A safety system for protecting the fingers, hands, wrists, elbows, arms and shoulders of a driver includes a bladder disposed on or in a handgrip of a steering wheel of a vehicle, at least one inflation device in fluid communication with the bladder, and a controller adapted to detect a collision involving the vehicle and cause the inflation device to inflate the bladder with a fluid when the collision is detected.

It is well known that vehicles are equipped with airbag systems and other inflatable systems to provide protection to a driver and passengers against injury during high-impact vehicle collisions. An airbag system for a steering wheel generally works by rapidly inflating a flexible bladder disposed within the steering wheel hub when the vehicle experiences a severe, high-impact collision. When the airbag system is deployed, the fully inflated bladder cushions and distributes load across the driver's head and chest and protects these body parts from hitting the vehicle interior, including the steering wheel, dashboard and car window. Conventional airbag systems comprise several sensors positioned at various locations in the car to detect a high-impact collision. If the sensors register the level of impact above a threshold, they immediately ignite a propellant to inflate the bladder. In the U.S., regulations require that airbags deploy in high-impact crashes at least equivalent in deceleration to a 23 km/h, or 14 mph, barrier collision (www.nhtsa.gov). A vehicle colliding with a stationary barrier at 14 mph generates approximately 7 G's of force. Collisions at a minimum speed of 30 mph as well as head-on collisions at 25 mph generate similar amount of force. Examples of conventional airbag systems for protection during high-impact collisions are disclosed in various patents, including U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,220,630, 6,648,367, 6,893,044 and 7,481,455.
Although conventional steering wheel airbag systems provide protection to a driver, such protection is limited to the driver's head and chest. The driver's fingers, hands, wrists, arms, elbows, and shoulders (herein "upper extremities") are usually left defenseless, and thus, are prone to injury during the vehicle collision. The vibrations and pressure of the impact are transferred through the steering wheel to the driver's upper extremities. This instantaneous transmission of large vibrations and high pressure can cause traumatic carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), other upper-extremity neurological injuries, stress/sprain/strain-related injuries in the upper extremities, as well as fractures and dislocations in areas of the wrists, such as distal radius Colles' fracture, hand fractures and dislocations, such as metacarpal fractures (e.g., Bennett's fracture of the thumb), elbow fractures, and shoulder fractures. Any of the above medical conditions, injuries, and fractures/dislocations can also be aggravated if the driver's arms are outstretched and gripping the steering wheel in an extended wrist position when the vehicle collision occurs. Both low-impact and high-impact collisions can cause CTS, neurological injuries, and stress/sprain/strain-related injuries in the driver's upper extremities. Indeed, CTS and other upper extremity injuries are a major concern in low-impact collisions, whereas in high-impact collisions, full body traumatic injuries require the most attention.
In view of the above, conventional steering wheel airbag systems fail to provide any protection for the driver's upper extremities in a vehicle collision, especially in a low-impact collision (e.g., a collision comparable to hitting a solid barrier at less than 14 mph, general collisions at speeds less than 30 mph, head-on collisions at speeds less than 25 mph).
Some vehicle safety systems may provide for some form of protection to the driver's upper extremities. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,382,661 to Sutherland discloses a steering wheel apparatus adapted to protect a driver in a vehicle collision when the driver is not seated properly in the driver seat. The apparatus includes a steering wheel rim, or handgrip, having at least one inflatable bladder mounted thereon and an internal inflator which inflates the bladder by passing fluid through channels and fluid openings created in the rim. However, the apparatus does not cover the entire steering wheel rim. Only certain portions of the steering wheel are adapted with the bladder. As such, the apparatus is only effective if the driver is gripping a section of the steering wheel rim that has the bladder. Furthermore, the bladder is not specifically designed to provide protection to the driver's hands and arms or configured to inflate during a low-impact collision. In the event of a high-impact collision, the bladder helps to re-position an out-of-position driver (e.g., driver leaning forward in the car seat) as the standard steering wheel airbag begins to deploy. The safety system merely improves the effectiveness of the airbag system in protecting the driver's chest and head against injury. The apparatus also does not include a controller for adjusting the manner in which the bladder inflates based on the nature and characteristics of the collision.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,207,713 to Park discloses a safety cover attached onto a steering wheel handgrip which absorbs an impact between the driver's body and the steering wheel during a collision accident. The safety cover comprises an impact reducing section adapted to wrap around the entire circumferential surface of the steering wheel handgrip as well as a fixing section for mounting the impact reducing section to the handgrip. When the impact reducing section is filled with fluid, the cover exerts pressure against the steering wheel to assist in mounting the cover. Nevertheless, the cover may still rotatably move about the steering wheel handgrip while the driver is grasping the cover. This adversely affects the driver's ability to properly maneuver and maintain firm control over the steering wheel. During a collision, the impact force can also shift the cover about the steering wheel and thereby reduce its effectiveness. More importantly, the cover does not provide for "deployment" (i.e., rapid inflation of additional fluid) at the moment of collision. The cover also lacks a controller interfaced with an inflation device to adjust the amount of fluid contained within the impact reducing section. Therefore, the cover, which is preconfigured with a specific amount of fluid, may not sufficiently protect the driver's upper extremities against an impact with the steering wheel or absorb the vibrations transmitted to the driver's upper extremities during a collision.
While some steering wheel safety systems may provide improvements over conventional airbag systems, they still suffer from several disadvantages. One disadvantage is that current safety systems fail to provide sufficient protection to the upper extremities during a vehicle collision. Current safety systems also may not function during low-impact collisions, which can still cause CTS, neurological injuries, stress/sprain/strain injuries, and fractures/dislocations in the upper extremities. Another disadvantage is that the arrangement of the safety system may prevent the driver from being able to safely operate the steering wheel—and thus the vehicle—due to rotational movement of the safety system relative to the steering wheel. Further, safety systems do not incorporate a controller integrated with an inflation device to adjust the nature of deployment based on characteristics of the collision. Moreover, current safety systems fail to provide an adjustable grip for damping the typical vibrations transmitted through the steering wheel during normal driving operations. Standard airbag systems and steering wheel safety systems, therefore, fail to protect a driver's upper extremities during all stages of driving, including normal driving operations, low-impact collisions and high-impact collisions.

Adjustable grip steering wheel safety system to protect hands and upper extremities in low impact collisions


An apparatus, a hierarchical method of equivalence checking a circuit design and equivalency checking after engineering change orders in a circuit design are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a method of equivalence checking includes: (1) receiving a post-engineering change order (ECO) netlist of a first one of the functional blocks, wherein the post-ECO netlist has been verified employing an equivalence checker, (2) generating a top level netlist for the circuit design including the post-ECO netlist and a block netlist for a second one of the multiple functional blocks, (3) generating a top level register transfer level (RTL) for the circuit design including a RTL for the second functional block and (4) performing an equivalency check of the top level RTL to the top level netlist, wherein a RTL for the first functional block and the post-ECO netlist are black boxed for the performing.

Circuit designers use electronic design automation (EDA) tools, a category of computer aided design (CAD) tools, to create a functional circuit design, including a register transfer level (RTL) representation of the functional circuit design, synthesize a "netlist" from the RTL representation, and implement a layout from the netlists. Synthesis of the netlist and implementation of the layout involve simulating the operation of the circuit and determining where cells should be placed and where interconnects that couple the cells together should be routed. EDA tools allow designers to construct a circuit, simulate its performance, estimate its power consumption and area and predict its yield using a computer and without requiring the costly and lengthy process of fabrication.
One such EDA tool performs equivalence checking. Equivalence checking is a part of the EDA process typically used during the development of circuits to formally prove that two representations of a circuit design exhibit exactly the same behavior. One form of equivalence checking is comparing an RTL of a circuit design to a netlist developed from the RTL.

Hierarchical equivalence checking and efficient handling of equivalence checks when engineering change orders are in an unsharable register transfer level


A minimally invasive transdermal nucleic acid sampling method comprises piercing through the outermost layer of the skin and into the underlying epidermis with a plurality of microprojections. Living skin cells in the underlying epidermis are disrupted, causing them to release their contents including their nucleic acids (i.e., DNA, RNA, fragments thereof or other polynucleic acid material found in the nucleii and/or mitochondria of cells). The nucleic acid is collected on the surfaces of the microprojections and/or in a separate nucleic acid collection reservoir. The collected nucleic acid is then analyzed using standard polymerase chain reaction (PCR) techniques. Optionally a suction device applies a partial vacuum through openings in the microprojection member to the microcuts in the skin for enhanced efflux of intracellular and extracellular (i.e., body) fluids containing the nucleic acid.

This application claims benefit under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/227,675, filed Aug. 24, 2000.
The present invention relates to nucleic acid (e.g., DNA or RNA) sampling. More particularly, this invention relates to transdermal nucleic acid sampling. The present invention uses skin-piercing microprojections to pierce skin cells and affect transdermal nucleic acid sampling.
DNA testing is presently performed by blood sampling or tissue swabbing followed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of the DNA and then analysis of the amplified DNA. Blood sampling using a syringe is invasive and painful. Tissue swabbing is inconvenient and uncomfortable for many patients. One common procedure for sampling DNA uses buccal mucosal tissue samples obtained by rotating cyto brushes vigorously along the inside of the cheek for about 30 seconds.
There have been many attempts to enhance transdermal flux by mechanically puncturing the skin prior to transdermal drug delivery. See for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,279,544 issued to Gross et al., 5,250,023 issued to Lee et al., and 3,964,482 issued to Gerstel et al. These devices utilize solid and hollow microprojections to pierce the outer layer of the skin.
There have also been attempts to sample body analytes (e.g., glucose) contained in interstitial fluid using devices having similar skin-piercing microprojections. The analyte content in the interstitial fluid is then correlated with that in the blood. See for example, Cormier et al WO 97/48441; Joseph, U.S. Pat. No. 5,161,532; Erickson et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,582,184; Brinda, U.S. Pat. No. 5,682,233; Erickson et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,746,217 and Erickson et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,820,570. Daddona et al. U.S. Pat. No. 6,091,975 provides a diagnostic device having stratum corneum-piercing microprojections. Electrochemical sensors are placed directly on the microprojections for sensing/measuring body analyte concentrations such as blood glucose concentration. One of the advantages of sampling interstitial fluid is that the wound created in the skin is not as deep as the wound needed for blood sampling. Thus, interstitial fluid sampling using such stratum corneum piercing microprojections is generally considered less invasive than blood sampling.
However, there is still a need for less invasive sampling of nucleic acids for the purposes of genetic testing (e.g., paternity testing, matching blood/semen samples to individuals in police/criminal detective work), medical diagnostics (e.g., screening patients for the presence of a disease and/or for predisposition towards disease such as heart disease), and the like.
The present invention provides a method for transdermal DNA sampling using a reproducible, high volume production, low-cost device. The invention comprises piercing through the outermost layer (i.e., the stratum corneum layer) of the skin and into the underlying epidermis layer, or into both the epidermis and dermis layers, with a plurality of microprojections. Individual skin cells within the epidermis/dermis layers are pierced, causing the cellular contents, including the cells"" nucleus and its nucleic acids, to be released. The nucleic acids are coated onto the surfaces of the microprojections and/or absorbed into an absorbant coating on the microprojections. The microprojections typically have a length of less than about 0.4 mm and a width and thickness which is even smaller.
The method of the present invention can also be used to extract and sample nucleic acids released into the skin""s interstitial fluid. As before, the outermost stratum corneum layer of the skin is pierced to form pathways through which the interstitial fluid, containing the nucleic acids, is withdrawn (i.e., sampled). Optionally, the sampling device used with this embodiment of the present invention can apply a partial vacuum (also referred to herein as xe2x80x9cnegative pressurexe2x80x9d) to the microcut skin. The negative pressure causes interstitial fluid to efflux from the microcuts. The interstitial fluid is collected, the nucleic acids contained therein is amplified using standard polymerase chain reaction (PCR) techniques, and then the amplified nucleic acids are analyzed.
In one aspect of the invention, the device for piercing the skin comprises a sheet having a plurality of openings therethrough, and a plurality of microprojections integral therewith and extending downward (i.e., in a direction toward the skin) therefrom. The optional negative pressure driven device applies a partial vacuum (i.e., suction) to the microcuts through the openings in the sheet.

Method for transdermal nucleic acid sampling


Circuitry of a gaze/eye tracking system obtains one or more images of a left eye and one or more images a right eye, determines a gaze direction of the left eye based on at least one obtained image of the left eye, determines a gaze direction of the right eye based on at least one obtained image of the right eye, determines a first confidence value based on the one or more obtained images of the left eye, determines a second confidence value based on the one or more obtained images of the right eye, and determines a final gaze direction based at least in part on the first confidence value and the second confidence value. The first and second confidence values represent indications of the reliability of the determined gaze directions of the left eye and the right eye, respectively. Corresponding methods and computer-readable media are also provided.

The present disclosure generally relates to the field of eye tracking. In particular, the present disclosure relates to systems and methods for generating and/or using gaze tracking data indicating a gaze direction of an eye.
Several different eye tracking systems are known in the art. Such systems may for example be employed to allow a user to indicate a location at a computer display by looking at that point. The eye tracking system may capture images of the user's face, and then employ image processing to extract key features from the user's face, such as a pupil center and glints from illuminators illuminating the user's face. The extracted features may then be employed to determine where at the display the user is looking. Naturally, factors such as accuracy, speed, and reliability/robustness of the eye tracking are desirable to achieve a positive user experience. Therefore, several schemes have been proposed for mitigating the negative effects of different types of errors or inaccuracies that may occur in eye tracking systems.
For example, US 2010/0328444 A1 (which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety) discloses an eye tracker which includes at least one illuminator for illuminating an eye, at least two cameras for imaging the eye, and a controller. The configuration of the illuminator(s) and cameras is such that, at least one camera is coaxial with a reference illuminator and at least one camera is non-coaxial with a reference illuminator. The controller is adapted to select one of the cameras to be active to maximize an image quality metric and to avoid obscuring objects. The eye tracker is operable in a dual-camera mode to improve accuracy. A method and computer-program product for selecting a combination of an active reference illuminator from a number of reference illuminators, and an active camera from a plurality of cameras are also disclosed.
As another example, US 2014/0362446 A1 (which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety) discloses a head mountable display (HMD) system. The HMD system comprises an eye position detector comprising one or more cameras configured to detect the position of each of the HMD user's eyes, a dominant eye detector configured to detect a dominant eye of the HMD user, and an image generator configured to generate images for display by the HMD in dependence upon the HMD user's eye positions. The image generator is configured to apply a greater weight to the detected position of the dominant eye than to the detected position of the non-dominant eye. The dominant eye is detected by one or more of the following: (i) the eye with the wider range of movement, (ii) the eye which reaches a gaze direction appropriate to a displayed stimulus the closest and/or the most quickly, (iii) the eye which holds a position relating to a displayed stimulus.
As a further example, US 2016/0004303 A1 (which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety) discloses an eye gaze tracking system which includes a gaze data acquisition system including a plurality of light sources and a plurality of image sensors. The light sources are arranged to emit light to a head of the user, and the image sensors are configured to receive the light. In an embodiment, the system further includes a gaze tracking module including an ocular feature extraction module, a point of regard (POR) calculation module and a POR averaging module. The ocular feature extraction module is configured to process the gaze data and to extract ocular features in relation to each image sensor, and is configured to determine a confidence value associated with an accuracy of the parameters for each image sensor. The confidence value may for example depend on head pose angle (in yaw, pitch and roll angle), user distance and feature detection reliability. The POR calculation module is configured to determine a POR from the ocular features for each image sensor. The POR averaging module is configured to determine an average POR using the confidence values of the POR for the respective image sensors.
However, it would be desirable to provide further systems and methods addressing at least one of the issues described above.

Reliability of gaze tracking data for left and right eye


A monitoring device is configured to monitor a monitoring target device. The monitoring device includes a circuit information distribution program configured to distribute circuit information for programming a physically unclonable function (PUF) circuit to the monitoring target device; a transmission processing program configured to transmit a challenge value to the monitoring target device to which circuit information is distributed; a reception processing program configured to receive a response value corresponding to the challenge value of the PUF circuit programmed in the monitoring target device; and an authentication processing program configured to authenticate the monitoring target device based on input and output correspondence information of the PUF circuit programmed in the monitoring target device and the response value which has been received.

As a method of protecting embedded software, methods of protection by encryption using a trusted platform module (TPM) and removing software by detecting an environmental change have been proposed. In addition, a method in which a physical quantity such as a manufacturing variation and a difference in physical characteristics of a semiconductor chip called a physically unclonable function (PUF) is output as an eigenvalue of the semiconductor chip and is used for a security function of electronic device hardware such as an authenticity determination and authentication process, an encryption process, and the like of a semiconductor chip and devices on which the semiconductor chip is mounted has been proposed (for example, refer Japanese Patent No. 5499358).

Monitoring device, monitoring system, information processing device, monitoring method, and program


A control system for generating and utilizing at least one or more addressed datagrams that communicate information to and from devices along piping assemblies comprising; one or more transmitters, one or more receivers, and one or more controllers, wherein the transmitters transmit information via one or more addressed datagrams encoded within a working medium to one or more receivers among the piping assemblies, is described. Transmitters convert datagrams into signals that are transmitted within the working medium and the receivers receive signals from the transmitters and also convert signals from the working medium which is converted back into datagrams. The controllers receive and decode the datagrams so that the controllers selectively communicate and perform logical operations on piping assembly devices according to directions received from the addressed datagrams. The entire control system can function as a network of controllers, receivers, transmitters, and/or transponders as required by one or more users.

Systems for controlling piping systems in general, and more specifically for controlling downhole petroleum based well operations have become common practice. Recent efforts have focused more specifically on fracing operations, which normally leads to a series of devices intended to provide a more intelligent completion and producing well. Older examples of the need for formation testing and evaluation using pressure controlled valve devices are such as those shown in the U.S. Pat. Re. No. 29,638. Related devices are illustrated, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,823,773, 3,986,554 as well as in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,403,659, 4,479,242 and 4,576,234 which all describe valve structures which are operably responsive to changes in the pressure of fluids that exist either in the tubing-to-casing annulus, or in the tubing itself.
These tools have all been used successfully in cased well bores using high level pressure signals which can be applied safely to the annulus fluids. However, in the past, some very deep, cased wells were not tested with pressure controlled tools because the operating pressure would have exceeded the burst rating of the casing. Testing in open (uncased) boreholes has more recently been achieved with standard pressure controlled tools. Until this was possible, certain types of valve devices, such as circulating valves and some sliding valves required lengthy operating times due to the complicated series of annulus or tubing pressure changes required to cycle the tool from the closed to opened positions and back again.
The older designs required dimensional lengths that often became excessive, to the point where a typical combination of tester, sampler and circulating valves could and in some cases still do require lengths in excess of 200-300 feet. Increased complexity of valve systems reduces their reliability, and increases the chances of mishaps and not performing the desired downhole operations. As a result of more recent efforts involving fracing and horizontal drilling, there is now an urgent need to increase the number of service operations that can be performed during single or multiple trips into any piping assembly, especially within the wellbore and during well completion and fracing operations.

Piping assembly transponder system with addressed datagrams


Described herein are approaches for presented interactive user experience cards within an application menu of an application. Dynamic content of the cards can be downloaded from an external server and presented in response to user inputs. The dynamic content can be updated dynamically and served when appropriate.

A computer application may include an application menu for navigating within the application. Depending on the type application, the application menu may include a list of options customized to the subject matter of the application. For example, a gaming application may include a list of options for checking rules, inviting others to play, adding new features, and the like. This list of options can be presented as a list of selectable elements (e.g., strings of text, graphical icons, etc.) that, when selected, navigate to a different portion the application.
Some application menus may include options to view content other than the list of options. This other content may be updated periodically (e.g., in connection with an application update cycle).

Dynamic rendering of interactive user experience cards


A component feeder capable of enhancing productivity is provided by that the component feeder includes a tape feeding device intermittently feeding a component housing tape constituted of a carrier tape having component housing parts formed with predetermined interval to contain respective electronic components, and a cover tape covering the component housing parts to prevent the components from jumping out from the component housing parts while the component housing tape wound on a housing tape reel is sequentially fed to a component extracting position, and an electronic component exposing device exposing the electronic components in the component housing parts to be allowed to be extracted, wherein the tape feeding device is constituted of a first feeding device and a second feeding device, and the electronic component exposing device is provided between the first feeding device and the second feeding device.

The present invention relates to a component feeder. The present invention relates to, for example, a component feeder including a tape feeding device which sequentially feeds a component housing tape constituted of a carrier tape on which component housing parts for housing electronic components are formed by being arranged at predetermined spaces, and a cover tape provided to cover the component housing parts formed on the carrier tape for preventing the components from jumping out of the component housing parts, in the state in which the component housing tape is wound on a housing tape reel, and intermittently feeds the component housing tape to a component extracting position, and an electronic component exposing device which exposes electronic components in the component housing parts to allow the electronic components to be taken out.
By using FIGS. 1 to 3, a component feeder as a comparative example of the present invention will be shown. FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing the component feeder as the comparative example of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a sectional view explaining an electronic component exposing device as the comparative example of the present invention. FIG. 3 is an explanatory view showing a component housing tape structure as the comparative example of the present invention.
As shown in FIG. 1, a component housing tape 1 wound on a housing tape reel 2 is conveyed in the directions of arrow A and arrow B by a feeding device 3 while being supported by a guide not illustrated. An electronic component exposing device 7 which is provided between the housing tape reel 2 and the feeding device 3 exposes electronic components by removing a cover tape 6 from a carrier tape which holds the electronic components in component housing parts. The electronic components which are exposed are held by a tip end portion of a component sucking and mounting device 9 by the component sucking and mounting device 9 vertically moving as arrow D. A device which allows the component sucking and mounting device 9 to hold an electronic component at the tip end portion may be vacuum pressure, a chuck mechanism and the like. The component sucking and mounting device 9 is a component extracting device which is provided at an electronic component mounting device which mounts an electronic component fed by the component feeder onto a substrate. The cover tape 6 which is removed is conveyed in the direction of arrow C by a cover tape feeding device 8 and is housed in a storage room or the like not illustrated. The cover tape feeding device 8 is formed into a reel shape such as a housing tape reel, for example, so that the reel may be rotated by a drive source to be wound up on the cover tape. The carrier tape from which the cover tape 6 is removed is conveyed to a cutter part 4 as arrow B and is cut by the operation of the cutter part (see, for example, JP-A-04-22196). In the component feeder of FIG. 1, conveyance of the component housing tape 1 is performed by balance of the conveying force by the feeding device 3 and the conveyance resisting force of the housing tape reel 2, the electronic component exposing device 7, the cover tape feeding device 8, the cutter part 4 and the like. Therefore, by setting the conveying force or the conveyance resisting force in the predetermined range, conveyance precision of the component housing tape 1 is kept.
By using FIG. 2, the electronic component exposing device will be described. FIG. 2 shows a sectional view of the electronic component exposing device 7. The component housing tape 1 is constituted of a carrier tape 10 and the cover tape 6. Further, the electronic component exposing device 7 is constituted of a cover tape removing part 12 which removes the cover tape 6 from the carrier tape 10, and a component extracting hole 11 for extracting an electronic component. The cover tape 6 is wound on so as to be along the shape of the cover tape removing part 12, so as to be moved to be removed from the carrier tape 10 when the carrier tape 10 moves.
By using FIG. 3, the component housing tape will be described. The component housing tape 1 is constituted of the carrier tape 10 and the cover tape 6. The carrier tape 10 is constituted of component housing parts 13 which house electronic components (not illustrated) and feeding holes which causes the conveying force for moving the component housing tape 1 to act on the carrier tape 10. The cover tape 6 is bonded to the carrier tape 10 at both sides of the component housing parts 13 in the direction orthogonal to the conveying direction, so that the electronic components sealed in the component housing part 13 do not jump out of the carrier tape 10.
In the component feeder of the comparative example of the present invention shown in FIG. 1, the component housing tape 1 has to be supplied when the component housing tape 1 of the housing tape reel 2 has run out. In order to supply the component housing tape 1, the vacant housing tape reel is removed, and replaced with a new housing tape reel 2, and the cover tape 6 removed from the carrier tape 10 has to be removed. The operation of removing the cover tape 6 has the problem of requiring much expense in time and effort. Further, the cover tape feeding device 8 for generating a removing force for removing the cover tape 6 is required, and therefore, there is the problem of increasing the size of the component feeder and complicating the component feeder.
As the means for solving these problems, JP-A-04-22196 provides the means which can make recovery of the cover tape 6 by the cover tape feeding device 8 unnecessary by providing removing means, which partially removes the cover tape 6 fitted to the surface of the component housing tape 1 from the central portion thereof to the directions of both sides, between the housing tape reel 2 and the feeding means 3. U.S. Pat. No. 6,402,452 provides the means for dividing the cover tape 6 by cutting the central portion of the cover tape 6, and provides the means which turns the divided cover tape 6. By providing the means which cuts and divides the cover tape 6, and the means which turns the divided cover tape 6, the electronic component can be exposed without removing the cover tape 6 from the carrier tape 10.


A method comprises providing a semiconductor substrate having a first layer and a second layer above the first layer. The first layer haw a plurality of first patterns, vias or contacts. The second layer has second patterns corresponding to the first patterns, vias or contacts. The second patterns have a plurality of in-plane offsets relative to the corresponding first patterns, vias or contacts. A scanning electron microscope is used to measure line edge roughness (LER) values of the second patterns. An overlay error is calculated between the first and second layers based on the measured LER values.

During semiconductor IC fabrication, 20 or more layers of material are successively deposited and patterned over a semiconductor substrate. Good function, performance and yield requires that the various layers be well aligned with each other. Additionally, with the advent of double patterning techniques, it is also important to be able to detect alignment errors between patterns formed by plural exposures on the same layer.
In order to detect and measure alignment errors, alignment marks are commonly placed in the scribe lines on the wafer. Several alignment marks are included, so that an average alignment error across the wafer can be determined. A variety of alignment mark shapes and sizes have been used. Generally, a first portion of the pattern is located on a first (lower) layer and a second portion of the pattern is located on a second (upper layer) above the first layer. The pattern portions are typically configured so that, when alignment is correct, the upper portion either directly overlies the lower portion, or a known spatial relationship is present between the upper and lower portion. Any deviation between the actual spatial relationship of the pattern portions and the expected relationship can be measured optically to determine the size of the alignment error.
As a general rule of thumb, alignment errors are maintained at less than 20% of the smallest dimension of any element of any of the patterns. As device sizes are reduced with each new technology node, the size of the allowable alignment error is correspondingly reduced. Improved overlay alignment error measurement methods and systems are desired.

Overlay alignment mark and method of detecting overlay alignment error using the mark

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.


The present invention relates to novel estrogen-related steroidal quinols and their use as drugs for estrogen replacement therapy. The quinols of the present invention provide improved physicochemical properties, increased bioavailability, and improved distribution into tissues, bone, in the cardiovascular system, and in the CNS (central nervous system) with only a slight estrogenic action or no estrogenic action in the uterus. The compounds are suitable for the production of pharmaceutical agents for use in numerous indications (for example, estrogen replacement therapy, prevention and treatment of osteoporosis).

Menopause is a biological process in which a woman's ovaries reduce but do not completely stop their production of female sex hormones. Menopause is diagnosed when menstruation ceases permanently. Changing levels of female sex hormones that precede and postdate menopause often cause a variety of symptoms. Common health issues related to the menopausal transition and menopause include: irregular periods, hot flashes, increased risk of vaginal and/or bladder infection, urge incontinence, stress incontinence, fatigue, depression, loss of muscle mass, increased fat tissue, thinning and loss of skin elasticity, loss of bone tissue, impaired cognition, and an increased prevalence of cardiovascular disease.
One therapy used to combat symptoms associated with changing levels of female sex hormones is hormone replacement therapy (HRT). HRT is the administration of the female hormones including estrogen, progesterone, and androgens. One form of HRT is estrogen replacement therapy (ERT), which is the administration of estrogen alone. It is believed that HRT and ERT help in relieving symptoms of menopause and can be used to combat osteoporosis and to prevent the early onset of heart disease, two conditions often associated with post-menopause.
The use of HRT for bone loss prevention in post-menopausal women is well precedented. The normal protocol calls for estrogen supplementation using such formulations containing estrone, estriol, ethynyl estradiol, 17β-estradiol, esterified estrogens, or conjugated estrogens isolated from natural sources (i.e. PREMARIN conjugated estrogens from Wyeth-Ayerst) or synthetic estrogens. In some patients, ERT therapy may be contraindicated due to the proliferative effects of unopposed estrogens (estrogens not given in combination with progestins) have on uterine tissue. This proliferation is associated with increased risk for endometriosis and/or endometrial cancer. The effects of unopposed estrogens on breast tissue are less clear, but are of great concern to clinicians and patients alike.
Certain non-steroidal anti-estrogens have been shown to maintain bone mass in the ovariectomized rat model as well as in human clinical trials. Tamoxifen (sold as NOVADEX brand tamoxifen citrate by Zeneca Pharmaceuticals, Wilmington, Del.), for example, is a useful palliative for the treatment of breast cancer and has been demonstrated to exert an estrogen agonist-like effect on the bone, in humans. However, it is also a partial agonist in the uterus and this is cause for some concern. Raloxifene, a benzothiophene anti-estrogen, has been shown to stimulate uterine growth in the ovariectomized rat to a lesser extent than Tamoxifen while maintaining the ability to spare bone. A suitable review of tissue selective estrogens is seen in the article "Tissue-Selective Actions Of Estrogen Analogs", Bone Vol. 17, No. 4, October 1995, 181S-190S.
Further, the long term benefits of HRT and ERT remain questionable due to concerns regarding safety and efficacy. As noted above, HRT and/or ERT may increase an individual's risk of developing cancer. Specifically, it has been reported that prolonged exposure of the breast tissue to estrogen for five or more years of exogenous ERT is linked to an increased risk of breast cancer (Collaborative Group on Hormonal Factors in Breast Cancer, Lancet, 350:1047-1059).
Estrogens are degraded in the intestinal tract and rapidly metabolized by the liver. Specifically, estrogens undergo enterohepatic recirculation via sulfate and glucuronide conjugation in the liver, biliary secretion of conjugates into the intestine, and hydrolysis in the gut followed by reabsorption. The estrogen concentration encountered by the liver is generally four-fold to five-fold greater than estrogen levels in peripheral blood (the "first pass effect"). Administration of oral estrogens present high levels to the liver and may lead to an undesirable increase in the production of certain coagulation factors and renin substrates by the liver. Therefore, there is a need for therapeutic agents that are pharmaceutically effective at those regions where they are required.
An oral daily dose of 1 mg 17β-estradiol is considered to be equivalent, in terms of clinical efficacy, to biweekly 50 μg transdermal estradiol. This dose comparison may be misleading, however, because it does not account for large diffusion in estradiol metabolite concentrations nor does it account for the increase in sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) after oral, but not transdermal, ERT (Vehkavaara, S. et al., "Differential effects of oral and transdermal estrogen replacement therapy on endothelial function in postmenopausal women," Circulation, 102:2687-2693 (2000)). The long term consequences of this SHBG-binding variance has not been documented in clinical trials, but does account for many instances of 'non-response to adequate ERT' experienced by women in clinical practice.
Because of increased SHBG binding (and possibly other factors), more estrogen is needed after oral ERT to achieve a clinical response equivalent to that obtained by non-oral ERT. Only 5% of oral estradiol is bioavailable following the first-pass hepatic metabolism of oral estradiol. There is only minimal first-pass metabolism of non-oral estradiol (Kuhnz et al., "Pharmacokinetics of estradiol, free and total estrone, in young women following single intravenous and oral administration of 17 beta-estradiol," Arzneimittelforschung, 43:966-973 (1993)). Thus, high doses of estrogen are often necessary for adequate ERT. Unfortunately, such doses would have limited utility because of associated problems with toxicity and increased incidence of some forms of cancer. Therefore, the usefulness of such a method of treatment is quite limited.
A need exists for compositions and methods for administering estrogen-related quinols to individuals who require hormone replacement therapy. Furthermore, there exists a need for a therapeutically effective estrogen compound that retains its therapeutic activity while minimizing estrogenic proliferative effects in the uterus and breast.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Steroidal quinols and their use for estrogen replacement therapy

University of Florida Research Foundation, Inc.

University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth


This invention relates to the use, in a foamy aqueous suspension of calcium sulfate hemihydrate, as an agent having the dual function of being a dispersing agent and an anti-defoaming agent, of a comb polymer made up of (meth)acrylic acid, a monomer which is an alcoxy- or hydroxy-polyalkylene glycol, and an ester of (meth)acrylic acid. It also relates to the aqueous suspensions thereby formed, and the plasterboard manufactured from 2 sheets of paper containing a body resulting from the drying of said suspensions.

The first step in manufacturing plasterboard typically resides in manufacturing an aqueous suspension of calcium sulfate hemihydrate. In concrete terms, hemihydrate in the form of a powder is added to water being agitated in a mixer in the presence of a dispersing agent. It becomes hydrated when it contacts the water, forming calcium sulfate dihydrate, meaning gypsum.
The function of the dispersing agent is to ensure that the calcium sulfate hemihydrate is in an even state of dispersion within the aqueous phase; its effectiveness may particularly be measured by the quantity of calcium sulfate hemihydrate that is dispersable in order to obtain a given rheology (or viscosity value). These agents are called "dispersing", "water-reducing", and "plastifying" agents, and/or are said to improve the "consistency" or "fluidity" of the gypsum suspension.
Various additives are added in parallel in the aqueous suspension, such as gluing agents, accelerators, etc. It is then mixed with foam taken from a generator (the water is injected into a turbine in the presence of a foaming agent), then sandwiched between two rolling paper strips. The whole article is then cut into the desired dimensions of plasterboard. Regarding the manufacturing of such boards, one may refer to the documents U.S. Pat. No. 5,879,446 and the Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology (Second Edition 1970, vol 21, pp. 621-24, and fourth edition 1992, vol 4, pp. 618-619).
The mixture between the suspension of calcium sulfate hemihydrate and foam only lasts a few seconds. However, as the structure of the foam is particularly sensitive to agitations in the environment, it often degrades during this step. Such degradation leads to the formation of large bubbles which affect the adhesion of the suspension of calcium sulfate hemihydrate onto the strips of paper; it is therefore necessary to overdose the quantity of foaming agent—which accordingly decreases the productivity of the method—in order to obtain the desired quantity of foam. This issue is recounted clearly in the documents JP 08-217505 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,264,739.
The foam is also sensitive to the nature of the dispersing agent. The person skilled in the art initially used lignosulfate and naphtalene-sulfonate products, but their effectiveness at dispersing quickly proved insufficient. So-called "comb" dispersing agents were then engineered, made of a (meth)acrylic skeleton onto which are grafted alcoxy- or hydroxy-polyalkylene glycol lateral chains.
Examples of such dispersing agents are found in the patents JP 08-217505 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,264,739, both incorporated herein by reference, cited above. These documents deal with the question of interactions between the foam and the dispersing agent, by way of tests based on the mixture of foam and a suspension of calcium sulfate hemihydrate containing a dispersing agent. This mixture is produced during agitation for a quarter hour. It is therefore a "close" mixture between the components, created for a time which is very long compared to the few seconds in industrial-scale operations.
The results obtained according to these two patents appeared to the inventors to demonstrate that naphtalene-sulfonate dispersing agents are much more destructive to foam than their comb counterparts. However, the structure of the foam is altered by the very nature of the method that is used: the 15 minutes of mixing necessarily destructure the foam, and it was reasonable to question just how representative the results obtained were.

(Meth)acrylic comb polymer containing a (meth)acrylic ester as a dispersing and anti-defoaming agent in an aqueous suspension of calcium sulfate hemihydrate


A sleeve applicator machine is used to remove and open a sleeve from a carrier for application of the sleeve around an elongated object such as a wire. A mandrel is inserted into an opening of an unopened sleeve while the sleeve is still supported by the carrier. Once the mandrel is inserted into the sleeve, the mandrel is lifted to separate the unopened sleeve from the carrier. While still on the mandrel, the sleeve (which is now in a semi-opened state) is positioned between a separable pair of sleeve-opening dies in which the dies are in an opened position. The dies are closed or brought together around the sleeve and mandrel to compress the sleeve to a fully open state. At this point and with the dies holding the sleeve open, the mandrel may be withdrawn from the sleeve and a wire or other elongated object inserted into the opening of the sleeve.

Tubular sleeve markers are often used to mark elongated objects such as wires so that the wires can be distinguished from one another. Most commonly, such markers are employed when many wires are being used or the wires are run over long distances as, in both situations, it may be difficult to establish the different ends of a single wire.
In some instances, the tubular sleeve markers are prepared and presented in a flat configuration in which the tube form is pressed together to be flattened with creased axially-extending edges. The sleeves may be provided in flat form for a number of reasons including to make the sleeves more compact for shipping, to better permit the attachment of multiple sleeves into a single strip, and to accommodate printing on the sleeve. When the sleeve has been folded to be flat, in order to apply the sleeve around the wire, the sleeve is pinched to open the central opening of the sleeve for insertion of the wire.
However, the application of tubular sleeve markers to wires is often a time-consuming and frustrating practice given the relatively small size of many sleeves and the dexterity required to apply the sleeve to the wire.

Sleeve applicator machine and related method of operation


A bicycle rear suspension system providing rearward relative motion of the rear axle includes a chain stay, seat stay, chain stay link, seat stay link and shock absorber, with those components being assembled to a main front frame. The frame includes a head tube for supporting a front steering fork, a seat tube for supporting a seat, and a bottom bracket for supporting a pedal crank and chain drive mechanism, the seat tube and bottom bracket being supported so that there is a vertical space between them. The components of the rear suspension system are assembled to the frame within the space between the seat tube and bottom bracket. The chain stay link is pivotally attached to the frame so that, upon upward movement of the chain stay, the chain stay link pivots to cause the chain stay and thus the rear axle supported thereon to move slightly rearwardly relative to the frame.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a bicycle rear suspension system which provides an upward and slightly rearward motion of the rear axle relative to the frame. In other words, in comparison to a typical "swing arm" suspension of the type commonly used on rear suspension bicycles wherein the suspension operates so that the rear axle moves upwardly and slightly forwardly relative to the frame, the rear suspension system of the present invention instead moves the rear axle upwardly and slightly rearwardly relative to the frame. The relative rearward motion of the rear axle provides greater clearance and ease in traveling over obstructions.
2. Background of the Related Art
The primary structural component of a conventional two-wheel bicycle is the frame. On a conventional road bicycle, the frame is typically constructed from a set of tubular members assembled together to form the frame. For many bicycles, the frame is constructed from members commonly referred to as the top tube, down tube, seat tube, seat stays and chain stays, and those members are joined together at intersections commonly referred to as the head tube, seat post, bottom bracket and rear dropout. The top tube usually extends from the head tube rearwardly to the seat tube. The head tube, sometimes referred to as the neck, is a short tubular structural member at the upper forward portion of the bicycle which supports the front steering fork, which has the front wheel on it, and the handlebar. The down tube usually extends downwardly and rearwardly from the head tube to the bottom bracket, the bottom bracket usually comprising a cylindrical support member for the pedals and chain drive mechanism which powers the bicycle. The seat tube usually extends from the bottom bracket upwardly to where it is joined to the rear end of the top tube. The seat tube also usually functions to telescopically receive a seat post for supporting a seat or saddle for the bicycle rider to sit on. The chain stays normally extend rearwardly from the bottom bracket, and the seat stays normally extend downwardly and rearwardly from the top of the seat tube, the chain stays and seat stays being joined together with a rear dropout for supporting the rear axle of the rear wheel. The portion of the frame defined by the head tube, seat post and bottom bracket and the structural members that join those three items together can be referred to as the main front triangular portion of the frame, with the seat stays and chain stays defining a back triangular portion of the frame. The foregoing description represents the construction of a conventional bicycle frame which of course does not possess a suspension having any shock absorbing characteristics.
The increased popularity in recent years of off-road cycling, particularly on mountains and cross-country, has made a shock absorbing system in many instances a biking necessity. A bicycle with a properly designed suspension system is capable of traveling over extremely bumpy, uneven terrain and up or down very steep inclines. Suspension bicycles are less punishing, reduce fatigue and reduce the likelihood of injury to the rider, and are much more comfortable to ride. For off-road cycling in particular, a suspension system greatly increases the rider's ability to control the bicycle because the wheels remain in contact with the ground as they ride over rocks and bumps in the terrain instead of being bounced into the air as occurs on unsuspended conventional bicycles.
Over the last several years the number of bicycles now equipped with suspension systems has dramatically increased. In fact, many bicycles are now fully suspended, meaning that the bicycle has both a front suspension and a rear suspension. Front suspensions were the first to become popular. Designed to increase the rider's steering control by removing the pounding to the bicycle front end, the front suspension is simpler to implement than a rear suspension and a front suspension steering fork is easy to retrofit onto an older model bicycle. On the other hand, a rear suspension will increase traction, assist in cornering and balance the ride. Riding a fully suspended mountain bike down a rough, rock strewn trail, or even level riding on city and country roads, provides a new degree of safety and comfort to the rider. It is in downhill riding and racing that a rear suspension is most beneficial, but even on ordinary city and country roads, a rear suspension allows the rider to look forward more safely to view traffic and road conditions without paying disproportionate attention to stones and potholes immediately below.
A number of pivoting "swing arm" suspensions have been developed for rear wheel suspensions on bicycles. In its simplest configuration, the chain stays, which on a conventional bicycle frame are rigidly mounted, are replaced by a pair of swing arms that are pivotally attached at their front ends to the main front triangular portion of the frame. The rear ends of the swing arms, which carry the rear wheel, move upward and downward in response to the rear wheel striking rocks, curbs and other obstructions. The range of movement of the swing arm usually is controlled by a shock absorber affixed between the swing arm and the main front frame.
An example of one highly successful full suspension bicycle is disclosed in the applicant's own U.S. Pat. No. 5,685,553, which relates to a rear suspension for a bicycle having a Y-shaped frame. Like many other fully suspended bicycles, the rear suspension system disclosed in the applicant's '553 patent is comprised of a main front frame, a rear swing arm (which in the '553 patent is described as a unified rear triangle), and a shock absorber. The swing arm pivots about a single pivot point on the frame, and the shock absorber, which is attached to both the frame and also to the rear swing arm, controls its movement. When the rear wheel hits, for instance, a rock, the swing arm pivots upwardly to allow the wheel to travel over the obstruction. The movement of the rear axle is of course dependent on the pivotal movement of the swing arm. Therefore, as the swing arm pivots upwardly about the main pivot point on the frame, the rear axle must necessarily move in an arc, which means that the rear axle moves upwardly and also slightly forwardly. FIG. 5 schematically illustrates the arcuate path of the rear axle on a common single pivot swing arm rear suspension system. This forward movement of the rear axle relative to the frame, even if it is only a small amount, causes the rear wheel to become "hung up" on an obstruction and to momentarily jerk the bicycle rearwardly until the rear wheel clears the obstruction.
Like all other fields of industry, the bicycle industry as a whole and bicycle racing in particular is extremely competitive, resulting in an evolution of many different designs for rear suspensions. Bicycle designers have tried to optimize the performance of the rear suspension system by, among other things, moving the pivot point of the swing arm. Such rear suspension designs can be generally categorized into one of three categories: the low pivot, the high pivot and the multiple pivot. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,217,241 (Girvin) discloses a low pivot rear suspension. Here, a single pivot is located relatively close to the line of the top of the run of the chain, slightly above the bottom bracket. In contrast, the high pivot rear suspension generally has the pivot position relatively high above the chain and front derailer. Multiple pivot rear suspensions commonly employ the use of one or more additional components which function nothing more than to redirect the force of the shock absorbers so that it may be placed in a novel location. Multiple pivot rear suspension systems are illustrated for example in U.S. Pat. No. 5,226,674 (Buell) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,244,224 (Busby).
In virtually all such designs the arcuate motion of the swing arm results in a less than fully effective suspension motion of the rear axle and rear wheel relative to the frame. Accordingly, an improved rear suspension system for a bicycle is desired.

Bicycle rear suspension system providing relative rearward motion of rear axle


A system and method for monitoring one or more environmental conditions at a construction Site. Some embodiments include a system and method for sending a notification to a client device based on a trigger condition. The system may include a computer server including a web server and a database; a Coordinator and Aggregator Gateway (CAG) deployed at the construction site and In communication with the web server and a global position system (GPS) network; and one or more Wireless Sensor Nodes (WSNs) deployed at the construction site and in communication with the CAG, each of the WSNs including one or more sensors configured to measure an environmental condition of the construction site. In some embodiments, one or more of the sensors may be configured to measure one or more of: an ambient temperature of the construction site; a temperature of a wall, a floor, or a ceiling of the construction site; an ambient humidity of the construction site; and a concentration of a gas in the atmosphere of the construction site.

The environmental conditions of a construction site are an important factor in constructing a structure efficiently and safely. For example, the temperature and humidity of a construction site may affect the laying and setting of construction materials like concrete and adhesives. Furthermore, construction activities may be contingent on environmental conditions, for example, a certain temperature and humidity.
Construction sites are dynamic environments, and many factors can affect the environmental conditions of a construction site. Weather, construction activities, and the dynamic nature of the construction site itself may affect environmental conditions. For example, enclosing a space by placing windows may increase the temperature and humidity of the space. As a further example, curing of concrete may increase the temperature of a space.
The dynamic nature of construction sites make them difficult environments in which to accurately and reliably measure environmental conditions. For example, the size and composition of a construction site may change as spaces are added (e.g. adding floors, walls, etc.).
Furthermore, a construction site itself may be inhospitable to electronics conventionally used to measure environmental conditions. For example, systems used to monitor construction sites may be subject to physical shocks and/or vibrations inherent in construction activities. Furthermore, there may be a desire to measure environmental conditions of a construction site, in advance of electrical and/or telecommunications service being installed.
There is a general desire for a system to monitor construction site environmental conditions.
The foregoing examples of the related art and limitations related thereto are intended to be illustrative and not exclusive. Other limitations of the related art will become apparent to those of skill in the art upon a reading of the specification and a study of the drawings.

Construction site monitoring system and method


An apparatus and other embodiments associated with performing interpolations to compute gain values that correct for varying spatial intensity are described. In one embodiment, an apparatus includes interpolation logic configured to determine a gain value for a pixel in image data for which there is no gain value available in the apparatus. The interpolation logic is configured to determine the gain value by performing an interpolation of related gain values available in the apparatus. The apparatus also includes falloff correction logic configured to apply the gain value to the pixel in the image data.

Images acquired by an optical camera experience a vignetting effect. The vignetting effect can yield non-uniform intensity in an image. For example, a periphery of an image may be darker than a center of an image. One cause of vignetting is that an amount of light projected through camera optics decreases with an angle of incidence against the optical axis. Another cause of vignetting is asymmetries in optics. The intensity of vignetting effects increases as lenses get smaller. Therefore, cameras in handheld electronic devices (e.g., cellular telephones) can experience significant vignetting. For example, the periphery of an image acquired by a cellular telephone camera may be 500% less bright than the center of the image.
Cameras account for vignetting by performing spatial falloff corrections. A falloff correction unit (FCU) applies a gain value to each pixel to produce a desired (e.g., uniform) brightness across an image. One conventional FCU stores in memory a gain value for each possible pixel location in an image that can be captured by a camera housing the FCU. As image sizes grow the memory required to support this conventional style FCU may become unsupportable and/or not cost effective in mobile devices. Another conventional FCU does not store any gain values but rather computes a gain value for each pixel in an image using a radial falloff computation. The radial falloff computation determines a gain value as a function of the distance of a pixel from the center of an image. This approach suffers when falloff characteristics are not uniform. Another conventional FCU also does not store any gain values but rather computes a gain value for each pixel in an image according to a general characterization equation. General characterization equations may be complex and thus computationally expensive to solve. One skilled in the art will appreciate that information included in the background section is not admitted prior art.


A method and system of measuring a frame rate with an imaging device may include, capturing images of a number of frames of at least a portion of a series of frames output on a display device, determining if consecutive images of the captured images are different.

Developments in the production and display of video content have lead to an ever-increasing desire to improve the way in which video content is presented on a display device. Developments have been made in display devices such as liquid crystal displays (LCD's), plasma displays, high-definition televisions, and cathode ray tube (CRT) displays in order to improve the appearance of displayed images.
Throughout the drawings, identical reference numbers designate similar, but not necessarily identical, elements.

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


A decorative accessory includes a plate having a top surface, a bottom surface, and a plurality of openings extending through said plate, and a frame connected with and extending around an outer perimeter of the plate, whereby the frame projects from the bottom surface of the plate to define a partially enclosed area located beneath the bottom surface of the plate. The accessory includes at least one bead overlying the top surface of the plate, and at least one flexible securing element passing through the at least one bead, the at least one flexible securing element having first and second free ends that pass through different openings in the plate. The first and second free ends of the at least one flexible securing element are joined together beneath the bottom surface of the plate for securing the at least one bead to the plate.

Field of the Invention
The present application is generally related to decorative accessories and is more specifically related to decorative accessories having beads secured thereto and methods of making beaded decorative accessories.
Description of the Related Art
Currently, there are several techniques used in needlepoint, jewelry making, and art work for attaching or making a decorative beaded article whereby beads are woven or attached to a substrate such as a canvas or fabric sheet. In these conventional techniques, the work is created by attaching, weaving or stringing beads onto the substrate or fabric sheet by hand, loom or similar mechanism.
Kits are popular with artists and crafters whereby a pattern is pre-formed on a substrate, and the pattern is used to stitch a variety of designs onto the substrate to create an artwork. In some kits, the beads are stitched individually onto a substrate, usually in a horizontal, diagonal or other pattern to hold the beads to the substrate, thereby converting the beads into a beaded art form having a desired pattern.
There have been numerous advances related to stitching beads onto a flexible substrate or mesh such as U.S. Pat. No. 5,494,734 Wilders, U.S. Pat. No. 6,686,021 to Case, U.S. Pat. No. 6,378,334 to Hector, U.S. Pat. No. 6,318,122 to Burgard, U.S. Pat. No. 2,102,746 Reilly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,530,665 to Colonel, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,016,183 to Wallach. The above disclosures teach methods and systems of beading, however, they are not suitable for making beaded decorative accessories that may be worn as jewelry or attached to clothing, home and/or office goods.
Thus, there remains a need for improved systems, kits and methods of making beaded decorative accessories.

Beaded decorative accessories and methods of making beaded decorative accessories


A symbol recovery system for a digital VSB signal finds sync pattern correlations in the incoming signal. The present symbol sync acquisition circuit also accounts for static which distort the signal during transmission. Initially, both positive and negative sync pattern correlations are accorded equal weight, with the non sync pattern correlations being accorded a negative weight. Values are accumulated in a segment integrator and stored in a FIFO having a location for each symbol position in a segment. A comparator initially produces an output when sync pattern correlations are found that add to a given value. After a relatively small number of correlations, as tabulated in a confidence counter, a VCO is enabled to change its frequency under control of error pulses based upon the symbol sync. After a greater number of sync pattern correlations, the symbol position in the segment is fixed, sliding to a new symbol location in the FIFO is precluded, the signal polarity is determined and changed if necessary, and a higher threshold is established for the comparator.

The present invention relates to a signal recovery system and more particularly to a symbol synchronization (sync) recovery system for a vestigial sideband (VSB) digital signal.
The recently adopted advanced digital television signal standards are directed to a multilevel signal having two frames of data segments, each frame consisting of 313 segments as shown in FIG. 1. The first segment of each frame includes a two level frame sync signal and each segment has 832 multilevel symbols, wherein the first four symbols of each segment defines a two level segment sync pattern. A small pilot signal is added to aid in carrier recovery in the receiver. The receiver preferably includes a frequency and phase locked loop (FPLL) for recovering the transmitted signal. The data in the transmitted signal is subjected to precoding, interleaving and forward error correcting to provide noise protection and to assist in the rejection of cochannel NTSC signals.
An important requirement of a receiver is the ability to rapidly and accurately achieve symbol acquisition under field operational conditions. The nominal symbol frequency is 10.76 megasymbols per second and ideally, the receiver should acquire symbol frequency lock over a range exceeding +/xe2x88x9270 parts per million (ppm) in under 200 milliseconds.
The related sync signal recovery system has some difficulty achieving the desired symbol acquisition. For example, accurate symbol acquisition is hampered by unacceptable signal-to-noise levels. Moreover, during the transmission of the VSB signal, the original signal sync symbol pattern acquires static such as ghost signals. The ghost signals distort the original sync symbol pattern and prevent an accurate detection of the sync location. Consequently, ghost signals can detrimentally delay the symbol acquisition.
An object of the present invention is to solve at least the problems and disadvantages of the related art.
A further object of the present invention is to rapidly acquire signal synchronization.
Another object of the present invention is to improve the capacity for signal synchronization.
Another object of the present invention is to accurately recover the original sync signal.
Another object of the present invention is to prevent unnecessary delay caused by noise signals.
Additional advantages, objects, and features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and in part will become apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned from practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained as particularly pointed out in the appended claims.


In some examples, in response to detecting addition or update of a program component of a program, a system creates a blockchain entry for addition to a blockchain register, generates a hash based on the program component, and adds in the blockchain entry a signed hash produced by encrypting the generated hash. The system publishes the blockchain entry for the blockchain, the signed hash in a blockchain entry useable to detect tampering with the program component.

A program can be made up of program components, possibly from a number of different vendors. Some of the program components can include proprietary program code, while other program components include open source program code.
Throughout the drawings, identical reference numbers designate similar, but not necessarily identical, elements. The figures are not necessarily to scale, and the size of some parts may be exaggerated to more clearly illustrate the example shown. Moreover, the drawings provide examples and/or implementations consistent with the description; however, the description is not limited to the examples and/or implementations provided in the drawings.

Blockchain-based tracking of program changes


A data storage device includes a memory block, a data classification unit, and a memory control unit. The memory block includes a high-speed nonvolatile memory and a low-speed nonvolatile memory, wherein a data access speed of the high-speed nonvolatile memory is greater than a data access speed of the low-speed nonvolatile memory. The data classification unit classifies the externally input data into data groups including busy data and free data, where the busy data has greater access frequency than the free data. The memory control unit configured to store the externally input data classified by the data classification unit as busy data in the high-speed nonvolatile memory, and to store the externally input data classified by the data classification unit as free data in the low-speed nonvolatile memory.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a data storage device capable of storing data provided from an external device and to a method of driving the data storage device and, more particularly, the present invention relates to a data storage device having heterogeneous types of nonvolatile memory and to a method of driving the data storage device.
2. Description of the Related Art
A data storage device generally accesses memory in response to an externally input data access command, and then stores data into or reads data from the accessed memory. The memory of the data storage device may be implemented using nonvolatile memory in which case stored data is maintained even in the absence of externally supplied power.
Nonvolatile memory types may be classified as either high-speed nonvolatile memory or low-speed nonvolatile memory. Generally, high-speed nonvolatile memory has a greater data access speed than low-speed nonvolatile memory. Each has certain advantages and disadvantages relative to the other. For example, NAND flash memory, which is an example of low-speed nonvolatile memory, can be advantageously implemented to have a high memory capacity and is relatively inexpensive to produce, but it also exhibits a relatively low data access speed.
Examples of high-speed nonvolatile memories are Ferroelectric Random Access Memory (FRAM) and Phase-change RAM (PRAM). Since high-speed nonvolatile memory, such as FRAM, more randomly accesses data, its data access speed is 1,000 times faster than that of NAND flash memory. However, it is relatively difficult to implement high-speed nonvolatile memory such as FRAM with a high memory capacity, and the manufacturing cost of such a memory is relatively high.
In the meantime, data may be generally classified as either "user data" or "metadata". User data is data that is generated by a user, whereas metadata is data indicative of attributes of the externally input data, for example, the storage location of data as in a File Allocation Table (FAT). User data is accessed in large data quantities during each memory operation, but the access frequency is relatively small. In contrast, metadata is typically accessed in small data quantities, but with a high access frequency.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a conventional nonvolatile data storage device 10 which receives data DTA from and supplies data DTA to an external device 20. Referring to FIG. 1, the conventional data storage device 10 includes memory controller 11 which accesses a homogeneous nonvolatile memory 12, for example, a NAND flash memory. Controls signals CON are generated by the memory controller 11 to control access to selected portions of the nonvolatile memory 12 so as to store data DTA into or retrieve data DTA from the nonvolatile memory 12. The data DTA is temporarily stored in a buffer circuit 13, and an interface circuit 14 is operatively interposed between the buffer circuit 13 and the external device 20.

Data storage device and method using heterogeneous nonvolatile memory


In one embodiment, a test technique verifies a drop probability curve implemented by an intermediate node of a computer network, wherein a test point of the drop probability curve has a drop probability value and a queue length value. Traffic may be loaded into a queue of the node at a constant bit rate that is based on the drop probability value and an output rate associated with queue. An average traffic latency may then be measured, and an actual queue length may be calculated by multiplying the measured average traffic latency with the output rate. The drop probability curve may be verified when the calculated queue length is within a specified tolerance of the queue length value associated with the test point.

Random Early Detection/Drop/Discard (RED) is an important Quality of Service (QoS) feature that may be implemented on an intermediate node, such as a router, and utilized by network service providers for traffic congestion avoidance in a computer network. Typically, communication links of the network couple to the router via input and output ports that, in turn, connect to one or more buffers or queues (e.g., queuing logic) of the router. Depending upon the bandwidths of the links, traffic, e.g., packets, received at the input ports may "burst-up" and overflow at a queue as they wait to be transmitted over the output ports, thus causing congestion in the network. A RED algorithm implementation on the router uses direct measurement of a queue length to randomly drop packets to avoid such congestion. However, there is no known effective way to objectively evaluate compliance of the RED implementation on the router.

Method to verify a drop probability curve


The invention relates to a gas burner comprising: —an injection holder (2) with at least three gas injectors (2.1, 2.2, 2.3); —a burner crown assembly (3), the burner crown assembly comprising at least three flame rings (FR1, FR2, FR3) with different sizes, the burner crown assembly further comprising at least three chambers (CH1, CH2, CH3) and at least three pipes (3.1.1, 3.1.2, 3.1.3), each pipe being fluidly coupled with a single chamber; wherein each gas injector is associated with one of said pipes for providing gas into said pipe, said pipe being adapted to receive primary air in the area of the injection holder and to provide a combustion mixture of gas and primary air to one of said flame rings of the burner crown assembly. In addition, adjacent flame rings are separated from each other based on an air gap (AG1, AG2) provided between said adjacent flame rings.

Gas burners are well-known in prior art. Specifically, cooking hob gas burners are known which comprise an injection holder and a burner crown assembly. Within said burner crown assembly, a combustion gas chamber is arranged which provides a mixture of gas and primary air to a flame ring comprising a plurality of flame ports.
Gas hobs are known which comprise multiple separated gas burners of different sizes, specifically, different diameters in order to provide burners with different heating power levels.
Disadvantageously, current gas hobs are not capable of providing heat at multiple high-power, large-sized burners. So, in case that the gas hob comprises four burners and four pieces of cookware should be heated at high-power burners, gas burners have to be used which do not have the desired power level.

Gas burner and hob comprising a gas burner


A wavelength tunable laser light source necessary for a Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM)-based optical communication system, and more particularly, a wavelength tunable laser light source for maintaining a stable wavelength without a wavelength locker is provided. The wavelength tunable laser includes an optical fiber and a semiconductor device. The optical fiber can implement multiple reflection peaks. The semiconductor device includes a mode size converter section, a gain section and a DBR mirror section. One facet of the semiconductor device, which is adjacent to the optical fiber, has an antireflection coating layer. Therefore, the wavelength tunable laser based on an optical fiber containing multiple reflection peaks can maintain excellent wavelength stability insensitive to current injection, temperature, and environments without a wavelength locker.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a wavelength tunable laser light source necessary for a Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM)-based optical communication system, and more particularly, to a wavelength tunable laser for maintaining a stable wavelength without a wavelength locker.
2. Description of the Related Art
As the amounts of information transmitted over the communication system explosively grow, Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM)-based optical communication becomes prevalent for high speeds networks. WDM is a technology that utilizes optical signals having different wavelengths (channels) to be transmitted through a single optical fiber, taking advantage of the non-interactivity of light. Recognized as a powerful and cost-effective optical communication solution, the WDM technology guarantees the scalability and the flexibility of the optical communication system.
In a WDM-based optical communication system, a wavelength tunable laser becomes more important than ever before as a multi-channel light source or a back-up light source. For such applications, the wavelength tunable laser light source should show a good single mode operation (a side mode suppression ratio should be 30 dB or higher), wavelength stability (xc2x15% or less of channel separation), and high output power. In addition, a low cost wavelength tunable laser will be a key device in metro and subscriber networks that are expected to evolve at a rapid pace.
However, an existing wavelength tunable laser has a problem to obtain stable lasing wavelength because it is sensitive to change in current, temperature, and environments. As a solution to the above problem, a wavelength locker is used to monitor the lasing wavelength and adjust the wavelength actively using the monitored value. The wavelength locker has several disadvantages such as high cost, complex packaging process, and need of complex wavelength control circuit. Further, periodical calibrations should be performed to calibrate the change in device module caused by aging of the semiconductor laser diode and of the wavelength control circuit. That is, the expensive wavelength tunable laser including the wavelength locker and a complicated control circuit is not suitable for metro and the subscriber networks in which cost is the main concern.
To solve the above-described problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide a wavelength tunable laser that is cost-effective and can maintain excellent wavelength stability without a wavelength locker.
To achieve the above object, a wavelength tunable laser light source according to a 1st embodiment of the present invention includes:
an optical fiber that implements multiple reflection peaks; and
a semiconductor device that contains one facet adjacent to the optical fiber, which has an antireflection coating, and a mode size converter section, a gain section and a distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) mirror section.
By the antireflection coating, the optical fiber and the semiconductor device are optically coupled. So, laser oscillation wavelength is determined by coupled reflection spectra of both the optical fiber and DBR mirror.
In the above embodiment, the semiconductor device can further include a phase control section. The optical fiber contains multiple fiber Bragg gratings or a sampled fiber Bragg grating in order to implement multiple reflection peaks. The DBR mirror section contains a single Bragg grating or a sampled Bragg grating and the reflection peak(s) can be controlled by current injection.
A wavelength tunable laser according to a 2nd embodiment includes:
an optical fiber that implements multiple reflection peaks; and
a semiconductor device that contains one facet adjacent to the optical fiber, which has an antireflection coating, and a mode size converter section, a gain section and a tunable wavelength filter section.
By the antireflection coating, the optical fiber and the semiconductor device are optically coupled. So, laser oscillation wavelength is determined both by reflection peaks of the optical fiber and filtering curve of tunable wavelength filter section.
In the above embodiment, the semiconductor device can further include a phase control section. The optical fiber contains multiple fiber Bragg gratings or a sampled fiber Bragg gratings in order to implement multiple reflection peaks. The variable wavelength filter section has a coupled optical waveguide for filter operation.
A wavelength tunable laser light source according to a 3rd embodiment of the present invention includes:
an optical fiber that implements multiple reflection peaks;
a semiconductor device that contains one facet adjacent to the optical fiber, which has an antireflection coating, and a gain section and a DBR mirror section; and
a lens for being positioned between the optical fiber and the semiconductor device.
By the antireflection coating, the optical fiber and the semiconductor device are optically coupled. The coupling efficiency between them is improved by the incorporation of the lens. So, laser oscillation wavelength is determined by coupled reflection spectra of both the optical fiber and DBR mirror.
In the above embodiment, the semiconductor device can further include a phase control section. The optical fiber contains multiple fiber Bragg gratings or a sampled fiber Bragg grating in order to implement multiple reflection peaks. The DBR mirror section contains a single Bragg grating or a sampled Bragg grating and the reflection peak(s) can be controlled by current injection.
A wavelength tunable laser light source according to a 4th embodiment of the present invention includes:
a silica Passive Lightwave Circuit (PLC) that implements multiple reflection peaks by multiple Bragg gratings or a sampled Bragg grating in a waveguide realized on PLC; and
a semiconductor device that is flip-chip bonded on the PLC substrate, that contains one facet adjacent to the waveguide of the silica PLC, and the facet has an antireflection coating, and a mode size converter section, a gain section and a DBR mirror section.
By the antireflection coating, the PLC waveguide and the semiconductor device are optically coupled. So, laser oscillation wavelength is determined by coupled reflection spectra of both the PLC waveguide and DBR mirror.
In the above embodiment, the semiconductor device can further include a phase control section. The optical fiber contains multiple fiber Bragg gratings or a sampled fiber Bragg grating in order to implement multiple reflection peaks. The DBR mirror section contains a single Bragg grating or a sampled Bragg grating and the reflection peak(s) can be controlled by current injection.
With the embodiments described above, a cost-effective and highly wavelength stable wavelength tunable laser could be realized without a wavelength locker and a complex controlling circuit.

Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute


A content distribution server is provided with: a storage unit, which stores a plurality of pieces of content related to a facility; an acquisition unit, which acquires, from an in-vehicle navigation device of the vehicle, any one or both of starting information on a vehicle and location information on the vehicle, as information for determination; and a content distribution unit, which distributes content stored in the storage unit to a mobile terminal. The content distribution unit determines, on the basis of the information for determination acquired by the acquisition unit, whether a user can visit the facility by the vehicle, and determines, on the basis of the determination result, which content in the plurality of pieces of content stored in the storage unit is distributed to the mobile terminal.

In the related art, a content distribution server is known in which contents are distributed in response to a request from a mobile terminal. By using the content distribution server, it is possible to provide, for example, store information, a coupon, or the like, with respect to a user using the mobile terminal, as the content.
An example of a technology relevant to such a content distribution server is disclosed in Patent Document 1. In the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1, a navigation application for route guidance is built in the mobile terminal. Then, various service information items are distributed with respect to the navigation application, from the content distribution server. In addition, in the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1, a movement rate of the user is detected on the basis of position information that is positioned by a global positioning system (GPS). Then, it is determined whether the user moves by foot or by a vehicle or a bicycle, from the detected movement rate. Further, contents corresponding to a determination result are distributed from the content distribution server.
Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, Publication No. 2016-151512

Content distribution server and content distribution method


A method and system for positionally displacing a transducer, or multiple transducers, over a location on a data storage medium is disclosed. An actuator assembly containing at least one actuator arm supporting at least one transducer is used to access a desired location on the data storage medium. The actuator arm contains an intrinsically excitable element, such as piezoelectric material, responsive to a control signal to produce an excitement. The excitement in the element generates a movement of the element that is magnified by a flexure to positionally displace the transducer, which is attached to the flexure. The transducer is displaced from a current, or origination, location to the desired location.

This application relates generally to a disc drive and more particularly to an actuator assembly of the disc drive.
One function of a disc drive is reliable storage and retrieval of information. Using one common implementation of a disc drive as an example, data is stored on one or more discs coated with a magnetizable medium. Data is written to the discs by an array of transducers, typically referred to as read/write transducers, mounted to an actuator assembly for movement of the transducers relative to the discs. The information is stored on a plurality of concentric circular tracks on the discs until such time that the data is read from the discs by the read/write transducers. Each of the concentric tracks is typically divided into a plurality of separately addressable data sectors. The transducers are used to transfer data between a desired track and an external environment. During a write operation, data is written onto the disc track and during a read operation the transducer senses the data previously written on the disc track and transfers the information to the external environment. Critical to both of these operations is the accurate locating of the transducer over the center of the desired track.
Conventionally, the transducers are positioned with respect to the disc surfaces by an actuator arm controlled through a voice coil motor. The voice coil motor is responsible for pivoting the actuator arm about a pivot shaft, thus moving the transducers across the disc surfaces. The actuator arm thus allows the transducers to move back and forth in an accurate fashion between an inner radius and an outer radius of the discs. The actuator arm is driven by a control signal fed to the voice coil motor at the rear end of the actuator arm. A servo control system is used to sense the position of the actuator arm and control the movement of the transducer above the disc using servo signals read from the servo segments on the disc surface in the disc drive. The servo control system relies on servo information stored on the disc. The signals from this information generally indicate the present position of the transducer with respect to the disc, i.e., the current track position. The servo control system uses the sensed information to maintain transducer position or determine how to optimally move the transducer to a new position centered above a desired track. The servo system then delivers a control signal to the voice coil motor to rotate the actuator arm to position the transducer over a desired new track or maintain the position over the desired current track.
As the demand for smaller disc drives increases, so does the demand for higher storage capacities. To meet this demand, manufacturers of disc drives are continually developing smaller yet higher storage capacity drives. Typically, to increase the storage capacity of a disc drive, the density of the concentric tracks on the disc is increased. In order to increase the track density, manufacturers either narrow the width of the concentric tracks or reduce the spacing between tracks.
Currently, most drives are limited to a track density around 50,000 tracks per inch. As the demand for a higher storage capacity continues to increase, so will the need for a track density higher than the conventional 50,000 tracks per inch. However, current drive track density is limited by various characteristics associated with the dynamic behavior of the actuator arm and voice coil motor assembly. A conventional actuator arm and voice coil motor assembly moves an attached read/write transducer over a large dynamic range. This large dynamic range hinders disc drive manufacturers from developing drives having a higher track density. As the track density increases, it becomes increasingly difficult for the servo system to accurately position the read/write transducer over the desired servo track.
One potential solution is to employ a microactuator for fine position control in addition to the conventional actuator, thereby effecting transducer positioning through dual-stage actuation. Various microactuator designs have been considered to accomplish high-resolution transducer positioning, including piezoelectric, electromagnetic, electrostatic, capacitive, fluidic, and thermal actuators. Additionally, various locations for the microactuator have been suggested, including on the slider and various other positions on the actuator arm. With regard to dual-stage actuation, the microactuator is a high-resolution actuator responsible for fine control of the read/write transducers attached to the microactuators and not accessing the entire surface of the disc. Accordingly, the actuator arm voice coil motor assembly is responsible for accessing tracks when seeking greater distances, i.e. low-resolution actuation.
Against this backdrop the present invention has been developed. The present invention is an intrinsically excitable actuator assembly allowing a transducer assembly a full range of access over a data storage medium. The intrinsically excitable actuator assembly includes an intrinsically excitable element that is excited in response to a control signal. The excitement of the intrinsically excitable element produces a movement of the element that is magnified by a motion amplification system. The magnification of the element movement results in positionally displacing a transducer assembly to access a desired location on the data storage medium. In accordance with a certain embodiment of the present invention, the intrinsically excitable element is piezoelectric material. The piezoelectric material is excited by a voltage, or electrical potential, applied to the material. Alternatively, the element may be constructed from a material with high magnetostrictive properties.
In accordance with still other embodiments, the present invention relates to a device for positioning a transducer assembly, in response to a signal from a controller, at any desired location relative to a data storage medium in order to write data to and read data from the medium. The device includes an elongated flexure supporting the transducer assembly and operable to position the transducer assembly over the desired location on the storage medium. The device also comprises an intrinsically excitable element contacting the flexure. The excitable element moves in response to an excitation produced by the signal from the controller and the flexure is configured to amplify the element movement to selectively position the transducer assembly over the desired location on the data storage medium.
In accordance with certain embodiments of the present invention, the data storage medium may be a recordable disc in a disc drive and the transducer assembly writes data to and reads data from a desired track of the recordable disc. The device may further include an actuator arm supporting the elongated flexure. The actuator arm is attached to a stationary support and has an interior surface constraining the intrinsically excitable element such that the movement produced by the excitation is concentrated to a point of contact between the intrinsically excitable element and the elongated flexure.
In accordance with still other embodiments, the present invention relates to a method for positioning a transducer assembly, in response to a signal from a controller, at any desired location relative to a data storage medium in order to access, or write data to and read data from, the medium. The method includes determining a control parameter associated with the signal to position a transducer assembly over a desired location on the medium. The control parameter is determined based upon a current location being accessed on the data storage medium. The method also includes exciting an intrinsically excitable element using the control parameter. The excitement produces a movement of the intrinsically excitable element. The method also includes amplifying the movement to selectively position a transducer assembly over the desired location on the data storage medium.
These and various other features, as well as advantages which characterize the present invention, will be apparent from a reading of the following detailed description and a review of the associated drawings.

Intrinsically excitable actuator assembly