A hybrid transmission is configured to transfer mechanical power to an output member and includes an input member, an output member, and a transmission case circumscribing first and second differential gear sets, each differential gear set including a plurality of meshingly engaged rotatable elements. The first differential gear set is configured with four nodes for transferring mechanical power, and the second differential gear set is configured with three nodes for transferring mechanical power. Two of the four nodes of the first differential gear set are continuously interconnected to two of the three nodes of the second differential gear set. A first torque transfer clutch is configured to selectively connect the input member to an internal combustion engine. First and second brake devices are configured to selectively interconnect elements of the first and second differential gear sets, the transmission case, the input member, and the output member.

The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
Powertrain systems use transmission devices to transfer tractive torque between one or more torque generative devices and an output member connected to a driveline. A hybrid transmission device transfers torque between multiple torque generating devices and an output member, with the multiple torque generating devices configured to generate power by converting potential energy to mechanical power. The hybrid transmission device and torque generating devices can also operate to react vehicle kinetic energy to create storable potential energy.
One of the torque generating devices can include a reciprocating piston internal combustion engine. A transmission device transfers mechanical power in the form of speed and torque from the engine to a driveline. The hybrid powertrain system can permit engine operation that is somewhat independent from the power output from the transmission, deriving additional power to meet requirements from other torque-generating devices. This permits engine operation that is optimized for emissions and fuel efficiency. A power-split transmission can use differential gearing to achieve a continuously variable torque and speed ratio between input and output. An electrically variable transmission can use the differential gearing to send a portion of the transmitted power to one or more torque generating devices, with a remainder of the power sent through a parallel torque path to a driveline. One form of differential gearing includes a planetary gear set.


A valve train for a reciprocating piston internal combustion engine with a transmission element in the form of a rocker arm (1) or pivot arm that can be actuated, on one hand, at least indirectly by a cam of a camshaft and is in active connection, on the other hand, through an intermediate connection of a valve bridge (4), with gas-exchange valves (7, 8). The valve bridge (4) has hydraulic valve lash compensation elements (“HVAs”) allocated to each gas-exchange valve (7, 8).

The invention relates to a valve train of a reciprocating piston internal combustion engine with a transmission element in the form of a rocker arm or pivot arm that can be actuated, on one hand, at least indirectly by a cam of a camshaft and is in active connection, on the other hand, under intermediate connection of a valve bridge, with gas-exchange valves, wherein the valve bridge has at least one hydraulic valve lash compensation element, also called "HVA" below.
Such a valve train according to the class is known from DE 10 2010 011 454 A1. The document describes two constructions, wherein one construction has a bridge that is provided on one end with a hydraulic valve lash compensation element. Because this HVA can perform lash compensation for only one gas-exchange valve, the transmission element has, on its end, an adjusting screw with spherical cap so that the gas-exchange valve provided with an HVA must be adjusted and readjusted using the adjusting screw. In the second construction, the HVA is arranged in the middle of the valve bridge, wherein the connection to the transmission element is realized, in turn, by an adjusting screw and a spherical cap. Here it is not clear how differences in the length and extensions of the gas-exchange valves are to be set, because the HVA is active for both gas-exchange valves and must have an appropriately large volume construction.

Valve train of a reciprocating piston internal combustion engine


This invention provides a new architecture for a communication system between head-ends and end-users which expands bandwidth and reliability of the communication system. A mux-node receives communication signals from a head-end and forwards the received communication signals to one or more mini-fiber nodes. The connection to the head-end is via a small number of optical fibers and the connections to each of the mini-fiber nodes may be via one or more optical fibers that may provide full duplex communication. The head-end may communicate with the mux-node using digital or digital and analog signals. The mini-fiber nodes may combine the signals received from the head-end with loop-back signals used for local media access control prior to forwarding the signals to the end-users. Upstream data are received by the mini-fiber nodes and transmitted to the mux-node. The mux-node may route upstream communication signals received from the mini-fiber nodes as downstream signals to other mini-fiber nodes also connected to the mux-node without head-end interaction.

1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to a communication system that includes fiber optic and wired media.
2. Description of Related Art
Cable communication systems use optical fibers to transmit information between a head-end and a fiber node and use coaxial cable to transmit information between the fiber node and end-users. With increasing need for greater capacity, current systems are stressed to their limits. Thus, there is need for new technology to increase capabilities of communication between head-ends and end-users.
This invention provides a new architecture for a communication system between head-ends and end-users that expands capacity, simplifies transmission and operation, increases reliability and reduces cost of the communication system. One or more mux-nodes in the new architecture receive communication signals from a head-end and forward the received communication signals to one or more mini-fiber nodes (mFNs). The mFNs provide full duplex communication to the end-users. The head-end may include primary hubs that provide connectivity among all end-users of the communication system. The primary hubs also serve as information sources providing services such as TV broadcast signals. The head-end may also include secondary hubs that perform functions such as optical signal distribution and system recovery.
The head-end may be connected to one or more mux-nodes where each of the mux-nodes are connected to the head-end via a small number of optical fibers (preferably two or four). A mux-node may be connected to one or more mFNs via one or more optical fibers, and each of the mFNs may be connected to one or more end-users via passive wired connections such as coaxial lines. In this way, the number of connections to the head-end may be much smaller than if mFNs are connected directly to the head-end without the mux-node.
The communication between the head-end and the mux-node may include analog and digital signals. Digital signals may include digital base band signals (1s and 0s) as well as digital signals modulated onto radio frequency (RF) sub-carriers (RF digital signals). The analog signals may also include the RF digital signals as well as pure analog signals such as TV broadcast signals.
When the analog and digital signals are received together, the mux-node separates the analog signals from the digital signals. The analog signals may be narrowcast signals that are destined to end-users of selected mFNs, for example. The digital signals may be multiplexed using a multiplexing scheme such as time division multiplexing (TDM). The digital signals destined to specific end-users may be demultiplexed and transmitted to the destined end-users through the mFNs that serve the respective end-users. The narrowcast analog signals for each mFN may be combined with digital signals prior to transmitting to the respective mFNs. Each of the mFNs receives the analog and digital signals, modulates these signals onto appropriate RF bands and transmits the signals to the end-users via the passive wired connection.
Upstream RF signals may be received by the mFNs via the passive wired connections from the end-users. The RF signals may include pure analog and RF digital signals. The mFNs may convert some or all of the upstream RF digital signals into digital base band signals for transmission to the mux-node. Alternatively, the mFNs may transmit the RF digital signals directly to the mux-node and the mux-node may perform the RF digital to digital base band conversion.
The analog and digital upstream signals may be transmitted to the mux-node using either multiple optical fibers or wavelength division multiplexing (WDM), for example. The mux-node may RF combine the analog upstream signals from all the mFNs for transmission to the head-end. The RF combining may be performed by either adding the RF signals received from the mFNs together or by frequency division multiplexing the RF signals. The upstream digital signals are processed by the mux-node. Those signals that are destined to the head-end are multiplexed using TDM, for example, and transmitted to the head-end. The analog signals and the multiplexed digital signals may be transmitted to the head-end using wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) or dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM), for example.
The mux-node may receive communication signals from end-users through the mFNs that are destined to other end-users connected to the mFNs being served by the same mux-node. In this situation, the mux-node may route the communication signals among mFNs without forwarding the information to the head-end. In addition, routing functions may be performed in the mFNs also. For example, the mFNs may detect that a communication is destined to one of the end-users also connected to the same mFN and route the communication to the end-user without processing by the respective mux-node. The mFNs may also assist the routing process by labeling or adding information to upstream communications so that routing tasks may be simplified at the mux-node, for example. In this way, communication traffic between the mux-node and the head-end may be reduced with corresponding increase in efficiency.
Reliability is increased because the mux-node reduces the number of optical fibers required to be connected to the head-end. The reliability is further increased because a greater distance is spanned by a smaller number of optical fibers between the head-end and the mux-node than distances spanned by a larger number of optical fibers between the mux-node and the mFNs. The wired connections to the end-users are passive and do not include active devices such as amplifiers and thus reduce power consumption and lengthen mean-time-to-failure (MTTF). The small number of optical fibers to the head-end and the lower power consumption of the wired connections shorten the mean-time-to-repair (MTTR) and reduce cost of the communication system.


A process for the production of polyethylene materials oriented at a high level is disclosed in which a selected ethylene polymer as produced is extruded or rolled at a temperature lower than its melting point and subsequently subjected to stretching. The polymer is from 5 to 50 dl/g at 135.degree. C. in decalin in intrinsic viscosity and smaller than 60 .ANG. in crystal size on a plane (110) in the diffraction pattern.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a process for producing polyethylene materials of improved mechanical strength and elastic modulus characteristics by a specified mode of molding.
2. Description of the Prior Art
An ethylene polymer of an extremely high molecular weight, commonly called ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene, is well known to have superior resistance to impact and to abrasion and peculiar self-lubricity. This type of polyethylene enjoys high reputation as an engineering plastic material and finds extensive application to hoppers, silos, gears, linings and the like for use in various sectors of industry ranging from food processing, civil engineering, chemistry, agriculture and mining to sports and leisure supplies
Polyethylene of ultrahigh molecular weight is literally high in melting viscosity and hence difficult to extrude or stretch under usual molding conditions. This is interpreted to mean that the benefits of such polymer cannot be attained to a full extent.
In Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 56-15408 it has been proposed to stretch a certain gel derived from a decalin dope of ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene, thereby forming highly strong, elastic fibers. This dope however can only be formed with a limited polymer concentration, say 3% by weight of a polyethylene having weight-average molecular weight of 1.5.times.10.sup.6 or 1% by weight of a polyethylene having a similar molecular weight of 4.times.10.sup.6. Such prior stretching has a drawback in that it requires much solvent and much care in dissolving the polymer in the solvent, leading to lesser economy and inconvenient handling.
Alternatively, polyethylenes of ultrahigh molecular weights have been oriented to a high degree as disclosed for instance in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 59-187614, No. 60-15120 and No. 60-97836 and Preprints of the Society of High Polymers, Japan, vol. 34, p. 873 (1985). In such prior modes of molding a dilute solution of that polymer in xylene, decalin, kerosine or a similar solvent is cooled or crystallized isothermally to form a single crystal mat which is thereafter extruded or stretched in a solid phase. This is still uneconomical with much solvent necessary for mat formation.
Furthermore, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 63-41512and No. 63-66207 teaches stretching ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene without resorting to dissolution or melting. This leaves the magnitude of orientation unsolved.

Process for producing highly oriented polyethylene material


A remote control system for controlling a television receiver or the like, which has an operating portion including a diaphragm and at least four light receiving elements. In the remote control system, light issued from an external light source is received by the light receiving elements through the diaphragm. Further, the direction in which the operating portion is oriented is detected on the basis of light receiving signals outputted, by corresponding single electrodes, from each of the light receiving elements. Furthermore, in a unit such as a to be controlled television receiver, a cursor is displayed at a position toward which the operating portion is turned on the screen of the unit. Then, the cursor is moved on the screen in response to change in the direction in which the operating portion is oriented. Subsequently, a desired operation is performed by depressing a switch of the operating portion when the cursor is superposed on an indication of the desired operation in a menu displayed on the screen. Thereby, the remote control system is easily manipulated.

1. Field of The Invention
This invention relates to a remote control system for controlling a television receiver or the like.
2. Description of The Prior Art
In recent years, there has been a trend toward large television receivers. Moreover, projection television receivers each of which meets a demand for a very large screen and has equipment provided on the ceiling of a room for projecting an image on a screen mounted on a wall thereof instead of a cathode ray tube (CRT) have been coming into wide use.
When using the projection television receivers, it is necessary for showing a motion picture to shade a room similarly as in case of showing a picture at a movie theater (i.e., a cinema house). However, when a room is darkened, characters printed on a remote control system which are necessary for manipulating the remote control system becomes hard to read and as a result the remote control system becomes difficult to manipulate.
As a countermeasure for this, a system in which an illuminator is incorporated into a conventional remote control device is employed. However, when using this system, it is necessary for a viewer to alternately view an image projected on the screen in front and the keyboard of the remote control device on hand in every manipulation of the remote control device. Thus, in case of the conventional system, a viewer needs to frequently move his eyes between the screen and the remote control device. Additionally, the characters printed on the keyboard of the remote control device are too small and therefore are hard to read. Therefore the conventional remote control system has a drawback that the remote control device is hard to manipulate.
Furthermore, similarly as in cases of using the projection television receivers, when using direct view receivers each of which employs an ordinary CRT, a conventional remote control system for controlling each of the direct view receivers has a similar drawback arising from the fact that the remote control device be manipulated by alternately viewing an image shown on the screen and characters printed on the remote control device.
The present invention eliminates the above described drawbacks of the conventional remote control system.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a remote control system which is easier to use in comparison with the conventional remote control system.

Remote control system for controlling a television receiver

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


A tool comprises a blade operatively connected to a shaft and also comprises a foot plate operatively connected to the blade or the shaft. The tool is adapted for applications including, but not limited to, trenching and edging. In particular, the tool is adapted so the blade can travel forward in an arc without coming completely out of the soil. The blade can be designed to cut through roots up to a limited size.

Vines are often categorized as woody or herbaceous twining or climbing plants with relatively long stems. The Invasive Plant Atlas lists 145 species vines invasive to U.S. natural areas. These vines are considered to be invasive if present in areas well outside their natural ranges due to human activity. Nuisance vines can be primarily climbing vines such as wisteria, ground-cover vines such as vinca, or both ground-cover and climbing vines such as ivy. A short list of highly invasive vines includes, but is not limited to, English ivy, Himalayan blackberry, and morning glory.
Nuisance vines are presented herein only by way of example to English ivy (Hedera helix). English ivy is an invasive plant species now found in many temperate parts of the world, including the United States. It is destructive to the environment because it outcompetes and grows over native plants forming an "ivy desert" where ivy becomes the dominant, or only, plant species in the area.
Besides covering the ground, ivy also grows up trees. Even though ivy uses trees only as a structure to grow upon, ivy will damage trees when it grows high enough for the ivy leaves to block out light to the trees' own leaves. The added weight and span of the ivy can break branches and cause trees to topple over, especially in windstorms.
English ivy has been a popular cultivar because it's fast growing, hardy, grows in very low light conditions, and is an evergreen plant. Ivy has also been planted as a ground cover for erosion control; however, the root system of ivy is relatively shallow (about 10-13 cm), so it's actually poor for erosion control. Because ivy is abundantly cultivated, birds have easy access to its berries and then distribute the seeds to wild areas where the ivy is unwanted.
Because ivy growing on the ground surface may not root very deeply, ivy can be fairly easy to pull up from soft soil. The green ivy vines growing on the ground may grow to only 0.6 cm diameter, and the vines can be fairly easy to cut. However, ivy can be difficult to remove from harder soils, and the vines can become hard and woody with age. Moreover, ivy vines spread out in all directions, become interwoven with other vines and debris, and are tough to break by hand.
People have tried to use various tools to cut ivy: pruning loppers, hedge clippers, spades, brush axes, etc. with hard work and limited success. Because English ivy is so difficult to remove, people often resort to using toxic chemicals to kill it. Unfortunately, toxic chemicals present their own problems, including destruction of nearby flora and soil and contamination of ground water. Accordingly, a better method for ivy removal, and vine removal in general, is desirable.


Methods for simultaneously decarboxylating carbohydrate acids and reducing carbohydrate aldehydes in a divided electrochemical cell having a central compartment separate from the anode and cathode are disclosed using a cation membrane and a bipolar membrane. The improved methods are more cost-efficient and environmentally friendly.

A cost-effective method to maintain sugar acid neutralization during a sugar decarboxylation process is described in U.S. Patent Application No. 61/777,890. Therein, the sugar acids can be decarboxylated to produce carbohydrate aldehydes at the anode of a two-compartment electrolytic cell, which can be divided by a cation exchange membrane. A hydroxide salt is produced in the catholyte. Neutralization of sugar acid solutions is maintained by back migration of hydroxide from the catholyte to the anolyte and by the addition of hydroxide from the catholyte to the anolyte.
The electrolytic reduction of sugar aldehydes has been employed in the production of sorbitol, xylitol and mannitol, as in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,303,210, 2,507,973, and 2,537,304.
Electrolytic cells can be constructed in many different configurations. However, all previously disclosed examples of carbohydrate acid electrolytic decarboxylations and carbohydrate aldehyde reductions are carried out in either single- or double-compartment cells.
The aldehyde functionality of carbohydrate aldehydes are often reduced to alcohols to produce products of greater value. There remains a need for cost-effective methods to reduce or eliminate such a processing step.

Methods for the simultaneous electrolytic decarboxylation and reduction of sugars


This aims to provide a wear-resistant copper-based alloy, which is advantages in not only enhancing wear resistance in a high temperature range but also enhancing crack resistance and machinability and which is especially suitable for forming a cladding layer. The wear-resistant copper-based alloy comprises, by weight, 4.7 to 22.0% nickel, 0.5 to 5.0% silicon, 2.7 to 22.0% iron, 1.0 to 15.0% chromium, 0.01 to 2.00% cobalt, 2.7 to 22.0% one or more of tantalum, titanium, zirconium and hafnium, and the balance of copper with inevitable impurities.

Conventionally known as wear-resistant copper-based alloys are beryllium-added copper alloys, copper-nickel-silicon alloys known as Corson alloys, and dispersion-strengthened alloys in which hard oxide particles such as SiO2, Cr2O3 and BeO particles are dispersed in a copper-based matrix. These alloys, however, have a problem of adhesion and do not always possess sufficient wear resistance.
In this connection, the present applicants have developed a wear-resistant copper-based alloy containing zinc and/or tin, which are more easily oxidized than copper. This copper-based alloy has upgraded in adhesion resistance because of generation of oxides of zinc and/or tin, and accordingly has improved in wear resistance. However, since zinc and tin have considerably lower melting points than that of copper, this alloy is not always satisfactory. Particularly when a cladding layer of the abovementioned copper-based alloy is formed by using such a high-density energy heat source as a laser beam, zinc and/or tin tend to evaporate during the cladding operation and it is not easy to maintain target concentrations of alloying elements. In this connection, recently the present applicants have developed wear-resistant copper-based alloys having a composition comprising, by weight, 10.0 to 30.0% nickel, 0.5 to 5.0% silicon, 2.0 to 15.0% iron, 1.0 to 10.0% chromium, 2.0 to 15.0% cobalt, and 2.0 to 15.0% one or more of molybdenum, tungsten, niobium and vanadium. (Patent Document No. 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. H08-225,868 and Patent Document No. 2: Japanese Examined Patent Publication No. H07-17,978). These alloys mainly comprise hard particles including silicide of Co—Mo, and a Cu—Ni based matrix. These wear-resistant copper-based alloys secure their wear resistance primarily by the hard particles including silicide of Co—Mo, while these wear-resistant copper-based alloys secure their crack resistance primarily by the Cu—Ni based matrix. These alloys exhibit high wear resistance even when used under severe conditions. Moreover, since neither zinc nor tin is used as a positive element, even if these alloys are used for cladding, there are little inconveniences caused by evaporation of alloying elements and fumes generate in a smaller amount. Consequently, these alloys are especially suitable for forming a cladding layer by using a high-density energy heat source such as a laser beam.
As mentioned above, the alloys according to Patent Document No. 3 (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. H08-225,868) and Patent Document No. 4 (Japanese Examined Patent Publication No. H07-17,978) exhibit excellent wear resistance even when used under severe conditions. Particularly in an oxidizing atmosphere or in the air these alloys exhibit excellent wear resistance because of generation of an oxide which shows favorable solid lubrication.
However, although having an effect of improving wear resistance, the above silicide of Co—Mo is so hard and brittle that when the composition of these alloys is controlled to increase the area ratio of the hard particles, the wear-resistant copper-based alloys deteriorate in terms of crack resistance. Especially when these wear-resistant copper-based alloys are used for cladding, the cladding layer sometimes cracks and the cladding yield rate deteriorates. In contrast, when the composition of these alloys is controlled to decrease the area ratio of the hard particles in the wear-resistant copper-based alloys, these wear-resistant copper-based alloys deteriorate in terms of wear resistance.
In recent years, the above wear-resistant copper-based alloys have been used under a variety of environments and their service conditions are getting severer. Therefore, wear-resistant copper-based alloys have been requested to be capable of exhibiting excellent wear resistance under various environments. In the industrial world, there is demand for an alloy which has good wear resistance, crack resistance and machinability in a balanced manner when compared with those of the alloys according to the above publications.
[Patent Document No. 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. H08-225,868
[Patent Document No. 2] Japanese Examined Patent Publication No. H07-17,978
[Patent Document No. 3] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. H08-225,868
[Patent Document No. 4] Japanese Examined Patent Publication No. H07-17,978


A method of checking revocation of a device and software, and transmitting data to a secure device and secure software whose keys have not been leaked is provided. The method includes receiving authentication information of a device requesting transmission of data, and authentication information of software accessing the data in the device; checking revocation of the device and the software, based on the received authentication information; and transmitting the data to the software of the device, when the device and the software are not revoked as a result of the checking. By doing so, during transmission of data, such as content or a license, it is possible to check security of a device and software being executed in the device, so that the data can be more safely transmitted.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of checking revocation of a content device and transmitting data, and more particularly, to a method, system, and data server for checking revocation of a device and software and transmitting data, such as contents or a license, to a secure device and secure software whose keys are not leaked.
2. Description of the Related Art
As illegal copying of digital content in the digital content industry has recently increased, a variety of technologies for protecting digital content have been researched and developed. Such examples include a Conditional Access System (CAS) for protecting broadcasting contents, Digital Rights Management (DRM) for determining whether to allow digital content to be used according to rights regarding the digital content, and digital content protection technologies for storage media such as a Content Scrambling System (CSS), Content Protection For Recordable Media (CPRM), and an Advanced Access Content System (AACS).
Most content protection systems such as DRM, CAS, CSS, and the like, control the use of content based on encryption so that only an authorized user or device can use the content only by a permitted method. The content protection system encrypts content, distributes or sells the content, and protects the content by allowing only an authorized to can access a content key capable of decrypting the content.
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a conceptual internal configuration of a conventional content device 100 playing contents by executing downloadable DRM software.
Here, it is possible to install different content protection systems in the content device 100, and in the case where an attempt is made to use content, the content device 100 has a structure in which the content is decrypted or the use of the content is controlled by executing content protection software such as DRM. There are various examples of the content device 100 including a digital television, a set top box, an MPEG Audio Layer-3 (MP3) player, a portable video player, a Digital Video Disc (DVD) player, a Blu-ray player, and the like.
The content device 100 includes a software execution unit 110, a playing/output unit 130 playing/outputting content, and a software storage unit 140 that is a storing medium capable of storing software. DRM software 120 executed in the software execution unit 110 includes a license processing unit 121 processing a content key or a license, and a content decryption unit 122 decrypting content secured by encryption.
The structure for using content protected by the DRM in the content device 100 will now be explained. When data such as content or a license is provided from outside the content device 100, and use of the content, such as playing of the content or transferring the content to an external device, is requested, the content device 100 executes the DRM software 120 for controlling the use of the content. The DRM software 120 executed in the software execution unit 110 interprets a license, in the license processing unit 121, for the usage rights of the content, and determines whether the content can be used. If use is permitted, the content is decrypted in the content decryption unit 122. The decrypted content is played or transferred to the external device via the playing/output unit 130. The above example of DRM software is given in order to explain about the present invention, but the content protection software may be other software content protection systems such as CAS software or other content protection software.
A conventional method of encrypting data is to encrypt data by using a secret key or a public key of another party, and to transmit the data. However, in the case of multimedia data having a huge amount of data, separate encryption of content by each user has very low efficiency since high-volume content is encrypted with keys that are always different. Thus, content protection systems mostly use a two-step encryption method in which one content key is used to encrypt the same content, and a user key respectively retained by each user is used to encrypt the one content key.
The user key uses a device key stored in various devices using contents, such as a digital television, a set-top box, an MP3 player, a portable video player, a DVD player, a Blu-ray player, and the like.
Meanwhile, before encrypting data by using the user key and transmitting the data, there is a preceding procedure in which a device key is checked to determine whether the device key has been leaked, so as to ensure security.
Generally, a certification authority (CA) may ensure user integrity of a public key included in a certificate. However, in the case where a private key corresponding to the public key included in the certificate is leaked, stolen, or lost, it may cause serious problems. That is, a malicious user who obtained the private key via wrongful means may disguise oneself as a rightful user. In other words, a malicious user B who obtained a private key of a user A may pretend to be the user A by using a name and a public key of the user A, and may obtain various important items of data. In such a case, a reliable party trusting a certificate may be damaged. Thus, when a key compromise such as a leakage of a private key occurs, damage due to the leakage of the private key has to be prevented by making a certificate related to a corresponding public key invalid so that another user cannot use the certificate. For prevention purposes, a CA may revoke certificates related to a public key corresponding to a damaged private key, and may register the certificates in a Certificate Revocation List (CRL), thereby informing all reliable parties.
Therefore, conventionally, a server providing data keeps the CRL related to a device key used as a user key, and when the server receives a request for data such as content or a license from a certain device in which a key has been leaked, the server checks security of the device by scanning the CRL, and then transmits the data.
However, in a downloadable DRM software environment such as a Personal Computer (PC) in which a content protection system is provided in the form of software or firmware so that the content protection system can be installed in a device via downloading, a user wishing to use desired content allows a content protection system applied to the desired content to be liberally installed in the user's device in the form of software, and then used. By doing so, various contents can be used without considering kinds of content protection systems. Therefore, not only a device but also security of such DRM software has to be ensured.

Method, system, and data server for checking revocation of content device and transmitting data


A product dispenser reconfigurable in the field includes a housing, at least one tower unit, and a removable ambient box. The at least one tower unit includes at least one dispense point, whereby a product or diluent is delivered from a diluent or product source to the dispense point. The ambient box is an insulated product path that is adaptable to at least one external source and the tower units or the dispense points. The external source may be conditioned externally or may deliver an ambient temperature product, wherein the product circuits passing through the ambient box may deliver product to any tower unit, thereby providing increased product variability within a same product dispenser. The product dispenser still further includes a tower structure that is removable without disabling the product circuits, and a method of merchandising on the tower structure.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to product dispensing equipment and, more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to methods and an apparatus for providing modular components in a beverage dispensing tower.
2. Description of the Related Art
Product dispensers in the beverage dispensing industry typically are hard plumbed, and have a life expectancy of approximately seven years. However, the product side of the product dispensing market changes rapidly, as food product manufacturers continuously create products aimed to capture a particular group of customers. Illustratively, beverage dispensing trends have moved from predominantly carbonated beverages to non-carbonated beverages in both conditioned and unconditioned forms, including waters, flavored waters, teas, juices, and the like. As such, retail account owners often find themselves with a product dispenser that is incapable of delivering newly popular products.
Problems arise when retail account owners desire to change their product availability. If the product dispenser is minimally upgradeable, it may not accommodate the newly desired product list. While multiple tower units provide some flexibility to remove and replace a portion of the product dispenser, the balance of the housing is typically hard plumbed, and there is no means for delivering ambient products. The problems are compounded when the beverage dispenser must be removed from a dispensing location to be retrofit, thereby forcing the establishment to lose sales and customers while the product dispenser is being retrofit.
Accordingly, a product dispenser that is reconfigurable in the field would be beneficial to product dispenser owners, product consumers, as well as product dispenser manufacturers.

Method and apparatus for a beverage dispenser


An ascent rate indicator mechanism includes a first wheel set and a pressure sensor. The first wheel set is connected to the pressure sensor driven in rotation by a pressure variation. The mechanism further includes a second wheel set driven by the first wheel set in a single direction of rotation from a start position into a measurement position corresponding to a decrease in pressure, uncoupling and return structure to be actuated at regular intervals to uncouple the second wheel set and to return it to the start position, an ascent rate display mechanism connected to the second wheel set and including an indicator member arranged to occupy, at each regular interval, a display position representative of the decrease in pressure during the interval, and synchronization structure actuated at each regular interval and arranged to maintain the display position of the indicator member during the regular interval.

A diver must know various parameters when he makes an underwater dive in order to ensure his safety. In particular, the diver must instantaneously know the depth at which he is located to avoid the risk of exceeding a pre-established maximum dive depth. The diver must also know his dive time to avoid exhausting his oxygen reserves and in order to ascend to the surface safely. Two other important parameters concern decompression. These parameters are the rate of ascent and the length of any decompression stops. It is of vital importance to know the ascent rate. Indeed, if the diver ascends too quickly, he is at risk of a fatal embolism. The recommended maximum ascent rate is generally 10 m/minute.
CH Patent 513456 discloses a watch provided with mechanisms for indicating the instantaneous depth, immersion time and the minimum length of a decompression stop that the diver might need to observe five metres below the surface. It is noted however that the watch disclosed in this prior art document does not comprise an ascent rate indicator mechanism.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,910,117 discloses a device intended to enable a diver to check his ascent rate. However, this device is not fitted with an ascent rate indicator mechanism. The device disclosed in this prior art document comprises two concentric hands, one intended to indicate the instantaneous depth and the other to simulate the change in depth during a model ascent. Before ascending, the diver makes an adjustment to superpose the two hands. Then, at the moment of starting the ascent, he starts the simulation. During the ascent, the diver constantly checks that the two hands are still superposed, so that his ascent rate is based on that of the model to be followed. One drawback of this prior art device is that it is not possible to change the ascent rate.

Ascent rate indicator mechanism and diver's watch comprising such a mechanism


A device and method for automatically closing a tailgate of a motor vehicle having a body and a tailgate closing device, is described. The tailgate closing device comprises first and second closing elements. A suspension strut is situated on a first side of the tailgate and a power strut is situated on a second side of the tailgate opposite the first side. The suspension strut and the power strut are both connected to the tailgate and to the body. The first closing element is situated on the tailgate and the second closing element is situated on the body. The first and second closing elements are designed to engage into each other during the closing of the tailgate to effectuate the closure of the tailgate. The torque acting via the power strut onto the tailgate is reduced during the closing of the tailgate when the distance between the first and second closing elements is less than a threshold value.

Motor vehicle tailgates designed to be automatically actuated are typically configured in such a way that one single power strut is usually situated on one side of the tailgate and a suspension strut is situated on the other side of the tailgate. Such systems typically have the disadvantage that the tailgate is twisted due to different torques on the two sides of the tailgate. As a result of this twisting, an offset is generally induced when the components of the closing mechanism engage into each other. The offset between the first closing element and the second closing element can be up to 7.5 mm. An offset in this order of magnitude is undesirable. This offset prevents the elements of the closing mechanism from engaging into each other for proper functioning and has the result that a closing of the tailgate may not be possible or the closing mechanism is subject to greater wear and stress. As a result of the offset, there is also the risk of the tailgate springing back during the closing procedure.
A system and a method for the dynamic braking of a tailgate closing system are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 8,103,416 B2. Yet another system for controlling an automatic actuation of a tailgate is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,719,356 B2, wherein two power struts are utilized, one on each side of the tailgate. The problem of the twisting of the tailgate therefore may not even occur in this case. Further variants for the automatic opening and closing of vehicle doors and, in particular, tailgates, are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,092,336, WO 01/83924 A1, and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0039404 A1. None of the above-identified documents adequately address the problem of the offset of the closing mechanism occurring during automatic closing when only one power strut is utilized.
It would be desirable to provide for an advantageous method for automatically closing a tailgate of a motor vehicle and an advantageous device for automatically closing the tailgate.

Method and device for automatically closing a tailgate of a motor vehicle


A printed circuit board guide apparatus for guiding a printed circuit board to a mounted position in an area of limited access including a plurality of first tabs extending from a first edge of the printed circuit board and a plurality of second tabs extending from a second edge of the printed circuit board. The second edge of the printed circuit board is directly opposite to the first edge of the printed circuit board. The present invention also includes first and second guide units disposed in a spaced apart parallel relationship to each other and each guide unit including a plurality of guide tabs extending from a top surface and a ledge extending from a bottom surface parallel to the guide tabs. The guide tabs and the ledge form a channel which extends from a first end of the guide unit to a second end of the guide unit. The first and second tabs of the printed circuit board and the guide tabs of the first and second guide units are arranged for permitting the printed circuit board to be dropped into the first and second guide units and pushed along the channels riding on the ledges to the mounted position within the area of limited access.

It is well known in the art that printed circuit cards or boards are provided for supporting and interconnecting various electronic components mounted thereon. Printed circuit boards typically are made of a fiberglass sheet of plastic to conform to any size or shape. Conductive strips of material are coated on one side of the printed circuit board for interconnecting the electronic components mounted on the printed circuit board. The electronic components are mounted on the printed circuit board such that input and output terminals of the electronic components are connected to the strips of conductive material.
As known in the prior art, when constructing the physical attributes of an electronic device such as would be used in aerospace applications where space and weight are at a premium electronic, enclosure 10 is used as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3. The electronic enclosure 10 includes an opening plate 12 fastened to a flange 14 on the back surface of the electronic enclosure 10 by fasteners 15 such as screws or the like.
The internal space of the enclosure 10 can be accessed by removing the opening plate 12 as shown in FIG. 2. The internal space of the electronic enclosure 10 includes a plurality of conventional guide rails 18 for guiding a printed circuit board 19 to a mounted position to engage connector 20. The guide rails 18 are mounted on the sides of the enclosure 10. The mounted position is accomplished by mounting the printed circuit boards 19 in the connectors 20 positioned on a mother board 22. A side view of the electronic enclosure 10 having mounted therein printed circuit boards 23 is shown in FIG. 3. Each printed circuit board 19 has mounted thereon a connector 24 which mates with connector 20.
The conventional guide rails 18 used in the electronic enclosure 10 of the installation shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 guides a printed circuit board 23 to the mounted position by permitting the manual sliding of the printed circuit board 23 along the complete length of the guide rails 18.
Due to the manner in which the printed circuit boards 23 are guided to the mounted position by the guide rails 18 of the electronic enclosure 10 efficient use of all available space in the enclosure 10 is not possible. Particularly, it is extremely difficult to install a printed circuit board 23 in a space 25 in the enclosure 10 directly behind the flange 14 due to the manner in which the printed circuit boards 23 are moved to a mounted position using the guide rails 18. In order for printed circuit boards to be installed in guide rails 18 the printed circuit board must be slid along the complete length of the guide rails 18. This manner of installation requires that enough space be available directly in front of the guide rails 18 so that the printed circuit board can be maneuvered into the guide rails 18 and slid to the mounted position along the complete length of the guide rails 18.
Thus, the space within the electronic enclosure 10 is not efficiently used in that the flange 14 causes great difficulty in the positioning of a printed circuit board 23 in the space 25 directly behind the flange 14 in the electronic enclosure 10. The space 25 behind the flange 14 of the electronic enclosure 10 can be described as a limited access area.
Apparatus which is capable of guiding a printed circuit board to the mounted position in a limited access area of an enclosure would offer the advantage of efficiently using the space within an enclosure when space is at a premium in, for example, aerospace applications. Thus, more printed circuit boards can be mounted in the electronic enclosures.
Various conventional printed circuit board guide apparatus have been proposed for guiding a printed circuit board to a mounted position. However, none of the conventional printed circuit board guide apparatus are directed to solving the problem of guiding printed circuit boards to a mounted position in a limited access area.
One proposed method of permitting a printed circuit board to occupy limited access areas in an electronic enclosure is by bolting a printed circuit board to the bottom of the electronic enclosure directly behind the flange of the electronic enclosure. However, such an installation would not permit easy removal of the printed circuit board for servicing. Further, such an installation would provide the opportunity for damage to either the print circuit board or to the connector in which the printed circuit board is mounted.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,821,149 issued on Apr 11, 1989, discloses a substrate (printed circuit board) mounting device for mounting an electrical substrate to a carrier substrate having a first pair of tabs each extending from a perimeter edge of the electrical substrate directly opposite to each other and a second pair of tabs located in a spaced relationship to the first pair of tabs. The second pair of tabs extend from a perimeter edge of the electrical substrate directly opposite each other. In the substrate mounting device of U.S. Pat. No. 4,821,149 first and second substrate guides are located in a spaced and parallel relationship to each other with each including a lower shelf with each lower shelf having a top and bottom surface wherein the bottom surface is mounted to the carrier substrate. Each of the substrate guides of U.S. Pat. No. 4,821,149 further includes a channel having an open end and a top guide and defined by a top surface and first and second drop guides. The first and second drop guides are located on the lower shelf top surface directly opposite the channel top surface. The drop guides include first and second tab receiving slots.
In the substrate mounting device disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 4,821,149 installation of a substrate is performed by manually inserting the first and second pairs of tabs of the substrate into respective first and second substrate guide channels at respective channel open ends and manually pushing the substrate along the complete length of the channels riding between respective first and second drop guides and channel top surfaces until the substrate encounters a respective top guide. When the top guide is encountered the first pair of tabs and the second pair of tabs fall within respective first and second tab receiving slots.
Thus, as can be clearly seen the device disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 4,821,149 operates very similar to the conventional printed circuit board guide rails shown in FIG. 2 wherein the printed circuit board must be pushed along the complete length of a channel of the guide rail to a mounted position. The device disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 4,821,149 differs from the conventional printed circuit board guide rails 18 shown in FIG. 2 in that once a certain point is reached during the sliding of the printed circuit boards in the channels of the guide apparatus disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,821,149 the printed circuit board is permitted to drop into receiving slots.
Thus being that the device disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 4,821,149 guides a printed circuit board for a mounted position similar to the conventional guide rails 18 shown in FIG. 2, the device cannot be used in an area of limited access such as directly behind a flange in an electronic enclosure.
A further example of printed circuit board guide apparatus is disclosed by U.S. Pat No. 4,779,744 issued on Oct. 25, 1988. The guide apparatus disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 4,779,744 guides a printed circuit board similar to the conventional printed circuit board guide rails shown in FIG. 2 and the guide apparatus disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 4,821,149. Thus, the guide apparatus disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 4,779,744 requires the manual pushing of a printed circuit board along the complete length of the channel of the guide rail.
Therefore, the apparatus disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 4,779,744 cannot be used in a limited access area directly behind the flange of an electronic enclosure.

Printed circuit board guide apparatus for a limited access area


A domestic cooking appliance having a housing whose top surface is formed with a flat cooking surface made from a layer of ceramic material of high thermal shock resistance capable of being heated to a temperature of at least 200.degree. C. A foil heating element supplies heat to the lower surface of the layer of ceramic material. A metal layer is mounted on the opposite surface of the foil heating element via an electrical insulator and a thermal insulator layer is disposed on the back surface of the metal layer.

Various types of cooking appliances are known in the patent literature. U.S. Pat. No. 4,073,970 describes a method of making an electric heating unit employing a sinuous strip of a gold/platinum alloy. U.S. Pat. No. 4,347,432 describes a glass ceramic cooking appliance employing a heating coil which heats the glass ceramic by radiation. U.S. Pat. No. 4,161,648 describes an electrical radiation heater-for a glass ceramic plate which is spaced therefrom and heats the plate by radiation. U.S. Pat. No. 3,869,596 describes a cookware heater employing a printed circuit foil type heating circuit which is bonded to a ceramic or metallic surface.
There are known electric household appliances which provide warming of cooked food products and employ a foil heating element. An example is shown in the Sigg Catalog of 1987-1988 of Sigg Ltd. of Frauenfeld/Switzerland.


A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus (A) generates a uniform magnetic field, causes gradient fields transversely thereacross, excites resonance in nuclei within the image region, receives radio frequency signals from resonating nuclei, and reconstructs images representative thereof. Electrodes (30) monitor the cardiac cycle of a patient (B) being imaged and an expansion belt (32) monitors the respiratory cycle. During a magnetic resonance imaging scan, noise signal wave forms or spikes are superimposed on the cardiac cycle signal. A noise spike detector detects noise spikes. Specifically, a comparator (48) compares each wave form received from the electrodes with properties of a cardiac signal, such as the slope. When the comparator determines that a noise wave form is being received, it gates a track and hold circuit (52). The track and hold circuit passes the received signal except when gated by the comparator. When gated by the comparator, the track and hold circuit continues to supply the same output amplitude as it had in the beginning of the gating period. A filter (54) smooths the plateaus in the cardiac signal formed as the noise signal wave forms are removed.

The present invention relates to the electronic, anatomical examination arts. More particularly, it relates to the gating and control of patient imaging in conjunction with body motion of the patient. Particular application is found in conjunction with cardiac and respiratory gating of magnetic resonance imaging and the invention will be described with particular reference thereto. However, it is to be appreciated that the invention may have other applications in other electronic imaging fields and in conjunction with monitoring other anatomical motion.
Heretofore, magnetic resonance images have commonly been constructed from about 256 views, each view requiring about 200-1000 milliseconds to acquire. When imaging through the patient's chest or abdomen, the images tend to become blurred or degraded by cardiac and respiratory motion.
Various cardiac and respiratory monitors have been utilized in computerized tomography and other imaging systems. For sensing cardiac function, conductive wires or leads commonly carried cardiac signals from the patient adjacent the imaging zone to a remotely located signal processing circuit. In magnetic resonance imaging, conducting leads extending into the imaging zone cause significant degradation of the acquired image. The degradation is a result of penetration of the RF barrier by conducting wire which conveys RF noise present in the atmosphere into the imaging area. In all patient monitoring devices, high current and voltage isolation devices are necessary to protect the patients from hazardous shocks. Fiber optic conductors, for example, convey sensed cardiac monitor signals without the risk of patient shock and maintain the RF integrity of the imaging system.
In magnetic resonance imaging apparatus, relatively strong gradient magnetic fields are applied during acquisition of each view. These changing magnetic fields induce stray currents in electronic circuitry associated with cardiac monitoring adjacent the imaging zone. These induced currents tend to interfere with the cardiac monitoring function and signals indicative thereof. In particular, the changing gradient fields tend to generate voltage spikes which are similar in appearance to the signals which represent a cardiac R-wave in the cardiac electrocardiogram (ECG) cycle. Because many cardiac monitors key on the R-wave portion, these gradient magnetic field changes tend to produce false cardiac signals. However, the noise spikes, tend to differ from the R-wave and other cardiac waveform in several respects, such as shorter duration and rise time, stepper slope, higher amplitude, and the like.
The present invention contemplates a new and improved anatomical gating system which overcomes the above referenced problems and others.

Cardiac and respiratory monitor with magnetic gradient noise elimination


The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing naphtha, wherein, in hydrogenation of a naphtha fraction which is fractionated from synthetic oil (FT synthetic oil) obtained by Fisher-Tropsch synthesis, the hydrogenised component is recycled and the recycled amount thereof is adjusted to reduce a olefin content in a hydro-refining apparatus whereby heat generation is suppressed and unstable operation of the hydro-refining apparatus can be stabilized. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a method of manufacturing naphtha, wherein a cut point for fractionating a naphtha fraction from FT synthetic oil is adjusted to reduce the amount of olefin in a hydro-refining apparatus whereby unstable operation of the hydro-refining apparatus can be stabilized.

In recent years, from the standpoint of reduction of environmental burdens, there has been a need for a clean liquid fuel which has a low content of sulfur and aromatic hydrocarbons and is compatible with the environment. Thus, in the petroleum industry, a Fisher-Tropsch synthesis method (hereinafter abbreviated as "FT synthesis method) using carbon monoxide and hydrogen as raw materials has been investigated as a method of manufacturing a clean fuel. The FT synthesis method has high expectations since it can manufacture a liquid fuel base stock which has an abundance of paraffin and which does not contain sulfur, for example, a diesel fuel base stock. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a fuel oil compatible with the environment.
Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, Publication No. 2004-323626
A synthetic oil obtained by the FT synthesis method (hereinafter may be referred to as "FT synthetic oil") has a broad carbon number distribution. From the FT synthetic oil, it is possible to obtain, for example, an FT naphtha fraction containing a number of hydrocarbons having a boiling point of less than 150° C., an FT middle fraction containing a number of hydrocarbons having a boiling point of 150° C. to 360° C.; and an FT wax fraction heavier than the FT middle fraction.

Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation


A method and apparatus are disclosed for inherent, reliable control of real time systems. The technique is based on asynchronously scheduling a plurality of sensor sampling cycles over a suitable sampling interval. The corresponding plurality of sampling signals so obtained are temporally redundant and out of phase with respect to one another. This plurality of sampling signals is processed by a corresponding plurality of controllers. Thereafter, a multiplexor means is used to alternately and asynchronously receive from each controller a subinterval portion of each of the plurality of signals corresponding to each of the plurality of controllers. In this way the sampling interval is responsively partitioned into subintervals wherein each controller of the plurality effectively controls the system for each respective subinterval. Concurrent multiple control of each interval inherently masks and compensates for faults or failures. This inherent feature enhances the robustness, resiliency and reliability of typical control system designs through a relatively easy and inexpensive system upgrade involving the utilization of a temporally redundant sampling scheduling means in conjunction with a multiplexing means.

The present invention relates generally to control of real time systems and, more particularly to providing inherently reliable control of real time systems through asynchronous management of temporally redundant signals in a multi-feedback loop configuration.
Redundant control systems are used in various environments where performance and reliability are essential. These include commercial and military applications involving critical systems where performance integrity must be assured. Typical applications might include aerospace flight control systems, power plant monitoring systems, patient monitoring systems and various other computer driven control systems. In order to reliably control a system such as a power plant or a continuous process in an interactive, real time manner, a control system must be resilient to fault or failure occurrence and robust in its ability to minimize or avoid the effects of fault and failure. Modular or configurational redundancy provide a basic technique for providing reliable, resilient, robust control which is tolerant to the occurrence of faults or failures. Various approaches to redundancy management have been exploited in conventional control systems.
A typical control system technique involves the principle of "fault-masking". The approach here is not so much to eliminate faults, but rather to design a control system in such a manner that the integrity of the system is insensitive to the structure and/or content of the information presented to it. This is most often accomplished using redundant, concurrently active multi-control loops. A typical prior art configuration is illustrated in FIG. 1 for the specific case of two feedback control loops. In the event of a fault or failure along the first loop, the second feedback loop will maintain stability for the system. Conversely, should a fault or failure occur along the second loop, the first feedback loop will stabilize the system. In this way, the occurrence of faults or failures, which change the structure or content of information, do not significantly impact the performance of the system. Under nominal (no fault or failure) conditions these independent, redundant, multi-controller feedback loops cooperate to provide active real time monitoring for control of a continuous system. The multi-control loop redundancy of the scheme assures stability in the event of failure.
An often used alternative to this scheme utilizes redundant hardware modules in a parallel multi-modular configuration rather than multi-control loops. The outputs of these redundant modules may be averaged; although "voting" is the more typical mode of modular redundancy management. This prior art scheme is illustrated in FIG. 2 where all modules remain in an active state but not necessarily contributing to the control of the system. "Voting" is used to determine which of the redundant modules will be operating to control the system. Only these modules will be active, those not chosen will remain in stand-by mode. The scheme necessitates detection and isolation of faults or failures followed by reconfiguration when such faults or failures are identified. As long as proper detection and isolation are accomplished reconfiguration based on the availability of redundant stand-by modules can be implemented. Consequently, it is only in steady state following reconfiguration that reliability can be ensured. There remains a small but finite risk that the detection, isolation and reconfiguration process may be faulty or fail altogether. Even if such risk is negligible, under proper operating conditions, a finite amount of time is required for diagnosis and reconfiguration, during which time the system may be driven unstable. Thus, this scheme cannot guarantee transient stability during a fault or failure.

Method and apparatus for controlling a real time system


Circuit for processing an input signal based on at least one reference signal, comprising a phase locked loop demodulator configured to receive a speed control signal and said input signal and further configured to follow a frequency and/or a phase of said input signal at a speed, wherein said speed depends on said speed control signal; and a reference signal detector configured to determine said at least one reference signal and to set said speed by outputting said speed control signal to said phase locked loop demodulator, wherein, if said reference signal detector detects said at least one reference signal, said reference signal detector decreases said speed.

There exist a large number of signal processing devices, where a phase locked loop is applied among other signal processing parts. For example, there exist OFDM-signals, analogue television signals or other signals that need to be demodulated, wherein a phase locked loop is used. The resulting signal of the phase locked loop is then used for further processing.
It is an object of the invention to provide a circuit for processing an input signal, wherein the processed signal is improved.
This object is solved by a circuit, method and receiver according to claims 1, 17, and 18, respectively.
Further details of the invention will become apparent from a consideration of the drawings and ensuing description.

Circuit and method for processing an input signal


A garden pot assembly comprising a pot having an open upper end and a separator tray snap-fitted into the open upper end of the pot. The separator tray has a plurality of spaced-apart plant pot receiving openings formed therein each of which are adapted to receive and support a plant pot therein. The bottom of the pot has a unique structure including a central hub and a plurality of radially extending stand-offs extending outwardly therefrom to the periphery of the bottom wall. The pot or container may be circular, oval, rectangular or square in shape.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a garden pot assembly which is comprised of a pot having an open upper end and which has a plant separator or arrangement tray snap-fitted within the upper end of the pot with the tray having a plurality of spaced-apart plant pot receiving and supporting openings formed therein.
2. Description of the Related Art
Dish gardens and gardening or garden pots are frequently used to plant a plurality of different species of indoor plants in a shallow dish or pot so that the plants look like a garden scene. It is generally understood that the only difference between a dish garden and a gardening or garden pot is that actual dishware is used in dish gardens.
Planted dish gardens have a number of inherent flaws. The plants in planted dish gardens are usually incompatible in terms of water requirements. Watering one plant adequately will likely result in over-watering another plant which may result in root rot. Invariably, one of the plants in the design will fail before the others fail and there is no simple means of replacing the bad plant. Further, consumers do not like to see soil and many dish garden producers find it necessary to add moss to mask the soil surface. This is costly and may also lead to rotting of the lower leaves of the plant. Assembling planted dish gardens is very labor intensive making the product expensive and making it difficult to accommodate last minute orders. A further concern with the prior art dish gardens and gardening pots are that they are expensive and difficult to assemble.


A refractory container for evaporating metals, having improved useful life and corrosion resistance properties, the evaporation surface of the container having a plurality of grooves formed at the bottom surface. The grooves have either a depth of at least 1.2 mm, a width of at least 1.75 mm, or an interval spacing of at least 2.2 mm between adjacent grooves (or centers of adjacent grooves), and combinations thereof.

Vacuum deposition is a common method for coating metals such as aluminum, copper, zinc, and tin onto various substrates of metal, glass, and plastic. The metal is typically vaporized by means of electric resistance heating in a metallic or ceramic container or vessel generally referred to in the art as a "boat" or a metallization boat. The boat is connected to a source of electrical power within an evacuated chamber and heated to a controlled operating temperature sufficient to cause a metal charge placed in contact with the boat to vaporize.
In the vacuum metallization process, the metal melt in a metallization boat is heated to a very high temperature, in many instances to a temperature higher than typically seen in casting operations, 1200° C. and above. This means that the metal melt will be much more aggressive and behave as a corrosive acid, lowering the life of the metallization boats. Additionally, when the operation is carried out with repetitive heating, cooling, and exposure to molten metals during that span, the life of the boats is further reduced.
One important factor to longer boat life is the wettability of the slag build-up in the cavity of the boat. After a few hours in operation, a slag begins to build up around the edge of the metal puddle in the boat. The slag is the by-product of the reaction of the molten metal with the refractory boat, and is typically non-wetting to the metallizing metal. It inhibits the spreading of the metal puddle, thus increases the operating temperature and further reduces the useful life of the boat. Improved wetting of the boat and/or slag surface is believed to be an important factor in increasing the average life of metallization boats.
Another factor impacting boat life is the resistance to corrosion by the molten aluminum. During metallization, the molten aluminum corrodes the surface of the boat, typically resulting in deep grooves running from the anterior to the posterior of the boat and penetrating into the boat's depth. These grooves over time, effect the spreading of the aluminum melt, affecting the deposition uniformity on the metallized substrate. Additionally, the grooves can cause the spattering of the liquid aluminum due to excessive accumulation of the aluminum in the grooves. Aluminum spatter causes holes in the metallized substrate. At the point where there is non-uniformity in the metallized substrate or there are holes in the boats due to metal spatter, the boats are typically replaced. Therefore, minimizing the depth of grooves, or slowing the formation of grooves over the evaporation surface can lead to longer useful boat life.
PCT Publication No. WO 2005/049881A1 discloses a metallization boat with improved wettability, which indirectly can lead to longer boat life. The boat has a plurality of grooves having a depth of 0.03 to 1 mm, a length of more than 1 mm, a width of 0.1 to 1.5 mm, and a distance between the grooves of less than 2.0 mm.
FIG. 23 is a top view showing a metallization boat in the prior art (as discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,645,572) having multiple grooves, with a number of grooves with a length-wise orientation as the direction of conduction of the boat, and the rest of the grooves having most of their length running parallel to the direction of conduction of the boat.
There is still a need to further increase the useful life of metallization boats by mitigating the severity and pattern of groove formation over the metallization surface. Applicants have found that increasing the depth, and/or the width, and/or the spacing between the grooves in metallization boats leads to less severe grooving over the metallization surface, and a more uniform grooving pattern, while maintaining the improved wettability, thus extending the useful service life of the boats over the prior art.

Container for evaporation of metal and method to manufacture thereof


A lane jumper for transmitting at least one lane from a first interface to a second interface is disclosed. The at least one lane is connected with the first interface. The first interface defines a first pin group and a second pin group, and the second interface defines a third pin group connected with the second pin group. The lane jumper includes a fourth pin group and a fifth pin group, wherein the fourth pin group and the fifth pin group of the lane jumper are configured for being respectively connected with the first pin group and the second pin group. The at least one lane is transmitted from the first interface to the second interface sequentially through the first pin group, the fourth pin group, the fifth pin group, the second pin group, and the third pin group.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a lane jumper, and particularly, to a lane jumper for an electrical interface.
2. Description of Related Art
Motherboard slots, such as PCI-E (Peripheral Component Interconnect Express), are electrical interfaces used for data transmission between a computer and an expansion card, such as a graphics card. Lanes provided by a chipset on the motherboard are distributed to slots on the motherboard, however, the lane number of lanes is limited in accordance with the capability of the chipset, and the lanes distributed to a particular slot cannot be used by another slot even when the particular slot is not in use.
Therefore, what is needed is a lane jumper for redirecting lanes between different slots.


A ferroelectric integrated circuit is provided in which a first layer of conducting lines (14) is formed over an insulating base layer (10). A first ferroelectric layer (16) is formed overlying the first layer of conducting lines (14). A second layer of conducting lines (18) is formed overlying the first ferroelectric layer (16) with each of the conducting lines of the second layer of conducting lines (18) being substantially perpendicular to the conducting lines of the first layer of conducting lines (14). Potentials placed on selected conducting lines in the first and second layers of conducting lines (14 and 18) polarize areas of the first ferroelectric layer (16) between intersections of the selected conducting lines. Multiple layers may be stacked to form a three-dimensional ferroelectric integrated circuit.

Random access memories, or RAMs, have become a basic building block of integrated electronics systems. For many applications, maximization of memory density is extremely important, for example, where power or space constraints are significant. Thus, an ever pressing need exists to increase RAM density.
Theoretically, the density of random access memories could be increased by building layers of memory cells on top of other layers of memory cells to form a three-dimensional (3-D) RAM. However, in conventional integrated circuit processing technology for random access memories, such as that using silicon or gallium arsenide technology, the memory cells consist of transistors which act as switches for current flow to charge-storing capacitors. In fabrication of such transistors, the doping profiles, damage removal, and conducting film deposition are usually performed at high temperatures which result in diffusion of dopants. Thus, the fabrication of a second layer of memory cells over a first layer would irreversibly damage the first layer. Furthermore, a third layer would damage both the first and second layers.
Moreover, the advent of advanced processing systems, such as those based on neural networks, smart memories, or fuzzy logic, has brought about the need to increase the functionality of memory chips. For example, for existing implementations of model neurons, a major unresolved problem is that of achieving a simple integration scheme containing a large number of weighted inputs converging on a single neuron-like element. This problem can be solved in part with random access memories which allow for cross talk between memory locations. Existing RAMs do not provide solutions for this or related problems.
Therefore, a need has arisen for an integrated circuit with increased memory density by allowing for 3-D structures. Furthermore, a need has arisen for an integrated circuit that allows for cross talk between memory locations for applications in advanced processing systems.

Three-dimensional ferroelectric integrated circuit without insulation layer between memory layers


A therapeutic rinse for treating a sore throat. The therapeutic rinse may be stored in a self-heating container that is capable of reaching a temperature of at least 130 degrees Fahrenheit when activated. The therapeutic rinse includes a liquid composition having sodium chloride, water, and a variety of vitamins, minerals and herbs stored in the reservoir of the self-heating container. An antibiotic may also be included in the therapeutic rinse. Before use, the therapeutic rinse may be heated.

This invention relates to a therapeutic rinse for treating sore throats, mouth sores and/or minor gum infections. This invention also relates to a therapeutic rinse for use as a first aid disinfectant.
There are many home-remedies for treating the early signs of a sore throat, mouth sore and/or minor gum infection. However, these home-remedies are 1) not convenient when away from home, at work, at school, or traveling; 2) not as effective with one-to-two household ingredients; and 3) not consistent since the do-it-yourself home-made version can vary significantly. There are also commercially available products that suggest they can boost or support a person's immune system to help prevent illness, such as colds and sore throats. However, these home-remedies and commercially available products often require heating or mixing hot water at home to provide a more soothing effect.
What is needed is an out-of-home and in-home remedy that is more convenient, effective and consistent.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A method and apparatus for checking topology layout routing is described. A method for checking topology layout routing includes accessing actual topology layout information of a circuit. Then, compliance topology information is established. Then, the method checks the actual topology layout information complies with the compliance topology information. Then, the method presents violations of the compliance topology information.

1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention relate to the field of printed circuit boards (PCBs). More particularly, embodiments of the present invention relate generally to the automatic checking of a circuit to its published design rules.
2. Related Art
Traditionally, motherboard layouts are checked in one of two methods. Checking of the motherboard layout on a PCB using the two methods typically occurs after a motherboard designer has completed layout with a layout design tool and before a geometric translation of the board is generated and sent to the PCB manufacturer.
The first traditional method requires manually checking each net or trace of a group of nets in a layout to make sure that its length, width, and spacing to other nets are in compliance with design rules required by chipsets on the motherboard. This often involved a tedious and time consuming series of operations that was error prone. For example, each net of a group is manually measured, segment by segment. Then the length of the net is entered into a spreadsheet. Thereafter, the length of the net is analyzed to determine if it is in compliance with a design rule for its associated group. This process is extremely tedious and typically required several days of effort per motherboard. Checking spacing compliance is particularly tedious and is not rigorously done.
Automating these checks allows for revalidation after every design modification to make sure that no new problems have been introduced while fixing the previous problem. This automation also facilitates early validation of partial board layouts, thereby allowing earlier fixes.
In the competitive motherboard market, time-to-market is extremely important. The first board to market may gain a huge advantage over competitor motherboards that emerge at a later date. As a result, because of the huge time investment needed, the manual checking of motherboard traces and the steps to fix violations of design rules takes low priority and is sometimes not performed. Unfortunately, signal integrity is compromised since design rule violations are not analyzed and fixed. This leads to a redesign of the board when problems occur, which ultimately delays time to market, or results in field failures. These adversely affect the reputation of the chipset manufacturer and stifle board sales.
A second approach involves entering the design rules into a layout design tool or schematic entry tool, or both. This requires the manual entry of the design rules by the motherboard manufacturer that is designing the motherboard. Insuring that the chipset manufacturer's design rules have been properly read, interpreted, and entered into these tools is problematic. Furthermore, these rules files may be considered proprietary by the motherboard manufacturer so it is difficult for the chipset manufacturer to check them for accuracy and completeness. Getting involved with the customer's schematics for compliance checking is also problematic. Because, the motherboard manufacturer often restricts access to parts of the schematic database as proprietary information. Also, the motherboard manufacturers sometimes use a schematic capture tool that does not have thorough automatic layout design rule checking capabilities. Finally, since different motherboard manufacturers do not typically use the same schematic capture tool, nor do they follow common naming conventions (e.g., for pin names), one common approach solution is very difficult to implement using the schematic entry flow. Therefore it is best if the motherboard manufacturer instead of the chipset designer performs the checks on the motherboard involving the schematic capture tool.
Modern boards are very complex and dense. As a result, using conventional techniques for checking board layout, it is impossible to economically build a board that satisfies all constraints.
As a result, traditional methods and systems for checking motherboard layout routing requires a significant investment of manual checking or data entry, which is tedious, time consuming and error prone.
Modern boards are very complex and dense, making it impossible to economically build a board that satisfies all constraints. It would be advantageous to have a solution that guides a designer in deciding which rules are most important.

Method and apparatus for automatically checking circuit layout routing


A cargo transporting apparatus includes a flatbed portion and a dovetail portion connected by a hinge. A hinge actuating mechanism includes first and second rigid linkages, the first longitudinal ends of which are connected by a first pivot, and the second longitudinal ends of which, respectively, are pivotably connected to the flatbed portion at a second pivot and the dovetail portion at a third pivot. A linear actuator is connected between one of the rigid linkages and either the flatbed portion or the dovetail portion. In a retracted position, the linear actuator causes the first pivot to be positioned above a line between the second and third pivots and raising of the dovetail portion. In an extended position, the linear actuator causes the first pivot to be positioned below a line between the second and third pivots and lowering of the dovetail portion.

This description relates to loading ramps, and more particularly to actuating mechanisms for raising and lowering a loading ramp on a trailer or truck.
Large or heavy equipment or other cargo can be transported using a trailer connected to a vehicle or a truck. For example, flatbed-type trailers commonly include a hitch assembly (e.g., a gooseneck) that connects to a truck or tractor, such that the truck or tractor can pull the trailer and its cargo. A flatbed truck can similarly facilitate transportation of large or heavy cargo.
It is often desirable to load the cargo onto the trailer or truck without having to lift the cargo directly onto a top surface of the trailer or truck. For example, automobiles, construction or farm equipment, all-terrain vehicles, or other wheeled vehicles can be more conveniently loaded onto the top surface by rolling the vehicles or equipment onto the trailer or truck. Mechanisms exist that allow for loading of cargo onto a trailer without lifting the cargo. For example, ramps that are connected to an end of a trailer by a hinge can allow the ramps to be flipped over onto the bed of the trailer for transport. Tilt trailers that allow the entire bed of the trailer to tilt so that wheeled vehicles can be rolled onto the trailer similarly facilitate loading of cargo. Such ramps are often very heavy and, as a result, are difficult or impossible for a single user to move the ramp between the open and closed positions.
Flatbed-type trailers have also been developed with a rear end that includes a dovetail portion that is connected to a main portion of the trailer by a hinge that allows the dovetail portion to rotate relative to the main portion. This type of dovetail is generally designed to move between a generally horizontal transport position (i.e., where the dovetail is substantially co-planar with the main flatbed portion of the trailer), and a downwardly-oriented position for loading and unloading (i.e., where the dovetail is positioned at an angle with respect to the main portion of the trailer) such that the dovetail acts as a ramp between the ground and the main flatbed portion of the trailer. When the dovetail is in the downwardly-oriented position, cargo, particularly wheeled cargo, can be more easily loaded onto and unloaded from the trailer. After loading and unloading, the dovetail can be moved to the transport position so that the dovetail has sufficient ground clearance.
While trailers with dovetails facilitate loading and unloading cargo, the size and weight of the dovetails make them difficult to move between the load and transport positions. Many such dovetail trailers use hydraulic systems to actuate the dovetails. Such systems are prone to failure and therefore generally need to include a secondary locking mechanism for securing the dovetail in at least the transport position. The locking mechanism increases the complexity of the system, making it more complicated to operate and more prone to user error or inconvenience. Even with a locking mechanism, the hydraulic cylinders are generally fully or mostly extended for transport (i.e., to hold the dovetail in the upper, transport position), which places a great deal of strain on the hydraulic cylinders because they are supporting the weight of the dovetail. This strain reduces the lifetime of the cylinders and can increase the chances of failure at highly inconvenient times. Furthermore, such dovetail trailers generally have a relatively low hauling weight capacity on the dovetail portion of the trailer. As a result, cargo often must be loaded forward of the dovetail, so that a longer overall trailer is required and/or so that the dovetail is less useful for transport.


An aqueous cosmetic or dermatological dispersion for treatment of hair or skin contains the following in an aqueous medium:. a) at least one sugar or (C.sub.1 -C.sub.4)alkylsugar, C.sub.4 -C.sub.22 fatty acid mono and/or diester which may be oxyethylenated if necessary; and PA1 b) at least one reticulated copolymer of acrylamide and a monomer selected from:. (i) ammonium acrylate; PA2 (ii) partially or completely neutralized 2-acrylamido 2-methylpropane sulfonic acid; PA2 (iii) methacryloyl oxyethyl trimethylammonium chloride.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an aqueous dispersion used as a cosmetic or in dermatology for treatment of hair or skin and based on sugar or alkylsugar fatty acid esters and reticulated acrylamide copolymers.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Sugar or alkylsugar fatty acid esters are known for their hair and skin conditioning properties. Their use in cosmetics is described in "Cosmetic and Toiletries, Vol. 100, June 1985, pages 55-59"; "Seifen Ole Fette Wachse, Vol. 117, No 4, 1991, pages 124-132", and in German patent application DE-A-4 015 733.
Polymers or cationic surfactants have long been used for softening hair or skin, facilitating combthrough of wet hair or styling of dry hair. Following repeated applications, however, cationic compounds dull the hair by rendering it sticky and also produce a sticky effect on skin.
It has surprisingly been discovered that a combination of sugar or alkylsugar fatty acid esters and certain reticulated acrylamide copolymers results in light and silky hair with considerably improved wet combthrough and dry styling properties.
Applying an aqueous dispersion of such a combination to the skin produces a soft feel with no stickiness.
Aqueous dispersions in accordance with the invention are easy to apply to the skin and hair. They are also remarkably stable; their cosmetic properties are retained over several successive applications.
One object of the invention is thus to provide an aqueous cosmetic or dermatological dispersion for treatment of hair or skin based on sugar and/or alkylsugar fatty acid mono and/or diesters and particular reticulated acrylamide copolymers.
A further object of the invention is to provide cosmetic hair or skin treatment methods using such compositions.
Further objects of the invention will become apparent from the description given and examples given later.

Aqueous cosmetic or dermatological dispersion for treatment of hair or skin based on sugar or alkylsugar fatty acid esters and reticulated acrylamide copolymers