A process for fabricating a multi-layer flex and rigid-flex board and the board disclosed which substantially reduces the amount of expansion in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the board which occurs between laminated pattern circuit layers in a manner that substantially reduces the tendency of the through-hole plated connections to fail. This is done without sacrificing the attributes of using some flexible material in the rigid zones.

Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed generally to multi-layer combined rigid and flexible printed circuit configurations in which flexible sections extend from or join one or more rigid sections normally as part of the interconnect system used in electronic packaging.
Description of the Related Art
Processes and techniques for manufacturing multi-layer printed circuit devices have been evolving over a long period of time. In this regard, flexible circuits have been widely recognized as a substitute for wire harnesses because they are lighter, have greater flexibility, greater reliability and require less labor to assemble. As the complexity and the electrical performance requirements of printed circuits increased over a period of time there evolved a reduction in the trace widths, trace spaces and pad-to-hole ratio and, simultaneously, an increase in the complexity or number of conductor layers utilized. To meet this challenge, multi-layer flexible and rigid-flex circuits were developed.
Conventional flexible printed circuit material for rigid-flex manufacturing include Kapton (a trademark of E. I. Du Pont De Nemours and Company of wilmington, Delaware) for polyimide dielectric flexible film and acrylic adhesive materials. Other dielectric flexible files used for fabrication flexible printed circuits include Nomex, Mylar, for a polyester material and Teflon, for polytetrafluoroethylene, (all are also trademarks of Du Pont). Conventional flexible laminates consist of a flexible dielectric film such as polyimide film bonded to a copper substrate using a flexible type of adhesive. The conductive patterns on the flexible materials are formed by a print and etch operation. The etched flex layers are then laminated using heat and pressure with a cover layer material which includes a flexible dielectric film attached with a flexible type of adhesive.
Rigid printed circuit laminates are normally copper clad materials using an epoxy or a polyimide laminate. The conductive patterns on the rigid materials are also formed by a print and etch operation. The etched rigid layers are then laminated with other layers to make a rigid-flex printed circuit.
Multi-layer flexible circuits are normally built by using multiple individual flexible layers sandwiched using a flexible adhesive material for flexibility or with fiberglass sheets impregnated with a resin or adhesive such as epoxy and are known as "prepreg" (also referred to as a B-stage).
The rigid-flex printed circuits normally include individual flexible layers and rigid layers stacked to form a many-layered composite. The flexible layers are an integral part of both the flexible and rigid portions of the device; whereas, the rigid layers are normally a part of only the rigid portion of the device. Adhesive normally used to bond the rigid and flexible layers in a rigid-flex circuit board is normally either a flexible type such as an acrylic/epoxy adhesive or a rigid type, for example, glass reinforced prepreg.
The flexible dielectric and adhesive materials such as those recited above exhibit excellent flexibility, stability and heat resistance properties and can be readily bonded to copper sheets for circuit pattern delineation. However, difficulties have been encountered because of the relatively high co-efficient of thermal expansion associated with these materials compared to copper, tin/lead conductor and connecting materials. Thus, when the printed circuits using these materials are subjected to cyclical thermal environment, the flexible type of material expands and contracts at a much higher rate than the other materials used in the printed circuit fabrication.
Normally, the various layers of patterned circuits in the rigid and the flexible laminate are connected together electrically by utilizing "through-holes" which are holes drilled in the board and extending down through all the layers which are subsequently plated with a conducting material to form a coating on the inside of the hole in the form of a conductive layer which forms a common connection joining the layers connected by the given through-hole. The conductor is normally a copper or solder material depending on the application.
Because the flexible materials in the composite rigid-flex board expand at a much higher rate than the rigid materials, the expansion during soldering or other heat-related operations which take place after plating or cladding of the through-holes tends to create a great deal of stress relative to the connections between the various levels of patterned circuitry in the through-holes. If expansion along the through-holes in the direction normal to the plane of the laminated sandwich is sufficient, the integrity of the plated conductor in the holes may be broken. This also occurs after repeated cyclical stresses over a specified temperature range. In any event, this phenomenon causes failures in the printed circuits including a much higher rate of manufacturing rejection than is desirable.
One approach to solving this problem is illustrated and described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,687,695 which describes a process for making flexible printed circuits which addresses the problem of fabricating through-holes in the rigid areas of the flexible circuit. That solution involves substituting epoxy glass or conventional rigid printed circuit materials for the flexible printed circuit material in the rigid areas of the flexible printed circuits. This process avoids the process of plating through-holes in flexible printed circuit materials at all.

Rigid flex printed circuit configuration


A thrust washer includes an annular body with an aperture therein and having a first axial face and a second axial face, an outer diameter edge and an inner diameter edge extending between the first and second axial faces. At least one of the first and second axial faces includes a plurality of recessed grooves extending at least partially between the inner edge and the outer edge and defining un-recessed lands between the recessed grooves. The plurality of recessed grooves include a transition region transitioning to the lands and a scoop region separated from the transition region by a stepped wall portion extending between the scoop region and the tapered region. The recessed grooves can include directional symmetric bi-directional grooves for use in systems with rotation in both directions.

This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.
Thrust washers fail due to loss of lubrication and high interface temperature conditions. One of the common failure modes for polymeric thrust bearings is due to excessive interface temperature resulting directly due to loss of lubrication. This mode of failure is prominent in applications where lubrication is available only at the OD of the bearing due to the inability of existing designs to effectively pump lubricant into the interface by overcoming centrifugal force. As a result, use of polymeric bearings in such application conditions has been a challenge.

Hydrodynamic thrust washers with pumping features for sparse lubrication applications

Barbosa De Oliveira Ferreira Salles et al.


A blow molded container having barrier properties and including an upper wall portion having an opening, an intermediate sidewall portion positioned beneath the upper wall portion, and a base portion positioned beneath the intermediate sidewall portion to support the container. The container includes a molded outer layer having an inner surface and an outer surface formed from at least 40% of recycled plastic, and a carbon coating formed on the inner surface of the outer layer and adhered thereto and substantially coextensive with the outer layer, wherein said carbon coating has a thickness of less than about 10 microns.

The present invention relates to plastic containers based on recycled plastic. More particularly, the present invention relates to blow molded plastic containers based on recycled plastic, having barrier properties and having a carbon-coated internal surface.
It is highly desirable to provide plastic containers having barrier properties, and it is also highly desirable to provide plastic containers using recycled plastic. However, recycled plastic generally does not have barrier properties and cannot be used in containers in direct contact with container contents. Therefore, despite the economic desirability of using recycled plastic, the use of such material has been difficult.
Conventionally, the use of recycled plastic in containers especially those holding contents for human consumption has been limited to multi-layer plastic containers where the recycled plastic is an outer layer which does not come into direct contact with the container contents.
Multi-layer plastic containers are commonly used for packaging items in a wide range of fields, including food and beverage, medicine, health and beauty, and home products. Plastic containers are known for being easily molded, cost competitive, lightweight, and generally suitable for many applications. Multi-layered containers provide the benefit of being able to use different materials in each of the layers, wherein each material has a specific property adapted to perform a desired function.
Because plastic containers may permit low molecular gases, such as oxygen and carbon dioxide, to slowly permeate through their physical configurations, the use of plastic containers sometimes proves to be less desirable when compared to containers formed from other less permeable materials, such as metal or glass. In most applications, the shelf life of the product contents is directly related to the package""s ability to effectively address such molecular permeation. In the case of carbonated beverages, such as beer, oxygen in the atmosphere surrounding the container can gradually permeate inwardly through the plastic walls of the container to reach inside of the container and deteriorate the contents. Likewise, carbon dioxide gas associated with the contents may permeate outwardly through the plastic walls of the container until eventually being released on the outside, causing the carbonated beverage to lose some of its flavor and possibly become xe2x80x9cflatxe2x80x9d.
To address some to the foregoing concerns, plastic container manufacturers have utilized various techniques to reduce or eliminate the absorption and/or permeability of such gases. Some of the more common techniques include: increasing the thickness of all or portions of the walls of the container; incorporating one or more barrier layers into the wall structure; including oxygen-scavenging or reacting materials within the walls of the container; and applying various coatings to the internal and/or external surface of the container. However, a number of conventional barrier and/or scavenger materials will not effectively curtail the permeation of both oxygen and carbon dioxide over extended periods of time. Moreover, there are usually other practical concerns associated with most conventional techniques, most commonly, increased material costs and/or production inefficiencies.
In recent times, the use of plastics has become a significant social issue. Recycling has become an increasingly important environmental concern and a number of governments and regulatory authorities continue to address the matter. In a number of jurisdictions, legislation pertaining to minimum recycled plastic content and the collection, return, and reuse of plastic containers has either been considered or has already been enacted. For example, in the case of plastic containers used to hold consumable items, such as food items or beverages, regulations often require a certain content and minimum thickness of the innermost layer that comes in contact with the contents. Conventional processes, such as co- or multiple-injection molding, are often limited as to the amount of recycled plastic that can be effectively incorporated into the structure of the container. Commonly, the amount of recycled content that can be effectively incorporated into conventional co-injection molded containers that are suitable for food contents is less than 40% of the total weight of the container.
Therefore, a need exists in the industry and it is an object of the present invention to provide a plastic container having a high recycled content that is suitable for holding carbonated products, such as carbonated beverages, and provides an acceptable level of performance when compared to commercial containers formed from alternative materials. A further need exists for a method to produce such containers in high volume commercial rates using conventional equipment.
It is a still further object of the present invention and need to provide a container based on recycled plastic which has barrier properties and which minimizes or avoids the high cost of inconvenience of conventional multi-layer plastic containers. It is a still further objective to do this at a reasonable cost, in a commercially feasible process, and with an effective product.
It has been found that the foregoing objects and advantages are readily obtained in accordance with the present invention.
Recognizing the problems and concerns associated with conventional multi-layered plastic containers, especially those used to hold carbonated beverages, a plastic container having enhanced gas barrier properties and a high content of recycled plastic is advantageously provided. A container constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention provides several advantages over those previously available. Such advantages are generally realized through the use of the desirable recycled plastic and a carbon coating on the internal surface of the recycled plastic. It is a significant advantage that the container of the present invention has a significant amount of recycled content. Furthermore, the improved container can be produced using conventional processing techniques and manufacturing equipment.
An important aspect of the present invention is the effective barrier properties of the present container with the functional and commercial benefits associated with having a container comprised a significant amount of recycled plastic content. Further, the ease in subsequently recycling a container produced in accordance with the principles of the present invention make the practice of the invention extremely advantageous. Moreover, the present invention provides the additional advantage of permitting the manufacturer to controllably vary the material positioning and wall thickness at any given location along the vertical length of the inner and/or outer layers of the container.
In accordance with the principles of the present invention, a blow molded multi-layer container is provided having an upper wall portion, an intermediate sidewall portion positioned beneath the upper wall portion, and a base portion positioned beneath the intermediate sidewall portion, the base portion being adapted to dependently or independently support the container. The container includes a molded outer layer formed from recycled plastic and a carbon coating on the inner surface of the molded outer layer that is substantially coextensive with the inner layer. The recycled outer layer comprises at least 50% by weight of recycled plastic, but can comprise more than 75% by weight and desirably more than 90% by weight, depending upon the needs of the application. In a preferred embodiment, the thickness of the outer layer is controllably adjusted along its vertical length. If desirable, the outer layer may also include additional barrier materials and/or oxygen scavenging/reacting materials incorporated therein.
Other and further advantages and novel features of the invention are readily apparent from the following detailed description of the best mode for carrying out the invention when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein, by way of illustration and example, embodiments of the present invention are disclosed.

Plastic container having a carbon-treated internal surface


The marking of a video stream to impart a unique identifier commences by first identifying portions within the video stream readily susceptible to change in a visually imperceptible manner. Thereafter, a combination of visually imperceptible changes is applied to the identified portions at random intervals for randomly varying intervals to mark the video stream. Each change in the stream correlates a particular bit sequence so that a combination of different changes yields a string of bit sequences that can particularly identify the stream.

The proliferation of electronic devices capable of displaying video information in the form of movies, television programs and games, for example, has prompted great demand for video content. The advent of low cost video recording devices and the ability to circumvent anti-copy protection techniques has lead to unauthorized copying and distribution of such video content. In an effort to reduce the incidence of unauthorized copying, content creators now place a forensic mark, sometimes referred to as a watermark, within the video content for identification. By tracing the forensic mark, the content creator can isolate the source of the unauthorized copies.
The forensic mark can take various forms. For example, a content creator can apply a unique serial number to each copy or to a batch of copies. Alternatively, the content creator could apply a unique combination of alphanumeric characters or graphical symbols. The nature of the mark will depend on various factors, including but not limited to, the nature of the content itself.
Present day techniques for forensically marking video content suffer from several difficulties. Placing a forensic mark within the image itself incurs the disadvantage that the forensic mark becomes easy to spot and easy to circumvent by either editing or applying pixilation to the mark for example. Altering the video format to create a forensic mark incurs the disadvantage that converting the video content from one format to another can destroy the mark.
Thus, a need exists for a technique for forensically marking video content that overcomes the aforementioned disadvantages.

Method to hide and recover data in a video stream


Controlling a power system in a mining truck includes receiving data indicative of an expected change in suitability of the mining truck for on-trolley operation, and outputting a control command to an actuating mechanism for a pantograph responsive to the data and prior to occurrence of the expected suitability change. A mining truck and power system are further provided, wherein a pantograph having an electrical contactor is adjusted between a first configuration contacting an overhead trolley line, and a rest configuration, responsive to data indicative of the expected suitability change.

The large scale mining of materials tends to be an energy intensive endeavor. In many opencast mines, a fleet of large mining trucks may operate almost continuously to transport ore and overburden from an extraction area to a dump or processing site. Many such mining trucks are operated via diesel-powered engines. Both direct drive diesel engines and diesel-electric drive systems have been used over the years. As with many other heavy equipment systems, fuel costs for mining trucks can be substantial. Moreover, many mines are located in remote locations, and the costs of transporting fuel to the mine site can add significantly to the operational expense. Even obtaining sufficient fuel supplies can be challenging, regardless of cost. For these and other reasons, engineers in the mining industry and mining equipment manufacturers are continually searching for ways to reduce fuel consumption. Given the historical price volatility of commodities, of which mined materials and petroleum fuels are both examples, as well as variation in geology and topography among mine sites, the economics of supplying and consuming energy for mining activities tends to be complex and variable.
For decades mine operators have experimented with the use of electric power generated on-site or supplied from a utility grid, to power mining equipment. On-site electric power generation has similar cost and availability concerns to fueling equipment directly via petroleum fuels. Due to the remoteness of many mines and other factors, supplying electrical power from a grid, even over relatively long distances, has proven consistently advantageous for at least certain mines as compared to reliance on petroleum fuels alone. Electric power costs can nevertheless vary due to market fluctuations, as well as varying from mine to mine depending upon regional availability of fossil fuels, geothermal or hydroelectric power, or other native or obtainable sources of energy for electricity generation. Thus, even where electric powering of mining equipment is viable, there remains ample motivation to use it as efficiently as possible, both to control costs and optimize predictability in the face of uncertain economics.
While first proposed decades ago, one contemporary example of the use of electric power at mine sites is a trolley system having an overhead trolley line to provide electrical power to assist mining trucks, particularly when traveling loaded upon uphill grades. Many opencast mines include a haul road extending from an extraction site for ore to a remote dump site or processing location. The mining trucks used at such site may need to travel an uphill grade on the haul road that is several kilometers long, or possibly even longer. It will be appreciated that the use of diesel or other petroleum fuels to propel mining trucks carrying literally hundreds of tons of ore up such grades can be quite costly, and thus trolley systems have received renewed interest in recent years.
Mining trucks configured to be assisted with electrical power from a trolley line typically include a mechanism known as a pantograph which can be used to reach upwardly and/or outwardly from a mining truck to electrically contact the trolley line, and thus provide electric power for propulsion rather than generating the power on-board the mining truck itself. In conventional practice, an operator visually monitors the proximity of their mining truck to an overhead trolley line, and actuates the pantograph to engage the trolley line at a desired location, then disengages the pantograph from the trolley line at its end. Mining truck operators are already tasked with steering and otherwise controlling what amounts to an extraordinarily large and heavy machine. Accordingly, highly skilled operators having extensive training and experience are often selected for operating mining trucks. Despite such skill and training, operators tend to direct their attention more to avoiding obstacles and collisions than optimally timing the actuation of the pantograph. Moreover, steering a mining truck such that it remains electrically connected with the trolley line can itself be a challenging endeavor. As a result, many mining trucks are operated less often, or more conservatively, on-trolley than they optimally might be. Adding still further to these challenges is the fact that a trolley line may not always be available. Maintenance, repairs, and electrical faults generated where trucks unintentionally steer off or onto a trolley line can require the trolley line to be temporarily de-energized, disrupting smooth and predictable flow of operations at the mine.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,694,125 to Takei et al. is directed to a collector device for trolley-assisted vehicles having a pantograph circuit. The circuit de-energizes a valve controlling pantograph position when a driver leaves the vehicle. In other words, Takei et al. appear to propose disconnecting the pantograph from a trolley line when an operator stops the truck and intends to exit. While preventing electrical shocks to an operator is surely a valid goal, Takei et al. appear to offer no solutions to the challenges of energy consumption, costs, and efficiency at modern mine sites.

Automated pantograph control for mining truck power system


A power supply device for a wire electric discharge machine is provided with a main DC power source and an auxiliary DC power source with variable voltage. While first pulses are being output, a voltage from the main DC power source is applied to a machining gap between a wire electrode and a workpiece. While second pulses are being output with the output of the first pulses stopped, inductive energy stored by an inductance in a circuit is passed through the gap, and a voltage corresponding to a peak current value provided by the main DC power source is applied to the gap by the auxiliary DC power source. When the output of the second pulses is stopped, the inductive energy is returned to the main DC power source.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a power supply device for a wire electric discharge machine capable of suppressing wire electrode consumption.
2. Description of the Related Art
According to a power supply device for a conventional electric discharge machine, machining current is maintained based on a current (electric energy) stored in an inductor the moment a switching element is turned off after the power supply voltage is applied between an electrode and a workpiece when electric discharge is caused. The current stored in the inductor does not have a constant value because of resistance components and arc voltage and is reduced with time. Thereafter, switching is performed to regenerate the current in the inductor to the power supply, thereby quickly stopping current flow to the workpiece.
A technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-48039 uses two dc power sources, a high-voltage main DC power source and a low-voltage auxiliary DC power source. Power supply voltages from these two dc power sources are applied simultaneously, and discharge current is rapidly started by the main DC power source immediately after the start of electric discharge. Thereafter, the voltage application from the main DC power source is stopped, and the discharge current is kept constant based on current from the auxiliary DC power source.
In an electric discharge apparatus, the peak value of electric discharge machining current is proportional to the period of voltage application. High energy should be input to increase the machining speed. The higher the peak, the higher the machining speed is. If the peak is higher, however, then wire electrode consumption will be greater.
According to the prior art technique, the wire electrode consumption and load on a filter are so heavy that the filter life is short. Thus, the filter must be replaced so frequently that the running cost increases. If the peak of pulses of the electric discharge machining current is lowered, the machining speed is inevitably reduced, although the wire electrode consumption can be suppressed.

Power supply device for wire electric discharge machine capable of suppressing wire electrode consumption


A current balancing structure in which an alternating current output is produced by alternately connecting a DC potential to an output voltage bus through the switching action of a paralleled array of semiconductor devices forces equal current to flow through each device. During switching intervals, some semiconductor devices may "turn-on" or "turn-off" faster than others thus possibly forcing any conductive devices to carry a much higher current than when all the devices are conducting. Diodes protect the conductive devices by providing alternative circuit path to a DC reference potential voltage bus when one device becomes non-conductive before another paralleled device.

The present invention relates generally to power system circuits and deals more particularly with a current balancing structure for a number of semiconductor switching devices operating in parallel.
Power converters, for example, in the 100 to 500K W range have generally been implemented through the use of thyristor semiconductor devices such as silicon controlled rectifiers (SCR). Typically the SCR's are arranged in parallel arrays and each individual SCR carries a share of the total current being switched in the power converter circuit thus providing an electrical current capacity beyond that of a single SCR. Although thyristor semiconductor devices provide substantial current handling capabilities and can withstand high voltages, such as those developed during switching in inductive circuits, they have a number of inherent disadvantages which limit power converter circuit design.
Power converter circuits employing SCR's generally require relatively complex commutation circuits to insure that the SCR's "turn-on" and "turn-off" by applying gating signals that are precisely controlled and applied for a sufficient interval to insure the build up of current through the device to a value several times the holding current of the device and accordingly, high frequency operation is limited.
Another problem associated with thyristor semiconductor devices which limits the switching frequency of a power converter circuit design with such devices is the false "turn-on" of the device when the minimum rate of rise of the forward voltage when the device is in the OFF state exceeds the rating of the device falsely causing the device to switch from the OFF state to the ON state.
The advent and availability of high power transistor devices has made it possible to design and build power converters in the 100 to 500K W range. However, the current requirements of such power converter circuits are such that a number of transistors must be operated in parallel each handling a share of the total current. The application of these high power transistor devices are limited by base drive requirements of up to 10% of the rated current and voltage breakdown limitations occuring upon "turn-on" and "turn-off".
Despite the above limitations, there are a number of advantages to utilizing high power transistor devices among which advantages are: the ability to control the switching of the devices without complex commutation circuits since the transistor device "turns-off" upon removal of the base drive, and due to the high speed switching capability, a power converter circuit is able to work at high frequencies in the 10's of Kilohertz (Khz).
Due to the high switching frequency capabilities of the high power transistors, it is now possible to build a power converter circuit using a single three phase bridge in comparison to two or more modules required when such circuits are made using thyristors or gate "turn-off" thyristor devices.
In order for the design of a single three phase bridge power converter system to be cost effective and economical, it is desirable to drive the number of parallel transistors from a single drive source. However, in order for the transistors to be driven from a single source their emitters must generally be connected together and conventional current sharing arrangements such as inserting impedances in series with the transistor cannot be used.
Furthermore, semiconductor devices, including transistors, exhibit a range of nonuniform characteristics even if fabricated from the same batch. Thus, to equalize current distribution between and through each of the parallel transistors requires that the devices be matched and which matching is a cumbersome and expensive process. In addition, it would be necessary to match replacement devices and keep these replacement devices in maintenance stock for any usage in subsequent failures.
It is known to use a current sharing network to balance the current flowing through the parallel semiconductor devices and typically balancing reactors having primary and secondary windings wound around a magnetic core are used in the power converter switching circuitry to ensure current balancing among parallel switching devices. Briefly, the magnetic flux induced in the reactor core due to current flowing in the primary and secondary windings is in opposite directions from one another so that equal currents in the primary and secondary windings cause the resulting magnetic flux produced by these currents to cancel producing zero total flux. When the currents are unequal, a non-zero total magnetic flux is induced in the windings which tends to reduce the higher current in one parallel path while raising the lower current in another parallel path thus tending to equalize the currents in their respective primary and secondary windings of the reactor in each path. Consequently, substantially equal current flows through each of the parallel semiconductor devices even though the voltage drop characteristics may be different. Reference may be made to any number of texts and reference literature known to those skilled in the art for further details of such balancing structures.
Although current balancing is possible and indeed achievable during steady state conditions, attention must be paid to the interval during which the transistors are "turned-on" or "turned-off" in response to control signals applied to the respective transistor gates. Applying the gate control signals simultaneously to all the transistors does not guarantee a simultaneous "turn-on" of all the respective transistors and likewise the removal of the control signals from each of the respective transistor gates does not ensure that the transistors will simultaneously "turn-off". Accordingly, damage or destruction of the transistors may result if the current ratings are exceeded and further if a voltage transient produced due to switching in the inductive circuit exceeds the voltage rating of the transistor devices.
Accordingly, it is a general aim of the present invention to provide a current balancing structure that provides protection for parallel transistor devices from potentially damaging high voltage transients arising during the transistor "turn-on" and "turn-off" times wherein the respective transistors may not simultaneously "turn-on" and "turn-off".
It is a further aim of the present invention to provide a current balancing structure that insures substantially equal current flow in each of the respective parallel transistors.

Current balancing structure for semiconductor switching devices


A cooling apparatus has a cooling vessel, containing a liquid as a thermal medium which absorbs latent heat by evaporation, and an absorber which absorbs the vapor of the liquid. The cooling vessel further contains one or more units of encapsulated gel refrigerant submerged in the liquid, which impede temperature increase of the liquid when an operation of the cooling apparatus is temporarily suspended. An alternative cooling vessel has one or more upwardly extending members partially submerged in the liquid and covered with liquid soaking material, so that the liquid soaks up in the material by capillary action and accelerates its evaporation. Another alternative cooling vessel has plural liquid tanks, one arranged on another, so that the total area for the evaporation of the liquid is multiplied. An additional alternative cooling vessel has a plurality of rotatable fins, partially submerged in the liquid, for accelerating the evaporation of the liquid.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cooling apparatus, particularly a cooling apparatus having an improved cooling vessel. The cooling apparatus is used for an air-conditioning apparatus for automobiles, vessels, or residences, or in cooling apparatus of shipping containers for food products or medical products that require refrigeration.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Prior known cooling apparatuses for air-conditioning or refrigeration include a well-known heat pump system and, more recently, an adsorption system that uses adsorbents such as zeolite.
The prior technology is exemplified by what is described in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application 61-139098, filed Jun. 14, 1986, Laid-Open No. 62-5060, laid-open Jan. 12, 1987, priority being claimed on German Patent Application P3521484.8, filed Jun. 14, 1985.
The present applicant has disclosed in a copending U.S. application Ser. No. 08/066,984 filed May 25, 1993, an improved adsorption-type cooling system.
FIG. 20(a) and FIG. 20(b) illustrate a basic principle of a prior known single-adsorber type adsorption cooling system. In FIG. 20(a), an adsorber 1 is connected with a cooling vessel 2 by a tubular passage 4 having a shutoff valve 3. The adsorber 1 houses adsorbent 1a such as zeolite, and a heat exchange pipe 5 that is in contact with the adsorbent 1a. The cooling vessel 2 contains water as an adsorption medium (adsorbate) which is in thermal contact with a cooling pipe 6. The air which is to be cooled is circulated through the cooling pipe 6. The adsorber 1, the cooling vessel 2 and the tubular passage 4 constitute a closed system which is evacuated of air. A condenser 7 for exchanging heat with the ambient air is provided on the tubular passage 4 near the cooling vessel 2.
With this cooling system, when the valve 3 is opened, the water inside the cooling vessel 2 evaporates into water vapor and flows through the tubular passage 4, in the direction shown by the arrow, into the adsorber 1 to be adsorbed by the adsorbent 1a by its adsorption action. Because of this, when the water in the cooling vessel 2 evaporates, the latent heat is adsorbed in the cooling vessel 2, so that the temperature in the cooling vessel 2 declines so as to cool the air inside the cooling pipe 6. This operation is called an adsorption process.
Next, an explanation will be made on the operation whereby the water adsorbed by the adsorbent 1a is returned to the cooling vessel 2.
Referring to FIG. 20(b), a high temperature gas from an external heat source is provided through the heat exchange pipe 5 to heat the adsorbent 1a and thereby desorb and separate the water adsorbed in it. Then, the separated water in a state of vapor is driven through the tubular passage 4, in the direction shown by the arrow, to the condenser 7, where the water vapor becomes liquid water and is recovered in the cooling vessel 2. This operation is called a desorption process.
The adsorption here means a state where the water molecules are retained among the molecules of the adsorbent. Reversely, in the desorption action, the water molecules are desorbed and separated from the molecules of the adsorbent as the adsorbent is heated.
However, the single-adsorber type adsorption cooling system described above is incapable of continuous cooling because the adsorption process and the desorption process must be done alternately in the same system. With this in mind, a dual-adsorber type adsorption cooling system as shown in FIG. 16 has been proposed.
In FIG. 21, two adsorbers 8, 9 are individually connected to a single cooling vessel 14 by tubes 12, 13, which respectively have shutoff valves 10, 11. The water in the cooling vessel 14 is thermally contacted by a cooling pipe 15 in the same manner as in the case of the single-adsorber type adsorption cooling system described above. Adsorbents 8a, 9a in the adsorbers 8, 9 are also in thermal contact with heat exchange pipes 16, 17, respectively, and condensers 18, 19 are provided on the tubes 12, 13, respectively.
With this cooling system, while the adsorption process is performed at one adsorber, at, for example, the adsorber 8, the desorption process is simultaneously performed at the other adsorber 9. Then, the two adsorbers 8, 9 carry out a switching operation whereby they work in reverse when their respective processes have been completed. Since the adsorber 9 is at high temperature when the desorption operation has been completed, low or ambient temperature air is provided through the heat exchange pipe 17 to cool the adsorbent 9a. Continuous cooling in the cooling vessel 14 is thus made possible by periodically repeating such operation.
(Problems to be Resolved)
With an adsorption type cooling system as described above, when the operation of the cooling system is temporarily suspended the cooling action in the cooling vessel by the evaporation of the water will be stopped. And the temperature of the water in the cooling vessel will rise if the operation is suspended for a while. This will result in an ineffective cooling when the system resumes operation. By increasing the quantity of the water in the cooling vessel, the thermal capacity retained by the cooling vessel will be increased. However, the greater thermal capacity is translated to a longer rise time at the first operation of the cooling apparatus and an increase of its size.
In order to increase the cooling effect, the evaporation rate of the water must also be increased. However, increasing the surface area of the water to obtain an increased rate of evaporation will result in an increase in the size of the cooling vessel.


A vehicle (10) for a driver (14) of the vehicle (10) and a display device (16) are provided. The display device (16) includes a projection surface (18) extending in the horizontal and vertical direction and a projector (20) that is configured so as to project a projection (24) onto the projection surface (18). The projection surface (18) is curved in the horizontal direction and surrounds the driver (14) in the horizontal direction by at least one hundred degrees. A method for displaying a projection (24) on a projection surface (18) for a driver (14) of a vehicle (10) is also provided. The method includes: d) determining a viewing direction and/or head orientation (26) of the driver (14) towards the projection surface (18); and f) projecting the projection (24) onto the projection surface (18) in the viewing direction and/or head orientation (26) of the driver (14).

At present, information is conveyed to drivers of vehicles in the industrial sector, such as logistics or the construction industry, mostly via radio or fixedly mounted displays. This has the disadvantage that the information is not always situated in the field of view of the driver of the vehicle. The information is furthermore also not able to be embedded into a spatial context using fixedly mounted displays or radio.
One possibility for improving this situation is that of using head-up displays (HUDs) on which information is able to be displayed to the driver. Conventional HUDs are placed in the region of the windscreen or windshield, which corresponds to the primary viewing direction of the driver. However, forklift truck drivers and other drivers of vehicles in the industrial sector often have to change direction or travel relatively long distances in reverse due to the particular requirements of their activity. This requires frequent turning of the head in order to be able to take in the surroundings information required to correctly perform the driving manoeuvre and a task linked thereto. Accordingly, information on a conventional HUD is no longer situated in the field of view of the driver during reverse travel.


Disclosure may be to allow a Service Provider (or operator) to intercept SIP messages (e.g., SIP INVITE method, or SIP MESSAGE method) in the path of the IMS signaling link and insert advertising information therein, thereby delivering the advertising information inserted in the SIP messages to one or more end users (i.e., originating end or terminating end, or all of them).

1. Field of the Invention
The disclosure relates to a session based service, and more particularly, to a method, a server and a terminal for providing adverting service within IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) in any SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) based service.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
In general, SIP denotes a signaling protocol which defines a procedure in which terminals desiring to communicate with each other identify and find their locations, and establish or release (or change) multimedia service sessions therebetween. Services based on SIP (i.e., SIP based services) have a request/response structure of controlling generation, modification and termination of multimedia service sessions. Also, the SIP based services provide services by using a SIP Uniform Resource Locator (URL), which is similar to an email address, without regard to IP (Internet Protocol) addresses so as to enable identification of each user.
Internet Protocol (IP) Multimedia Subsystems (IMS) refers to a core network technology related to 'A11 IP' which integrates (unifies) wired and wireless communication environments. The IMS was introduced by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) which develops global specifications of a wireless communication. The IMS adapts an infrastructure for providing IP multimedia service.
An IMS based service aims to compositively provide multimedia data such as voices, audio, video, data and the like based upon the IP protocol, and to construct an infrastructure in which services can rapidly be developed and varied.
An introduction of an A11 IP based network through the IMS is mainly directed to receiving abundant contents and new service capabilities which are provided on top of a packet switch into an integrated network.
A logical structure of the A11 IP network is roughly classified into three layers: a radio network domain, a GPRS based packet switched service domain and an IP multimedia service domain. Explanations will be given for each construction of the A11 IP network as follows.
First, the radio network domain is constituted with a mobile terminal which refers to a service user, a node B managing a connection of the mobile terminal via a wireless interval, and a node such as a Radio Network Controller (RNC) and the like,
The GPRS based packet service domain is constituted with a serving GPRS support node (SGSN) and a gateway GPRS support node (GGSN) for managing a user packet data delivery between a wireless access network domain and an external network or an Instant Message (IM) service domain, managing a mobility of the mobile terminal and providing a PDP content activation service.
In addition, the IMS defines an architecture that enables the use of the SIP/SDP protocol provided by the IETF, thus allowing the management of sessions. That is, the IMS can support an end-to-end multimedia service based upon the SIP.

Method for advertising in IP multimedia subsystem and server and terminal thereof


A heat exchanger having at least one electrical resistance heating element, two conductors connected electrically to the electrical resistance heating element to conduct electric current through the electrical resistance heating element and thereby to heat the electrical resistance heating element, a heat-conducting element for transferring heat from the electrical resistance heating element to a fluid to be heated, an electrical insulating element insulating electrically the two conductors and the at least one electrical resistance heating element, and at least one tube. The two conductors, the electrical insulating element, and the electrical resistance heating element are arranged within a cavity bounded by the tube. The heat exchanger has an adapter plate and a tube opening, each being arranged at an opening of the adapter plate, and the at least one tube being connected fluid-tight to the adapter plate, which is connected fluid-tight to an electronics housing and/or an HVAC system housing.

Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a heat exchanger and to a motor vehicle HVAC system.
Description of the Background Art
Vehicle HVAC systems are used to heat and/or cool air supplied to the interior of a motor vehicle. In vehicle HVAC systems, heat exchangers are used as electrical heating devices to heat the air supplied to the interior. The electrical heating device comprises PTC elements. PTC elements (PTC: Positive Temperature Coefficient) are current-conducting materials that have an electrical resistance and can conduct current better at lower temperatures than at higher temperatures. Their electrical resistance therefore increases with increasing temperature. The PTC element generally is formed of ceramic and is a thermistor. Independent of the boundary conditions, such as, e.g., applied voltage, nominal resistance, or volume of air at the PTC element, a very uniform surface temperature arises at the PTC element. Overheating can be prevented as could occur, e.g., with a heating wire emitting normal heat, because here independent of the boundary conditions approximately the same resistance and thereby a substantially identical electrical heat output are always applied.
The heat exchanger comprises PTC elements, at least two electrical conductors by means of which electric current is conducted through the PTC element, and heat-conducting elements, particularly lamellae or corrugated fins, by means of which the surface for heating air is increased. Motor vehicles are produced increasingly, which have an exclusively electric drive or a hybrid drive. Vehicle HVAC systems for these motor vehicles generally no longer have a heat exchanger for heating air through which cooling fluid flows. The total heat output of the vehicle HVAC system for this reason must be delivered by the electrical heating device or the PTC elements. For this reason, it is also necessary to operate the PTC elements with high voltage, e.g., in the range of 50 to 600 V, instead of low voltage with 12 V. High voltage in a vehicle HVAC system is a safety problem, however, because, for example, if a person comes into contact with parts under high voltage, injuries may be inflicted on his health due to the high voltage.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,327,282 shows a heat exchanger with a PTC heating element. Current is conducted through the PTC heating element by means of contact plates and an insulating layer is arranged at the contact plates. The components are held together by a U-shaped clip.
EP 1 768 458 A1, which corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 7,676,144, discloses a heat-producing element of a heating device for heating air, comprising at least one PTC element and electrical strip conductors that rest against opposite side surfaces of the PTC element, whereby the two electrical strip conductors are surrounded on the outside by an electrically non-conductive insulating layer.


Dual foods pump arrangement that includes a pump manifold, two food pumps, and a rotary valve element removably located within the manifold. The rotary valve element is operated to selectively direct the flow of food product from the two food pumps in alternating fashion through a single manifold outlet. The food pumps are driven by servo actuated cylinders. A tool is provided for lifting the valve element from the manifold that includes a pivotal removal bar that can be attached to a top of the valve element.

Food material pumps using overlapping, alternating plungers that pressurize alternating supplies of food material are known.
Food processors utilize high-speed molding machines, such as FORMAX® MAXUM700®, F-6™, F-12™, F-19™, F-26™, or F-400™ reciprocating mold plate forming machine, available from Formax, Inc. of Mokena, Ill., U.S.A., for supplying patties to the fast food industry. High-speed molding machines are also described for example in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,887,964; 4,372,008; 4,356,595; 4,821,376; 4,996,743, and 7,255,554.
The FORMAX® F-26™ reciprocating mold plate forming machine has enjoyed widespread commercial success for many years. A typical FORMAX® F-26™ molding machine can operate at 90 strokes per minute and produce about 32,400 patties per hour based on the standard width mold plate for the F-26™ which is about 27 inches wide and can include 6 mold cavities.
The FORMAX® F-26™ molding machine is generally described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,887,964; 4,356,595 and 4,996,743. The FORMAX® F-26™ includes a supply system for supplying a moldable food material, such as ground beef, fish, or the like, to the processing mechanisms of the machine. The supply system comprises a large food material storage hopper that opens into the intake of a food pump system. The food pump system includes at least two food pumps that continuously pump food, under pressure, into a manifold connected to a cyclically operable molding mechanism.
In the operation of a FORMAX® F-26™ patty-forming machine, a supply of ground meat or other moldable food material is disposed into the hopper from overhead. The floor of the hopper comprises a conveyor belt for moving the food material longitudinally of the hopper toward the other components of the food material supply system.
At the forward end of the hopper the food material is fed downwardly by the supply system into the intake of the reciprocating pumps constituting the pumping system. The pumps operate in overlapping alteration to each other; at any given time when the machine is in operation at least one of the pumps is forcing food material under pressure into the intake of the manifold.
The manifold comprises a valving system for feeding the food material, still under relatively high pressure, into the molding mechanism. The molding mechanism operates on a cyclic basis, first sliding a multi-cavity mold plate into receiving position over the manifold and then away from the manifold to a discharge position wherein a knock out system removes the molded products from the mold cavity.
The molding mechanism further comprises a knockout system. The knockout system comprises knockout cups, which are affixed to a carrier bar that is removably mounted upon a knockout support member. The knockout cups are coordinated in number and size to the mold cavities in the mold plate; there is one knockout cup aligned with each mold cavity and the mold cavity size is somewhat greater than the size of an individual knockout cup.
Although the FORMAX® F-26™ patty-forming machine includes an integrated overlapping, alternating dual food pumps, the present inventor has recognized the advantages of an improved food pumping system with more flexibility of application that can be incorporated into a food patty molding machine or another food processing machine such as a separator. The present inventor has recognized the need for a pumping system that had a reduced cost of maintenance and a rugged construction.


Methods, devices and systems for moderating and policing voluntarily established transparency regarding past and present, and personal and professional relationships via online networking services. Identity of a person or commercial entity is verified before registration as a user. Each user is permitted a single profile. A profile includes a record of all relationships entered in the profile, some of which may be hidden by user. Each user is capable of linking his profile to profiles of other consenting users. Owner of a profile may flag inaccurate information on other linked profiles. The reliability or value of information in a profile is measured as a function of duration of existence of profile, transparency of the information in the profile, periods of inactivation, and number of times the profile is correctly flagged. A code is generated and used to allow gradual exposing of the profile of a user to his prospective contacts.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates, generally, to computer-based online information registry and exchange, and, more particularly, to moderated online networking services.
2. Description of Related Art
Online dating or Internet dating is a dating system which allows individuals, couples, and groups to make contact and communicate with each other over the Internet, usually with the objective of developing a personal relationship. Online dating services usually provide un-moderated matchmaking over the Internet, through the use of personal computers or cell phones. Online dating services generally require a prospective member to provide criteria about the desired match before the service provider can search the service provider's database for individuals who match the criteria set by the prospective member. The criteria may include age range, gender, and location. As such, searching according to a generic criterion may return a large group of members.
A variation of the online dating model has emerged in the form of introduction sites. Introduction sites differ from the traditional online dating model by introducing members to other members, whom the site deems compatible, thus claiming to eliminate much of the mayhem of traditional online dating.
Finally, professional networking and social networking services allow each user to connect to a list of business associates or friends. Typically, in professional and social networking, the larger the number of associates or friends of each user, the greater the bragging rights of the user. Therefore, these sites also allow each user to view the contacts of the other users, who are linked to the user, in the hopes of enlarging his network.
Online dating is fraught with issues arising from dishonesty. Online predators, pretending to be someone they are not, and bait profiles, set up by the online dating service to attract clients, are two examples of problems associated with online dating services.
A suspect date or contact may be investigated to some degree using the internet as well. Online services also include companies that provide background checks regarding a person of interest. Such services mine the public records for previous names and addresses of the person and other personal data such as the date of birth of the person. These services may also provide the names of parents and siblings of the person being checked.
Both online dating and professional and social networking have real world counterparts. A person may meet a potential mate or be introduced to her at a party or elsewhere in the brick and mortar world and a professional may form a potentially productive association with another professional at a trade show or a conference. The real world counterpart of online background check services is asking a common friend or acquaintance about the person he has just met.

Computer based methods and systems for establishing trust between two or more parties


In a method of identifying a passive electromagnetic signal emitted from an underground utility, a portable above-ground antenna is disposed at a location at which the passive electromagnetic signal is expected. Measurement signals are received from the antenna corresponding to electromagnetic signals received by the antenna. The measurement signals are measured at a plurality of different frequency bands within a measurement frequency range expected to include a frequency of the passive electromagnetic signal, and at least one of the plurality of frequency bands is selected based on a predetermined criteria applied to the measurements.

Underground utility lines may emit passive electromagnetic signals for various reasons. An electric utility, for example, carries its own electric signal at 50-60 Hz. Other utility lines emit electromagnetic fields within a frequency range of 13 to 22 kHz responsively to ambient fields that induce signals on the utility. Gas providers typically place 100-120 Hz signals on gas lines to provide cathodic protection against corrosion. CATV lines typically carry signals at about 31 kHz. As used herein, any electromagnetic field emitted by a utility line, whether generated by signals carried directly by the utility or by signals induced on the utility by signals ambient to the utility, where the signal is not applied by a cable location system for the purpose of locating the cable, is considered a "passive" signal.
It is known to provide an above-ground portable locator having an antenna tuned to receive signals within a desired frequency range for locating the underground utility. Typically, the operator has a general idea of the underground utility's location. If so, the operator carries the locator so that the antenna is parallel to the ground and perpendicular to the expected line of the utility and walks generally perpendicular to the expected line. The operator views a signal intensity display on the locator and finds the position at which a peak signal appears. At that point, the above-ground position may be marked and a depth reading taken. Where the operator does not know the utility's general location, he may find the utility by walking in a grid pattern while carrying the locator so that the antenna is parallel to the ground. The operator first walks in parallel lines over the area. If he does not find a peak value, he may be carrying the antenna parallel to the utility. Since underground lines emit a generally cylindrical magnetic field, the magnetic flux lines are perpendicular to the coil antenna's axis in this orientation and do not induce a significant signal in the antenna. Thus, the operator then turns 90° and walks in parallel paths over the same area. In such a pattern, the antenna is more likely to be perpendicular to the utility and therefore more likely to detect a peak signal. Of course, the operator may not be exactly parallel or exactly perpendicular to the utility in either direction. By using the grid pattern, however, the operator should be able to cross over the utility with the antenna at such an angle that a peak can de detected. At such a point, the operator may rotate the locator about a vertical axis until the antenna is perpendicular to the utility and a maximum signal is measured. Thus, the locator's orientation notifies the operator of the utility's direction. An example of a system capable of locating existing underground utility lines carrying active or passive signals is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,102,136, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein.
FIG. 1 schematically illustrates components of a portable above-ground locator 10 used to detect passive signals within a frequency range of 13 to 22 kHz resulting from ambient radio frequency signals. A coil antenna 12 receives electromagnetic signals emitted by the utility line, generates a signal responsively thereto and outputs the signal to an amplifier 14 and a pair of bandpass filters 16 and 18. Filter 16 has a bandpass range of 13 to 17 kHz, while filter 18 passes a range of 18 to 22 kHz. Two bandpass filters are used, as opposed to a single filter of larger bandwidth, to improve the signal-to-noise ratio. A multiplexer 20 selects the output of either of the two filters, depending on instructions received from a CPU 22 controlled by the operator through a keyboard at the locator display. Multiplexer 20 directs the signal from the selected filter to an analog-to-digital converter 24, and the resulting digital signal passes to CPU 22. The locator includes a display 26 that indicates the strength of the signal detected by antenna 12 so that the operator may locate a signal peak and, therefore, a point above the underground utility.
The locator may also be used to locate signals in other frequency ranges. Generally, the locator includes low pass and bandpass filters, which are configured to pass the respectively desired frequency ranges, in parallel with filters 16 and 18. The CPU selects the filter for a desired frequency range through a multiplexer.
In one known locator, three antennas are used to determine location and depth of underground utilities. A locator housing (not shown) includes three parallel horizontally-aligned antennas (not shown). The bottom antenna (hereafter "C1") is disposed in the housing so that it is parallel to the ground when the operator carries the locator during operation. The second antenna (hereafter "C2") is directly above the first antenna and, being parallel to antenna C1, is also parallel to the ground. The third parallel antenna (hereafter "C3") is directly above antenna C2 in the housing a distance equal to the distance between antennas C1 and C2. The distance between C1 and C3 is referred to herein as "d." The three antennas are connected to amplifier 14 through a multiplexer (not shown) controlled by the CPU.
In operation, the CPU repeatedly samples the signals on the three antennas and relies on the difference in signal strength between C1 and C3 (C1−C3=E1) and between C2 and C3 (C2−C3=E2) to locate an underground utility and determine its depth. In locating an underground utility, the CPU monitors and displays the value of E1, and the operator finds a point above the utility by finding the peak value of E1 in a manner as described above. Once finding such a position, the operator activates a button on the locator to determine the utility's depth, which the CPU calculates according to the function: depth=(d)(E2)/(E1−(2(E2))).

System and method for locating underground utilities carrying passive signals


The invention discloses a system for network deployment and a method for mapping and data forwarding thereof. The system for network deployment comprises Distributed Hash Table (DHT) servers and DHT border servers, wherein at least one DHT border server and one DHT server are connected to form a server ring which constitutes a distributed mapping database used for storing a mapping relationship between Endpoint Identifiers (EIDs) and Routing Locators (RLOCs), and the server rings are connected with each other through the DHT border servers, wherein the DHT border server is configured to notify the EID prefix information in a present server ring to other server rings and monitor the DHT messages of the distributed mapping database. By the present invention, the network deployment and cross-domain data forwarding based on the DHT are achieved.

With the development of science and technology, information has become a great driving force to promote social development, and the information networks play a more and more important role in the each nation's economic and social development. However, facing the growing business needs and technical innovations, the scalability problem in the routing and address structure aspect is increasingly highlighted in the existing network: the continuous increase of network users and the development of new network technologies (such as multi-cavity technology, traffic engineering, policy routing, Virtual Private Network (VPN) and the like) cause that the scale of routing tables in a No-Default Routing Area (DFZ) is continuously increased, which has exceeded the increase of forwarding information speed of the existing router. Aiming at the problem, a new protocol, Locator Identifier Separation Protocol (LISP), is disclosed in the conventional art.
The LISP divides Internet Protocol (IP) addresses into Endpoint Identifiers (EIDs) and Routing Locators (RLOCs), wherein the EID is used to identify a host device; the RLOC is used for the routing addressing and the data packet forwarding. The LISP is a map-encapsulation scheme, which adopts an "IP-IN-IP" method to implement the encapsulation and additionally encapsulates a layer of IP packet header outside the common IP packets. The source IP address field and the destination IP address field of an inner IP header are represented by a source EID and a destination EID respectively, and the source IP address field and the destination IP address field of an outer IP header are represented by a source RLOC and a destination RLOC respectively. The packets only need to be implemented with routing addressing and forwarding according to the destination RLOC of the outer IP packet header during the network transfer process, and the inner IP packet header keeps unchanged during the transfer process. FIG. 1 illustrates a data forwarding process of LISP, wherein the border router is called as a Tunnel Router (TR), the communication initiator is called as an Ingress Tunnel Router (ITR), and the receiving party is called as an Egress Tunnel Router (ETR). When a host in the border of the ITR router initiates a communication, the source address and the destination address are all the IP addresses (EIDs) of the terminal host. The ITR searches the RLOC address of the ETR router corresponding to the obtained destination EID when receiving the information, and encapsulates the original packets in the tunnel packets, wherein the source address and destination address in the tunnel packet header are the RLOC of the ITR and the RLOC of the ETR. After the packets arrive at the ETR, the ETR decapsulates the outer tunnel packet header, and forwards the decapsulated packets to a destination host in a local station site according to the destination EID.
For the control plane, a method for establishing EID-to-RLOC mapping based on Distributed Hash Table (DHT) is provided in the conventional art. However, how to implement the network deployment, and in particular the cross-domain data forwarding, which is no corresponding solution temporarily.

System for network deployment and method for mapping and data forwarding thereof


The invention is directed toward a trial golf club head and method for determining the optimal loft angle for any golf club, and in particular a hybrid-type golf club. The invention includes a trial golf club head having a face portion, a leading edge portion, a toe portion, a heel portion, a back portion having a trailing edge portion, and a sole portion. The sole portion contains a number of equally spaced graduated indicia, which are substantially parallel to one another and extend from the toe portion to the heel portion. The distance between the graduated indicia is approximately 3.75 centimeters (cm), which corresponds to an incremental loft angle of approximately 3 degrees. The sole portion has a radius of curvature of 71.67 mm, which extends from the leading edge of the face portion to the trailing edge of the back portion.

Purchasing a new set of golf clubs is a major investment for many golfers. Therefore, any golfer who is about to invest in purchasing a new set of clubs typically takes the extra step to insure that their new golf clubs are custom fit rather than purchasing "off-the shelf golf clubs." "Off-the-shelf" golf clubs are one-size-fits-all, designed for a "typical" golfer. Normally an "average golfer" refers to someone who is approximately 5-foot-9 or 5-10 and hits a 5- or 6-iron about 160 yards. However, every golfer has a different body shape, and a different golf swing. A golfer might get lucky with an off-the-shelf set, but many golfers will find that such a set is ill-suited for their particular body and/or swing. As a result many golfers are opting for custom fitting session to insure that they are receiving the greatest payback for their new investment.
A typical club fitting session begins with a static fitting. That is, various measurements of the golfer, such as the golfer's height, the distance between the golfer's fingertip and floor, the golfer's hand size, and the like are measured and recorded. Using these measurements, the club fitter can determine a set of specifications for a custom fit golf club, as a starting point. Once the static fitting is complete, the club fitting session moves to a dynamic fitting, in which the golfer hits numerous balls so that the ball flight can be observed and the specifications of the custom-fit golf club can be refined. Typically, the golfer will hit many variations of the same club. For instance, a well-equipped fitting center might have dozens of a particular club, say a 6-iron. Each of the 6-irons will be different from the next in some way, such as lie angle, shaft flex, shaft length, and the like. The main purpose is to find the best combination of shaft, lie, grip, and swing weight that produces the best ball flight for that particular golfer.
During the dynamic fitting process, one specification that is checked and refined is the lie angle of the golf club. To determine the proper lie angle, the golfer is asked to hit several balls of a hard surface, such as a lie board. By making contact with the lie board, an impact mark will be left on the sole of the golf club, which helps determine the proper lie angle. For example, if the impact mark is near the center of the sole as measured from the heel to the toe, the lie angle is correct for that particular golfer. However, if the impact mark is toward the toe of the golf club, this indicates that the lie angle is too flat for the particular golfer. Similarly, if the impact mark is toward the heel of the golf club, the lie angle is too upright for the particular golfer. By observing where the impact marks on the sole of the golf club occur, the club fitter can determine the optimal lie angle of the golf club for that golfer.
However, determining the proper lie angle required that the club fitter make an intelligent guess as to how far the impact mark was from the center of the sole of the golf club and therefore the approximate lie angle. Once the approximate lie angle is determined, the golfer must hit several more balls with a golf club with a modified lie angle. This process is repeated until the proper lie angle is determined. To reduce the "guesswork" of the club fitter for selecting the proper lie angle, trial golf clubs used for club fitting may contain graduated markings along the sole that run perpendicular to the face of the golf club. Each graduated marking corresponds to a particular incremental change in the lie angle referenced from the center of the sole. Therefore, the club fitter can easily tell the proper lie angle for a particular golfer by observing at which graduated mark the impact mark appears, thereby eliminating any guesswork from determining the proper lie angle.
Another specification that is refined during the dynamic club fitting session is the loft angle of the golf club. Normally, this characteristic is determined using subjective criteria. In a typically club fitting session, the golfer will hit several shots with a golf club having a known loft angle. The club fitter observes the flight path of the golf ball and determines whether in his or her judgment, the flight of the ball is too high or too low. If the club fitter believes that the ball flight is too high, he or she will have the golfer hit several more shots with a golf club that has a stronger (less) loft. Conversely, if the club fitter believes that the ball flight is too low, he or she will have the golfer hit several more shots with a golf club that has a weaker (more) loft. This process continues until, in the view of the club fitter, that the golfer has achieved the proper ball flight.
Unfortunately, this approach to determining the proper loft angle for a particular golfer is subjective, inaccurate, and can lead to wide variances in the recommended loft angle based on the perception of the particular club fitting professional. One method to solve these problems is to use a launch monitor system. This system includes a device that is placed relatively close to the ball and measures the angle at which the ball leaves the face of the golf club, known as the launch angle, the initial velocity, and spin rate of the golf ball. The device then calculates the flight path of the golf ball and the total distance that the ball will carry. The system can also calculate the optimal golf ball trajectory based on the initial velocity and spin rate for a particular golfer. Although these devices are accurate, they typically require external hardware, such as a laptop computer running proprietary software to calculate the optimal loft angle. Thus, these launch monitor systems tend to be bulky and expensive which makes them difficult to transport and greatly increases the cost of the club fitting session. Additionally, due to the cost and complexity of the system, they are usually only used for determining the optimal loft angle for a driver.
Therefore, there is a continuing need for a simple and accurate method to determine the optimal loft angle for any golf club. In particular, there is a need for a trial golf club that is easily transported and cost efficient to for use with a custom club fitting system to determine the optimal loft angle for any golf club.

Trial golf club for measuring loft angle and methods for using the same


A coupling arrangement is made vibration-proof based on mating male and female spline members. The male spline member is incorporated into the outside diameter of a shaft, while the female spline member is incorporated into the bore of a coupling hub. The spline shaft is received in the spline bore. The coupling hub includes two perpendicular cuts through the splined portion thereof, to permit selected radially-inward compression of such portion for shrink fitting thereof onto the spline shaft. The outside diameter of such coupling hub splined portion is also adapted for receiving a clamping collar, which may be tightened to compress the hub and effect a tight fit with the splined shaft, thereby facilitating the application of effective clamping force, while eliminating all play and fretting corrosion between the shaft and coupling hub.

The present invention generally concerns an improved coupling arrangement, and in particular concerns a vibration-proof splined coupling arrangement incorporating a clamping collar.
A most common need in drive applications is an effective coupling arrangement between the drive or power source (such as the output shaft of an electric motor), and the load to be driven (such as a gear reducer unit, conveyor belt, sprocket, or the like). In many instances, it is highly desirable, if not altogether an absolute requirement, that the load to be driven be removably engaged (i.e., separable) from the drive power unit. In other words, for maintenance, redesign, or other purposes, it is necessary or desirable to be able to de-couple the motor or other drive source from its load. Once de-coupled, it is also often desirable to effect whatever repairs, redesign, or reconfiguration desired in a minimum amount of time, to prevent extraordinary loss of output or production from the driven load, which may be part of a commercial process or the like.
Numerous different coupling arrangements are well known to those of ordinary skill in the art. For example, one approach is to make use of tapered bores mated with tapered bushings or the like, which results in an interference fit. Typically, in such arrangements one member may be extracted from the other through the use of jacking screws. Though widely and successfully practiced for numerous applications, existing field equipment and parts in some instances are simply not designed for use of tapered/interference-fit technology without total replacement or reworking of such existing parts.
Another approach totally separate from the interference-fit technologies involves use of matable splined shaft and splined bore members. In such cases, since an interference fit is not intended, several thousandths of an inch (0.001") clearance or the like is preferably provided, to permit ready alternate introduction and removal of the splined members, one to another.
Such splined technology, like the tapered/interference-fit technology, is generally widely used for various applications, and has experienced considerable success. On the other hand, the present invention recognizes and addresses a particular instance in which highly undesirable and destructive fretting corrosion occurs between the splined members, even to the point of resulting in a coupling failure, a worst case scenario.
Frequently, in particular coupling arrangements, the male splined member will be formed as a shaft, which in turn is integrally operatively incorporated into a commercial process. Obviously, certain commercial processes are more cost sensitive to downtime than others; but, in any event, it is highly desirable to minimize downtime. If there is a coupling failure due to fretting corrosion which can be avoided by an improved design, then perhaps an expensive input shaft will not need frequent replacing. On the other hand, if a drive motor or other component fails, necessitating separation of the drive motor from the load, the presence of fretting corrosion can render difficult, if not impossible, such separation. Such separation problems can result in even greater downtime than if the entire shaft were being replaced, such as in the first instance mentioned above.
Due to the relatively minute amount of clearance typically between splined members, the amount of play between such coupling members is likewise very minute. Thus, in an overwhelming number of applications, such splined coupling technology performs in a totally adequate manner, during both driven, coupling operations, and de-coupling operations. However, the present invention recognizes and addresses that certain types of loading conditions can nonetheless result in fretting corrosion to splined couplings. In some instances, the entire spline supported on the shaft can be eaten away by the iron oxide or red rusty powder which forms from such fretting corrosion.
The foregoing corrosion problems have been noted particularly in applications involving repetitive cycling of a system under one or more of heavy reversing conditions, frequent start/stop conditions, or other rapidly-alternating accelerating/decelerating loading conditions. In such instances, which typically comprise a very small percentage of most commercial uses, the present invention recognizes that the very small amount of play between conventional male and female splined coupling members ultimately results in the above-mentioned fretting corrosion.
Various solutions to eliminating such small amounts of play and backlash have been attempted. In one such instance, a set screw radially situated through the circumference of the female splined member is brought into contact with the male splined member. Not only does such an arrangement result in pitting and other damage to the splining of the male member, it nonetheless ultimately shakes loose under the above-mentioned heavy-duty, repetitive-cycling loading conditions.
In one variation to such set screw arrangement, the Lovejoy Coupling Company of Downers Grove, Ill. 60515, provides a splined shaft clamping hub known as the "Centaloc". Such technique involves use of a slot situated slightly above and parallel to the spline bore. One or two set screws are fitted perpendicularly into such slot. During torquing of the set screws, the spline shaft is not touched by the set screws, but instead is supposedly "wrapped" with a clamping force, which can be subsequently removed by loosening the set screw or screws. One particular problem with such design is that is has been found that providing adequate clamping force for clamping the spline shaft can result in literal breakage of the wrench used to torque the set screw(s). Even if the wrench does not break, it is difficult to achieve the necessary clamping force, or to know when such adequate force is effected.
For some users, the only available in-field expedient solution to the above-discussed problems has been to use "Loctite" or similar metallic glue products to bind the two splined members together. While such "brute force" technique obviously eliminates fretting corrosion by eliminating all play between the splined coupling members, it also just as obviously eliminates any possibility of subsequently separating such coupling members without damage thereto, and hence is clearly not a general, long-term practical solution to the above-mentioned problems.
As mentioned above, tapered/interference-fit technology may be one effective solution to the noted technical problems, but can be cost prohibitive to implement (i.e., retrofit) once a splined technology system is in place.


A method of controlling a multi-core processor includes allocating at least one core of the multi-core processor to at least one process for execution; generating a translation table with respect to the at least one process to translate a logical ID of the at least one core allocated to the at least one process to a physical ID; and controlling the at least one process based on the translation table generated with respect to the at least one process.

1. Field
The following description relates to multi-core processors and methods of controlling the same.
2. Description of Related Art
A multi-core is a package including two or more independent cores combined into a single integrated circuit. A core in a multi-core processor is a semiconductor circuit part which, generally, does not include a shared cache memory in the core part of a circuit of a processor. However, a cache memory for exclusive use of the core (and not for sharing with other elements) is commonly included in the core. Simultaneous Multi-Threading (SMT) is a technique which is similar to that used by the multi-core for process management. However, SMT differs in a number of way from the multi-core's technique. For example, SMT practically has heretofore only ever been used internally, within a single core, as it not adapted to synergistic orchestration of processing amongst a series of interconnected cores. To reduce power consumption and heat generation, an operation voltage or a clock speed of each core of the multi-core processor is independently controlled and an operation state including an idle state is controlled in some multi-core products. Therefore, various attempts have been conducted to obtain a method of allocating and re-allocating cores of a multi-core for optimizing process performance.

Multi-core processor and method of controlling the same using revisable translation tables


A method for analyzing traffic in a system (100) having a plurality of nodes (110, 120, 130) is provided. The method includes forecasting a total amount of traffic transmitted to and from each of the plurality of nodes (110, 120, 130) based on observed traffic statistics and an estimated growth. The method also includes generating a traffic matrix using the observed traffic statistics and the forecasted traffic associated with each of the plurality of nodes (110, 120, 130). The method may also include using the traffic matrix to determine projected traffic between each of the plurality of nodes (110, 120, 130).

The present invention relates generally to networks and, more particularly, to forecasting traffic flows on a network.
Spurred by technological advances, the telecommunications industry has experienced tremendous growth over the last decade. This is especially true of networks that carry packetized data, such as those networks that make up the Internet. Within the Internet sector, various Internet Service Providers (ISPs) have reported a yearly quadrupling of traffic. As a result, the traffic on networks is rapidly exceeding system capacity. Network planners, therefore, are constantly faced with the issue of whether the network has adequate capacity to support future traffic requirements.
Traffic forecasts are a particularly important component of the capacity planning and budget modeling functions performed by network planners. Given a particular network topology, a network planner uses a traffic forecast to evaluate anticipated circuit utilizations. These circuit utilizations may then be translated into circuit requirements. The network planner may also use a traffic forecast to evaluate various topologies and establish a network build-out plan according to this evaluation.
In general, a network planner is provided with traffic growth estimates. These growth estimates are then combined with actual collected traffic flow statistics to assemble a predictive traffic model.
Typically, the most time-consuming part of the capacity planning and budgeting process is the construction of a traffic matrix that represents the traffic forecasts. Most ISPs serve millions of sources and destinations of traffic, known as hosts. Consequently, a traffic matrix that captures enough information to be meaningful in a network planning context may be very large.
One drawback with conventional traffic forecasting methodology is that the mechanics involved in creating the traffic matrices are not systematic. As a result, the generated circuit utilization data is often unreliable.
Therefore, a need exists for a system and method that provide a systematic approach to traffic forecasting.
Systems and methods consistent with the present invention address this and other needs by combining observed traffic statistics and projected traffic data in a systematic manner to generate a traffic matrix. The traffic matrix may then be manipulated to generate expected flows to/from each of the nodes in a network.
In accordance with the purpose of the invention as embodied and broadly described herein, a method for analyzing traffic in a network having a plurality of nodes is provided. The method includes forecasting traffic transmitted to and from each of the plurality of nodes based on observed traffic statistics and an estimated growth. The method also includes generating a traffic matrix using the observed traffic statistics and the forecasted traffic associated with each of the plurality of nodes and determining projected traffic between each of the plurality of nodes using the generated traffic matrix.
In another aspect of the present invention, a system for analyzing traffic in a network comprising a plurality of nodes includes a memory configured to store observed traffic statistics. The system also includes a processor configured to forecast traffic transmitted to and from each of the plurality of nodes based on observed traffic statistics and an estimated growth. The processor is also configured to generate a traffic matrix using the observed traffic statistics and the forecasted amount of traffic associated with each of the plurality of nodes and determine projected traffic between each of the plurality of nodes using the generated traffic matrix.

Systems and methods for analyzing network traffic


An antitumor agent, which is a combination of an oxidoreductase, such as xanthine oxidase chemically conjugated to a polymer such as poly ethylene glycol, for initial administration and accumulation in the tumor tissue followed by administration and of a substrate for the oxidoreductase which releases reactive oxygen species. Improved tumor selective cytotoxic activity results.

(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a group of antitumor agents which by themselves are not toxic and exhibit an improved tumor selective cytotoxic action due to their preferential accumulation in tumor tissue only after subsequent administration of nontoxic substrate components, and a method for treating cancer by administration of these antitumor agents.
More specifically, it relates to the use of non-toxic antitumor agents consisting oxidoreductases, such as xanthine oxidase, which are chemically conjugated with polymers, and time lapse injection of the enyme's substrates, such as hypoxanthine or xanthine.
(b) Description of the Prior Art
Several antitumor agents such as mitomycin and doxorubicin have been found to exhibit their antitumor effect based on their capability of generating reactive oxygen molecular species. An earlier work by R. Bray and his co-workers (Nature, vol. 182, p. 1144-1146, 1958) and more recently T. Yoshikawa and his co-workers (Cancer Res., vol. 55: p. 1617-1620, 1995) reported that the antitumor activity of xanthine oxidase (hereinafter referred to as "XO") is achieved probably via the generation of reactive oxygen molecular species. However, a more critical reevaluation of the antitumor effect of native XO by R. Bray and J. C. Swann showed that the effect was insignificant (Structure and Bonding, vol. 11, p. 107-144, 1972, published by Elsevior, a note added in footnote of page 112). This was also confirmed again by the present inventors.
Reactive oxygen molecular species generated from those antitumor drugs exhibit an antitumor effect based on their highly cytotoxic nature. However systemic distribution of those drugs causes undesirable side effects (J. Clin. Invest., vol. 98, p. 1253-1260, 1996). For instance, native XO readily binds to blood vessels after the administration into blood due to its high binding affinity to vascular endothelial cells (Biochem. J., vol. 289, 523-527, 1993). The binding of XO to blood vessels is expected to cause serious side effects such as: i) The superoxide anion radical generated from XO would oxidatively damage blood vessels; ii) The reaction between the superoxide and endogenously formed nitric oxide leads to dilatation of the blood vessels and lowers the blood pressure or thus regulates the blood pressure (Pharmacol. Rev., vol. 43, p. 109-142, 1991), which would cause hypertension due to lowered level of nitric oxide in the blood vessels (Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, vol. 88, p. 10045-10048, 1991), iii) The reaction product of superoxide and nitric oxide, namely the peroxynitrite (ONOO—) further oxidatively damages the blood vessels. Therefore it is not advisable to employ native XO for clinical use. In addition, endogenous anti-XO antibody (Brit. J. Biomed. Sci., vol. 51, 124-127, 1994) may reduce the activity of XO after intravenous injection.
To enhance the drug efficacy while reducing the systemic side effects, it is necessary to deliver this antitumor enzyme selectively to the tumor tissue. The inventors previously found that macromolecular drugs and lipids preferentially accumulate in the tumor tissue compared with other normal organs, and furthermore they are retained in the tumor tissue for a longer period. This phenomenon is called the EPR effect (enhanced permeability and retention effect), Cancer Res., vol. 46, p. 638-792, (1986). The enhanced therapeutic efficacy and the reduction of side effects could be achieved by increasing the molecular weight of the antitumor agent (J. Controlled Rel., vol 19, p. 315-324, 1992).
The object of the present invention is to provide a group of antitumor agents which exhibit an improved tumor selective accumulation and therefore an improved tumor selective cytotoxicity.
This object is met by the present invention according to which an antitumor effect is generated by a combination of an oxidoreductase, which is chemically conjugated with biocompatible polymer, and a substrate for the oxidoreductase.
The antitumor agent according to the present invention is a combination of an active enzyme component (A) and of its substrate (B). The active enzyme component (A) is an oxidoreductase, which is chemically conjugated with a polymer. Upon administration of (A) and later on administration of (B), an active molecular species (C), such as a peroxide, is formed.
The active enzyme component (A), by its polymer conjugation, possesses a tumor targeting property. Namely, the antitumor agent exhibits a selective accumulation in tumor tissue and exerts an antitumor action if a known substrate (B) for the active enzyme component (A) is injected thereafter. Due to the enzyme reaction, an active free radical components (C) (O2.— and H2O2 are formed. Both xanthine oxidase conjugated with poly(ethylene glycol) (A) and its substrate (B) show no toxicity by themselves. The potent antitumor activity is only apparent when substrate (B) is separately administered later. By doing so, less systemic toxicity is seen while exhibiting a remarkable antitumor activity. Thus the present invention offers great benefit.


A nitride semiconductor light-emitting device includes an n type nitride semiconductor layer, a light-emitting layer formed on the n type nitride semiconductor layer, a first p type nitride semiconductor layer formed on the light-emitting layer, an intermediate layer formed on the first p type nitride semiconductor layer to alternately cover and expose a surface of the first p type nitride semiconductor layer, and a second p type nitride semiconductor layer formed on the intermediate layer. The intermediate layer is made of a compound containing Si and N as constituent elements.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a nitride semiconductor light-emitting device.
2. Description of the Background Art
Nitride semiconductors are very useful as a light-emitting device such as a light-emitting diode (LED) or a laser diode (LD) owing to their property of emitting light over a wide range that covers the entire region of visible light as well as the ultraviolet region. A nitride semiconductor light-emitting device mainly includes an n side electrode, an n type nitride semiconductor layer, a light-emitting layer, a p type nitride semiconductor layer, and a p side electrode.
One problem with a nitride semiconductor light-emitting device is that it is difficult to obtain a p type nitride semiconductor layer of high carrier concentration because activation energy of a p type dopant is high. Contact resistance between the p type nitride semiconductor layer and the p side electrode formed of metal, a translucent conductive layer or the like thus increases, resulting in a higher operating voltage of the nitride semiconductor light-emitting device.
Methods for solving this problem have conventionally been proposed. For the p type nitride semiconductor layer, it has been proposed to use p type InGaN that can be formed to have high carrier concentration as a layer in contact with the p side electrode, or to increase Mg concentration. For the p side electrode, it has been proposed to select a metal of high work function such as Pd or Ni when metal is used, or to devise annealing conditions after forming a translucent conductive layer when a translucent conductive layer is used.
Another problem with a nitride semiconductor light-emitting device is that in a light-emitting diode including a p type nitride semiconductor layer and a translucent conductive layer in contact with each other, total reflection may occur at a contact interface between them because a nitride semiconductor layer has a high refractive index of about 2.5, for example. This results in lower luminous efficiency.
In order to solve this problem, Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2005-277374 proposes a method of forming a concave-convex surface of a p type nitride semiconductor layer, which causes scattering and diffraction to reduce the amount of total reflection, thereby improving light extraction efficiency.

Nitride semiconductor light-emitting device