This invention provides a method of computing a multiple k of a point P on an elliptic curve defined over a field, the method including the steps of representing the number k as binary vector k1, forming an ordered pair of point P1 and P2, wherein the points P1 and P2 differ at most by P, and selecting each of the bits ki in sequence, and for each of the ki, upon ki being a 0, computing a new set of points P1xe2x80x2, P2xe2x80x2 by doubling the first point P1 to generate the point P1xe2x80x2 and adding the points P1 and P2 to generate the point P2xe2x80x2 or upon ki being a 1, computing a new set of points P1xe2x80x2, P2xe2x80x2 by doubling the second point P2 to generate the point P2xe2x80x2 and adding the points P1 and P2 to produce the point P1xe2x80x2, whereby the doubles or adds are always performed in the same order for each of the bits bi, thereby minimizing a timing attack on the method. An embodiment of the invention applies to both multiplicative and additive groups.

This invention relates to a method and apparatus for minimizing power signature attacks in cryptographic systems.
Cryptographic systems generally owe their security to the fact that a particular piece of information is kept secret without which it is almost impossible to break the scheme. The secret information must generally be stored within a secure boundary in the cryptographic processor, making it difficult for an attacker to get at it directly. However, various schemes or attacks have been attempted in order to obtain this secret information. One of these is the timing or power signature attack.
The timing attack (or xe2x80x9cside channel attackxe2x80x9d) is an obvious result of sequential computational operations performed during cryptographic operations. The attack usually exploits some implementation aspect of a cryptographic algorithm.
For example current public key cryptographic schemes such as RSA and elliptic curve (EC) operate over mathematical groups; Z*n(n=pq) in RSA, discrete log systems in a finite field F*q(q is a power of a prime), F*2M or an EC group over these finite fields. The group operations, called multiplication modulo n, in RSA, and addition of points in EC are sequentially repeated in a particular way to perform a scalar operation. In RSA the operand is called an exponent, the operation is called exponentiation and the method of multiplying is commonly known as repeated square-and-multiply. Thus given a number axcex5Z*n and an integer 0xe2x89xa6k less than p, the exponent, whose binary representation is k=xcexa31=0i ki 2i a value ak mod n may be calculated by repeated use of the xe2x80x9csquare-and-multiplyxe2x80x9d algorithm (described in Handbook of Applied Cryptography P.615). Similarly given g(x)xcex5Fpm and an integer 0xe2x89xa6kxe2x89xa6pmxe2x88x921 then g(x)k mod f(x) may be calculated by this method.
On the other hand, in EC the operand is a scalar multiplier, the operation is called scalar multiplication of a point, and the method is known as xe2x80x9cdouble-and-addxe2x80x9d. Thus if k is a positive integer and P is an elliptic curve point then kP may be obtained by the xe2x80x9cdouble-and-addxe2x80x9d method. Both these methods are well known in the art and will not be discussed further.
As mentioned earlier, an attacker once in possession of the private key (either long term or session) is able to forge signatures and decrypt secret messages for the attacked entity. Thus it is paramount to maintain the secrecy or integrity of the private key in the system.
Many techniques have been suggested to obtain the private key. The encryption operations are performed either in a special purpose or general-purpose processor operating in a sequential manner. Recent attack methods have been proposed in open literature as for example described in Paul Kochers""s article xe2x80x9cTiming attacks on implementations of Diffie-Hellman, RSA, DSS and other systemsxe2x80x9d. These attacks have been based on timing analysis of these processors or in other words timing analysis of xe2x80x98black boxxe2x80x99 operations. In one instance an attacker by capturing the instantaneous power usage of a processor throughout a private key operation obtains a power signature. The power signature relates to the number of gates operating at each clock cycle. Each fundamental operation as described in the preceding paragraph generates a distinct timing pattern. Other methods exist for obtaining a power signature than instantaneous power usage.
Laborious but careful analysis of an end-to-end waveform can decompose the order of add-and-double or square-and-multiply operations. Using the standard algorithm, either a double or square must occur for each bit of either the exponent or scalar multiplier respectively. Therefore, the places where double waveforms are adjacent each other represent bit positions with zeros and places where there are add waveforms indicate bits with ones. Thus, these timing measurements can be analyzed to find the entire secret key and thus compromise the system.
In addition to the xe2x80x9csquare and multiplyxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cdouble and addxe2x80x9d techniques mentioned earlier, other methods to compute kP are for example the xe2x80x9cbinary ladderxe2x80x9d or Montgomery method described in xe2x80x9cSpeeding the Pollard and Elliptic Curve Methods of Factorizationxe2x80x9d by Peter L. Montgomery. In this method the x-coordinates of the pair of points (iP, (i+1)P) are computed. The Montgomery method is an efficient algorithm for performing modula multiplication, more clearly illustrated by an example. Given a group E (Fp) and given a point P on the elliptic curve, the Montgomery method may be used to compute another point kP. Given an ordered pair of points (iP, (i+1)P), then for each of the bits of the binary representation of k, if bit i is a 0 then the next set of points computed is (2iP, (2i+1)P) and if bit i is 1, then the next set of points is ((2i+1)P, (2i+2)P), that is, the first of the pair is derived from a doubling or an adding depending on whether the bit is a 0 or 1.
In a processor, each of the doubles and adds involve multiple operations which generate unique power signatures. By observing these power signatures as shown schematically in FIG. 1(a), the attacker may derive a sequence of 0s and 1s and thus, the scalar or exponent being used.
The Montgomery method is preferable in EC cryptographic systems because of its extreme efficiency over the straight xe2x80x9cdouble and addxe2x80x9d described earlier.
The attack on the Montgomery method as described above is particularly important if performing RSA private key operations. In a recent paper published by Dan Boneh et al entitled xe2x80x9cAn Attack On RSA Given A Small Fraction Of The Private Key Bitsxe2x80x9d, it has been shown that for RSA with a low public exponent, given a quarter of the bits of the private key, an adversary can determine the entire private key. With this attack combined with the power signature attack described above, the RSA scheme is extremely vulnerable.
Thus, it is an object of this invention to provide a system which minimizes the risk of a successful timing attack particularly when utilizing the Montgomery method on private key operations.
In accordance with this invention, there is provided a method of computing a multiple k of a point P on an elliptic curve defined over a field, said method comprising the steps of:
a) representing the number k as binary vector of bits ki;
b) forming an ordered pair of points P1 and P2, wherein the points P1 and P2 differ at most by P; and
c) selecting each said bits ki in sequence; and for each of said ki;
i) upon ki being a 0
ii) computing a new set of points P1xe2x80x2, P2xe2x80x2 by doubling the first point P1 to generate said point P1xe2x80x2; and
iii) adding the points P1 and P2 to generate the point P2xe2x80x2; or upon ki being a 1
iv) computing a new set of points P1xe2x80x2, P2xe2x80x2 by doubling the second point P2 to generate the point P2xe2x80x2; and
v) adding the points P1 and P2 to produce the point P1xe2x80x2,
whereby said doubles or adds are always performed in the same order for each of said bits bi, thereby minimizing a timing attack on said method.
In accordance with a further aspect of this invention, the field is either F2m or Fp.
In accordance with a further aspect of this invention, there is provided a processor hardware for implementing the method.

Power signature attack resistant cryptography


A detonator assembly for use with explosive devices includes a support structure, an exploding foil initiator mounted on the support structure, and a barrel attached to the support structure and adjacent the exploding foil initiator. The support structure may include a flex cable. An explosive is placed in the proximity of the exploding foil initiator.

The invention relates to detonators for use with explosive devices.
Explosive devices such as shaped charges in perforating guns are commonly used in a well to create openings in a casing section and to extend perforations into a surrounding formation to allow communication of fluids between the formation and the well surface. Explosives may also be used to activate downhole tools, such as packers. Other types of explosive devices include those used in mining operations and other surface applications.
Detonators used with explosive tools are of two general types: electrical and percussion. An electrical detonator may also be referred as an electro-explosive device (EED), which may include hot-wire detonators, semiconductor bridge (SCB) detonators, or exploding foil initiator (EFI) detonators.
An EFI detonator includes an electrically conductive metal foil connected to a source of current. The metal foil includes a narrow neck section that explodes or vaporizes when a high current is discharged quickly through the neck section. The exploding neck section of the foil shears a small flyer from a disk that is disposed in contact with the foil. The flyer travels or flies through a barrel to impact a secondary explosive to initiate a detonation.
A conventional EFI detonator typically includes a capacitor discharge unit of relatively large size, which leads to increased sizes for housings in downhole tools for containing such detonators. Further, because of their relatively large sizes, the efficiencies of conventional EFI detonators are reduced due to increased resistance and inductance of electrical paths in the detonators. As a result, higher voltages and power may be needed for activating such detonators. A need thus continues to exist for improved EFI detonators.
In general, according to one embodiment, a detonator assembly for use with an explosive device includes a support structure, an exploding foil initiator mounted on the support structure, and at least another component mounted on the support structure. An opening formed in the support structure adjacent the exploding foil initiator, with the opening adapted to receive an initiating element of the exploding foil initiator.
Other features and embodiments will be apparent from the following description, the drawings, and the claims.

Detonators for use with explosive devices


A system for dispensing and packaging wire ties directly from a wire tie forming machine. While the prior art contemplates dispensing wire ties along first and second flexible strings or wires to form a coil of ties having the first and second strings or wires passing through first and second eyelets, respectively, formed in the ties, the present invention teaches first and second, rigid rods emanating from the first and second tying anvils on the tie forming machine, which rods are configured to slide each formed tie away from the tie forming machine, wherein the ties are counted via electric eye or the like and selectively dispensed into a package via computer controlled actuator. Bagging a quantity of the ties in this fashion provides an automated, dependable, economical system for packaging the specified quantity of ties, and is particularly useful for smaller lots of ties, for example, 500 ties or less.

Wire tie forming machines have been utilized in various forms to facilitate various configurations of wire ties such as, for example, bale wire ties, re-bar (reinforcement bar) ties as utilized in reinforcing poured concrete, packaging ties and the like. However, it is believed that there has not been provided to facilitate a cost effective and reliable system for packaging smaller selected quantities of ties.
The known prior art has contemplated, for example, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 1,162,675 to Bates, a "Wire Tie Forming Machine" dated Nov. 30, 1915 wherein the ties have formed at first and second ends eyelets about first and second strings, which strings support the ties and allow same to gather together, such that the gathered ties and strings are rolled into a coil.
The coil is then ready for sale to a customer, who removes the ties from the coil as needed. This method of packaging is still utilized to today, and is fine for large quantities of thousands of ties, as may be used in construction of roads, bridges, concrete structures, or the like, but is not cost effective or an efficient means of packaging smaller quantities of ties, for example, 500 ties or less at a time, as may be purchased by a handyman or gardener for use around the house or garden.


A hinge pillar assembly includes a hinge pillar including a panel. The panel including a body side outer door shut face and a defining an inner cavity and an access opening in communication with the inner cavity. The access opening is positioned in the body side outer door shut face and provides access to the manual park release actuator at least partially disposed in the inner cavity. The hinge pillar assembly further includes a cover removably coupled to the hinge pillar. The cover closes the access opening when coupled to the hinge pillar. The hinge pillar assembly further includes a manual park release actuator at least partially disposed in the inner cavity. The manual park release actuator is operatively coupled to a transmission and is configured to move relative to the hinge pillar to shift the transmission from a Park mode to an Out-of-Park mode.

Motor vehicles typically include a vehicle body including several load-bearing structural components such as hinge pillars. For example, a hinge pillar can at least partially support a vehicle door. Other load-bearing structural components can support other parts of the vehicle.
In addition to the load-bearing structural components, motor vehicles include a power plant (e.g., engine or electric motor) that produces driving power. The driving power is transferred through a transmission to a driveline for driving a set of wheels at selected gear ratios. Automatic transmissions shift automatically to the appropriate gear ratio based on various vehicle operating conditions including speed and torque. Typically, a desired transmission operating mode is selected by the vehicle operator. The modes provided by most automatic transmissions generally include Park, Neutral, Reverse and Drive. In Drive, the automatic transmission automatically shifts between three, four, five or even six different forward gear ratios based on the vehicle operating conditions. In this disclosure, the automatic transmission is considered to be operating in an Out-of-Park mode when it is operating in any mode other than Park (e.g., Neutral, Reverse and Drive modes). It is useful to shift the automatic transmission from the Park mode to the Out-of-Park mode without the need to start the engine or supplying electrical power to the vehicle. To do so, the vehicle may include a manual park release actuator for manually shifting the automatic transmission from the Park mode to an Out-of-Park mode. As used herein, the term "manual park release actuator" refers to an actuator that can be manually manipulated in order to shift the automatic transmission from the Park mode to the Out-of-Park mode. Because the manual park release actuator can be manually manipulated, it also useful to provide access to such actuator.


An apparatus and method amplify a signal for use in a wireless network. The apparatus includes a power amplifier, an envelope modulator, a tunable matching network (TMN), and a controller. The power amplifier outputs the signal at an output power. The envelope modulator controls a bias setting for the power amplifier. The TMN includes a plurality of immittance elements. The controller is operably connected the envelope modulator and the TMN. The controller identifies a desired value for the output power of the power amplifier, controls the output power of the power amplifier by modifying the bias setting of the power amplifier, and sets a number of the plurality of immittance elements based on the bias setting of the power amplifier.

Wireless handsets are increasingly required to operate in multiple modes (e.g. Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) general packet radio service GPRS, enhanced data rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE), code division multiple access (CDMA), wideband CDMA (WCDMA) high-speed uplink packet access (HSUPA), long term evolution (LTE). Wireless handsets are also increasingly required to operate in multiple frequency bands (e.g. 700, 800, 900, 1700, 1800, 1900, 2100, and 2600 MHz bands).
Multi-mode and multi-band wireless handsets typically contain a separate dedicated power amplifier (PA) for each individual mode and band of operation. For example, a quad-band GSM and tri-band WCDMA handset will often have one GSM power amplifier covering digital cellular service (DCS) and personal communications service (PCS) bands, one GSM power amplifier covering United States cellular and European cellular bands, one WCDMA power amplifier for United States cellular band, one WCDMA power amplifier for PCS band, and one WCDMA power amplifier for International Mobile Telecommunications-2000 (IMT-2000) band. Often the two GSM band power amplifiers will be packaged into a single power amplifier module, yet these modules typically contain two separate power amplifier circuits, one for the higher bands and another for the lower bands. Having five complete discrete power amplifier circuits as in this example has a significant size and cost impact on the overall wireless handset design.
Wireless handsets use dedicated power amplifier circuits for each band and mode to optimize input and output matches to achieve the best linearity and/or efficiency for the given mode or band of operation. Although the main transistor of the amplifier circuit is broadband, the bandwidth of the amplifier circuit is typically made narrower by the input and output matching circuits. Therefore, to achieve acceptable linearity and efficiency, often power amplifier circuits using fixed matching networks tuned for the different bands and modes of operation are used in a wireless terminal. Using fixed matching networks, a semiconductor power transistor device can only efficiently transmit RF signals in a single mode and a single band.
While some power amplifiers may be operated in two modes which have similar bands, compromises are often made for one mode or both modes due to different modulation schemes. Further, the GSM and CDMA modes present challenges because the GSM system the power amplifier transistor operates in saturated region, whereas in CDMA the transistor has to operate at a more linear region in continuous time. The different operations lead to very different impedance matching solutions at the output of a PA. In a fixed impedance system design, such as commonly used 50 ohm system, a fixed matching network cannot satisfy both modes simultaneously.
In terms of frequency coverage, a single power amplifier circuit typically can only cover either a low band (e.g. 800-900 MHz), or a high band (e.g. 1700-1900 MHz), or a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) band (2100 MHz). Again, the load impedance presented at the output of the power amplifier transistor can be quite different at various operating frequencies. Thus, a single fixed matching network cannot usually provide optimum matching for all potential frequency bands simultaneously. Therefore, multiple PAs are often required in a multi-mode multi-band wireless handset.
The ever decreasing form factor and ever increasing functionality demanded of wireless terminals creates conflicting challenges on front-end devices like number of PAs that can be installed. Currently, board space constrains limits the number of PAs on even the most complicated handset units. Despite much effort within the industry to aggressively reduce device sizes, the fundamental physics and fabrication challenges prohibit the device size shrink to keep pace with the number of added functions within the wireless handset. Not only do additional PA devices cost more board space, the peripheral passive components around each PA device also occupy board space and increase proportionately with the number of PAs used.
Many solutions have been used to improve PA performance and efficiency therefore battery life. For example, PA modules may implement as Envelope Modulation/Envelope Tracking, bias modulation, and Digital Pre-distortion. Also, the wireless networks utilize closed-loop power management schemes to adjust wireless handset PA output levels in order to reduce potential interference and save wireless handset power. All these solutions change the output characteristics of a PA. However, fixed matching networks may prevent full utilization of these solutions.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for an improved power amplifier module. In particular, there is a need for a power amplifier module that is capable of amplifying multiple modes and multiple bands at multiple power output levels.

Apparatus and method for a tunable multi-mode multi-band power amplifier module


A lubrication system for multi-plate clutch assemblies is controlled to provide increased lube flow. During steady state operation, lube flow is increased periodically for a short time interval. At other times during steady state operation, the lube flow is maintained at a level requiring minimum fluid flow for the system.

This invention relates to lubrication control systems for power transmissions, and more particularly, to lube systems for rotating clutch assemblies in power transmissions.
Parallel shaft or countershaft type automatic transmissions employ a rotating multi-disc ratio clutch for each gear ratio in the transmission. Since only one ratio clutch is fully engaged during steady state transmission operation, the remaining clutches are in an open running or free running condition and therefore contribute to spin losses in the transmission. Lube oil is continually supplied to the clutches and therefore a viscous drag occurs in the open running clutches between adjacent discs which are rotating at a speed differential. The spin losses are proportional to the oil film thickness or the amount of lube flow across the discs and the speed differential.

Lubrication control with increased lubrication during shift and during cruise for a multi-plate friction device for an automatic transmission


A system including a thermostat user interface for a network-connected thermostat is described. The system includes a thermostat including a frustum-shaped shell body having a circular cross-section and a circular rotatable ring, which is user rotatable for adjusting a setting of the thermostat. The system further includes a client application that is operable on a touch-screen device separate from the thermostat, that displays a graphical representation of a circular dial, that detects a user-input motion proximate the graphical representation, that determines a user-selected setpoint temperature value based on the user-input motion, that displays a numerical representation of the user-selected setpoint temperature value, and that wirelessly transmits to the thermostat data representative of the user-selected setpoint temperature.

In designing touch-screen based user interfaces for remotely controlling a network-connected programmable thermostat, it is desirable to provide a high level of user-friendliness and intuitiveness. Additionally, when using a wireless communication technology over a computer network, it is desirable to impact network traffic as little as possible. Notably, the above-stated goals of user-friendliness, intuitiveness, and low network impact are shared with many different remote control scenarios, and it is indeed recognized that some progress has been made in the art toward these goals, as reflected, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 8,239,784, WO 2012118626, and US20080084400, each of which is incorporated by reference herein. However, it has been found that remote control of an HVAC system brings about one or more unique combinations of issues that need to be simultaneously resolved, all the while continuing to provide user-friendliness and intuitiveness. By way of example, it has been found desirable to provide a remote control user interface for a thermostat in which the actual resultant control signals are judiciously tailored to protect the HVAC equipment from unwarranted over-controlling, reduce unnecessary network traffic, and prevent the waste of energy, while at the same time providing a user interface experience in which the user perceives a high degree of control, a sense that they are "in command", of an intuitive and delightfully easy-to-use temperature control system.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


The present disclosure discloses a media playing method, a terminal device, and a computer storage medium. The method includes dividing content of a target file in a time dimension to obtain N number of target sub-files, where N is an integer greater than or equal to 2; obtaining a first time point, and determining an nth target sub-file in the N number of target sub-files based on the first time point, where n being an integer greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to N. The method also includes setting a first player and a second player, and controlling the first player and the second player to alternatingly obtain and output the nth target sub-file and at least one target sub-file that is after the nth target sub-file.

An existing audio/video playing technology mainly includes playing an entire video and playing small-segment transport stream (TS) based on Hypertext Transfer Protocol Live Streaming (HLS).
However, the existing audio/video playing technology has the following obvious defects: 1) during playing of an entire video, for a 1-hour mp4 (640*480) video, header information relied by video decoding has a size of 3M, and a player needs to spend more than 9 seconds to initially decode a first frame picture; therefore, the initial buffering takes a long time; 2) although playing of small-segment TS based on HLS greatly reduces the time for initial buffering, the video file must be in the TS format, using fixed 188 bytes of a media packet, both the fragmentation time and the encoding format thereof are limited and, further, an m3u8 list needs to be organized for parsing and playing by a player, greatly increasing storage I/O and decoding overheads.
The disclosed methods and systems are directed to solve one or more problems set forth above and other problems.

Media playing method, terminal device, and computer storage medium based on two players

TENCENT TECHNOLOGY (SHENZHEN) COMPANY LIMITED


A valve system for an internal combustion engine capable of changing the valve timing and valve lift of the intake and exhaust valves driven by rocker arms and overhead camshafts. A cam support member is pivotally mounted to the engine head and is positioned by a gear segment mounted to the camshaft support member in combination with a drive including a worm gear and a servomotor located on an engine block. The camshafts are driven by the crankshaft coupled with an idler gear. The idler gear is coupled with the camshaft gears through reduction gears, reducing the overall size of the drive and allowing flexibility as to valve timing.

The field of the present invention is valve drive systems capable of changing valve timing and valve lift.
Mechanisms have been known for varying valve timing and valve lift during engine operation. One such device is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid Open No. Hei-3-130510. A camshaft support member is pivotally mounted to a head about a rocking axis. The camshafts mounted thereby engage rocker arms which in turn engage poppet valves. The rocker arms are pivotally mounted to the head such that movement of the camshaft support member about the rocking axis changes the point of engagement of the camshafts mounted thereto with the rocker arms. Associated with the upper portion of the camshaft support member is a gear segment. Mounted to the head cover is a worm gear and servomotor. The worm gear meshes with the gear segment on the camshaft support member to operatively position same.
Cam gears fixed to each camshaft move with the camshaft support member in the aforementioned device. Rotatably mounted to the head about the rocking axis is an idler gear engaging the cam gears. With rocking of the camshaft support member, the valve timing is changed. The cam gears are driven by the crankshaft with the cam gears rotating at half the speed of the crankshaft. Given the necessary driving ratio, given the need to place the center of the idle gear at the rocking axis and given the relative displacement of the cams from that axis, limitations are placed on the size and flexibility of the drive components.
The prior system, with the drive mechanism for the camshaft support member is mounted in the valve cover and with the limitations on the configuration for the cam drive have required compromises. The head cover cannot be loosely supported on the cylinder head. This allows the noise of the engine to be transmitted through the head cover and a larger head cover is required with a corresponding increase in height of the engine. The limitations on the camshaft drive system also can result in a larger overall structure and limitations on design freedom in terms of valve timing variations with valve lift control.

Valve system for internal combustion engine


A cube-corner retroreflective article is provided with a number of cube-corner retroreflective element pairs each formed by a pair of cube-corner retroreflective elements sharing one side. Each of the cube-corner retroreflective elements has reflective lateral surfaces including two trapezoidal reflective lateral surfaces and one pentagonal or isosceles-triangular reflective lateral surface, and a projection shape of a quadrangle when projected onto a common plane, wherein ratios (rHA/rHC and rHB/rHC) between a length (rHC) of a ridge (HC) shared by the trapezoidal reflective lateral surfaces (HAFC and HBGC) and lengths (rHA and rHB) of other ridges (HA and HB) are in a range of 0.5 to 1.5.

Conventionally, various suggestions are made for a cube-corner retroreflective article provided with a number of quadrilateral element pairs each formed by a pair of quadrilateral elements, in which each of the quadrilateral elements is a cube-corner element having reflective lateral surfaces including two trapezoidal reflective lateral surfaces and one pentagonal or isosceles-triangular reflective lateral surface, having a projection shape of a quadrangular when projected onto a common plane, and sharing one side (DE or AB) of the pentagonal or isosceles-triangular reflective lateral surface with the other one in the pair.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 51-082592 (Patent Document 1), Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 52011200 (Patent Document 2), and Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 58-005401 (Patent Document 3) all of which are for inventions by Tanaka, for example, disclose that a number of quadrilateral elements, each of which is formed at an end of a pin having a quadrilateral section, are collected to form a cube-corner retroreflective article in such a manner that optical axes of the quadrilateral elements tilt so as to improve an entrance angle characteristic. As a specific amount of the tilt angle of the optical axes, 12 DEG is disclosed; however, it is not disclosed how much tilt angle is preferable. Also, it is not disclosed a quadrilateral element of which shape has an entrance angle characteristic, an observation angle characteristic, and a rotation angle characteristic that are preferable.
In addition, U.S. Pat. No. 3,833,285 (Patent Document 4), U.S. Pat. No. 3,873,184 (Patent Document 5), U.S. Pat. No. 3,923,378 (Patent Document 6), U.S. Pat. No. 3,926,402 (Patent Document 7), and U.S. Pat. No. RE29,396 (Patent Document 8), all to Heenan, disclose a method of improving an observation angle characteristic, in which deviations are provided for apex angles and disclose a combination of elements respectively having optical axes in different directions.
Further, U.S. Pat. No. 6,015,214 (Patent Document 9) and U.S. Pat. No. 6,767,102 (Patent Document 10), both to Heenan, disclose that a number of quadrilateral elements, each of which is formed at an end of a thin plate, are stacked to form a cube-corner retroreflective article in such a manner that optical axes of the quadrilateral elements tilt so as to improve an entrance angle characteristic.
FIG. 28 of Patent Document 9 shows modified examples of a shape of the quadrilateral element. A quadrilateral element having an apex of off-center (Apex Decentration) is illustrated as a first example, a quadrilateral element having a shape with a larger width (boundary proportion) is illustrated as a second example, and a quadrilateral element having an optical axis that tilts (Axis Cant) is illustrated as a third example. However, it is not disclosed a quadrilateral element of which shape has an entrance angle characteristic, an observation angle characteristic, and a rotation angle characteristic that are preferable.
In addition, U.S. Pat. No. 5,981,032 (Patent Document 11) and U.S. Pat. No. 6,302,992 (Patent Document 12) to Smith et al U.S. Pat. No. 6,889,371 (Patent Document 13) and U.S. Pat. No. 7,152,983 (Patent Document 14) to Smith, U.S. Pat. No. 6,253,442 (Patent Document 15) to Benson et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 6,318,987 (Patent Document 16) to Luttrel et al. disclose a method of forming a mold suitable for manufacturing a retroreflective article formed with quadrilateral elements by forming a cube-corner element at an end face of a thin plate (lamina) and combining a number of the thin plates.
However, it is not disclosed, in any of the patent documents, quadrilateral elements of which shape to use so as to provide an excellent retroreflective characteristic, in particular, an entrance angle characteristic and a rotation angle characteristic that are excellent.
Also, a tilt direction of an optical axis of a quadrilateral element disclosed in any of the patent documents is limited to a direction perpendicular to one side (DE or AB) of a pentagonal or isosceles-triangular reflective lateral surface of the quadrilateral element.    Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 51-082592    Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 52-011200    Patent Document 3: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 58-005401    Patent Document 4: U.S. Pat. No. 3,833,285    Patent Document 5: U.S. Pat. No. 3,873,184    Patent Document 6: U.S. Pat. No. 3,923,378    Patent Document 7: U.S. Pat. No. 3,926,402    Patent Document 8: U.S. Pat. No. RE29,396    Patent Document 9: U.S. Pat. No. 6,015,214    Patent Document 10: U.S. Pat. No. 6,767,102    Patent Document 11: U.S. Pat. No. 5,981,032    Patent Document 12: U.S. Pat. No. 6,302,992    Patent Document 13: U.S. Pat. No. 6,884,371    Patent Document 14: U.S. Pat. No. 7,152,983    Patent Document 15: U.S. Pat. No. 6,253,442    Patent Document 16: U.S. Pat. No. 6,318,987


An information processing apparatus for recommending content includes a recommending unit configured to perform a content recommendation process in which a content item is determined on the basis of each of a plurality of strategies, each planned on the basis of a relationship with short term interests, a long term preference, and knowledge of a user.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and an information processing program and, in particular, to an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and an information processing program capable of recommending content data to a user while taking into account the changing interests of a user or that matches the user's original preference.
2. Description of the Related Art
Almost all existing content recommendation systems have been developed on the basis of an algorithm of a single strategy of recommendation (refer to, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2007-026425 or 2007-122683).

Information processing apparatus, information processing method, and information processing program


A flexible cover (1) for a food container (4) comprising a flexible film (2) and an elastic thread (3) is presented. The elastic thread (3) is attached to the peripheral edge (8) of the flexible film (2) by a channel (5) formed of the flexible film (2) around the elastic thread (3). The channel (5) exerts a circumferential, compressive force on the elastic thread (3), whereby the elastic thread (3) is fixed to the flexible film (2) by friction between the flexible film (2) and the elastic thread (3), and the elastic thread (3) forms a loop around the peripheral edge (8) of the flexible film (2), the loop having two ends (6, 7) overlapping and abutting in a longitudinal direction of the elastic thread (3). A method for manufacturing a flexible cover (1) is also presented.

To use various kinds of protective caps to protect food from being contaminated or dried out during storage is today common in the catering trade as well as in the home of private persons. Another reason to use such caps is to maintain the freshness of the food covered by the protective caps. The protective caps are available in different shapes and sizes, adapted to different receptacles in which the food can be kept, e.g. baking plates, roasting pans, pots, pans and the like. There are also protective caps adapted to fit receptacles of dimensions specified by the Gastronorm system which are commonly used throughout the catering trade.
These protective caps for protecting food are generally made of thin plastic foil with a resilient band attached to the foil. When the protective cap is placed over the opening of a food receptacle, the resilient band is stretched in order to fit the protective cap around the food receptacle.
The resilient band is generally sewn or stitched to the plastic foil. The sewing or stitching is a process that needs to be performed sequentially and is therefore time consuming. It does also incur costs related to the machinery needed for the sewing or stitching. The use of a sewing thread introduces a third material in addition to the plastic foil and the resilient band, which increase the overall cost of the protective cap.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,276,551 discloses a cap for beverage containers that prevents foreign substances from entering an opening of the beverage container. The cap comprises at least one flexible non-wetting sheet with an outer surface, an inner surface and an edge portion located at the outer periphery. The cap also has a skirt portion located adjacent to and within the edge portion. An elastic portion capable of dilating is located adjacent to and within the skirt portion. The inner surface of the flexible non-wetting sheet covers the opening of the beverage container when in use.
The elastic portion is created by securing an elastic cord to the flexible sheet by, for example, using an adhesive. The use of an adhesive for securing the cord to the elastic sheet is also a time consuming method requiring substantial machinery.

Flexible cover for food container and method for manufacturing a flexible cover


A structure and method for cold weld compression bonding using a metallic nano-structured gasket is provided. This structure and method allows a hermetic package to be formed at lower pressures and temperatures than are possible using bulk or conventional thin-film gasket materials.

This invention relates generally to the hermetic packaging of microdevices including semiconductor devices, hybrid devices, vacuum microelectronic devices, Micro Electro Mechanical System (MEMS) and Nano Electro Mechanical System (NEMS) devices. The substance of the invention is the use of a gasket made of metallic particles with a mean diameter under 200 nanometers and compression bonding with enough force to create a hermetic cold weld in order to seal a cap and base for the microdevice in a vacuum or a rarefied atmosphere and at room temperature. The cold weld bond is sufficient to ensure adequate hermeticity during the operational lifetime of the device. The resulting yield strength of the cold weld bond is sufficient so as to avoid any other force retention devices. The use of the metallic nanoparticle gasket or perform allows the formation of the hermetic cold weld at lower pressures than is possible with conventional metallic thin-film gaskets. This is turn means that in-vacuum compression bonding can be used with caps and bases made of low yield strength materials such as silicon or silicon wafers.
Hermetic microdevice packages enjoy wide use in the semiconductor industry in applications where true hermeticity is required. Such hermeticity is required where ambient conditions outside of the package or variations in the ambient conditions might affect device performance. In the semiconductor industry, hermetic passivation layers have been developed and applied to the surfaces of sensitive devices in order to give a primary level of defense against ambient conditions. Some of these layers are adequately hermetic. In other instances, a hermetic package is required.
While there exist numerous examples of cold weld feasibility and hermeticity at the macroscopic scale as cited in this disclosure, a quantitative physical model is more elusive due to the complexity of the bond process. Material deformation is a key element for successful cold welding. It is normally characterized by a surface expansion at the interface of each material to be cold welded. N. Bay, Weld Journal, Vol 62, 1983, p.137, developed a bond strength model based on surface area expansion at the bonding interface and the bonding force normal to the interface. The model relies on the fracturing of a surface interface layer by material shear flow followed by sufficient force normal to the welding interface to force intimate atomic contact between the two members to be bonded. The ratio of bond strength of the stronger member to the yield stress of the weaker member is claimed to be proportional to the extrusion of metal through cracks in the surface layer plus the degree of surface area expansion that will provide the surface layer cracking.
The bond strength model proposed by Bay takes the form of a bond-strength/yield-stress ratio equated to a surface expansion, pressure, yield stress function as follows:
                          =                            (                      1            -            §                    )                        Y                                      p            -                          p              E                                                    +              §                                      Y            -                          Y                                                          1            -                          Y                                                                      p                                                              Bond                          strength                                  Yield                          stress        §                          Area                          of                                                                  surface        Y                          Surface                          expansion        Y                                                      Surface                                                  expansion                                                  at                                                  fracture                                                  p                                                  Normal                                                  pressure                                                            p          E                                                          Extrusion                                                  pressure            Testing of this relationship has shown satisfactory correlation, (N. Bay, Trans. ASME Jour. Engn. Ind., Vol. 101, 1979), for aluminum to aluminum bonding over the surface expansion range of fractional millimeters.
An important distinction can be made between macroscopic and microscopic shear phenomena. Such distinction can call into question the validity of Bays' relationship for rough surfaces. In cases where there are microscopic asperities in the surfaces to be welded the surface expansion needed to cause welding of the asperities may be very much reduced. Thus there is an issue of how linear the relationship between p-pE and Y-Y′ remains as a function of asperity size and density.
The relationship claimed by Bay identifies some of the key material properties that optimize bond strength and, by extension, vacuum hermeticity. It is clearly advantageous to maximize surface expansion and minimize surface interface layers that can interfere with intimate contact between the two members to be bonded. The bonding pressure normal to the welding surfaces should be maximized within the constraint of the yield strength of the materials to be bonded.
A common hermetic package consists of a package base with electrical feedthrus insulated from such base for the purpose of extracting electrical signals from the device inside the package. The sensitive active device is mounted on the package base and microwire bonds are made to connect the device output pads to the package base electrical feedthrus. Finally a cover or cap is attached to the base via a hermetic bonding technique which varies according to the package material and its preparation. Prior-art bonding techniques require some degree of heat application to insure a hermetic bond of cap to base.
The two most common techniques for hermetically bonding cap to base are cap welding and solder sealing. Cap welding is accomplished by passing a high weld current through a tip (often a small roller) which precesses around the rim of the cap/package assembly as it locally melts the two metal members together. The solder sealing technique utilizes a solder preform (commonly gold/tin eutectic solder) placed between a gold plated cap and base, followed by the application of a heated ring at nominally 320° C. to melt the solder and effect the hermetic seal. Both of these techniques result in a considerable amount of heat transmitted through the package base and to the active device. Although there are methods of reducing the amount of heat transfer to the active device, it is not possible to eliminate the device heating altogether.
MEMS devices which exhibit free-standing micro mechanical structures have been hermetically packaged using both cap welding and solder sealing. However, due to residual stress in free standing members and the extreme sensitivity of structure surfaces, heat can either totally destroy or drastically reduce the production yields of such MEMS devices, especially the more complex types. For such devices, a room temperature package sealing process would be of great benefit.
Room temperature hermetic sealing has been utilized in Ultra High Vacuum (UHV) equipment technology for a number of years and is pervasive in the art of that technology. U.S. Pat. No. 3,208,758, Carlson and Wheeler, describes a vacuum seal technique suitable for high temperature baking after a room temperature seal has been implemented. The patent is focused on large flanges used in UHV vacuum system assembly. A copper gasket seal is described wherein two mating vacuum parts structured with vertical and sloping cutting edges are swaged into the copper gasket to effect a vacuum seal. The high force required for the deformation of the copper is achieved by tightening a series of bolts and nuts around the periphery of a flange. A preferred shape of the cutting edge is disclosed although the force required to effect a vacuum tight seal is not disclosed. The assembly, including the copper gasket and cutting edge shape, has come to be known as a "conflat" type vacuum fitting and is in wide use in the vacuum equipment industry. It has not been applied to microdevice packaging. Additional embodiments of the basic "conflat" sealing technique can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 3,217,992, Glasgow, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,368,818, Asamaki, et. al., both describing alternative bolting attachment geometries to effect the metal seal. Neither patent addresses the possibility of applying the technique to seal MEMS or microdevice packages.
Macro-scale cold welding has also been used for many years. Cold weld sealing has been exploited for cryogenic applications, such as focal plane array device sealing and input/output signal connections, as is described in A. M. Fowler et. al., "Orion: The Largest Infrared Focal Plane Array in Production", National Optical Astronomy Observatory, NOAO Preprint Series, No 903. Cold welds may be made with materials having various tensile strengths. While low tensile strength materials require less pressure for the formation of the weld, they are more susceptible to deformation caused, for example, by later elevated temperature excursions. High tensile strength materials require higher pressures for the cold weld, but are less susceptible to later deformations. Once a weld is made with a moderate tensile strength material such as copper, the bond provides a yield strength close to the yield strength of the materials used.
Indium (melting point, MP=156° C.) has been used extensively as a cold weld material in cold temperature electronics, as is described in "NASA Technical Brief, Lewis Research Center Cleveland Ohio, June 1998". Indium cold weld bumps are used for cold electronics chip input-output connections. The pressures required for forming hermetic bonds are much lower than the yield strength of single crystal silicon. Due to its' low melting point, however, indium is limited in the degree of post bond temperature cycling that can be tolerated. While vacuum hermetic seals have been demonstrated using indium, the resulting yield strength of the sealed parts is low due to the low yield strength of indium (on order of 1000 PSI). Kyle, U.S. Pat. No. 6,413,800 utilizes indium as a cold weld sealant for micropackages but due to the low yield strength of indium he requires an epoxy sealant as an adjunct for a force retention means.
Cold welding of medium tensile strength materials such as copper, aluminum and gold has been employed for considerable time. So-called "butt" cold welding is used to join heavy wire and rod material (see "Dave Nichols, The Welding Institute, TWI website, "Cold Pressure Welding"). This technique applies much higher pressure than for solder systems and relies on substantial flow of the material at the butt ends—that is a lateral flow of up to 2 to 3 times the rod diameter while containing the circumference of the rod. Hand-operated cold welding tools (see for example "Huestis Industrial Corporation, Cold Pressure Welding Tools. 2002") are designed and used to cold weld nonferrous materials in the 0.08 to 1.20 mm range. While the cold welding of materials such as copper and aluminum is established art in these kinds of macro-scale applications, it has not been utilized in a MEMS or semiconductor micropackage. Furthermore, the pressures required are much higher than the yield strength of silicon, though they may be closer to the yield strength of some ceramics used as MEMS substrates.
It has been observed that metallic nanoparticles melt at substantially lower temperatures than the same metal in bulk form. For example, the melting point of gold in its bulk form is over 1050° C., while nanoparticles of gold melt below 450° C. This implies that a thermocompression curve showing the relationship between temperature and pressure in order to achieve a metallic weld is closer to the origin in the case of the nanoparticle form of the metal. If the temperature at which the weld takes place is constrained to be room temperature or some other temperature lower than that at which damage would occur to a MEMS device, then less pressure would be required to effect a cold weld with the nanoparticle form of a given metal as compared to its bulk form, including deposited thin films.
With recent advances in MEMS technology leading to more sophisticated devices, efforts are being made to develop suitable packaging technology, both for single MEMS die and packaging at the wafer level. For MEMS devices, packaging at the wafer level is particularly attractive due to the way they are fabricated. Virtually all MEMS devices comprise micro mechanical elements suspended in space. During the fabrication process, these elements must be supported by a sacrificial material, usually through several levels of processing until the end of the fabrication sequence. At the end of the sequence, the sacrificial material is removed, commonly by etching, leaving the micro mechanical members preserved in their design space. This step is known as the "release" process. It is clearly desirable from a cost point of view to perform this release process on a whole wafer rather than individual die. However, once release is performed, the MEMS devices cannot be singulated without the individual mechanical parts being damaged from singulation debris or becoming stuck together (called stiction). The die are also extremely sensitive to contamination during storage and any processing after release but before packaging. Interest has therefore grown in performing release and hermetic packaging at the wafer scale prior to die singulation.
Recent development work in MEMS packaging at the wafer scale has focused on bonding directly to the silicon or other substrate used to fabricate the MEMS. This includes anodic or fusion bonding using heat and high electric fields, eutectic bonding using heat to form a bond between gold or aluminum to silicon, and thermocompression bonding. A novel application of heat has been explored using a polysilicon resistance heater element embedded directly into the MEMS devices.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,379,988 B1, Petersen and Conley describe a pre-release plastic packaging of MEMS devices wherein the device is encapsulated in a plastic package prior to release. The plastic package can be perforated to allow release in the package using wet or dry etching processes. In a final step, a cover lid is attached to the plastic package by various means common in prior art.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,400,009 B1, Bishop, et al, discloses a MEMS package and bonding means employing a firewall to form a protective cavity for the MEMS device during heat sealing of top and bottom members of the package. Electrical feedthrus that penetrate the firewall may be made of polysilicon conductive material encapsulated with silicon dioxide. All structures disclosed are fabricated concurrently with the MEMS device. An integral plurality of solder bumps is claimed as a means of strengthening the solder bonded parts. The sealing means described is heated solder sealing.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,627,814B1, David H. Stark, discloses a package with a continuous sidewall with a top surface prepared for solder sealing. A transparent window forms a top cover. The window is prepared with an outer metallic frame suitable for soldering to the base. The solder method requires the application of heat above the melting temperature of the solder.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,639,313 B1, Martin and Harney, discloses a ceramic package with a recess for holding an optical MEMS mirror device. A glass window cover is disclosed which is heat solder-sealed to the ceramic substrate by means of a flexible, folded metal interposer disposed peripherally around the edge of the glass window and ceramic base. Uniquely, the folded metal interposer allows the difference in expansion and contraction between the window and the ceramic to be mitigated during heat cycling. Hermeticity is achieved by heat soldering.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,413,800, Kyle, teaches a cold weld hermetic packaging method in which a metal seal member is disposed on the base of a device package and an organic sealant is placed along the outside of the base outside the metal seal member, or in a variation, on top of the metal seal member. The lid or cap of the package is then pressed onto said sealing structure to form a hermetic seal at room temperature. The metal seal member is made of indium which Kyle teaches is slightly deformed by the pressing of the cap. A preferred organic sealant is epoxy which can later be cured to hardness by the application of UV light. The organic sealant serves two purposes. The first is to apply further lateral pressure to the metal seal as the organic sealant shrinks during the curing process. The second is to hold the seal together during the operational lifetime of the package, eg., force retention. Kyle teaches that neither the metal seal nor the organic sealant are sufficient in themselves to provide a durable hermetic seal. The soft indium metal provides only a weak hermetic seal and is unable to hold the package together without the additional holding force of the organic sealant. The organic sealant by itself would outgas contaminants into the package and allow moisture to leak in, and would therefore not provide a true hermetic seal.

Nano-structured gasket for cold weld hermetic MEMS package and method of manufacture


A spincast fishing reel has a reel frame to which front and rear covers are attached. The rear cover includes a pivotable thumb button which is depressed by a user when fishing line is to be cast. The front cover closes the face of the reel, but defines a forward opening through which the fishing line extends. A normally nonrotatable line spool is located inside of the front cover on a spool hub of the reel frame. Fishing line is wound onto the line spool by a rotatable pickup head located forward of the line spool. An improved drag arrangement includes a drag nut mounted on a threaded portion of the spool hub. A gear train arrangement is provided to operatively connect a suitable thumb wheel with the drag nut. Rotation of the thumb wheel by a user causes rotation 6f the drag nut, which varies the drag force imposed on the line spool.

The present invention relates to the art of fishing reels. More particularly, the invention relates to closed faced fishing reels commonly known as spincast reels.
Spincast fishing reels typically have a central body, or xe2x80x9creel frame,xe2x80x9d to which front and rear covers are attached. The reel frame includes a spool hub supporting a line spool on which the fishing line is wound. A pickup head, mounted forward of the spool, winds the line around the spool when rotated by a crank handle. The front cover is configured to surround and cover both the line spool and the pickup head. The line exits through a central opening at the forward end of the front cover.
The line spool is normally stationary, but will rotate if a certain tension is placed on the fishing line. Thus, line may be payed out if a hooked fish places undue tension on the fishing line. The tension threshold at which the fishing line will be payed out is set by the reell""s drag mechanism.
Currently, many drag systems for spincast reels produce drag on the spool utilizing a screw driven by a thumb wheel. The screw pushes a steel washer against a drag washer that lies below the spool. The force exerted by the screw causes a friction force between the drag washer and the spool, thus resulting in xe2x80x9cdragxe2x80x9d on the spool. The friction force can be varied by tightening or loosening the screw, which is accomplished by turning the thumb wheel in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction. Because the force is applied at only one location on the washer, however, the drag may tend to feel rough when line is pulled from the spool.
The present invention recognizes and addresses the foregoing considerations, and others, of prior art constructions and methods.
According to one aspect, the present invention provides a fishing reel comprising a reel frame including a spool support hub. The spool support hub has a threaded portion on which a drag nut is located. A normally nonrotatable line spool defining a central cavity is mounted on the spool support hub. The fishing reel further includes a drag assembly received in the central cavity of the line spool and connected to the line spool so as to impose a drag force thereon. The drag nut operatively engages the drag assembly such that axial movement of the drag nut due to angular turning thereof will vary the drag force imposed on the line spool.
In some exemplary embodiments, the central cavity defines at least one axial keyway engaged by at least one tab of the drag assembly. For example, the central cavity may define first and second diametrically opposite keyways engaged by respective keys of the drag assembly.
Preferably, the drag assembly may include a plurality of discs which are arranged to increase the drag force upon compression thereof by the drag nut. In such embodiments, some of the discs may be nonrotatable discs while others are rotatatble discs. Moreover, at least one of the discs may be configured as a spring disc. In addition, the discs may preferably be located on the spool support hub between the drag nut and a suitable retaining element, such as a retaining nut. The retaining element may also be located inside the central cavity of the spool support hub.
It may often be desirable for the drag nut to include a first portion of greater outer diameter having gear teeth on at least an angular segment thereof. In such embodiments, a second portion of lesser outer diameter may be received in the central cavity of the line spool. Preferably, the line spool may be configured to define a first gear seat located about one end of the central cavity. The first gear seat provides clearance for the first portion of the drag nut as it axially moves.
In some embodiments, it will be desirable for gear teeth to be located about the entire periphery of the first portion of the drag nut. Preferably, a thumb wheel will be operatively connected to the drag nut such that rotation of the thumb wheel effects axial movement of the drag nut. A portion of the thumb wheel may extend through a slot defined in the reel frame.
In other aspects, the present invention provides a fishing reel comprising a reel frame including a spool support hub. A normally nonrotatable line spool defining a central cavity is mounted on the spool support hub. A pickup head, axially and rotatably movable with respect to the line spool, is also provided. A drag nut, defining gear teeth on at least an angular segment of an outer surface thereof, is located on the spool support hub.
The fishing reel further includes a drag assembly received in the central cavity of the line spool and connected thereto so as to impose a drag force thereon. A thumb wheel is operatively connected to the drag nut such that rotation of the thumb wheel effects axial movement of the drag nut and thereby varies the drag force imposed on the line spool. A closed-face cover is connected to the reel frame to enclose the line spool and the pickup head. The cover includes a forward opening therein through which fishing line extends.
Still further aspects of the present invention are provided by a fishing reel comprising a reel frame including a spool support hub. A normally nonrotatable line spool, defining a central cavity, is mounted on the spool support hub. A pickup head is axially and rotatably movable with respect to the line spool. A crank handle is operatively associated with the pickup head such that rotation of the crank handle causes rotation of the pickup head.
The fishing reel further includes a drag nut located on the spool support hub such that angular turning of the drag nut effects axial movement thereof. A drag assembly is received in the central cavity of and is connected to the line spool so as to impose a drag force thereon. The drag nut operatively engages the drag assembly such that axial movement of the drag nut due to angular turning thereof will vary the drag force imposed on the line spool. A manual actuator, such as a thumb wheel, may be provided to effect rotation of the drag nut.
A closed-face cover is connected to the reel frame to enclose the line spool and pickup head. The front cover includes a forward opening therein through which fishing line extends. A rear cover is also connected to the reel frame. The rear cover has a pivotable thumb button mounted thereon which is actuatable to allow casting of the fishing line.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate one or more embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

Spincast fishing reel having novel drag mechanism


The present invention includes the use of pelorol, related compounds and pharmaceutical compositions thereof as modulators of SHIP 1 activity. This invention also provides novel terpene compounds capable of modulating SHIP 1 activity and methods of synthesis thereof.

SH2-containing inositol 5-phosphatase (SHIP 1), selectively hydrolyzes the 5-phosphate from inositol 1,3,4,5-tetraphosphate (IP4) and phosphatalidylinositol 3,4,5-triphosphate (PIPS). U.S. Pat. No. 6,238,903 discloses that SHIP 1 is an enzyme regulator of signaling pathways that control gene expression, cell proliferation, differentiation, activation, and metabolism, particularly of the Ras and phospholipid signaling pathways. SHIP 1 plays an important role in cytokine and immune receptor signal tansduction. SHIP 1 disrupted (SHIP 1−/−) mice exhibit a myeloproliferative phenotype characterized by overproduction of granulocytes and macrophages1. SHIP 1−/− mast cells are more prone to IgE and Steel factor induced degranulation, while SHIP 1−/− B cells are resistant to negative regulation by Fc RIIB. SHIP 1 is also involved in the pathogenesis of chronic myelogenous leukemia2.
Compounds that specifically modulate the activity of SHIP 1 would be useful in the treatment of cell proliferation, hematopoietic and immune disorders, as well as for manipulating SHIP 1 mediated pathways during investigatory and drug discovery testing. To date, no structure of a small molecule SHIP 1 specific modulator has been disclosed.
A sesquiterpene compound termed pelorol may be obtained from various marine sponge species, including Petrosaspongia metachromia and Dactylospongia elegans. Kwak et al. and Goclik et al. each disclosed the structure of pelorol and its extraction from different marine sponges.4,5 Pelorol was reported as having weak antitrypanosomal and antiplasmodial effects5. The precise structure of pelorol is as follows, with Me representing a methyl group and relative configuration of chiral atoms (C-5,8,9 and 10) shown.

Some reduced and substituted chrysene derivatives similar to pelorol and having the characteristic gem substituted non-aromatic ring of pelorol are known as intermediates or derivatives in the preparation of various polycyclic polyprenols found in shale6-12, in the preparation of taxodione13, and in the compound 1,2,3,4,4a,4b,5,6,10b,11,12,12a-dodecahydro-1,1-dimethyl-chrysene14. None of these chrysene derivatives are known to have biological activity.


A system includes a central processing unit, a bus and circuit. The central processing unit is coupled to the bus and segments an image into at least one text region and at least one graphics region. At least one of the circuit modules is associated with the processing of the text region(s), and at least one of the circuit modules is associated with the processing of the graphics region(s).

The invention generally relates to an image processing architecture.
A typical digital reprographics system may perform the following operations. First, the system may scan a document to form digital image data that electrically represents the document. Next, the system may segment the image into text regions and graphics regions and then process the images using techniques that are tailored for the specific text and graphics regions. For example, the system may compress the data that indicates the text and graphics regions to reduce the amount of data that is used to represent the image. After the compression, the compressed image data may be stored in mass storage, communicated to another computer, further enhanced, or reproduced on a printer, as just a few examples.
A conventional reprographics system may include a central processing unit (CPU) to perform the segmentation, compression and other image enhancement functions. However, unfortunately, the CPU may become over-burdened with the above-described functions and may not be able to perform at its full capability.
Thus, there is a continuing need for an arrangement that addresses one or more of the problems that are stated above.
In an embodiment of the invention, a system includes a central processing unit, a bus and circuit modules. The central processing unit is coupled to the bus and segments an image into at least one text region and at least one graphics region. At least one of the circuit modules is associated with processing the text region(s), and at least one of the circuit modules is associated with processing the graphics region(s).
Advantages and other features of the invention will become apparent from the following drawing, from the description and from the claims.


Compositions and methods for the treatment of bone diseases, bone fractures, bone injuries and other bone abnormalities involving the use of Dkk protein, a Wnt antagonist, a Wnt inhibitor, or any other related protein for the stimulation or enhancement of mineralization and for stimulating the renewal of cells. One Dkk protein, Dickkopf-2 (Dkk-2), acts to stimulate bone formation independently of Wnt proteins which may be inhibited and/or antagonized by Dkk-2. Dkk-2 displayed enhanced specific targeting ability and enhanced biological activity in stimulating or enhancing mineralization. Dkk-2 also played a role in the differentiation and self-renewal of hematopoietic stem cells and mesenchymal stem cells, particularly in osteoblastogenesis and osteoclastogenesis.

Human and mouse genetic evidence indicates that the Low density lipoprotein Receptor Protein (LRP), a Wnt co-receptor LRP-51,2, plays an important role in bone remodeling3-6. In addition, canonical Wnt proteins and activated β-catenin stimulate Alkaline Phosphatase (AP) activity of osteoblast-like cells3,7. However, the precise roles of the canonical Wnts and their antagonist Dickkopf (Dkk) molecules in the regulation of osteogenesis remain unclear. Dkk proteins are believed to function as negative regulators in osteogenesis. Dkk proteins are cysteine-rich secreted proteins that have been shown to be negative regulators of Wnt signaling. Four Dkk proteins have been identified in humans and are referred to as Dkk1, Dkk2, Dkk3 and Dkk4.
There is a correlation between LRP5 mutations and bone mass, based on human studies, thereby suggesting that LRP5 plays a critical role in the regulation of bone development3-6. This conclusion was confirmed by the study of mice in which the LRP-5 gene is disrupted, as well as in mice in which the high bone mass mutation of LRP5 was targeted to bone tissue8,9. Evidence also indicates that canonical Wnts are classified based on either their ability to stabilize β-catenin to activate LEF-1/TCF transcriptional activity10, or on their ability to stabilize β-catenin to stimulate AP activity of osteoblast-like cells3,7. Together, all these findings suggest the involvement of canonical Wnt signaling in the regulation of osteogenesis. However, the mechanisms by which the canonical Wnt proteins regulate osteogenesis remain unclear.
Human bone marrow contains hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), among others. In vivo, stem cells have the characteristic of self-regeneration, allowing them to renew themselves indefinitely. This renewal feature has not always been found to occur when the cells are grown in vitro. MSCs differentiate into mesenchymal tissue lineages, such as osteoblasts, chondrocytes, adipocytes, and others, whereas HSCs serve as precursors for multiple cell lineages, including blood cells. Mononuclear precursor cells are derived from early hematopoietic stem cells, and osteoclasts form from the fusion of mononuclear precursor cells. Natural Killer T (NKT) cells, a subset of T lymphocytes, are also derived from hematopoietic stem cells. Upon stimulation through their T cell receptors (TCRs), NKT cells produce high levels of immunoregulatory cytokines, which in turn regulate immune responses, such as the suppression of autoimmunity, tumor rejection and tissue graft associated response.
MSCs, also known as marrow stromal cells, osteoprogenetor cells and osteoblast stem cells, serve as feeder layers that regulate the microenvironment for the maintenance, expansion or renewal of hematopoietic stem cells. Osteoblasts are stromal cells that have been shown to produce hematopoietic growth factors at their endosteal surfaces, thereby playing an important role in HSC development. It has been demonstrated that increasing the number of osteoblasts results in a boost in HSC populations.1*,2*
Wnt3a, one of the canonical Wnts, has been shown to function in the direct regulation of stem cell growth, particularly hematopoietic stem cell growth. Wnt3a is involved in numerous developmental events, including the proliferation and self-renewal of stem cells.3*,4* Wnt3a also functions in the indirect regulation of hematopoietic stem cell lineage development through stromal cells. (Yamane, T. et al, Wnt Signaling Regulates Hemopoiesis Through Stromal Cells") It has been demonstrated that exogenous Dickkopf-1 (Dkk-1), an antagonist of Wnt, increases the proliferation of cultured mesenchymal stem cells. When a Dkk1 antibody was added, the proliferation of cultured mesenchymal stem cells decreased. The same Dkk1 effect was also observed in cultured MG-63 osteosarcoma cells.5*,7* However, the in vivo and in vitro effects of the Dkk proteins on hematopoietic stem cells, NKT cells and other types of stem cells have been unknown. The present invention describes the effect of Dkk proteins on various stem cells.

Compositions and methods for the stimulation or enhancement of bone formation and the self-renewal of cells


A process for producing sheet-metal jackets, especially for pallet containers with an inner container of a synthetic resin, wherein a rectangular cut-to-size sheet-metal blank, the narrow sides of which are folded over into rims, is bent into a tubular member (15), and the rims (11a, 12a) of the tubular member (15) are hooked together. From the interlocked rims (11a, 12a), a series of spaced-apart connecting straps (16) is shaped by cutting and embossing toward the outside in a series parallel to the rims (11a, 12a) while leaving undeformed the rims between the spaced-apart portions. The rims (11a, 12a) are locked with respect to each other by a wire (17) pulled through the connecting straps (16), and the thusproduced tubular member (15) is shaped on a stretching press into a sheet-metal jacket.

In this method, known from DE 26 38 238 C3 for the manufacture of sheet-metal jackets for the plastic inner containers of pallet receptacles wherein the abutting rims of the tubular member, bent from a rectangular sheet-metal blank, are welded together, the weld seam cannot be prevented from tearing in a large number of sheet-metal jackets during the stretching of the tubular members on the stretching press to create sheet-metal jackets. Another drawback of this conventional manufacturing method is to be seen in that expensive welding machines are needed for welding the tubularly bent sheet-metal blanks into tubular members.
The invention is based on the object of further developing the manufacturing process of this type with a view toward a minimum reject rate and the elimination of expensive welding machines.
The manufacturing process of this invention makes it possible to provide a connection of the abutting rims of the tubularly bent cut-to-size sheet-metal blanks which is so firm that tearing of the sheet-metal jackets at the junction sites during the stretching step is precluded, and eliminates the use of expensive welding machines by doing away with the weld seams of the tubular members as the starting material for the sheet-metal jackets.

Process for producing a sheet-metal jacket for pallet containers with an inner container of a synthetic resin


A computer enclosure includes a chassis (90), a cover (10) and a resilient member (50). The chassis includes a recess (911) and at least one locking member (70). A cover is mounted on the chassis. The cover has a stop (115) adapted to engage with the locking member for securing the cover on the chassis. The resilient member is attached to the cover and compressed in the recess for forcing the cover to move away from the chassis when the locking member is disengaged from the stop.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a computer enclosure, more particularly to a computer enclosure with a cover and a chassis attached together.
2. Background of the Invention
With the popularization of computers, our modern society is closely linked to computers. A computer enclosure generally includes a chassis and a cover assembled thereto. It is required that a computer cover should be demounted and mounted conveniently for checking malfunction of hardware and repairing interior components of a computer. A typical mounting assembly usually utilizes a plurality of screws, directly attaching a computer cover to a computer chassis. Thereby, screwdrivers or other detaching tools are necessary for installation or removal of the computer cover in assembly or disassembly processes, which is laborious and time-consuming.
Generally, the cover is assembled to the chassis by screws and which takes time in assembly and disassembly. This also inevitably increases the manufacturing cost. In addition, screws or the equivalents are also parts of inventory which should be carefully monitored in order to prevent a shutdown of the production line. Understandably, some attempts have been taken to introduce the snapping type enclosure by using less or without screws. Therefore, an improved mounting assembly for a cover of a computer enclosure that overcomes the above-mentioned problems is desired.
What is needed, therefore, is a mounting assembly for a cover of a computer enclosure facilitating engagement and disengagement between a cover and a chassis.

Bao-an District, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province

Hong Fu Jin Precision Industry (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd.


Disclosed are a laser protective film and a laser protective device comprising the same. The laser protective film comprises, stackingly disposed: a first liquid crystal polymer layer for reflecting left-hand polarized light, a second liquid crystal polymer layer for reflecting right-hand polarized light, and a third liquid crystal polymer layer for absorbing incident laser. In the above way, the laser protective film of the present disclosure has a large angle of protection, high flexibility. In addition, it is easy to find any damage to the laser protective film of the present disclosure. Moreover, it can make modification to existing equipment. Thus, the present disclosure has a good application prospect in many fields such as laser goggles, window glass and the like.

Laser has properties such as high optical power density and good collimation, and may cause damage to eyes and precision optical equipment. For a long time, laser was generally used in special environments such as laboratories and factories, and thus has little impact on the safety of public environment. However, it is easier to obtain various mini-laser devices at present. The influence of laser on the safety of public environment, such as traffic safety, is receiving more and more attention.
By now, many types, such as absorbing-, reflecting-, nonlinear-absorbing- and optical-multiplexing types, of laser protective devices have been developed and applied. However, these devices still have many defects, such as complicated manufacturing process, limited protection angle, inability to perform refit on the basis of existing equipment and the like.

Laser protective film and laser protective device comprising the same

SOUTH CHINA NORMAL UNIVERSITY ELECTRONIC PAPER DISPLAY INSTITUTE

SHENZHEN GUOHUA OPTOELECTRONICS CO., LTD.

ACADEMY OF SHENZHEN GUOHUA OPTOELECTRONICS


The disclosure discloses an alignment method, device, and system. The alignment method includes: converting each read into a set of short fragments corresponding to the read to obtain a plurality of sets of short fragments; determining a corresponding position of the short fragment in a reference library to obtain a first positioning result, wherein the reference library is a hash table constructed based on a reference sequence, the reference library includes a plurality of entries, one entry of the reference library corresponds to one seed sequence, and the seed sequence is capable of matching at least one sequence on the reference sequence, a distance between two seed sequences corresponding to two adjacent entries of the reference library on the reference sequence is less than a length of the short fragment; removing a short fragment positioned on any one of the adjacent entries of the reference library in the first positioning result to obtain a second positioning result; and extending based on short fragments from the same read in the second positioning result to obtain an alignment result of the read. The alignment method can efficiently and accurately process and position sequencing data.

In biological data processing and analysis, alignment, as a basic part of biological information analysis, puts forward certain requirements on time-consuming and efficiency, and different alignment models and algorithms have different sensitivity and accuracy.
At present, mainstream alignment software, such as Bwa, Bowtie, and SOAP, is mainly developed for sequences generated by the second generation sequencing platform, while the software such as Blast and Mapq is mainly developed for long sequences.
Current alignment methods need to be improved in terms of sensitivity, time-consuming and/or alignment efficiency of specific types of data.


The present invention relates to a build compartment used in 3D printing systems based on powder beds. The build compartment is the volume in a 3D printing apparatus where 3D objects are formed by successive consolidation of thin layers of powder. The build compartment is designed with at least two vertical wall structures movable in relation to each other. The movable wall structures are at least partly overlapping in the movable direction, providing self-sealing for a variable volume for enclosing powder. Contrary to other available designs, this solution does not need a compressible sealing material, for example an elastomer, a textile felt or a braided rope, to prevent powder leakage from the build compartment. The advantages are more reliable sealing and no risk of contamination of the powder by debris from sealing material.

This invention relates to an additive manufacturing machine for producing a three-dimensional object from a granular material, more specifically a powder material, by consolidation of the powder material layer by layer in a powder bed. Consolidation can be carried out by various means, for example fusion or sintering with an energy beam or bonding by binder jetting.

Build compartment with self-sealing design


This disclosure relates to a sucrose inducible expression system. The sucrose inducible expression system comprises a novel plasmid vector having a sacY gene of the sacS locus which binds to a transcription terminator to relieve transcription termination when introduced into a B. subtilis host microorganism.

Levansucrase (sucrose; 2,6-.beta.-D-fructan 6 .beta.-D-fructosyltransferase E.C.188.8.131.52) is an extracellular enzyme secreted by Bacillus subtilis after induction which occurs following addition of sucrose to the growth medium. Sucrose induces expression of a sacB gene, which encodes levansucrase. Sucrose also induces expression of at least two other structural genes, sacA, which codes for an endocellular sucrose-6-phosphate hydrolase commonly referred to as sucrase, and sacP, which codes for a membrane component of the phosphotransferase system of B. subtilis which is involved in sucrose uptake by cells. Genetic and biochemical data concerning uptake and metabolism of sucrose support the view that at least eight loci (sacA, sacB, sacP, sacQ, sacR, sacS, sacT, and sacU) are involved in specific and pleiotropic regulatory mechanisms in the sucrose system of Bacillus subtilis 168 [reviewed by Lepesant et al. in Schlessinger, D (Ed.) Microbiology-1976, American Society for Microbiology, Washington, D.C., 1976, pp. 58-69]. Of theses loci, nucleotide sequences have been described for sacA (Fouet et al., Gene 45:221-225, 1986), sacB and sacR (Steinmetz et al., Mol. Gen. Genet. 200:220-228, 1985). The positive regulator gene of the sacS locus is involved in inducible expression of sacB, the gene for levansucrase. The sacB structural gene is preceded by a regulatory region referred to as sacR. The sacR regulator region consists of a constitutive promoter which is followed by a stem-loop region which acts as a rho-independent transcription terminator in the absence of sucrose [Aymerich et al., J. Bacteriol. 166; 993-998, 1986; Shimotsu et al., J. Bacteriol. 168; 380-388, 1986; Zukowski et al., Gene 46:247-255, 1986]. Thus transcription from the constitutive promoter in the sacR regulatory region is arrested by the transcription terminator in the absence of sucrose, mRNA for the sacB structural gene is not synthesized, and levansucrase is not produced. Therefore, in order for sucrose induction to occur, the transcription terminator must be rendered nonfunctional by an anti-terminator.
Regulation of gene expression has been comparatively less characterized in gram-positive bacteria, such as Bacillus subtilis, than in the gram-negative entero-bacteria, such as Escherichia coli. Regulation of gene expression at the level of transcription has been successfully employed in developing several gene expression vectors for efficient, high-level production of foreign proteins in E. coli. However, for B. subtilis host/vector systems, only two regulated systems have been developed. One system uses E. coli lac operator-repressor in B. subtilis, resulting in an IPTG-inducible expression of heterologous genes [Yansura & Henner, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 81:439-443, 1984]. This system has limited applications due to the expense associated with the IPTG inducer. The second system is based on thermo-inducible gene expression in B. subtilis utilizing transcriptional regulatory elements from the temperate bacteriophage phi-105 [Dhaise et al., Gene 32:181-194, 1984]. This system requires two plasmids in the same host cells, thus increasing the difficulty involved in stably maintaining the host cells and also requires elevated temperatures (.about.45.degree. C.) for induction, wherein such elevated temperatures may be detrimental to the efficient production of proteins which are sensitive to heat.


Ignitability of a fuel by a spark plug is improved while an increase in the number of ignition coils is suppressed. A control device for an internal combustion engine includes an ignition control unit 83 which controls energization of an ignition coil 300a and an ignition coil 300b which each provide electric energy to a spark plug which discharges in a cylinder of an internal combustion engine to ignite a fuel, and a discharge amount detection unit which detects an inter-electrode voltage of the spark plug. After the ignition control unit 83 discharges the spark plug using the electric energy of the ignition coil 300a, the ignition control unit estimates a voltage which is supply-able from the ignition coil 300a to the spark plug, and controls energization of the ignition coil so as to supply the electric energy of the second ignition coil 300b to the spark plug when a difference d between the estimated supply-able voltage and a required voltage based on the voltage detected by the discharge amount detection unit is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value.

In recent years, in order to improve fuel efficiency of a vehicle, a control device for an internal combustion engine has been developed which incorporates a technique of operating with an air-fuel mixture which is leaner than a theoretical air-fuel ratio or a technique of taking in a portion of an exhaust gas after combustion to suck the portion again.
In this type of control device of an internal combustion engine, an amount of a fuel or air in a combustion chamber deviates from a theoretical value, and thus, an ignition failure of the fuel by a spark plug is likely to occur.
PTL 1 discloses an ignition device of an internal combustion engine, which sets the number of ignitions in one cycle based on an operation state of an internal combustion engine, determines ignition in a cylinder of the internal combustion engine, and based on the number of ignitions when the ignition is determined, suppresses the number of the following ignitions.

Control device for internal combustion engine


A fluid pump includes a pump body having a fluid path with an inlet and an outlet. The fluid pump also includes a diaphragm disposed along the fluid path between the inlet and the outlet, a non-return valve to control direction of flow along the fluid path, and a diaphragm actuating unit. The diaphragm actuating unit includes an unbalanced motor. Further, a steam generator may include the fluid pump.

In a steam iron or a steamer, a fluid pump is generally used to deliver water from a water storage chamber to a steam generating chamber. One type of fluid pump used to fulfil this function is a solenoid-based pump. A solenoid-based pump has a solenoid which is operated to cyclically actuate a piston or a diaphragm. However, such a fluid pump is generally heavy, expensive and requires a large volume of space in the housing of the iron or steamer due to the coil windings and plunger mechanism. Alternatively, a cam mechanism may be used to reciprocally operate a piston or diaphragm. A cam mechanism is generally rotatably driven by a drive shaft of an electric motor. Such a cam is fixedly mounted to the drive shaft of a geared DC electric motor, which acts on a piston to drive the piston in a reciprocal motion. However, the cam arrangement and DC motor required to drive the cam mechanism is large and heavy.
In an attempt to provide a compact and lightweight fluid pump a piezo-based actuating means may be used. However, such piezo-based pumps are expensive due to cost of the electronic driving circuits required to drive the ultrasonic vibration of the piezo element, the complex construction needed to remove heat from the piezo element for reliable operation, and the necessary voltage isolation to isolate the piezo element from the water pumped by the fluid pump.


A multiple frequency band antenna is provided that includes a radiating unit having a slot formed on a first surface of the substrate that is closed at one end and open at the other end, and a feed unit formed on a second surface of the substrate to pass through an area on the second surface that corresponds with the same area on first surface between the center and the closed side of the slot. The feeding unit comprises at least one switch which adjusts the size of an area for feeding power to the antenna. The radiating unit is resonated in a plurality of frequency bands when the switch is turned off, and the radiating unit is resonated in a single frequency band which is different from the plurality of frequency bands when the switch is turned on. Consequently, an antenna is implemented for use in multiple frequency bands.

As wireless communication has developed, diverse wireless communication services, for example, the Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM), Personal Communication Services (PCS), World Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), Wireless Local Area Networks (WLAN), Wireless Broadband Internet (WiBro), and Bluetooth, have also been developed to be used in wireless devices, such as mobile phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), personal computers, and laptop computers.
GSM uses 890-960 MHz band, PCS uses 1.8 GHz band, WiMAX uses 3.6-3.8 GHz band, WLAN of IEEE 802.11b uses 2.4 GHz band, Industrial Scientific & Medical (ISM) band, and WLAN of IEEE 802.11a uses 5 GHz band. Unlicensed National Information Infrastructure (UNII) band, WiBro uses 2.3 GHz band, and Bluetooth uses 2.4 GHz band.
Wireless communication services typically use an antenna for transmitting and/or receiving wireless communication signals. In a conventional wireless environment, wireless communication devices use diverse frequency bands. In order to provide wireless communication services via diverse frequency bands on a single wireless device, a conventional multi-band antenna system has been used. A conventional multi-band antenna system includes a plurality of antennas, a plurality of band pass filters (BPFs), and a plurality of radio frequency (RF) circuits. Each antenna transmits and/or receives signals in different frequency bands, and each BPF and RF circuit processes signals transmitted and received through each antenna. Therefore, a plurality of antennas is required which may increase the size of the antenna system.

Multiple frequency band antenna and antenna system using the same