving transmission rate assignable by the base station.
13. A base station which receives uplink user data from a radio terminal though an enhanced dedicated physical data channel and transmits transmission rate control data for controlling a transmission rate of the uplink user data to the radio terminal, the base station comprising:
a first selecting unit configured to select as a reduction target terminal the radio terminal of which an assigned transmission rate is to be reduced, where the assigned transmission rate is the transmission rate that the base station have already assigned to the radio terminal;
a first calculating unit configured to calculate a reduction amount of the assigned transmission rate assigned to the reduction target terminal selected by the first selecting unit;
a second selecting unit configured to select as an increase target terminal the radio terminal of which the assigned transmission rate is to be increased;
a second calculating unit configured to calculate an increase amount of the assigned transmission rate assigned to the increase target terminal selected by the second selecting unit and
a transmitting unit configured to transmit, to the reduction target terminal, the transmission rate control data indicating the transmission rate after the assigned transmission rate is reduced by the reduction amount and to transmit, to the increase target terminal, the transmission rate control data indicating the transmission rate after the assigned transmission rate is increased by the increase amount, wherein
the second selecting unit selects the increase target terminal when the reduction target terminal is not selected by the first selecting unit,
the second calculating unit calculates the increase amount not to exceed an allowable receiving transmission rate, when the reduction target terminal is not selected by the first selecting unit, and
the allowable receiving transmission rate is equal to or lower than a maximum receiving transmission rate assignable by the base station.

What is claimed is:

1. A method for selecting a printed image size comprising steps of:
receiving an image;
calculating a range of image sizes for printing said image based on a plurality of factors; and
selecting at least one of said image sizes in said range for printing said image.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising steps of:
receiving a user-preferred image size; and
determining whether said user-preferred image size is within said range.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein said step of selecting further comprises steps of:
selecting said user-preferred image size for printing said image in response to said user-preferred image size being within said range; and
selecting said at least one of said image sizes in said range for printing said image in response to said user-preferred image size falling outside of said range.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of calculating further comprises steps of:
determining an aspect ratio of said image; and
calculating said range, whereby an image printed in each of said sizes in said range has an aspect ratio approximately equal to an aspect ratio of said received image.
5. The method of claim 4, wherein said step of calculating further comprises steps of:
determining a resolution of said received image;
determining a resolution of a printer printing said image;
correlating said resolution of said received image and said printer; and
calculating said sizes in said range, whereby an image printed in each of said sizes in said range has a resolution associated with said correlated resolution.
6. The method of claim 5, wherein said step of calculating further comprises a step of calculating said sizes in said range, whereby an image printed in each of said sizes in said range has a number of pixels that is greater than a predetermined minimum number of pixels and less than a predetermined maximum number of pixels.
7. The method of claim 6, wherein said step of calculating further comprises steps of:
determining an orientation of said received image; and
calculating said sizes in said range, whereby an image printed in each of said sizes in said range has said orientation of said received image.
8. The method of claim 7, wherein said orientation includes one of landscape and portrait.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein said plurality of factors includes one or more of resolution, aspect ratio, number of pixels per inch of a printed image, and image orientation.
10. The method of claim 1, wherein said steps in said method are performed by a program stored in a computer readable medium.
11. The method of claim 1, wherein said calculating step further includes a step of calculating a range of image sizes for printing said image on at least A3 sized paper medium.
12. A method for printing an image comprising steps of:
receiving an image;
calculating a range of image sizes for printing said image based on a plurality of factors; and
printing said image in a size in said range.
13. The method of claim 12, further comprising steps of:
receiving a user-preferred image size; and
determining whether said user-preferred image size is within said range.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein said step of selecting further comprises steps of:
printing said received image in said user-preferred image size in response to said user-preferred image size being within said range; and
printing said received image in a size in said range in response to said user-preferred image size falling outside of said range.
15. The method of claim 12, wherein said plurality of factors includes one or more of resolution, aspect ratio, number of pixels per inch of a printed image, and image orientation.
16. The method of claim 12, wherein said printing step further comprises a step of printing said image on at least A3 size print medium.
17. A system operable to select an image size for printing an image, said system comprising:
at least one interface operable to receive said image;
a processor operable to calculate a range of sizes for printing said image based on a plurality of factors; and
a printer operable to print said image in a size in said range.
18. The system of claim 17, wherein said processor is further operable to calculate a range of image sizes for printing said image based on a plurality of factors and select at least one of said image sizes in said range for printing said image on said printer.
19. The system of claim 18, wherein said at least one interface is further operable to receive a user-preferred image size, and said processor is further operable to determine whether said user-preferred image size is within said range.
20. The system of claim 19, wherein said processor is further operable to select said user-preferred image size for printing said image on said printer in response to said user-preferred image size being within said range, and said processor is further operable to select at least one of said image sizes in said range for printing said image in response to said user-preferred image size falling outside of said range.
21. The system of claim 20, wherein said interface includes a network interface.
22. The system of claim 21, wherein said interface includes a user input device.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. A method, comprising:
fracturing a tight gas formation wherein a treatment fluid comprising residual drilling fluid is injected into the formation to form a fracture with a consolidated proppant pack having a relatively higher conductivity than the formation, wherein the fracturing step comprises injection of treatment fluid in stages comprising a residual drilling fluid-rich treatment fluid stage and a residual drilling fluid-lean treatment fluid stage;
producing gas, gas condensate or a combination thereof from the formation through the fracture and into a production conduit in fluid communication therewith.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the proppant pack has a dimensionless conductivity (FcD) of at least about 2, wherein FcD =(kf)(W)(kr)(L), wherein kf is permeability of the proppant pack, W is width of the fracture, kr is permeability of the tight subterranean formation, and L is length of the fracture, wherein kr is less than 1 millidarcy.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the residual drilling fluid is recovered from a drilling operation to form a borehole penetrating the tight gas formation, wherein the production conduit is disposed in the borehole.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein the residual drilling fluid is supplied from a remote well site.
5. A method, comprising the steps of:
drilling a borehole into a subterranean formation;
recovering residual drilling fluid from the drilling step;
stimulating a pay zone in the subterranean formation by injecting a treatment fluid into the pay zone, wherein the stimulation step comprises injection of the treatment fluid in stages comprising a residual drilling fluid-rich treatment fluid stage and a residual drilling fluid-lean treatment fluid stage;
supplying the residual drilling fluid from the recovery step to the treatment fluid for the pay zone stimulation step;
producing hydrocarbon from the stimulated pay zone.
6. The method of claim 5 wherein the subterranean formation comprises shale.
7. The method of claim 5 wherein the subterranean formation has a permeability less than about 1 millidarcy.
8. The method of claim 5 wherein the treatment forms a fracture in the pay zone having a dimensionless conductivity (FcD) of at least about 0.1, wherein FcD =(kf)(W)(kr)(L), wherein kf is permeability of a proppant pack in the fracture, W is width of the fracture, kr is permeability of the subterranean formation and L is length of the fracture.
9. The method of claim 5 wherein the stimulation step comprises hydraulic fracturing of the pay zone.
10. The method of claim 5 wherein the treatment fluid comprises the neat residual drilling fluid.
11. The method of claim 5 wherein the treatment fluid comprises a ratio of from 100:1 to 1:1000 by volume of residual drilling fluid to volume of diluent fluid.
12. The method of claim 5 wherein supplying the residual drilling fluid to the stimulation step disposes of substantially all of the residual drilling fluid.
13. The method of claim 5 comprising well-site storage of the residual drilling fluid between the recovery and stimulation steps.
14. The method of claim 5 further comprising importing residual drilling fluid recovered from another drilling operation to the treatment fluid for the pay zone stimulation step.
15. The method of claim 5 comprising conditioning the residual drilling fluid for a property selected from the group consisting of pH, viscosity, density, solids content, salinity, and any combination thereof.
16. The method of claim 5 further comprising the step of mixing an additive into the treatment fluid, wherein the additive is selected from the group consisting of proppants, thickeners, breakers, activators, pH control agents, biocides, corrosion inhibitors, electrolytes, and any combination thereof.
17. The method of claim 5 wherein the stimulation step comprises a slickwater treatment stage.
18. The method of claim 5 wherein the treatment fluid comprises stimulation fluid recovered from a previous stimulation treatment at the same or a different well or formation.
19. The method of claim 5 wherein the produced hydrocarbon comprises gas, gas condensate or a combination thereof.
20. The method of claim 5 wherein the stimulating step comprises resin consolidation of a proppant in a fracture adjacent the borehole.
21. The method of claim 5 wherein at least one stage of the treatment fluid comprises resin-coated proppant suspended therein.
22. The method of claim 5 wherein at least one stage of the treatment fluid comprises resin to consolidate the proppant.
23. A method, comprising the steps of:
drilling a borehole into a tight subterranean formation;
recovering residual drilling fluid from the drilling step;
repeatedly stimulating a pay zone in the subterranean formation by a series of successive injections of treatment fluid into the pay zone to form a plurality of fractures comprising a consolidated proppant pack, wherein the stimulation step comprises injection of the treatment fluid in stages comprising a residual drilling fluid-rich treatment fluid stage and a residual drilling fluid-lean treatment fluid stage;
supplying the residual drilling fluid from the residual drilling fluid recovery step to the treatment fluid for at least a portion of one or more of the injections in the pay zone stimulation step;
recovering a portion of treatment fluid used in one or more of the injections;
supplying the used treatment fluid from the treatment fluid recovery step to the treatment fluid for a later one or more of the successive injections;
producing hydrocarbon from the stimulated pay zone.