A facade (10) for simulating the appearance of another object which is attached to a child's play vehicle (12). It includes a first substantially planar member (14) which has a front surface (18) and is attached to a forward portion of the play vehicle (12). The first member (14) is shaped to have a perimeter which substantially defines an anterior profile of the object. A second substantially planar member (16) is folded into a three-dimensional shape and attached to the first member (14). The second member (16) projects fowardly from the front surface (18) of the first member (14) and is shaped to define a forward profile of the object. It may also include a rear portion (160) which has first and second substantially planar side panels (162, 164) which are connected along upper edges (168, 170) and attached to the play vehicle (12) in a position to partially cover a rear wheel (172) of the vehicle (12). The first and second side panels (162, 164) have a perimeter which substantially defines a side profile of a rear portion of the object.

It is well known that children engage in and enjoy imaginative play. In order to make the imaginative play seem more realistic, some toy among the child's playthings may be decorated to take on the appearance of another object or an animal.
It is also well known that a child's interest in a play object may be short-lived. For this reason, it is desirable that any such playthings be economical so that the child may enjoy variety in his or her imaginative play. Also, because playthings are subject to rough use and are often broken or damaged, it is important that replacement cost be minimal.
Previously, attempts have been made to provide decorative attachments for a child's bicycle or tricycle. U.S. Pat. No. 164,758, issued Oct. 9, 1951, to K. W. Bader; U.S. Pat. No. 2,578,682, issued Dec. 18, 1951, to R. G. I. Fernstrom; and U.S. Pat. No. 2,708,584, issued May 17, 1955, to M. L. Lohrey each disclose attachments for a child's play vehicle in the form of a horse's head. U.S. Pat. No. 4,744,573, issued May 17, 1988, to Gordon Most, discloses a steer head attachment for a tricycle. U.S. Pat. No. 3,117,798, issued Jan. 14, 1964, to J. E. Young, discloses an accessory attachment to cause a tricycle to take on the appearance of a helicopter. Each of the above-listed patents discloses prefabricated, relatively expensive play attachments for a tricycle to cause it to appear more like an animal or aircraft. In some cases, assembly is complicated and includes overhead structure which may make the vehicle top heavy. Each device is limited by its structure to portraying only one object or animal. If damaged, the devices are expensive to replace.


The disclosure extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for identifying transaction data from within aggregated data and suggesting additional services based on the transaction data. The disclosure also extends to methods, systems, and computer based products for discovering transaction attributes within a database of aggregated account data including, aggregating and matching financial account attributes between a plurality of accounts in order to provide additional services to account holders.

In modern financial institutions, data management and utilization is paramount for providing the best possible service to clients or customers while increasing the profitability of the financial institution. Such things as purchases, automatic payments and deposits, transfers and other repeated transactions have been facilitated by financial entities, payees, and employers for the convenience of all involved.
A benefit for financial service providers is that by facilitating such transactions they increase the number of services that they can provide to their customers. The increased interaction is created in part because setting up automatic transactions and discovering new transactions that can be done automatically is time consuming and difficult. Accordingly, many customers and patrons are deterred from change because of the difficulty in changing automatic services. Additionally, better financial institutions are deterred from attracting new customers, or providing new services, because many of the customers have existing automatic services with lesser service providers.

Long string pattern matching of aggregated account data


A radiation-sensitive composition includes a low-molecular-weight compound, a solvent and a radiation-sensitive acid-generator other than the low-molecular-weight compound. The low-molecular-weight compound has one or more acid-dissociable groups which decompose by an action of an acid to enhance solubility in an alkaline developing solution and one or more radiation-sensitive acid-generating groups which generate an acid upon application of an active ray or radiation per molecule. The low-molecular-weight compound has a polystyrene-reduced number-average molecular weight (Mn) measured by gel permeation chromatography (GPC) of 500 to 4,000. The low-molecular-weight compound is not obtained from chain growth polymerization of a monomer with an unsaturated bond. A content of the low-molecular-weight compound is 80 mass % or more of 100 mass % of a total solid component of the radiation-sensitive composition. The low-molecular-weight compound is a compound shown by a following formula (1).

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a radiation-sensitive composition.
2. Discussion of the Background
Lithographic microfabrication using a photoresist composition has been employed in processes for producing semiconductor devices such as ICs and LSIs. Due to increased integration of integrated circuit boards in recent years, super-micro patterns in the order of submicron or quarter micron are being demanded. Along with this tendency, the wavelength of radiation used for exposure tends to be shortened to g-lines, and i-lines, and further to a KrF excimer laser. At the present time, in addition to the lithographic process using excimer lasers, lithographic processes using electron beams, X-rays, or EUV-rays are being developed.
Electron beam lithography is particularly expected as a pattern forming technology of the next generation or the next-next generation. Development of a positive-tone resist exhibiting high sensitivity and high resolution is also desired. Increasing the sensitivity is very important in order to reduce the time required for wafer processing. However, increasing sensitivity of a positive-tone resist for use with electron beams not only decreases resolution, but also tends to cause line edge roughness. For this reason, development of a resist which can satisfy properties such as sensitivity, resolution, and line edge roughness at the same time is strongly desired.
The line edge roughness refers to roughness of the edge on the interface of the resist pattern and the substrate. That is, the edge on the interface of the resist pattern and the substrate irregularly fluctuates in the direction vertical to the line direction due to the properties of the resist. When the pattern is viewed from directly above, the edge is seen to have irregularity. Since the irregularity is transferred in the etching step in which the resist is used as a mask, the electrical properties deteriorate and the yield is decreased. Improvement of line edge roughness is very important particularly in a ultra-micro region of 0.25 μm or less. High sensitivity, high resolution, good pattern form, and good line edge roughness are in a trade-off relationship, and satisfying these properties at the same time is a very important subject. Satisfying high sensitivity, high resolution, and the like is also very important also in lithography using X-rays and EUV-rays.
As a resist suitable for a lithography process using electron beams, X-rays, or EUV-rays, chemically amplified resists which mainly use an acidic catalyst reaction are used from the viewpoint of high sensitivity. In a positive-tone resist, a chemically-amplified resist composition containing a phenolic polymer, which is insoluble or scarcely soluble but becomes soluble in an alkaline aqueous solution by the action of an acid (acid-dissociable phenolic resin), and an acid generator as main components is effectively used.
As such an acid-dissociable phenolic resin, a phenol compound derivative having a specific structure (JP-A-10-83073, JP-A-2000-305270 and JP-A-2003-183227), a calixarene having a specific structure (JP-A-10-120610 and JP-A-11-322656), a calix resorcin arene (JP-A-11-322656 and JP-A-2003-321423), a phenolic dendrimer having a calix resorcin arene as a mother nucleus (JP-A-10-310545), and the like have been disclosed. Resist compositions in which these compounds are used have also been disclosed.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A winding head (10) for surgical suture material has a securing arm (22) and a guide carriage (24), which is mounted on the securing arm (22). In addition, a circumferential guide system (30) is present, which is mounted displaceably on the guide carriage (24). The circumferential guide system (30) has two first tracks (32, 34) which are spaced apart from each other and are connected to each other by two second tracks (36, 38), which are of approximately semi-circular shape. A transition curve is present in at least one of four transition regions (40, 42, 44, 46) between a first track (32, 34) and a second track (36, 38), which transition curve connects the first track (32, 34) and the second track (36, 38) to each other.

Devices for winding surgical suture material into a pack are known. The known devices generally have a winding head via which the actual positioning of the thread of surgical suture material in the pack is effected. The winding heads are generally adapted to the form of the pack and have, at their edge region, a circumferential guide system. A guide carriage with a securing arm is mounted displaceably on the guide system. The securing arm can be statically bound to the winding station provided for it. This winding station can be, for example, a station on a rotary indexing table. The guide carriage travels in a circumferential direction around the guide system, such that the guide system moves in rotation and in so doing winds the surgical suture material into the pack.
Particularly in the case of oval packs, the winding head, and therefore the guide system, also has an oval shape. The guide system thus generally has two semi-circular outer regions, which are preferably connected to each other by two straight stretches running parallel to each other. At the transition between the straight stretches and the semi-circular outer regions, wear increasingly occurs in the form of abrasion and overloading of the guide rollers of the guide carriage. This wear leads to play within the guide, which prevents the exact positioning of the surgical suture material, or at least makes such positioning difficult, such that only low speeds of rotation are possible. The winding head therefore has to be replaced relatively frequently, which leads to a shutdown of the corresponding device and to considerable maintenance costs.

Winding head for surgical suture material

Harro Höfliger Verpackungsmaschinen GmbH


An automated bandwidth monitoring and control method and system provides for real time, dynamic control of the allocation of bandwidth to selected applications in a communications network based on the selected operational context and the fixed bandwidth available at a network access point. A graphical user interface, using operational terms common to the overall enterprise in which and for which the network is implemented and understandable by an operator, displays the bandwidth allocation strategy, and in substantially real time displays statistics representative of actual bandwidth use at the access point, input functions for modifying the bandwidth allocation strategy in substantially real time and estimated message delay distributions for the applications of the strategy determined based on the actual bandwidth use statistics.

Bandwidth available for transmission of information in a communications network is constrained by the limits of the equipment used to transmit and receive information carrier signals and the physical properties of the media over which the carrier signals are transmitted. For example, the bandwidth available for through-the-air data signal transmission is a function of the frequency of the carrier signal. It is well known that the bandwidth available for through-the-air signal transmission, which is typically performed at radio frequencies, is much less than that available for signal transmission on other media, such as optical fiber.
In a communications network, oftentimes many applications, which are used to generate messages containing, for example, text files or streaming video, for transfer over the network and are installed at various respective network communications devices, such as computers having network communications capabilities, attempt to transmit messages over the network simultaneously and, therefore, compete for the fixed available bandwidth of a network access point. Many network protocols, including the commonly used Internet Protocol ("IP"), do not regulate bandwidth use by any application, such that a message transmission from an application consumes as much of the available bandwidth as the application can obtain. Consequently, once an application is granted access to the communications network, an application can and often does use more bandwidth than it needs for effective operation, and uses such bandwidth until a message transmission is completed.
Some prior art networks regulate bandwidth usage by pre-allocating predetermined bandwidths to respective applications. For example, prior art communications network systems on aircraft carriers pre-allocate fixed bandwidths to respective network applications whose bandwidth operating requirements can be fixed or variable. The network applications are coupled to a network access point, which has a predetermined available bandwidth and through which through-the-air communication links between the communications system on the aircraft carrier and a remote a communications site are established. As fixed bandwidths are pre-allocated to the respective applications, the bandwidth pre-allocated to one application is not available for use by any other application, even when the one application is not using a portion or all of the pre-allocated bandwidth. Consequently, in such networks, the total bandwidth that the applications of the network require or use oftentimes exceeds the available bandwidth at the access point.
In addition, when competition for bandwidth between and among applications is not regulated, messages containing time sensitive or high priority information may not be delivered promptly to a destination communications device because of a lack of available bandwidth. For example, applications in a network often simultaneously attempt to transmit low priority data, such as power point or text files; medium priority data, such as streaming video which does not transmit properly if sufficient bandwidth is not allocated; and also high priority, time critical data. If the bandwidth allocation in the network is unmanaged, such that the aggregate message traffic exceeds the total bandwidth capacity at an access point, low and medium priority data can compete with the time critical data and cause the time critical data to experience undue delay.
Although prior art network communications data flow control devices, such as sold under the brand names Packeteer's PacketShaper™ or Sitara Network's QoSWorks™, recognize messages based on IP header information included with the message and allocate bandwidth accordingly based on the recognized message, the flow control devices do not allocate bandwidth with regard to the application that is the source of the message, the actual priority of a message from a first application relative to the priorities of other messages from other respective applications simultaneously vying for bandwidth or the reasons why a user of an application transmitted a particular message.
In addition, prior art communications networks do not provide real time information concerning actual, and changes in actual, use of the available bandwidth of an access point by the various applications in the network. Therefore, a user of an application or a network operator cannot plan transmission of a message from, or dynamically modify bandwidth allocation or relative priority for, a selected application according to real time changes in bandwidth usage or operational situations. For example, a user of an application on an aircraft carrier may be unaware of changes in an operational situation on the carrier which should result in the user not attempting to transmit medium priority messages, such as streaming video data, through the network to avoid occupying a portion of the available bandwidth of an access point.
Therefore, a need exists for method and system for automated monitoring and control of the allocation of network bandwidth to applications of a communications network, where bandwidth constraints and relative priorities can be assigned to respective applications in real time at a graphical user interface ("GUI") and where the GUI displays, using operational terms common to the overall enterprise in which and for which the network is implemented, the bandwidth constraints, relative priorities and other information constituting a selected bandwidth allocation strategy, inputs for modifying the strategy, actual bandwidth use at an access point and estimates of message transfer delays for applications of the selected strategy which are computed based on the actual bandwidth use at the access point.

Method and apparatus for controlling the allocation of bandwidth of a network access point to an application having a message transmitted on the network


A spindle motor control for a disk drive including a spindle motor for rotating a data disk at a desired rotational speed, and a data transducer head positionable relative to selected ones of a multiplicity of concentric data tracks formed on a data storage surface of the data disk by a head position actuator structure operating within a head position servo loop, wherein the concentric data tracks are periodically interrupted by a plurality of servo sectors per rotation, each servo sector recorded with head position information. The spindle motor control includes: a servo detector for detecting the head position information in at least one servo sector on a selected track under the transducer head in relation to a timing signal at a reference frequency; a position detector for determining the circumferential position of the detected head position information on the selected track in relation to the timing signal; and a controller for controlling the rotational speed of the spindle motor as a function of said circumferential position, to regulate the circumferential position of the transducer in relation to the servo sectors on the data tracks.

The present invention relates to spindle motor control in disk drives, and more particularly, to regulating variations in spindle motor speed.
In many processing and computing systems, magnetic data storage devices, such as disk drives are utilized for storing ever-increasing amounts of data per unit storage area of the disk drive. A typical disk drive includes a spindle motor having a rotor for rotating a data disk, and an actuator for moving a head carrier that supports transducer (read/write) heads radially across the disk to write data to or read data from concentric data tracks on the disk. A motor controller regulates drive currents to the motor to rotate the disk.
The amount of the xe2x80x9crawxe2x80x9d capacity of a disk can be represented as the product of the allowable bit density (i.e., the density of flux changes along a track, such as bits per inch), the allowable track density (e.g., tracks per inch), and the total usable area of the disk. The ratio of user data that can be stored on the disk compared to the raw capacity (i.e. data format efficiency) is less than 100% because a portion of the raw capacity is devoted to servo information, servo addresses and data identification. Further, another portion of the raw capacity is devoted to inter-sector xe2x80x9cpaddingxe2x80x9d such as guard-bands and buffer zones. In particular, a buffer zone is provided between sequential data sectors on each track to protect against overwriting of user data on the disk due to spindle-speed variations relative to a reference clock for writing data. This is because during a data-write operation the spindle motor speed can vary, and if the variance is substantial relative to the reference clock, data will be written out-of-position on a track, overwriting the preceding or succeeding data sectors on that track.
With the ever-increasing need for additional data capacity for storing user data in disk drives, some disk drives utilize increased flux transition density within each data track on the data disks to increase the data format efficiency. Further, the data tracks are made narrower and recorded closer together. However, the increasing bit and track densities require complex transducer heads and data transfer channels. As such, in some disk drives the data capacity is increased by reducing the inter-sector padding to improve the disk""s data format efficiency and to increase the data capacity of the disk drive for storing user data. To prevent data overwrites due to reduced padding, the spindle speed is monitored based on rotor position information from the motor, such as spindle index mark, to reduce spindle speed variations, and the transducer position on each track is detected to inhibit data-writes during out-of-speed conditions. A sensor detects the time of arrival of the spindle index mark once per revolution, and that information is used by a spindle motor controller to provide motor currents to attempt a nearly uniform rotational speed.
However, a major disadvantage of such disk drives is that the motor controller regulates the spindle motor current based on spindle position information detected once per revolution. This sparse, once per revolution, position information provides for only very coarse speed regulation and, therefore, reduction in spindle speed variation is limited. As such, the inter-sector padding can only be marginally reduced. There is, therefore, a need for a method and apparatus for regulating the spindle speed in a disk drive which provides for substantial reduction in inter-sector padding, thereby increasing the data capacity of the disk drive.
The present invention satisfies these needs. In one embodiment, the present invention provides a spindle motor control for a disk drive including a spindle motor for rotating a data disk at a desired rotational speed precisely regulated by the spindle motor control, and a data transducer head positionable relative to selected ones of a multiplicity of concentric data tracks formed on a data storage surface of the disk drive. The concentric data tracks are periodically interrupted by a plurality of servo sectors per rotation, where each servo sector recorded with head position information. The spindle motor control includes: (a) a servo detector for detecting the head position information in at least one servo sector on a selected track under the transducer head in relation to a timing signal at a reference frequency; (b) a position detector for determining the circumferential position of the detected head position information on the selected track in relation to the timing signal; and (c) a controller for controlling the rotational speed of the spindle motor as a function of said circumferential position, to regulate the circumferential position of the transducer in relation to the servo sectors on the data tracks.
The head position information in each servo sector includes servo burst signals recorded at said reference frequency, and the servo detector detects at least one servo burst signal in a servo sector on the selected track via the transducer head and generates a readback signal. The position detector can further include a burst phase detector for determining a burst phase of the readback signal relative to the timing signal, said burstphase comprising the phase-angle between the readback signal and the timing signal. The controller controls the rotational speed of the spindle motor to regulate said burst phase, such that the frequency of rotation of the data disk is a function of the reference frequency.
In one embodiment, each servo burst signal includes at least one substantially cyclical signal at said reference frequency, wherein the servo detector further includes sampling means for sampling the cyclical signal a multiplicity of times for at least one cycle of the cyclical signal at a sampling rate related to the reference frequency to provide data samples such that said readback signal includes said data samples. The burst phase detector can include means for performing a Fourier transform of the data samples to provide a phase of the cyclical signal as the burst phase. Preferably, the means for performing the Fourier transform performs a single-frequency Fourier transform of the data samples at said reference frequency to provide a phase of the cyclical signal as the burst phase.
In one example, the sampling means samples the cyclical signal at least at about 0, 90, 180 and 270 degrees for at least one cycle of the cyclical signal. The position detector includes: (i) a first difference means for subtracting the data sample at 180 degrees from the data sample at 0 degrees to generate a first difference value, and (ii) a second difference means for subtracting the data sample at 270 degrees from the data sample at 90 degrees to generate a second difference value. The burst phase detector includes means for calculating the arc-tangent of the first and the second difference values to ascertain said burst phase. Further, the controller controls the rotational speed of the spindle motor to achieve a desired burst phase such as zero.
In another aspect the present invention provides a disk drive including said spindle motor control. Yet, in another aspect the present invention provides a method of performing spindle speed control in the disk drive by performing steps including: positioning the transducer head over a selected track; detecting the head position information in at least one servo sector on the selected track under the transducer head in relation to a timing signal at a reference frequency; determining the circumferential position of the detected head position information on the selected track in relation to the timing signal; and controlling the rotational speed of the spindle motor as a function of said circumferential position, to regulate the circumferential position of the transducer in relation to the servo sectors on the data tracks.

Disk drive spindle motor speed and timing control


A new method to form a LVT-SCR device in the manufacture of an integrated circuit device is achieved. The method comprises providing a SOI substrate comprising a silicon layer overlying a buried oxide layer. The silicon layer further comprises a first well of a first type and a second well of a second type. First and second doped regions of the first type are formed. The first doped region is in the first well. The second doped region is in the second well and forms an anode. Third, fourth, and fifth doped regions of the second type are formed. The third and fourth doped regions are in the first well. The fifth doped region is partly in the first well and partly in the second well. The first and third doped regions form a cathode. First and second gates are formed overlying the silicon layer. The first gate is between the third and fourth doped regions. The second gate is between the fourth and fifth doped regions. The doped regions are not separated by isolation oxide.

(1) Field of the Invention
The invention relates to silicon-on-insulator (SOI) devices and, more particularly, to a method to form a low voltage triggering, silicon-controlled rectifier (SCR) SOI device having improved ESD performance.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
At present, the vast majority of integrated circuit products are formed on bulk semiconductor wafers. However, silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafer-based products are under development as a majority technology for the future. SOI offers the advantages of improved short channel performance, improved isolation, and reduced power supply capability. However, ESD protection of SOI devices remains a significant challenge to manufacturers. One particular category of ESD devices is the silicon-controlled rectifier (SCR). The SCR is commonly used for ESD protection in bulk semiconductor technology. The present invention relates to SCR development in SOI technology.
Referring now to FIG. 1, an example of a prior art SCR device in a bulk semiconductor process is shown. The substrate 2 herein comprises p-type silicon. An n-well region 4 is formed in the substrate 2. Shallow trench isolation regions (STI) 6 are formed in the substrate 2 to define areas for active devices, sometimes called the OD area. Heavily doped regions 8, 10, 12, and 14 are formed in the n-well 4 and p-substrate 2. More particularly, a first n+ region 8 and a first p+ region 10 are formed in the n-well 4, and a second n+ region 12 and a p+ region 14 are formed in the substrate 2. The first n+ and p+ regions 8 and 10 are coupled together to form an ANODE. The second n+ and p+ regions 12 and 14 coupled together to form the CATHODE. This structure forms two bipolar devices, a npn transistor and a pnp transistor, which will conduct current from the anode to the cathode during an ESD event.
Referring now to FIG. 2, a second prior art, bulk semiconductor device is shown. Here, a low voltage trigger, SCR, or LVT-SCR, is shown. The LVT-SCR comprises the same n-well 4 and p-substrate. 2 combination used by the SCR of FIG. 1. The first n+ region 8, first p+ region 10, second n+ region 18, and second p+ region 20 are placed in the n-well 4 and the p-substrate 2 as in the SCR. However, an additional n+ region 16 is added at the interface of the n-well 4 and the p-substrate 2. Further, a MOS gate 22 is added between the second n+ 18 and the third n+ 16. This gate is coupled to the cathode. This LVT-SCR configuration adds an NMOS device to the npn and pnp devices of the SCR. The NMOS device reduces the triggering voltage of the SCR device and thereby improves the ESD protection capability.
The SCR and LVT-SCR devices of the prior present several difficulties in integration with a SOI process. In an SOI process, the devices must be formed in a relatively thin silicon layer overlying a buried insulator layer. This buried insulator layer, in turn, overlies the bulk substrate. The presence of the buried insulator layer improves MOS transistor performance, especially for very short channel devices, and reduces substrate coupling issues by providing excellent device-to-device isolation. Typically, the STI regions are formed down to the buried insulator layer such that each active area is completely isolated from other active areas.
However, these characteristics cause several problems for SCR devices formed in an SOI process having STI isolation. First, the presence of the STI regions within the SCR and LVT-SCR devices reduces the lateral heat transfer property during an ESD event. Consequently, the devices fail at a lower energy dissipation level. Second, the STI pull-down impacts both low-current and high-current characteristics and influences the diode leakage characteristics. Third, the thickness of the silicon layer overlying the buried insulator can restrict the formation of the SCR device. If the silicon layer is relatively thin, then the heavily doped (n+ and p+) regions will extend down to the buried insulator layer. In this case, the traditional SCR and LVT-SCR design will not work because the bipolar devices will not function.
Several prior art inventions relate to the ESD performance of SOI devices. U.S. Pat. No. 5,012,317 to Rountre shows a conventional SCR. The STI is found to degrade the SCR-ESD protection by reducing gains of parasitic bipolar devices and by reducing lateral heat transfer. U.S. Pat. No. 5,530,612 to Maloney shows an ESD circuit using biased and terminated PNP transistor chains. U.S. Pat. No. 5,629,544 to Voldman et al reveals a diode device for ESD having silicide film and trench isolation. U.S. Pat. No. 5,465,189 to Polgreen et al shows a low voltage triggering SCR. This device is formed in a bulk substrate.
A principal object of the present invention is to provide an effective and very manufacturable method of forming a LVT-SCR ESD device on a SOI substrate.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a method to form a LVT-SCR device on SOI where the effect of the STI region is reduced.
Another further object of the present invention is to provide a method to form a floating-well, LVT-SCR device on SOI having improved performance.
Another further object of the present invention is to provide an improved LVT-SCR device on SOI having a trigger comprising a stack of MOS transistors.
Another yet further object of the present invention is to improve high voltage tolerance of a LVT-SCR device on SOI by stacking MOS transistors in the triggering section.
In accordance with the objects of this invention, a method to form a LVT-SCR device in the manufacture of an integrated circuit device is achieved. The method comprises providing a SOI substrate comprising a silicon layer overlying a buried oxide layer. The silicon layer further comprises a first well of a first type and a second well of a second type. First and second doped regions of the first type are formed. The first doped region is in the first well. The second doped region is in the second well and forms an anode. Third, fourth, and fifth doped regions of the second type are formed. The third and fourth doped regions are in the first well. The fifth doped region is partly in the first well and partly in the second well. The first and third doped regions form a cathode. First and second gates are formed overlying the silicon layer. The first gate is between the third and fourth doped regions. The second gate is between the fourth and fifth doped regions. The doped regions are not separated by isolation oxide.
Also in accordance with the objects of this invention, a LVT-SCR device on a SOI substrate is achieved. The device comprises a SOI substrate comprising a silicon layer overlying a buried oxide layer. The silicon layer further comprises a first well of a first type and a second well of a second type. First and second doped regions comprise the first type. The first doped region is in the first well. The second doped region is in the second well and forms an anode. Third, fourth, and fifth doped regions comprise the second type. The third and fourth doped regions are in the first well. The fifth doped region is partly in the first well and partly in the second well. The first and third doped regions form a cathode. First and second gates overlie the silicon layer. The first gate is between the third and fourth doped regions. The second gate is between the fourth and fifth doped regions. The doped regions are not separated by isolation oxide.

High voltage tolerant and low voltage triggering floating-well silicon controlled rectifier on silicon-on-insulator for input or output

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company


A background image is also generated, e.g., by filling portions of a captured image where a foreground object was extracted and communicated to the playback device, Foreground objects are identified and point cloud representations of the foreground objects are generated and communicated to a playback device so that they can be used in generating images including the background which is communicated separately. In the case of a point cloud representation a number of points in an environment, e.g., 3D space, are communicated to the playback device along with color information. Thus in some embodiments a foreground object is represented as a set of points with corresponding color information on a per point basis. Foreground object information is communicated and processed in some embodiments at a different rate, e.g., faster rate, then the background textures. The playback device renders images which are sent to the display by first rendering a background layer using the communicated background information, e.g., background texture(s), UV map and environmental geometry, e.g., mesh, to which the background textures are applied.

In order to simulate an environment images are sometimes captured in the environment and transmitted to a playback device. The images may then be applied to a model of the environment as a texture, e.g., using information sometimes called a texture map or UV map which indicates how to apply the captured image as a texture to the model of the environment.
The capture and stream of images of an environment can be very data intensive particularly if the images are high resolution images of the type now expected by many viewers. The transmission of a large amount of data associated with such an approach can be problematic given data transmission constraints.
In view of the above it should be appreciated that there is a need for improved methods and/or apparatus for communicating information about an environment, e.g., captured image content, to a playback device.

Methods and apparatus rendering images using point clouds representing one or more objects


An imaging apparatus comprising a solid state imaging device for imaging an object image, an electronic circuit connected operatively to the solid state imaging device and generating heat and a heat conducting member leading the heat generated from the electronic circuit in a direction different from the solid state imaging device side at a thermal conductivity higher than the thermal conductivity of the heat generated from the electronic circuit to the solid state imaging device side.

1. Field of the Invention:
This invention relates to an imaging apparatus having a solid state imaging device.
2. Related Art Statement:
Recently there is extensively used an endoscope apparatus whereby, by inserting an elongate insertable part into a body cavity, the body cavity interior can be observed or, as required, by using a treating instrument, a therapeutic treatment can be made or, by inserting the above mentioned insertable part into a pipe hole, the interior of the pipe hole can be observed.
Among such endoscope apparatus, there are an optical endoscope in which, for example, a fiber bundle is used as a transmitting optical system and an electronic endoscope in which such solid state imaging device as a charge coupled device (CCD) is used as an imaging apparatus.
This electronic endoscope has advantages that it is higher in the resolution and is easier to record, reproduce, magnify and compare images than the optical endoscope.
As disclosed in the publication for example, of Japanese Patent Application Laid Open No. 2721807/1988, the above mentioned solid state imaging device is fixed in an image forming position by an objective lens so that an optical image of an observed part formed by this objective lens may be photoelectrically converted by the above mentioned solid state imaging device and may be amplified by an amplifying circuit provided on a circuit substrate. This amplified signal is input into an image signal processing circuit within a video processor through a signal cable connected to the circuit substrate and is then output in a television monitor so that the image of the observed part may be observed through this television monitor.
However, the above mentioned amplifying circuit will generate heat during the operation. A regulator is arranged generally on the above mentioned circuit substrate and will also generate heat during the operation. When the heat of such heat generating parts as these amplifying circuit and regulator is transmitted to the solid state imaging device, the temperature of the solid state imaging device will rise to be above the standard operating temperature, heat noises will be generated, the image displayed in the television monitor will deteriorate and the durability of the solid state imaging device will also reduce.
For example, whereas the standard operating temperature of the above mentioned solid state imaging device is about 55.degree. C., the using limit operating temperature of an amplifying IC which is an example of an amplifying circuit is above 70.degree. C. and thus the solid state imaging device is lower in the heat capacity. In an experiment in case the amplifying circuit was supposed to be arranged adjacently to the solid state imaging device, the temperature of the solid state imaging device rose to about 58.degree. C.
In order to cope with this, it may be considered to arrange the heat generating part in such part separated sufficiently from the solid state imaging device as on the hand base side or in the course of the above mentioned insertable part so that it may be difficult for the heat of the heat generating part to be transmitted to the solid state imaging device. However, when such heat generating part as the amplifying circuit and the solid state imaging device are separated from each other, the distance for transmitting signals will become longer, the outside turbulent noises will be more likely to come in and the apparatus will be likely to become larger.
As disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,491,865, in the above mentioned electronic endoscope, a solid state imaging device is provided on a substrate, a signal line to be connected is fixed with a resin or the like on the back side of this substrate and the whole is sealed within a housing to mostly prevent fogging from being caused by a moisture mixed in and reinforce the strength of the housing.
Besides the above mentioned formation example, the housing is provided within it with a solid state imaging device, a driving circuit driving this solid state imaging device and an output buffer outputting a video signal converted by the solid state imaging device.
In such case, the frequency handled by the above mentioned driving circuit is so high that, in case such high capacity device as such solid state imaging device as a CCD is to be driven, it will be required to be driven at a particularly low impedance and therefore the generated heat amount will be large. Particularly, in an imaging apparatus in which the head part and the processing part processing a video signal are remotely connected with each other, the output buffer for transmitting the cable makes a low impedance conversion, that is, current amplification and therefore the generated heat amount is large. In most cases, this generated heat amount is larger than the generated heat amount by the solid imaging device. In such case, if the solid state imaging device and the substrate are filled with a resin or the like, the heat generated in the substrate will stay within the housing and will heat the solid state imaging device and, as a result, the S/N ratio will be reduced by the increase of a dark current and the heat generated noises will increase to be likely to deteriorate the picture quality.


A reflector for use with an electronic device having a loudspeaker for enhancing the sound emitted from the loudspeaker, said reflector comprising components for attaching said reflector to an edge of the electronic device, at the location of the loudspeaker, a flat portion located to be adjacent a surface of the electronic device, and a concave portion adjacent to the flat portion and presenting a concave surface to the loudspeaker.

Many electronic devices, such as the iPad®, contain a loudspeaker, hereinafter "speaker", in the side of its case for providing the user with audio associated, with information displayed to the viewer by the electronic device. Although sound reflectors of various types are known, no such sound reflector suitable for enhancing the sound from an electronic device speaker is known.
Table or book-sized video devices having an audio component, such as an iPad® and a Kindle®, employ a magnet in conjunction with their speakers. Magnets attract magnetic metals like iron, nickel and cobalt, and are used in computers for various purposes including hard drives, RAM and BIOS ROM. Exterior magnets adversely affect computers, but modern computers are well protected against most magnetism.
A preliminary patentability or novelty search has revealed the following potentially material prior art documents: U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,469,254; 6,237,714; 6,571,907; 7,778,431; D545,812 and D552,085.

Sound reflector and electronic device with speaker, including sound reflector


A mixing nozzle for producing a high velocity jet of airborne abrasive slurry comprising a cylindrical air passage of a length at least 2.5 times its diameter, a concentric circular chamber surrounding the cylindrical air passage and having a tangential entry for the abrasive slurry, and a nozzle portion having a region tapering from the diameter of the concentric circular chamber to a cylindrical region. The diameter of the cylindrical region should have a diameter lying between 1.2 and 3.0 times that of the air passage and a length at least six times its diameter. The air passage and the concentric chamber with its tangential entry is preferably formed as a replacement insert made from a wear resistant material.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to nozzles for propelling high velocity jets of airborne abrasives. More particularly the present invention relates to a novel high velocity nozzle for propelling an abrasive slurry.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Abrasive particles, such as particles of mineral slag, sand or silica carbide or similar materials carried in a jet of fluid are used for cutting or cleaning structures of metals and other materials. When the abrasive material is suspended and propelled by an air stream, a large amount of dust and particles result which is highly offensive and pose a health hazard.
To reduce the amount of airborne dust, it has been proposed to add water to the abrasive to form a slurry before introducing the abrasive material into the air stream of a nozzle. The slurry so produced is then transferred to a mixing nozzle where it is introduced into a high velocity air jet. There is a need for a highly efficient mixing nozzle for highly abrasive materials which can easily be repaired and maintained in the field.


A method to control injection timing for an internal combustion engine having a plurality of injectors in at least a cylinder, the method comprising of injecting a first fuel amount to at least a cylinder of an internal combustion engine from a first injector, injecting a second fuel amount fuel to said cylinder from a second injector, and adjusting the timing between starting or ending injection of said first fuel amount, and starting or ending of said second fuel amount in response to an operating condition of said engine.

One method to control fuel injection for an internal combustion engine is presented in patent application No. 2005/0155578 A1. In particular, this method presents a way to control two separate injectors that can supply fuel to an individual cylinder. The method controls a port injector and an in-cylinder injector during various engine operating conditions. The port injector period of injection is defined such that it roughly agrees with the period during which the combustion/expansion stroke and exhaust stroke are done (the 360° Crank angle degree period from top dead center of compression to the top dead center of the exhaust). Depending on the engine operating conditions an appropriate point of injection time is set in the before mentioned port injector range. On the other hand, the injection period for the in-cylinder injector is defined such that injection is done during the intake stroke (the 180 crank angle degree period from the top dead center of the exhaust stroke to the bottom dead center of the intake stroke). Depending on the engine operating conditions an appropriate point of injection time is set in the before-mentioned in-cylinder injector range.
The above-mentioned method can also have several disadvantages. Specifically, the method limits the crankshaft interval over which the port injector and the in-cylinder injector may inject fuel to the cylinder. These limitations may reduce the benefit of a dual injector system, at least during certain engine operating conditions. For example, the injection limitations may reduce fuel vaporization and mixing during some conditions. Furthermore, it may be possible to lower engine emissions when fewer constraints are placed on injection timing since more opportunity exists to control in cylinder fuel kinetics.
The inventors herein have recognized the above-mentioned disadvantages and have developed a method to control an engine during the regeneration of an exhaust gas after treatment device that offers substantial improvements.
One embodiment of the present description includes a method to control injection timing for an internal combustion engine having a plurality of injectors in at least a cylinder, the method comprising: injecting a first fuel amount to at least a cylinder of an internal combustion engine from a first injector; injecting a second fuel amount fuel to said cylinder from a second injector; and adjusting the timing between starting or ending injection of said first fuel amount, and starting or ending of said second fuel amount in response to an operating condition of said engine. This method overcomes at least some of the limitations of the previously mentioned methods.
By allowing a wide range of injection periods between two injectors supplying fuel to a cylinder, it may be possible to improve fuel mixing and engine emissions. Specifically, it may be possible to improve mixing of cylinder fuel by overlapping port and in-cylinder injection periods. During the injection overlap period the in-cylinder injection may cause fuel spray patterns to overlap, thereby increasing mixing of the two fuel sources. This may be beneficial when injecting two different types of fuel (e.g., Ethanol and gasoline) because a more homogeneous air-fuel mixture may be produced. In addition, a temperature distribution throughout the cylinder may be produced by the in-cylinder injection so that the velocity of air through the intake port may be increased while fuel is injected through an open intake valve. Furthermore, the before-method allows at least a portion of the in-cylinder injection period to enter the compression stroke. This may be useful when starting a warm engine using ethanol because the injected ethanol may have less time to enter cylinder crevasses where it may be combusted less completely.
The present description may provide several advantages. In particular, the method may be used to improve fuel mixing during engine starting or at partial engine loads. This may be especially useful when more than one type of fuel is to be combusted, ethanol and gasoline for example. In addition, the method may be beneficial because it allows in-cylinder injection to begin and end later in a cylinder cycle. For example, for engines using late intake valve opening the in-cylinder injection can overlap into the compression stroke, if desired.

Method for controlling injection timing of an internal combustion engine


A fastener includes a frame, a collar connected to the frame and a reel inserted through the collar and the frame. A strap can be reeled in and reeled out when the reel is rotated in a direction and an opposite direction. A first switching device is provided between the reel and the collar so that the first switching device is operable to switch the reel between a reel-out mode and a reel-in mode. A second switching device is provided between the reel and the frame so that the second switching device is operable to switch the reel between a reel-in mode and a reel-out mode.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a fastener for a strap.
2. Related Prior Art
Disclosed in Taiwanese Patent M288282 is a conventional fastener for a strap 7. The fastener includes a frame 1, a reel 4, a ratchet wheel 2, a driver 3, a first detent 33 and a second detent 5. The frame 1 includes a first wall 11a and a second wall 11b. Each of the walls defines an opening 12. The reel 4 is rotationally inserted in the openings 12. The reel 4 defines a slot 41 through which the strap 7 can be inserted. The ratchet wheel 2 is secured to the reel 4. The reel 4 includes a ring 42 at an end and an aperture 43 at another end. The driver 3 includes a hub 30 secured to the ring 42 and a handle 32 extended from the hub 30. The first detent 33 is pivotally connected to the handle 32. The first detent 33 can be engaged with the ratchet wheel 2 to allow the driver 3 to drive the ratchet wheel 2 and therefore the reel 4 in a one-way manner, i.e., reel in the strap 7. The second detent 5 is pivotally connected to the first wall 11a. The second detent 5 can be engaged with the ratchet wheel 2 to allow one-way rotation of the ratchet wheel 2 and, therefore, the reel 4. This conventional fastener is useful in stressing the strap 7. However, this conventional fastener fails to provide any provisions for slowing down the slacking of the strap 7, and there is potential danger related to a fast moving strap 7 that could hurt a person like a whip could.
The present invention is therefore intended to obviate or at least alleviate the problems encountered in the prior art.


Methods involve feeding young animals milk products containing milk-based protein, a halide and a source of hydrogen peroxide, where an active lactoperoxidase system is not present in the milk product fed to the young animal, in response to ingesting the milk product, the young animal decreases a feed to gain ratio. Milk replacers may be provided as the milk product, and the young animals may be calves. Milk replacers contain milk-derived protein, a source of hydrogen peroxide at about 50 to about 500 parts per million by weight of the rehydrated milk replacer and iodide at about 1 to about 50 parts per million by weight of the rehydrated milk replacer, where an active lactoperoxidase system is not present.

Livestock animals are a commodity raised to produce food products including milk and meat. The time it takes livestock to mature, particularly to gain weight, is important when assessing whether the animal is ready to produce milk or is ready for market. A number of feeding systems have been used to enhance weight gain of livestock beginning at a young age and may include feeding techniques prior to and after weaning. Such techniques may involve providing milk replacers to the animals. Milk replacers generally mimic the milk produced from the post-partum parent animal in terms of protein, fat and carbohydrate content. Milk replacers have been employed for over 60 years to sustain and grow the young animals such as bovine calves. Providing nutrients to young animals through milk replacers may, for instance, reduce the age of freshening or the onset of lactation of a dairy cow, thereby reducing the cost of milk production. Increased weight gain of livestock from an early age by ingestion of milk replacer may also reduce the cost of beef production.
Work to determine the proper attributes for calf milk replacers has been conducted during the last several decades. In a prior approach, the Scottish Agricultural College (SAC) at Auchincruive developed milk replacer powder containing a functional lactoperoxidase ("LP") system to provide milk replacers with antimicrobial properties. Milk replacers otherwise do not contain antimicrobial proteins in active form. One method of milk replacer production in this prior approach involved control of time-temperature treatments employed during replacer manufacture to avoid denaturation of the LP system. Another involved extracting the LP system agent, lactoferrin, from milk or whey and dry mixing with other milk replacer components. However, these methods of producing milk replacers is costly and controlling the production conditions to maintain an active LP system presents challenges to efficient production of milk replacers.
In another approach disclosed in US 2011/0229598, the merit of using LP systems as a natural preservation mechanism in milk is disclosed. The method is used as a means to reduce pathogen load in pasteurized milk fed to calves. This natural preservation mechanism needs to be activated to be effective for this application.
In addition, milk replacers having an active LP system must contain components capable of sustaining the LP active system, and such components include whey protein, casein, whey protein concentrate and skim milk produced under rigid operating conditions that preserve the LP system. However, the availability these components is scarce.

Milk replacer products containing halides and sources of hydrogen peroxide and methods of feeding same


This invention relates to a system and method for economically locating an ESD event with a reasonable degree of accuracy. It performs this function using a binary approach in which one or more binary ESD locator boxes are used. Each of these binary ESD locator boxes incorporates two antennas and performs the function of determining which of these antennas receives the ESD signal first. This determination establishes the ESD event as occurring to one side of a planar surface. By incorporating one or more additional binary ESD locator boxes, the system can determine whether an ESD event occurred within a two dimensional area or within a three dimensional area.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus for determining the location of an electrostatic discharge event (ESD).
2. Description of Related Art
Some electrostatic discharge events (ESD) are of such a low level as to be virtually imperceptible to human beings, even though these discharges may cause significant damage, such as to electronic devices. Detectors have been invented which are capable of detecting the occurrence of such an ESD event but which are incapable of determining its location. An example of such a system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,631,473 issued to Masamitsu Honda on Dec. 23, 1986 and entitled "Transient Electromagnetic Field Detector".
A device which is capable of actually pin-pointing the location of an ESD event has been achieved in U.S. Pat. No. 5,923,150, issued to DeChiaro et al., entitled "Electrostatic Discharge Event Locators" (the EELS system) which was filed Apr. 19, 1997 and issued Jul. 13, 1999 and which is hereby incorporated in total by reference. This EELS system achieves great precision in determining the ESD location within a cube of 5 mm in dimension. This precision is attained at the expense of elaborate electronic circuitry, including expensive high speed analog-digital converters that need a high speed clock to drive the system.
There are many applications where the need for the precision of locating the ESD event lies between the above two approaches. That is, more that just a determination that an ESD event occurred is needed yet the 5 mm precision and corresponding cost of the EELS system is not warranted. For example, one may like to know if there are ESD events that are originating from a volume of space, for example, 2 m.times.2 m.times.10 m in dimension, where sensitive electronic circuit boards are being assembled. Another example would be a 2 m.times.2 m.times.6 m area in which sensitive equipment was being operated. Still another example would relate to protection of life and property by determining if there were ESD sparks occurring in an area where flammables or explosives are present.
In addition to the above determinations as to a volume of space, there may exist situations in which it is only necessary to evaluate an open ended area, for example, 2 m.times.4 m in dimension, regardless of the vertical location of the events. Still even simpler would be an application in which it is only necessary to determine if a given ESD event comes from the right or left sides of a planar surface.
For each of these cases, the 5 mm precision of a locating system such as the EELS system is not necessary, and in light of its associated costs, is not desired. The present invention addresses these cases in achieving sufficient accuracy in determining the location of the ESD event at a significantly reduced cost.


A dynamic blockchain system includes: at least one complete asset node server, including a complete asset manager and a complete asset storage; a plurality of hash asset node servers, each including a hash asset manager and an asset blockchain and; a dynamic blockchain management server, including a blockchain manager, a representation calculation function, and an asset map with a plurality of map records; and a blockchain management device; such that the dynamic blockchain management server validates a digital asset by lookup in the at least one complete asset node server and by verification of the digital asset by a random sampling in a statistically representative number of hash asset node servers in the plurality of hash asset node servers.

Individuals and companies currently access store and transport data across public and private networks that are becoming increasingly less secure, jeopardizing the privacy and security of individuals, the security of companies and corrupting information flows across private and public networks. Additionally, existing network data methods and systems make it difficult to verify the validity of the data moving across those networks and for those owners of assets to protect their privacy while operating securely.
The rate of growth for data accessed, transacted upon, stored and transported across these public and private networks is growing at exponential rates year over year and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. The rate of growth necessitates systems that can provide broadly distributed highly accessible data assets in ways that protect the security of the asset and privacy of its owner while operating at high levels of efficiency with dynamic scalability in an increasingly chaotic digital realm.
Currently Blockchain implementations lack the dynamic ability to provide flexible access and verification to digital assets and their subsets of information in a seamless and timely manner. The existing methods limit the ability for participants to validate and reference actual digital assets as a part of the overall process, instead relying solely on hash representations to confirm transactional activities. This is highly limiting to the overall implementation of Blockchain technologies and its' uses for the storage, management, transport, verification, and validation of digital assets more complex then financial and payment transactions. Given the exponential growth of data flows Blockchain as imagined today faces extreme issues of scalability and therefore sustainability. As such, considering the foregoing, it may be appreciated that there continues to be a need for novel and improved devices and methods for blockchain systems for providing efficient and secure distributed data access, data storage and data transport.

Dynamic blockchain system and method for providing efficient and secure distributed data access, data storage and data transport


A double balun dipole antenna element includes a dielectric substrate having a first surface and an opposing second surface, a pair of coplanar Marchand baluns positioned in a mutually antiphase configuration on the first and second surfaces, and at least one feed line connected to the pair of Marchand baluns. A doubly polarized antenna element includes a pair of orthogonally interleaved double balun dipole antenna elements, which can be further configured into an array of such antenna elements.

There has been increasing interest in coincident phase center elements for electronically steered, polarization diverse, ultra wideband array antennas in recent years. This interest has arisen from the difficulty of maintaining the axial ratio of circularly polarized beams when scanning off-axis. When the constituent linear polarizations used to form circular polarization have adjacent phase centers, an angle dependant path length difference is introduced upon scanning. With increasing bandwidth, compensating for this path difference becomes more difficult. The motivation for developing ultra wideband coincident phase center antennas is to eliminate the scan dependant path length difference associated with adjacent phase center antennas.
Navy ships require electronically steerable antenna arrays capable of transmitting and receiving signals with polarization diversity, including circularly polarized waves, over large instantaneous bandwidth for satellite communications, electronic warfare, and other applications. Antenna element designs include those for operation using different polarizations, including linear (vertical or horizontal) and circular. These antenna elements are typically assembled into arrays for generating or receiving a collimated, directed RF beams.
To obtain polarization diversity, an antenna needs to radiate two orthogonal polarizations independently. This can be done with a pair of orthogonally positioned, linearly polarized elements. If electronic steering of circularly polarized beams is desired, then the linearly polarized elements must also have coincident phase centers to avoid degradation of circularity as the beam is scanned. The polarization purity degrades further in the case of wide instantaneous bandwidth signals.
Ultra wideband antenna arrays frequently employ flared notch radiators. This is because flared notch radiators usually do not have a strong resonance, but rather may be viewed as smooth tapers from a confined transmission line mode to a radiating free space mode. The difficulty with flared notches is that the individual radiators require conductive contact between adjacent elements to operate correctly at low frequencies within their design bandwidths
Employing elements which do not require conductive contract between adjacent elements may free the designer from the difficulties of maintaining electrical contact between adjacent elements, but may introduce problem of obtaining large bandwidths from elements not known for wide bandwidth.
With regard to bandwidth enhancement, there are two frequency regimes to consider: the high frequency regime where in a half wavelength is less than the array cell size and the low frequency regime where in a half wavelength greater than the array cell size. The low frequency regime is more interesting for electronic beam steering applications while the high frequency regime is more interesting for fixed scan or broadside applications. In the low frequency regime a two to one bandwidth is readily attainable while maintaining simple construction methods. A four to one bandwidth is achievable with special construction techniques. The limits of the high frequency regime are encountered when interference between direct radiation from the dipoles, and reflected radiation from the ground plane behind the dipoles begins to form a null in the radiation pattern.
There are some trade off between low and high frequency performance. The more the bandwidth is extended in the low frequency regime, the greater the reflections seen in the high frequency regime. When the special construction techniques are employed to extend the bandwidth to 4:1 in the low frequency regime, there is very little bandwidth left in the high frequency regime.
A cross sectional view of a unit cell 10 in a coincident phase center array antenna with a coincident phase center flared notch element is shown in FIG. 1. This antenna is difficult to build because it must be constructed to maintain electrical continuity in multiple places for two interleaved perpendicular polarizations simultaneously. The first polarization is in the plane 12 of the sectional cut, and has its feed circuitry 14 exposed. The second polarization plane 16 is perpendicular to the section plane. Within a unit cell, it is important to maintain microwave electrical continuity across the slot 18 (further described below in an E-plane tee configuration). Between unit cells it is important to maintain microwave electrical continuity at the flare tips 20. Here microwave continuity implies control of the geometry of mating conductors so that the smooth flow of microwave fields can occur. Direct current continuity simply requires that mating conductors be in contact. The double balun dipole according this intention does not require continuity between unit cells in an array which greatly simplifies construction.
The next design to be considered is not a coincident phase center antenna, but it is introduced to help explain later designs. FIG. 2 shows a microstrip fed printed dipole with an integral balun by Edward and Rees, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,825,220, issued Apr. 25, 1989. It has a single Marchand balun 50 feeding the two arms of the dipole. It has a bandwidth 3 or 4 times greater than a traditional split sleeve dipole and it is fabricated using printed circuit techniques.
Before discussing the next patents/prior art, it will be useful to address microwave transmission lines. This will help to understand the shortcomings of the patents/prior art to be discussed. The classic transmission line is the parallel wire transmission line 60 shown in FIG. 3. The two conductors 62 are the same size, and the currents which flow on them are mirror images of one another. The difficulty with parallel wire transmission lines is that they must be protected from the rest of the world. A conductor that is allowed too close can cause reflections or permit extra modes to propagate, and dielectrics can change the characteristic impedance or introduce losses. A slot 64 is also shown in FIG. 3 as an example of balanced transmission line. Unless the conductors 66 and 68 on each side of the slot have the same cross-section, the transmission line mode it supports is only approximately balanced. In general slots tend to radiate, so it is desirable to keep them short with respect to a wavelength. In practice most microwave transmission lines are unbalanced lines such as those shown in FIG. 4. One conductor 70 is made much larger than the other conductor 72, and is often grounded. It shields the smaller conductor from the surroundings, making the circuit much easier to work with. Stripline has two ground conductors, but they are often joined with screws or plated vias, so it is similar to coaxial line. Direct connections between balanced and unbalanced transmission lines generally result in undesirable large reflections. Usually a balun circuit is inserted at the junction to enable proper flow of signals across the boundary.
The groundwork has been laid to consider the Wideband Phased Array Antenna and Associated Methods by Munk, Taylor, and Durham ("Munk et al."), as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,512,487 and in "A Wide Band, Low Profile Array of End Loaded Dipoles with Dielectric Slab Compensation," Ben A. Munk, 2006 Antenna Applications Symp., pp. 149-165 ("Munk"), shown in FIG. 5. In the patent Munk et al. claims a 15:1 bandwidth, while in the paper Munk shows plots indicating a 9:1 bandwidth. Both are remarkable. Through the use of interdigital capacitors at the ends of the dipole arms, and selective use of dielectric layers, Munk and Munk et. al. have constructed a dipole array which is intrinsically well matched over an extremely wide bandwidth. Having constructed well matched dipoles, they must feed them with a balanced transmission lines. However, as I pointed out above, balanced transmission lines are undesirable because they need to be shielded. Munk et al. does not describe the particulars of the feed network in the patent. However, another patent, U.S. Pat. No. 6,483,464, Rawnick et al., describes a feed network and associated feed line organizer, shown in FIG. 6, which they state is suitable for the dipole array antenna patented by Munk et al. Rawnick et al. state that the feed line organizer suppresses common mode currents. Indirectly, this may be an affirmation of the difficulty noted above with balanced transmission lines. An isolated single two conductor transmission line should support only one mode of propagation. If a second two conductor transmission line is brought into close proximity of the first, the result is a four conductor transmission line which can support unwanted modes. The self-shielding of unbalanced transmission lines reduces the coupling to nearby transmission lines. In effect, Rawnick et al. has replaced two balanced transmission lines in close proximity with four unbalanced transmission lines with the feed line organizer. A 180 degree hybrid circuit is also shown in FIG. 6. The balanced transmission line mode of Munk et al. and Munk's dipole still needs to be converted to an unbalanced mode.
Typically a 180 degree hybrid has several quarter wavelength sections. This is at some intermediate frequency, not the highest frequency. However the space available is a square one half wavelength on a side, and this is at the highest frequency. The size of the circuit can be reduced by the use of high dielectric constant materials, but only to a point. Practical circuit processing techniques limit how small features of a circuit can be made. Munk's design is very clever. However the dipole according to this invention has the advantage of providing unbalanced transmission line modes right at the terminals of the antenna. The conversion from a balanced mode to an unbalanced mode is implemented more efficiently in less space with a double Marchand balun dipole than with a balanced dipole, feed line organizer, and 180 degree hybrid. Munk notes that his design is capable of dual polarized operation, but he does not mention coincidence of phase centers. It is therefore desirable to provide a dipole antenna without these deficiencies.

The United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of the Navy


The present invention relates to methods and uses of cells for the prevention and treatment of a wide variety of diseases and disorders and the repair and regeneration of tissues and organs using low passage and extensively passaged in vitro cultured, self-renewing, colony forming somatic cells (CF-SC). For example, adult bone marrow-derived somatic cells (ABM-SC), or compositions produced by such cells, are useful alone or in combination with other components for treating, for example, cardiovascular, neurological, integumentary, dermatological, periodontal, and immune mediated diseases, disorders, pathologies, and injuries.

The present invention relates generally to the generation and use of in vitro cultured self-renewing colony forming somatic cells (CF-SC), and compositions produced by such cells, for the treatment of a variety of diseases and disorders. One example of such CF-SC are adult human bone marrow-derived somatic cells (hABM-SC).
The present invention also relates to manipulation of CF-SC cell populations during cultivation to modulate (i.e., up- or down-regulate) production of various soluble or secreted compositions produced by in vitro cultured and expanded self-renewing colony forming cells.
The field of the invention also relates to cell-based and tissue-engineering therapies; particularly, methods of using and/or administering CF-SC, or compositions produced by such cells, including administration via incorporation in, or mixture with, pharmaceutically acceptable carriers (such as a pharmaceutically acceptable solution or a transient, permanent, or biodegradable matrix).
Cell Based Therapies
There are two major options in using cell-based therapies to manage and treat chronic and acute tissue damage in which the overall objective is the functional and/or cosmetic restoration of damaged tissue. These cell based therapy options include: 1) Cell Replacement—Use of cells to replace damaged tissue by establishing long-term engraftment; and 2) Supply Trophic Factors—Use of cells and compositions produced by cells (e.g., growth factors) to stimulate endogenous repair mechanisms through release of factors delivered or produced by cells without long-term engraftment.
The present invention relates to use of cell based therapies without relying on long-term cell engraftment. In particular, the invention relates to use of cells, and compositions produced by cells, in the treatment of various diseases and disorders; particularly those involving tissues and organs with limited self-renewal capability (such as, for example, neurological and cardiac tissues and organs).
Cell-based therapeutic options in managing and treating tissue damage also present the possibility for use of autologous or allogeneic cells. Each of these have certain advantages and disadvantages. Use of autologous cells involves the following factors or parameters:                Patient is the donor;        Requires manufacture of cell product on a patient-by-patient basis;        Variability in the identity, purity and potency of cell product; and,        Lag time between clinical decision to treat and availability of cells for transplant.
In contrast, the use of allogeneic cells involves the following factors or parameters:                Donor is second party (i.e., donor is not the patient);        Risk associated with donor variability;        Multiple patients treatable per manufactured batch of cell product;        Increased consistency of identity, purity and potency of cell product; and,        Decreased lag time between clinical decision to treat and availability of cell product.
The present invention relates primarily to treatments involving use of allogeneic cells. However, it would also be equally possible to perform these same treatments using autologous cells.
Organ and Tissue Repair
The regenerative potential of certain tissues in the mammalian body has been known for centuries, for example tissues like skin and bone are known to repair themselves after injury. However, a number of conditions and diseases of the central nervous system (i.e., brain and spinal cord), peripheral nervous system and heart adversely affect humans because of the deficit of regenerative capacity in the effected tissues. These conditions and diseases include, for example, spinal cord injury, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Parkinson's disease, stroke, Huntington's disease, traumatic brain injury, brain tumors, Fabry Disease, heart diseases (such as congestive heart failure and myocardial infarction). Clinical management strategies, for example, frequently focus on the prevention of further damage or injury rather than replacement or repair of the damaged tissue (e.g., neurons, glial cells, cardiac muscle); include treatment with exogenous steroids and synthetic, non-cellular pharmaceutical drugs; and have varying degrees of success which may depend on the continued administration of the steroid or synthetic drug.
For example, the majority of spinal cord injuries are compression injuries with the remaining cases involving complete transection of the spinal cord. Current therapeutic treatments for spinal cord injury include the prevention of additional spinal cord injury by physically stabilizing the spine through surgical and non-surgical procedures and by inhibiting the inflammatory response with steroidal therapy.
Additionally, aging is a major negative component to nearly every common disease affecting mammals, and one of the principle features of aging in a degeneration of many tissue including those of skin, bone, eye, brain, liver, kidney, heart, vasculature, muscle, et cetera. Furthermore, the already limited regenerative capacity of certain tissues of the body is known to decline with age, tissue maintenance and repair mechanisms in almost every tissue decline over the course of life.
Thus, there is a need to develop new, improved and effective methods of treatment for diseases and conditions, in particular, neurological and cardiac diseases and age-related degenerative conditions in humans.
Erythropoiesis
Hematopoietic cells in a healthy human or other mammal do not ordinarily have a limited long-term self-renewal capability. However, the potential for catastrophic loss of blood (or need otherwise for a supplemental supply of blood) combined with limited supplies of donor blood, entails that methods for enhancing, maintaining, or generating red blood supplies in vitro are quite desirable.
Blood is a highly specialized circulating tissue consisting of several types of cells suspended in a fluid medium known as plasma. The cellular constituents are: red blood cells (erythrocytes), which carry respiratory gases and give it its red color because they contain hemoglobin (an iron-containing protein that binds oxygen in the lungs and transports it to tissues in the body), white blood cells (leukocytes), which fight disease, and platelets (thrombocytes), cell fragments which play an important part in the clotting of the blood. Medical terms related to blood often begin with hemo- or hemato- (BE: haemo- and haemato-) from the Greek word "haima" for "blood." Blood cells are produced in the bone marrow; in a process called hematopoiesis. Blood cells are degraded by the spleen and liver. Healthy erythrocytes have a plasma half-life of 120 days before they are systematically replaced by new erythrocytes created by the process of hematopoiesis. Blood transfusion is the most common therapeutic use of blood. It is usually obtained from human donors. As there are different blood types, and transfusion of the incorrect blood may cause severe complications, crossmatching is done to ascertain the correct type is transfused.
A shortage of blood donors and inadequate supplies of red blood cells for transfusion is a common problem in treating patients worldwide. Accordingly, there is a need for new, improved and effective methods of increasing the availability of red blood cells as this would provide a means for alleviating at least some of the global shortages in red blood cell supplies.
Skin
The present invention relates in part to treatment of skin wounds. There are currently available a number of different treatments for wounds of the skin such as epidermal replacement products, dermal replacement products, artificial skin products, and wound dressings. Examples of some of these are described briefly below.
Epidermal Replacement Products
According to the manufacturer, EPICEL™ (Genzyme Corp., Cambridge, Mass.) is composed of autologous epidermal cells skin grown from biopsy of patients own skin for treatment of burns. Cells are co-cultured with mouse feeder cell line into sheets of autologous epidermis.
According to the manufacturer, MYSKIN™ (CellTran LTD, Sheffield, S1 4DP United Kingdom) is a cultured autologous epidermal substitute for the treatment of burns, ulcers and other non-healing wounds. MYSKIN™ contains living cells expanded from the tissue of individual patients. MYSKIN™ comprises a layer of keratinocytes (epidermal cells) on an advanced polymer-like coating which facilitates the transfer of cells into the wound where they can initiate healing. MYSKIN™ uses a medical grade silicone substrate layer to support cell delivery, wound coverage and allow exudate management.
According to the manufacturer, EPIDEX™ (Modex Therapeutics Ltd, Lausanne, Switzerland) is an autologous epidermal skin equivalent that is grown directly from stem and pre-cursor cells derived from hair taken directly from a patient in a non-surgical procedure.
According to the manufacturer, CELLSPRAY™ (Clinical Cell Culture Europe Ltd, Cambridge CB2 1NL, United Kingdom) is a cultured epithelial autograft suspension that is sprayed onto injured skin in order to provide a rapid epidermal cover, promote healing and optimize scar quality.
Dermal Replacement Products
According to the manufacturer, INTEGRA™ Dermal Regeneration Template (Integra LifeSciences Corporation, Plainsboro, N.J.) is a bilayer membrane system for skin replacement. The dermal replacement layer is made of a porous matrix of fibers of cross-linked bovine tendon collagen and a glycosaminoglycan (chondroitin-6-sulfate) that is manufactured with a controlled porosity and defined degradation rate. The temporary epidermal substitute layer is made of synthetic polysiloxane polymer (silicone) and functions to control moisture loss from the wound. The collagen dermal replacement layer serves as a matrix for the infiltration of fibroblasts, macrophages, lymphocytes, and capillaries derived from the wound bed.
According to the manufacturer, DERMAGRAFT™ (Advanced Biohealing, La Jolla, Calif.) Allogeneic newborn fibroblasts grown on a biodegradable mesh scaffold, indicated for full-thickness diabetic ulcers.
According to the manufacturer, PERMACOL™ (Tissue Science Laboratories, Inc. Andover, Mass. 01810) Permacol™ surgical implant is collagen-derived from porcine dermis which, when implanted in the human body, is non-allergenic and long-lasting.
According to the manufacturer, TRANSCYTE™ (Advanced Biohealing, La Jolla, Calif. 92037) TRANSCYTE™ is a human foreskin-derived fibroblast temporary skin substitute (allogeneic). The product consists of a polymer membrane and newborn human fibroblast cells cultured under aseptic conditions in vitro on a nylon mesh. Prior to cell growth, this nylon mesh is coated with porcine dermal collagen and bonded to a polymer membrane (silicone). This membrane provides a transparent synthetic epidermis when the product is applied to the burn. The human fibroblast-derived temporary skin substitute provides a temporary protective barrier. TRANSCYTE™ is transparent and allows direct visual monitoring of the wound bed.
According to the manufacturer, RENGRANEX™ Gel (Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical, Inc.© ETHICON, INC.) is a topical wound care product made of recombinant PDGF in a gel.
Artificial Skin Products (Epidermal and Dermal Combination Products)
According to the manufacturer, PERMADERM™ (Cambrex Bio Science Walkersville, Inc., Walkersville, Md.) PERMADERM™ is constructed from autologous epidermal and dermal layers of the skin and is indicated for the treatment of severe burns. The product is reported to be pliable and to grow with the patient.
According to the manufacturer, ORCEL™ (Ortec International, New York, N.Y.) Bilayered construct made from allogeneic epidermal cells and fibroblasts cultured in bovine collagen, indicated for split-thickness burns. The manufacturer reports no evidence of product-derived DNA detectable in two human patients treated with product at 2 or 3 weeks, respectively.
According to the manufacturer, APLIGRAF™ (Smith & Nephew, London, WC2N 6LA United Kingdom) Allogeneic epidermal cells and fibroblasts cultured in bovine collagen, indicated for venous leg ulcers.
Wound Dressings
According to the manufacturer, 3M™ TEGADERM™ Transparent Film Dressing (3M, St. Paul, Minn.) is a breathable film that provides a bacterial and viral barrier to outside contaminants.
According to the manufacturer, TISSEEL™ VH Fibrin Sealant (Baxter, Deerfield, Ill.) is indicated for use as an adjunct to hemostasis.

Administering a biological composition or compositions isolated from self-renewing colony forming somatic cell growth medium to treat diseases and disorders


An anti-reverse structure for a spinning reel includes ratchet teeth formed on an inner peripheral surface of a rotary frame attached to a front face of a reel body, pawls for engaging the ratchet teeth for preventing the rotary frame from rotating backward in a line releasing direction, and a drive element for changing the pawls between an operative position to engage the ratchet teeth and an inoperative position retracted from the ratchet teeth. The drive element is mounted inside the reel body and interlocked with a rotary frame drive system for driving the rotary frame backward and forward. The drive element is operable to change the pawls to the operative position with backward rotation in the line releasing direction of the rotary frame drive system.

1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an anti-reverse structure for a spinning reel, and more particularly to an anti-reverse structure for a spinning reel having a stopper mechanism for preventing a rotary frame from rotating backward in a line unwinding direction.
2. DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART
Conventionally, this type of anti-reverse structure for a spinning reel has a stopper mechanism including a ratchet wheel mounted on a spool shaft extending forwardly of a reel body to be rotatable with a rotary frame, and pawls for engaging teeth of the ratchet wheel (see Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 1988-64, for example).
The ratchet wheel mounted on the spool shaft as above is contained in an interior space of the rotary frame. Consequently, the ratchet wheel must have a small diameter. Further, the engaging teeth of the ratchet wheel must have a certain thickness in order to secure sufficient strength to resist backward rotation of the wheel. This results in a limited number of teeth formed on the ratchet wheel.
Since the teeth cannot be formed close to one another, there occurs play before the stopper mechanism becomes operative when a fish strikes a bait and the angler attempts to land the fish. When the stopper mechanism becomes operable by a pull from the fish, a shock corresponding to the play may occur with engagement between the pawls and teeth. This could result in breaking of the fishing line or other inconveniences.
The above anti-reverse structure further includes a drive element loosely fitted on a boss of the ratchet wheel for switching the pawls between an operative position to engage the teeth of the ratchet wheel and an inoperative position retracted from the teeth. This drive element and other associated components are disposed outside the reel body. Thus, these components are exposed to the influence of seawater. It is necessary to provide a certain measure, such as placing the drive element outside the reel body but inside the rotary frame, and sealing adjacent positions of the rotary frame and reel body to prevent entry of seawater and the like to the interior space of the rotary frame.

Anti-reverse structure for a spinning reel


The invention relates to a gas bag module comprising a gas bag with a gas bag wall which has a front and a rear wall section. A depression is provided which has a mouth and runs in an inflated state of the gas bag from the front wall section to the rear wall section, which depression is formed in that a part of the gas bag wall is prevented from an unimpeded movement away from the module on unfolding of the gas bag. The module further comprises at least one closure piece which is fastened to the gas bag wall such that in the inflated state it moves in front of the mouth of the depression and closes the depression.

The present invention relates to a gas bag module.
Known gas bag modules comprise a gas bag with a gas bag wall which has a front and a rear wall section, a depression including a mouth and running in the inflated state from the front wall section to the rear wall section. The depression is formed in that a part of the gas bag wall is prevented from an unimpeded movement away from the module on unfolding. Such gas bags are intended to be incorporated in the steering wheel or the instrument panel and to protect the occupant during a frontal impact. The gas bag has an annular chamber which is to be inflated, the inner wall, delimiting the depression, being formed by the depression. The depression extends from the front wall centrally towards the rear, and the lowest point of the depression is formed by a fabric piece which is permanently fastened to the gas bag module and hence on unfolding is not moved towards the occupant. Furthermore, the gas bag usually emerges obliquely outwards from the module owing to the annular shape of the chamber, and only subsequently does the front wall section move in the direction toward the occupant.
With an occupant sitting centrally and in the presence of a high impact intensity, it must be prevented that the occupant""s head can plunge into the depression.
The invention provides a gas bag module in which the gas bag even with an occupant sitting centrally and with a high impact intensity achieves excellent restraint values. This is achieved in a gas bag module which comprises a gas bag with a gas bag wall which has a front and a rear wall section. A depression is provided which has a mouth and runs in an inflated state of the gas bag from the front wall section to the rear wall section, which depression is formed in that a part of the gas bag wall is prevented from an unimpeded movement away from the module on unfolding of the gas bag. The module further comprises at least one closure piece which is fastened to the gas bag wall such that in the inflated state it moves in front of the mouth of the depression and closes the depression. The mouth of the depression is the transition of the front wall section to the depression, i.e. the inlet thereof. The closure part moves in front of this inlet, so that at the end of the inflation process a closed wall, without accessible depression, is available to restrain the occupant. The depression is not a chamber to be filled by the gas of the gas generator and is not in flow connection with the gas generator.
According to one embodiment, the closure piece is a fabric piece which is sewn to the gas bag wall.
This closure piece can be constructed in a band shape, the two ends of the band being able to be fastened to the rear wall section, and the band running across the front wall section. The band is simple to fasten, is flexible and does not represent a projecting part. The displacement of the band takes place by the front and rear wall sections moving relative to each other, without a device, to be actuated separately, being required for the displacement of the band.
A closure piece constructed in a cross shape, which is fastened by the free ends on the rear wall section, also offers similar advantages. The crossing point then closes the depression. Through the cross-shaped form, a higher stability of the closure piece is produced compared with the embodiment with a band-shaped closure piece.
Another design makes provision that at least two closure pieces are provided. These closure pieces are preferably connected with each other, the connection allowing a relative movement of both closure pieces with respect to each other. This has the advantage that in the folded state they can be laid around a central holding piece which will be explained in further detail below. In the unfolded state, the two closure pieces, which preferably overlap each other, safely close the depression and fix each other in their relative position.
One closure piece may, for example, have at least one leadthrough opening for the other closure piece, the latter extending right through the leadthrough opening and preferably as far as into the depression.
In this arrangement, a band-shaped prolongation of one closure piece may extend through the leadthrough opening and as far as to a central holding piece to which also the one part of the gas bag wall is fastened that is prevented from an unhindered movement towards outside of said module. The band-shaped prolongation fastened to the holding piece acts as a limiting strap here.
The, for instance, band-shaped or cross-shaped closure pieces can help also to replace the limiting straps which were usual hitherto, which delimit the movement of the front wall section and are intended to give the gas bag a defined shape. The holding back of the gas bag wall can in fact take place or be supported by the band-shaped or cross-shaped closure piece.
The gas bag is preferably housed in an annular chamber in the gas bag module which is defined on the inner face by a centrally arranged holding piece. This holding piece serves mostly to prevent a central piece of a covering of the module from moving outwards. The holding piece extends in the folded state of the gas bag inside the depression, with the depression moving along the holding piece on unfolding and leaving the module via an annular outlet opening. The closure piece, in the folded state, is placed around the holding piece and can then move on inflation such that it comes to lie in front of the depression.
Another embodiment makes provision that the closure piece has an opening through which, in the folded state, the holding piece extends. On unfolding, the opening moves, more precisely the edge of the opening, outwards along the holding piece. On inflation, the displacement of the closure piece then occurs relative to the gas bag wall, so that the opening is situated outside the depression in the fully inflated state. The embodiment with an opening has the advantage that the closure piece can be constructed as a fabric section having a large area and covering the entire front wall section like a second skin.

TRW Automotive Safety Systems GmbH and Co. KG