A hydraulic power tool is provided including a rivet squeezer comprising two opposing surfaces, a hydraulic cylinder configured to move the surfaces between an open position and a compressed position, a hydraulic pump configured to provide hydraulic pressure to actuate the hydraulic cylinder in a first direction, and an air tank configured to provide pneumatic pressure to actuate the hydraulic cylinder in a second direction. Actuation of the hydraulic cylinder in the first direction causes the surfaces to move from the open position to the compressed position and actuation of the hydraulic cylinder in the second direction causes the surfaces to move from the compressed position to the open position.

Typical hydraulic power tools, such as a high power riveter, e.g. approximately 700 bar/10,000 psi, generally plug into a power outlet and/or are plugged into a hydraulic or pneumatic pressure outlet. Plugging the hydraulic power tool into one or more outlets may cause wires and/or hoses to be laid out across a working area, such as a factory. Traditional hydraulic power tools may also be heavy, such as 35 kg or more, making maneuverability of the hydraulic power tool to the work site difficult. Additionally, traditional hydraulic power tools may be loud, such as 85 decibels or more, which may significantly add to work site noise levels.


A releasable self-centering keyless bushing assembly connects two machine elements, such as a hub to a shaft. The assembly includes an outer ring having two tapered inner peripheral surfaces, wherein each of the tapered surfaces has a different taper angle, and an inner cone having two tapered outer peripheral surfaces that have identical taper angles to the tapered peripheral surfaces of the outer ring. The outer ring and the inner cone are drawn together by screws that expand and contract the assembly to connect the hub to the shaft.

There are various types of expanding/contracting conical ring or rings that utilize frictional wedge designs in place of keys or interference forced fit to connect machine elements and transmit torque. An examination of the prior art includes the following:
U.S. Pat. No. 3,957,381 to Schafer discloses a connector that includes a double-cone that produces a highly concentrated contact pressure and slight variations in tightening the clamping screws result in installation concentricity error. Given the number of clamping screws, it was necessary to adhere to a restricted installation tightening procedure. These restrictions resulted in the need for external centering shims or piloted machine elements.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,304,502, to Stratienko describes a connector that provides for a much less contact pressure than Schafer's U.S. Pat. No. 3,957,391, but does not address the problem of installation concentricity error.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,374,135 to Folsom and U.S. Pat. No. 5,474,403 to Hetrich address the known installation difficulty of mounting machine elements with clamping devices that utilize multiple screws. The devices taught by U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,374,135 and 5,474,403 are limited by the relatively low torque capacity that can be achieved by one large nut and their intolerance to bending moment. The common feature of the clamping devices shown by these two patents is that the conical rings and the circumferential webs of the double conical rings have the bores for the tensioning screws and the forcing screws on a common pitch circle and at the same spacings. As a consequence, at some locations on the circumference bores for forcing screws are arranged in the positions in which tensioning screws would normally be located. This design considerably simplifies the production on a drilling unit with corresponding dividing apparatus.
The uniform spacings, while providing advantages in terms of production, nevertheless involve problems regarding the correct installation of the front conical ring, the front conical ring being directed toward the caps of the tensioning screws. The problem of misalignment can occur whether assembly takes place at the factory or on site, e.g. when fastening belt-drive drums for conveying belts in mining or the like. Incorrect installation can easily occur because it is not easy to see, from the front, whether the conical ring is in the correct angular position with respect to the double conical ring. When in the correct position, the various types of bores coincide precisely. In the event of careless installation, the conical surfaces may not coincide, with one of the conical axis being misdirected from being longitudinally parallel. Sometimes the threaded bores in the front conical ring, (the front conical ring being directed toward the caps of the tensioning screws), and the threaded bores for releasing the front conical ring from the double conical ring, are located opposite and in alignment with threaded bores in the circumferential web of the double conical ring which are provided for the release of the conical ring directed away from the caps of the tensioning screws. Since the number of forcing screws for releasing the front conical ring and the rear conical ring are equal and the forcing screws are distributed uniformly over the circumference, all the threaded bores in the front conical ring may be located opposite the threaded bores in the circumferential web.
After the relative positions of the rings have been set, the forcing screws are screwed into the threaded bores of the front conical ring and come into contact with the threaded bores in the circumferential web. As a result, it is more difficult to force off the front conical ring because there is no real abutment to effect the necessary leverage. In addition, the threaded bores in the circumferential web are destroyed such that, in some circumstances, it is no longer possible to force off the rear conical ring and consequently the entire conical tensioning assembly can no longer be released. U.S. Pat. No. 5,269,622 to Mullenberg discusses the problem of releasability, but proposes a structure in which the same screws are used to tighten and loosen the connector.
The prior art discusses the problem of releasing a connector assembly after it has been installed. It may be a number of years before this situation arises, when release of the connector assembly is made more difficult by corrosion and dirt. Accordingly, when such a case does occur, the damage is considerable.
The primary objective of the invention is to overcome the problems of the prior art and provide a self centering keyless bushing capable of transmitting high amounts of torque, thrust and bending moment connection for rotationally and axially securing machine elements where the machine element is drivingly coupled to a shaft. It is also an objective of the present invention to provide a keyless bushing that is simple to install and that is readily releasable.


A semiconductor memory device has an operation mode in which a read/write operation is performed in response to a command supplied externally in synchronization with a clock, and a power-down mode in which no external read/write command is accepted. The semiconductor memory device performs a refresh operation in response to an externally supplied signal during the power-down mode. A memory system has a plurality of the semiconductor devices and a memory controller. The memory controller outputs a control signal during the power-down mode, and the plurality of semiconductor devices perform a refresh operation in response to the control signal during the power-down mode.

The improvements in the capacity and speed of semiconductor memory devices such as dynamic RAM have been quite remarkable. Particularly, in DDR SDRAM (Double Data Rate Synchronous DRAM), while internal operations are pipelined and commands supplied externally in synchronization with a clock are sequentially executed, high-speed system operation is achieved by performing data transfer at a rate twice the clock frequency. In the aforementioned DDR SDRAM, a high-speed data transfer is achieved by using a DLL (Delay Locked Loop) circuit and having internal circuits operate in synchronization with an external clock.
Meanwhile, the reduction of power consumption for semiconductor memory devices is demanded not only in the fields of devices operating with batteries such as laptops, but also in the field of servers. However, the aforementioned improvements in capacity and speed may increase power consumption.
Therefore, there is demand for a technology that boosts the capacity and speed of a semiconductor memory device without increasing power consumption.
Patent Document 1 describes a synchronous memory device that smoothly changes from auto-refresh mode to self-refresh mode in response to a power-down command.    [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Kokai Publication No. JP-P2006-31929A

Semiconductor memory device, memory system including memory controller, and refresh control method for a semiconductor memory device


A method and apparatus for real-time weld process monitoring are provided for a pulsed laser welding. The thermal radiation from a weld pool is measured at several spectral bands through an aperture with single-element detectors after splitting the spectral bands with dichromatic mirrors and beam splitters. The distal end of an optical fiber for laser delivery can be used as an aperture and each spectral band signal is measured with a single-element detector. Due to the chromatic aberration of an imaging optics, the field of view from a single-element detector through the aperture is varied by the wavelength of spectral band. The weld pool size contributing to the spectral band signal varies by the wavelength of the spectral band. The transmittance profile of each spectral band also depends on the focus shift of imaging optics. By processing the measured spectral band signals, the size of a weld pool, the power variation on a workpiece and the focus shift of imaging optics can be monitored simultaneously. Furthermore, the weld pool sizes at predetermined positions in time are correlated to the weld depth and the weld defect such as a weld gap for weld quality assurance.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to weld process monitoring techniques, and more particularly to an improved method and apparatus for real-time monitoring of thermal radiation of a weld pool to monitor a focus shift, a power variation and a weld depth for weld process control and a weld defect for weld process quality assurance, utilizing the chromatic aberration of focusing lens or lenses.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The application of high power Nd:YAG lasers for precision welding in industry has been rapidly growing quite recently in diverse areas such as for the automotive, electronic and aerospace industries. Nowadays, as much as 6 kW of average power is available in the market. Delivery of the power by fiber optics makes it useful for many remote applications. On the other hand, these diverse applications also require using the latest developments for precise control and reliable process monitoring. Due to the hostile environment during laser welding, remote monitoring is required and many acoustic and optical remote monitoring techniques have been developed. However, acoustic monitoring is not suitable for the application in a factory due to the acoustic interference from environmental noise including mechanical noise. Therefore, optical monitoring is preferred in industrial applications.
Two approaches for optical monitoring have been followed: one monitors the image of a weld pool with a CCD or an IR camera and the other monitors the radiation from a weld pool with one or more single-element detectors. The monitoring of an image requires fast data processing and is quite expensive and complicated to implement. Furthermore, the monitoring of an image is not applicable to laser welding with a laser delivery fiber because the image of a weld pool can not be transmitted through a single-core laser delivery fiber. On the other hand, the monitoring of radiation is simple and cheap to implement, and fast and robust for industrial applications. However, the information on a weld pool status is narrowed for radiation monitoring. Therefore, several spectral bands of radiation from UV to IR have been monitored with a plurality of detectors to broaden the information on a weld pool status. Examples of such a method or apparatus for weld monitoring can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,446,354, 5,272,312, 5,360,960, 5,506,386, 5,651,903, 5,674,415, 5,681,490 and 5,728,992.
Many focus shift and power variation monitoring techniques have been developed. However, interference between them has been neglected. Usually, the focus shift has been considered independently from the power variation. However, the focus shift and the power variation are closely related and can not be considered independently. For example, many focus shift monitoring techniques are affected by power variation. Usually, the power variation of a laser itself can be easily monitored. On the other hand, the power variation on a workpiece can be induced by the transmission loss of the delivery optics. In other words, many focus shift monitoring techniques can not be applied to laser welding due to power variation. However, the monitoring of power variation on the workpiece is quite important for precision welding and process automation. Sometimes, the laser has to be stopped before the failure in delivery optics brings a disaster. Therefore, both focus shift monitoring and power variation monitoring are required simultaneously for industrial precision laser welding. Furthermore, focus shift monitoring should not be affected by power variation monitoring and vice versa. For the forgoing reasons, there is a need to discriminate the focus shift from the power variation. The meaning of the discrimination between the focus shift and the power variation is described below in "Summary of the Invention".
The importance of the simultaneous monitoring of power variation and focus shift for precision laser welding is explained above. However, the weld depth in laser welding depends not only on the focus shift and the power variation but also on environmental parameters such as the temperature of a workpiece, the flow rate of a shielding gas and the weld gap. For a precision laser welding, the variation of weld depth induced by the changes in the environmental parameters has to be compensated. To compensate the weld depth variation due to the changes in these environmental parameters, the laser power has to be adjusted to compensate the weld depth variation induced by these environmental changes. One example is the weld depth variation at the beginning of a seam welding. Therefore, there is a need for weld depth monitoring for precision laser welding. Furthermore, the monitoring of a weld defect such as a weld gap is also required to verify the weld quality and to determine the cause of bad welding. This kind of comprehensive weld process monitoring has never been demonstrated.

Method and apparatus for real-time weld process monitoring in a pulsed laser welding


A baking apparatus includes cover molds and pan molds having recesses adapted to be engaged to define baking chamber as the cover and pan molds engage, a device for feeding dough into the recesses of the molds and a device for shaping the doughs in the recesses of the molds into desired shape. The engaged cover and pan molds containing shaped doughs are fed into an oven for baking treatment and discharged therefrom for air cooling and separating the cover mold from the pan mold for unloading baked confections.

The present invention relates to improvement of an apparatus for making baked goods such as cakes, bread and bun.
The conventional baking equipment used in a bakery or confectionary factory to bake bread, bun or cakes includes a conveyor 20 to 60 meters long on which cake and bread pans are transported. The bread, cakes and bun are baked by heat sources arranged along the conveyor. This eqipment is very large and occupies a large floor space.


A side bar incorporates brackets for attachment to a vehicle; the bar is divided into sections to permit the side bar to be economically packaged for shipment. The side bar sections are secured to each other through the use of a support rail mounted internally of the side bar sections and extending across the joint formed by the abutting contact of the respective sections. The side bar sections are maintained in alignment through the use of a joint sleeve having an alignment pin that engages corresponding notches provided in the ends of each of the abutting sections.

The present invention relates to automotive accessory equipment, and specifically, to automotive side bars or Nerf bars.
Modern pick-up trucks, sport utility vehicles, and other vehicles that are designed with door sills that are positioned relatively high from the ground are sometimes uncomfortably high for persons entering the vehicle. Since vehicles generally no longer include running boards or the like, it is frequently desirable to employ an accessory device that provides an intermediate step for a prospective occupant of the vehicle to use when mounting or dismounting the vehicle.
It has therefore become common for owners of such vehicles to attach an accessory product known in the industry as a side bar. These side bars are sometimes built sufficiently strong to provide protection to the door sills of the vehicle when such vehicles are used for rugged terrain off-road use. However, the more common usage of such side bars is to provide a step to assist an occupant when entering or leaving the vehicle. Frequently, such side bars are employed primarily as a decorative additive to be mounted on the vehicle to enhance the latter""s appearance.
Such side bars are usually produced to fit a specific vehicle such that the side bar will extend from some position forward of the front door of the vehicle to a position aft of the rear door of the vehicle; similarly sometimes the side bars extend rearwardly of the vehicle to permit the bar to be used as a step to access the bed of a pick-up truck. The side bars are therefore bulky items and when shipped to a vehicle owner or purchaser, the shipping charges attendant the long awkward length of the bar renders the shipping costs substantial. That is, shippers normally charge in accordance with a combination of weight, length, and width of a product being shipped. When the product is extraordinarily long, as in the case of Nerf bars, the shipping charges may be significantly increased as a result of penalties added because of the bar""s length.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a side bar that can be economically shipped from a point of origin to a site of distribution or purchaser.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a side bar that may conveniently be packaged in a more economical manner while providing convenient assembly by the purchaser.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a side bar that is divided into sections, each of which may be conveniently oriented with respect to adjacent sections and all of which may be conveniently joined to provide a unitary structure.
These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art as the description thereof proceeds.
The present invention comprises a side bar that is divided into sections to permit the bar to be packaged in a convenient manner for economical shipment. When the bar arrives at its point of use, the sections are conveniently assembled through the utilization of a support rail mounted within the tubular side bar together with fasteners provided for securing the sections together. An alignment notch is provided in each section that registers with an alignment pin provided in the interior of a joint sleeve to permit the sections of the bar to be aligned to insure proper orientation of the sections with respect to each other and to facilitate mounting of the bar to a vehicle.


Systems and methods are provided for evaluating data included in disparate data structures. One exemplary system comprises a first database including a first data structure having first data, and a second database including a second data structure having second data, where at least some of the second data is duplicative of at least some of the first data. The system also includes a computing device coupled to the first and second databases. The computing device is configured to request a first aggregate of the first data, receive the first aggregate, and load the first aggregate in an aggregate data structure. The computing device is further configured to request a second aggregate of the second data, receive the second aggregate, and load the second aggregate in the aggregate data structure, whereby a comparison of the first and second aggregates may be made.

This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.
Payment account transactions are employed ubiquitously in commerce, whereby consumers purchase products (e.g., goods and/or services, etc.) from merchants through use of payment accounts. When the transactions are authorized, cleared and settled, transaction data associated with the transactions is compiled and stored in connection with such actions. The transaction data may then be used in connection with validation and/or verification of the transactions, and further for other purposes such as, for example, those associated with value added services (e.g., fraud services, predictive metrics, etc.). Typically, the transaction data is compiled into data structures as transaction records, which, in turn, may include thousands, hundreds of thousands, or millions of such records, whereby the transaction records may include various details for each transaction. As can be appreciated, accessing the data structures, and the data therein, can be onerous on processing and/or memory devices associated with the data.
In addition, the transaction data may be stored in various different types of data structures, and may also be copied or duplicated across multiple different data structures. The different data structures, in turn, may then be utilized for implementing different value added services, or otherwise, consistent with the types of the data structures and/or tools associated therewith.
Corresponding reference numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

Systems and methods for evaluating data included in disparate databases and/or data structures


A scroll compressor is provided with an orifice plug inserted into an oil passage. The plug has an opening which is positioned to restrict the flow of oil through the passage, and in particular at higher speeds. The opening is formed at an outer periphery of the plug, and may be positioned at a location spaced furthest from the center of rotation of the shaft.

This application relates to a scroll compressor, wherein a plug is inserted in an oil passage extending through a driveshaft to restrict the flow of oil, particularly at higher speeds.
Scroll compressors are becoming widely utilized in refrigerant applications. In the scroll compressor, first and second scroll members each have a base and a generally spiral wrap extending from the base. The scroll members interfit to define compression chambers. A rotating shaft is driven by an electric motor to cause one of the two scroll members to orbit relative to the other. Typically, the shaft includes an eccentric pin that extends upwardly into a boss extending away from the base of the orbiting scroll member.
An oil supply passage is formed through the shaft, and is formed off-center relative to a rotational axis of the shaft. The off-center positioning causes the passage to operate as an oil pump, bringing oil from an oil sump, upwardly through the shaft, and to bearings and other contact locations.
One concern with this existing scroll compressor is that the amount of oil which is moved is dependent upon the speed of rotation of the shaft. At higher shaft speeds, it is sometimes been the case that too much oil is pumped. This is undesirable.

Scroll compressor with an oil passage plug to limit oil flow


An improved anti-wear, high pressure hydraulic oil which contains essentially no zinc or phosphorous is described. The hydraulic oil protects against corrosion and oxidation as well as provides anti-wear, anti-weld, and demulsibility properties. This improved hydraulic oil contains (1) petroleum hydrocarbon oil; (2) esters of dibasic and monobasic acids; (3) butylated phenol; (4) phenol; (5) sulfurized fatty oil; (6) fatty acid; and (7) sulfur scavenger. This hydraulic oil has a reduced tendency towards sludge formation and has, therefore, an increased lifetime. This hydraulic oil can be used in applications requiring good boundary lubrication and minimal sludge formation. It is especially useful in high pressure hydraulic systems and pumps.

Hydraulic systems employing hydraulic oil as the working fluid are used extensively. Additives having zinc and/or phosphorous have been used in such hydraulic oils to increase operational properties including thermal stability, oxidation stability, anti-wear properties, and the like. One especially preferred additive in hydraulic oils or fluids is zinc dialkyldithiophosphate (ZDTP). Zinc dialkyldithiophosphate can be represented by the general structure: ##STR1## where R is an alkyl group such as, for example, octyl. These zinc dialkyldithiophosphates are viscous, sticky materials which are soluble in oil and insoluble in water. In high-zinc-type hydraulic fluids, the level of added zinc dialkyldithiophosphate is over one weight percent. In such fluids, oil sludge formation is a significant problem, especially in high pressure hydraulic systems having close tolerance parts. Low-zinc-type hydraulic fluids, having less than about 0.7 weight percent zinc dialkyldithiophosphate (generally in the range of about 0.3 to 0.5 weight percent) were developed, in part, to reduce the tendency of sludge formation. Nonetheless, sludge formation has remained a significant problem with hydraulic oils containing zinc dialkyldithiophosphate or other zinc- and phosphorous-containing additives.
Sludge formation in hydraulic oils results in a reduction in the useful life of the hydraulic oil as well as costly downtime. Such downtime can be significant, especially if the sludge clogs filters or deposits on internal surfaces of the hydraulic system.
Generally such sludge formation is not thought to be cause by deterioration of the hydraulic oil components themselves. Rather, most of the operational problems appear to result from contamination from outside the hydraulic system and the interaction of such contamination with the components of the hydraulic oil. One significant mechanism for sludge formation appears to be the reaction of aqueous contaminates with additives containing zinc and/or phosphorous. In many instances, the sludge recovered from hydraulic systems is rich in zinc- and phosphorous-containing compounds.
Hydraulic oils leaking into other systems may also clause similar problems. For example, cutting or machine tools normally employ aqueous based cutting fluids. Hydraulic oil which leaks into such cutting fluid systems can significantly reduce the useful lifetime of the cutting fluid. When the hydraulic oil leaks into the cutting fluid, the zinc dialkyldithiophosphate or other zinc- and phosphorous-containing additives can be decomposed by reaction with water to form zinc polyphosphates, water soluble phosphates, and alkyl sulphides. The phosphates appear to concentrate in the water phase of the cutting fluid and eventually to destablize the cutting fluid emulsion by forming a "sticky cream" containing metallic fines and unemulsified oil. The "sticky cream," in addition to reducing the effectiveness of the cutting fluid, can build up on machines, tools, and parts produced.
Attempts have been made to reduce the tendency of hydraulic oils containing zinc and phosphorous compounds (especially zinc dialkyldithiophosphates) to form sludges during use in a hydraulic system or when the hydraulic oil contaminates other systems. Generally, simply eliminating the zinc and phosphorous compounds from the hydraulic oil formulation is not satisfactory because of a reduction in anti-wear and other properties. Others have attempted to extend the lifetime of such fluids by removal of decomposition products using chemical treatment and vacuum filtration techniques. Such "cleaning" processes are more useful in treating fluids which become contaminated with hydraulic oils since the hydraulic oils, and thus the contaminated products, form only a relatively small proportion of the fluid to be treated. Others have used dispersants in zinc-containing hydraulic oils to help disperse the sludge formed from the zinc dialkyldithiophosphates. Such dispersants may even delay the formation of the sludge.
None of the methods of the prior art have been completely successful in providing a hydraulic oil with acceptable operational properties while minimizing the sludge formation of the hydraulic oil. It is desirable, therefore, to provide an essentially zinc-free and phosphorous-free hydraulic oil with good operational properties and minimal sludge formation properties. The present invention provides such a hydraulic oil.


Provided is a method of storing a substrate having an active group or a probe molecule immobilized thereon. The method includes attaching a UV film to a surface of the substrate having the active group or probe immobilized thereon; and exposing the UV film to UV light, wherein the UV film comprises a UV-permeable base film and a pressure sensitive adhesive layer formed on a surface of the UV-permeable base film to immobilize the substrate, and when the pressure sensitive adhesive layer is exposed to the UV light, its adhesive force decreases.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of storing a substrate having an active group or a probe molecule immobilized thereon, a method of producing a microarray using the UV film, and a substrate having the UV film attached thereto.
2. Description of the Related Art
A microarray is a substrate on which specific molecules are immobilized in predetermined regions at a high density. Examples of microarrays include a polynucleotide microarray and a protein microarray. A polynucleotide microarray is a substrate on which polynucleotides are immobilized in predetermined regions at a high density. Such microarrays are well known in the art and are disclosed in, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,445,934 and 5,744,305.
Generally, microarrays are produced using photolithographic technology. In the photolithographic method, a predetermined region of a substrate coated with a monomer having a removable protective group is exposed to an energy source to remove the protective group from the monomer, and then a second monomer having a removable protective group is coupled to the monomer. The process of exposure to an energy source, removal of the protective group, and coupling of a monomer is repeated to produce a desired polynucleotide array. The polynucleotide immobilized on the microarray is synthesized by extending the monomers one by one. In a spotting method, a microarray is produced by immobilizing a previously synthesized polynucleotide at a predetermined location on a substrate. The substrate is initially coated with an active group, for example, an amino group or an aldehyde group, and the probe molecule such as a polynucleotide is immobilized on the substrate via the active group. Polynucleotide microarrays and methods of producing the same are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,744,305, 5,143,854 and 5,424,186, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein in their entireties by reference.
In general, when a microarray is produced using the spotting method, the substrate coated with the active group is previously manufactured, and is stored or in the market until use. The active group coated on the substrate may react with oxygen in the atmosphere to change its reactivity or be adversely affected by moisture in the atmosphere. Thus, the substrate coated with the active group is packaged in a nitrogen-filled package, in a vacuum package, or packaged together with a desiccating agent. However, such a packaging method cannot fully protect the substrate against oxygen or moisture in the atmosphere and is complicated.
A UV film is used during the manufacture of a semiconductor chip in order to protect a surface of the semiconductor chip from silicon particles generated in a process of dicing the semiconductor chip into semiconductor chip units or from water used in the dicing process. That is, in order to protect the surface of the semiconductor chip, the UV film is attached to a semiconductor wafer, the dicing process is performed, and then the UV film is removed from the wafer. The UV film is sufficiently adhesive force to be attached to the silicon wafer at the initial time of the dicing, but the adhesiveness remarkably decreases after the UV film is exposed to UV light. The UV film is widely used when dicing objects such as semiconductor wafers, and is well known in the art. For example, dicing films described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,720,317, 4,913,960, and 4,968,559, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein in their entirety by reference, can be used.
The inventors of the present invention conducted research on a method of safely storing a substrate coated with an active group for a long time and discovered that when the substrate coated with the active group is stored with a UV film attached thereto, the lifetime of the substrate can be extended.

Method of storing substrate having active group or probe molecule immobilized thereon using UV film, method of producing microarray using the UV film, and substrate having the UV film attached thereto


An air-conditioning apparatus includes a refrigerant circuit, an indoor unit, an indoor air-sending device, a refrigerant detection device which detects refrigerant in an air-conditioning target space, and a controller which sets each of a normal control mode and a rarefying control mode. In the normal control mode, an operation is performed in an operation mode set according to an air-conditioning load, and in the rarefying control mode, the indoor air-sending device is controlled at a rarefying rotation speed which is a higher rotation speed than that in the normal control mode. The controller includes a refrigerant determination unit which determines, based on the result of detection by the refrigerant detection device, whether leakage of refrigerant occurs or not, a control mode determining unit which determines, in the case where the leakage determination unit determines that leakage of refrigerant occurs, the rarefying control mode as a control mode to be set, and an operation control unit which controls the indoor air-sending device in accordance with the control mode set by the control mode setting unit.

Conventionally, as refrigerant to be applied in a refrigeration cycle of an air-conditioning apparatus, an HFC refrigerant such as R410A, which is nonflammable and has a low ozone-layer depletion potential, has been used. However, R410A has a property of a high global warming potential (hereinafter referred to as GWP). Therefore, in recent years, in terms of prevention of global warming, it has been discussed whether the refrigerant to be applied should be changed to refrigerant having a low GWP.
In contrast, a slightly flammable HFC refrigerant such as an R32 refrigerant is present, which has a low ozone-layer depletion potential like R410A and has a GWP that is about one third of R410A. Furthermore, a highly flammable HC refrigerant such as R290 (propane), which is a natural refrigerant having a GWP that is about one seven-hundredth of R410A, has also been used. As is often the case, refrigerants having a low GWP are flammable, although they are different from each other in the degree of flammability.
In an air-conditioning apparatus using flammable refrigerant, in the case where an indoor air-sending device is in its stopped state when refrigerant leaks into an indoor space, a flammable concentration region may be generated. In general, such refrigerant is heavier than air, and the refrigerant which has leaked stays near an indoor floor. In view of this point, an air-conditioning apparatus has been proposed in which even when it is in its stopped state, if leakage of refrigerant is detected, the indoor air-sending device is operated to rarefy the refrigerant that has leaked, with indoor airflow (for example, Patent Literature 1).


A system and method is provided for use in a control system, such as a steering control system, for validating quadrature signals. A system makes a determination of validity based on the timing of detected state changes in the quadrature signals. To accomplish this, the amount of time that elapses between successive transitions is compared to the amount of time that elapses in an adjacent time period. If the two time periods are close enough, the signals are considered valid.

This invention relates to the field of signal validation. In particular, this invention is drawn to a system for validating quadrature signals generated by sensors in a steering control system.
In control systems, it is common to use sensors to generate signals relating to various conditions in the system. The sensor signals can then used by the control system in any desired way. For example, in a steering control system, various conditions are sensed (e.g., wheel speed, motor speed, steering wheel speed and position, etc.) and used by the steering control system. It is therefore important that signals generated by sensors are accurate in order to describe what is occurring in the system.
It is also common to use sensors that generate quadrature signal pairs. For a valid quadrature pair, both signals should have nearly a 50% duty cycle and be nearly 90 degrees out of phase. These characteristics ensure that a microprocessor in a control system will have enough time to decode the signals, and to provide correct measurement of speed and direction of a sensed object.
One problem with sensors that generate quadrature signals is that the quadrature signals may not meet the desired duty cycle and phase requirements. This may be due to several factors. For example, the sensor may be misaligned, causing the duty cycle of the signals to be much greater or much less than 50%. Misalignment may also cause the signals to be more or less than 90 degrees out of phase. Also, the sensor itself may fail, or may not be capable of producing quadrature under all conditions. For example, some sensors produce correct quadrature only when the object they are sensing is rotating at a particular speed. Also, propagation delays from electronic circuitry may alter the phase relationship of the signals.
It can therefore be seen that in order to have confidence that a control system is functioning properly, quadrature signals should be evaluated for accuracy and validity.
A method of validating a quadrature signal pair from a sensor in a steering control system is provided, including the steps of: detecting consecutive voltage transitions in first and second signals of the quadrature pair; for three consecutive detected voltage transitions, calculating the elapsed time between the first and second voltage transitions and the elapsed time between the second and third voltage transitions; and determining the validity of the quadrature signal pair by comparing the calculated elapsed times.
Another embodiment of the invention provides a method of validating a quadrature signal pair in a steering control system comprising the steps of: detecting when a first signal of the quadrature pair changes states; detecting when a second signal of the quadrature pair changes states; and evaluating the validity of the quadrature signal pair based on when the first and second signals change states.
Another embodiment of the invention provides a steering control system comprising: a quadrature sensor for sensing conditions in the system and generating a quadrature signal pair; a processor coupled to the quadrature sensor, wherein the processor performs the following functions: detecting edges in first and second signals of the quadrature pair, after detecting a plurality of consecutive edges, calculating elapsed time periods between consecutive edges, and determining the validity of the quadrature pair by comparing two adjacent elapsed time periods.
Another embodiment of the invention provides a method of validating a quadrature signal pair generated by a quadrature sensor in a control system comprising the steps of: detecting state changes in first and second quadrature signals; calculating the time periods between consecutive detected state changes; and making a determination of the validity of the quadrature signal pair based upon the calculated time periods.

System and method for validating quadrature signals


Example embodiments comprise a diversity receiver, and corresponding method, for measuring a differential phase between a first local oscillator of a first antenna and a second local oscillator of a second antenna in the presence of a primary interference signal and at least one secondary interference signal. The method may comprise receiving a primary communication signal, a primary reference signal and additional reference signals, and processing these signals such that a summation signal does not substantially comprise the at least one secondary interference signal. The estimation of differential phase is achieved by a phase shift calculation between processed signal components, using that a summation of all signal components equals, or is approximately equal to, a predetermined signal.

In multi-antenna systems, for example cross-polar interference cancellation (XPIC) systems and multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems, the receiver typically needs accurate knowledge of the aggregate propagation channel between the transmitter and receiver in order to be able to decode transmitted data without an excessive amount of errors. In systems where radio frequency (RF) signals received by different antennas are down-converted using independent oscillators, the phase noise from the various oscillators distorts the received signals. In an attempt to reduce oscillator phase noise, present systems rely on local oscillators with low phase noise. Other systems rely on the use of a common down-converting oscillator for multiple receivers or complex signal processing techniques.

Differential phase tracking in the presence of unknown interference


A displaceable steering column for motor vehicles may include an actuating unit in which a steering shaft is rotatably mounted. The actuating unit may be displaceable relative to a holding unit in the axial direction of the steering shaft, and optionally in the vertical direction, and can be clamped by means of a clamping device so that the actuating unit is fixed in an non-displaceable manner when the motor vehicle is operating normally. The steering column may also include an energy absorption device disposed between the actuating unit and the holding unit, which in the event of a vehicle crash absorbs at least part of the energy applied to the steering column by material deformation of an energy absorber. The energy absorption device may have a central portion on which an energy absorber is disposed and is engaged with the actuating unit. The central portion may be connected to a clamping portion that can be clamped by the clamping device.

The problem sought to be addressed by steering columns with energy absorption devices is that of absorbing, in a controlled manner, the energy applied to the steering column by the driver when the vehicle is involved in a head-on collision.
A steering column with an energy absorption device is known from DE 20 2008 015 444 U1, in which the actuating unit is coupled and uncoupled in respect of the holding unit by means of a locking hook, so that the longitudinal adjustability of the actuating unit in respect of the holding unit is guaranteed in the uncoupled state and in the coupled state the energy absorption element is coupled in the power flow. The disadvantage of this solution is the complex design and the fact that during coupling the locking hook sometimes does not engage with a form-fitting recess of the energy absorption element and in the event of a crash it must initially be displaced without energy absorption until it engages with a form-fitting recess.
Thus a need exists for a steering column that comprises an improved energy absorption device with a simple, operationally reliable design.

Adjustable steering column for motor vehicles, having an energy absorption device


A light source driving device may include a DC-DC conversion unit for generating an output voltage by adjusting a level of an input voltage, and a first light-emitting unit and a second light-emitting unit, which are driven by the output voltage of the DC-DC conversion unit. A regulator may be connected to the output end of the second light-emitting unit, and a controller may have a feedback terminal connected to the output ends of the first light-emitting unit and the second light-emitting unit. The regulator may operate such that a preset target current is supplied to the second light-emitting unit. The controller may adjust a duty of the pulse control signal based on the entire preset target current of the first light-emitting unit and the second light-emitting unit and the feedback current inputted through the feedback terminal.

Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are widely used as light sources. In particular, light emitting diodes are emerging as a promising market in the vehicle and lighting industry. Since light-emitting diodes can be used semi-permanently and realize high luminance and high power, they have been actively developed as light sources for vehicles in recent years.
In order to use a light emitting diode as a light source for a vehicle, the light emitting diode must emit light with a certain luminance. At this time, a constant current circuit designed in the form of an integrated circuit (IC) is provided in order for the light emitting diode to emit light with a constant luminance.
Meanwhile, a light-emitting diode used for a vehicle or for lighting is composed of a multi-channel structure in which arrays are connected in parallel with each other. Accordingly, an additional IC element must be provided for individual control of the multi-channel light-emitting diodes.
As described above, in order to individually control the multi-channel light emitting diode, there is a problem in that the number of channels and necessary components of the driving circuit increases, and thus the occupied area of the driving circuit increases, thereby complicating driving.
In addition, some IC that do not support multiple channels exist in a control circuit for constant current control of the LEDs, and there is a problem in that the single channel IC cannot stably drive the LEDs having multiple channels.

Light source driving device and method therefor


In a case where application data stored in a PC database 300a are edited by a PC 300, and the edited contents are to be reflected to contents of the memory of a terminal database 200a, PC 300 refers to a synchronization profile SP including item IDs and ID numbers of a most recent synchronization communication and communication time information of the synchronization communication, thereby detecting which items have been edited at a time subsequent to completion of a most recent synchronization communication.

Various types of schedule managers, address managers, and similar applications are now used in personal computers (PCs). Using a schedule management application, data can be added, changed, or deleted, to be saved in a database in a storage device, such as a hard disk drive of a PC, for display by a user in managing schedules.
Schedule data or address data stored in a database of a PC can be duplicated for use in a handheld information device such as a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), so that identical information to that in the PC can also be used in the handheld information device.
In the case that data is duplicated between such devices, however, if data in one device is modified, corresponding data in a corresponding device must be updated. This process is referred to as a synchronization process where data stored in databases of subject information devices are updated via data communication.
In carrying out data synchronization, in each of the devices, an existing schedule data state in a database is compared with past schedule data state as of completion of a last previous synchronization operation. If a change in data in one device is detected, a corresponding data change is made in a corresponding device. In this way, respective databases of the information devices can be updated as required.
However, the conventional art used for effecting a data update operation between corresponding devices suffers from the drawbacks as follow:
If synchronization of a large amount of data is to be performed between corresponding devices, a complicated data processing operation must be used.
Further, if data synchronization is to be carried out between devices employed in an organization such as a company, data are stored in a database server or similar device of a Local Area Network (LAN). In a LAN, a plurality of networked PCs share data stored, typically, in a server database. In the case that a user of, for example, a PDA, wishes to synchronize, for example, schedule data between the PDA and one of a plurality of PCs connected to a LAN, a limitation exists that the operation can be performed between the PDA and only a specified PC connected to the LAN. To date, no technology has existed which will allow a user of, for example, a PDA to perform data synchronization with any of a plurality of PCs connected to a LAN.
The present invention has been made with a view to overcoming this problem of the prior art, and has as its object the provision of a data updating method by which it is possible to avoid, in the case that a large amount of data for synchronization exists, the need to conduct complicated data processing in carrying out an update operation. In addition, the method of the present invention makes it possible to perform a data updating operation between an external information processing device and any of a plurality of network-connected information processing devices. The present invention also provides an information processing device for implementing the method.

Data updating method and related information processing device


A molding apparatus that injection molds an opening device on a packaging material sheet includes first and second molding units to injection mold a wall portion of the opening device on the sheet; the first molding unit comprising first and second molding elements configured to cooperate in contact to delimit at least part of a mold cavity fillable with molten material for forming a pull-member of the opening device; the mold cavity being delimited at least by first and second surfaces defined by the first and second molding elements respectively; a third molding unit cooperable with the first and second molding elements to delimit the mold cavity, and defining a third surface, facing the first and second surfaces and delimiting, together with these latter, the mold cavity; the third surface is shaped to be equidistant from the first and second surfaces when the first and second molding elements cooperate.

As it is generally known, many pourable food products, such as fruit juice, UHT (ultra-high temperature-treated) milk, wine, tomato sauce, etc., are sold in packages made of sterilized packaging material.
A typical example is the parallelepiped-shaped package for pourable food products known as Tetra Brik Aseptic (registered trademark), which is made by folding and sealing a laminated sheet of packaging material.
In particular, the packaging material has a multilayer structure substantially comprising a base layer for stiffness and strength, which may be made of fibrous material, e.g. paper or mineral-filled polypropylene material, and a number of lamination layers made of heat-seal plastic material, e.g. polyethylene films, covering both sides of the base layer.
In the case of aseptic packages for long-storage products, such as UHT milk or fruit juice, the packaging material also comprises a layer of gas-barrier material, e.g. aluminum foil or ethyl vinyl alcohol (EVOH) film, which is superimposed on a layer of heat-seal plastic material, and is in turn covered with another layer of heat-seal plastic material. This latter layer of plastic material forms the inner face of the package eventually contacting the pourable food product.
Packages of this sort are normally produced on fully automatic packaging machines, in which a continuous tube is formed from the sheet of packaging material.
Furthermore, the sheet of packaging material is sterilized in the packaging machine by applying a chemical sterilization agent, which is then removed after the sterilization is completed.
Subsequently, the sheet of packaging material is maintained in a closed, sterile environment and is folded and sealed longitudinally to form the tube.
In order to complete the forming operations, the tube is filled from above, by means of a pipe, with the pourable food product and is formed, sealed and subsequently cut along equally spaced transversal cross sections.
Pillow packs are obtained thereby, which present a longitudinal sealing band, a top transversal sealing band and a bottom transversal sealing band, and which are then folded mechanically to form respective finished substantially parallelepiped-shaped packages.
To open the packages described above, various solutions have been proposed, including opening devices made of plastic material, which, according to a widespread technology, are applied, by injection molding, directly on a so-called prelaminated hole, i.e. a hole formed in the packaging material through the base layer only and covered, by means of a lamination process, by the other lamination layers, including the layer of gas-barrier material.
In particular, the molten plastic material is injected, by means of a molding apparatus, onto a sheet cover portion of the prelaminated hole formed through the base layer and which is made of such lamination layers.
According to an alternative solution, such sheet cover portion may be defined by a patch attached to the packaging material to close a hole formed, in this case, through the full thickness of the packaging material.
Generally, the molten plastic material is injected onto a first side of the sheet cover portion (i.e. the side of the sheet cover portion eventually facing towards the inner environment of the package) in order to cover such prelaminated hole up to an annular peripheral portion thereof.
In this way, a plastic material confetti portion directly attached to the first side of the sheet cover portion is obtained.
Furthermore, the confetti portion defines, together with the sheet cover portion, a user-tearable portion of the package, adapted to be torn by the user in order to open the package.
According to the known technology, during molding the plastic material is forced to pierce the sheet cover portion at predetermined piercing areas (due to the injection pressure and the geometry of the molding apparatus used to form the opening device) in order to pass through the sheet cover portion and form:                a pull-member, protruding from the second side of the sheet cover portion and adapted to be pulled by the user, so as to cause a tearing of the user-tearable portion and causing the package to open; and        a pouring spout, also protruding from the second side of the sheet cover portion and configured to guide the pourable product exiting from the package, when this latter is emptied under the action of the user.
Pull-members are known, which have a substantially elongated shape, for example an oval or elliptical shape.
Typically, the above-described pull-member, pouring spout and confetti portion are integrally formed in one single injection molded piece by means of the above-mentioned molding apparatus.
For this purpose, molding apparatuses are known, which comprise a first molding unit and a second molding unit, arranged in use on opposite sides of the sheet of packaging material and movable, with respect to one other, along a first direction substantially orthogonal to the packaging material, between:                an open configuration, in which the first molding unit and the second molding unit are spaced apart from one another along the first direction, allowing feed of the sheet of packaging material between them; and        a closed configuration, in which the first molding unit and the second molding unit cooperate in contact with the sheet of packaging material, so as to delimit a first mold cavity adapted to be filled with the molten plastic material.
In particular, the first mold cavity is adapted to house the sheet cover portion and to be filled with the molten plastic material for forming the confetti portion and injection molding the latter on the first side of the sheet cover portion.
Furthermore, according to a known configuration, the first molding unit comprises a pair of semi-molds, which face one another, symmetrically with respect to the first direction, and are movable, along a second direction substantially parallel to the packaging material, between:                an open position, in which the semi-molds are spaced apart from one another along the second direction; and        a closed position, in which the semi-molds cooperate in contact, so as to delimit a number of further mold cavities also adapted to be filled with the molten plastic material.
In particular, the two semi-molds delimit, when being in the closed position, at least a second mold cavity, adapted to form the pull-member of the opening device, and a third mold cavity, adapted to form the pouring spout of the opening device.
Typically, once the molding operation has been completed, the first molding unit and the second molding unit move from the closed configuration to the open configuration and the two semi-molds move from the closed position to the open position.
In detail, the above-mentioned movements occur during unmolding, i.e. once the injection of the plastic material into the cavities is completed and the plastic material has cooled down enough so that the first molding unit, the second molding unit and the two semi-molds can be separated from the plastic material and the opening device can be removed from the molding apparatus.
In particular, the first molding unit, the second molding unit and the two semi-molds have to be moved away (detached and separated) from the plastic material without compromising the integrity and desired final shape of the latter.
Although providing a functionally valid method for injection molding an opening device on a sheet of packaging material, the known molding apparatuses are still open for further improvement, in particular as to further improve the unmolding operation and to minimize the unmolding time.

Molding apparatus configured to injection mold an opening device on a sheet of packaging material


Methods, systems, and devices for wireless communications are described in which synchronization of one or more direct communications links between a user equipment (UE) and one or more other UEs is provided by one or more sidelink synchronization signals. The sidelink synchronization signals may include a first sidelink synchronization signal that provides a relatively coarse synchronization (e.g., providing rough timing information about the start of the orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbol, without providing any information identifying the source of the signal) that may be used to identify a search space for a second sidelink synchronization signal that provides relatively fine synchronization (e.g., identifying more precisely the OFDM symbol boundaries) and an identifier of the device that is transmitting the sidelink synchronization signals.

The following relates generally to wireless communications, and more specifically to device-to-device synchronization in wireless communications.
Wireless communications systems are widely deployed to provide various types of communication content such as voice, video, packet data, messaging, broadcast, and so on. These systems may be capable of supporting communication with multiple users by sharing the available system resources (e.g., time, frequency, and power). Examples of such multiple-access systems include fourth generation (4G) systems such as Long Term Evolution (LTE) systems, LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) systems, or LTE-A Pro systems, and fifth generation (5G) systems which may be referred to as New Radio (NR) systems. These systems may employ technologies such as code division multiple access (CDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA), frequency division multiple access (FDMA), orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA), or discrete Fourier transform spread orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (DFT-S-OFDM). A wireless multiple-access communications system may include a number of base stations or network access nodes, each simultaneously supporting communication for multiple communication devices, which may be otherwise known as user equipment (UE).
In some wireless communications systems, such as distributed wireless networks, wireless devices (e.g., UEs) may directly communicate with each other (e.g., via device-to-device (D2D) communications or sidelink communications). In order to establish direct communications between devices, various types of information (e.g., identification information, timing information, resource configurations, and the like) may need to be exchanged. Efficient communication of such information may be help enhance system performance and reliability.

Device-to-device synchronization in wireless communications


A machining jig holds a workpiece with respect to a tool that partially removes an outer peripheral surface of the workpiece. The machining jig includes a first jig including an inner peripheral surface having a shape similar to a contour of the workpiece and an outer peripheral surface including a first inclined section inclined with respect to an axial direction of the workpiece; a second jig including an inner peripheral surface including a second inclined section configured to be fitted to the first inclined section; a base to which the second jig is coaxially fixed; and a sliding mechanism that enables a large-diameter portion of the first inclined section and a small-diameter portion of the second inclined section to move toward and away from each other. The sliding mechanism of the machining jig causes the small-diameter portion of the second inclined section to press the large-diameter portion of the first inclined section so that compressive stress is applied to the outer peripheral surface of the workpiece at a position near a portion to be removed by the tool.

PTL 1 discloses a method for manufacturing a component that cannot be easily formed by molding. According to this method, a molded body obtained by lubrication molding (molding using a mold to which lubricant is applied) of a powder material is subjected to machining, such as cutting or grinding. Then, the machined molded body is sintered. The molded body can be easily machined because the hardness thereof is lower than that of the sintered body.


In a mobile communication method according to the present invention, in a communication start procedure of a mobile station camps on a femtocell, acquiring, by an exchange 20, a frequency of the femtocell and a femtocell ID for uniquely identifying the femtocell which are held in a controller 10, storing, by the exchange 20 and a home location register 30, the acquired frequency of the femtocell and the acquired femtocell ID in association with subscriber information of the mobile station UE, performing, by the exchange 20 and the home location register 30, location registration to register the mobile station UE for a location registration area to which the femtocell geographically overlaid with the macrocell belongs, in response to the received location registration request signal, in a release procedure of the radio connection after completion of the location registration, notifying, by the controller 10, the mobile station UE of the notified frequency of the femtocell notified by the exchange 20.

In recent years, there has been proposed an ultra-small radio base station (femto radio base station) BTS which provides a cell (femtocell) having a radius of approximately several tens of meters.
Since the femtocell under control of the femto radio base station BTS is utilized by a small number of mobile stations UEs, a high-speed service using a wide frequency band can be provided.
In addition, since the femto radio base station BTS is installed in a subscriber premise or the like, the femto radio base station BTS is believed to provide new services merged with a fixed communication service subscribed to by a subscriber.
In a general household, a small office or the like, a single or multiple femtocells can form a private area specific to a particular user by minimizing the coverage area of each femtocell, or by applying an inexpensive local IP line to connection between each femto radio base station BTS and a radio network controller RNC.
Meanwhile, a discussion is being made to provide "user exclusive services," that is, to provide particular users with a charging system special to a femtocell, an added function only in a femtocell, and the like.
In the femtocell providing such user-exclusive services, a mobile station UE of a particular user allowed to access the femtocell is desired to be preferentially guided to the femtocell.
By referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 8, a description is given of an operation of performing a location registration of a mobile station based on a conventional W-CDMA scheme.
In examples in FIG. 1 and FIG. 8, a description is given of an operation performed when a mobile station UE in a camp-on state in a macrocell 1 operated. at a frequency f1 moves to a macrocell 2 operated at a frequency f2. Note that the macrocell 1 and the macrocell 2 belong to different location registration areas.
As shown in FIG. 8, in Step S3001, when detecting a change of a location registration area on which the mobile station UE visits after moving to the macrocell 2, the mobile station UE transmits "RRC CONNECTION REQUEST" requesting an establishment of an RRC connection, to a radio network controller RNC through the macrocell 2.
In Step S3002, the radio network controller RNC transmits "RRC CONNECTION SETUP" to the mobile station UE. In Step S3003, the mobile station UE transmits "RRC CONNECTION SETUP COMPLETE" to the radio network controller RNC, and thereby the establishment of the RRC connection between the radio base station RNC and the mobile station UE is completed.
In Step S3004, the mobile station UE transmits a location registration request signal (ROUTING AREA UPDATE REQUEST) to the radio network controller RNC by using "INITIAL DIRECT TRANSFER" which is an RRC message.
In Step S3005, the radio network controller RNC having received "INITIAL DIRECT TRANSFER" forwards the received location registration request signal by using "INITIAL UE MESSAGE" which is an RANAP message.
After authentication and ciphering processing for the mobile station TIE succeeds in Step S3006, an exchange transmits a location registration response signal to the radio network controller RNC by using "DIRECT TRANSFER" which is an RANAP message in Step S3007. The location registration response signal is for permitting location registration to register the mobile station UE for a location registration area to which the macrocell 2 belongs. In Step S3008, the radio network controller RNC forwards the received location registration response signal to the mobile station UE by using "DL DIRECT TRANSFER" which is an RRC message, and thereby the location registration of the mobile station UE for the location registration area to which the macrocell 2 belongs is completed (Step S3009).
In Step S3010, the exchange sends the radio network controller RNC "IU RELEASE COMMAND" which is an RANAP message instructing release of the aforementioned RRC connection.
In Step S3011, the radio network controller RNC having received "IU RELEASE COMMAND" transmits "RRC CONNECTION RELEASE" to the mobile station UE and thereby releases the aforementioned RRC connection.
In 3GPP specifications, the radio network controller RNC is configured to designate a camp-on frequency of the mobile station UE by using such "RRC CONNECTION RELEASE."

Mobile communication method, control device, and exchange


A liquefied natural gas (LNG) receiving terminal is provided, including an extraction column adapted and configured to separate a C1 component from other components in a LNG stream into a C1 rich stream, one of a gas condenser and a heat exchanger adapted and configured to condense the C1 rich stream into a liquid, and a pump adapted and configured to increase a pressure of the liquid C1 rich stream.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals, and more particularly to LNG receiving terminals.
2. Background of the Invention
LNG is the liquid state of the same natural gas as used for gas-fired appliances in domestic households and industries, for pipeline sendout, and for electricity generation in gas-fired power plants. While natural gas in its gaseous state is used for domestic and commercial applications, when natural gas is transported from production locations to usage locations over long distances it is usually transported in a liquid state because LNG is about six hundred times smaller in volume than in its gaseous state. This significant reduction in volume makes LNG considerably less expensive than gaseous natural gas to transport over long distances. Hence, many LNG supply networks subject natural gas to liquefying at a production location, transporting between the production location and a usage location, and finally re-gasifying at the usage location prior to distribution to a consumer.
Different natural gas consumers, however, have different requirements for the LNG being re-gasified, such as varying calorific value and/or quality requirements. In order to satisfy different customer requirements, gas companies set strict requirements on the composition of the natural gas sent out of their LNG receiving terminals. These requirements vary from one LNG buyer to another, and often include Ethane (C2), Propane (C3) and heavier components content specifications that are lower than LNG production at existing LNG baseload plants. Exemplary pipeline specifications (Table 1) and LNG baseload plant outputs (Table 2) are provided below.
TABLE 1Exemplary Pipeline SpecificationsCalifornia AirResources BoardMexicon NaturalComponent, wt %MinimumCNG MaximumGas MaximumMethane (C1)88Ethane (C2)6Propane (C3+)33.6
TABLE 2Exemplary LNG Baseload OutputDasIsland,WhitnellRasComponentAbuBay,BintuluArun,Lumut,Botang,Laffan,wt %DhabiAustraliaMalaysiaIndonesiaBruneiIndonesiaQatarMethane87.1087.8091.2089.2089.4090.6089.60(C1)Ethane11.408.304.288.586.306.006.25(C2)Propane1.272.982.871.672.802.482.19(C3)Butane0.1410.8751.360.5111.300.821.07(C4)Pentane0.001—0.010.02—0.010.04(C5)
In many instances, LNG baseload plants cannot be efficiently modified so as to meet the varying specifications. This inflexibility is due, in part, to the configuration and equipment used in typical LNG baseload plants. Specifically, after an initial feed-gas treatment (e.g., acid-gas removal, dehydration, mercury removal, etc.), LNG baseload plants typically remove components from the LNG using a scrub column. As an example, benzene and C5 components may be removed from the LNG to prevent the LNG from freezing in a main cryogenic heat exchanger. Further, C2 components may be removed from the LNG to control the calorific value. Hence, many LNG baseload plants would have to modify the scrub column or alter its operation to satisfy the noted customer requirements.
The scrub columns at many baseload plants, however, cannot be effectively modified to satisfy customer requirements because doing so would reduce the operating pressure of feed gas entering the main cryogenic heat exhanger to unacceptable levels. Specifically, the feed-gas pressure for most baseload LNG plants is greater than 60 bara. If the plant must remove heavier hydrocarbon components to meet a typical North American market calorific value (e.g., about 1,070 btu/cu ft), the scrub column must operate at a pressure of about 40 bara based on the critical pressure of the feed gas. The critical pressure is "critical" because the separation process becomes difficult and very inefficient near the critical pressure while the refrigerant efficiency depends on the operating pressure of feed gas entering the main cryogenic heat exchanger. A lower calorific value, therefore, would require recompression of feed gas from the scrub column to the main cryogenic heat exchanger, which is significantly more expensive. As such, a need exists for a method and apparatus for reducing the amount of various components (e.g., C2 and/or C3+) without raising costs to prohibitive levels.
Other problems with the prior art not described above can also be overcome using the teachings of the present invention, as would be readily apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art after reading this disclosure.

Method and apparatus for reducing C2 and C3 at LNG receiving terminals


The present invention is directed to a method for determining changes in electrical characteristics of semiconductor devices due to the fabrication of the devices in proximity to other devices or structures. The method comprises fabricating a plurality of semiconductor devices configured in a series arrangement and biasing all but one of the semiconductor devices to an active state. Thereafter, the remaining semiconductor device is biased to an active state and the electrical characteristics of the last semiconductor device is monitored.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is generally directed to the testing of semiconductor devices, and, more particularly, to the testing of electrical characteristics of semiconductor devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
As the feature size of semiconductor devices continues to decrease, the effects of manufacturing a semiconductor device in proximity to other semiconductor devices, or other structures, e.g., metallic interconnect lines, becomes more pronounced. It is known that the actual feature size of a fabricated semiconductor device, for example, the gate width of a field effect transistor, may be different than the designed feature size of the device, i.e., a feature size of a semiconductor device as actually built may be different from the designed size of that feature. One factor that causes differences between the design feature size and the actual feature size is the proximity of the device under construction to other structures or other semiconductor devices. That is, features that are all designed to be the same size may measure one dimension when the semiconductor device is made in an isolated area, and may measure a different dimension when the same semiconductor device is fabricated in proximity to adjacent structures, e.g., other devices, interconnect lines, etc.
In integrated circuits, there are areas where the semiconductor devices, e.g., transistors, are densely packed, areas where the devices are isolated, and areas that fall somewhere between these two extremes. In general, densely packed regions of an integrated circuit are areas where the semiconductor devices are placed as close together as possible. Isolated devices are areas where there is little, if any, surrounding structure adjacent the semiconductor devices. There are also circuits in which the devices, e.g., transistors, are placed as close together as possible, yet still allow room for metal lines and contacts between the transistors, i.e., an intermediate density.
The change in the actual feature size of a semiconductor device, as compared to the designed feature size, can have many negative impacts on the electrical characteristics of the device. For example, in the case of field effect transistors, the variance in, for example, the channel length of the transistor due to manufacturing the transistor in proximity to other devices or structures can impact, among other things, the drive current consumed by the device during operations. Drive current tends to vary with the channel length of the device. In general, as the channel length decreases, the drive current and the leakage through the gate increases. The reduction in the channel length may also cause the circuit to use more power and potentially exceed the power supply specification for the particular circuit, i.e., it will consume more power than anticipated. That is, changes in feature sizes of semiconductor devices, e.g., changes in the channel length of transistors due to proximity effects, must be accounted for in designing integrated circuits.
Thus, it is desirable to develop a method for determining the impact on electrical characteristics of a semiconductor device due to changes in feature sizes as a result of fabricating the device in proximity to other structures. Such information may be useful in the design and manufacturing of integrated circuit devices. The present invention is directed to solving some or all of the aforementioned problems.

Method for determining proximity effects on electrical characteristics of semiconductor devices


Techniques are provided for controlling power switches that couple an input power source to a transformer within a voltage converter, in order to control the power transfer through the transformer and to a load of the voltage converter. Different techniques are provided for different operational modes. In an initial steady-state interval, the switches are switched using a fixed first switching period and variable duty cycle. Upon detecting a load transient, e.g., a sudden increase in the load power requirements, a ramp-up interval is entered during which the switches are switched using a second switching period and a second duty cycle, in order to increase the output current of the converter at a maximum rate. Upon detecting that a current within the voltage converter has reached a maximum allowed level, a current-limited interval is entered during which the switches are switched using a third switching period and a third duty cycle.

Isolated direct-current (DC) to DC switching voltage converters use transformers to convert power from an input source into power for an output load. Such a voltage converter includes primary-side power switches that convert DC input power into alternating-current (AC) power that is fed to the primary side of a transformer. AC power supplied on the secondary side of the transformer is rectified to convert it back into DC power which, in turn, is provided to the output load.
In order to prevent damage to the primary-side power switches or the transformer itself, care must be taken to ensure that the core of the transformer does not magnetically saturate. This is typically accomplished by oversizing the transformer and/or using the current in the primary-side power switches to detect transformer core saturation. Should transformer core saturation be detected thusly, power transfer through the transformer is curtailed. More advanced techniques may track the transformer core flux, e.g., using a volt-second measure based upon a voltage of the transformer. A controller of the voltage converter may use the tracked transformer core flux to keep the flux well-balanced between positive and negative excursions, and to curtail power transfer if the tracked flux is approaching a level corresponding to a core saturation limit of the transformer.
A load transient, e.g., a step increase in the power required by the load, is preferably handled by increasing a current output from the voltage converter at a high rate until the voltage provided to the output load approaches a desired output level. The output current must be increased such that it does not cause saturation of the transformer core. Furthermore, the voltage converter components including, in particular, an output inductor must be sized such that a maximum output current is accommodated.
Techniques are desired for providing fast transient response within a voltage converter while avoiding transformer core saturation and without increasing the size of the transformer or an output inductor of the voltage converter.

Inductor protection during fast transient response in isolated voltage converters


A mounting bracket arrangement for fastening a solar array to a vertical support pipe, including a generally horizontal support disk seated transversely across the pipe end to close the interior thereof, and a pair of parallel vertical bracket plates having corresponding lower edge portions each containing pairs of parallel vertical slots that define a center section and a pair of side sections. The vertical bracket plates are arranged normal to the horizontal support plate such that the center sections extend into the pipe interior via horizontal linear openings contained in the horizontal plate, and the side sections extend longitudinally externally of the horizontal support plate for connection by external fastener devices. The solar array is pivotally connected between the upper portions of the vertical bracket plates for angular adjustment relative to the support pipe.

1. Field of the Invention
A mounting bracket arrangement for fastening a solar array to a generally vertical support pipe, including a generally horizontal bracket plate seated transversely across the pipe end, and a pair of parallel vertical bracket plates having lower edge portions containing pairs of parallel vertical slots that define center sections that extend into the pipe interior via corresponding slots contained in the horizontal plate, and side sections that extend externally longitudinally of the pipe for connection by external fastening means. A solar array is pivotally connected between the upper portions of the vertical bracket plates for angular adjustment relative to the support pipe.
2. Description of Related Art
Various solar array support systems have been proposed in the prior art, as evidences by the Holmes et al Published Application No. 2010/0139645, and the Barsun et al Published Application No. 2010/0139646. The patents to Nyulassie U.S. Pat. No. 3,802,653, Paulin U.S. Pat. No. 4,706,921, and the Austin et al Published Application No. 2008/0012750 disclose mounting bracket arrangements for fastening antennas to support poles, wherein external legs of the brackets are bolted together.
The present invention was developed to provide an improved adjustable solar array support bracket arrangement that is formed from relatively inexpensive components, quickly assembled with simple tools, requires no welding, is extremely rigid and durable in use, and which is easily adjusted in accordance with the seasons.

Mounting bracket means for solar arrays and the like


Disclosed are compositions, medical devices and methods for ameliorating sterile injury due object use in a subject in need thereof. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to compositions including N-Acetylcysteine and an aminoquinoline. The present disclosure also relates to compositions including an endonuclease and an aminoquinoline. The present disclosure also relates to medical devices including a coating comprising N-Acetylcysteine, an aminoquinoline, an endonuclease, and combinations thereof.

The present disclosure relates generally to compositions and methods for ameliorating injury due to foreign object use. More particularly, the present disclosure is directed to a composition comprising: N-Acetylcysteine and an aminoquinoline. The present disclosure further relates to methods for treating sterile injury due to foreign object use in a subject in need thereof by administering compositions including N-Acetylcysteine and an aminoquinoline. The present disclosure also relates to compositions including an endonuclease and an aminoquinoline. The present disclosure further relates to methods for treating sterile injury due to foreign object use in a subject in need thereof by administering compositions including an endonuclease and an aminoquinoline. The present disclosure further relates to medical devices coated with a composition comprising: N-Acetylcysteine, an aminoquinoline, an endonuclease, and combinations thereof. The present disclosure further relates to methods for diagnosing sterile injury due to foreign object use in a subject in need thereof.
Placement of foreign objects such as endotracheal tubes (ETT) and catheters as part of standard medical care is commonly performed, but can result in a local or systemic inflammatory response. Endotracheal tube (ETT) placement is commonly associated with postoperative sore throat (POST) pain. Incidence of POST has been reported between 20-50% following ETT placement, and is linked with symptoms of upper airway discomfort like tracheitis, hoarseness, and dysphagia, which may delay patient recovery after surgery. Several factors are implicated in POST including ETT materials, cuff pressure, airway instrumentation, and pharmacological agents. ETT placement is also associated with the development of pneumonia in infectious and noninfectious settings. However, in the absence of infection the underlying mechanisms that contribute to POST remain unclear. Local mechanical trauma results in cellular injury that is responsible for release of innate immune activators such as mitochondrial DNA. Tracheal injury following endotracheal intubation results in neutrophil activation and sore throat. Excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) activity promotes tissue damage and cytokine activity.
Short-term ETT placement results in mechanically mediated tissue injury and induces the influx of neutrophils. Studies have demonstrated the link between neutrophil activation and neuropathic pain. For example, animal studies have highlighted the importance of neutrophil elastase release in the induction of acute pain. Neutrophils also release other pro-algesic mediators, including reactive oxygen species (ROS), IL-1β, and TNF-α.
Local mechanical trauma results in cellular injury that is responsible for release of innate immune activators and inflammation. Tracheal associated inflammation resulting from endotracheal tube use can cause inflammation, subglottic stenosis (narrowing or occlusion of the airway) and has a 10-20% mortality and 20-50% morbidity. Catheter associated use can cause inflammatory damage of the urinary tract and lead to urinary tract infections. Catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) is the most common hospital-acquired infection, occurring in up to 25% of patients requiring catheterization for longer than 7 days. Ischemia reperfusion injury causes inflammation that can result in interference with the blood supply causing tissue damage, ulcers, organ transplantation failure, stroke, and cardiac arrest. Implanted glucose monitoring systems often malfunction as a result of multiple factors, including inflammation at the site of implantation and bio-fouling. Use of stents in angioplasty can result in restenosis.
Approximately 100 million Foley catheters are sold annually worldwide with 25% of sales occurring in the United States. 25% of patients admitted to hospitals will have an indwelling catheter and 7% of nursing home residents are managed by long-term catheterization. Foley catheter associated bladder injury is associated with pain, spasms urinary urgency and progression to urinary tract infection (CAUTI). CAUTI is the most common hospital acquired infection (40%) in hospitals and nursing homes. There is a 7% daily risk of acquiring CAUTI and over 1 million cases are reported annually. The cost to treat a simple CAUTI has been estimated at $675 per case whereas the cost of treating bacteremia (blood infection) is $3,800 per patient. The total healthcare burden is estimated at $830 million dollars per year. Currently available antibiotic and silver coated catheters are marketed for approximately $10 above the non-antimicrobial equivalent. Despite efforts to provide pain, inflammation and infection relief for patients with Foley catheters, there is currently no universally accepted therapy.
Evolution of the immune system has enabled the human body to recognize self and non-self protein-based patterns known as pathogen associated molecular patterns (PAMP), used to discriminate between bacterial and non-bacterial molecules. One molecular pattern that originates from aseptic material (mtDNA) released during local cellular injury may result in neutrophil cell activation mediated by TLR-9 expression.
TLR-9 is a transmembrane protein preserved throughout evolution from insects to mammals and has characteristic leucine-rich repeats (LRR) located extracellularly and an intracellular domain known as Toll/Interleukin-1 Receptor (TIR). Neutrophil activation mediated by TLR-9 involves several steps such as endocytosis of unmethylated bacterial CpG-DNA, acidification of the endosome, and recognition of CpG motifs at the endolysosomes, resulting in NF-κβ activation. NF-κβ regulates pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokine production.
Neutrophil cells are the first cells to arrive at a site of tissue injury as mediators of the innate immune response. Although initial neutrophil activity is intended to defend and prevent further tissue damage, uncontrolled activity can inflict tissue damage (scar, tissue overgrowth) and infection. Under normal conditions neutrophil cells will die following an apoptotic pathway with minimal immunological consequence. However, neutrophil injury mediated by mitochondria DNA may lead to persistent inflammation and delayed apoptosis resulting in further tissue damage as a result of Toll-Like Receptor 9 (TLR-9) expression. Neutrophils can be activated by damage associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) released by cells injured during stress such as crush trauma. DAMPs are recognized by pattern recognition receptors (PRRs), which trigger inflammatory signaling pathways inducing gene expression. Neutrophils express all major classes of PRRs including toll-like (TLR), scavenger and complement receptors. In particular, TLR-9 recognizes hypomethylated CpG DNA motifs within the bacterial genome. Consistent with the bacterial ancestry of mitochondria, recent work has demonstrated TLR-9-dependent neutrophil activation in response to mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) released by injured cells.
Strategies aimed at preventing tracheal injury secondary to the ETT have included antibiotics, steroids, non-steroidal anti-inflammatories, local anesthetics, water-base lubricants, and many other interventions that have not shown consistent benefit.
Accordingly, there exists a need for compositions and methods for ameliorating injury and pain due to foreign object placement such as tracheal injury (sore throat, tracheomalasia) and catheter injury.

Anti-neutrophil activity on innate immune response


A dental bur storage device that includes a base member and a lid. The base member includes a bottom floor, a first support floor with a plurality of support apertures that is parallel to the bottom floor, and a second support floor with a plurality of support apertures that is parallel to the first support floor. The burs are secured in the storage device by placing them through the support apertures of the first and second support floor, which support the burs in a perpendicular position to the bottom floor. The lid is then closed to the base member. The lid, when closed, is of a dimension above the base member to fit burs in the storage device and also prevent them from falling out. The base member and lid also have open parallel sides to enable the burs to be sterilized while remaining in a storage mode. The storage device, with stored burs, is inserted into a cleaning apparatus, which is able to reach the burs through the open sides.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a storage device to be used by dentists to store their dental burs and more particularly, enable dental burs to be sterilized while in a storage mode.
2. Description of Related Art
Dental burs stored in some previous storage devices must be removed by hand to be sterilized. The technician's extensive handling of the burs creates a high risk of the technician cutting him or herself with a bur and possibly becoming infected with a disease.
Prior dental bur storage devices may not have lids which may help to secure the burs inside the storage device. By securing the dental burs inside the storage device, the burs can be sterilized without removing them from the storage device. In addition, a lid can help prevent technicians from accidentally coming into contact with the burs. Accidental contact with the burs can cause the burs to need to be re-sterilized and also possibly cut the technicians and infect him or her with a disease.
Prior dental bur storage devices can also be expensive to manufacture. They are usually individually molded or require extensive assembly.
The prior art has recognized the importance of creating an inexpensively manufactured dental bur storage device that helps to protect technicians from accidentally becoming infected with contagious diseases while sterilizing dental burs.


A normally-closed liquid crystal display includes a component to selectively absorb characteristic leakage light occurring at black representation. Therefore, when black is displayed, occurrence of unnecessary leakage light due to partial depolarization of polarized light caused by a component of an LCD panel can be suppressed. It is therefore possible to provide a liquid crystal display in which display performance of black is improved to clearly display black.

The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display (LCD) and an LCD panel which each include a component to absorb light having a particular wavelength.
A liquid crystal display is advantageous in that the display can be thinner and lighter than a Cathode Ray Tube (CRT generally called a Braun Tube in many cases). Therefore, usage thereof becomes wider with development and advance of a viewing angle widening technology and a mobile picture technology.
With widening uses of a monitor for a desktop personal computer or for a printing and designing jobs and for a liquid crystal television set, demands for color purity of blue, green, and red as well as for color reproduction of gray scale such as a color of skin of a human have become stronger. This leads to application of color filters to increase color purity of three primary colors as a basis of the color reproduction. As for a technique to use color filters, for example, JP-A-2002-40233 describes a technique to use a selective wavelength absorbing filter to suppress unnecessary emission of light from a backlight.
On the other hand, since a liquid crystal television set requires high luminance, the backlight having high luminance is generally employed. However, when the luminance of the backlight becomes higher in a liquid crystal display, there arises a problem in real black color representation. That is, since the LCD panel serves as an optical shutter to adjust light of the backlight, it is almost impossible for the following reason to completely interrupt light at black representation. The display panel has transmittivity of a finite value. A product between the transmittivity and the luminance of the backlight leads to luminance of a finite value at black representation. Therefore, when a backlight having high luminance is used, it is also possible to increase luminance at black representation. This arises a problem that black cannot be clearly displayed on screen images of content of a movie or the like which have relatively low luminance, for example, screen images of scenes at night.
For example, JP-A-2003-84271 describes a technique for use with a liquid crystal display requiring high luminance to display white and low luminance and a high contrast ratio to display black. According to the technique, luminance is suppressed at black representation without reducing luminance at white representation.


According to one embodiment, a method is disclosed for manufacturing nonvolatile semiconductor memory device including forming a stacked body by alternately stacking an electrode layer and a layer-to-be-etched, and forming an oxidized layer between the layer-to-be-etched provided at least in any side of an upper side and a lower side of the electrode layer and the electrode layer. The method can include forming a groove which passes through the stacked body. The method can include embedding an insulating body within the groove. The method can include forming a hole which passes through the stacked body. The method can include selectively removing the layer-to-be-etched via the hole. The method can include forming a charge storage layer in an inner side of the hole. The method can include forming a channel body layer in an inner side of the charge storage layer.

In a field of a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device, a three-dimensional stacked memory which can achieve a high integration without being comparatively constrained by a limit of a resolving power in a photolithography method is noticed.
In a manufacturing of the three-dimensional stacked memory, for example, a hole is formed in a stacked body in which a plurality of electrode layers serving as a control gate and the layers-to-be-etched are alternately stacked, the layers-to-be-etched are removed, a charge storage layer is thereafter formed in a side wall of the hole, and a channel is formed within the hole.
Accordingly, the more the layers are increased, the higher an aspect ratio of the hole becomes, so that there is a risk that an etching process which is excellent in a shape controllability is hard.

Method for manufacturing nonvolatile semiconductor memory device