A technique for recovering MPLS or IP-based pseudo-wires or layer-2 VPNs to a backup site using a backup pseudo-wire is provided. In one particular exemplary embodiment, the technique may be realized by a mechanism that allows one end of the original pseudo-wire to dynamically and automatically establish a backup pseudo-wire to an alternate destination without requiring an operator intervention or manual configuration of alternate destinations. This mechanism is triggered when one end of an emulated service experiences a failure such as a node failure, a link failure, and the like, or an intentional shut-down. A VPN auto-discovery mechanism is employed to inform all of the potential attachment circuits of the existence of the backup destinations that can be used in case of failure situations.

In the absence of a privacy mechanism, sensitive data (e.g., passwords, account numbers, proprietary information, etc.) transmitted over a public network may be susceptible to interception by unauthorized parties. One privacy mechanism commonly used to protect network data is a Virtual Private Network (VPN). A VPN typically comprises multiple nodes of one or more private networks, which communicate among themselves across a provider network(s) as if the nodes were connected by private lines (i.e., dedicated point-to-point connections). Multiple VPNs can share a common physical infrastructure without compromising the security of each individual VPN.
Most network-based VPNs rely on tunneling to create the "virtual" connections that extend across the public portion of a network backbone. Tunneling is the process of encapsulating a header and/or payload of a packet within another packet prior to transmission of an original packet over the public network. Generally, the transmission of a VPN-based packet only uses the protocol of the public network, for example, the information such as the Internet Protocol (IP) addresses of the ends of the tunnels where the packet enters and exits the public network (referred to as Provider Edge (PE) devices). Sensitive information encapsulated within the VPN-based packet is in essence, transparent to the PE devices and intermediate nodes of the public network. As a result, the sensitive data carried in the encapsulated packet is incomprehensible to anything other than those authorized devices on the private network side connected to an appropriate PE device. Exemplary tunneling protocols include, but are not limited to IP/IP tunneling, Layer-2 Forwarding (L2F) tunneling, Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP), Generic Router Encapsulation (GRE) tunneling, IP Security (IPSec) tunneling, and Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) tunneling. The configuration of a VPN tunnel is typically specific to the particular type of VPN used.
A typical IP-based VPN generally includes at least two provider edge devices (e.g., a VPN-enabled router) interconnected via a series of provider devices (e.g., routers) that form a network backbone, where the network backbone typically includes one or more public networks, such as, for example, the Internet or a wide area network (WAN). Connected to each PE device are one or more customer edge (CE) devices. As understood in the art, CE devices may include any of a variety of networked devices, such as personal computers, laptops, workstations, and the like. In this type of network-based VPN, VPN tunnels are established between PE devices, rather than between CE devices.
Regardless of the VPN mechanism used, a primary step in establishing a network-based VPN is to provide information about each VPN configured on a local PE device to a remaining remote PE devices. A number of mechanisms may be implemented to achieve this distribution of PE information such as, for example, Border Gateway Protocol (BGP), Domain Name Service (DNS), Remote Authentication Dial In User Service (RADIUS), and the like. See Hamid Ould-Brahim et al., "Using BGP as an Auto-Discovery Mechanism for Provider-Provisioned VPNs," Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), August 2003, the entirety of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference. After distributing this PE information, one or more PE-PE tunnels typically are established based in part on information received through the VPN auto-discovery mechanism.
Layer 2 services such as, but not limited to, Frame Relay, Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM), and Ethernet may be "emulated" over an MPLS/IP network by encapsulating layer-2 packets and then transmitting them over "pseudo-wires". A pseudo-wire is a mechanism that carries the essential elements of an emulated service from one PE to one or more other PEs over a Packet Switched Network (PSN). See Luca Martini et al., "Pseudowire Setup and Maintenance Using LDP," IETF, February 2003, the entirety of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference; Stewart Bryant et al., "PWE3 Architecture," IETF, June 2003, the entirety of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference; Eric Rosen, "Provisioning Models and Endpoint Identifiers in L2VPN Signaling," IETF, May 2003, the entirety of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference; and Himanshu Shah, "Extensions to Transport of Layer 2 Frames Over MPLS," IETF, February 2003, the entirety of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference. One or more pseudo-wires can be carried inside a PSN tunnel.
Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown an exemplary VPN 100 providing a layer-2 emulated service between two customer edge (CE) devices 110 (CE1) and 120 (CE2) via an MPLS/IP network 130. The CE device 110 is connected to a PE device (PE1) 114 via an attachment circuit 118. Similarly, the CE device 120 is connected to a PE device (PE2) 124 via an attachment circuit 128. Connected to each CE device 110 and 120 may be an independent access network (not shown) such as a Local Area Network (LAN). The PE devices 114 and 124 are interconnected via a series of routers or MPLS/IP-enabled layer-2 switches (not shown) that form the MPLS/IP network 130. In this type of network-based VPN, a PSN tunnel 140 is established between PE devices 114 and 124 to encapsulate layer-2 packets transmitted between the CE devices 110 and 120. Inside tunnel 140 is a pseudo-wire 150, which carries the essential elements of the emulated service between PE devices 114 and 124. Although only one pseudo-wire is depicted, it is common to have multiple pseudo-wires carried inside the tunnel 140.
In the event that one end of the pseudo-wire 150 experiences a failure such as a node failure, link failure, or the like, the emulated service provided between customer edge devices 110 and 120 becomes non-operational. In order to reestablish the emulated service in spite of a failure, a new or "backup" pseudo-wire must be employed. Conventional techniques to establish a backup pseudo-wire generally require a person (i.e., an operator) to intervene and manually configure at the non-failing end of the original pseudo-wire a backup endpoint or node in place of the failed end. Manual configuration of a backup pseudo-wire is typically time-consuming, thereby resulting in an undesirable period of time ("downtime") before the emulated service is restored. In addition, conventional techniques place the burden on the backup site to connect to all remote sites. For example, if a particular layer-2 VPN comprises thousands of spoke sites and the hub failed, the backup site would have to manually or dynamically establish a pseudo-wire to the thousands of the other sites. Such a burden could have the adverse effect of overloading the backup site and potentially putting it at risk of failure as well.
In view of the foregoing, it would be desirable to provide an automatic pseudo-wire recovery technique for layer-2 VPN that establishes a backup pseudo-wire in the event of a failure of the original pseudo-wire without requiring manual intervention.

MPLS/IP pseudo-wire and layer-2 virtual private network resiliency


An attachment system for attaching a flexible enclosure to a boat windshield frame includes a frame trim piece with a longitudinally and transversely extending groove retaining a resilient insert. The insert has a pair of legs extending from one end of a shank and touching to conceal the groove. A screw snap stud can be inserted at any selected position along the groove to self-tap into the walls of the groove and releasably retain a cooperating fastener on the flexible enclosure. If the stud is removed, the insert legs return to the original position. Alternatively, the insert is not used or the insert does not include the legs.

The present invention relates generally to boat windshields and, in particular to an attachment system for attaching a flexible enclosure to a boat windshield frame.
Most pleasure boats today have flexible enclosures, such as canvas covers, for the cockpit. These flexible enclosures usually fasten in part to the windshield frame with the use of snaps.
There are conventional methods of attaching snap fasteners to a boat windshield. The most common prior art method is to utilize a windshield clip, which is a generally rectangular stainless steel clip with a male snap head attached to the center. These clips are formed in standard sizes for securing to the outer face of the windshield frame extrusion. In most cases they hook over one edge of the extrusion glass channel and clip into a groove or recess along the outer face of the extrusion. There are a number of drawbacks to this design. Windshield clips can slide out of position once they are installed, which can scratch the finish on the windshield frame, and require repositioning of the clip to reinstall the canvas enclosure. In addition, the relatively large size of these clips detracts from the clean aesthetic look of the windshield frame.
Another prior art method of attaching snaps to the windshield is to drill holes in the windshield frame and install rivet snaps or screw snap studs. This is a very time consuming process. Great care must be taken while drilling to avoid slipping and scratching the frame. Placement of the holes is critical as not to break the glass during installation. Once a snap is installed, it can not be relocated without leaving a hole in the frame. This can make installing the canvas very difficult.
Yet another prior art method is to utilize a plastic expansion anchor that inserts into a groove or recess in the frame. A screw snap stud is then installed into the expansion anchor which tightens against the inside of the recess. These fasteners tend to loosen up over time and can slide out of position, which disadvantageously requires the boat owner to reposition the snap in order to re-install the canvas enclosure. In addition, installation is somewhat tedious due to multiple components of the fastener. Dirt and debris or salt water can collect in the extrusion recess and promote corrosion.
It is desirable, therefore, to provide an improved system for attaching a flexible enclosure to a boat windshield frame.

System for attaching a flexible enclosure to a boat windshield frame


A mount structure of a vehicle door mirror on a side door, the side door including: a door body having an outer panel and an inner panel which are joined together; and a door sash provided at an upper part of the door body so as to form an outer frame of the door body, wherein a door mirror mounting unit which mounts the door mirror is provided at an upper edge of the door body and at a vehicle front side of the door sash.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mount structure of a door mirror to a vehicle side door.
Priority is claimed on Japanese Patent Application No. 2007-269062 filed Oct. 16, 2007, the content of which are incorporated herein by reference.
2. Background Art
Some vehicles have a substantially triangular-shaped front corner window at a front side of a front pillar to give occupants front, left and right views. Such a front corner window is fixed to a vehicle body.
A known mount structure of a vehicle door mirror includes a door mirror mounting unit attached to a front edge, which is formed wider, of a side door sash (see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. 2004-217033).
The door mirror mounting unit of such a door mirror mounting structure is provided along the door sash at the front side of the vehicle. In this structure, the door mirror mounting unit and a mirror base may disadvantageously hinder occupants' visibility outside of the vehicle.


A driving circuit (10) for driving a plurality of light sources (1) arranged in a series configuration (2) is described. A controllable current source (20) is connected to said series arrangement of light sources. Each light source (1(i)) is bridged by a corresponding controllable switch (25(i)). A controller (30) controls the operation of the current source (20) to set a current level and controls the operative states of the respective switches (25(i)) in order to individually control the light output of the corresponding light sources. The controller (30) is capable of individually setting the switch control signals (SL(O) for the respective switches (25(i)). Especially, the controller (30) is capable of boosting the light output of one selected light source (1(x)) while maintaining the light output of other light sources in the series arrangement (2). To this end, the current level is increased while the other light sources are dimmed.

There are situations where a lighting device comprises an array of light sources; an example is the backlight of an LCD display, for use as a monitor, a TV, or the like. In the following explanation it will be assumed that the light sources are LEDs, but this is not essential.
A 2D backlight LED array for an LCD comprises a plurality of horizontal strips arranged above each other, each strip comprising a plurality of LEDs arranged next to each other. The LEDs may be ON continuously, but typically the strips are switched ON and OFF with the frame frequency, such that the strip aligned with the image lines currently being displayed is ON while the other strips are OFF. The LEDs may all produce the same light output, but better display results, especially a better contrast ratio, can be achieved if the light output of the LEDs is amended in conformity with properties of the corresponding image portion. For instance, for a darker portion of the image the corresponding LEDs can be dimmed, whereas for a brighter portion of the image the corresponding LEDs can be boosted. Such adaptation may be performed for an entire horizontal strip (1D dimming), but preferably the adaptation is performed on the level of individual LEDs (2D dimming).
A complication in this respect is crosstalk between adjacent light sources, which problem is heavier in the case of LEDs as compared to HCFL lamps. Crosstalk generally means that a segment of the display is illuminated by two (or more) light sources. This will generally be the case for display segments located midway between two adjacent light sources, but, especially with LEDs having larger opening angle, this may also be the case for display segments that should be illuminated by one associated light source only. With crosstalk, it may be that adaptation of the light output of one light source results in an undesirable change of the light available for illumination of a display segment associated with an adjacent light source. Such undesirable change should be compensated by appropriately adapting the light output of such adjacent light source.
Thus, when one light source is dimmed, crosstalk compensation may require the adjacent light sources to be boosted, as will be explained with reference to FIG. 1, which schematically shows a front view of a portion of a lighting device for an LCD screen. Individual LEDs are indicated by reference numeral 1. The LEDs 1 are arranged next to each other with some mutual horizontal distance in horizontal strips, which are indicated by reference numeral 2 and which are arranged above each other with some vertical distance. Hereinafter, the horizontal direction will be taken as X-direction, while the vertical direction will be taken as Y-direction. Individual strips 2 will be distinguished by addition of a Y-index j. Individual LEDs in the j-th strip 2(j) will be distinguished by addition of an X-index i and the Y-index j, as LED 1(i,j). Although not essential, it will be assumed that i ranges from 1 to a maximum iM and that j ranges from 1 to a maximum jM.
In FIG. 1, a circle 3(i,j) suggests a portion of the LCD screen illuminated by the LED 1(i,j). It is noted that in practice such portion will not have a sharp borderline. In can be seen that LED 1(i,j) produces an illumination contribution in screen segments corresponding to LEDs 1(i−1,j), 1(i+1,j), 1(i,j−1), 1(i,j+1). The illumination contribution in screen segments corresponding to LEDs 1(i−1,j−1), 1(i−1,j+1), 1(i+1,j−1), 1(i+1,j+1) will be ignored here.
Assume that LED 1(i,j) is to be dimmed. For compensating the crosstalk illustrated in FIG. 1, the LEDs 1(i−1,j), 1(i+1,j), 1(i,j−1), 1(i,j+1) should be boosted, while the remaining LEDs in strips 2(j−1), 2(j), 2(j+1) should continue to be driven at normal light output.

Driving circuit for driving a plurality of light sources arranged in a series configuration


Provided herein are cell surface conjugates containing a cell surface molecule and at least one agent, such as at least one affinity tag, and engineered cells expressing such cell surface conjugates. In some embodiments, the cell surface molecule does not contain an intracellular signaling domain or is not capable of mediating intracellular signaling. In some embodiments, the cells engineered to contain the cell surface conjugate, such as T cells, further contain a genetically engineered recombinant receptor that specifically binds to antigens, such as a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR). Also provided are methods of detecting, identifying, selecting or targeting cells expressing the cell surface conjugates, such as in connection with methods of manufacturing engineered cells or in connection with administration of such cells to subjects, including methods of adoptive cell therapy.

Various strategies are available for treatment of diseases or conditions such as cancers or tumors, including the administration of cell therapies. Further, strategies are available for engineering immune cells to express genetically engineered recombinant receptors, such as chimeric antigen receptors (CARs), and administering compositions containing such cells to subjects. Improved strategies are needed to increase efficacy of the treatments, for example, by improving the engineered compositions and/or improving the ability to monitor or modulate the engineered compositions in connection with such therapies upon administration to subjects. Provided are compositions, cells, and methods that meet such needs.

Cell surface conjugates and related cell compositions and methods


A wireless apparatus and system automatically processes digital “messages” to a remote system at a predefined destination address. Initial transmission occurs via a wireless network, and the apparatus process allows the simultaneous capture of new messages while transmissions are occurring. The destination address may correspond to an e-mail account, or may correspond to a remote server from which the message can be efficiently processed and/or further distributed. In the latter case, data packaged with the digital message is used to control processing of the message at the server, based on a combination of pre-defined system and user options. Secured Internet access to the server allows flexible user access to system parameters for configuration of message handling and distribution options, including the option to build named distribution lists that are downloaded to the wireless apparatus.

Digital cameras are increasingly popular, and the popularity is due in part to their elimination of processing delays involved with conventional film-based photography. With a digital camera, one does not have to shoot an entire roll of film and send it to a processor for development before seeing the resulting photograph. Instead, one can immediately download a digital image to a computer and display the photograph, or in some instances link the digital camera to a TV monitor to display the photograph. Another attractive feature of digital cameras is that the digital images they create, after being stored on a computer, can be forwarded to others via e-mail or can be incorporated into other electronic documents, including Internet web pages.
However, the process of connecting the digital camera to a computer and then downloading images to the computer for storage and viewing can be complicated. Some digital camera manufacturers have attempted to make this process easier by including in the camera a standard format 3.5-inch floppy disk drive for storing digital images so that the images can be easily accessed by computers with similar disk drives. Others provide flash card memory which can store a high number of images, or provide an infrared (IR) port for transferring images to a computer.
Even with these features, the image transfer cannot be begun until the digital camera (or storage device) is physically connected to a computer, or in the case of digital cameras and computers which include IR transceivers these must be in close proximity before a transfer can be made. For many users, this process is confusing and detracts from the usefulness of the device. When a user wishes to view or share access to a digital photo quickly, this delay and manual transfer process can be both inconvenient and frustrating.
Another potential problem with current digital cameras is that they generally require creation of a database of images on a home or office computer, which often has limited accessibility, is unsecured, and is infrequently backed up. With the growing popularity of Internet accessible software programs, and "network computers" which include little or no data storage, there is a need for a networked image storage and archival service that provides secure, reliable, and universally accessible image storage services. Such a service would allow shared access to and transfer of images by family or business groups in a format which would greatly enhance the ability to categorize and sort each image by time, date, and occasion, and which would at the same time greatly reduce the possibility of losing important images. The Fujifilm company is known to offer an Internet archival service in connection with conventional film processing, but there is no known similar service for digital photos.
When compressed, a color digital image is typically 10K bytes or more in size, and transmission of such an image requires from 10 to more than 30 seconds, depending on wireless modem transmission rates. Cellular service providers typically charge for total circuit connection time or, in the case of wireless data services providers, for the amount of data transferred, and it is therefore advantageous to reduce the required connection time to perform a file transfer or the amount of data to be transferred. One way to do this is to compress the file before transmission. But even when a file is to be sent to multiple recipients one would not want to initiate multiple calls in order to transfer the file to each recipient, even if the file is compressed. It would be beneficial to have a system which allowed one to forward an image file, with distribution instructions, to a central repository, and know that the repository would then save and/or automatically distribute the image file according to prior user instructions, without incurring another expensive wireless transfer.
Digital cameras which include the ability to effect a wireless RF image transfer are not known to be currently marketed in the United States. A search of issued U.S. patents has revealed U.S. Pat. No. 4,884,132 to Morris et al, which provides a "personal security unit" which includes a digital image sensor, a cellular transmitter, a window aligned with the image sensor, and which transmits digital information identifying the hand-held unit to a remote cellular receiving station where all cellular communications received from the personal security units are recorded. Morris states that the recorded data can be accessed at a later time if a crime is reported.
Another known device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,712,679 to Coles which discloses a security system with a method for locatable portable electronic camera image transmission to a remote receiver. This device provides the means to transmit a video image along with device identifying information and position coordinate information to a remote receiver. Coles states that the transmission may be accomplished by cellular radio and is received by a remote receiver where the image may be displayed or printed by facsimile.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


An object matching system comprises a plurality of disparate databases comprising data objects and a master data server. The master data server comprises a computer programmed to provide a plurality of adapters configured to connect to said plurality of disparate databases, a matching module configured to compare data objects provided by said plurality of adapters through use of an object matching rule to determine at least two matching data objects, and a data integrator configured to merge said at least two matching data objects to produce a master data object.

1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments described herein pertain to the field of computer software. More particularly, but not by way of limitation, one or more embodiments enable systems to apply a set of rules to determine if two or more data objects are similar in accordance with the defined set of rules
2. Description of the Related Art
Modern businesses have a need to utilize stored business data to make effective business decisions. When the data in these systems is not shared and made consistent, inefficiencies occur. Achieving consistent data across multiple distributed heterogeneous systems is difficult. Establishing effective communication links between disparate systems is a prerequisite to making the data consistent, but does not alone solve the problem. Even when data is effectively shared throughout an organization, problems still arise in that over the course of time the data may exist in different forms and models. Since it is common for companies to maintain data in independent realms the achievement of data consistency is difficult. For example, because of the difficulties associated with merging data, some companies independently maintain data for each of their different corporate divisions and only utilize such data for business decisions relevant to a particular corporate division. However, the maintenance of data from independent systems is often desirable during mergers and acquisitions where company systems are almost certainly heterogeneous and typically utilize radically different structures and data models.
To solve the data consistency problem and leverage the commonalities of data for the benefit of the company, companies typically seek to coordinate interaction between heterogeneous systems by identifying similar and overlapping data and then coordinating the integration of such data in a way that ensures the data stays consistent across different systems. Effectively accomplishing such coordination is difficult at best and tends to lead to organizational inefficiencies. One approach some organizations use is to maintain what is known as master data. Master data may be thought of as the definitive version of a data object. Solutions for coordinating the data, i.e., storing, augmenting and consolidating master data, are generally primitive and lack matching capabilities. Moreover, the fact that master data may exist does little to provide information technology personnel with insight about the process used in determining if an object matches another object.
Master data management systems simplify maintenance and promote data integrity by simplifying the user's view of the data stored in its repository. For example, SAP's Master Data Management Environment (MDME) system is an integrated system for master data management that uses a Structured Query Language (SQL) database management system (DBMS), but does not require designers to use SQL for searching, sorting, and retrieving of information. Standard SQL DBMS do not support the types of advanced structures necessary for managing master databases. Generally speaking, master data management systems consist of a thick shell of functionality on top of a SQL-based DBMS to provide a scalable database where data is fully accessible to other applications and tools.
Failing to successfully coordinate master data objects when merging heterogeneous data bases may yield data object redundancies and inconsistencies that compromise the data, disrupt the business decision-making process and increase the overall cost of doing business. Furthermore, customer service may suffer from incomplete data requiring customers to call multiple places within the same company to obtain the required information. In some cases the failure to efficiently service customers may cause enough frustration that it begins to result in decreased customer loyalty and leads to a loss of customers.
Because of the limitations described above there is a need for a system and method that can effectively coordinate master data management data objects across an enterprise.

System and method for rule-based data object matching


An optical filter for blocking radiation of preselected wavelength is described which comprises a colloidal suspension of an optical medium and a multiplicity of microspheres of optical dimensions in a substantially regular three-dimensional array, the optical medium and microspheres comprising materials having matched indices of refraction in the absence of incident radiation, but at least one index of which varies nonlinearly with incident electric field whereby an index mismatch and resulting Bragg diffraction within the suspension is produced by incident radiation of the selected wavelength.

The present invention relates generally to laser hardened materials and structures, and more particularly to a novel optical filter structure for selectively blocking laser radiation of predetermined wavelength while passing radiation of other wavelengths.
The present invention provides a substantially improved optical reflection band filter which becomes reflective upon absorption of a certain amount of radiation by a laser beam of intensity I and wavelength .lambda..sub.0. The invention is constructed by immersing a crystalline array of microspheres of optical dimensions within a nonlinear optical medium which fills the void between the microspheres of the crystalline array. The refractive index of the nonlinear medium is matched to the refractive index of the microspheres in the absence of laser irradiation, producing optical (i.e., relating to wavelengths within the optical spectra including the visible and near and mid infrared from about 0.3 to 2 microns, within which range the filter of the invention best functions) transparency at all wavelengths. Alternatively, the microspheres may be nonlinear in a linear medium, or the microspheres and medium may have diverging nonlinearity with incident electric field In these instances, laser irradiation causes an index mismatch between the microspheres and the surrounding medium, producing Bragg diffraction of laser light by the planes of the crystalline array. The filter structure defined by the teachings herein greatly enhances the efficiency of the inhomogeneous media Kerr effect filters through coherent diffraction of radiation rather than through incoherent scattering of radiation. The filter blocks laser radiation of selected characteristic wavelength .lambda..sub.0 while allowing other wavelengths to pass. An optical system protected by the invention may therefore receive a broad spectrum of optical signals while being protected from an invasive, potentially destructive laser beam. In the absence of intense invasive laser radiation the filter is nominally transparent to all wavelengths. The invention demonstrates numerous advantages over standard quarter-wave interference stack filters, rugate interference filters, noncrystalline inhomogeneous media Kerr effect filters, linear crystalline array microsphere filters, and other wavelength responsive laser hardening filters. The filter structure taught herein may therefore find substantial utility in safety goggles, narrow band optical rejection filters, optical switches and limiters for signal and data processing applications and like optical devices and systems.
It is, therefor principal object of the invention to provide an improved optical filter.
It is a further object to provide an optical filter for blocking laser radiation of a preselected wavelength while passing radiation of other wavelengths.
It is yet another object to provide a switchable optical filter having fast response time.
It is a further object to provide a filter having a large absorbance value at the design wavelength.
It is a further object to provide an optical filter which is switchable at preselected impinging electrical field, has low absorption losses prior to switching, and is independent of impinging radiation prior to switching.
It is yet a further object to provide an optical switch having much greater efficiency than inhomogeneous media nonlinear Kerr effect filters.
These and other objects of the invention will become apparent as the description of representative embodiments proceeds.

High efficiency nonlinear Kerr effect filter

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Froce


An illumination structure for pliers contains: a first part, a second part, and an illumination device. The first part includes a first clamping jaw, a first handle, and a first rotatable connecting portion between the first clamping jaw and the first handle. The second part includes a second clamping jaw, a second handle, and a second rotatable connecting portion between the second clamping jaw and the second handle, wherein the first rotatable connecting portion of the first part and the second rotatable connecting portion of the second part are rotatably connected together. The first rotatable connecting portion has an accommodation groove configured to house the illumination device, and the accommodation groove has a first opening communicating with the first clamping jaw and the second clamping jaw and has a second opening communicating with the first handle. The illumination device includes a light emitting element and a control button.

To maintain a workpiece in a dim place, a worker grasps a flashlight with one hand and holds pliers with the other hand, thus causing inconvenient maintenance.
A conventional illumination structure for pliers is disclosed in TW Patent No. M352434 and contains an accommodation groove defined on a protective sleeve of a handle so as to connect with a casing. The casing is configured to house a light emitting element for emitting lights from two clamping jaws, and the casing has at least one battery housed therein and has a control button fixed thereon, such that the control button controls the light emitting element to electrically connect with the at least one battery, thus illuming the lights to the workpiece from the two clamping jaws.
However, the light emitting element is mounted on the two clamping jaws so after the two clamping jaws expand outwardly, they shield the lights.
The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages.


The present disclosure relates to a valve assembly including a valve moveable between an open position where hydraulic fluid flow is permitted between first and second ports of the valve and a closed position where hydraulic fluid flow is blocked between the first and second ports. A characteristic vibration is generated by turbulent hydraulic fluid flow within the valve when hydraulic fluid flow is first initiated between the first and second ports as the valve moves from the closed position toward the open position. The valve assembly also includes a controller for providing electrical current to control movement of the valve via a solenoid. The controller includes an accelerometer for sensing the characteristic vibration. The controller identifies an electrical current value of the electrical current at a time when the characteristic vibration is detected.

Hydraulic systems include valves. The valves are often spool or poppet style valves, and are controlled by an operator. The operator, using a joystick or other control interface, enters a command that causes an electromagnetic actuator, such as a solenoid, to drive movement of the valve between open and closed positions. In the case of a proportional valve, the valve can control hydraulic fluid flow rate through the valve in proportion to the magnitude of an electrical current provided to a solenoid of the valve. The valves can be used to control hydraulic fluid flow to and from hydraulic actuators such as hydraulic cylinders and hydraulic motors. For example, the valves can selectively stop and start hydraulic fluid flow to and from the hydraulic actuators to stop and start movement of the hydraulic actuators, and can selectively control the hydraulic fluid flow rates provided to and from the hydraulic actuators to control the rate of movement of the hydraulic actuators.

System and method for detecting valve operating conditions


Transport plate (28) is moved downwardly into engagement with work product (25) and the plate (28) moves the work product to the edge finisher, such as sewing head (12) (FIG. 3). When the first edge (68) covers the first sensor (61), the transport plate (28) begins its movement from right to left (FIG. 4) so as to move the first edge (28) through the edge finisher, and the edge is finished as with an overedge stitch. When the second edge (69) uncovers the second sensor (62), the transport plate (28) rotates around an axis of rotation (75) (FIG. 5), causing the work product (25) to be rotated about the same axis of rotation (75) and the edge finisher forms the overedge stitch about the curved path until the second edge (69) covers first sensor (61), whereupon the linear right to left movement is resumed (FIG. 7).

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method and apparatus for finishing the edges of a flat, sheet-like work product. More particularly, the invention relates to a system for sewing the edges of sheet material such as wash cloths, towels, napkins and other textile goods, by forming an over edge stitch around the perimeter edge of the product.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the production of flat textile goods, such as wash cloths, napkins and towels, it is desirable that the products be formed with edges that are not likely to fray or otherwise deteriorate with use, and so that the edges remain attractive during use. Some products are folded at their edges to form hems and the hems are sewn closed to hide the cut or ragged edge of the product, however, the edges of some products can be finished as by simultaneously trimming the edge and forming overedge stitches about the newly trimmed edge. This latter treatment is satisfactory for some wash cloths and napkins.
In the past, when the edges of flat textile goods were to be finished with an overedge stitch, the sewing machine operator would feed and guide the edges of the work product to the needle in the sewing machine. This requires the operator to turn the product when the needle of the sewing machine approaches a corner of the product, therefore requiring relatively high operator skill and concentration for high quantity production.
While some automated equipment has been developed for guiding edges of flat textile products to sewing machines for the purpose of finishing the edges of the products, the prior art guiding devices known to the inventor do not successfully control the flat work product so that the product can be turned when the sewing needle reaches the corner of the product and so that the sewing function can continue automatically to sew the next adjacent edge of the product. This is particularly so if the product should not be formed with right angle corners and straight edges.


Disclosed is an optical disk recording and reproducing apparatus and a method for determining an optimal power of a laser beam. The present invention performs recording tests using combination tables, which are formed with a combination of values of parameters for determining an optimal laser beam power. An optimal power parameter is calculated using the combinations not included in the combination tables based on results of the recording tests, to thereby quickly determine optimal parameter values.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical disk recording and reproducing apparatus and a method for determining optimal power thereof. More particularly, the present invention relates to an optical disc recording and reproducing apparatus and a method for determining the optimal power of a laser beam based on the characteristics of an optical disk in order for data to be optimally recorded onto and read from the optical disk.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, optical disks are classified into typically three kinds of disks: reproduction-dedicated disks such as compact disk-ROM (CD-ROM), Digital Versatile disk-ROM (DVD-ROM), and the like, write-once recordable disks such as CD-Recordable (CD-R), DVD-R, and the like, and rewritable disks such as CD-Rewritable (CD-RW), DVD-RAM, and the like, depending upon data recording capabilities.
An optical disk recording and reproducing apparatus can drive a laser diode (LD) provided on an optical pickup to record information onto an optical disk or reproduce recorded information from the optical disk. In order to record information onto the optical disk, the optical disk recording and reproducing apparatus drives the laser diode (LD) to irradiate a laser beam of relatively high power since the physical characteristics of an information recording layer existing on the optical disk has to be changed. In order to reproduce information recorded on the optical disk, the optical disk recording and reproducing apparatus drives the laser diode (LD) to irradiate a laser beam of relatively low power since the physical characteristics of the information recording layer do not have to be changed.
However, the optimal recording power changes depending upon the characteristics of each optical disk such as the optical disk kind, the optical disk maker, chemical properties of the recording layers on the optical disks, and so on. Accordingly, most optical disk recording and reproducing apparatuses are designed to perform a process for determining an optimal recording power at the initial stage prior to driving the LD.
In general, the optimal power is determined by performing recording tests on a certain area of an optical disk. However, the number of parameters used to determine the optimal power setting is increasing, as well as the number of consumer optical disk recording and reproducing apparatuses that can record and reproduce information onto and from diverse kinds of optical disks. Accordingly, it takes a substantial amount of time to perform recording tests for all the possible combinations of parameter values, so a method is required to solve such a problem.

Optical disk recording and reproducing apparatus and method for determining optimal power thereof


A method for operating an image display apparatus is discussed. The method according to an embodiment includes displaying a plurality of card objects on a display, displaying an application menu including at least one application item on the display, and displaying a broadcast image or broadcast image-associated information on the display. Accordingly, it is possible to increase user convenience.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image display apparatus and a method for operating the same, and more particularly, to an image display apparatus and a method for operating the same, which increase user convenience. More particularly, the present invention relates to an image display apparatus and a method for operating the same in which an application is downloaded and installed through a network server and the installed application execution image is displayed.
2. Description of the Related Art
An image display apparatus has a function of displaying images to a user. A user can view a broadcast through the image display apparatus. The image display apparatus can display a broadcast program selected by the user on a display from among broadcast programs transmitted from broadcasting stations. The recent trend in broadcasting is a worldwide transition from analog broadcasting to digital broadcasting.
Digital broadcasting offers many advantages over analog broadcasting, such as robustness against noise, less data loss, ease of error correction, and the ability to provide clear high-definition images. Digital broadcasting also allows interactive viewer services, compared to analog broadcasting.

Image display apparatus and method for operating the same


The invention relates to absorbent, cross-linked polymers based on partially neutralized, monoethylenically unsaturated monomers that bear acidic groups. Said polymers exhibit improved properties with regard to their ability to transport liquids in a swollen state. The surface of the polymers is postreticulated, using a combination of an organic cross-linking compound, excluding polyols, and a cation that is in salt form in an aqueous solution.

Superabsorbers are water-insoluble, cross-linked polymers which, with swelling and the formation of hydrogels, are able to absorb, and retain at a certain pressure, large quantities of aqueous liquids and body fluids such as, for example, urine or blood. As a result of these characteristic properties these polymers are incorporated in sanitary articles such as, for example, babies' nappies, incontinence products or sanitary towels, by way of a principal application.
The superabsorbers which are currently available commercially are substantially cross-linked polyacrylic acids or cross-linked starch-acrylic acid graft polymers, in which some of the carboxyl groups are neutralised with caustic soda or caustic potash solution.
The increasing tendency towards increasingly small, thin sanitary articles such as babies' nappies, incontinence products and sanitary towels arises from aesthetic and environmental considerations. In order to guarantee that the total retention capacity of the sanitary articles remains unchanged, this requirement can be met only by reducing the proportion of bulky fluff. As a result, the superabsorber is required to serve further functions in terms of transportation and distribution of liquid, which can be summarized as permeability properties.
In the case of superabsorber materials permeability is understood to mean the ability, in the swollen state, to transport liquids which have been added and to distribute them three-dimensionally. This process takes place in the swollen superabsorber gel by way of capillary transportation through interstices between the gel particles. Transportation of liquid through swollen superabsorber particles themselves is subject to the laws of diffusion and is a very slow process which plays no part in the distribution of liquid in the situation in which the sanitary article is used. In the case of superabsorber materials which owing to inadequate gel stability cannot bring about capillary transportation, a separation of the particles from one another was ensured by embedding these materials in a fiber matrix, avoiding the phenomenon of gel blocking. In new-generation nappy constructions the absorber layer contains only little fiber material, or none at all, to support the transportation of liquid. The superabsorbers used here must accordingly be sufficiently stable in the swollen state for the swollen gel still to have an adequate quantity of capillary spaces through which liquid can be transported.
In order to obtain superabsorber materials having high gel strength, the degree of cross-linking of the polymer can, on the one hand, be increased, which necessarily results in a reduction in swelling ability and retention capacity. An optimized combination of different cross-linking agents and comonomers, such as is described in Patent Specification DE 196 46 484, was admittedly able to improve the permeability properties, but not to a level which, for example, enables a layer which optionally comprises only superabsorbers to be built into in a nappy construction.
Methods of post-cross-linking the surface of the polymer particles can furthermore be used. In so-called post-cross-linking the carboxyl groups of the polymer molecules on the surface of the superabsorber particles are reacted with different post-cross-linking agents which are capable of reacting with at least two of the carboxyl groups close to the surface. As well as bringing about increased gel strength, the ability to absorb liquid at pressure is in particular greatly improved because the known phenomenon of gel blocking, in which polymer particles which have begun to stick together, thus preventing further liquid absorption is suppressed.
The surface treatment of liquid-absorbent resins is already known. Ionic complexing of the carboxyl groups close to the surface with polyvalent metal cations is proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,043,952 in order to improve dispersibility. The treatment takes place with salts of polyvalent metals which are dispersed in organic, optionally water-containing, solvents (alcohols and other organic solvents).
DE-A-40 20 780 describes a post-treatment of superabsorber polymers with reactive, surface-cross-linking compounds (alkylene carbonates) in order to increase the liquid absorption capability at pressure. DE-A-35 03 458 describes a surface post-cross-linking of superabsorbent polymers with polyfunctional cross-linking agents such as polyvalent metal compounds in the presence of inert, inorganic powder such as SiO2 in order to improve the absorption properties and create a non-adherent gel of the polymer particles.
According to the teaching of EP-A-0 574 260 superabsorbent polymers are obtained which have a low residual monomer content which does not change crucially even when surface cross-linking takes place, if certain conditions are observed in the polymerisation and the post-cross-linking is carried out with conventional polyfunctional cross-linking agents such as polyols, alkylene carbonates, polyvalent metal salts under conventional conditions. The post-cross-linked polymers show good absorption without the application of pressure.
According to EP-A-0 889 063 superabsorbent polymers which are preferably already surface-cross-linked can be equipped to resist radical degradation by body fluids, in particular L-ascorbic acid by post-treatment with a titanium or zirconium compound and a compound which chelates these metal compounds.
EP 0 233 067 describes water-absorbent resins which are cross-linked on the surface, which are obtained by the reaction of a superabsorbent polymer powder having from 1 to 40 wt. % of an aluminium compound, in relation to the polymer powder. A mixture of water and diols is used as the treatment solution, which should render the use of low alcohols as solvents superfluous. 100 parts by weight of cross-linking agent solution are preferably applied to from 100 to 300 parts by weight of absorber. The diols (for example polyethylene glycol 400 and 2000, 1,3-butanediol or 1,5-pentanediol) which are added to the reaction medium, water, also serve, inter alia, to prevent agglomeration of the superabsorber when treated with the large quantities of aqueous treatment solution which are used here. The solvent is removed in subsequent drying at 100° C. The properties of the polymers thus treated are inadequate, with no improvement in the absorbency at pressure being achieved. A treatment with large quantities of treatment solution is furthermore not economically practicable in modem continuous processes.
WO 96/05234 describes a process for the treatment of superabsorbent polymers, according to which the surface of the absorber particles, which contain at least 10 wt. % water, was equipped with a cross-linked layer obtained by a reaction of a reactive hydrophilic polymer or a reactive organometallic compound with an at least difunctional cross-linking agent at temperatures below 100° C. Metal salts are not listed. The metal compounds utilised must be capable of reacting with the functional groups of the cross-linking agent. Organometallic compounds which should be present in a ratio by weight of from 0.1 to 30 in relation to the cross-linking compound are therefore recommended as the metal compounds. The polymers obtained should have a balanced ratio of absorption, gel strength and permeability, with the measured values which are indicated being obtained under less critical conditions. Thus, for example, the absorption and the permeability are determined with no pressure load. A disadvantage of this known process is the use of solvents and toxicologically risky cross-linking reagents such as, for example, the polyimines, alkoxylated silane and titanium compounds and epoxides, which are cited as preferred.
According to the teaching of WO 95/22356 and WO 97/12575 an improvement in the permeability properties and liquid transportation properties is obtained by a corresponding treatment of commercially obtainable superabsorber polymers with amino polymers in organic solvents. The serious disadvantage of the process described here, apart from the use of toxicologically risky polyamines and polyimines, lies in the use of large quantities of organic solvents which are necessary for the treatment of the polymers. The issue of safety and the cost associated with this preclude large-scale industrial production. Apart from the toxicological risk posed by these treatment agents, consideration should furthermore be given to their additional tendency to decompose at the high post-cross-linking temperatures, which is manifested, inter alia, in a yellow coloration of the absorber particles.
In order to prepare water-absorbent polymers having better abrasion resistance, Japanese published patent application JP-A-09124879 teaches surface post-cross-linking with polyfunctional cross-linking agents, in which the water content of the polymer particles following surface cross-linking is readjusted to from 3 to 9 wt. %, and this quantity of water may contain inorganic compounds such as metal salts.
Superabsorbent polymers which are contacted in particle form with polyvalent metal salts by dry mixing and are then provided with a specific quantity of a liquid binder such as water or polyols according to WO 98/48857, should have improved gel blocking when absorbing aqueous liquids. The polymer particles may undergo a surface post-cross-linking before this treatment.
In order to minimise the tendency of superabsorbent, post-cross-linked polymer particles to agglomerate as a result of electrostatic charging, WO 98/49221 recommends re-moistening the polymer particles with an aqueous additive solution up to 10 wt. % water. These aqueous solutions may contain monovalent or polyvalent ions or propoxylated polyols. It is also possible to contact the polymer particles with the aqueous additive solution as early as before the surface post-treatment, as a result of which a more uniform distribution of the surface treatment agents should be achieved.
No reference to any possibility, in the post-cross-linking stage, of also dramatically increasing permeability properties, while preserving a high retention capacity and absorption capability for liquid at pressure, is apparent in the prior art described hereinabove.

Pulverulent, cross-linked polymers capable of absorbing aqueous liquids


The present invention is directed to addressing one or more of the aforementioned concerns and relates to thermal insulation materials and thermal insulation material compositions and methods for thermally insulating pipelines and associated equipment, structures, and objects used in offshore drilling. The present invention is directed to articles of manufacture comprising the thermal insulation materials and/or thermal insulation material compositions of the invention. More particularly the present invention relates to the use of ring opening metathesis polymerization polymers (ROMP polymers) and/or ROMP polymer composites for thermally insulating pipelines and associated equipment, structures, and objects used in offshore oil drilling.

Offshore oil drilling requires the transportation of hydrocarbons from wellheads positioned underwater to shore or other surface equipment for further distribution. As temperature decreases the resistance to flow of liquids such as oil increases. Pipelines used in the transportation of oil from the underwater wellheads are generally insulated to avoid a substantial decrease in the temperature of the oil. Moreover, the underwater environment exposes pipelines and other oil drilling equipment to compressive forces, salt water corrosion, near-freezing water temperatures, possible water absorption, undersea currents, and marine life. Most pipes and pipelines used in offshore oil drilling are constructed of metal, typically some grade of steel.
Installation conditions for subterranean and subsea pipelines and equipment tend to be demanding. As such, it is possible that the material used to thermally insulate offshore drilling equipment and pipelines, including but not limited to subterranean pipelines and equipment as well as subsea pipelines and equipment may become damaged during installation of the pipeline. For example, during installation pipeline insulation undergo bending (flexural stress) due to pipe sag and reeling, particularly in what are commonly known as S-lay and J-lay installation processes.
In recent years performance requirements for thermal insulation materials have also become increasingly demanding. Recent advances in drilling technology and depletion of readily accessible sub-sea oil wells have resulted in the push toward deep water drilling where oil temperatures are typically hotter. This results in higher temperature pipelines and structures. Though several materials (e.g., polymer materials and/or polymer composite materials) with higher design temperatures have been developed, the peak use temperature of these materials has plateaued near 150-160° C. Thus, a need exists for easily applied thermal insulation materials that pass the requisite qualification tests so as to be suitable for use on subsea and subterranean pipelines with maximum flowline operating temperatures (MFOTs) above 150-160° C. These installation and performance demands, as well as other needs, have led to the introduction of a number of materials (e.g., polymer materials and/or polymer composite materials) for the purpose of insulating offshore drilling equipment and pipelines, including but not limited to subterranean pipelines and equipment as well as subsea pipelines and equipment.
Desirable characteristics and/or properties of thermal insulation materials, in particular thermal insulation materials for subsea applications include: thermal stability above 175° C.; resistance to hydrolysis above 175° C.; flexibility greater than 5% elongation at break at 25° C.; compatibility with glass microspheres; fast cure times; low thermal conductivity; high impact strength; castable (high throughput with low capital expenditure cost); rigid for robust pipe handling without external protection; can be processed in air; can be applied in thick sections without multi-layering; can be applied to complex geometries; rapid full cure under production conditions; processable in the presence of trace moisture (water). Furthermore, there has been a need in the industry for thermal insulation materials, particularly thermal insulation materials for subsea applications (e.g., thermal insulation for pipe and pipelines and other subsea equipment and structures, such as coatings for field joints, etc.) that possess all of these desirable characteristics and/or properties. Thermal stability as used herein means that a material maintains its structural integrity when subjected to elevated temperatures.
Polyurethanes have been used for insulating subsea pipelines and equipment due to somewhat general ease in processing and generally good mechanical properties. However, polyurethane insulation may suffer from hydrolytic degradation when exposed to hot-wet environments. In offshore oil fields, particularly fields where the oil temperature is high at the wellhead, there is a possibility of hydrolytic degradation of the polyurethane polymer network, particularly at elevated temperatures where water is able to ingress the polymer network, which would negatively affect the insulation capabilities of the polyurethane polymer.
Polypropylene is another polymer material that is used to insulate subsea pipelines and equipment. However, unlike polyurethanes, the application of polypropylene is a more difficult process generally requiring extrusion of multiple layers. Moreover, polypropylene does not possess attractive thermal and mechanical properties.
Polystyrene is another polymer material that is used to insulate subsea pipelines and equipment, however, polystyrene does not possess attractive thermal and mechanical properties.
Another material used for insulating subsea pipelines and equipment is rigid epoxy syntactic foam, where hollow glass or ceramic spheres are combined with the epoxy resin. This material possesses good thermal conductivity, but suffers from being very brittle and rigid, making this material susceptible to damage when exposed to high stress forces and/or sudden impacts. Moreover, these materials are difficult to remove and replace as they are attached to the surface mechanically or through the use of adhesives. Epoxy resin in general, in the absence of glass or ceramic microspheres, have poor thermal conductivity, generally require long cure cycles and also suffer from being very brittle and rigid, and well as having other limitations.
Silicones and syntactic silicones where hollow glass or ceramic spheres are combined with the silicones are another polymer material that is used to insulate subsea pipelines and equipment, however, silicones and syntactic silicones may suffer from hydrolytic degradation when exposed to hot wet environments. Moreover, silicones generally require long cure cycles.
Phenolics are another polymer material that is used to insulate subsea pipelines and equipment; however, phenolics are generally difficult to apply to such objects. These materials also suffer from being very brittle and rigid, making this material susceptible to damage when exposed to high stress forces and/or sudden impacts.
Another material for insulating subsea pipelines and equipment is elastomeric amine cured epoxy resins. While elastomeric amine cured epoxy resins may offer some advantages over polyurethanes, these materials possess several limitations, particularly in that at least two steps and specialized equipment are required to prepare such elastomeric amine cured epoxy resins. Moreover, these materials are viscous liquids (e.g., 90,000 cP at 25° C.), making the filling of complex molds difficult.
Rubber materials, including silicone rubber, are examples of other materials used to insulate subsea pipelines and equipment. These materials do not possess attractive thermal and mechanical properties, and generally require long cure cycles, as well as having other limitations.
Dicyclopentadiene polymer (pDCPD) prepared from Telene® 1650 DCPD resin is another example of a material that has been reported for use as a field joint coating material, however, this material (including similar materials such as Metton® DCPD resin and Pentam® DCPD resin) possess several limitations, which are well known in the art. Telene® 1650 DCPD resin (BF Goodrich/Telene SAS) and Metton® DCPD resin (Metton America/Hercules) are both based on a two component system comprising molybdenum (Telene SAS/BF Goodrich) or tungsten (Metton America/Hercules) pre-catalyst dissolved in DCPD monomer (B-component) and an aluminum alkyl or aluminum alkyl halide co-catalyst dissolved in DCPD monomer (A-component). These molybdenum and tungsten catalyzed DCPD resins are extremely sensitive to chemical functional groups and to air (oxygen) and moisture (water), even at trace levels. As a result of this sensitivity, such molybdenum and tungsten catalyzed DCPD resin are typically limited to being processed using Reaction Injection Molding (RIM) techniques, which require specialized and expensive processing and handling conditions and equipment, including specialized and expensive molds, injection equipment, and storage tanks. Moreover, as a further result of this sensitivity, particularly their sensitivity to chemical functional groups, such molybdenum and tungsten catalyzed DCPD resins are generally not suitable for use to prepare DCPD polymer composites.
In fact, commercially available DCPD monomer resins for use in molding of polymer articles typically contain between 0%-30% by weight of tricyclopentadiene, and lesser amounts of higher oligomers of cyclopentadiene such as tetramers and pentamers of cyclopentadiene (e.g., tetracyclopentadiene and pentacyclopentadiene).
Therefore, despite the advances achieved in the art, there continues to be need for improvements in the materials, particularly polymer materials and/or polymer composite materials, used for thermally insulating pipelines and associated equipment and structures used in offshore oil drilling.


A waterborne hydrophobic barrier coating formulation comprising a blend of a vinyl acetate-ethylene (VAE) polymer emulsion and a paraffin wax emulsion, wherein a dried coating of the blend on a substrate, such as a nonwoven web, an absorbent pad, or a textile, and dried, has a hydrostatic head barrier sufficient to prevent passage of fluids but allow passage of water vapor through it. A multi-layer material comprising at least one layer of a nonwoven web, an absorbent pad, or a textile, and at least one layer of a blend of a VAE polymer emulsion and paraffin wax emulsion.

Barrier coatings and barrier layers are used in a variety of applications; for example absorbent materials, nonwovens, and textiles. They are particularly important in absorbent materials for such products as absorbent pads, medical hygiene products, food bibs, food packaging, table top covers and the like where a hydrophobic layer covers but does not interfere with the absorbent material. The barrier layer prevents the absorbed fluid from penetrating through the side opposite from where fluid was absorbed. When coatings are used on these types of products, it is desirable that they have little or no formaldehyde and no alkylphenol ethoxylate surfactants.
Absorbent materials are frequently multi-layered in construction and can comprise a liquid-permeable cover sheet having one side designed for placement in contact with the wearer or food, an absorbent section, and an impervious backsheet. Polyethylene films are typically used as a backsheet for absorbent pads because it prevents passage of fluids to the opposite side of the film. In some cases, the polyethylene film is perforated in such a way as to allow water vapor to pass through the film but inhibit the passage of fluids. However, there are drawbacks to the use of polyethylene film for absorbent pads. For example, it is sometimes difficult to place and attach the polyethylene film to a substrate, creating waste when it skews off the substrate during secondary operations. In some cases, application of an adhesive, such as a hot melt adhesive, or some other method of attachment is needed to keep the polyethylene film in place. Also, the polyethylene film needs to be applied in a secondary operation which is separate from the production of the absorbent pad, textile, or nonwoven. A more practical substitute for the polyethylene backsheet would therefore benefit the industry.
Examples of coatings used as water repellents are disclosed in the following publications:
Colbert ("Fluorochemicals—fluid repellency for nonwoven substrates" (TAPPI, September 1976, Vol. 59, No. 9, pages 129-131)) discloses the use of fluorochemicals to provide fluid repellency to nonwoven substrates without the formation of continuous film barriers.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,062,818 (Mate, 1977) discloses an aqueous composition which imparts both flame resistance and water repellency properties to nonwoven textiles. The composition contains a poly(vinyl acetate), a chloro- or bromo-substituted phosphate plasticizer, a polyfluoroalkyl polyacrylate, water repellent, and an inorganic, water soluble salt.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,912,674 (Stahl, 1975) discloses a water repellent coating made up of an ethylene ionic copolymer, a paraffin wax, and a terpolymer of vinyl acetate, ethylene, and N-methylol acrylamide. The ethylene copolymer dispersion is held in dispersed phase by means of an amine soap surfactant.
WO98/14078 (Baumann, et al., 1998) discloses a face mask that allows gas to pass through while inhibiting passage of liquid through it. The mask includes a face-contacting layer, an outer cover layer, a polymeric microfiber mat disposed between the face-contacting layer and the outer cover sheet, and a non-woven fibrous mat disposed between the face-contacting layer and the outer cover sheet. The non-woven fibrous mat includes polymeric fibers and a surface energy reducing agent, such as a fluorochemical, a wax, a silicon or a combination thereof.
US 2001/0021616 A1 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,251,210 B1 (Bullock et al, 2001) disclose a method of preparing a stain resistant and water repellant textile fabric in which the fabric is first treated with a fluorochemical textile treatment composition and dried at elevated temperature. The treated fabric is then provided with a polymeric film to one side of the treated fabric and dried again at elevated temperature. A detackifying wax may be part of the secondary treatment composition.


A spray nozzle having a nozzle housing, at least one swirl chamber which is disposed in the nozzle housing, and at least one exit opening, wherein the exit opening is disposed at the end of an exit duct which emanates from the swirl chamber and widens in the direction towards the exit opening, wherein a constriction is disposed at the transition from the swirl chamber to the exit duct, and wherein the angle of the wall steadily increases in the direction towards the exit opening or in portions remains identical, in which an angle of the wall of the exit duct at the exit opening, when viewed in the circumferential direction of the exit opening, is not constant.

A double-swirl spray nozzle which has two swirl chambers, one exit duct which widens in the direction towards an exit opening emanating from each of said swirl chambers, is disclosed in European Patent Document EP 1 491 260 B1. An angle of the wall of the exit duct in relation to a longitudinal central axis of the exit duct steadily increases in a few portions in the direction towards the exit opening while said angle remains identical in other portions. The double-swirl spray nozzle shown has both exit openings on the same side of the nozzle housing. The two exit openings are disposed at an angle in relation to one another. The double-swirl spray nozzle described is employed in flue gas purification plants, for example, in particular in gas scrubbers.
German Patent Document DE 100 33 781 C1 describes a double-swirl spray nozzle which has two swirl chambers and exit ducts which in each case emanate from the swirl chambers and run up to an exit opening. The exit openings are oriented towards opposite sides of the housing.

Spray nozzle and method for producing non-round spray cones


A system and method for automatically controlling color synchronization polarity during video decoding. Various aspects of the present invention may comprise at least one module that is adapted to monitor color synchronization polarity at a plurality of instances over a period of time. The at least one module may also, for example, be adapted to generate a sequence of signals indicative of the color synchronization polarity correctness at the plurality of instances. The at least one module may additionally, for example, be adapted to statistically analyze the sequence of signals. The at least one module may further, for example, be adapted to determine, based at least in part on the statistical analysis of the sequence of signals, whether color synchronization polarity is correct. The at least one module may still further, for example, be adapted to control color synchronization polarity based, at least in part, on the polarity correctness determination.

Video communication signals may generally utilize a modulated subcarrier to communicate video information. For example, various video communication signals may communicate video color information by phase-modulating a subcarrier signal. A receiver of such information may then extract the communicated video information by processing the phase-modulated subcarrier signal (e.g., in conjunction with a reference subcarrier signal). Such a reference subcarrier signal may, for example, be communicated directly to the receiver (e.g., as a subcarrier burst signal) or may be derived by the receiver.
In various video communication techniques, polarity of the modulated subcarrier and/or reference subcarrier may change. By way of illustration, the Phase Alternation Line (PAL) video standard includes inverting the polarity of the color signal component between adjacent scan lines. Therefore, processing such a signal may include utilizing polarity information. For example, in processing such a PAL television signal, the color synchronization process may include generating a switching signal to track PAL signal polarity changes (e.g., alternating on a line-by-line basis). Such a switching signal may, for example, be produced by processing subcarrier burst information. However, the generation of such a switching signal may be susceptible to noise. For example, noise may result in a switching signal changing state when the polarity of the subcarrier has not changed. An incorrect switching signal may then, in turn, cause incorrect processing of the modulated subcarrier, which may result in a relatively poor quality video presentation.
Further limitations and disadvantages of conventional and traditional approaches will become apparent to one of skill in the art, through comparison of such systems with the present invention as set forth in the remainder of the present application with reference to the drawings.


A touch input device having infrared light beams defined by a plurality of pairs of light emitters and phototransistors is disclosed. A feedback loop containing a programmable amplifier is employed to compensate for the effects of ambient light and for device irregularities. The phototransistor current is first converted to a signal voltage by an operational amplifier and then is input into a low pass filter. The output of the lowpass filter is input into a feedback loop containing a summing amplifier, a programmable amplifier and an integrator. As light emitters and phototransistors are sequentially activated, the feedback loop with the programmable amplifier compares outputs signals in the unactivated state with those input when the light emitters are activated to compensate for ambient conditions and errors.

Along with the continued and increasing use of video displays has been the problem of the man/machine interface. Traditionally, control of displayed information or cursers has been via the use of a keyboard. More recently, however, a number of devices allow an operator to directly interact with a video display. These devices have included light pens, desk-type mouse controllers, or touch input devices, such as switch matrixes or opto-electronic matrices. While switch-type overlays, placed adjacent to a video display, are generally inexpensive to apply and to utilize, they are also susceptible to contact wear as well as the distortion of the video information which is presented to the viewer or operator, particularly in situations involving a high degree of use. Opto-electronic matrix schemes utilizing light which is generally in the infrared region, however, create a matrix which is invisible to the viewer or operator and, therefore, do not distort the video information displayed and is not subject to wear in high use environments. Systems utilizing opto-matrix frames are well known in the art. An example of such a system includes U.S. Pat. No. 4,267,443, entitled "Photoelectric Input Apparatus," issued May 12, 1981, to Carroll, et al.
Attendant to the use of such systems are problems such as increasing frame resolution without a corresponding increase in the number of components used, surrounding or ambient light compensation, and the optimization of emitter/detector driving and detecting networks. Such systems, however, still have certain drawbacks. For example, the use of a large number of components results in higher costs. Additionally, some systems exhibit difficulty in compensating for reflection or glare, which sometimes results in the failure of the system to detect a touch or hit.
It is generally desirable to have a touch entry system which minimizes the number of components necessary for addressing and sampling light emitters and light detectors. It is also desirable that the device dynamically compensate for ambient light effects and for variations in emitter light output and detector sensitivity. At the same time, however, the device should employ a minimal number of components. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a touch entry system and circuitry for such a system which minimizes the number of components necessary for accurately addressing and sampling light detectors and light emitters surrounding an irradiated field.
Other ambient light compensation systems have required the use of large amounts of energy to drive light emitting devices, such as infrared light emitting diodes (LEDs), in order to ensure that the intensity of the light emitted by the LEDs is greater than the intensity of the ambient light. Such an approach requires the use of expensive light emitting and light detecting elements. Such an approach also requires that even high performance LEDs and phototransistors be operated outside normal operating ranges.
It is an object of the invention to provide a touch entry system and circuitry for such a system which utilizes a feedback loop which selectively holds the signal resulting from the ambient contribution at a pre-selected reference level to provide increased accuracy and confidence in the determination of the presence of an element in an irradiated field.
It is a still further object of the invention to provide a practical touch entry system and circuitry for such a system comprising a substantially rectangular frame with optical emitters and detectors disposed in the sides of the frame with a device for sequentially sampling and activating the light detectors and light emitters.
A still further object of the invention is to provide a cost effective touch entry system and circuitry for such a system to overcome ambient light problems in a touch entry system by utilizing and detecting light pulses.
It is a still further object of the invention to provide a touch entry system and circuitry for such a system which compensates for ambient light effects which is easily manufactured and produced with a minimum number of components and at a minimal cost.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,243,879 discloses a touch panel with ambient light sampling. This device includes sampling means for sampling the ambient output level of each of a plurality of light detectors. Storage means are employed to temporarily hold the signal representative of ambient light. Comparison is then made of the signal received from the same detector illuminated by a corresponding source of infrared light to detect the additional light. If no additional light is detected then a hit due to the presence of an opaque element blocking the infrared beam is detected.
The device employed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,243,879 does however have certain disadvantages which are not characteristic of the instant invention. It is difficult to conduct an accurate sampling with this prior art device. High precision resistors must be employed to subtract the ambient light signal from the activated signal. Therefore there are limits to the range of ambient light which can be handled because of the offsets and the errors in the subtraction make it easy to run up against a limit on the amount of ambient light which can be handled. With the instant invention, a servo loop is used to zero out the ambient. This servo loop is attached around the whole amplifier stage, all offsets and circuit resistor or capacitors type errors can be zeroed out. That allows compensation for all factors in a circuit in addition to ambient light. Therefore the amplifiers can be used at a much higher gain level than was possible with the prior art. This allows the front end to be set at a much lower gain, thereby giving a wider dynamic range to the ambient signal. The lower the gain on the front end, the more ambient light that can be handled. Signal swings at the front end can then be compensated by the servo loop containing a programmable amplifier according to the preferred embodiment of the invention. Previously sampling of the ambient and the activated signal was done before gain was applied and that required a comparison of two different resistor values in the prior art device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,243,879. Therefore any errors in the resistor value were exaggarated by the subsequent amplification of the signal. In the instant invention the baseline signal corresponding to the ambient signal is at ground which is where it should be for the analogue to digital converters employed in the touch input controller which comprises the preferred embodiment of this invention.

Touch entry system with ambient compensation and programmable amplification


A rectangular container possessing four substantially vertical walls and a horizontal floor molded in one piece of plastic along with a matching waterproof lid molded in another separate piece of plastic is disclosed. At least two of the four vertical walls possess shielded vents comprising apertures through a wall possessing either screening or louvers or both across the entire aperture and rigidly attached to the wall. The uppermost edge of the four walls possesses a preformed U-shaped resilient edge and the lid possesses a preformed U-shaped resilient perimeter. The full engagement of the lid perimeter with the box uppermost edge results in a removable closure of the box interior which is water resistant proof. In one embodiment, the uppermost edge of the front wall is of a constant height which is less than the constant height of the rear wall and the two side walls possess a height inclined from the front elevation to the rear elevation. The slope of the cover sheds precipitation. Corrugation of the floor, walls and lid is recommended for increased rigidity along with single wall construction. The shielded vents allows gaseous exchange between the box interior and the ambient atmosphere while preventing either the ingress and egress of insects or the entry of rain or both.

The storage of firewood is typically accomplished by stacking the wood, thus minimizing the upper surface area most vulnerable to precipitation, often using a tarpaulin over the top of the stack to protect the wood from moisture accumulation. Smaller amounts of firewood are often stored against an exterior wall of a house, nearby a door, for the sake of convenience. Such ready supplies often lack any protection from precipitation and, furthermore, pose a threat to the structure of the house in the form of termites and other wood damaging insects which frequently infest firewood supplies.
Storage of firewood in a large, moistureproof container might prevent damage to the wood from precipitation as well as damage to the house from insect infestation, but a fully moisture proof container would promote condensation in the container and fail to let the wood dry more fully. Similarly, there are other materials, such as flammable fluids and woolens, which would be better stored in a container which is largely moisture proof but provided with ventilation. Vapors from flammable fluids such as gasoline used for lawnmowers may pose a danger in a vapor tight container, yet is is preferable to store such fluids in a protected area, ideally with a shielded means of ventilation. The storage of woolens similarly benefits from an environment wherein insects, primarily moths, are excluded, but ventilation is available.
Plastic containers providing moisture proof storage are well known. Containers providing an abundance of ventilation are also well known, primarily in the storage of fruit and vegetables. The requirements of an ideal environment for the storage of small stacks of firewood close to a house, of numerous flammable fluids such as gasoline as well as woolens and other materials, combustible or not, demand a container that is well protected from precipitation and receives ventilation in a manner that is shielded either from the migration of insects or intrusion of flame. There are, however, no known containers which are largely moisture proof possessing means of shielded ventilation.


An infrared data communication module includes a substrate having a surface on which a light emitting element, a light receiving element, and an IC element are mounted. A resin package is formed on the substrate for integrally enclosing the light emitting element, the light receiving element and the IC element. A shield member is formed within the resin package for covering the IC element to prevent light-attributable noises from reaching the IC element.

1. Field of the Invention:
The present invention relates to an infrared data communication module used for performing infrared data communication by IrDA (Infrared Data Association) method. The present invention also relates to a method for making such an infrared data communication module.
2. Description of the Related Art:
Infrared data communication modules are conventionally utilized for performing infrared data communication based on the IrDA (Infrared Data Association) method between different apparatuses such as notebook-size personal computers or mobile phones or between such an apparatus and a peripheral device such as a printer. A prior art infrared data communication module (hereinafter simply referred to as "module") has such a structure as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13. Specifically, the module 1 includes a substrate 3 having a surface 3a formed with a conductor pattern 2, a light emitting element 4, a light receiving element 5, and an IC element 6 mounted at predetermined portions of the conductor pattern 2. The elements 4, 5, 6 are connected, via gold wires W, to predetermined portions of the conductor pattern 2.
The surface 3a of the substrate 3 is upwardly provided with a package 9 formed by molding a resin for integrally sealing the elements 4, 5, and 6. The package 9 has an upper surface 9a formed with a light emitting lens 11 at a location corresponding to the light emitting element 4 and a light receiving lens 12 at a location corresponding to the light receiving element 5. The substrate 3 has a lower surface 3b formed with connection terminals 13 (See FIG. 12) for connection to an external circuit board (not shown) by soldering. The substrate 3 has a side surface 3c formed with grooves 14 for electrically connecting the connection terminals 13 to the conductor pattern 2 on the upper surface 3a of the substrate 3.
In use, the module 1 having the above-described structure is mounted onto a circuit board (not shown) for incorporation in an electronic apparatus (not shown) such as a notebook-size personal computer or a mobile phone.
However, in using the module 1 as a part of such an electronic apparatus, the IC element 6 may be adversely affected by noises generated internally or externally of the apparatus. The internal noises may come from the power source of the apparatus, whereas external noises may include electromagnetic waves (other than light), light from a fluorescent lamp or the sunlight.
The IC element 6 may incorporate an electronic circuit for avoiding the influences of the noises caused by electromagnetic waves. Generally, however, such a circuit is not effective for avoiding the influences of light.
Therefore, as shown in FIG. 14, the module maybe provided with a metallic shield case 28 for blocking light. By the shield case 28, the IC element 6 can be prevented from erroneously operating due to the noises caused by light.
However, the provision of the shield case 28 increases the parts cost of the module 1. Moreover, the process step of attaching a shield case 28 to a module 1 one by one increases the manufacturing cost.

Infrared data communication module and method of making the same


Memory management routines for a program are instrumented to check if the address of an object they are handling is equal to the value of a predetermined pointer. If the address of the object equals the value of the global pointer, then a debugging routine is called. In a debugger, a breakpoint is placed on the debugging routine, and the program is run until the breakpoint is tripped. At this or one of the later breakpoints, the corrupted memory address is repeatedly inspected until the operation that caused the corruption is executed.

The present invention relates to computer systems and more particularly to a diagnostic technique for debugging memory corruption.
During execution of a program, objects are allocated memory, which is used to store information. An object is an entity that encapsulates data and, in some languages, operations associated with the object. Since the encapsulated data is stored in memory, objects are associated with particular regions of memory that are allocated and deallocated by the program. In most environments, memory management routines are provided to allow programmers to dynamically allocate and deallocate memory for objects. In some run-time environments, such as in a JAVA(trademark) virtual machine, the memory management routines also provide for garbage collection, which automatically reclaims memory for objects that are no longer used.
Due to programming errors, the memory of an object or other data structure may be unintentionally modified. This type of error is referred to as xe2x80x9cmemory corruption,xe2x80x9d and there are many causes for memory corruption, such as overwriting beyond the bounds of an object (into another object), writing to an uninitialized pointer, writing to a pointer that used to point to an object but that had been deallocated, and other misuses of pointers.
Memory corruption is a notoriously difficult and subtle problem to fix. Typically, the effect of the corruption does not manifest until well after the corruption occurred. For example, an object may be allocated in a run-time environment employing garbage collection. This object may contain a reference to another object, typically stored as a machine pointer. If the machine pointer in the object is corrupted due to a programming error, then using the corrupted pointer may result in attempting to access an invalid area of memory, producing a segmentation fault or other operating system fault and generating a core dump. In many cases, the corrupted pointer lies dormant until much later, when the garbage collector inspects pointers contained in the object.
Conventional techniques for identifying the cause of a memory corruption are laborious and cumbersome. Although it is generally possible to ascertain the memory location of the corrupted part of the object by inspecting the core dump, it is difficult to identify which operation actually corrupted the object. Because most memory corruption occurs from misusing pointers, the operation that corrupted the object often bears no apparent relationship to the object.
To debug a memory corruption, a programmer typically establishes the operating conditions, such as the input data, that cause the memory corruption to be consistently reproducible. Inspecting the core dump, the programmer then figures out the memory address of the part of the object that was overwritten and looks for changes to that memory location. Many debuggers provide xe2x80x9cwatchpoints,xe2x80x9d which direct the debugger to break execution of a program when a specified memory location changes. Accordingly, the programmer would set a watchpoint on the memory location that was corrupted and inspect every change to that memory location.
Unfortunately, that memory location may be legitimately used for thousands of times from the beginning of the program before becoming corrupted. In fact, that memory location may be used by many different objects before the corrupted object was even allocated, because memory is often reused. As a result, the programmer may be forced to inspect thousands of benign modifications to a particular memory address. Even if the memory address changes relatively few times, using watchpoints is a slow and cumbersome procedure. For example, with software watchpoints, execution of the program is slowed by many orders of magnitude, because the debugger has to step through the program, operation by operation, and check if the specified memory location has changed. Even with hardware watchpoints, the debugging operation by the user is slow, because the user has to check for each modification if the modification is not benign.
Therefore, there is a need for a diagnostic technique that can quickly help the programmer to identify the cause of memory corruption errors.
This need and others are addressed by the present invention, in which the memory management routines are instrumented (e.g. in a debugging compilation mode) to check if the address of the object they are handling is equal to the value of a predetermined pointer. If the address of the object equals the value of the pointer, then a debugging routine is called. One advantage to calling the debugging routine is that the programmer can set a xe2x80x9cbreakpointxe2x80x9d on the debugging routine. A breakpoint is facility provided by debuggers that breaks execution of a program when a specified instruction is executed, for example, the first instruction of a function, to allow the programmer inspect the state of the program at that point. Setting a breakpoint and breaking execution of the program when the breakpoint is encountered usually does not affect the speed of the rest of the program in the debugger.
To use these instrumented memory management routines, a programmer ascertains the address of the object that was corrupted, typically by inspecting the core dump, and sets the global pointer to that address. In addition, the programmer sets a breakpoint on the debugging routine and starts execution of the program. All of these operations can be performed in the debugger without having to recompile the program. When the instrumented memory management routines handle an object whose address equals the value of the global pointer, the debugging routine is called, which trips the breakpoint. For example, this event may occur whenever an object is allocated at, deallocated from, or relocated from or to that address. At the last breakpoint before the object is corrupted, the programmer then sets a watchpoint on the corrupted memory address within the object and waits for the corruption to occur. Since a breakpoint rather than a watchpoint is used to pass over working areas of the program (because breakpoints are typically triggered much less often than watchpoints on changes to a watched memory location), execution of the program in the debugger is fast, and much less time is spent in finding the source of memory corruptions.
Accordingly one aspect of the invention relates to a method and software for debugging a memory corruption in a program. An instrumented version of the program is executed with a memory management routine that compares an address of an object handled by the memory management routine and a value of a pointer, and, if the address of the object equals the value of the pointer, calls a debugging function. The methodology also includes setting the pointer to a desired value and setting a breakpoint on the debugging function.
In one embodiment, execution of the instrumented version of the program is broken when the breakpointed debugging function is called, so that a watchpoint may be set on a memory location afflicted with the memory corruption; and execution is continued until the memory location changes.
Another aspect of the invention pertains to a method and software for debugging a memory corruption in a program by: comparing an address of an object handled by a memory management routine of the program and a value of a predetermined pointer; and, if the address of the object equals the value of the predetermined pointer, then calling a debugging function. In one embodiment, the memory management routine may be a memory allocation or a memory deallocation routine.
Yet another aspect of the invention involves a method and software for debugging a memory corruption in a program by instrumenting or conditionally compiling one or more memory management routines of the program to perform the steps of: comparing an address of an object handled by a memory management routine of the program and a value of a pointer; and if the address of the object equals the value of the pointer, then calling a debugging function.
Still other objects and advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent from the following detailed description, simply by way of illustration of the best mode contemplated of carrying out the invention. As will be realized, the invention is capable of other and different embodiments, and its several details are capable of modifications in various obvious respects, all without departing from the invention. Accordingly, the drawing and description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature, and not as restrictive.

Diagnostic technique for debugging memory corruption