Described are a system and method of migrating data stored in logical units of storage (LUNs) at a plurality of source arrays into one destination storage array transparently with respect to a host communicating with the source storage arrays through a switch. During a data migration event, data stored in a LUN of a first source storage array are copied to a first corresponding LUN of the destination storage array and data stored in a LUN of a second source storage array are copied to a second corresponding LUN of the destination storage array.

Today's enterprise data centers store ever-larger amounts of business critical data that must be immediately and continuously available, and highly reliable. Information technologists, storage managers, and administrators of storage systems take many precautions to protect against the effects of failures in order to avoid downtime. Occasionally, however, a particular storage system, such as a storage array, requires upgrading or replacement.
To replace a current storage array with a new storage array, all data and connections on the current storage array must be migrated to the new array. The storage system then requires re-initialization. In addition, the host systems previously communicating with the replaced storage array require reconfiguration. This re-initialization and reconfiguration requires some downtime to complete; consequently, host applications lose access during this period to the storage array, and potentially to some critical information. For many business systems running critical applications, this interruption is unacceptable.
There is a need, therefore, for systems and methods of upgrading or replacing storage arrays transparently with respect to host systems communicating with the storage arrays, management applications managing these arrays, and host applications providing particular storage functionality at these arrays.

Consolidating N-storage arrays into one storage array using full array non-disruptive data migration


A method and an apparatus for measuring and testing an electric characteristic of a semiconductor device in a non-contact fashion by using an electron beam to induce a voltage on the semiconductor device. By examination of changes with a lapse of time of the induced voltage, the electric characteristics of the semiconductor device are determined.

1. Applied Field in Industry
This invention relates to a testing method for semiconductor elements and a testing apparatus therefor, and more particularly, to a testing method and a testing apparatus for testing respective elements without contact with the semiconductor substrate.
2. Prior Art
For improving the reliability of semiconductor devices, it is very important to conduct characteristics test of respective semiconductor elements. In the prior art, a dedicated monitor element for conducting this test was prepared to allow a measurement probe to be mechanically in contact with the respective terminals of this monitor element to apply voltages thereto to measure output signals, thereby conducting a test.
(Problems that the Invention Intends to Solve)
However, the conventional testing method has the following problems.
(1) Because it is necessary to allow the metallic probe to be mechanically in contact with the terminals, there is the possibility that breakdown and/or damage due to contact may occur.
(2) Since it is necessary to form a terminal having a dimension sufficient to allow the probe to be in contact therewith (ordinarily, in the order of 60.times.60 .mu.m) on the semiconductor substrate, the provision of such a terminal becomes an obstacle to integration.
(3) Until the process for manufacturing terminals for allowing the probe to be in contact therewith is completed, tests cannot be carried out.

Method of testing semiconductor elements and apparatus for testing the same


A watercraft propelled by an outboard motor includes an inspection system. The inspection system includes a terminal computer that conducts an inspection of an engine control device and a control unit. The computer includes a program that performs an inspection process that provides the control device with a command signal to start an inspection of the control device and that requests the control device to output a first response signal. The process determines whether the response signal is consistent with a first specified signal. The process provides the control unit with a command signal to start an inspection of the control unit and requests the control unit to output a second response signal. The process determines whether the second response signal is consistent with a second specified signal. The control device controls a throttle actuator and a shift actuator based upon the second response signal and provides the inspection system with an operating signal. The process determines whether the operating signal is consistent with the second specified signal. The computer includes an indicator panel or other display device to show the results of the determinations made by the inspection process.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an inspection system for a watercraft, and more particularly relates to an inspection system for a watercraft propelled by an outboard drive (e.g., an outboard motor).
2. Description of Related Art
Many small to medium-sized watercraft, such as pleasure boats and fishing boats, employ outboard drives such as outboard motors. An outboard motor for a watercraft typically incorporates an internal combustion engine placed at the top of the outboard motor structure. The engine is coupled to a propeller or other propulsion device, which is disposed in a submerged position when the watercraft is floating on a body of water. The engine powers the propeller to propel the watercraft.
The engine advantageously includes an engine output control device, such as, for example, a throttle device, which is controlled to change the output (e.g., the speed or the torque) of the engine. For example, in many engines, the throttle device includes a throttle valve located in an air induction system. In such engines, the position of the throttle valve is changed responsive to a control input from an operator to regulate an amount of air delivered by the air induction system to a combustion chamber of the engine. In an engine having another type of output control device, the control input from the operator changes another parameter of the engine to change the output of the engine. For example, the engine output may advantageously be controlled by controlling fuel flow to the engine, by controlling ignition timing of the engine, by controlling valve timing or opening, or by controlling a combination of parameters.
In many typical engines, the propeller is coupled to the engine via a transmission. The transmission incorporates a shifting mechanism to change the coupling of the propeller to the engine to provide forward, reverse and neutral operation of the propeller. For example, for forward motion of the watercraft, the propeller is coupled to the engine such that the propeller rotates in a first direction when the engine is operating. When the shifting mechanism is shifted to reverse to cause backward (i.e., reverse) motion of the watercraft, the propeller is coupled to the engine to rotate in a second direction opposite the first direction. When the shifting mechanism is shifted to a neutral position, the propeller does not rotate although the engine may continue to operate. In addition to the forward, neutral and reverse positions, the shifting mechanism may also include positions that control coupling ratios between the engine and the propeller.
The watercraft is advantageously provided with a control unit disposed remotely in a cockpit of the watercraft so that the watercraft operator may control the throttle device and the changeover mechanism without being positioned proximate to the engine. For example, the control unit has a pair of levers pivotally or slidably mounted with respect to a body of the control unit. When one of the levers (e.g., the engine output control lever) is operated by the operator, the output control device is controlled. For example, in an engine having a throttle valve in an air induction system, the position of the throttle valve is changed to control the air flow and thus to control the engine output. When the other lever (e.g., a shifting control lever) is operated by the operator, the coupling of the propeller to the engine via the transmission is changed via the shifting mechanism to select the rotation direction of the propeller (e.g., forward or reverse) or to select non-rotation of the propeller (e.g., neutral).
Generally, in the watercraft industry, a hull of a watercraft and an outboard drive are produced separately and are combined (i.e., assembled together) by a boat builder during a final production stage of the watercraft or during a earlier stage close to the final production stage. The customer of the watercraft advantageously selects a type of outboard drive and any components, parts or accessories from those which are available on the market. The customer may also order specific components or parts from suppliers. Thus, many combinations of components may be used to rig a watercraft.
After a watercraft is assembled with the selected outboard drive and other components, it is desirable to check whether the outboard drive, components, parts and accessories work together properly. For example, the manufacturer wants to verify that engine output control lever and the shifting control lever in the control unit operate normally and that the engine output control device and the shifting mechanism within the outboard drive properly respond to control movements. Such basic operations affect the fundamental performance of the watercraft (e.g., the maneuverability and the ease of operating a watercraft). In addition, the manufacturer generally wants to assure that the output of the engine (e.g., the engine speed) and the operational mode of the propeller (e.g., forward, neutral and reverse) are properly indicated at respective indicators that are typically located in the cockpit of the watercraft where they can be monitored by the operator.
Conventionally, an inspection of the assembled watercraft with the attached outboard drive and other components is a manual operation that relies on the skills of a human inspector to apply the tests and to observe the responses of the outboard drive and other components (e.g., verifying that the outboard drive responds appropriately to the control devices and that the indicators properly show the status of the outboard drive and other components). Preferably, the inspection tests of the operability of the watercraft and the outboard drive should be done under typical operational conditions (e.g., with the watercraft floating on a body of water). Because of the reliance on human labor to perform the tests and to evaluate the results, such inspections are very costly, time consuming and inefficient, and the results of the inspections may be inaccurate.


A method is provided for securing a PMIP tunnel between a serving gateway and a new access node through which an access terminal communicates. A PMIP key hierarchy unique to each access terminal is maintained by the gateway. The gateway uses a first node key to secure PMIP tunnels when authentication of the access terminal has been performed. A PMIP key is generated based on the first node key and the PMIP key is sent to the new access node to assist in establishing and securing a PMIP tunnel between the gateway and the new access node. Otherwise, when authentication of the access terminal has not been performed, the gateway generates a second node key and sends it to an intermediary network node which then generates and sends a PMIP key to the new access node. This second key is then used to secure the PMIP tunnel.

1. Field
At least one feature relates to communication systems, and, more particularly, to a method for facilitating secure proxy mobile IP (PMIP) key generation and distribution within a wireless network.
2. Background
In the evolution of various wireless communication networks within 3GPP2, one type of network architecture is known as an ultra mobile broadband (UMB) network and is intended to improve the CDMA2000 mobile phone standard for next generation applications and requirements. UMB packet data networks are based upon Internet (TCP/IP) networking technologies running over a next generation radio system and is intended to be more efficient and capable of providing more services than the technologies it replaces. UMB is intended to be a fourth-generation (4G) technology and uses a high bandwidth, low latency, underlying TCP/IP network with high level services such as voice built on top. The much greater amount of bandwidth (in comparison to previous generations), and much lower latencies, enable the use of various application types that have previously been impossible, while continuing to deliver high quality (or higher quality) voice services.
UBM networks have a less centralized management of its network access nodes, known as evolved base stations (eBS). The access nodes may be coupled to a local or collocated session reference network controller (SRNC). Such access nodes and/or SRNC may perform many of the same functions as the base station (BS) and base station controller (BSC) in a conventional CDMA network. Consequently, due to the additional operations performed closer to the wireless interface by the access node (eBS) and SRNC in a UMB architecture, several problems occur in trying to maintain security of the access nodes and SRNC. One such problem is supporting and securing communications as an access terminal roams to different networks away from its home network.
Mobile IP (MIP) specifies a protocol for a mobile node (access terminal) to receive packets destined to its home IP address even when the mobile node (access terminal) is not present in its home network. It specifies registration request (RRQ) and response (RRP) messages between the mobile node (access terminal) and a Home Agent (HA). The HA then receives packets on behalf of the mobile node and tunnels the packets to the present location of the mobile node (access terminal). The RRQ and RRP messages are authenticated using key shared by the mobile node (access terminal) and its home agent.
In some cases, such where the mobile node (access terminal) connecting to the network does not have a Mobile IP stack but requires mobility services, the network may have to rely on a proxy (called the Proxy Mobile Node, PMN) to generate the registration requests and process the registration responses on behalf of the mobile node (access terminal). To ensure Mobile IP compatible behavior, the control packets from the PMN must be sent via the current subnet of the mobile node (access terminal). So the MIP control packets generated by the PMN are tunneled via an assistant function that resides in the current subnet of the mobile node (located say in a foreign agent or an access node). Thus the PMN (and the PMN-HA key) can reside in a single/secure location even as the mobile node (access terminal) moves or roams from one subnet to another.
Consequently, a way is needed to generate and distribute keys for PMIP tunnels within a network.

Methods and apparatus for providing PMIP key hierarchy in wireless communication networks


The present invention discloses a printing device with a detachable stapling device including a printing device housing, a connecting frame and a stapling device. The connecting frame has a locating post and a fixing hook and is connected with the stapling device. The position of the connecting frame can be adjusted by the locating post of the connecting frame, and the connecting frame can be assembled on the printing device housing or detached from the printing device housing by the fixing hook.

In general, the printing devices include photocopiers, printers and office machines integrating functions of photocopiers, printers and scanners together, wherein the printers are most commonly used. A conventional printer may print from one side of a paper only. When a user desires to print on both sides of a paper, the user needs to print a first page of a document file in a computer onto a first side of a blank paper by the conventional printer first. After the first page of the document file is finished printing, the paper printed with an image of the first page of the document file need to be flipped upside down and put into an input tray of the conventional printer. Thereafter, the conventional printer may further print a second page of the document file on a second side of the paper. However, it is quite inconvenient to repeatedly flip and put the paper manually if the amount of pages of the document file is huge. Therefore, a printing device with a two-sided print function, which may flip and put papers automatically, is developed and popularly used by personal users and many companies.
No matter which the single side printing device or the double side printing device is, a plurality of printed papers are fed onto an output tray of the printing device after the printing device finishes printing. Next, most of users take the plurality of papers out of the output tray and staple them together by using a stapling device, such as a stapler. Therefore, it is not only able to avoid the papers strewing over but also easy to store and gather up the papers. However, during the above-mentioned process of manually stapling, users must wait for the printing device finishing the printing process before stapling the plurality of papers manually. Accordingly, a printing device with a stapling device is developed.
FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic side view of a conventional printing device with a stapling device. Referring to FIG. 1, the printing device 1 comprises a printing device housing 10, an input tray 11, a printing module 12, a first feeding passage 13, a plurality of first feeding roller sets 14 and a stapling device 15. The printing device housing 10 has an upper surface 101 and a paper outlet 102, wherein the paper outlet 102 is exposed on the upper surface 101. The input tray 11 is disposed in the printing device housing 10 and capable of carrying a plurality of papers P thereon. The first feeding passage 13 is disposed within the printing device housing 10, disposed between the input tray 11 and the paper outlet 102, and capable of letting the plurality of papers P pass through. The plurality of first feeding roller sets 14 are disposed on the first feeding passage 13 and capable of feeding the plurality of papers P on the input tray 11 to the paper outlet 102. The printing module 12 is disposed on the first feeding passage 13 and capable of printing images on the plurality of papers P. The stapling device 15 is disposed on the upper surface 101 of the printing device housing 10 and covers the paper outlet 102, wherein the stapling device 15 comprises a stapling module 151, a stapling tray 152, a second feeding passage 153 and a plurality of second feeding roller sets 154.
In the stapling device 15, the second feeding passage 153 contacts with the paper outlet 102 on the printing device housing 10, so as to connect the second feeding passage 153 with the first feeding passage 13, and then the plurality of papers P is able to pass through thereon. The plurality of second feeding roller sets 154 are disposed on the second feeding passage 153 and capable of feeding the plurality of papers P from the first feeding passage 13 to the stapling tray 152. The stapling tray 152 is capable of carrying the plurality of papers P. The stapling module 151 is located at a side of the stapling tray 152 and capable of stapling the plurality of papers P on the stapling tray 152. The printing device 1 with the stapling device 15 may staple the plurality of papers P by using the stapling device 15 after the printing device 1 finishes the printing process. Therefore, users do not need to wait for finishing printing and manually staple the plurality of papers P anymore, and thus it is able to save not only the waiting time for printing but also the process of manually stapling.
It can be understood from FIG. 1 that the stapling device 15 is disposed above the printing device housing 10, and the second feeding passage 153 perpendicularly connects with the first feeding passage 13. Therefore, a feeding route of the plurality of papers P is formed a straight line from bottom to top, and thus a total height of the printing device 1 is significantly increased due to the vertical disposing conformation.
FIG. 2 illustrates a schematic side view of another conventional printing device with a stapling device. Referring to FIG. 2 hereinafter, the printing device 2 comprises a printing device housing 20, an input tray 21, a printing module 22, a first feeding passage 23, a plurality of first feeding roller sets 24 and a stapling device 25. The printing device housing 20 has a rear surface 201 and a paper outlet 202, wherein the paper outlet 202 is exposed on the rear surface 201. The input tray 21 is disposed in the printing device housing 20 and capable of carrying a plurality of papers P thereon. The first feeding passage 23 is disposed within the printing device housing 20, disposed between the input tray 21 and the paper outlet 202, and capable of letting the plurality of papers P pass through. The plurality of first feeding roller sets 24 are disposed on the first feeding passage 23 and capable of feeding the plurality of papers P on the input tray 21 to the paper outlet 202. The printing module 22 is disposed on the first feeding passage 23 and capable of printing images on the plurality of papers P. The stapling device 25 is disposed on the rear surface 201 of the printing device housing 20 and covers the paper outlet 202, wherein the stapling device 25 comprises a stapling module 251, a stapling tray 252, a second feeding passage 253 and a plurality of second feeding roller sets 254.
In the stapling device 25, the second feeding passage 253 contacts with the paper outlet 202 on the printing device housing 20, so as to connect the second feeding passage 253 with the first feeding passage 23, and then the plurality of papers P is able to pass through thereon. The plurality of second feeding roller sets 254 are disposed on the second feeding passage 253 and capable of feeding the plurality of papers P from the first feeding passage 23 to the stapling tray 252. The stapling tray 252 is capable of carrying the plurality of papers P. The stapling module 251 is located at a side of the stapling tray 252 and capable of stapling the plurality of papers P on the stapling tray 252. Similar to the above-mentioned conventional printing device 1, the printing device 2 with the stapling device 25 also has advantages of no need to wait for finishing printing and manually staple anymore. Since the stapling device 25 is disposed on the rear surface 201 of the printing device housing 20, it is able to horizontally connect the second feeding passage 253 with the first feeding passage 23 and design the second feeding passage 253 into a curved route. Therefore, an increased total height of the printing device 2 with the stapling device 25 is reduced, so as to avoid the height of the printing device overhigh.
In general, the rear surface 201 of the printing device housing 20 can be opened for troubleshooting. However, since the stapling device 25 is disposed on the rear surface 201 of the printing device housing 20, the stapling device 25 must be detached from the rear surface 201 of the printing device housing 20 before opening the rear surface 201 of the printing device 2 for troubleshooting when users desire to do troubleshooting. No matter which the printing device 1 of FIG. 1 or the printing device 2 of FIG. 2 needs to be troubleshooting (for example when the paper jam issue is happened), the stapling device must be detached from the printing device housing by using a hand tooling, such as a screw driver. It is inconvenient that using additional tools for detaching is necessary. Accordingly, it is necessary to provide a printing device with a detachable stapling device, wherein the stapling device is able to be detached without using any additional tools.

Printing device with detachable stapling device


A process for annotating a video in real-time on a mobile device. The process may include creating one or more markers, allowing a user of the mobile device to annotate the video while one or more users within a group of users are annotating the streaming video in real-time. The process may include receiving a selection from the user for which he or she seeks to annotate within the video. The process further includes displaying a text box for a frame or range of frames selected by the user seeks for annotation, and receiving a submitted text box from the user and propagating the annotations within the submitted text box to one or more users within the group in real-time.

Streaming videos is a ubiquitous part of the World Wide Web today for end users. The ability to view content necessitates annotation of the content with contextual markers to enable asynchronous collaboration across groups of users. Several domains exhibit the need for annotations for collaborative use such as education and research. With the growing proliferation of mobile devices, including smart phones and tablets, and with increasingly touch-based interfaces, the real estate on mobile device screens is limited. For example, Google® has an annotation system for You Tube®. However, with this annotation system the video has very limited space on the mobile device screen. Further, with this annotation system, most of the space is occupied by the annotation timeline or the markup tools. Usability is increasingly important with mobile devices, and applications that are ultimately considered to have any longevity, utilize this as a key benchmark.
Most video annotation applications for mobile devices fail to address the usability issues, and more specifically, fail to address the annotation of one or more frames in a collaborative environment. For example, Coach Eye™ by Techsmith Corp.™ is meant for sport coaches to review the performance of athletes and sportsmen via recorded sessions. Coach Eye™ allows users to draw on top of the video using a set of drawing tools, though these tools are not associated with any range of frames and overlay the entire video. Coach Eye™ further allows users to export these videos with annotations burnt in along with the user's voice, and share these videos with other users in other video formats. Coach Eye™ implements a flywheel pattern, allowing the users to advance through the video with frame accurate precision. This pattern may work well for short videos, but struggles with longer videos.
The above applications fail to address the usability issue with respect to mobile devices and address the collaborative, mobile-based model, for annotating videos over one or more frames.
Thus, an alternative process for providing a collaborative, mobile-based model may be beneficial.

Collaboratively annotating streaming videos on mobile devices


In a spectroscopically operating infrared hygrometer, beams emitted by the beam source and formed by the lens arrangement disposed in front thereof, are reflected via two pairs of rotating lenses, fixed in two parallel planes which are at a fixed distance from each other, and via a fixed mirror, to the lens arrangement placed in front of the detector and are directed by this lens arrangement to the detector. In this infrared hygrometer the absorption distance change takes place very rapidly, so that it is possible during measurements over longer perids of time, for example, during measurements taken from an airplane, to relate with small time constants the individual measurement values for the two absorption distances continuously. Furthermore, intermediate calibration is not required with this infrared hygrometer.

Devices for measuring the water vapor content of the atmosphere by means of spectroscopic methods have been known for a long time. The absorption spectrum of water vapor molecules extends across a very broad range of the spectrum. Devices are in use which operate at 1,215.6 .ANG., i.e. on the wave length of the so-called Lyman .alpha. line (these devices will be called L.alpha. devices hereinbelow). Furthermore, devices are known in which the absorption of water vapor in the infrared range of the spectrum is used for determining moisture (these devices are designated as infrared devices hereinbelow). Additionally, devices are known which operate in the microwave range; however, these devices will not be further examined herein.
All spectroscopic determinations of concentration proceed from the so-called Beer's law which for parallel beam paths reads: EQU I.sub..lambda. =I.sub..lambda..exp(-K.sub..lambda. X) (1)
where, with respect to a set wavelength .lambda., the value I.sub..lambda. indicates the beamed intensity, the value I.sub..lambda. indicates the intensity of the beam after passing the absorption distance having a length X, and the value K.sub..lambda. indicates the absorption coefficient.
In the infrared range of the spectrum, the absorption spectrum of water vapor consists of a plurality of single lines, so-called bands, which no longer can be distinguished by customary infrared hygrometers. In place of the various absorption coefficients K.sub..lambda. which apply for the individual lines, an empirical formula applies instead of equation (1), which is mathematically awkward to handle and therefore approximation equations are often used.
Therefore the association of moisture values to the measured intensities is performed by corresponding calibration methods, in which the properties of the devices, such as filter transparency, amplification, detector sensitivity, etc., as well as the pressure dependence, must also be considered.
The spectroscopically operating hygrometers can be assigned to various groups. The most simple in principle are the so-called single beam devices (single beam hygrometers), such as described, e.g. by Hyson, Hicks in J.Appl.Met. 14, 1975, pp. 301 to 307. The customary L.alpha. devices also operate as single beam devices. In connection with these single beam devices constant operating conditions must be strictly maintained in order to obtain truly comparable values. In spite of this, frequent test calibrations are necessary to measure changes extending over long periods of time.
It is possible to achieve better accuracy with so-called double beam devices (double beam hygrometers), such as described by Bogomovola et al in Izv.Atm. and Oceanic Phys., vol. 10, 1974, pp. 933 to 942. Comparative measurements are taken with these double beam devices, in particular in a wave range in which the water vapor is absorbed very little or not at all. By developing a quotient it is possible in this way to compensate to a large degree for slow changes in the device.
Often a chopper is introduced into the beam path in spectroscopically operating hygrometers. By the use of this, alternating voltage is obtained for use as signal voltage. This facilitates amplification and filtering. In double beam devices either two separate detectors can be used which, however, must be operated under exactly the same constant conditions, or it is also possible to operate with only one detector by, e.g., alternatingly introducing two filters into the beam path or by modulating (chopping) the two beams with different frequencies.
For physically technical reasons it is not possible to operate with two beams of different wavelength in L.alpha. devices. Therefore it has been suggested, e.g. by Buck in Bull.Am.Met.Soc, vol. 57, 1976, pp. 1113 to 1118, to change the absorption distance X. Because L.alpha. devices in general have a very short absorption distance, small changes of the value X (see Equation (1)) are very effective. However, a very high degree of accuracy in adjustment is required in this case. A further device for the measurement of water vapor density and of a saturation ratio is known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,394,575.
In spite of the development of a quotient, certain influences which lead to errors in measurements cannot be eliminated in hygrometers operating with two wavelengths. This is the case, for example, if the distribution of spectral intensity of a beam source or the distribution of spectral sensitivity of a detector changes in dependence on the wavelength. For these reasons corrections can only be made by means of calibration tests made at certain time intervals.
However, it is possible that an adsorption layer or even a coating forms on the surfaces of windows, lenses or mirrors, which, because they have an absorption depending on the wavelength, result in false measurement values. Latest measurements under special laboratory conditions have indicated that at dew point temperatures around -40.degree. C. it is possible to get a consistent error of almost 10.degree. C. in the determination of the dew point, which error is due to adsorption. It has been suggested to heat the windows, lenses or mirrors to avoid coatings, but this also does not assure that an adsorption layer is reliably avoided.

Spectroscopically operating infrared hygrometer

Deutsche Forschungs- und Versuchsanstait fur Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V.


An image reading device has an entrance window provided in a substrate for receiving the light illuminating an information bearing member bearing information to be read. A photosensor is provided on the substrate for receiving the light that has entered through the entrance window and has been reflected by the information bearing member. Further, a protective layer is formed on the photosensor opposite to the substrate, in order to maintain a constant distance between the information bearing member and the photosensor, and has a multi-layer structure of separate functions, comprising a first layer of a first function at the side of the photosensor, and a second layer of another function different from the first function.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image reading device, and, more particularly, an image reading device having for example a linear image sensor and reading image information by relative movement of an information bearing member, such as an original document, in contact with said linear image sensor, and adapted for use in a facsimile apparatus, a copying machine, an image reader or the like.
2. Related Background Art
In the field of image reading device utilizing linear image sensor, there is already known a device for reading an original image by focusing said image onto a linear image sensor of a length of several centimeters in the main scanning direction, through a reduction optical system. However such device requires a large optical path for reduction imaging, and cannot be easily compactized since the optical system requires a large space for housing it.
On the other hand, the use of an equal-size optical system employing a linear image sensor of a length substantially equal to the width of the original image allows to significantly reduce the space required for housing the optical system, thereby compactizing the reading apparatus. Such equal-size optical system is already known to be realizable with light concentrating fibers or with a contact lens array. Also recently there has been developed an image reading device of contact type in which the original document is moved in contact with the linear image sensor without such fibers or lens array, as disclosed in the Japanese Patent Laid-open Nos. 74262/1980, 75271/1980, 45084/1981 and 122172/1981 by the present applicant.
FIG. 1 is a partially cut-off lateral cross-sectional view of a principal portion of such a conventional image reading device of contact type, provided with photosensor portions or photosensor elements 8, arranged on a transparent substrate 11 such as glass, in a direction perpendicular to the plane of drawing to constitute a linear image sensor.
Said sensor element 8 is composed, on a transparent substrate 11 such as glass, of an opaque layer 12 of an opaque material, such as metal; an insulating layer 13 of an electrically insulting material; a semiconductor layer 14 of a photoconductive semiconductor material such as hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) or CdS.Se; a semiconductor layer 15 doped with semiconductive impurities for forming ohmic contacts; and a pair of main electrodes 16, 17, defining a light-receiving window 18 therebetween.
In such a structure, incident light L entering the transparent substrate 11 through an entrance window 19 formed thereon (the sensor 8 is protected from said incident light by the opaque layer 12) illuminates an original document P, and the reflected light is received by the light-receiving window 18 of the sensor 8, whereby a photocurrent generated between the electrodes 16, 17 through the semiconductor layer 14 is obtained as a readout signal through wirings (not shown).
A reading resolving power of 4-8 lines/mm can be obtained when the distance between the original document P and the sensor 8 is maintained in the order of 0.1 mm, and the distance has to be strictly controlled in order to maintain the above-mentioned resolving power. Accurate controlling the distance is achieved by forming, on the sensor 8, a protective layer 20 antiabrasive to the contact with the original document P.
The protective layer 20 is required to satisfy at least following three functions. A first function is to maintain a constant distance between the sensor element 8 and the original document P, i.e. a spacer function for maintaining an exact spacing between the light-receiving face of the window 18 and the original document P.
A second function is to prevent the deterioration of the sensor element 8 by abrasion, when the original document P is contacted therewith.
A third function is to secure the stability of the sensor element 8 against changes in ambient conditions such as temperature and humidity.
Conventionally, the protective layer 20 has been formed by adhering a translucent material, such as glass, to the substrate 11 so as to cover the sensor element 8, and said adhesion has been obtained by applying an adhesive material to the unillustrated peripheral or end portions of the device. However, such structure in which the glass protective layer and the substrate are both relatively rigid, there is encountered a drawback of a bending stress caused by temperature change, due to the difference in the thermal expansion coefficient of the protective layer and the substrate, or a stress resulting from uneven adhesion, giving eventually rise to mechanical destruction.
Also, such a structure results in an air gap between the protective layer 20 and the light-receiving window 18, leading to a deterioration in image quality and an insufficient ambient stability of the light-receiving face defined by the window 18. In order to avoid such drawback, the adhesive material may be applied on the upper surface of the substrate 11 or of the light-receiving window 18, but the adhesive material generally has an insufficient purity and is unable to ensure a sufficient light transmission, thus deteriorating the reading characteristic of the light-receiving window.
The protective layer 20 may also be formed of a photocurable resin, but there will be encountered drawbacks as first mentioned due to the contraction at resin curing, and the difference in thermal expansion coefficient. Also such resin deteriorates the reading characteristic of the light-receiving face because of the low degree of purificaiton of such resin.

Image reading device with protective layers


A tilt sensor has a source for optical radiation, a pattern support having an optically effective pattern for the passage of the optical radiation generated by the source, a tilt-sensitive unit downstream of the pattern support in the direction of propagation of the radiation, and a projection area for the incidence of the radiation generated by the source and passing through the pattern support and the tilt-sensitive unit, wherein the source is in the form of a pattern support.

Tilt and optionally angle sensors are used, for example, for levelling geodetic measuring instruments in surveying. EP 0 507 102 B1, corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 5,371,951A, describes an inclinometer in which the light source and pattern support are present as two separate components and are arranged a distance apart. The tilt-sensitive unit is regarded as being a liquid prism which results in the deflection of the light beam in a manner known per se, depending on the angle at which a light beam is incident on the liquid surface. The pattern has a herringbone form and consists of spaced V-shaped lines which are arranged parallel to one another and may optionally be either of the same or of different line thickness. A disadvantage of this arrangement is that the separate presence of light source and pattern support entails more material and a greater constructive effort and requires more space.


Provided are systems, methods, and devices for identifying correct satellite signals to improve the accuracy of a satellite navigation system. In some embodiments, identifying correct satellite signals may include receiving a plurality of satellite signals; demodulating the satellite signals to extract a first plurality of parameters; determining a first subset of parameters from the first plurality of parameters, wherein the first subset of parameters is based on a first geographic location; determining a second subset of parameters from a second plurality of parameters outside the first subset, the second plurality of parameters comprising one or more parameters of the first plurality of parameters outside the first subset, wherein the second subset of parameters is based on a second geographic location; and identifying an exemplary subset from the first subset and the second subset, wherein the exemplary subset comprises parameters corresponding to correct satellite signals.

The accuracy of satellite navigation systems (i.e., Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSSs)) rely on legitimate satellite signals. For example, a legitimate satellite signal can be a signal transmitted by a satellite and received by a receiver to communicate time and location information unique to the transmitting satellite. However, various types of illegitimate satellite signals can adversely affect the accuracy of satellite location systems. For example, in urban areas, buildings may get in the way of a direct signal path, causing a faulted signal. Similarly, in mountainous regions, the topography can interfere with a signal's path. Spoofed signals can send false information to a signal receiver. For example, someone may generate spoofed signals that communicate false satellite transmission times or false satellite velocities. If the receiver has no way of rejecting these spoofed signals, it may accept the faulted and/or spoofed signals, causing inaccuracies in the satellite navigation systems.
The consequences of spoofed signals in particular can be detrimental. For example, a spoofer (i.e., a person generating spoofed signals) can cause any vehicle (e.g,. airplane, unmanned aerial vehicle, automobile) using a satellite navigation system to navigate off-path and/or crash. Spoofers can cause such navigation problems in both civilian applications as well as in military applications—anywhere a vehicle is using a satellite navigation system.
Current technologies that can help protect satellite navigation systems against illegitimate signals include RAIM (Receiver Autonomous Integrity Monitoring) and ARAIM (Advanced Receiver Autonomous Integrity Monitoring). These systems are able to detect and exclude fault signals, but are limited in their ability to detect and exclude high numbers of fault or spoofed signals. Further, these systems were developed to detect fault signals from a small number of satellites at any given time.
Random Identify Exemplary (RANSAC) can identify fault or spoofed signals by performing an exhaustive identifying on the data. However, RANSAC is only capable of identifying outlier parameters (i.e., illegitimate signals), and is not capable of identifying legitimate signals. Further, the RANSAC algorithm can compute an inlier and an outlier set for every subset of parameters of a plurality of parameters corresponding to a plurality of satellite signals. The parameters associated with the smallest subset of consistent outliers correspond to the most correct satellite signals.
Other signal-identifying algorithms and technologies can analyze pseudo-range or pseudo-range-rate data, but not both types of data.

Identifying and partitioning legitimate GNSS satellite signals from illegitimate GNSS satellite signals using a contrario method


A honeycomb structural body comprises one or plural pillar-shaped porous ceramic members in which many through-holes are arranged side by side in a longitudinal direction through partition walls and either one end portions of these through-holes are sealed.

The exhaust gas discharged from internal-combustion engines in a vehicle such as bus, truck or the like, or a construction machine and the like contains particulates exerting upon an environment or human body, so that it is demanded to develop a technique removing the particulates. For example, as one of such techniques, there is a honeycomb structural body (filter) for the purification of the exhaust gas as shown in FIG. 1 wherein the exhaust gas is passed through porous ceramic members to catch and remove the particulates.
As one example of the honeycomb structural body for the purification of the exhaust gas, there is a ceramic honeycomb filter 20 as shown in FIG. 2 wherein a plurality of square-pillar shaped porous ceramic members (units) 30 are combined through seal material layers 23 to constitute a ceramic block 25 and a seal material layer 24 for preventing leakage of an exhaust gas is formed around the ceramic block 25. The porous ceramic member 30 has a function as a filter wherein the particulates are caught by partition walls when the exhaust gas passes through partition walls 33 separating the plurality of the through-holes 31 arranged side by side in the longitudinal direction (wall flow).
The through-holes 31 formed in the porous ceramic member (unit) 30 are clogged at either end portions of inlet side and outlet side for the exhaust gas with a sealing material 32 (preferably in the form of checkered patter) as shown in FIG. 2b, in which the exhaust gas flown from one end portion of the through-hole 31 passes through the partition wall 33 separating the through-hole 31 and flows out from the other end portion of adjoining through-hole 31.
Moreover, the seal material layer 24 disposed on the outer periphery for preventing the leakage of the exhaust gas from the outer peripheral portion of the ceramic block 25 when the honeycomb filter 20 is disposed in an exhaust pipe of an internal-combustion engine as previously mentioned.
Such a ceramic honeycomb filter 20 is now used in large-size vehicles, vehicles provided with a diesel engine and the like because it is excellent in the heat resistance and easy in the regeneration treatment.
In the honeycomb filter 20 for the purification of the exhaust gas, it has hitherto been mainly made to adjust the catching efficiency and the pressure loss by adjusting pore size and pore distribution of pores produced in the porous sintered body (partition walls) or adjusting wall thickness and pore distribution thereof.
For example, Japanese Patent No. 3272746 (hereinafter referred to as article 1) discloses a diesel particulate filter having an average pore size of 1-15 μm and a standard deviation of pore size distribution represented by a common logarithm of the pore size of not more than 0.20.
Also, Internal Publication WO 02/26351 (hereinafter referred to as article 2) discloses a catalyst-carried filter having an average pore size of 10-250 μm and a standard deviation of pore size distribution represented by a common logarithm of the pore size of not more than 0.40.
Furthermore, JP-A-2001-269522 (hereinafter referred to as article 3) discloses a ceramic sintered body filter wherein the wall thickness is made thick in the production of the filter using material having a plurality of larger pores and the wall thickness is made thin in the production of the filter using a material having a plurality of small pores.
Moreover, JP-A-2003-1029 (hereinafter referred to as article 4) discloses a porous ceramic honeycomb filter having a porosity of cell wall of 55-75%, an average pore size of 10-40 μm and a surface roughness (maximum height Ry) of not less than 10 μm.
However, the exhaust gas filters described in the articles 1 and 2 tend to make the surface roughness small because the pore size distribution of the filter becomes extremely uniform. In this case, as the surface roughness becomes small, the surface roughness of the catalyst coating layer becomes also small, so that there is a problem that the reaction site of the catalyst coating layer with the particulates becomes less and the supply of oxygen is insufficient and hence the catalytic reaction becomes insufficient
In the ceramic filter disclosed in the article 3, the distribution amount of the pores and the wall thickness are defined, and it is described to arrange fine pores to the thin wall and large pores to the thick wall, but pores having approximately the same size are dispersed at a uniform density, so that the surface roughness becomes substantially small likewise the articles 1, 2.
Further, the honeycomb filter disclosed in the article 4 is insufficient in the countermeasure to the pressure loss or the like because the pore distribution is not examined.

Abstract: The partition wall forming the structural body has a surface roughness of not less than 10 μm as a maximum roughness Rz defined in JIS B0601-2001 and an average pore size of 5-100 μm in a pore distribution measured by a mercury pressure method, and satisfies the following relationship:A≧90−B/20 or A≦100−B/20when a ratio pores having a pore size of 0.9-1.1 times the average pore size to total pore volume is A (%) and a thickness of the partition wall is B (μm), and there is proposed an effective honeycomb structural body having excellent pressure loss and catching efficiency and a high catalyst reactivity.


Determining a minimum condition and a maximum condition of an assembly of parts includes determining a subset of the assembly of parts, constructing a tolerance chain comprised of tolerance features associated with the parts and that have tolerances that can assume maximum and minimum values, setting at least one tolerance to a minimum value or a maximum value, and calculating the minimum condition and the maximum condition of the assembly based on the setting of the tolerance.

Computer-aided design (CAD) software allows a user to construct and manipulate complex three-dimensional (3D) models. A number of different modeling techniques can be used to create a 3D model. These techniques include solid modeling, wire-frame modeling, and surface modeling. Solid modeling techniques provide for topological 3D models, where the 3D model is a collection of interconnected topological entities (e.g., vertices, edges, and faces). The topological entities have corresponding supporting geometrical entities (e.g., points, trimmed curves, and trimmed surfaces). The trimmed surfaces correspond to the topological faces bounded by the edges. Wire-frame modeling techniques, on the other hand, can be used to represent a model as a collection of simple 3D lines, whereas surface modeling can be used to represent a model as a collection of exterior surfaces. CAD systems may combine these and other modeling techniques, such as parametric modeling techniques. Parametric modeling techniques can be used to define various parameters for different features and components of a model, and to define relationships between those features and components based on relationships between the various parameters.
CAD systems may also support two-dimensional (2D) objects, which are 2D representations of 3D objects. Two- and three-dimensional objects are useful during different stages of a design process. Three-dimensional representations of a model are commonly used to visualize a model in a physical context because the designer can manipulate the model in 3D space and can visualize the model from any conceivable viewpoint. Two-dimensional representations of a model are commonly used to prepare and formally document the design of a model.
CAD systems may display tolerance information to describe manufacturing parameters for a model. Tolerance information may specify allowable deviations in a feature from specified dimensions or locations. For example, a plus/minus tolerance specification can indicate an allowable positional deviation of a feature in a manufactured part.
Design and manufacturing engineers may need to know the minimum and maximum values for an assembly dimension to ensure that the assembly once manufactured will function as designed. Typically, the minimum and maximum dimensions are dependent upon the order in which parts are mated in an assembly and the numerous tolerance values throughout the assembly.
The minimum and maximum condition may be computed manually. To manually calculate the minimum and maximum tolerances, for each tolerance in the assembly, the engineer determines the minimum and maximum condition and the impact of these conditions on other features and parts in the assembly. Manually calculating the minimum and maximum tolerances can be a laborious task.
Commercially available tolerance analysis software that automatically calculates minimum and maximum tolerances exists. A common computerized technique for performing tolerance analysis is based on Monte Carlo simulation. This technique creates a simulation model for each feature in the assembly based upon the applied tolerances. For numerous iterations, exact values for the plus/minus tolerances are randomly selected and the resultant values for assembly dimensions of interest are tracked. Monte Carlo simulation statistically determines the probability of various values for the dimensions of interest. The speed of a Monte Carlo simulation depends upon the size of the model, the number of tolerances, the number of iterations, and available computing resources, among other parameters. To be most effective, Monte Carlo simulation generally requires engineers to have an expertise in the field of tolerance simulation and statistics.
Another computerized tolerance analysis technique is based upon kinematics linkages. Constraints are assigned and are based upon the tolerances that have been applied to the tolerance features in an assembly. The kinematics model is then manipulated to determine the possible values for the assembly dimensions. While not suffering from performance problems, in general, the kinematics linkages technique does not solve for the complete breadth of the ASME Y14.5M and ISO 1101 tolerance standards.
A 3D CAD system that can rapidly compute the minimum and maximum conditions of an assembly based on applied tolerances as well as the root sum squared (RSS) values, does not need to involve a simulation expert to analyze tolerances, and implements the ASME Y14.5 and ISO 1101 standards would enhance the capabilities and ease of use of a 3D CAD system.

Automatic calculation of minimum and maximum tolerance stack

Dassault Systemes SolidWorks Corporation


A magnetic structure for use in a magnetic recording head, the structure having improved resistance to stray field writing. The magnetic structure can be for example a magnetic shield or a return pole of a perpendicular write element. The structure includes a main body portion which may have a generally rectangular configuration, and first and second wing portions extending laterally from the sides of the body at or near the ABS. The wing portions have a depth measured perpendicular to the ABS that is significantly less than the depth of the body portion (preferably less than 25 percent of the body portion). The wing portions may also have notches formed in their ABS edges. The wings conduct flux from the ABS edge of the body portion and create a flux choking effect for magnetic flux flowing into the wings.

The present invention is related to the following commonly assigned patent applications: Winged Design For Reducing Corner Stray Magnetic Fields, Ser. No. 10/977,315; and Single Notched Shield and Pole Structure With Slanted Wing For Perpendicular Recording, Ser. No. 10/976,479.
The heart of a computer's long term memory is an assembly that is referred to as a magnetic disk drive. The magnetic disk drive includes a rotating magnetic disk, write and read heads that are suspended by a suspension arm adjacent to a surface of the rotating magnetic disk and an actuator that swings the suspension arm to place the read and write heads over selected circular tracks on the rotating disk. The read and write heads are directly located on a slider that has an air bearing surface (ABS). The suspension arm biases the slider toward the surface of the disk, and when the disk rotates, air adjacent to the disk moves along with the surface of the disk. The slider flies over the surface of the disk on a cushion of this moving air. When the slider rides on the air bearing, the write and read heads are employed for writing magnetic transitions to and reading magnetic transitions from the rotating disk. The read and write heads are connected to processing circuitry that operates according to a computer program to implement the writing and reading functions.
The write head traditionally includes a coil layer embedded in first, second and third insulation layers (insulation stack), the insulation stack being sandwiched between first and second pole piece layers. A gap is formed between the first and second pole piece layers by a gap layer at an air bearing surface (ABS) of the write head and the pole piece layers are connected at a back gap. Current conducted to the coil layer induces a magnetic flux in the pole pieces which causes a magnetic field to fringe out at a write gap at the ABS for the purpose of writing the aforementioned magnetic transitions in tracks on the moving media, such as in circular tracks on the aforementioned rotating disk.
In recent read head designs a spin valve sensor, also referred to as a giant magnetoresistive (GMR) sensor, has been employed for sensing magnetic fields from the rotating magnetic disk. The sensor includes a nonmagnetic conductive layer, hereinafter referred to as a spacer layer, sandwiched between first and second ferromagnetic layers, hereinafter referred to as a pinned layer and a free layer. First and second leads are connected to the spin valve sensor for conducting a sense current therethrough. The magnetization of the pinned layer is pinned perpendicular to the air bearing surface (ABS) and the magnetic moment of the free layer is located parallel to the ABS, but free to rotate in response to external magnetic fields. The magnetization of the pinned layer is typically pinned by exchange coupling with an antiferromagnetic layer.
The thickness of the spacer layer is chosen to be less than the mean free path of conduction electrons through the sensor. With this arrangement, a portion of the conduction electrons is scattered by the interfaces of the spacer layer with each of the pinned and free layers. When the magnetizations of the pinned and free layers are parallel with respect to one another, scattering is minimal and when the magnetizations of the pinned and free layer are antiparallel, scattering is maximized. Changes in scattering alter the resistance of the spin valve sensor in proportion to cos θ, where θ is the angle between the magnetizations of the pinned and free layers. In a read mode the resistance of the spin valve sensor changes proportionally to the magnitudes of the magnetic fields from the rotating disk. When a sense current is conducted through the spin valve sensor, resistance changes cause potential changes that are detected and processed as playback signals.
When a spin valve sensor employs a single pinned layer it is referred to as a simple spin valve. When a spin valve employs an antiparallel (AP) pinned layer it is referred to as an AP pinned spin valve. An AP spin valve includes first and second magnetic layers separated by a thin non-magnetic coupling layer such as Ru. The thickness of the spacer layer is chosen so as to antiparallel couple the magnetizations of the ferromagnetic layers of the pinned layer. A spin valve is also known as a top or bottom spin valve depending upon whether the pinning layer is at the top (formed after the free layer) or at the bottom (before the free layer).
The spin valve sensor is located between first and second nonmagnetic electrically insulating read gap layers and the first and second read gap layers are located between ferromagnetic first and second shield layers. In a merged magnetic head a single ferromagnetic layer functions as the second shield layer of the read head and as the first pole piece layer of the write head. In a piggyback head the second shield layer and the first pole piece layer are separate layers.
Magnetization of the pinned layer is usually fixed by exchange coupling one of the ferromagnetic layers (AP1) with a layer of antiferromagnetic material such as PtMn. While an antiferromagnetic (AFM) material such as PtMn does not in and of itself have a magnetization, when exchange coupled with a magnetic material, it can strongly pin the magnetization of the ferromagnetic layer.
In order to meet the ever increasing demand for improved data rate and data capacity, researchers have recently been focusing their efforts on the development of perpendicular recording systems. A traditional longitudinal recording system, such as one that incorporates the write head described above, stores data as magnetic bits oriented longitudinally along a track in the plane of the surface of the magnetic disk. This longitudinal data bit is recorded by a fringing field that forms between the pair of magnetic poles separated by a write gap.
A perpendicular recording system, by contrast, records data as magnetic transitions oriented perpendicular to the plane of the magnetic disk. The magnetic disk has a magnetically soft underlayer covered by a thin magnetically hard top layer. The perpendicular write head has a write pole with a very small cross section and a return pole having a much larger cross section. A strong, highly concentrated magnetic field emits from the write pole in a direction perpendicular to the magnetic disk surface, magnetizing the magnetically hard top layer. The resulting magnetic flux then travels through the soft underlayer, returning to the return pole where it is sufficiently spread out and weak that it will not erase the signal recorded by the write pole when it passes back through the magnetically hard top layer on its way back to the return pole.
One problem that has arisen as a result of such perpendicular recording systems is that the magnetic medium is particularly susceptible to stray magnetic fields. Relatively large magnetic structures such as the magnetic shields used magnetically isolate the read sensor act as large magnetic antennas. As magnetic antennas, these structures collect and concentrate magnetic fields from a myriad of extraneous, external sources, such as cellular phones, airport security devices and many other such sources.
The magnetically soft underlayer of the medium in a perpendicular magnetic recording system is particularly susceptible to picking up magnetic fields emanating from such magnetic structures. This phenomenon can be understood more clearly with reference to FIG. 1, which shows a magnetic structure 102 which could be for example a magnetic shield or some other structure such as a magnetic pole of a write head. The magnetic structure 102 acts as a magnetic antenna, collecting the extraneous magnetic fields, indicated by field lines 104. This causes a resulting magnetic flux within the magnetic structure, the magnetic flux being represented by flux lines 106. As those skilled in the art will appreciate the lines 104 depict magnetic fields as they travel through space, whereas the lines 106 indicate a resulting magnetic flux traveling through a magnetic medium such as the structure 102. It should be pointed out that, while the flux 106 is being described as resulting from a vertical field, a similar result would occur as from the presence of a field canted at some other angle.
The magnetic flux 102 becomes highly concentrated at the corners of the magnetic structure 102. As a result, a concentrated magnetic field 106 emits from the corners of the magnetic structure 102 traveling to the soft underlayer 108 of the nearby magnetic medium 110. The soft magnetic properties of the magnetically soft underlayer, cause it to strongly attract and absorb magnetic fields. In fact an environmental stray field of just 50 Gauss can result in a field 106 as large as 6000 Gauss being emitted from the magnetic structure 102 While traveling to the soft underlayer 108, this concentrated magnetic field 106 passes through the magnetically hard top layer 112, and in the processes magnetizes the top layer 112. By doing so, the magnetic field 106 completely erases any data that may have been previously recorded on the top layer 112. As can be appreciated, this is very problematic.
Although magnetic structures such as magnetic shields and magnetic poles exhibit the problem described above, such magnetic structures are a necessary part of magnetic recording head and cannot simply be eliminated. Therefore, there is a strong felt need for a design for magnetic structures that can allow efficient performance of the magnetic structure for its intended purpose (such as a magnetic shield) while avoiding such unwanted stray field writing. Such a solution to the above problem would preferably not involve the addition of significant processes complexity and would allow the use of currently available desired magnetic materials.

Winged pole and shield structure for reducing stray field in a perpendicular write head

Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands B.V.


A card connector assembly includes a card connector (100) and a memory card (5) received in the card connector. The card connector includes an insulative housing (2), a number of contacts (3) retained in the insulative housing, a slider (41) assembled on the insulative housing and movable relative to the insulative housing, a spring (42) urging the slider along a card ejection direction; and a metal shell (7) covering the insulative housing for defining a card receiving space. The metal shell includes a spring leaf (711, 712) extending into the card receiving space. The memory card forms a metal plate (52) on a top surface thereof and a number of metal traces (51) on a bottom surface thereof. The metal plate is located above the metal traces along a vertical direction and the spring leaf contacts with the metal plate.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a card connector assembly, and more particularly to a card connector assembly which facilitates heat dissipation of an inserted card.
2. Description of Related Arts
A micro SD card is widely used in an electronic device today. However, data transmission speed of the micro SD card only achieves 104 MB/s, which can not meet increasing requirement of customers. Presently, JEDEC (Joint Electronic Device Engineering Council) association is establishing a new UFS (Universal Flash Storage) card standard aiming at developing a memory card called a UFS card whose data transmission speed achieves 3 GB/s, which is much higher than 104 MB/s of the micro SD card. As the UFS card has so high data transmission speed, quantity of heat is quickly accumulated on a top surface of the UFS card, especially focused at an area which is above a lot of metal traces thereof.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,167,643 issued to Yoshida et al. on May 1, 2012, discloses a card connector which is assembled on a printed circuit board for receiving an IC card. The IC card comprises a plurality of contacting pads and an area having the contacting pads is usually a heart-focused area. The printed circuit board comprises a plurality of contact points at a front edge thereof The card connector comprises a plurality of contacts for connecting with the contacting pads of the IC card and the contact points of the printed circuit board. A heat dissipating pad is formed at a middle part of the printed circuit board. The heat dissipating pad is arranged below the IC card when the IC card is received in the card connector.
Hence, a new card connector assembly facilitating heat-sink of a memory card is desired.

Card connector assembly facilitating heat dissipation of inserted card


For use in mammals, methods for enhancing the anti-tumor response and treating disorders associated with anti-tumor response. The methods generally comprise non-topical administration of purified, isolated quinic acid alkyl acid or a carboxy alkyl ester with a non-toxic carrier or diluent.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to the isolation, purification and structural identification of the bioactive component of water extracts of Cat's Claw (Uncaria species). The bioactive component is identified as quinic acid lactone. The present invention also is directed to the pharmaceutical use of said bioactive component for enhancing the anti-tumor processes in warm blooded animals.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Uncaria tomentosa, commonly known as Una de Gato or Cat's Claw, has been widely used historically as a natural remedy, and is currently present in a number of nutritional formulations to treat a large variety of health disorders. To applicant's knowledge, all of the commercial preparations of Cat's Claw except the water soluble extract (the "Pero extract") disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,039,949, 6,238,675 B1 and 6,361,805 (the "Pero patents") to Pero are based on the oxindole alkaloid content thereof. This is due to Dr. Keplinger's (Austria) discovery, in the early 1960's, of the presence of oxindole alkaloids. (Keplinger, K., Laus, G., Wurm, M., Dierich, M. P., Teppner, H. Uncaria tomentosa (WiIld.) DC.—Ethnomedicinal use and new pharmacological, toxicological and botanical results, J. Ethanopharmacology 64:23-34, 1999). The Pero extract, the preferred embodiment of which is commercially available under the name C-MED100®, is a novel Cat's Claw extract quite unlike any other commercial versions in that it contains only traces of alkaloids (0.05%). Instead, the Pero extract contains a new class of active ingredients, carboxyl alkyl esters (CAEs), having demonstrated efficacy as described and protected in the Pero patents. C-MED-100® is the first product offered in the nutritional industry to support both auto-immune and DNA repair enhancing functions, which are of critical importance in reducing the consequences of age-related disorders such as autoimmune, inflammatory and neoplastic diseases. References herein to C-MED-100® shall be understood to include the Pero extract, of which C-MED-100® is a preferred embodiment.
The precise chemical identification of the Pero extract's active ingredients has not heretofore been achieved. However, the chemical and biological characteristics of those ingredients have been sufficiently completed to standardize the commercial manufacture of the Pero extract. (See the Pero patents).
C-MED-100®, which is the commercially available Pero extract, is formulated and based on the historical medicinal uses of Cat's Claw, of which an important step is exhaustive hot water extraction for approximately 18 hours at around 95° C. The extract is then ultrafiltrated to remove high molecular weight (>10,000 MW) toxic conjugates, and spray dried to contain 8-10% carboxy alkyl esters (CAEs) as active ingredients. CAEs were characterized as the only active ingredients of C-MED-100® as a result of their absorption (85%) onto charcoal. No biological activity was observed in the unabsorbed fraction. Using thin layer chromatography (TLC) as the purification tool, the active ingredients showed a UV absorption maximum at about 200 nm, and reacted with hydroxylamine and ferric chloride, thus characterizing them as esters (e.g. CAEs).
Daily oral doses of C-MED-100® between 250-700 mg have proven efficacious in humans. These dosages have been shown to enhance anti-inflammatory, DNA repair, immuno and anti-tumor processes of warm blooded animals, including humans. (See the Pero patents, Lamm, S., Sheng, Y., Pero, R. W., Persistent response to pneumococcal vaccine in individuals supplemented with a novel water soluble extract of Uncaria tomentosa, C-Med-100®. Phytomed 8:267-274, 2001; Sheng, Y., Li, L., Holmgren, K., Pero, R. W., DNA repair enhancement of aqueous extracts of Uncaria tomentosa in a human volunteer study. Phytomed 8: 275-282, 2001; Sheng, Y., Bryngelsson, C., Pero, R. W., Enhanced DNA repair, immune function and reduced toxicity of C-MED-100®, a novel aqueous extract from Uncaria tomentosa J. of Ethnopharmacology 69:115-126 (2000)).
The CAEs in C-MED-100® are shown to give profound nutritional support as a dietary supplement because the CAEs enhance both DNA repair and immune cell responses, which, in turn, are the critical physiological processes that regulate aging (See the Pero patents, jSheng, Y Pero, R. W., Wagner, H., Treatment of chemotherapy-induced leucopeniai in a rat model with aqueous extract from Uncaria tomentosa Phytomedicine 7(2): 137-143 (2000) and as cited above). Both of these processes involve regulating the nuclear transcription kappa beta (NF-kB). NF-kB is well known to control (i) the nuclear events that salvage cells from apoptotic cell death and (ii) pro-inflammatory cytokine production (Beg, A A and Baltimore, D., An essential role for NF-kB in preventing TNF-α induced cell death. Science 274: 782-784, 1996; Wang, C-Y, Mayo, M. W., Baldwin, A. S., TNF-α and cancer therapy-induced apoptosis: Potentiation by inhibition of NF-kB. Science 274: 784-787, 1996). Hence, this mechanism directly connects induction of apoptosis to programmed cell toxicity with inhibition of pro-inflammatory cytokine production and inflammation.
Apoptosis is an essential biochemical process in the body that regulates cells from division (replication) into differentiation and toward an increased functional capacity. Cells entering apoptosis will not only be stimulated to differentiate and increase functionality but will eventually die from this "programmed cell death." Thus, induced apoptosis resulting from NF-kB inhibition by C-MED-100® would (i) effectively kill tumor cells, because they would be forced out of replication by apoptosis and into eventual death; and simultaneously (ii) increase immune cell responsiveness, because more immune competent cells would be forced to differentiate and would live longer because of the parallel enhancement of DNA repair.
NF-kB also sends signals to inflammatory cells instructing them to produce cytokines (growth factors). These signals, in turn, stimulate phagocytic cells to kill more invading infectious agents, which, at least in part, is accomplished by producing high levels of oxygen free radicals. Thus, inhibiting NF-kB has anti-inflammatory properties because it prevents over-reaction of the inflammatory process that can be harmful to normal body tissues. In addition, because pro-inflammatory cytokines are a major source of endogenous free radical production in humans, NF-kB inhibition is antimutagenic by reducing genetic damage that may accumulate over the years. As fewer radicals are produced, there is less damage to the DNA and less inhibition of natural repair. A result is that aging is curtailed.
The Pero extract, preferably C-MED-I00®, is thus an ultimate nutritional supplement for anti-aging remedies because it prevents free radical damage by NF-kB inhibition, induces differentiation and immune cell responsiveness by apoptosis, enhances DNA repair, and kills tumor cells, which in turn are the major factors related to aging. (Sheng, Y., Pero, R. W., Amiri, A. and Bryngelsson, C. Induction of apoptosis and inhibition of proliferation and clonogenic growth of human leukemic cell lines treated with aqueous extracts of Uncaria tomentosa. Anticancer Research 18:3363-3368 (1998); Sandoval-Chacon M, Thompson J. H., Zhang X J, Liu X, Mannick E. E., Sadowicka H., Charbonet R. M., Clark D. A., Miller M. J. Anti-inflammatory actions of Cat's Claw: the role of NF-kappa B, Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 12: 1279-1289, 1998; Sandoval M., Charbonet R. M., Okuhama N. N., Roberts J., Krenova Z., Trentacosti, A. M., Miller M. J. Cat's Claw inhibits TNF-α production and scavenges free radicals: role in cytoprotection. Free Radicals Biol. Med. 29(1): 71-78, 2000). It is beneficial to identify the active component thereof. By isolating and identifying the active component, it is possible to purify the component and enhance the pharmaceutical use and increase the efficacy thereof.
The present invention is directed to the isolation, purification and identification of the CAEs characterized as the active ingredients of the Pero extract, which CAES are identified and structurally elucidated as quinic acid analogs.

Method for enhancing the DNA repair process, treating disorders associated with the DNA repair process, enhancing antitumor response and treating disorders associated with anti-tumor response in mammals by administering purified quinic acid and/or carboxy alkyl ester


A tire pressure gauge is provided mountable to a valve stem of a tire/wheel combination or to a rim of a wheel. The tire pressure gauge includes both a proximal display viewable by an individual adjacent the tire/wheel combination and a remote indicator of tire pressure status. This remote indicator can be in the form of a warning light or in the form of a remote display with a receiver/antenna communicating with a transmitter coupled to a pressure transducer which monitors tire pressure. Most preferably, both the warning light and remote display are provided together. A valve core is associated with the tire pressure sensor for ease in adding air to the tire when needed. The pressure transducer and warning light and/or transmitter are contained together within a transmission module preferably removably coupleable to a gauge including the tire pressure sensor and the proximal display.

One important criteria for safely operating a motor vehicle is the maintenance of proper pressure within tires of the vehicle. If tire pressure is not maintained, fuel economy is adversely affected and rates of tire wear increase. Additionally, handling of the vehicle can be adversely affected and the potential for abrupt failure of the tire is increased. Hence, it is advisable to monitor the pressure within vehicle tires on a regular basis.
One of the difficulties encountered in such regular tire pressure monitoring is that a significant amount of time is associated with monitoring tire pressure. In particular, a safety cap must be removed from the valve stem (and not misplaced). The gauge must be placed upon the valve stem of the tire. Care must be taken to make sure that a significant amount of air is not lost from the tire during this gauge installation process. The pressure can then be read from the gauge. If the tire pressure is adequate, the procedure is completed for that tire and the next tire can be checked. On a vehicle with multiple tires, this basic routine can be significantly time consuming, decreasing the likelihood that tire pressure monitoring will occur on a sufficiently frequent basis.
Compounding this difficulty is the inconvenience encountered when tire pressure is low and air needs to be added to the tire. First the gauge is removed. Then the vehicle is brought into proximity with a source of compressed air. Then compressed air is added to the tire. Unless an accurate gauge is associated with the source of compressed air, the source of compressed air must be removed after a relatively short period of time and the pressure gauge reinserted on the valve stem to take another reading. Typically, a half a dozen or so filling steps and measuring steps are involved before the tire pressure has been brought to the proper level.
It is known in the prior art to provide tire pressure gauges which are mountable upon a valve stem and which are sufficiently small and lightweight that they can remain mounted to the tire during operation of the tire. While this solves a portion of the problem, the difficulty associated with adding air to the tire is not alleviated. In at least two prior art patents, tire pressure gauges are taught which further allow for a source of compressed air to pass into the valve stem of the tire while the gauge remains upon the valve stem. In particular, U.S. Pat. No. 5,377,539 to LaSalle and U.S. Pat. No. 4,924,697 to Hunt (each incorporated herein by reference in their entirety) disclose tire pressure gauges which can mount on a valve stem of a tire and which also include a port through which compressed air can be added without removing the tire pressure gauge.
The tire pressure gauges taught by LaSalle and Hunt are not entirely satisfactory. In particular, in the case of LaSalle the fill port passes through a center of a face which is read to determine the pressure of the tire. A Bourdon tube supporting an indicator is wrapped around this fill tube. To accommodate this fill port passing through a center of the Bourdon tube, a customized Bourdon tube is required which significantly complicates the manufacture of the gauge taught by LaSalle. Also, reading the pressure indicated by the Bourdon tube is made more difficult by the presence of a valve core in a middle of a face of the gauge.
Another problem associated with most prior art tire pressure gauges is that they require viewing by a user when the vehicle is stopped. Often a low pressure condition (or an excessively high pressure condition) occurs while the vehicle is in motion. By the time the driver feels that the vehicle is not operating properly due to inappropriate tire pressure, often damage has already been done to the tire or wheel, or the driver has already consumed excessive fuel or has placed the vehicle in an unsafe condition should emergency handling be necessitated.
Prior art systems are known which include pressure transducers mounted to tire/wheel assemblies and which transmit this pressure signal to a receiver coupled to a display which the vehicle operator can view while the vehicle is in operation to monitor tire pressure status. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 5,694,111 to Huang and U.S. Pat. No. 4,970,491 to Saint each teach systems which can sense pressure and allow a driver of a vehicle to monitor this pressure remotely. However, such systems are deficient in numerous respects.
In particular, such systems provide a high degree of complexity (thus increasing cost) and are not simple and intuitive for an operator to use. These systems include multiple channels for the multiple wheels of the vehicle and involve transmission of a large amount of information, such as pressure data for multiple wheels. When a reading is provided on the display which indicates that a tire requires air pressure adjustment, an operator must have a high degree of familiarity with the system to be able to find the appropriate tire, especially on large commercial trucks which can often have eighteen or more wheels. Once the wheel having the improper air pressure is found, the user is still faced with a relatively tedious process of utilizing some additional tire pressure gauge and source of compressed air to alternately adjust the air pressure, take a new tire pressure reading, and continue iteratively until the desired tire pressure is achieved.
Accordingly, a need exists for a tire pressure gauge which has a signal transmission capability but which maintains simplicity and can be easily used to determine which wheel has improper air pressure and which readily facilitates air pressure adjustment.

Tire pressure gauge with data transmitter


The present invention relates to systems for launching and retrieving underwater craft from a ship. It consists mainly of a handling cradle for launching and retrieving an underwater vehicle, comprising a frame forming a dorsal ridge and providing an interface between lifting means, a crane for example, and the underwater vehicle. This frame comprises: means for adjusting the overall buoyancy; means for automatically aligning the vehicle with the dorsal ridge formed by the frame; means for grasping the vehicle from the surface after the frame has been aligned with the vehicle. In a preferred embodiment, the cradle comprises an onboard video camera enabling the operator onboard the ship to ensure that the vehicle attachment and release operations are carried out correctly. The invention advantageously allows the vehicle to be launched and retrieved automatically when the vehicle is under the surface in an area where it is not subject to the effects of the swell.

The handling of a unmanned underwater vehicle, by a transport platform, a ship for example, has hitherto generally required the intervention of human operators. A lifting tool is generally used, of crane type, available onboard for various lifting operations. This lifting tool can be used simply to move the underwater vehicle on the platform, to deposit it on the surface of the water and to raise it back onboard from the surface.
During launching, the attaching of the vehicle to the crane and then its release are then performed manually by operators responsible for handling. A team positioned on the deck of the platform attaches the vehicle to the crane cable and a team positioned onboard a light craft, of inflatable craft type for example, releases the vehicle while the latter is floating on the surface.
Conversely, during the retrieval of the vehicle, a team positioned onboard a light craft attaches the vehicle from the surface, while a team positioned on the deck of the platform releases the vehicle.
This type of handling, in addition to the fact that it involves a large number of operators, also has the drawback that attachment and release operations must be carried out while the vehicle is on the surface and it is therefore subject to wave movement. Consequently, launching and retrieving a vehicle in heavy weather is difficult. First of all, it requires the operators to perform attachment and release operations in heavy weather, from a light craft which is ill suited to this type of weather. Then, it requires the underwater vehicle to be positioned on the surface in proximity to the platform while the movement of the waves makes it impossible to maintain a fixed position.
Consequently, in heavy weather, launching and retrieving the underwater vehicle becomes perilous both at the human level through the danger to which the operators responsible for handling are subject, and at the equipment level through the risk of damage by collision both to the transport platform and the light craft and to the underwater vehicle. Thus, the use of the underwater vehicle in all weathers is generally handled from a dedicated platform, equipped with specific means closely adapted to the vehicle concerned, enabling the vehicle to be attached and released automatically.

System for automatically launching and retrieving an underwater drone


An electronic device is disclosed, which includes a first unit and a second unit. The first unit includes a housing and a connecting member disposed on the housing. The second unit includes a stand, wherein a guiding rail is formed on the support. When the first unit is selectively connected to the second unit, the connecting member of the first unit is inserted into the guiding rail of the second unit and moves therein so as to allow the electronic device to be adjusted into different configurations.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic device and, more particularly, to an electronic device which is able to be used in variant configurations.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are various bases and charging units in the prior art for supporting various types of portable electronic devices (e.g., tablet PCs, e-readers, etc.). Most of these devices mount the device in an upright orientation, and the orientation angle is not adjustable. Thus, the user is not able to select a degree of incline that is best suited for his or her use.
Additionally, instead of receiving input through the customary keyboard input devices, the portable electronic devices provide user interaction through a touch interface on the display that accepts stylus or touch gestures. Since it is not convenient for the users to input data by the touch interface, an additional mechanical keyboard module is selectively applied to the portable electronic device. Thus, a need exists for a mechanism which facilitates fast assembly of portable electronic devices and a keyboard module.


Use of potassium for the production of a cardioplegic solution for the prevention of stone heart development during acute cardiac ventricular fibrillation in connection with cardiopulmonary resuscitation is described, as well as a cardioplegic solution comprising potassium and a method for the prevention of stone heart developement during acute cardiac ventricular fibrillation in connection with cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

In the Western world 30% of all deaths is due to ischemic heart disease, i.e. coronary atherosclerosis. In about 70% of these deaths acute ventricular fibrillation causes the circulatory arrest. In about 30% of these deaths electromechanical dissociation, i.e. heart arrest without ventricular fibrillation, is the reason for acute death. Most of these deaths occur outside hospitals. Before effective cardiopulmonary resuscitation can be initiated several minutes without any form of cardiac massage often occur. When the heart does not receive blood and energy, the ionic pumps of the heart muscle cells become more and more inefficient which results in an increase of the intracellular concentration of calcium. When the intracellular concentration of calcium increases, the contractile state of the heart increases. Ultimately, a condition described as "stone heart" or ischemic contraction of the heart occurs. Cooley described in 1972 an ischemic contraction condition of the heart and called it "stone heart". He described the heart in these cases as small and irreversibly contracted, and it appeared to be literally frozen in systole, as certain protein structures of the heart muscle cells are irreversibly disrupted. If such a condition occurs during cardiopulmonary resuscitation, it is not possible to perform effective external or internal heart massage, because there will be no lumen left in the ventricles and therefore no possibility for the blood to pass through the heart. The clinical result of cardiopulmonary resuscitation as it is practiced today for patients dying outside hospital is very poor, with a mortality of around 97-98%. In most cases, it is not possible to perform effective heart massage 20 minutes after the cardiac arrest, and in some countries there is a recommendation that if you can not bring the heart to work within 20 minutes, you may declare the patient dead and stop all types of cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
When a patient's heart today stops outside a hospital the general population has been trained in doing cardiopulmonary resuscitation. This consists of mouth to mouth blowing in of expiratory air and manual compression of the chest, i.e. 5 compressions of the chest, followed by 1 inblow of expiratory air or 2 inblows and 15 chest compressions. A cardiac output of about 10-15% of the normal output in rest may be obtained by manual external chest compression, and this low output is not enough to give the heart enough blood to survive more than for a few minutes. If especially well trained personnel arrive to the accident place, defibrillation of the heart is tried if ventricular fibrillation is diagnosed, and the patient is intubated and ventilated with 100% oxygen. It is also very difficult to transport a patient having circulatory arrest into hospital because it is not possible to perform effective external chest compression during transportation in the ambulance. For that reason most of these patients are declared dead if they not can be saved on the accident place. Thus, there is a great world-wide need to develop methods and means for treatment of such patients also under transport until access to adequate artificial circulation means at hospitals or other medical centres.


The present disclosure relates to a vehicle that includes a windshield and a frame. In addition, the vehicle includes a first pillar that extends from one side of the windshield. The first pillar includes a first wall and a second wall coupled to the first wall. The first pillar also includes a first portion and a second portion. The first portion includes a first interior support coupled to the first wall and a second interior support coupled to the second wall. Further, the first interior support includes a first end which is spaced from a second end in the second portion.

Mass transport vehicles, such as vans and buses, are designed to ferry a large number of people. Recently, new kinds of mass transport vehicles, such as electric pod taxis, provide a larger volume in a cabin compartment. The larger volume for the cabin compartment is achieved by pushing the upper body architecture boundary in both forward and rearward directions. Such configurations vehicles have smaller front end crumple zones or crash zones. For instance, the distance between a front fascia of the vehicle and the cabin compartment may be reduced.


An auto-focusing apparatus controls backlash compensation driving of a focus lens during exposure preparation when focusing is performed by moving the focus lens to a target position of the focus lens. A shutter release time lag can be reduced, and in particular, the auto-focusing apparatus can be usefully applied to the case where a moving subject is photographed.

1. Field
Embodiments relate to an auto-focusing apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are related-art methods of previously obtaining a target position of a focus lens by using a phase difference Automatic Focusing (AF) module and of performing lens driving during a release time lag so as to focus on a subject (moving object) that moves in a direction of an optical axis of a camera (U.S. Pat. No. 5,005,039, U.S. Pat. No. 5,196,881, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,434,638). Focusing can also be performed by using the methods even when a moving subject (moving object) is photographed.
In contrast AF type cameras using an imaging device, a peak of focus evaluation values is detected, and a target position of a focus lens corresponding to the peak is detected. Thus, the target position cannot be previously predicted. In contrast AF type cameras using an image device, the target position of the focus lens cannot be previously obtained, and it takes time to detect the peak of the focus evaluation values. Thus, it is not easy to focus on the moving object. JP 2009-012174 discloses a method of predicting a target position of a focus lens with respect to a moving object by using focus evaluation values even in contrast AF type cameras. However, the method disclosed in JP 2009-012174 does not consider backlash compensation driving. Thus, focusing is not substantially performed, and there is no reality. In addition, functions of shutter or diaphragm control are not considered with respect to the moving object during a release time lag, and there is no function of compensating for the release time lag of a camera.


A method of manufacturing a layer pattern of a semiconductor device, the method including forming an anti-reflective coating (ARC) layer on an etching object layer such that the ARC layer includes a polymer having an imide group; forming a photoresist pattern on the ARC layer; wet etching portions of the ARC layer exposed by the photoresist pattern to form an ARC layer pattern; and etching the etching object layer using the photoresist pattern as an etch mask to form the layer pattern.

1. Field
Embodiments relate to methods of forming layer patterns of a semiconductor device.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a process of manufacturing a semiconductor device, an etching object layer may be etched using an etch mask including an anti-reflective coating (ARC) layer and a photoresist pattern to form a pattern.

Methods of forming layer patterns of a semiconductor device