An inverter device for a liquid crystal display includes a transformer for receiving an inverter drive voltage, converting the received drive voltage into an AC lamp drive voltage and supplying the AC lamp drive voltage to a high path of a backlight lamp, a low path switching part selectively connecting a low path of the backlight lamp with a ground voltage source in response to an external inverter ON/OFF signal, and a shutdown circuit for receiving a voltage input through the low path of the backlight lamp to monitor for a malfunction of the backlight lamp in response to an external shutdown ON/OFF signal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an inverter device, a display device, and a method of monitoring the display device and more particularly to an inverter device, a liquid crystal display device using an inverter, and method of monitoring lamps of a liquid crystal display device using the inverter device.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, liquid crystal display (LCD) devices control light transmittance that is supplied from a backlight device to a liquid crystal display panel device to display image date (i.e., a picture) on a display screen. The liquid crystal display panel device includes a plurality of liquid crystal cells arranged in a matrix configuration and a plurality of control switches to switch video signals supplied to each of the liquid crystal cells. Since LCD devices can be made relatively smaller that cathode ray tube (CRT) devices, LCD devices are commonly used in laptop and desktop computers, photocopying machines, mobile telephones, and personal digital assistant (PDA) devices. The LCD devices require a backlight device used as a light source and optical sheets to reduce light loss generated in the backlight device.
The LCD device can be classified into direct-type backlight devices and edge-type backlight devices. The direct-type backlight devices include fluorescent lamps that are positioned to provide uniform light across an entire back surface of a display panel using a diffusion plate. The edge-type backlight devices include fluorescent lamps that are positioned to provide light incident to the display panel through a light guide panel, and are fastened to a side surface of the light guide panel to uniformly disperse light throughout the light guide panel and are surrounded by a lamp housing. The lamp housing supports the fluorescent lamps and prevents the light generated by the fluorescent lamp from leaking to side surfaces of the lamp housing. The diffusion plate is disposed between the display panel and top surfaces of the light guide panel, wherein the display panel includes a lower substrate where thin film transistors and pixel electrodes are arranged, an upper substrate where a color filter is formed, and liquid crystal material layer disposed between the lower and upper substrates. A reflective plate is included to prevent light from leaking onto a lower portion of the light guide panel. Cold cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFLs) or halogen cathode fluorescent lamps (HCFLs) can be used as the fluorescent lamps.
FIG. 1 is perspective view of a backlight device having an HHL-type arrangement of backlight lamps according to the related art. In FIG. 1, a first backlight lamp 10 is electrically connected to a second backlight lamp 12, wherein a low side of each of the first and second backlight lamps 10 and 12 are electrically interconnected to a low power source, and a high side of each of the first and second backlight lamps 10 and 12 are separately connected to a high power source. Accordingly, current flow is through both of the first and second backlight lamps 10 and 12. Thus, if one of the first and second backlight lamps 10 and 12 stops producing light (i.e., stops working), both lamps will stop producing light.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a backlight device having an HLHLHL-type arrangement of backlight lamps according to the related art. In FIG. 2, a first backlight lamp 10, a second backlight lamp 12, and a third backlight lamp 14 are each separately connected between high and low power sources. Accordingly, if one of the first, second, and third backlight lamps 10, 12, and 14 stops working, the other ones of the first, second, and third backlight lamps 10, 12, and 14 keeps producing light.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a backlight device having an HHHL-type arrangement of backlight lamps according to the related art. In FIG. 3, a first backlight lamp 10, a second backlight lamp 12, and a third backlight lamp 14 have a first end electrically interconnected to a low power source. In addition, each of the a first backlight lamp 10, a second backlight lamp 12, and a third backlight lamp 14 have a second end separately connected to a high power source. Accordingly, if one of the first, second, and third backlight lamps 10, 12, and 14 stops working, the other ones of the first, second, and third backlight lamps 10, 12, and 14 stop producing light. Moreover, it may not be possible to exactly control the current loss generated in an output line or light provided to the reflective plate.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of currents flow within each of the HHL-type arrangement of backlight lamps according to the related art. In FIG. 4, since the current flowing through the first, second, and third backlight lamps 10, 12, and 14 is the same, it is not possible to exactly control the current loss generated in an output line or the amount light provided to the reflective plate. For example, a current of 6.85 mA flows through the first backlight lamp 10, a current of 8.2 mA flows through the second backlight lamp 12, and a current of 7.2 mA flows through the third backlight lamp 14. Accordingly, since a loss occurs in the output line and the lamp housing and the reflective plate cannot be controlled, it is not possible to make the same current flow through each of the first, second, and third backlight lamps 10, 12, and 14. Thus, characteristics of the first, second, and third backlight lamps 10, 12, and 14 cannot be checked since the amount of current flowing through the first, second, and third backlight lamps 10, 12, and 14 are different.

Inverter device, liquid crystal display device using the inverter device, and method of monitoring lamps of the liquid crystal display device using the inverter device


The present invention provides a method of inducing growth or enhancing survival of nervous tissue comprising contacting the nervous tissue with an amount of ebaf effective to induce the growth or enhance the survival of the nervous tissue. The present invention also provides a method for treating a subject having damaged or degenerated nervous tissue comprising administering to the subject an amount of ebaf effective to treat the damaged or degenerated nervous tissue in the subject. The present invention further provides a method for treating a neurodegenerative disease in a subject comprising administering an amount of ebaf effective to treat the neurodegenerative disease. The present invention still further provides a method for preventing the onset or reducing the severity of damaged or degenerated nervous tissue in a subject comprising administering an amount of ebaf effective to prevent the onset or reduce the severity of the damaged or degenerated nervous tissue. Finally, the present invention provides a method for inducing growth or enhancing survival of nervous tissue comprising contacting the nervous tissue with a modulator of ebaf expression in an amount effective to induce or enhance expression of ebaf and induce the growth or enhance the survival of the nervous tissue.

Death or destruction of nervous tissue such as neurons or glial cells is associated with a variety of degenerative disorders of the nervous system. These disorders include, for example, degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer""s disease, Parkinson""s disease, Huntington""s chorea, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Necrosis or loss of neurons is also associated with neuropathies of the central, peripheral or motor neurons as a result of disease states such as diabetes. In addition, damage to neurons may result from ischemia due to stroke, trauma (e.g. burns and wounds), kidney dysfunction as well as the toxic effects of drugs used to treat cancer and AIDS. Further, the loss of neurons may result in dementia associated with aging.
Currently, there are no known effective treatments for damaged or degenerated nervous tissue. Certain growth factors such as ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) have been proposed for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer""s disease. However, the use of CNTF has not been successful in clinical trials. Thus, there is a present need for the identification of new agents for treating damaged and degenerated nervous tissue.
Kothapalli, et al. described the identification of a novel human gene encoding endometrial bleeding associated factor protein (xe2x80x9cebafxe2x80x9d) that is associated with abnormal endometrial bleeding (J. Clin. Invest., 99(10):2342-50, 1997). The ebaf gene is located on human chromosome 1 at band q42.1, and the nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequences are known (Kothapalli, et al., 1997). The sequence of the ebaf protein also shows homology and structural features of the members of the TGF-xcex2 superfamily (Kothapalli, et al., 1997). The ebaf gene is expressed in human endometrium in the late secretory and menstrual phases and absent in the early and mid-secretory endometria (Tabibzadeh, et aL, Mol. Hum. Reprod, 4(6):595-602, 1998), and also in certain adenocarcinomas that exhibited mucinous differentiation including colonic, duodenal, and ovarian carcinomas (Tabibzadeh, et al., Front. Biosci., 15(2):18-25, 1997).
Meno, et al. have described two mouse members of the TGF-xcex2 superfamily, designated Lefty-1 and Lefty-2. These are expressed in a left-right asymmetric fashion in mouse embryos, and are separated by about 30 kb on mouse chromosome 1H2 (Meno, et al., Genes Cells, 2(8):513-24, 1997). Meno, et al. also reported that Lefty-1 induces NCAM-1 (a neural marker) in the absence of mesoderm induction, and hypothesized that the direct neutralizing activities of Lefty-1, similar to BMP antagonists such as noggin and chordin, may antagonize BMP (bone morphogenic protein)-mediated signals in tissues positioned on the left side of mouse embryos.
Recently, Kosaki, et al. described the identification of two human lefty genes, designated Lefty-A and Lefty-B, that are separated by approximately 50 kb on chromosome 1q42 (Am. J. Hum. Genet. 64(3):712-21, 1999). Lefty-A was described as being identical to ebaf. Although human Lefty-A and Lefty-B and mouse Lefty-1 and Lefty-2 are similar, Kosaki, et al. described that human Lefty-A and Lefty-B are more similar to each other than to mouse Lefty-1 and Lefty-2. In this regard, Kosaki, et al. described that Lefty-A and Lefty-B are 96% homologous and mouse Lefty-1 and Lefty-2 are 90% homologous, while the cross-species homology is only 81-82%. Thus, Kosaki, et al. suggested that sequence analysis alone precludes determination of specific orthologous relationships (i.e. whether Lefty-A is the functional equivalent of Lefty-1).
The present invention is based on the discovery that ebaf is associated with the development and growth of nervous tissue. Based on this finding, the present invention provides a method for inducing the growth or enhancing survival of nervous tissue comprising contacting the nervous tissue with an amount of ebaf effective to induce the growth or enhance the survival of the nervous tissue. The present invention also provides a method for treating a subject having damaged or degenerated nervous tissue comprising administering to the subject an amount of ebaf effective to treat the damaged or degenerated nervous tissue.
The present invention further provides a method for treating a neurodegenerative disease in a subject comprising administering an amount of ebaf effective to treat the neurodegenerative disease. The present invention still further provides a method for preventing the onset or reducing the severity of damaged or degenerated nervous tissue in a subject comprising administering an amount of ebaf effective to prevent the onset or reduce the severity of the damaged or degenerated nervous tissue.
Lastly, the present invention provides a method for inducing growth or enhancing survival of nervous tissue comprising contacting the nervous tissue with a modulator of ebaf expression in an amount effective to induce or enhance expression of ebaf and induce the growth or enhance the survival of the nervous tissue. Additional objects of the present invention will be apparent in view of the description which follows.

Method for inducing growth and enhancing survival of nervous tissue

North Shore - Long Island Jewish Research Institute


An electronic vehicle service braking system having at least one braking cylinder and a pressure control module with a control chamber and a working chamber. The working chamber is connected to an air supply via a supply line, the control chamber is connected to the air supply via a connecting line and an inlet valve and to the atmosphere via an outlet valve. The control chamber is also connected to a back-up braking system via a back-up line and a back-up valve, and a control system is provided for controlling at least the inlet valve and the back-up valve. The control system controls the valves such that the back-up valve is opened together with the inlet valve, enabling air to flow into the control chamber when an ABS signal for a rise in pressure follows a drop in pressure.

The invention relates to a braking system for a vehicle including an electronic service braking system (EBS) having at least one brake cylinder and a control valve assigned to the brake cylinder (referred to herein as a pressure control module or DRM). The pressure control module comprises at least a control chamber as well as a working chamber. The working chamber is connected by way of a supply line to the air supply reservoir, and the control chamber is connected by way of an inlet solenoid valve with the air supply.
For reducing pressure, the control chamber is connected with the atmosphere by way of an outlet solenoid valve and, as required, by way of a sound absorber.
By actuating the inlet or outlet solenoid valve, a pressure defined by the electronic brake control system is controlled into the control chamber during braking. In this case, the pressure in the control chamber controls the pressure in the working chamber through the use of a relay valve mechanism.
Furthermore, the control chamber of the pressure control module is connected by way of a backup line and a backup valve with a conventional backup system, in which a pressure is applied during braking by means of a pneumatic foot brake valve. This pressure is used for nevertheless permitting braking of the vehicle when the electric pressure control fails. For this purpose, the inlet and outlet solenoid valves are closed in their non-energized condition, and the backup solenoid valve is open in its non-energized condition.
Such pressure control modules control the pressure in the brake cylinder when braking takes place during which the wheels do not tend to lock up as well as during an ABS intervention.
In the case of an ABS intervention, the pressure at the brake cylinder of the wheel tending to lock is reduced considerably. When, subsequently, the wheel starts to run again, the pressure must be raised again as fast as possible in order to again build up the maximally possible braking force at the corresponding wheel as fast as possible and, thus, minimize the braking distance of the vehicle.
In the case of electronic service braking systems used so far, air for increasing the pressure was guided into the control chamber exclusively from the supply connection by way of the inlet solenoid valve.
Particularly in the case of rapid and large pressure increases during ABS braking, this had the disadvantage that, because of the limited passage cross-section of the inlet solenoid valve, the gradient of the pressure increase was not sufficiently large.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a braking system which permits increasing the pressure in the control chamber during ABS braking more rapidly than in the systems known to date. According to the invention, this is achieved in that the backup valve is opened together with the inlet valve when an ABS signal demands a large and rapid pressure increase. As a result of the brief opening of the backup solenoid valve at the beginning of the pressure increase, air from the backup connection of the pressure control module can also be guided into the control chamber and, thus, a faster pressure increase can be achieved.
This achievement is possible because the brake pedal is always operated during an ABS intervention and, therefore, at the moment of the demanded pressure increase, the pressure is always higher in the backup system than in the control chamber of the pressure control module.
Since ventilation takes place by way of the cross-sections of the inlet valve, as well as the backup solenoid valve, the opening of the backup solenoid valve according to the invention achieves a significantly larger pressure gradient. This leads to a significantly faster response by the wheel brakes after an ABS-caused pressure reduction.
In a particularly preferred embodiment, the backup valve and the inlet valve are constructed as solenoid valves, particularly and preferably as proportional valves.
In addition to the braking system, the invention also provides a method of rapidly ventilating electronically controlled vehicle braking systems during ABS braking.

Knorr-Bremse Systeme fuer Nutzfahrzeuge GmbH


Methods, apparatus, systems, and articles of manufacture are disclosed to detect attacks in V2X networks. An example apparatus includes a challenge handler to (a) transmit a first challenge packet to a first vehicle to request a transmission of a first response, (b) instruct a second challenge packet to be transmitted to a second vehicle to request a transmission of a second response, (c) increment a first counter when the first response is not obtained, (d) increment a second counter when the second response is not obtained, and (e) after repeating (a)-(d), determine that the first and second vehicles are phantom vehicles associated with an attacker with a half-duplex radio when at least one of the first or second counters satisfy a threshold, and a network interface to instruct a third vehicle associated with the V2X network to ignore future messages from the phantom vehicles based on the determination.

In recent years, vehicles, such as autonomous vehicles, have been developed to communicate information with other vehicles, pedestrians, and/or roadside units in the proximity of the vehicles. The communication of information with other vehicles, pedestrians, and/or roadside units can correspond to vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication. V2X communication can be used to facilitate driving related tasks of the vehicles and/or surrounding entities.
The figures are not to scale. In general, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawing(s) and accompanying written description to refer to the same or like parts.

Methods and apparatus for detecting attacks in V2X networks


An apparatus of the present invention is designed for assembling tires having a pair of spaced beads of various diameters and configurations with the respective wheels having a pair of seats moveable by a conveyor along an assembly path. A mounter station is disposed on the conveyor and presenting an alignment axis. A sealing mechanism is cooperable with the mounter station and is moveable around the alignment axis by a drive unit connected thereto for forcing at least one of the beads of the tire between the seats of the wheel. The apparatus accommodates a wide variety of wheel and tire sizes, is not complex and bulky, and reduces number of parts required to form the apparatus.

Motor vehicles are commonly supported by pneumatic tires supported on respective wheels, i.e. a tire and wheel assembly. The tire and wheel assembly is among the most important parts of the motor vehicle. Everything concerned with driving, such as moving and stopping of the motor vehicle, involves the tire and wheel assembly. It is well known that a non-uniformed, i.e. improperly mounted and inflated tire and wheel assembly contributes significantly to noise and vibration of the motor vehicle. A tire and wheel assembly that is not properly mounted and inflated results in what is commonly referred to as smooth road shake, resulting in the undesirable vibration of the motor vehicle. If beads of the tire are not properly seated on seats of the wheel, air pressure over, for example 25 psi, may cause the bead to break and the tire and wheel assembly to explode during operation.
Typically, the mounting of the tire on the wheels by automobile manufacturers is normally accomplished by various high production assembly lines. These assembly lines, known in the art, contain conveying means, such as conveyor belts or metal rollers making it possible to move the tires and the wheels, respectively, from one point to another on the assembly line. The tires and wheels are delivered from a supply warehouse on suitable pallets to be further mounted on the assembly line and delivered to customers. The tires and wheels are typically treated by the lubrication solution or soap before the tire is installed on the respective wheel and is inflated.
Various methods and machines have been devised for seating the bead of the tire on or between the seats of the wheel and/or inflating the same. The objective, however, is always to ensure that the bead of the tire are properly seated on the seats of the wheel and are properly inflated to ensure proper functioning of the tire and wheel assembly. The art is replete with various methods and apparatuses for inflating and/or mounting a tire and wheel assembly, which are disclosed in the U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,735,250 to Kane; U.S. Pat. No. 5,339,880 to Kawabe et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 6,502,618 to Kane et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 6,463,982 to Doan; U.S. Pat. No. 6,467,524 to Ronge et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 6,148,892 to Koerner et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,029,716 to Hawk and are widely used today in the automotive industry.
The U.S. Pat. No. 6,029,716 to Hawk, for example teaches an apparatus for inflating a tire and wheel assembly having an inflator head movable vertically to and from a wheel rim of the assembly. The inflator includes first and second chamber flanges aligned axially one with the other. The chamber flanges having fixed first and second diameters with the first diameter being larger than the second diameter thereby permitting the second inflation chamber to fit the bead of the tire a larger size. Two rollers of the apparatus are designed to push the tire over the rim. Each roller is moved relative the first and second chambers at only two fixed distances thereby diminishing capability of the apparatus to assemble the tire of multiple configurations.
Hence practicable, the prior art designs are too complex, non-compact and fit only to be installed and used within established environment of a production line to mount the tires within their respective wheels to undergo further inflation. These prior art designs are limited to two tire sizes dependent upon the diameters of the first and second chambers, as for example the apparatus taught by the U.S. Pat. No. 6,029,716 to Hawk, thereby diminishing flexibility of wheel assembly application which is a prime in a modern manufacturing environment.
But even with the aforementioned technique, to the extent it is effective in some respect, there is always a need for an improved system for mounting tires with and without tubes about wheels of various configurations and diameters to form a tire and wheel assembly and to provide a clearance between the tire and the wheel thereby preventing damage of the tire and the tube disposed inside the tire as the tire is assembled with the wheel.


A method for checking a data processing device to determine its suitability for performing failsafe automation processes, wherein the data processing device includes a first and a second time base. The method comprises determining a first time value of the first time base after expiration of a time period of length T, determining a second time value of the second time base after the expiration of the time period of length T, determining a deviation between the first and the second time value, and initiating a troubleshooting measure if the deviation undershoots, i.e., undershoots or reaches, a predefined or pre-definable limit value.

The present invention relates to data processing and, more particularly, to a method for checking a data processing device to determine its suitability for performing failsafe automation processes.
Methods are known for processing data. For example, the publication document EP 1 043 640 A2 discloses a method with which it can be established by checking identification codes of the central processing unit of an automation system whether the central processing unit is suitable for performing failsafe applications.
It is a disadvantage of such a conventional method that the identification codes, which are typically specified as early as possibly during the production of an automation system, are fixed from the outset and also cannot be adapted to subsequent further developments. Moreover, it is also not possible therewith to perform a subsequent check to determine a system's suitability for safety-related applications if this was not previously provided and verified at the time of manufacture of the hardware. In particular, when standardized data processing devices, such as a personal computer or workstation, are used in the automation environment, the identification codes are usually not provided.

Method for checking suitability of a data processing device for performing failsafe automation processes


This invention relates to a method of rebuilding a sootblowing system of a recovery furnace, said sootblowing system including a plurality of sootblowers (1), and each sootblower (1) including a frame (10), a moveable carriage (14) supported by the frame (10), a motor (2) for moving the carriage (14), a lance tube (11) mounted on the carriage (14) to be insertable into and retractable from the recovery furnace (8), said lance tube (11) having at least one nozzle (12), and a steam feed tube (45, 35, 15) connected to the lance tube (11) for feeding sootblowing steam to be ejected through said at least one nozzle (12) into the recovery furnace, said steam feed tube (45, 35, 15) having a first valve (3) arranged to admit steam through said at least one nozzle (12) only when the carriage with the lance tube (11) is in an activated position, i.e. during retraction and introduction of the lance tube (11), wherein further providing means (4, 30) to arrange for controlled steam supply merely during a limited time period, e.g. merely during introduction.

In pulp industry, recovery furnaces are used as a chemical reactor and for the production of steam for internal use, for generation of electricity, and for sale. As the recovery furnace operates as a chemical reactor, the combustion conditions differ from those of an ordinary boiler, in that the heating surfaces of the furnace get covered extremely rapidly with combustion deposits, i.e. slag, ash and/or soot, which decrease the efficiency of the recovery furnace, particularly by reducing heat transfer in the furnace. In addition to soot, the flue gases contain inorganic chemicals, which condense on the heating surfaces of the recovery furnace.
Recovery furnaces require continual cleaning of the heating surfaces by means of special cleaning apparatus, called sootblowers. The sootblowers clean the heating surfaces with high pressure steam, and generally about 2-10% of the steam production of the furnace is used for cleaning the recovery furnace. If the time between successive cleanings is too long, the dust-like particles get harder and/or sinter, and the deposits will be harder to remove.
Generally, the sootblowing system comprises about 40-80 sootblowers and is very expensive subsystem of a recovery furnace. As a rule, each individual sootblower is activated at regular intervals, generally between about 45-300 minutes. A correctly operating sootblowing system is of vital importance to the total economy of a mill, as the value of the consumed steam is high, and also as it is not uncommon that the mill has to stop its entire production of pulp for water washing the heating surfaces of the recovery furnace.
For a long time, the mills have desired to reduce the steam consumed by sootblowing. However, in principle this has been very difficult, as reduced steam consumption also has meant reduced soot removal efficiency. In many applications reduced soot removal efficiency is unacceptable, when you seek to attain high/secure/increased availability on the recovery furnace. Thus, there is a long-felt demand for a solution that makes it easy to save steam and simultaneously increase the efficiency of the sootblowing.
A principle description of a recovery furnace is found in WO 96/08677, which also discloses the use of sootblowers for removing heavy deposit, which is wholly or partially sintered, from the heating surfaces in a recovery furnace.
Several concepts of making the removal of soot more efficient have been presented and commercialized. In a first concept, the soot removal is governed by requirements. The operational intervals of the sootblowers are controlled from the calculated accumulation of soot on the heating surfaces. The saving of steam is achieved by breaks/pauses in the sootblowing, but often this is not acceptable to mills.
In a second concept, as depicted in U.S. Pat. No. 5,416,946, the sootblowers are operated with a reduced pressure (often in combination with a higher speed) during the return stroke or vice versa. As the pressure reduction between the steam source and the sootblowers is carried out at one common, single location, the sootblowers have to be operated one by one. This method saves steam, but simultaneously it reduces the efficiency of the sootblowing system somewhat. A similar solution is also known from US 20060065291, but intended for use in a different kind of boilers/furnaces, i.e. small sized.
In a third concept, the recovery furnace is divided into two (or more) sootblowing steam systems (front and back), where the sootblowers of one system can be operated independently of those in the other system. This method also has been combined with the first and second concepts above. The solution is complicated technically, as it includes much piping, new control stations and extensive programming to operate well from a process engineering point of view. Additionally, in practice the method is restricted by the existing construction of the trunk pipes that supply steam to the sootblowers. In practice, as a result of this restriction, the efficiency of the soot removal can be increased by at most about 30-50%.

Method of rebuilding a sootblowing system of a recovery furnace, a sootblower for a recovery furnace, and a sootblowing system including a plurality of sootblowers


A sheet feed mechanism installed in an image recorder for feeding sheets one by one out of a sheet cassette. A feed roller is driven in a rotary motion at a predetermined timing in a direction for feeding a sheet, while a reverse roller is pressed against the feed roller and driven in a rotary motion by a predetermined torque in a direction for returning the sheet. The feed roller functions to feed sheets out of the cassette alone. The feed roller and reverse roller cooperate to separate the sheets which are fed by the feed roller. A reverse shaft is formed integrally with the reverse roller. A torque limiter has a fixed hub and a free hub and provided integrally with the reverse roller and reverse shaft. A stop gear has a one-way clutch and engaged with the free hub. A coil spring generates a reverse torque.

The present invention relates to an image recorder for recording images on sheets and, more particularly, to a mechanism installed in a sheet feeding device of such an image recorder for feeding sheets one by one out of a sheet cassette.
In an electrophotographic copier, facsimile machine, laser printer or similar image recorder, a latent image representative of a document image is electrostatically formed on a photoconductive element or similar image carrier and then developed by a developer such as a toner. The developed image or toner image is transferred to a sheet which is fed from a sheet cassette of a sheet feeding device which is loaded with a stack of sheets. The sheet with the toner image is transported to a fixing station to fix the toner image. The sheet feeding device includes a mechanism for driving sheets one by one out of the sheet cassette as stated above. The sheet feed mechanism usually includes a cassette elevating device which is so arranged as to raise the sheet cassette until a pick-up roller exerts a predetermined pressure on the sheets. While the pick-up roller drives the sheets outward, a feed roller and a reverse roller cooperate to separate the uppermost sheet from the others and feed it toward the photoconductive element on which the toner image is formed. A support arm is affixed to the sheet cassette at one end thereof. An arm is rotatably mounted on the other end of the support arm. The reverse roller is mounted on a shaft which is in turn mounted on one end of the arm. A reverse motor is drivably connected to the reverse roller via a drive gear, driven gear, etc. A spring is anchored to the other end of the arm to constantly bias the arm toward the sheet cassette. The pressure exerted by the pick-up roller on the sheets, i.e., pick-up roller pressure, is controlled to a predetermined value by operating the cassette elevating mechanism. The pressure exerted by the reverse roller on the feed roller, i.e., reverse pressure, is generated by the particular angle of the arm to the cassette, the gear ratio of the gear elements, and the force of the spring.
A problem with the prior art sheet feed mechanism stated above is that the structure is complicated and the production cost is high, because the pick-up roller for driving the sheets and the cassette elevating mechanism for setting up a predetermined roller pressure are essential. Another problem is that the gears, arm and spring are located between opposite side walls of the image recorder and obstruct maintenance, manipulations for setting the reverse pressure, etc. Furthermore, since the reverse roller is constantly subjected to a force which tends to drive it in the reverse direction, an anti-reverse clutch has to be provided for preventing the feed roller from being reversed while it is not driven, aggravating the complicated structure of the mechanism.

Sheet feed mechanism for an image recorder


A method of designing an earth-boring rotary drill bit includes designing a bit body and cutting elements of the drill bit such that features of the drill bit other than cutting elements engage and rub against a subterranean formation being drilled by the drill bit at depths-of-cut beyond, but close to, an intended median depth-of-cut, and such that the amount of rubbing area between such features and the formation increases at a relatively rapid rate as the depth-of-cut increases beyond the intended median depth-of-cut. Such methods may be employed to mitigate the occurrence of the “stick-slip” phenomenon during drilling. A method of fabricating a drill bit includes configuring a bit body and cutting elements in accordance with such a design. Earth-boring drill bits include a bit body and cutting elements so configured.

Earth-boring tools for forming wellbores in subterranean earth formations may include a plurality of cutting elements secured to a body. For example, fixed-cutter earth-boring rotary drill bits (also referred to as "drag bits") include a plurality of cutting elements that are fixedly attached to a bit body of the drill bit.
The cutting elements used in such earth-boring tools often include polycrystalline diamond compact cutters (often referred to as "PDCs"), which are cutting elements that include a polycrystalline diamond (PCD) material. Such polycrystalline diamond cutting elements are formed by sintering and bonding together relatively small diamond grains or crystals under conditions of high temperature and high pressure in the presence of a catalyst (such as, for example, cobalt, iron, nickel, or alloys and mixtures thereof) to form a layer of polycrystalline diamond material on a cutting element substrate. These processes are often referred to as high temperature/high pressure (or "HTHP") processes.
During drilling, fixed-cutter drill bits sometimes momentarily stick at the bottom of the wellbore, which results in rapidly increasing torque on the bit. Once the torque on the bit reaches a threshold level, the bit will slip back into rotation resulting in a decrease in the torque on the bit. The bit can oscillate between such sticking and slipping at a relatively high frequency, and such oscillation may be manifested in the form of vibrations in the drill string. This phenomenon is known in the art as "stick-slip." FIG. 1 is a graph of RPM and depth-of-cut (DOC) (expressed in terms of inches advanced into the formation per revolution of the drill string) of a drill string at both the drill bit and at the surface of the formation, as a function of time over a five second interval. As shown in FIG. 1, in the "stick" phase (shown generally at reference numeral 10), the DOC of the drill bit increases and the RPM decreases. In the "slip" phase (shown generally at reference numeral 20), the RPM of the drill bit increases, and the DOC decreases. The RPM and DOC at the surface may remain substantially stable while the drill bit is experiencing stick-slip, also as shown in FIG. 1.
Stick-slip vibrations of drill strings have been studied by researchers for several decades. The subject is gaining renewed interest as operating parameters for PDC bits have shifted to the stick-slip regime of higher bit weight and lower rotary speed for enhanced drilling performance. Stick-slip has been identified in the art as a primary cause of bit damage. Various theories for mitigating stick-slip have been set forth in the art. Although the phenomenological basis of these theories has been provided, validation in most cases is based on anecdotal evidence from the field. Data with diagnosis based on down-hole measurements in a controlled environment has been relatively limited. Consequently, conflicting opinions continue to exist about the validity of the various theories set forth in the art for mitigation of stick-slip.
Drilling vibrations have been actively pursued by researchers for a long time as they can result in the failure of bits and BHA components and lead to increased drilling costs due to non-productive time (NPT) and reduced efficiency. For the past two decades, much of the attention in the art to reduction of drill string vibrations has been given to combating backward whirl through anti-whirl bit designs. Meanwhile, cutter technology has progressed dramatically with much more impact and abrasion-resistant, thermally stable PDC cutters. Consequently, the operating parameters for PDC bits have gradually shifted to higher weight on bit (WOB) and lower rotary speed for enhanced drilling performance.
As shown in FIG. 2, low WOB and high RPM may result in bit whirl, while higher WOB and lower RPM may result in torsional instability that matures into stick-slip vibrations. Relatively stable drilling is often encountered between these two regimes.
In view of the above, mitigation of stick-slip vibrations is gaining a renewed interest in the art.

Drill bit design for mitigation of stick slip


An apparatus and method for locking a tray to prevent a tray from being broken by an abnormal operation are provided. The tray-locking apparatus for a disc drive comprising a motor, a power supply unit, and a control unit. The motor is driven to move the tray into or out of the disc drive. The power supply unit supplies power supply to the motor. The control unit controls the power supply unit to cut off the power supply supplied to the motor, if a tray-locking command is input. The tray can be prevented from being opened and broken by carelessness of a user. Further, a current consumption of the disc drive is reducable by cutting off the power supply supplied to the loading motor.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for locking a tray in a disc drive, and more particularly, to an apparatus and method for locking a tray to prevent the tray from being broken by an abnormal operation.
2. Description of the Related Art
Disc drives, such as a compact disc (CD) player, a digital versatile disc (DVD) player, and a CD/DVD-ROM (read only memory) drive, drive optical discs. A tray for a disc drive is a mechanism on which the optical disc is loaded. The tray is constructed to be movable into and out of the disc drive in a straight line due to a rotation of a loading motor included in the disc drive.
If a tray opening command is input, the tray is moved out of the disc drive, and if a tray closure command is input, the tray is moved into the disc drive. The tray opening and closure commands may be input using a button on a front panel of the disc drive or a button on a remote controller to remotely control the disc drive, or by directly pressing a front panel of the tray.
In a case where the tray is moved into or out of the disc drive by directly pressing the front panel of the tray, the tray may be broken by carelessness of a user. That is, in a case where the user, who lacks knowledge about the tray, presses the front panel of the tray carelessly, the tray is opened such that the possibility exists that the tray may break. Further, in a case where a user, who lacks experience at handling the disc drive, opens the tray by needlessly pressing an opening button of the tray, the possibility exists for the tray to break. For example, in a case where the tray is opened by a child and the child presses down on the tray or places a foreign object on the tray, the possibility exists for the tray to break.

Apparatus and method for locking tray of disc drive


An air conditioning system includes a first mix manifold and a second mix manifold. A first air conditioning pack is coupled in flow communication with the first mix manifold, wherein the first air conditioning pack is configured to channel a supply of fresh air to the first mix manifold. A second air conditioning pack is coupled in flow communication with the second mix manifold, wherein the second air conditioning pack is configured to channel the supply of fresh air to the second mix manifold. The first air conditioning pack is also coupled in flow communication with the second air conditioning pack.

The present invention relates to air conditioning systems and more particularly, to an air conditioning system that includes a dual mix manifold system architecture for distributing air to multiple portions of a vehicle.
At least some known vehicles, such as aircraft, supply a relatively constant flow of fresh air into the pressurized body of commercial aircraft for ventilating the passenger cabin, the cockpit, and other pressurized regions within the aircraft. In order to economically maintain the cabin at a relatively constant and comfortable temperature, a suitable pressure, and at a constant humidity level during operation, recirculation air from the cabin area of the aircraft is typically mixed with fresh air, also known as pack air or conditioned air, in a mix manifold located in a mix bay of the aircraft.
Traditionally, known aircraft each include a mix bay that houses a mix manifold having a relatively large diameter that generally determines the space requirement of the mix bay. Derivative models of the aircraft may be longer in length and may therefore include larger passenger cabin areas or larger cargo compartments that require a greater volume of pressurized air to maintain comfort levels of the passengers and crew. As such, the size of the mix manifold in such aircraft must be increased to accommodate the additional air volume. However, increasing the size of the mix manifold also requires a corresponding increase in the size of the mix bay. However, increasing the mix bay may significantly decrease the available volume of the cargo area. Decreasing the cargo area volume allows less passengers and goods to be transported and thus decreases the revenue generated. It would be desirable, therefore, to provide a derivative aircraft air conditioning system that channels a larger volume of air than known base model aircraft systems and that is usable with the size constraints of the existing base model aircraft mix bay.

Air conditioning system and methods of assembling the same


Signal IO protection devices referenced to a single supply are provided herein. In certain implementations, a protection device includes a first silicon controlled rectifier (SCR) and a first diode for providing protection between a signal node and a power supply network, such as a power low supply network or a power high supply network. The SCR and diode structures are integrated in a common circuit layout, such that certain wells and active regions are shared between structures. In other implementations, a protection device includes first and second SCRs for providing protection between the signal node and the power low supply network or between the signal node and the power high supply network, and the SCR structures are integrated in a common circuit layout. The protection devices are suitable for single cell data conversion interface protection to a single supply in sub 3V operation.

1. Field
Embodiments of the invention relate to electronic systems, and more particularly, to signal input/output (IO) protection devices referenced to a single power supply.
2. Description of the Related Technology
Certain electronic systems can be exposed to a transient electrical event, or an electrical signal of a relatively short duration having rapidly changing voltage and high power. Transient electrical events can include, for example, electrical overstress (EOS) such as electrostatic discharge (ESD) events.
Transient electrical events can damage integrated circuits (ICs) inside an electronic system due to overvoltage conditions and/or high levels of power dissipation over relatively small areas of the ICs. High power dissipation can increase IC temperature, and can lead to numerous problems, such as thin gate oxide punch-through, shallow junction damage, narrow metal damage, and surface charge accumulation.
Moreover, relatively large scale System-on-a-Chip (SoC) for multi-Gigabits/second communication can integrate distributed and multi-level data conversion functionality on an integrated circuit. Such a system can use process technologies such as complementary-metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) technologies that combine a large digital signal processing unit with high speed analog circuits utilizing supply voltages in the range of, for example, about 0.9 V to about 3 V. System interfaces are often required to have the capability of handling signals referenced to power low, for instance, ground GND, and that go beyond power high, for instance, a high supply voltage VDD, or vice-versa. Under this constraint, the TO protection devices need to provide robust protection with reference to a single supply. Large-scale functionality SoC are particularly prone to fail during manufacturing due to complexity involved in implementing unconventional distributed on-chip protection against electrical overstress without degrading signal integrity. The damage can be caused by overstress such as charged-device-model (CDM) ESD stress conditions, affecting the yield and viability of the reliable system implementation.
There is a need to provide effective protection devices, including protection devices suitable for interface pins allowed to have reference to a single supply for relatively large scale System-on-a-Chip (SoC) applications.

Apparatus for high speed signal processing interface


The present invention refers a decoder that can be programmed for an irrigation plant, a programming procedure for said decoder and a centralized irrigation plant comprising a plurality of said decoders. The decoder has the characteristic of comprising memorizing means and processing means, said memorizing means and processing means being directly connected to each other, in which said memorizing means can store an identity number and the operating parameters of the decoder itself.

The present invention refers to a programmable decoder for irrigation plant, a programming procedure for said decoder and a centralized irrigation plant comprising a plurality of said decoders.
Automatic irrigation plants controlled by control systems or electronic units for the maintenance of lawns, gardens and other green areas are known.
There is an increasing need of remote controlled irrigation plants, as they enable construction and maintenance cost to be reduced.
These types of irrigation plants are divided into due main categories, that are: a) plants for short and medium distances from the control system, that have a limited number of solenoid valves to control; b) plants for long distances from the control system, that have a high number of solenoid valves to control.
In particular short and long distance irrigation plant control systems are already known, that make use of communication interfaces that enable the control systems programming parameters to be modified.
In addition specific methods for controlling the solenoid valves are already known and among these we can note in particular: a) control system connected by means of electric cables to each single solenoid valve as shown in FIG. 1, in which it can be seen that a control unit 1 is fed by means of a supply line 2 and said control unit 1 is connected at a distance xe2x80x9cdxe2x80x9d, by means of a plurality of electric cables 3, to each single solenoid valve 4, 5, . . . , 6; b) control system connected by means of radio frequency RF to each solenoid valve as shown in FIG. 2, in it can be seen that the control unit 1 is connected to supply line 2 and said control unit 1 is connected by means of an RF transmitting device 14 to respective receiving devices 7 belonging to each single solenoid valve 4, 5, . . . , 6; c) a system in which each solenoid valve is commanded by a control system independently from the other solenoid valves as shown in FIG. 3, in which a plurality of control units 8 can be noted which are fed from respective supplies 2 and said plurality of control units 8 are connected to respective solenoid valves 4, 5, . . . , 6; d) a central control system connected by means of one single pair of cables to all the solenoid valves as shown in FIG. 4, in which it can be seen that a control unit 9 is fed by the supply 2 and said control unit 9 is connected by means of one single pair of cables 10 to a complex of decoders 11, 12, . . . , 13xe2x80x94solenoid valves 15, 16, . . . , 17.
Each of these typologies is particularly adapted for a specific irrigation plant control system that is duly chosen by the engineer of the plant itself.
In specific reference to the case of the above-mentioned system (d), this will be widely used in the case of a long distance irrigation plant with a high number of solenoid valves and with centralized control.
Examples of this plant typology are, for example, irrigation plants along roads, in golf courses, large parks and vast geographic areas.
To command the opening/closing of the solenoid valves in the case of the above-mentioned system (d), it is known that devices such as decoders to encode/decode electrical signals from and to the control unit are added, which however increase installation and maintenance costs.
These decoder systems usually provide for a connection cable from the control system to the decoders themselves of the two-pole or three-pole type having a direct or alternating current input.
In turn the single decoder can drive the solenoid associated to each solenoid valve both in alternating and direct current. If it is usual, considering the very wide use of 24 VAC solenoids in using said typologies of solenoids, the use of a bistable type solenoid results more suitable as it requires power only when it activates and deactivates the valve and not for the entire period that the valve itself is open.
Therefore, using a 24 VAC solenoid the consumption of current needed to supply a plant that uses said solenoids, is considerably higher than that required by a plant that uses bistable type solenoids, under equal conditions.
As a result the section of the connection cable between the control unit and the decoders can be reduced, thus reducing the costs of said plants which for their nature are suitable for long distances between the control unit and the solenoid valves.
In addition the bistable solenoids, exactly for this characteristic of extremely low consumption, are more and more used in the irrigation section thus becoming just as common as the 24 VAC solenoids.
The operating principle of the decoder system is thus to guarantee to each decoder associated to each solenoid valve a minimum charging current for a long time so that once the decoder has been charged, it awaits the command from the control system to open or close the solenoid valve connected to it.
As in an irrigation plant there are hundreds of solenoid valves and the same number of decoders, each decoder is supplied a minimum current so as to guarantee limited losses in tension due to the considerable lengths of the supply cable.
This choice is appropriate as well as the supply cables have a smaller section with a considerate saving in cost.
From the electrical point of view, and still for the saving in cost, a two-pole cable is usually chosen even though this entails greater complexity of drive circuits and decodifying compared to a three-pole cable.
In addition, independently from the type of solenoid used 24 VAC or bistable, it is preferable to use alternating current between the control unit and the decoders so as to avoid problems of corrosion in the cable terminations on each single decoder.
However the present irrigation plants fitted with solenoid valves with decoder do not allow the control of the widest range of conditions linked to the operating of the single solenoid valvexe2x80x94decoder complex.
In addition the present irrigation plants do not permit any malfunctioning of the single decoders and/or solenoid valves to be recognized.
One of the problems that affect the known irrigation systems is that as the bistable solenoid is activated only in correspondence with the opening or closing command of the valve controlled by it, it occurs that, because of an electrical disturbance the command is lost.
This leads to the solenoid valve remaining open instead of closed or vice versa.
One technique used to obviate this problem consists of repeatedly sending the opening or closing command relating to the state of the solenoid valve. This results in all the decoders being addressed sequentially starting from the first to the last and so on, in continuation. In this manner as the number of the controlled decoders increases, the time between two successive addressings of the same decoder also increases.
In addition, at each addressing the decoder not only receives the command relating to its solenoid valve, but also sends to the control unit the state of the sensor associated to it. Therefore we have the situation in which the control unit could, reacting to the information relating to the state of the sensor, open or close the solenoid valve associated to it. This command however could be sent only in correspondence with the successive addressing, with the imaginable consequences and waste of time.
In view of the state of the technique described, the object of the present invention is to produce a centralized irrigation plant with decoders capable of obviating the previously explained problems.
In accordance with the present invention, this object is reached by means of a decoder comprising first terminals suitable for receiving a first electric signal from a control unit, second terminals suitable for exchanging electric signals with detecting means and third terminals suitable for commanding solenoids for activating solenoid valves, said first electric signal being filtered by filtering means and successively rectified by rectifying means and finally decoded by decoding means suitable for generating a second electric signal, characterized in that said decoder comprises also processing means and memorizing means, said processing means being directly connected to said memorizing means, said processing means being suitable for processing said second electric signal so as to exchange electric signals with said second terminals and command said third terminals, and said memorizing means being suitable for memorizing permanently the data present in said first electric signal.
In this manner a centralized irrigation plant can be produced characterized in that it comprises a control unit commanded by a user interface, said control unit being connected by means of an electric supply cable to a plurality of decoders, each of said decoders possessing above mentioned the characteristics.
In accordance with the invention a procedure for programming a decoder in accordance with the above mentioned characteristics has also been executed, characterized in that it provides for a programming step made up of a step sending an electric signal from a user interface by means of suitable connection means, said connection means being fitted with un communication protocol, said communication protocol being made up of a plurality of fields: a) a first field defined by a plurality of characters to feed and synchronize a specific decoder; b) a second field defined by a first preset number of bytes, said bytes being subdivided into a second number of nibbles, in which each nibble is represented by an ASCII character; c) a third field defined by a number representing the hierarchical order of transmission of said bytes.
Thanks to the present invention each decoder can be permanently identified with a reference number.
In addition thanks to the present invention the operating of the solenoid valvexe2x80x94decoder complex can be personalized in function of the specific needs.
In addition thanks to the present invention the operating of the entire irrigation system can be controlled.
In addition thanks to the present invention it is possible to intervene immediately on the programming of the solenoid valvexe2x80x94decoder complex.

Programmable decoder for irrigation plant, programming procedure for said decoder and centralized irrigation plant comprising a plurality of said decoders


A polyfluoroalkylphosphonic acid ester represented by the general formula: CnF2n+1(CH2CF2)a(CF2CF2)b(CH2CH2)cP(O)(OR)2 (R is an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, n is an integer of 1 to 6, a is an integer of 1 to 4, b is an integer of 1 to 3, and c is an integer of 1 to 3) is produced by a process of reacting a polyfluoroalkyl iodide represented by the general formula: CnF2n+1(CH2CF2)a(CF2CF2)b(CH2CH2)cI with a trialkyl phosphite represented by the general formula: P(OR)3 or by a process of reacting a polyfluoro-1-alkene represented by the general formula: CnF2n+1(CH2CF2)a(CF2CF2)bCH═CH2 with a dialkyl phosphite represented by the general formula: (RO)2P(O)H.

Polyfluoroalkylphosphonic acid esters are widely used as starting materials for the synthesis of mold-releasing agents. Compounds having a C8-C12 perfluoroalkyl group are most likely to develop mold release performance when used as mold-releasing agents. In particular, C8 telomer compounds of the formula:CF3(CF2)7CH2CH P(O)(OC2H5)2 are preferably used for this kind of application (see Patent Documents 1 to 4).
Incidentally, it is reported that telomer compounds having a C8-C12 perfluoroalkyl group are biologically degraded in the environment and converted to compounds having relatively high bioaccumulation and environmental concentration, causing concerns for exposure during treatment processes, and for release or diffusion from waste, treated substrates, etc., into the environment. Moreover, compounds having a perfluoroalkyl group containing 14 or more carbon atoms are very difficult to handle because of their physical and chemical properties, and hence, such compounds are rarely used in practice.
Furthermore, as for telomer compounds having a perfluoroalkyl group containing 8 or more carbon atoms, generation and incorporation of perfluorooctanoic acids with high bioaccumulation potential is unavoidable during the production of these compounds. For these reasons, companies that produce such telomer compounds have retreated from the production of the compounds or promoted the use of alternative compounds having a perfluoroalkyl group containing 6 or less carbon atoms.
However, compounds having a perfluoroalkyl group containing 6 or less carbon atoms cause a significant decrease in orientation on the surface of a treated substrate, and the melting point, glass transition point (Tg), etc., of the compounds are markedly lower than those of C8 compounds. Accordingly, the compounds are highly influenced by their environmental conditions, such as temperature, humidity, stress, and contact with organic solvents. Consequently, the desired performance cannot be sufficiently achieved, and durability and other properties are affected.

Polyfluoroalkylphosphonic acid ester and process for producing the same


A controller, method, system, and computer-readable medium, for producing control signals. The controller comprises a pressure sensor, a hinged input mechanism configured to receive input forces and direct them towards the sensor, and a processor. The processor is configured to receive a signal from the pressure sensor indicating that the hinged input mechanism is being depressed or released and, based on the received signal, to determine, during a time interval, a rate of change of pressure detected at the sensor. The processor also generates a control signal associated with the hinged input mechanism, wherein the control signal comprises a velocity characteristic representing a speed at which the hinged input mechanism is depressed or released, and the velocity characteristic is based at least partly on the determined rate of change of pressure. In one example embodiment, the control signal is an audio control.

Digital music keyboards (which will be referred to as simply "digital keyboards" or "keyboards" hereafter) are the most common input interface for controlling software synthesizers for generating music and audio. Software synthesizers typically offer large libraries of versatile sounds. Compared to the extremely diverse sounds producible by typical synthesizer software and the large number of customisable parameters associated with each sound, the keyboard interface is rather simple and restrictive. A range of buttons, knobs and faders are thus often added to digital keyboard interfaces to extend the real-time control provided over the software sound parameters. This solution, however, complicates the input device and imposes distractions on the music performance workflow, because interacting with these peripheral features typically requires the musician to move at least one of their hands away from the main performing interface, the keyboard. Moreover, the peripheral control features are usually mapped as a global control for all the notes generated, such that any changes to a feature will result in modifications in all the triggered notes simultaneously. This kind of functionality is known as monophonic control or monophonic aftertouch and limits the versatility and range of expression of the device.
A further problem facing existing digital keyboard and synthesizer interfaces is that velocity characteristics of sounds produced, which reflect the speed at which a key is depressed, are typically calculated based on the difference in time at which a plurality of switches are activated. This method of determining velocity characteristics is complex and is dependent on a plurality of components functioning properly. Relying on a plurality of switches increases the likelihood of inaccuracy or malfunction, because there are numerous elements that can become worn or fail. In addition, in order to enable the key to interface correctly with the plurality of pressure sensors, complex mechanisms to enable the key to pivot or depress in the correct manner need to be provided. The consistency across keys is also poorer due to the increased number of parts, which can lead to increased variability between keys as well as a greater number of parameters to control.
It would be advantageous to provide systems and methods which address one or more of the above-described problems, in isolation or in combination.

Controller for producing control signals


The present disclosure relates to a coolant circuit (1) for a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine (3). The coolant circuit (1) having a plurality of coolant passages (10-1, 10-2, 10-3). A coolant distribution chamber (11) is provided in the coolant circuit (1). The coolant distribution chamber (11) has opposing first and second walls (12, 13) and a sidewall (14) extending between said first and second walls (12, 13). A coolant inlet (15) is disposed in the first wall (12) and a plurality of coolant outlets (17-1, 17-2, 17-3) are disposed in the sidewall (14). The coolant outlets (17-1, 17-2, 17-3) are each connected to a respective one of said coolant passages (10-1, 10-2, 10-3). A guide (18) is disposed in the coolant distribution chamber (11) for guiding coolant introduced into the coolant distribution chamber (11) through the coolant inlet (15) outwardly towards said coolant outlets (17-1, 17-2, 17-3). The coolant distribution chamber (11) may comprise a toroidal chamber. The present disclosure also relates to an internal combustion engine (3) and a cylinder head (2) comprising a coolant circuit (1). The present disclosure also relates to a vehicle (4).

An internal combustion engine comprises a cylinder head and a cylinder block which form one or more combustion chamber. In a multi-cylinder combustion engine it is desirable for the combustion events in all of the cylinders to be homogenous. An important factor for achieving uniform combustion events is to maintain the same wall temperature for all of the combustion chambers. This requires consistent cooling of each cylinder within the internal combustion engine. A coolant circuit comprising a plurality of coolant passages is normally provided in the cylinder head. The coolant circuit is configured to supply a continuous, controlled flow of a liquid coolant, typically a water-based coolant, through the coolant passages. The coolant passages are arranged proximal to the combustion chambers to extract the thermal energy conducted through the chamber walls. A single coolant pump is typically provided to circulate the coolant through the coolant passages. The flow from the coolant pump is divided into several flow streams and supplied to each cylinder coolant jacket. Dividing a single flow stream into multiple flow streams having the same mass flow rate can be problematic. In general terms, when a single inlet passage is split into multiple passages, the direction of the bulk fluid flow from the inlet passage causes a flow bias in those passages more closely aligned with the inlet flow. To reduce or minimise this flow bias may require considerable design work to achieve an acceptable solution across the complete operating range of the engine. This may result in restricted flow causing pressure flow losses that result in excessive pump power expenditure and excessive fuel usage.
It is against this backdrop that the present invention has been conceived. At least in certain embodiments, the present invention seeks to overcome or ameliorate at least some of the problems associated with prior art coolant circuits.


A package structure includes a first die, and a second die over and bonded to the first die. The second die has a size smaller than a size of the first die. A dummy chip is over and bonded onto the first die. The dummy chip includes a portion encircling the second die. The dummy chip includes a material selected from the group consisting essentially of silicon and a metal.

With the evolving of semiconductor technologies, semiconductor dies are becoming increasingly smaller and thinner. As a result, semiconductor packages are becoming more compact.
Package technologies can be divided into two categories. One category of packaging is referred to as chip-level packaging, in which dies are sawed from wafers before they are packaged. Advantageously, only "known-good-dies" are packaged. Another advantageous feature of this packaging technology is the possibility of forming fan-out chip packages, which means that the I/O pads on a die can be redistributed to a greater area than the die, and hence the number of I/O pads packed on the surfaces of the dies can be increased.
After dies are bonded to a wafer, the resulting structure, including the dies and the wafer, have an uneven surface due to the height of the dies and the gaps between the dies. This results in process difficulty in subsequent process steps, such as die sawing. Further, the wafer may be thin, and hence with the uneven surface and possible relative great thickness of the dies, the wafer is prone to breakage.
Molding compounds may be filled between the gaps of dies to planarize the surface of the resulting packaging structure. However, molding compounds typically have low thermal conductivities, and the resulting three-dimensional integrated circuits (3DICs) also have a low heat-dissipating capability. In addition, with the more compact 3DICs, more heat is generated in the 3DIC, making the heat dissipation a serious issue.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.


A method and apparatus for the physico-chemical encoding of a collection of beaded resin (“beads”) to determine the chemical identity of bead-anchored compounds by in-situ interrogation of individual beads. The present invention provides method and apparatus to implement color-coding strategies in applications and including the ultrahigh-throughput screening of bead-based combinatorial compounds libraries as well as multiplexed diagnostic and environmental testing and other biochemical assays.

1—Solid Phase Chemical Libraries
An emerging paradigm for lead discovery in pharmaceutical and related industries such as agricultural biotechnology, is the assembly of novel synthetic compound libraries by new methods of solid state "combinatorial" synthesis. Combinatorial chemistry refers to a set of strategies for the parallel synthesis and testing of multiple compounds or compounds mixtures, either in solution or in solid supports in the form of beaded resins ("beads"). In general, a combinatorial synthesis employing M precursors in each of N reaction steps produces M^N compounds. For example, a combinatorial synthesis produces 4^N oligonucleotides in N steps, each employing 4 oligonucleotide precursors; similarly, a combinatorial synthesis of N steps, each employing 20 amino acid precursors, produces 20^N oligopeptides.
1.1—One Bead/One Compound Chemical Libraries
One implementation of combinatorial synthesis that is suitable to produce very large chemical libraries relies on solid supports in the form of beaded resins ("beads") and encodes reaction steps in a "divide, couple and recombine" (DCR) strategy (FIG. 1), also referred to as "resin-splitting" synthesis. The resulting "one bead/one compound" chemical libraries contain from 10^6 to 10^8 compounds. These libraries are screened by performing a wide variety of chemical and biochemical assays to identify individual compounds eliciting a positive response. The chemical identity of such compounds can be determined by direct analysis.
Two methods of direct analysis are micro-sequencing and mass spectrometry. Both methods require the physical isolation of synthesis beads displaying compounds of interest and both require off-line chemical analysis based on substantial amounts of compound—tens to hundreds of picomoles. Micro-sequencing, limited to libraries of oligopeptides and oligonucleotides, does not distinguish between stereoisomers. Mass spectrometry is unable to distinguish between precursors of equal mass such as D- and L-amino acids or leucine and isoleucine. The requirement of direct chemical analysis for a substantial quantity of compound dictates the use of large bead resins (a typical bead diameter is 130 μm) to ensure that picomolar quantities of each compound can be recovered, even when it is becoming increasingly desirable to perform high throughput screening of the compound library in miniaturized environments to reduce requisite volumes of sample and reagents and to enhance throughput.
1.2—Encoded One Bead/One Component Chemical Libraries
One approach to overcoming the serious limitations of standard one bead/one compound chemical libraries is to encode chemical compound identities. This facilitates the identification of compounds not amenable to direct determination by micro-sequencing or mass spectrometry. One encoding method employs the co-synthesis of peptides and oligonucleotides to represent the identity of non-sequenceable synthesis products (Nikolaiev et al., "Peptide-Encoding for Structure Determination of Non-Sequenceable Polymers Within Libraries Synthesized and Tested on Solid-Phase Supports", Peptides Res. 6, 161 (1993), the contents of which are included herein by reference). A second method, compatible with a wider range of chemical reaction conditions, employs a set of tagging molecules to record the reaction histories of beads.
One implementation of the latter method uses a set of pre-synthesized, chromatographically distinguishable molecular tags T1, T2, . . . , TM to construct a chemical binary code. In prior art, molecular tags are structurally related molecules (FIG. 2) which can be identified by their characteristic gas chromatographic retention times (Still et al., "Complex combinatorial libraries encoded with tags", U.S. Pat. No. 5,565,324, the contents of which are included herein by reference).
At each step of DCR synthesis, a unique tag from the set is added to each divided aliquot to record the reaction carried out with that aliquot. The concept may be illustrated by examining the steps of a 2-step synthesis using reagents R11, R12 and R13 in step 1, and reagents R21, R22 and R23 in step 2, to generate nine products. The reagents of the first step are uniquely identified by the binary addresses 01 (R11), 10(R12) and 11(R13), and the reagents of the second step are uniquely identified by the binary addresses 01(R21), 10(R22) and 11(R23). Each binary address is chemically represented in terms of a set of molecular tags: T1 (01 in step 1 representing R11), T2 (10 in step 1 representing R12) and T2T1 (11 in step 1 representing R13) and analogously with T3 (01 in step 2 representing R21), T4 (10 in step 2 representing R22) and T4T3 (11 in step 2 representing R23).
A sequence of reaction steps is recorded by simply concatenating binary addresses. Thus, 11.01, read right to left, would indicate the sequence "reagent R23 in step 2, reagent R11 in step 1". The chemical representation of this sequence is T4T3.T1, and the presence on the bead of this particular set of tags indicates the chemical identity of the bead-anchored synthesis product. The strategy is readily generalized to larger reactions. For example, 7 reagents to be used in each reaction step can be uniquely identified by the binary addresses 001(R11), 010(R12), . . . , 111(R17). Although superior to un-encoded one bead/one compound methods, nevertheless the tagging strategy of prior art still suffer from three limitations. First, individual beads of interest must be physically isolated from the rest; next, molecular tags must be chemically or photochemically cleaved from the bead and cleaved tags must be collected; and finally, chemical analysis (e.g., gas chromatography) must be performed. These numerous time- and labor-intensive manipulations eliminate much of the enhancement in throughput gained by the DCR synthesis strategy.
1.3 Screening and Lead Compound Optimization
The high specificity of typical biological substrate-target interactions implies that the vast majority of compounds in a library will be inactive for any particular target. Thus, the task of screening is to identify the very few compounds within the library that display activity in binding or in functional assays. Common targets include enzymes and receptors as well as nucleic acids.
To implement the rapid screening and scoring of an entire library of synthetic compounds, in practice containing 10^4 to 10^8 compounds, requires systematic screening procedures if the task is to be completed within viable time frames. Several assay formats have been described to implement the screening of bead-based combinatorial libraries. These include: reaction of a collection of beads, allowed to settle under gravity, with an enzyme-labeled or fluorophore-labeled target molecule followed by visual detection (Lam et al., "A new type of synthetic peptide library for identifying ligand-binding activity", Nature 354 (1991), the contents of which are included herein by reference); incubation of beads with radio-labeled target molecules and subsequent agarose immobilization of beads and auto-radiographic detection (Kassarjian, Schellenberger and Turck, "Screening of Synthetic Peptide Libraries with Radio-labeled Acceptor Molecules", Peptide Res. 6, 129 (1993), the contents of which are included herein by reference); and partial release of compounds from beads for solution-phase testing (Salmon et al., "Discovery of biologically active peptides in random libraries: Solution-phase testing after staged orthogonal release from resin beads", Proc. Natl. Acad. Sc. USA 90, 11708 (1993), the contents of which are included herein by reference).
WO95/32425 provides a method of preparing combinational libraries using a method of encoding combinational libraries with fluorophore labeled beads. According to the method, a first combinational library is prepared by conducting a set of reactions on tagged beads to afford an encoded first registry (i.e., step in the synthetic sequence). A second combinational library is prepared using similar reaction steps but the tagged beads are combined and separated prior to the first reaction sequence and the beads are sorted prior to the second reaction sequence. Subsequent libraries are prepared as for the second library except that the sorting step takes place prior to a different registry in each subsequent library. Thus, WO95/32425 teaches only individually labelling the first step and physical separatois of beads to identify each modified combinational library.
Nederlof et al., Cytometry, 13, 839-845 (1992), teaches the use of ratio labeling as a way of increasing the number of simultaneously detectable probes beyond the seven used previously. In this approach, ratio-labelled probes are identified on the basis of the ratio of color intensity, not just the particular colors used. Fluorescence ratios are measured and used as additional encoding colors. The method requires double-labeling of probes using different ratios of labels. The method is not specifically directed to synthetic combinational libraries. Accordingly, the field of Nederlof's method is the detection of multiple DNA/RNA sequence by in situ hybridization, and is not relevant to the field of encoding of synthetic chemical libraries.
Speiche, Ballard & Ward, Nature Genetics, 12, 368 (1996), describe a method of characterizing complex chromosomal karyo types using multi-fluorescence in situ hybridization. Instead of using ratio-double labelling as in Nederlof, Speiche et al. use a set of six fluorescent dyes with spectral emission peaks spread across the photometric response range to visualize 27 combinationally labelled probes. Speiche et al. do not disclose a method of encoding synthetic combinational libraries.
Still et al., Proc. Nat'l Acad. Sci., 90, 10922-926 (1993), disclose a method of synthesis of tagged combinational libraries using a binary code based on different electrophoric tags. The method requires use of photocleavable molecular tags which comprise variously substituted aryl moieties linked via a variable-length aliphatic hydrocarbon chain, whereby the tags when cleaved are distinctly resolvable by capillary gas chromatography with electochemical detection. Color detection is not used in this method. The method also requires cleavage from the solid support in order to analyze the sequence. In related work, Still et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,721,099 disclose methods of preparing encoded combinatorial libraries, but again the method requires cleavage of the identifier tags prior to analysis of the encoded reaction history. In contrast, the present invention provides an in situ approach to the interrogation of encoded combinatorial libraries, and represents an advance over the prior methods of encoding libraries. The success of the present invention is unexpected in view of the prior approaches because of the scattering phenomena expected for a spectral analysis performed in heterogeneous media which would dissipate spectral signal-to-noise giving rise to practical difficulties in detecting accurately relative abundance information for fluorophore tags. The present methodology demonstrates for the first time a way of solving these practical problems in performing in situ encoding and interrogation of combinatorial libraries.
II—Multi-Agent Monitoring and Diagnostics
Diagnostic panels display multiple chemistries to screen unknown solutions for the presence of multiple agents. For example, blood group specificity is determined by spotting an unknown blood sample onto a panel of surface-bound antibodies whose arrangement in the panel reflects their antigen-specificity. Antigen-binding to any specific patch in the panel reveals the chemical identify of the antigen and enhance the blood type. Another realization of the same concept of displaying multiple diagnostic probes in a spatially encoded panel or array involves screening of mutations by assaying for hybridization of DNA to one of a large number of candidate matching strands which are placed in known positions on a planar substrate in a checkerboard pattern. This may be achieved by dispensing droplets containing distinct probes, or may involve the in-situ synthesis of oligonucleotide strands of varying composition.
Spatial encoding relies on the panel or array fabrication process to preserve chemical identity, adding time and expense. As the number of fields in the checkerboard increases, so does the challenge of fabricating the requisite array. In addition, probes must be immobilized—usually by adhesion to the surface of a planar substrate—to maintain the integrity of the spatial encoding scheme. In practice, this assay format can be problematic: sample accumulation can be slow and probe accessibility restricted.
III—Current Applications of Multicolor Fluorescence Detection
The present invention describes a method and apparatus for in-situ interrogation and deconvolution of bead-based combinatorial libraries using multi-color fluorescence imaging and spectral analysis. Recent applications of multi-color fluorescence spectroscopy to DNA sequencing and chromosome painting place requirements on sensitivity and wavelength selectivity exceeding those encountered in conventional applications such as determinations of fluorescence intensity ratios.
Within the context of DNA sequencing, a variety of configurations for rapid detection of 4-color fluorescence have been described. These involve: a dedicated photomultiplier tube detector for each emission wavelength, with corresponding sets of beam splitters in the optical path to produce spatially separated beams; a single detector and rotating filter wheel to select the desired set of wavelengths in a multiplexed recording mode; or a dispersive arrangement that relies on a prism or grating to split the emitted light from multiple fluorophores according to wavelength and takes advantage of recent advances in charge-coupled device (CCD) technology to record spectra on an integrating linear of rectangular CCD array (Karger et al., "Multiwavelength fluorescence detection for DNA sequencing using capillary electrophoresis", Nucl. Acids Res. 19, 4955 (1991), the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference).

Color-encoding and in-situ interrogation of matrix-coupled chemical compounds

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey


A method of fabricating a structural member having a stiffener bead therein. Prepreg plies or layers of high tensile strength fabric are laid up on a conformable caul plate. A rubber-like plug is prefabricated to the shape of the stiffener bead and is urged into a stiffener bead cavity of the caul plate by a metal tool to sandwich the prepreg plies between the caul and the plug. The caul and the plug cooperate to cause the prepreg plies to conform to the desired shape of the stiffener bead.

Structural members to be used in aircraft are preferably made of composite material where possible so as to gain the advantages of lightness of weight and ease of manufacture compared to those made of metal. Further, the design to costs targets for aircraft made of composite materials requires a significant reduction in fabrication costs.
Such structural members made of composites may be of the sandwich construction, however, a weight saving thereover can be made by fabricating the structural member from bonded plies of composite material having stiffener beads therein.
The stiffener beads of the prior art produce the advantages of lightness of weight, however, in view of the shape of the prior art stiffener beads, the composite material ply had to be darted and spliced during the ply lay-up process. This was a very time consuming process which produced a weak section in the structural member at the area of the darting and splicing and which prevented visual inspection of the ply bonding.
To overcome the requirement for darting and splicing of each composite ply required in fabrication of the prior art stiffener bead structural members, we have developed such a structural member in which a uniquely shaped stiffener bead and a unique fabrication process permits the fabrication of the structural member without the need for ply darting and splicing.

Method of fabricating a structural member having a stiffener bead therein


A method and apparatus for dynamic provisioning of an access control policy in an input/output (I/O) controller hub are described. In one embodiment, the method includes the establishment of a control channel during evaluation stages of a network access request. In one embodiment, the control channel enables resource enumeration of a hardware platform while disabling data read/write processing of the hardware platform. Once resource enumeration is completed, conditional control settings for each enumerated platform resource are sent to a network policy decision point. Once transmitted, if the conditional control settings identify the hardware platform as having a non-compliant configuration, conditional control settings for at least one enumerated resource of the hardware platform are modified according to a received access control policy to provide compliance of the hardware platform configuration to enable network access. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Securing corporate networks from attack has become evermore essential as networking has evolved to support both wired and wireless access. For example, global corporations may support thousands of employees and contractors all over the world, resulting in workers and contractors that are mobile and unwired. As a result, network access for such employees depends more and more upon wireless local area networks (WLANs) and wide area networks (WANs), as well as virtual private networks (VPN) for remote access. Unfortunately, each of these technologies creates the potential to expose a network perimeter to threats.
Such threats from malware (e.g., computer viruses, Trojan horses, worms) continue to grow, which provides every increasing challenges to network administrators to provide network security. Current detection techniques are generally reactive and are designed to react to known malware that has been spread. That is, when malware is discovered, identifying characteristics are used to identify future instructions of the malware. Applying this detection technique to a network may allow the spread of malware under some conditions.
In spite of the threats posed by such malware, current network access control (NAC) architectures are typically limited to static roll designations that usually correspond to a particular class of device (e.g., access requests or common policy enforcement point, access server, policy decision point). Furthermore, the definition of network boundaries is implicitly defined by topology of devices acting as policy enforcement points.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method and apparatus for dynamic provisioning of an access control policy in a controller hub


Coffee bean package provided with an inner space for holding a collection of coffee beans for multiple portions of coffee beverage, which inner space is surrounded by at least one wall, a coffee bean outlet for dispensing coffee beans from the inner space, and a dosing device which is arranged for dispensing coffee beans from the inner space in a predetermined dose.

The invention concerns a coffee bean package provided with an inner space for holding a collection of coffee beans for multiple portions of coffee beverage, which inner space is at least partly surrounded by at least one wall, and a coffee bean outlet for dispensing coffee beans from the inner space.
The invention further concerns a method for dispensing a dose of coffee beans to a grinder, wherein a collection of roasted and possibly quenched and/or sprayed coffee beans during a packaging process are packaged in a coffee bean package, such that exposure of the coffee beans to ambient air is prevented.
Existing coffee makers are for instance filter coffee makers and espresso machines. In the case of filter coffee makers, an amount of ground coffee is placed in a filter, after which hot water is poured onto the ground coffee. Upon the water passing the ground coffee, the ground coffee is extracted and a coffee beverage is obtained after which the coffee beverage, also referred to as filter coffee, flows through the filter while the coffee residues are left behind in the filter. It is customary for the hot water to flow through the ground coffee and the filter with the aid of gravity. After the hot water that corresponds with the amount of desired coffee beverage has been poured out over the ground coffee and has passed through the filter, the filter, at least if it is a disposable filter, can be thrown away with the ground coffee residue. Such a disposable filter typically consists substantially of paper. Also known are filters which are designed to be used more than once. After use, these filters are, for instance, cleaned, so that they can be filled with a next portion of ground coffee for preparing a new coffee beverage with the same filter.
In coffee making by means of espresso machines, also a filter is provided for holding an amount of ground coffee. Here, under a relatively high pressure, hot water is forced through the ground coffee and the filter. The coffee beverage thereby obtained generally has a higher dry matter content than filter coffee and typically has a stronger concentration of coffee extracts than filter coffee, at least given a comparable amount of ground coffee and supplied water. Typically, a metal filter is used.
Coffee beverage can be obtained in a known manner also with the aid of a percolator. In certain machines, such as, for instance, the Senseo® coffee machine of the producers Douwe Egberts® and Philips®, for instance a paper disposable filter and a metal filter holder are used. Further known is instant coffee, where coffee concentrate or freeze-dried coffee is dissolved in hot water. In this latter method, no filter at all is used.
If a relatively long time has elapsed between the grinding of the coffee beans and the preparation of the coffee beverage with the ground coffee, there is a chance that a part of the flavor and aromas given by coffee beans is lost. Without wishing to be bound to any theory, it may be that the larger total surface of the particles of the ground coffee together, compared with the joint surface of unground coffee beans of the same weight, causes relatively more exchange between the surface and the ambient air than the total surface of the coffee beans, which can adversely affect the taste and odor of the coffee beverage. In current machines with grinders, the coffee beans are for that reason ground a short time before the preparation of the coffee beverage.
Incidentally, it may also be that flavors and odors connected with the coffee beans may be lost or diminish when unground coffee beans come into contact with ambient air for a long time. Generally, coffee beans and ground coffee are for that reason packaged in airtight and/or vacuum packages.
Certain coffee machines may be provided with grinders that are integrated in the coffee machine. Also, such coffee makers may be provided with coffee bean holders for feeding the coffee beans directly from the coffee bean package. Through operation of the coffee making apparatus, a part of the coffee beans from the coffee bean holder is ground, for the purpose of preparing a coffee beverage with this ground coffee. For instance, the grinder is directly operated by pressing a button, while, for instance, the number of times the button is pressed, or the length of time of pressing the button, can determine the amount of ground coffee. In automatic coffee makers with grinders, the amount of coffee beverage and the strength of the coffee beverage can be pre-selected and/or pre-set, in which case on the basis of the selected strength a dose of beans is supplied from the holder to the grinder so that an amount of coffee is obtained which, together with the predetermined amount of water, can result in a desired amount of coffee beverage of a desired strength.
Disadvantages of the above-mentioned principles can be that an amount of coffee beans is present in the coffee maker for a long time before it is ground, in that a complete pack of coffee beans is emptied into the coffee bean holder. This can adversely affect the taste and odor of the coffee beverage prepared with these coffee beans.
Also, in and around the grinder of existing coffee makers there are typically residues left of the preceding grinding runs. Study has shown that in conventional grinders typically 3-10 grams of one or more previous grinding runs are left behind in the grinder. These remainders of a previous grinding run may subsequently be entrained in a new grinding run, which can affect the taste of the coffee beverage. Moreover, if the coffee maker is filled with new coffee beans whose taste differs from the previous filling, the remainders of the previous filling may possibly be mixed with the ground coffee of the new coffee beans, so that not the desired taste inherent to the new coffee beans can be obtained. This may be disadvantageous in particular if the user regularly wishes to change the type of coffee beans. In conventional coffee makers, the user can circumvent this problem only by dosing the coffee bean holder in each case with a small amount of coffee beans. A disadvantage involved here, however, is that the coffee bean package then is not entirely emptied into the coffee maker and is left partly filled, so that the remaining coffee beans come into contact with ambient air. Typically, the coffee beans then are stored in the meantime in a separate, preferably airtight holder, such as an airtightly closable pot or tin. These holders, however, can take up relatively much space.
In the current state of the art, after grinding and making the coffee beverage, either ground coffee is left behind in the coffee maker or coffee beans are left behind in the coffee maker. The coffee bean package and/or the coffee bean holder are not wholly emptied, so that coffee beans are left behind in the package and/or holder. There is moreover no system that allows regularly changing taste of freshly ground coffee in an efficient and convenient manner.

Coffee bean package for dispensing a dose of coffee beans