An invention is provided for a reactive placement controller for interfacing with a banked memory storage. The reactive placement controller includes a read/write module, which is coupled to a command control module for a banked memory device. A command queue is included that comprises a plurality of queue entries coupled in series, with a top queue entry coupled to the read/write module. Each queue entry is capable of storing a memory command. Each queue entry includes its own queue control logic that functions to control storage of new memory commands into the command queue to reduce latency of commands in the command queue.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to memory interfaces, and more particularly to a reactive placement controller for ordering and inserting data transfer commands for banked memory storage.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many memory devices are designed to have a banking nature in order to increase the density of the memory. Unfortunately, the banking nature of the memory devices requires additional cycles to perform setup operations for memory access operations. For example, FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a prior art dynamic random access memory (DRAM) 100. The exemplary DRAM 100 includes a plurality of memory banks 102a-102d, each associated with a page holder 104a-104d.
Each memory bank 102a-102d is divided into a plurality of pages 108a-108b of data. For example, a particular DRAM could store 32 megabits of data in each memory bank 102a-102d. In this case, each memory bank 102a-102d stores about four thousand pages 108a-108b, with each page 108a-108b having about four thousand bits of data.
The DRAM 100 is a very dense memory array, however data access to the DRAM 100 can be slow because of the setup time required to access the memory banks 102a-102d. For example, to access stored data, a request is made for a particular page within a particular memory bank. This request typically takes the form of a row address corresponding to the selected page, and a bank address corresponding to the selected bank. For example, a read request can be received for data stored in page 108a of memory bank 102a. In response, page 108a is transferred to the page holder 104a, which is associated with memory bank 102a. To access particular data within the selected page 108a, a column address is provided that points to the desired data. Each column address points to a segment of data within the selected page that is the width of the DRAM. For example, if the output 106 of the DRAM 100 is sixteen bits, each column address points to sixteen bits of data within the page 108a stored in the page holder 104a. Increased efficiency is obtained by associating a page holder 104a-104d with each memory bank 102a-102d, allowing each memory bank 102a-102d to operate independently.
In a DRAM, such as illustrated in FIG. 1, the worst efficiency occurs when two memory access operations are received for different pages in the same memory bank, as illustrated next in FIG. 2A. FIG. 2A is a timing diagram illustrating a prior art DRAM access of two different pages in the same memory bank. In a first clock cycle 1, the DRAM receives a request for data located on page 108a of memory bank 102a. In this example it is assumed four cycles are required to transfer the requested page from the memory bank to the associated page holder. Thus, in clock cycle 5 a read request can be processed for page holder 104a, which is associated with memory bank 102a and currently stores page 108a. Here, sixty-four bits of data are requested requiring four cycles to complete.
The process of pushing a page from a memory bank to a page holder erases the page data from the memory bank. Hence, when a second page is to be pushed into the same page holder, the first page must be stored back into the memory bank if the data is to be retained. This is referred to as a precharge or refresh. Hence, after the requested data is read, page 108a is stored back into memory bank 102a requiring, in this example, two additional clock cycles. Thereafter, on cycle 12, the request for data located on page 108a′ of memory bank 102a can begin processing.
After twelve clock cycles only four sixteen-bit data chunks have been received, which is unacceptable for many systems. To decrease this latency, systems have been developed to "look ahead" in the data stream to more efficiently send requests to the banked memory device. FIG. 2B is a timing diagram illustrating a prior art DRAM access of two different pages in the same memory bank wherein an additional memory access command is inserted to increase data access efficiency. In the example of FIG. 2B, the memory interface has determined that a third request for a page located in memory bank 102b has been received. Since memory banks 102a and 102b can operate independently, memory access can be improved by processing both data requests together. Thus, the request for page 108b in memory bank 102b is inserted in clock cycle 2. As above, it is assume four cycles are required to transfer page 108b from the memory bank 102b to the associated page holder 104b. Although the requested data is available on clock cycle 6, the DRAM output is being utilized in that clock cycle to output the data from page 108a. Thus, the output for page 108b begins after the data for page 108a is read, in clock cycle 10. Now, after twelve clock cycles seven sixteen-bit data chunks have been output from the DRAM, which is improved from FIG. 2A.
FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing an exemplary prior art DRAM controller 300 for reordering memory access commands to increase DRAM efficiency. The DRAM controller 300 includes a command input 302, a plurality of queue entries 304 coupled to a multiplexer 308, and a queue control 306 that provides control signals to the multiplexer 308. The multiplexer 308 also is coupled to a read/write control 312, which provides data to a command control 314. In addition, the queue control 306 is coupled to a bank control 310 that also provides data to the command control 314.
As illustrated in FIG. 3, most queues for DRAM controllers are based on a standard circular queue with separate bank control module. In the DRAM controller 300, the queue entries 304 only contain data for an individual command such as address, length, and read/write flag. The queue control module 306 has a direct connection to each queue entry 304 to determine which queue entry data to send to the read/write control module 312. The queue control module 306 selects which command to execute and tells the bank control module 310 to prepare the bank. When the bank is prepared queue control 306 selects the command to be sent to the read/write control module 312.
Unfortunately, the DRAM bank control presents a major problem in the prior art DRAM controller 300. As illustrated in FIG. 2B, commands to the memory to set up banks need to be ahead of the read/write command by a number of cycles. Because of this, the jobs of the queue control 306 and bank control 310 processes are difficult. A command needs to be selected a long time in advance in order to have the bank control module 310 address the bank to the correct address. When the number of banks in the system increases because of the controller 300 being configured for multiple ranks, the problem of bank control goes up exponentially.
The difficulty with the DRAM controller 300 is that as the number of queue entries 304 is expanded the multiplexer 308 to select the number of queue entries 304 also grows. This problem is increased also due to the fact that the multiplexer 308 is muxing a very large number of bits. The address, length, and read/write flag alone typically is about 40 bits. For example, if the number of queue entries 304 is sixteen, the total number of bits to mux is 16*40=640 bits. This large number of bits presents a problem in synthesis. Furthermore, the queue control module 306 adds additional time to the selection process because of the complex task the queue control module 306 performs. That is, selecting the correct command based on the command type and bank status and priority. The timing for the queue control module 306 also increases as the number of queue entries 304 increases.
In view of the foregoing, there is a need for a DRAM controller for ordering and inserting data transfer commands for banked memory storage that avoids exponential increases in complexity as the "look ahead" functionality increases. The DRAM controller should allow a linear progression of complexity as the number of queue entries increases instead of an exponential increase as is experienced in the prior art.

Reactive placement controller for interfacing with banked memory storage


A fast plugging power line connector includes a female body, a male body, two plugging plates, two line connecting bases and two terminal clips. The female body has a locking projection, a separating wall to divide it into two plugging grooves. The male body has a separating wall to divide it into two terminal grooves, and a restricting projection with a locking hook used to lock together with the locking projection. The plugging plates are fixed in the plugging grooves, respectively having two line-clipping grooves to clamp a power line. The two line connecting bases are inserted in the female body. The terminal clips are installed in the terminal grooves of the male body. With the locking hook of the male body locked with the locking projection of the female body, the power line connector is conveniently and safely assembled by a consumer.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a fast plugging power line connector, particularly to one able to be quickly and safely connected and used.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Commonly, a power line connector is used to connect two power lines so as to keep appliances or accessories connected to a power source. However, the conventional power line connectors are often abnormally or incorrectly used to damage the power source or the appliances and the accessories by consumers unfamiliar with the circuit because of their complicated structures or indistinct usage guidance.


A combustor liner segment seal member is provided that includes a center section, a forward flange, and an aft flange. The center section includes a base surface, a gas path surface, a forward side surface, and an aft side surface. The forward flange extends outwardly from the forward side surface, and includes a width, a height, a shell side surface, and a liner side surface. The aft flange extends outwardly from the aft side surface, and includes a width, a height, a shell side surface, and a liner side surface.

1. Technical Field
This disclosure relates generally to combustor walls for a gas turbine engine and, more particularly, to members for sealing between adjacent combustor liner segments.
2. Background Information
Typical combustors for a gas turbine engine are subject to high thermal loads for prolonged periods of time. These thermal loads can create significant thermal stresses in walls of the combustors. One method to alleviate thermal stress is to impinge cooling air against the back surface of combustor liner segments. The impingement cooling air enters the impingement cavities formed between the liner segments and the combustor shell through impingement holes disposed within the shell. The same cooling air is subsequently used to form film cooling on the exposed face of each liner segment. The cooling air passes through film cooling holes disposed in the liner segments (typically at an angle) to create a film of cooling air that both cools the segment surface and provides a insulating film that protects the liner surface.
In many instances, core gas flow path anomalies and hardware geometries create flow irregularities that lead to thermal hotspots where the increased temperature leads to accelerated thermal degradation. Gaps disposed between adjacent liner segments are particularly prone to thermal hotspots because of the local gas path patterns and inefficient cooling. These gaps typically extend from the core gas path exposed liner segment surfaces all the way to the surface of the combustor shell.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


In a token ring transmission system, token loss causes selection of a leader terminal, which issues a new token. The leader terminal is chosen by selecting and storing a leadership selection reference value and then generating a succession of terminal identification signals and transferring them on the token ring transmission system. Each terminal receives the succession of signals and iteratively compares the terminal identification signals sequentially with the leadership reference signal. Each time a terminal identification signal exceeds the magnitude of the leadership reference signal, the leadership reference value is replaced with the value of the terminal identification signal. The first terminal detecting equality of a terminal identification signal with its leadership selection reference signal assumes leadership and issues a token.

The invention is in the field of token ring systems, in which a token ring transmission network uni-directionally transmits data between terminals attached to the network by passing a data signal, termed a "token", which symbolizes authority to place data on the transmission network.
This invention particularly relates to a method and means for responding to loss of a token in a token ring network by choosing a leader terminal having the responsibility for regenerating the token and placing it on the transmission network.
Token ring systems are well understood in the art, and involve the use of a looped, uni-directional transmission system which connects a plurality of terminals for data exchange. A prior art token ring network is illustrated in FIG. 1 and consists of a set of receive/send (R/S) units 10, 12, 14, and 16, interconnected by uni-directional transmission links 10, 12; 12, 14; 14, 16; and 16, 10. The system is looped in that each send unit uni-directionally transmits over a respective link to the receive unit of one adjacent terminal. The receive unit's terminal has provision for providing the received information to the terminal's send unit so that the information is forwarded to the next adjacent terminal, and so on, until the information is eventually propagated around the ring, back to the receive unit of the originating terminal.
The prior art token ring system of FIG. 1 includes four terminals identified as a, d, s, and n, wherein the alphabetic character associated with each terminal also represents a unique identification code having a value with a magnitude which is relative to the magnitudes of the other terminals. In this regard, the identification code magnitudes of the prior art terminals of FIG. 1 have the relationship a<d<n<s.
The system of FIG. 1 is a "token passing" system in that any one of the terminals a, d, n, s is enabled to place data on the token ring network when it obtains a signal having a unique bit pattern called a "token". In FIG. 1, the token is continuously circulated in a clockwise direction in the token ring network. When the token is received at a terminal having data available for transmission, the terminal inserts the data into the token, changes the token's configuration to indicate that it is unavailable, identifies itself and the terminal which is to receive the data, and retransmits the altered token on the token ring network.
The token is circulated on the token ring network until it arrives at the designated receiving terminal, where the data is read, and the token, once again, is forwarded. When the token arrives back at the sending terminal, the data is removed, and the token is altered to an available state and retransmitted on the ring.
Token passing protocols may vary, to some extent, from the procedure outlined above. However, all share the common characteristics of uni-directional transmission in a closed-looped transmission system to which access is obtained according to a protocol based upon a circulating token.
In token ring systems, a problem commonly arises when terminal failure or system noise obliterates or alters a circulating token. To recover synchronicity and reimplement the data transfer protocol, a new token must be generated to replace the lost or altered one. This can be done by designation of a master terminal having primary responsibility for token generation, system synchronization, and protocol oversight. Of course, if such a master terminal fails, the system will either fail totally or recover in a reduced-capacity state by transfer of master terminal duties to a subservient terminal.
In other token ring systems, system oversight and control is transferrable, with responsibility for token regeneration allocated according to a democratic procedure. In such systems, an algorithm or procedure is invoked to designate a "leader" terminal having responsibility for maintenance of a circulating token, and for regeneration of a lost or altered token.
Since a token ring network is intended to provide a high degree of communications availability, a token regeneration scheme must provide fast recovery from loss of a token in the form of speedy token regeneration. Preferably, token regeneration is preceded by selection of a leader terminal, following which the selected leader generates a new token. Implicit in this process is that leader selection be rapid, unambiguous, and as simple as possible.
The prior art procedures for token regeneration are based upon circulation of terminal identification codes in the event of token loss. In one procedure, all healthy terminals place their own identification codes on the token ring and forward all received identification codes. The first terminal to recognize its own code interrupts the procedure and generates the token. In another procedure, each terminal retransmits only identification codes having a predetermined magnitude relationship with its own identification code. Thus, for example, each terminal will retransmit only an identification code having a greater magnitude than its own. In this scheme, the first terminal receiving its identification code becomes the leader.

Method and means for leader choosing on a token ring system

International Business Machines Corporation


Disclosed are, inter alia, methods, apparatus, computer-storage media, mechanisms, and means associated with registration of optical device characteristics of optical network devices with an optical control layer of the optical network for use in establishing compatible connections through the optical network. Especially end network devices and internal network optical devices that regenerate the optical signal register their communication capabilities of their optical interfaces with the optical control layer of an optical network. This registration allows a light path to be established through the optical network which is compatible with the registered capabilities. The optical control layer may be centralized in an optical layer server and/or distributed among optical devices in the optical network, such as on control processors in multiple, optical layer devices.

The communications industry is rapidly changing to adjust to emerging technologies and ever increasing customer demand. This customer demand for new applications and increased performance of existing applications is driving communications network and system providers to employ networks and systems having greater speed and capacity (e.g., greater bandwidth). Dense wavelength-division multiplexing (DWDM) is being used to carry more traffic over a single optical fiber. As the name suggests, this technology transmits multiple signals simultaneously at different wavelengths on a same fiber. In one application, DWDM technology is being used to expand the bandwidth capacity of existing backbone networks. In order to communicate between optical devices, a light path is configured through an optical network between the optical devices, with this light path possibly including an optical regenerator.

Registration of device characteristics with optical layer for use in establishing connections through an optical network


A helmet comprising a shell, a wire guard, at least one spacer, and at least one fastener. The shell has at least one attachment portion which includes an outer surface. The wire guard has at least one attachment portion corresponding to the at least one attachment portion of the shell. The attachment portion of the wire guard includes an inner surface. Each spacer has an outer surface corresponding to the inner surface of a the attachment portion of the wire guard. Each spacer also has an inner surface corresponding to the outer surface of the attachment portion of the shell. The at least one fastener engages each spacer with the corresponding attachment portions of the shell and wire guard.

Most batting helmets include or can be used with a faceguard. A faceguard may take the form of a wire guard, and will be referred to hereinafter as a "wire guard" for ease of reference, although it should be noted that other types of faceguards are also included. However, different helmet sizes are manufactured for different age ranges. Even within age ranges, different helmet sizes are often needed simply to accommodate the many possible head sizes of players. Therefore, there are generally several different helmet sizes for a particular model. To create different helmet sizes, two different techniques are used. In the first, different shells with different actual sizes are manufactured. In the second, a single larger shell size is manufactured, and different amounts of padding are added inside to create different "sizes."
Each helmet size will generally have an optional or included wire guard. Manufacturers that produce a different size shell for each helmet size also need to create a specific wire guard size for each size shell. This is illustrated in FIG. 1, which shows a prior art helmet 100. The helmet 100 includes a shell 105, which has attachment points 110A and 100B on either side. In this case, the prior art shell 105 is a smaller shell. The helmet 100 also includes a wire guard 115, which also includes corresponding attachment points 120A, 120B on either side. However, as shown in FIG. 1, if the wire guard 115 is made for a larger helmet shell, it will not fit onto the smaller shell 105. Consequently, each helmet shell size needs its own corresponding wire guard. The number of SKUs thereby increases because each wire guard needs its own SKU.
Alternatively, manufacturers that use one shell for all sizes do not need to manufacture different wire guards for each helmet size. A single wire guard size fits all of their helmet sizes, because all of their helmet sizes utilize the same shell. However, the use of a single, larger shell size creates its own problems. As noted above, increasing amounts of foam in the shell are used to create "smaller" sizes. Thus, the smaller sizes actually include the most material, which leads to the highest cost. Retailers and consumes generally feel smaller size helmets should be the same or cheaper than the larger size helmets, resulting in the manufacturer having a lower margin.
Thus, there is a continuing need for improved helmet and faceguard system that would allow a single wire guard to fit generally any corresponding shell size.


A flexible hub connection is disclosed for joining a first rotatable shaft with a second rotatable shaft so that torque can be transmitted between the shafts through the connection. The connection comprises a first flexible means having a first flex plane, a second flexible means having a second flex plane and, an intermediate member. The first flexible means is connected between the first rotatable shaft and the intermediate member, while the second flexible means is connected between the intermediate member and the second rotatable shaft. The first flex plane and second flex plane being substantially coplanar.

Disc pack couplings are commonly used to connect a driving shaft, from a power output apparatus such as a motor or a turbine, to a shaft to be driven, which is connected to a power input apparatus such as a pump or a generator.
It is not always possible to construct or position the power output apparatus and the power input apparatus so that the driving shaft (the shaft being driven) and driven shaft (the shaft being driven) are exactly aligned. In any case, the running of the machines, wear and tear, and environmental factors may later the relative positions of the driving shaft and driven shaft. The coupling between the driving shaft and driven shaft must be able to account for or compensate for such changes in alignment. In some applications, the coupling may also have to cope with sudden changes of rotation, and the direction of rotation changing.
A common means of doing this is the use of disc pack couplings. A spacer shaft is located between the driven shaft and the driving shaft. Disc packs are placed between the driven shaft and the spacer shaft to join them, and between the driving shaft and the spacer shaft. Each disc pack comprises a plurality of annular plates. Each disc pack is attached to the two shafts it joins at alternating points around its body, so that the disc pack can flex between these alternating connections. The disc pack transfers torque, so that rotation of the driving shaft causes the spacer shaft to rotate, which in turn causes the driven shaft to rotate. The disc pack though can flex to accommodate an axial separation between the spacer shaft and the driven shaft, an angular misalignment, or a combination of these two things. The joint provided by the disc pack between the driving shaft and the spacer shaft flexes in the same manner.
Misalignment of the input and driving shafts may be characterised as angular (where the two shafts' axes are not parallel), radial (where the two shafts' axes are parallel but not co-axial) and axial (where the distance between the ends of the two shafts is incorrect), and in general a combination of each type of misalignment will be present.
The amount of misalignment that a single disc pack can accommodate, known as the maximum angular misalignment, is particularly influenced by the size of the disc pack and the torque that is to be transmitted. Typically though, a disc pack can accommodate ½° to 1½° of angular misalignment. This also determines the amount of radial misalignment that the two disc packs and spacer shaft can accommodate. If axial alignment must be accommodated, this reduces the angle that the disc pack can accommodate.


A dishwashing composition comprising a hydrophobic emollient and an enzyme, preferably a protease, to provide improved hand skin care benefits and superior cleaning and/or suds mileage.

During the manual dishwashing process, hands of users are exposed to dishwashing detergents. Such compositions comprise surfactants and other ingredients which can damage the skin and/or cause skin irritation and dryness. Some users will therefore feel the need to apply soothing or moisturizing cream in order to restore moisturization, after the dishwashing process.
EP0410567 and WO2008046778 illustrate liquid dishwashing detergent compositions comprising low levels of emollients to give skin care benefit.
However, there remains an unmet need for a shelf stable liquid dishwashing composition that prevents skin damage and even provides superior moisture maintenance, improved skin feel and skin appearance, while not affecting the cleaning and sudsing performance of said liquid dishwashing composition.
It has been found that liquid dishwashing compositions comprising a combination of a protease and hydrophobic emollient does provide the right equilibrium between the necessary improvement in skin care, especially sensory benefits such as skin smoothness, softness, suppleness, and improved skin appearance, as well as the superior cleaning, shine and suds. A further advantage of the present invention is that the skin care benefit can be delivered under the variable conditions typically found during dishwashing such as from neat application to dilute conditions.


A cannabinoid receptor modulator containing a compound represented by Formula (I0)

Cannabinoid receptors belong to G-protein conjugated receptor having the seven transmembraneous domain. Among these, CB1 receptor is predominately distributed in the central nervous system, of which existence is known by Devane W A et al. (Molecular Pharmacology, 34, 605-613 (1988)). CB2 receptor, which has a predominant cell distribution in the immune system and in the peripheral tissues, has been discovered by Munro S et al. (Nature, 365, 61-65 (1993)). CB1 receptor and CB2 receptor show 48% of homology. 97-99% amino acid sequence of CB1 receptor is maintained in rat, mouse and human.
In the brain, CB1 receptor exists predominately in hippocampus, striatum, substanta nigra, basal forebrain area, olfactory bulb and cerebellum, and little in the brain stem, medulla and thalamus. CB1 receptor is localized in the presynapse, and is considered to control inhibitively the release of neurotransmitters (Trends Pharmacological Sciences, 22, 565-572 (2001)). For CB1 receptor, four kinds of agonist are well known, i.e., classic cannabinoids of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) derivatives which are dibenzopyran rings, non-classic cannabinoids which are bicyclic and tricyclic derivatives prepared by cleavage of the pyran rings of the THC structure, aminoalkyl indols, and arachidonic acid derivatives such as anandamide which is known as an endogenous agonist (Science, 258, 1946-1949 (1992)).
WIN55,212-2, a cannabinoid receptor agonist, has been reported to inhibit neural cell death based on cerebral ischemia (Journal of Neuroscience, 19, 2987-2995 (1999)). The action is believed to be caused by inhibiting the release of glutamic acid through the activation of the CB1 receptor in the presynapse of glutamic acid neuron. Further, anandamide which is an endogenous ligand has been reported to show inhibitory action on neural cell death after brain injury (Nature, 413, 527-531 (2001)). Further, Baker et al. have reported that WIN55,212-2, JWH-133, THC and methanandamide, which are cannabinoid receptor agonists, improved tremor or spasticity in the animal model of multiple sclerosis (Nature, 404, 84 (2000)).
Cerebrovascular disorders are the 2nd or 3rd leading cause of death in Japan, USA and Europe, and the 1st leading cause of serious aftereffect of diseases, incurring a big medical loss. At present, active treatment to resolve the etiology (tPA, etc.) is performed for some of the patients suffering from cerebro-embolism and cerebro-thrombus, but it can be applied only to several percentages of the patients due to limited time-window for treatment. In most cases, only maintenance therapy of inhibiting cerebral edema and suppressing recurrence or enlargement (thrombolytics) has been performed, but effective drugs for treating the etiology or protecting the brain have not been developed. So far, many drugs having various mechanisms (e.g., glutamate antagonist, calcium antagonist, antioxidant, etc.) have been tried, but most of them have failed in the clinical trials.
Clinical efficacy of the brain-hypothermia therapy as a brain protecting therapy, has been studied, with building up intensive care system for cerebral stroke. Brain-hypothermia therapy is a therapy that maintains the brain temperature (cerebral temperature) low as 32 to 33° C., which has prominent brain-protecting effects. Therefore, this therapy has been drawing attention. However, this therapy requires 24-hour intensive care by intensive treatment facility and many staffs, which makes it difficult to be accepted as a general therapy.
On the other hand, the following compounds have been reported as a compound which has an aminoacyl group on the benzene ring of a bicyclic heterocycle in which the benzene is fused with a 5-membered heterocycle.
1) A compound represented by the following Formula

[wherein, R3 is an acylamino group, etc.] (Pamphlet of WO02/085866) which has analgesic action.
2) A compound represented by the following Formula

[wherein, W is an acylamino group, etc.] which has proliferating and differentiating action on stem cells or precursor cells of neuron (JP-A-2002-348239).
3) A compound represented by the following Formula
[wherein, the group NR1R2 is an amincacyl group, etc.] which has sodium channel regulating action (Pamphlet of WO98/08842).

Abstract: wherein, X is an oxygen atom, etc., R0 is an optionally substituted acylamino group, ring A0 is a benzene ring which may further have a substituent in addition to R0, and ring B is an optionally substituted 5-membered heterocycle, or a salt thereof or a prodrug thereof.


An adhesive tape is made by hot calendering a substrate between two generally identical rolls one of which is heated to a different temperature than the other roll while rotating the rolls at the same peripheral speed to flatten one face of the substrate and reduce air permeability of the substrate by at least 15%. Then an adhesive coating is applied to at least one of the faces of the substrate.

An adhesive tape having the structure described above is described in DE 603 04 186 [US 2005/0227559]. This is essentially intended for working with a warp-knitted substrate comprising a weft yarn that has a higher titer than the knitting yarn. An adhesive coating is applied to the substrate. The substrate as a whole is of closed design to substantially prevent the adhesive from passing through it. For this purpose, the substrate is fed by rolls, among other means, of which at least one is heated. In this way, at least one face of the substrate is flattened, and optionally supports the melting or fusion of the substrate. As a result, a relatively flat, closed surface is formed on one face of the substrate.
The known adhesive tape has generally established itself as successful, but it is capable of improvement with regard to mechanical stability. Because such warp-knit substrates with a weft yarn, which has a higher titer than knitting yarn are not well suited to the extreme loads to which they are subjected when used for bundling cables in cars. It is true that the weft yarns in such warp-knitted substrates are the to run essentially parallel to each other along the length of the tape to cause the tape to tear. But this does not alter the fact that the mechanical stability required for the previously described use in cars is lacking.
A particularly suitable adhesive tape for automotive applications is presented in EP 1 448 744 [US 2004/0253889]. In this case, a substrate is created in the form of a woven or non-woven fabric having at least some areas on one or both faces with a surface that has been smoothed by grinding. Calender rolls are used for this, and are operated at different speeds to create friction with the surface that is to be ground smooth. In this way, a high gloss or chintz effect is created here, together with a practically closed, and consequently dirt-repellent surface. The surface formed thereby is more or less impermeable to various media such as oil, diesel, petrol etc., and resistant to dirt. As a result, the adhesive can be applied to the substrate easily and without penetrating or passing through it.
The process of grinding smooth described in EP 1 448 744 B1 requires that the rolls run at different circumferential speeds. In fact, a heated hard steel roll is most often used against a soft mating roll. The expense associated with technical equipment of this kind is not altogether inconsiderable. This is the situation on which the invention is based.

Method of making adhesive wrapping tape for bundling cables in cars


A hydraulic system includes one or more hydraulic subsystems that have a source of additional flow for supplying an auxiliary system. The hydraulic system may include one or more actuator systems, a boost system, and a further hydraulic system, such as a steering system. The source of additional flow for supplying the auxiliary system may include: sizing the boost system for providing both full boost function and auxiliary function, sizing the steering system for providing both full steering function and auxiliary function, utilizing available flow from an unused actuator function, and/or utilizing a selector manifold for actively selecting the source of auxiliary flow based on the flow and pressure demands of the respective hydraulic systems. Such a hydraulic system enables flow to be available to an auxiliary function regardless of the flow requirements for the actuator functions and/or other vehicle functions, while also minimizing interactions and flow disruptions to the various hydraulic subsystems.

An excavator is an example of a construction machine that uses multiple hydraulic actuators or cylinders to accomplish a variety of tasks, such as operation of a boom, an arm, a bucket, and swing. These actuators are fluidly connected to a pump that provides pressurized fluid to extend and retract the actuators for effecting movement of a work tool or tools (implements). Once the hydraulic energy is utilized, pressurized fluid flows from the actuator to a valve. The return fluid typically is at a higher pressure than the pressure in the reservoir and hence contains energy that is wasted once it crosses the valve and enters the reservoir.
To recover energy from the return fluid, the hydraulic system could utilize a servo system in which a regenerative capable electric motor would power or be powered by a fixed displacement, bi-directional pump. A regenerative capable inverter would supply power to the electric motor when the pump is required to provide power to the actuator and would consume and regenerate power to power storage from fluid being returned to either the opposing side of the actuator or to the reservoir.
In a typical unbalanced (differential) hydraulic cylinder, the cross-sectional area of a head-end or extend chamber of the cylinder is greater than the cross-sectional area of a rod-end or retract chamber. When the cylinder is extended, more fluid is needed to fill the head-end chamber of the cylinder than is being discharged from the rod-end chamber. Conversely, less fluid is needed to fill the rod-end chamber than is being discharged from the head-end chamber when the cylinder is being retracted.
A boost system may use a boost pump for supplying fluid to a fluid make-up/communication line that is in communication with inlet/outlet ports of bi-directional pump(s) that supply fluid to the cylinder, and a motor for driving the pump. The make-up/communication line selectively is in fluid communication with one of the inlet/outlet ports of the bi-directional pump when the other of the inlet/output ports is supplying pressurized fluid to the cylinder, thereby to provide hydraulic fluid at a desired inlet pressure to prevent cavitation. A steering system may also be provided with a pump for supplying fluid pressure and flow to a hydraulic circuit separate from the main task actuators.
An auxiliary system may also be provided. The auxiliary system uses hydraulic pressure and flow to turn motors or feed cylinders which operate auxiliary implements, such as brushes, snow blowers, forks, etc. On typical machines, flow and pressure for the auxiliary system may be supplied from the main hydraulic system pumps used to power the steering and/or main implement functions. However, this may cause significant loss in performance to one or more of these functions, since an auxiliary system running at high demand may siphon off too much power from the steering and/or main implement functions.


A method controls one or more attributes of a secondary video stream for display in combination with a primary video stream. The method comprises: identifying a primary video stream; identifying a secondary video stream; assigning one or more settings for one or more attributes of said secondary video stream to a predetermined set of one or more user identifiers; identifying the user identifier associated with a given video processing module; determining the one or more attribute settings assigned to the user identifier; and processing the secondary video stream for display in combination with the primary video stream in accordance with the one or more attribute settings for the user identifier.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a method, an apparatus or a program product for controlling one or more attributes of a secondary video stream for display in combination with a primary video stream.
2. Background of the Invention
Commercial television broadcasts commonly include interludes in programming in which advertisements are broadcast. Such advertisements may be inserted within a discrete programming element such as a television program or film and thus interrupt the respective programming element. For example, when viewing a live event, such as a sports fixture, the viewer may be denied viewing of one or more critical parts of the event due to such critical parts coinciding with the broadcast of advertisements. For some events, this degradation of the viewing experience may be reduced by ad-hoc scheduling of advertisements breaks to coincide with natural beaks in the live events such as half-time intervals in football or the time between overs in cricket. However, such ad-hoc scheduling is a time consuming manual process. Furthermore, this technique is not applicable where the activity in the viewed event in continuous, that is, the event comprises no natural breaks suitable for the insertion of advertisements.

Controlling one or more attributes of a secondary video stream for display in combination with a primary video stream

International Business Machines Corporation


An epitaxial structure for a non-planar transistor is provided. A substrate has a fin-shaped structure. A gate is disposed across the fin-shaped structure. A silicon germanium epitaxial structure is disposed on the fin-shaped structure beside the gate, wherein the silicon germanium epitaxial structure has 4 <1,1,1> surfaces and its aspect ratio of width and thickness is at a range of 1:1˜1.3. A method for forming said epitaxial structure is also provided.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an epitaxial structure and process thereof for a non-planar transistor, and more specifically to an epitaxial structure and process thereof for a non-planar transistor, which has 4<1,1,1> surfaces.
2. Description of the Prior Art
For decades, chip manufacturers have been making metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) transistors faster by making them smaller. As semiconductor processes advance to the very deep sub-micron era such as 65 nm node or beyond, how to increase the driving current for MOS transistors has become a critical issue. In order to improve device performance, crystal strain technology has been developed. Crystal strain technology is becoming more and more attractive as a means for getting better performance in the field of MOS transistor fabrication. Putting a strain on a semiconductor crystal alters the speed at which charges move through that crystal. Strain makes MOS transistors work better by enabling electrical charges, such as electrons, to pass more easily through the silicon lattice of the gate channel. Attempts have been made to use a strained silicon layer, which is grown epitaxially on a silicon substrate with a silicon germanium (SiGe) epitaxial structure or a silicon carbide (SiC) epitaxial structure disposed in between. In this type of MOS transistor, a biaxial compressive or tensile strain occurs in the epitaxy silicon layer due to the silicon germanium or silicon carbide having a larger or smaller lattice constant than silicon; as a result, the band structure alters, and the carrier mobility increases. This enhances the speed performance of the MOS transistors.
With increasing miniaturization of semiconductor devices, various multi-gate MOSFET devices such as fin-field effect transistor devices have been developed. The multi-gate MOSFET is advantageous for the following reasons. Manufacturing processes of multi-gate MOSFET devices can be integrated into traditional logic device processes, and thus are more compatible. In addition, since the three-dimensional structure of the multi-gate MOSFET increases the overlapping area between the gate and the substrate, the channel region is controlled more effectively. This therefore reduces a drain-induced barrier lowering (DIBL) effect and a short channel effect. Moreover, the channel region is longer for the same gate length, which increases the current between the source and the drain.
Due to the above advantages of the epitaxy technology and the multi-gate MOSFET, attempts have been made in the current industry to integrate epitaxy technology with a multi-gate MOSFET to achieve the advantages of both.

Epitaxial structure and process thereof for non-planar transistor


A method and apparatus for providing the header checksum of a data packet.

Embodiments of the present invention relate to communication networks, and more particularly, to an apparatus and method for efficiently providing header checksums for data packets.
FIG. 1 abstracts a communication network, in which node A 102 communicates with node B 104 by sending and receiving data frames. Node A sends a data frame to node B by sending a data frame to router 110 via physical network 106, whereupon router 110 routes the data frame to node B via physical network 108. For simplicity, FIG. 1 illustrates only two nodes and one router communicating via two physical networks, but in practice, an Internet comprises many physical networks, routers, nodes, switches, and other devices. Nodes A and B may be, for example, computers, routers, or other types of processors.
The layered concept of communication is illustrated in FIG. 1, where layers 102a, 102t, 102i, and 102n provide, respectively, application, transport, internet, and network interface functions for node A; layers 104a, 104t, 104i, and 104n provide, respectively, application, transport, internet, and network interface functions for node B; and layers 110i and 110n provide, respectively, internet and network interface functions for router 110. The network interface layer may comprise a data link layer and a PHY layer. The transport layer may implement TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) and the Internet layer may implement IP (Internet Protocol). Various layers, or portions of the layers, may be implemented in hardware or software.
Application layers 102a and 104a are software layers running application programs that may be the source or destination of transmitted data. The transport, internet, and network interface layers pass packets between them. The layered concept employs encapsulation. The transport layer receives data from the application layer, and creates a packet, sometimes called a transport protocol packet. The internet layer encapsulates the transport protocol packet into a larger packet, sometimes called an IP datagram (assuming the internet layer employs IP). The network interface layer encapsulates the IP datagram into a network-specific packet, sometimes called a frame, for transmission over a physical network. See, for example, Internetworking with TCP/IP, Douglas E. Corner, Prentice Hall, for a more detailed discussion of communication networks and the layered concept. For simplicity, frames and datagrams may be referred to as simply packets.
A simplified illustration of a packet is given in FIG. 2. Packet 202 comprises payload 204 and header 206. Header 206 usually comprises a number of fields, but for simplicity, only checksum field 208 is shown in FIG. 2. A checksum is an integer value, usually computed from a sequence of octets by treating them as integers and computing their sum. Many TCP/IP protocols use a 16-bit checksum computed by one""s complement arithmetic. A header checksum may sum over all octets in a header, some of the octets, or all the octets plus additional octets outside the header field. A checksum is used to detect errors. Upon reception of a packet, a checksum on the received packet is performed and compared with the received value of the checksum. If the received and computed checksums do not match, then an error may be indicated.
Checksums are ubiquitous in data packet communications, and efficiently computing checksums is of practical utility and interest.

Providing a header checksum for packet data communications


In apparatus for displaying map information, at least two maps of the same terrain but of different scale from one another are provided on a movable platform so that a portion of one of the images can be selected and displayed through an optical lens projection system of fixed magnification onto a projection screen and displaying through the optical lens projection system a portion of the selected portion of the one of the map images on the projection screen to examine the display of the other map image in that detail permitted by the scale of the other of the map images at the fixed magnification.

In my prior U.S. Pat. No. 4,097,134, and in other prior art cited in my copending application, various methods and apparatus for displaying map information are proposed. This prior art is relatively complex and expensive. In general, the prior art may use a fixed magnification with a continuous map image of one scale, at times in conjunction with a parallel image strip illustrating places of interest along the route. In other instances, the displaying optical system may be of variable magnification to allow zooming in on a particular area of interest on the route being displayed. One of the difficulties attendant upon variable magnification, aside from the complexity and expense of the optical system, is the fact that any lettering or indicia used for identification purposes will be usable only at low magnification and at high magnification will tend to obscure or obliterate the enlarged image, or at lower magnifications, will be too small to be intelligible.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a map projection system which addresses the problems extant in the prior art.
In one aspect, the invention concerns the method of displaying map information which comprises the steps of providing at least two map images of the same terrain but of different scales from each other; selecting a portion of one of the map images and displaying such selected portion at fixed magnification to permit examination of the display with the detail determined by the scale of the one map image and the fixed magnification; and then displaying, at the fixed magnification, a portion of the other of the map images which corresponds with an area of the selected portion of the one of the map images to examine the display of the other map image in that detail permitted by the scale of the other of the map images at the fixed magnification.
In another aspect, the invention concerns the method of displaying map information which comprises the steps of providing at least two map images of the same terrain but of different scales from each other; displaying a selected portion of one of the map images at fixed magnification; and switching the display from the selected portion of the one of the map images to a corresponding selected portion, at the same fixed magnification, of the other of the map images. In this way, a simple, compact and relatively inexpensive optical system of fixed magnification is employed at all times while the viewer is permitted to switch from a display of a particular portion of one map image to a display of a corresponding portion of another map image of a different scale. In this way, a display of a portion of a small scale map image will reveal a large area of small detail and by switching to the corresponding portion of a larger scale map image, greater detail will be revealed. As used herein, "corresponding portion" is meant to refer to corresponding portions of two (or more) map images of different scales in the sense that the central point of each such portion will be the same. That is, it will be appreciated that although the display area does not change in size, when switching from a display of one map image scale to another, the relative area of map image being displayed will change. However, the system is such that the center point of the display of any scale map image will always be centered when switching takes place so that if the viewer switches while the center point of the displayed map image is on or about on the region in which he is most interested, the display when switched will still be centered on the same center point and the new display will encompass the desired region irrespective of the scale to which switched.
In accord with an object of the invention, it is of importance that the magnification remain fixed in order to simplify the optical system utilized and to avoid the use of movable parts or components which could introduce distracting and unacceptable movement of the displayed information. This is particularly important if the system is to be employed in, for example, automobiles or the like.
The invention is also concerned to provide an apparatus which comprises the combination of at least two map images of the same terrian but of different scales from each other; means for displaying a selected portion of one of the map images at fixed magnification to permit examination of the display with the detail determined by the scale of the one map image and the fixed magnification, and for also displaying, at the fixed magnification, a portion of the other of the map images which corresponds with the selected portion of the one of the map images to permit examination of the display of the other map image in that detail determined by the scale of the other of the map images at the fixed magnification.
Apparatus of this invention also concerns a support having images of at least two maps having different scales and depicting the same terrain areas, the map image of smaller scale being of small size compared with the size of the other map image of larger scale, means for displaying a portion of a selected one of the map images at a fixed magnification, and means for switching the fixed magnification display from the portion of the selected one of the map images to a corresponding portion of the other map image.
It will be further appreciated that the system according to this invention requires that the composite of the map images, whether there be two or more separate images, be accurately oriented between or among the separate images of different scales. This accuracy is necessary in order to simplify the arithmetic operations involved in switching from one map image to another. For example, a particular point on a map image having one scale is easily defined in terms of its orthogonal coordinates but also requires a knowledge of the various map image scales involved if a switch to the same particular point on a map image of different scale is to be effected. Further, simplification is maintained if the relative displacements between the optical system and the map image composite are effected in consonance with the orthogonal coordinates. Still further, simplification is maintained if the shapes of each separate map image of the composite are rectangular, with the edges or borders of each map image extending in the coordinate directions. Another consideration of a practical nature concerns elimination of dual display or partially blank display which could occur under certain circumstances. For example, if two map images are closely adjacent or in touching relation, parts of both map images could be displayed at the same time, or if the edge or border of a map image is overlapped in the display and no other map image is adjacent, the display will be partially blank where the display extends beyond the border. Elimination of these phenomena may be effected by limiting relative movement between the optical system and the map image composite so that the center point of a square display may not approach the border by a distance less than one half the width of the field of view of the display.
Another object of the invention is to provide a microfiche representation of spatially separate first and second map images of the same terrain and having different scales so as to be examined individually at fixed magnification to reveal details of corresponding portions of the map images permitted by the individual scales of the two map images and the fixed magnification.
These and other objects of the invention will become more apparent as this description proceeds.


A method of fabricating a template (14) for a concave array mold (30) having a plurality of recesses of a high aspect ratio includes arranging a plurality of needles (10) in a mutually separated state and fixing the plurality of the arranged needles (10). This method allows a template for a concave array mold having a high aspect ratio structure to be easily and inexpensively fabricated. Further, the thus fabricated template can be used to easily and inexpensively fabricate a concave array mold. Furthermore, a needle array sheet can be fabricated by injecting and fixing a resin solution into the concave array mold (30) and separating the cured resin solution from the concave array mold (30).

Recently, much attention has been paid to a functional sheet on whose surface a high aspect ratio structure such as a microneedle is formed.
In the medical technology field, there is proposed a needle array sheet on whose surface microneedles, which are needle-like protrusions, are formed as a percutaneous sheet for effectively administering medicaments to a human body through skin. The percutaneous sheet is required to administer medicaments to a human body without causing pain, and thus the microneedle is preferably narrow, has a high aspect ratio, and makes the tip as sharp as possible.
The needle array sheet can be fabricated by cast molding, injection molding, or the like, using a concave array mold in which a needle-like recess, which is a reversed shape of a microneedle, is formed. In general, the concave array mold having a needle-like recess is fabricated by transfer-molding using a template on which a needle-like protrusion is formed, but the template can be fabricated by the following method.
For example, Patent Documents 1 to 3 disclose methods of dry-etching a substrate through a resist pattern formed on a substrate surface.
Patent Document 4 discloses a method of cutting or grinding a metal substrate using a diamond tool.
Further, Patent Document 5 discloses a method of fabricating a transfer mold such as an epoxy resin having a protrusion, using a master mold in which a recess is formed on a metal fine particle dispersed polymer film by laser processing.    Patent Document 1: National Publication of International Patent Application No. 2002-517300    Patent Document 2: National Publication of International Patent Application No. 2004-526581    Patent Document 3: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-341089    Patent Document 4: National Publication of International Patent Application No. 2007-523771    Patent Document 5: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-264288

Method of fabricating a template for a concave array mold, a concave array mold and a needle array sheet


An anchor retrieval system for manually retrieving a submerged anchor without requiring heavy pulling includes an anchor retrieval apparatus generally in the form of a clip formed from cylindrical stainless steel fabricated into a unique shape the permits the device to be quickly connected to an anchor line by a simple sliding motion. The clip is further adapted by the attachment of a buoyant member, such as a buoy, to provide a buoyant lifting force. Once the clip is connected to the anchor line anchor retrieval system is tossed into the water and travels down the anchor line as the boat motors away from the buoy until the buoyant force lifts the anchor from the sea floor, whereafter the anchor line is manually drawn in to the boat as the anchor is buoyantly suspended near the surface.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an apparatus for raising deployed marine anchors, and more particularly to an apparatus for retrieving a deployed boat anchor connected to the boat by an anchor line.
2. Description of Related Art
Retrieving a deployed boat anchor can be a time consuming chore requiring the exertion of tremendous force. Vessel operators can become particularly frustrated when forced to repeatedly retrieve an anchor that fails to set after having been deployed into deep water.
As a result, the background art reveals a number of float assisted anchor raising devices. U.S. Pat. No. 3,094,095, issued to Litchfield et al., discloses a method and apparatus for raising anchors using a buoyant member attached to an anchor line via a coil member. U.S. Pat. No. 3,913,514, issued to Reynolds, discloses a boat anchor retrieving apparatus having a buoyant structure that is slidably attached to the anchor line by an annular member, or alternatively using a U-shaped member. U.S. Pat. No. 4,067,287, issued to Sabella, discloses an anchor raising device having an openable tubular sleeve that is affixed to an anchor line. U.S. Pat. No. 4,161,922, issued to Fogg, discloses an anchor caddy for use in raising an anchor. The device includes a float attached to a pulley contained within a housing. Movable deflector plates may be deployed to increase drag. U.S. Pat. No. 5,666,899, issued to Andersen, discloses a float catch for a boat anchor retrieval system. U.S. Pat. No. 5,797,340, issued to Peeters, discloses an anchor retrieval system comprising a buoy secured to an anchor retrieval device comprising a generally annular body having an openable end configured to a closed position by a lock ring.
The anchor pull devices in the background art are all burdened by significant limitations and disadvantages including overly complex structures that complicate deployment and use. In addition, the devices of the background art include a number of moving parts that are prone to breakage and failure. Accordingly there exists a need in the art for improvements in the field of anchor retrieval devices.


A positioning control apparatus has a moving body, a feed device having a guide mechanism for guiding the moving body in the direction of its feed axis and a drive mechanism for moving the moving body, a structural body supporting the feed device and a controller for controlling a moving position of the moving body with respect to a reference position on a machine tool by controlling the operation of the drive mechanism, and further has a calculating section calculating displacement of the feed device in the feed-axis direction with respect to the reference position caused by displacement of the structural body and a compensating section receiving the displacement data measured by the calculating section and adding modification data for eliminating the displacement to a control signal in the controller.

Conventionally, a positioning control apparatus controlling a feed device is mounted on a device in which a highly accurate positioning control is required, such as a machine tool and a mounter. A common feed device on a machine tool is configured with a guide mechanism for guiding a moving body and a drive mechanism for moving the moving body, and the operation of the drive mechanism is controlled by a positioning control apparatus.
As for the guide mechanism, there can be mentioned, for example, a configuration comprising a slide guide mechanism or a rolling guide mechanism, and as for the drive mechanism, there can be mentioned, for example, a configuration comprising a ball screw, a nut which is screwed onto the ball screw and is fixed on the moving body and a drive motor for rotating the ball screw about its axis to move the moving body in the axial direction of the ball screw.
The positioning control apparatus generates a control signal on the basis of a target moving position of the moving body, and transmits a drive current based on the generated control signal to the drive motor to thereby drive the drive motor. Thereby, the ball screw is rotated about its axis and the moving body is moved to the target moving position.
On such a positioning control apparatus, conventionally, in order to compensate for a tracking error generated between a target moving position and an actual moving position of the moving body, the so-called feedback control is generally used in which the rotational speed of the drive motor, the rotational position of the drive motor, an actual current transmitted to the drive motor and so on are monitored and controlled. As a positioning control apparatus performing a high degree of feedback control, a position controller as disclosed in the Japanese Patent No. 4014162 has been suggested.
This position controller is configured to perform a common feedback control on the basis of the rotational position and the rotational speed of the drive motor and feed back to the control signal an integrated feedback value based on a function which four kinds of information, namely the speed of the moving body, the position of the moving body, the rotational speed of the drive motor and the rotational position of the drive motor, concern, thereby compensating for a tracking error generated in the feed drive system.

Positioning control apparatus and machine tool provided therewith


A ferrite pole piece is mounted in an electromagnetic lens by placing a mounting ring around the pole piece and securing it with an adhesive. The internal diameter of the mounting ring is sufficiently greater than the outer diameter of the pole piece that the ferrite is not chipped when the mounting ring is placed around the pole piece. The pole piece, with the mounting ring secured, is inserted in a centering plate in the lens, and the mounting ring is secured to the centering plate.

The present invention relates to forming circuit patterns in semiconductor wafers using electron beam lithography and, more particularly, to an apparatus and method for mounting a ceramic ferrite pole piece in an electromagnetic lens of an electron beam system used in such lithography.
Pole pieces must be located accurately within an electromagnetic lens. Ferrite is a magnetic ceramic, and a pole piece made of ferrite is the focusing part of the lens. It is critical that the pole piece be centered in the lens so that an electromagnetic field which focuses the electron beam is centered. In conventional electron beam systems, the centering of the ceramic ferrite pole piece is accomplished by inserting the pole piece into a metal centering plate having an opening whose diameter is larger by only a very small tolerance than the outer diameter of the pole piece. Ferrite pole pieces are fragile, and the close tolerance between the pole piece and the centering plate subjects the pole piece to chipping and even breaking during assembly and disassembly. The pole pieces must be removed sometimes for maintenance and then replaced. This increases the exposure of the pole piece to chipping and breaking. Although external chipping does not pose a serious problem in itself, it can lead to the breaking of a pole piece. The ferrite used for the pole pieces is expensive and has a long manufacturing lead time.

Apparatus and method for mounting pole piece in electromagnetic lens


A thermostat for a variable speed temperature control system. The thermostat has a processor for determining a utilization ratio to drive the temperature control system. The processor also drives a display which graphically exhibits the utilization ratio.

The field of the invention is that of thermostat control units. More specifically, the field is that of thermostats having visual displays.
A variety of thermostatic control units serve to control data entry and display for temperature regulating systems. Examples of thermostat control units can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,264,034 (Hyltin), 4,319,711 (Barker), 4,373,664 (Barker), and 4,460,125 (Barker). A basic thermostat control has a temperature setting device for a home owner to indicate a desired ambient temperature. A thermostat also contains a heat sensing element which senses or measures the actual ambient temperature. The thermostat compares the ambient measured temperature with the desired temperature and cycles a single speed heating or cooling system on and off according to the disparity between the measured and desired temperatures. With the addition of microprocessing circuitry in a thermostat, more complicated functions become possible. For example, a home owner may specify different desired temperatures for different times of the day. Similarly, different desired temperatures for different days of the week may also be specified.
A thermostat normally provides a visual indication of both the measured ambient temperature and the home owner desired temperature. In older systems, the thermostat presents the desired temperature on a thermometer dial controlled by the homeowner. Also, the thermostat displays the observed ambient temperature on another thermometer dial, but one which is controlled by temperature sensing elements within the thermostat. Microprocessor controlled thermostats often display the temperature settings electronically with light emitting diodes (LED) or liquid crystal displays (LCD).
Thus, the general design of a thermostat is well known in the art. Variations upon the thermostat have been made for diagnostic and evaluation purposes. U.S. Pat. 4,146,085 (Wills) describes such a diagnostic thermostat. The system described in Wills has single lights which indicate the activity or inactivity of various components of its heat pump. Additionally, the Wills device has an ohm meter to check various sensors and also provide an indication of the temperature at various points in the system.
Another thermostat is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,685,675 (Hart). The Hart thermostat shows the efficiency of a heating system. The Hart system computes efficiency as a function of the amount of BTU's supplied per degree day. The Hart thermostat has sensors which measure the inside and the outside temperatures. The difference between these two temperatures indicates the amount of work required to maintain the ambient temperature at the desired temperature. The Hart device requires a test period of operation to determine the normative system behavior. After determining the norm,. the Hart thermostat compares the efficiency of the unit in the current period with its normal efficiency. The Hart thermostat then numerically displays the efficiency on the thermostat face.
In addition, a thermostat used to measure efficiency is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,296,727 (Bryan). The Bryan thermostat also numerically displays efficiency, but in terms of fuel consumption by the heating apparatus. In addition, the Bryan thermostat displays the smoke density in the stack. Both values are numerically displayed on a seven segment digital type of LED or LCD device.
None of these prior art devices are well adapted to use with a variable speed temperature control system. In a variable speed temperature control system, the prime movers of the system, i.e. the speeds of the compressor and blower motor, are variable and the temperature control elements work constantly. While a home owner expects the conventional single speed heating/cooling system to cycle on and off, cycling is not the case with the variable speed system. Instead of a period of operation followed by a period of non-operation, the variable speed system works at a fairly uniform level of activity. Without additional information, a home owner or a service man has no indication of the level of the system function. If a home owner does not notice the operation of the unit, then the home owner may conclude the unit is not working. Conversely, a home owner who notices the constant operation of the unit may conclude that the unit is not functioning properly because it does not cycle on and off. What is needed in the art is a thermostat which indicates the current speed of a variable speed temperature control system to provide an indication that the system is operative. In addition, what is needed in the art is a thermostat which displays the system operation graphically.

Thermostat speed bar graph for variable speed temperature control system


Weighted features associated with a document are scaled using scales to generate a set of unweighted elements for each scale. A sketch is generated for each scale by sampling the unweighted elements generated for the scale. The scales are chosen based on a selected cutoff factor so that documents that have a similarity that is less than the cutoff factor might have no scales in common, while documents that have a similarity that is greater than the cutoff factor will have at sufficiently many but at least one scale in common. The similarity of these documents can be estimated using the sketches associated with each of the documents for the common scales.

Large collections of documents typically include many documents that are identical or nearly identical to one another. Determining whether two digitally-encoded documents are bit-for-bit identical is straightforward, using hashing techniques for example. Quickly identifying documents that are roughly or effectively identical, however, is a more challenging and, in many contexts, a more useful task.
For example, the World Wide Web is an extremely large set of documents, and has grown exponentially since its birth. Indexed Web corpora currently include approximately five billion to 120 billion web pages, a significant portion (roughly a third, in most surveys) of which are duplicates and near-duplicates. Applications such as web crawlers and search engines benefit from the capacity to efficiently detect, and often suppress, many near-duplicates.
One method for determining duplicate or near-duplicate documents is by using sketches. A sketch is an approximation of a document that may be made up of samples of the document. The Jaccard, or the weighted Jaccard, similarity of two documents may be estimated by comparing the sketches of the documents position by position for equivalence. If the elements of the sketch are unbiased, or only slightly biased similarity estimators, each one matches the corresponding sketch element with probability related to the Jaccard value. While comparing documents using sketches is fast, current methods for generating accurate and reliable sketches are computationally expensive.

Generating unweighted samples from weighted features


A hand screw driver preventing a user's wrist from being twisted during screw driving operation. The screw driver comprises an offset shank having a tip at its lower end and being bent twice such that it has a Z-shape, and a handle having a shank receiving hole for rotatably receiving an upper section of the offset shank. The offset shank is shifted between a fixed position wherein it is fixed to the handle and a rotatable position wherein it is relatively rotated with respect to the handle. A biasing member is provided in the shank receiving hole of the handle to bias the handle with respect to the shank to shift the shank between the fixed position and the rotatable position as required. In one embodiment, the offset shank is provided at its upper section with an annular groove for receiving an annular leaf spring, and the handle is cut in at least two parts and provided in the shank receiving hole with an annular groove for receiving the annular leaf spring to hinge the offset shank to the handle, thus holding the offset shank to prevent its relative rotation with respect to the handle when the handle is inclined.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a hand screw driver, and more particularly to a hand screw driver employing an offset shank rotating with respect to a handle, thereby carrying out a desired screw driving function without the necessity of providing an intermission for releasing the twisted state of the user's wrist during the screw driving operation.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Screw drivers are generally classified into plus driver and minus-type drivers in accordance with the shape of a screwdriver's recessed tip. Another type of driver having a recessed tip, for example, a tip having a square cross section or a tip having a hexagonal cross section, has been proposed and widely used. As well known to those skilled in the art, the plus driver and the minus driver are used for tightening or releasing plus-type bolts and minus-type bolts, respectively. A fixed type screw driver, which is most wide used, is restricted in its use since its shank having the tip is fixed to the handle.
In addition, when a high screw driving force is required, a motor screw driver or a torque control driver is preferably used. On the other hand, there has been proposed an offset screw driver which is provided with a crank-shaped shank suitable for increasing the torque imparted to the screw.
In operation of the fixed type screw driver, the tip of the shank is placed on the recessed head of a screw and the handle fixed to the shank is rotated to impart the rotational force or the driving force to the screw. In order to rotate the handle of the fixed type screw driver, the user's wrist is inevitably twisted, so that it should be required to often intermit the screw driving work in order to release the twisted state of the wrist and regrip the handle. Thus, the known fixed type screw driver has a problem in that the screw driving work using it is regarded as a burdensome work.
When using the known offset screw driver, the intermission of the screw driving work caused by the twisted state of the user's wrist is overcome. However, the known offset screw driver has a problem in that it is relatively complicated in its construction and involves capital investment. Furthermore, the handles of the known offset screw driver are rotatably mounted on the offset shank, respectively, so that it is difficult to place the tip of the shank on the recessed head of a screw to be tightened or released.


This invention is directed to a prepreg which comprises fiber reinforcement impregnated with the partial hydrosilation reaction product of:. (a) at least one polyene having at least two non-aromatic carbon-carbon double bonds highly reactive in hydrosilation, the carbon-carbon double bonds being either in an alpha, beta or gamma position on a linear carbon moiety, next to two bridgehead positions in a strained polycyclic aliphatic ring structure, or in a cyclobutene ring; PA0 (b) at least one polycyclic polyene having at least two chemically distinguishable non-aromatic, non-conjugated carbon-carbon double bonds in its rings; and PA0 (c) at least one cyclic polysiloxane containing three or more .tbd.SiH groups; which is substantially tack-free.. This invention is also directed to a laminate which is prepared by curing one or more of the prepregs beyond their gel point, and which may be clad with conductive material, and printed circuit boards made from such laminates.. In addition, this invention is directed to crosslinkable prepolymers and crosslinked polymers made from components (a), (b) and (c), wherein at least one of (a) and (b) is not an isomer of tricyclopentadiene.. This invention is further directed to the processes of preparing all of the aforementioned materials.

Printed circuit boards are commonly used to mount and interconnect electronic devices. Circuit boards are generally made from circuit board laminate comprised of a reinforced polymeric material. If subtractive techniques are used to form the interconnection circuitry, the laminate is clad with copper foil or some other suitable conductive material. Different reinforcements are used, including paper and fibers of glass, quartz, aramids, and graphite. The fibers may be used in woven or non-woven form.
The circuit boards used in advanced electronic applications must meet demanding requirements in order to allow for proper performance. The polymers used in the circuit board laminate must have adequate thermal, electrical and physical properties. In high performance applications, properties such as a high glass transition temperature (Tg), a low thermal expansion coefficient, a low dielectric constant and moisture resistance are desirable.
It is also desirable that the processing characteristics of the polymer be suited to conventional processes used in the circuit board industry. Circuit board laminate is typically fabricated from prepregs which comprise reinforcement impregnated with a partially cured prepolymer. Prepreg is typically fabricated using a solution impregnation process. The reinforcement (typically fabric) is passed in a continuous manner through a prepolymer solution and then through an oven in which the solvent is removed. The prepolymer may also be partially cured (advanced) in this oven.
Single and double sided circuit boards make use of circuitry on one or both sides of the laminate. Typically, laminates are formed by stacking individual plies of prepreg and laminating them under heat and pressure in a hydraulic press. If circuitry is to be formed via a subtractive process, a conductive layer, typically copper foil, is laminated to one or both sides of the laminate during this operation. The polymeric portion of the laminate is cured during lamination. Post cure at an elevated temperature may be required to more fully cure the polymer.
Multilayer circuit boards contain circuitry on external and internal layers. Circuitry is formed on one or both sides of thin laminates. These are then bonded together in a second lamination step using prepreg as an adhesive dielectric layer.
A proper prepolymer content (weight percent prepolymer) must be achieved on the prepreg. The prepolymer content is influenced by factors such as the solids content of the solution, the mechanical arrangement of the impregnation device (called a treater), and the viscosity of the resin. Depending on the nature of the reinforcement being used, desirable prepolymer contents may range from about 35% to about 75%. For each specific reinforcement, such as a specific style of woven glass cloth, the prepolymer content must be controllable to within several percent of a specific value in order to allow for proper performance in subsequent processing steps and during circuit board operation. The polymer serves as a dielectric layer and, therefore, there must be sufficient polymer between conductive layers so that the board does not fail during operation. In some instances, the thickness of this dielectric layer affects the electrical performance of the circuit board. Control of prepolymer content is required to control the thickness.
It is desirable in many, but not all, instances that circuit board prepreg be substantially tack-free in order to facilitate handling and avoid contamination. With some compositions, simply removing the solvent during prepreg fabrication yields tack-free prepreg. With others, advancement is required to yield tack-free prepreg.
The prepolymer on the prepreg must also be capable of flowing during lamination. Its melt viscosity must be low enough during lamination to allow for consolidation of the individual prepreg plies into a unified laminate and to allow for elimination of trapped air or volatiles, but not so low that excessive flow occurs. Proper prepolymer flow is of similar importance when a multilayer circuit board is fabricated.
The inventors studied use of the polymers and prepolymers made from polycyclic polyenes (such as dicyclopentadiene) and cyclic siloxanes (such as methylhydrocyclosiloxanes), as described by Leibfried in U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 07/079,740 filed July 30, 1987, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,900,779 and 07/232,826, filed Aug. 16, 1988, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,902,731, for preparation of prepreg and laminate for printed circuit boards. They discovered that processing characteristics and performance are enhanced by use of a chain extender (component (a) described below), and that hydrosilation compositions comprising a chain extender make excellent prepolymers, prepregs, laminates and polymers for printed circuit boards.


To obtain a smaller piano having a larger piano sound, there is constructed a piano having a modified construction in reference to its sounding board and the means for mounting it. Instead of being provided with the usual eight to ten strengthening ribs on its back side and having all of its four edges entirely secured to the piano case, the sounding board in the modified construction of the invention is mounted so that it has, in effect, a greater opportunity to float, in that it has at least one opposed pair of edges which are at least in major part, if not entirely, unconfined, and there are used to maintain its crown some lesser number, such as three or only one, of strengthening ribs, major reliance for maintaining the crown being placed upon a centrally situated wood or metal wedge member.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus for the production of musical tones, and in particular, it relates to instruments of the keyboard type, especially instruments in the nature of the acoustic (non-electrical) piano. Still more particularly, it has reference to the sounding board of such an instrument and the parts of the instrument which are adjacent thereto or in contact therewith. The invention is concerned with the objective of obtaining, especially from an instrument of relatively more modest size and cost, such as a spinet, the desirable tones, high in amplitude and with long decay-time characteristic, a characteristic that can also be enhanced in a far larger and most costly instrument, such as a concert grand piano.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Acoustic pianos are made, as is well known, in the a spectrum of styles or sizes, ranging from the lowly spinet through the console and the upright to baby grand and concert grand. They all operate on the same principles, creating musical tones of audible amplitude in desired frequencies (pitches) by providing a keyboard means which can be activated to cause a hammer means to strike, when a key is depressed, a vibrator means (a tuned string or strings), and when the key is released, to cause a damper means to come into contact with the vibrator means. The tuned strings are located in close proximity to a sounding board which is caused to resonate by the energy emitted from the vibrator means and thereby mechanically amplify and broadcast the tones emanating from the vibrator means.
Historically and extending to current times, piano sounding boards have been anchored to the piano harp and the perimeter of the piano case. Bridges (such as tenor, treble and bass) are attached to the sounding board, and the strings stretch over and bear down upon the bridges. The sounding boards are designed with a crown, convex in shape when viewed from the front of the piano, and in most cases, this crown is strengthened and maintained by means of ribs which are glued to the back of the sounding board to ensure that the crown will not flatten out. Maintenance of the crown is critically necessary, because if, as the piano ages, it loses its crown, the strings lose their initial and desirable high degree of downbearing upon their associated bridges, and as a result, the piano loses its "bark", producing a dull sound, rather than the bright and crisp sound that it had when new.
The desire to obtain a larger-piano sound out of a smaller piano has existed in the art for about two centuries, but in recent decades, the emphasis has largely been upon trying to achieve this by means of the various new electrical or electronic devices (microphones and other transducers, amplifier, and speakers) as they have been invented. An example of this approach is contained in my U.S. Pat. No. 3,407,694, issued Oct. 29, 1968. In the structure shown in the patent, there are two sounding boards, each of which possesses a free edge, but it evinces and suggests nothing of the concept of the present invention, wherein an effort is made to produce an instrument having a sounding board with at least one pair of opposed edges which are in major part unconfined and thus more readily excitable to a desirable greater amplitude, and to produce natural sounds free of distortions commonly introduced by an electro-mechanical transducer equipment.

Keyboard instrument having soundboard with unconstrained edges


An absorbent article including a liquid-permeable topsheet, a liquid-impermeable backsheet and an absorbent core sandwiched between the topsheet and the backsheet, the article being arranged along a longitudinal axis and a transversal axis extending in a perpendicular direction in relation to the longitudinal axis and the main article defining a front portion, a back portion and a crotch portion, wherein the absorbent core is formed with a sealing arrangement including two channel sealings extending along the longitudinal axis in the crotch portion and defining a first effective channel sealing width and a second effective channel sealing width, respectively. The sealing arrangement includes two side seams extending along two side edges of the core, the side seams defining a third and fourth effective width, respectively, along the crotch portion and defining a fifth and sixth effective width, respectively, along the front portion and back portion.

Wearable and disposable absorbent articles, for example in the form of diapers, incontinence garments, feminine garments and the like, are well known. Such articles are used to absorb, distribute and store various types of body exudates while providing a high level of comfort and sense of dryness to the wearer during use.
A conventional disposable absorbent article in the form of a diaper is normally designed with a liquid-permeable topsheet, a liquid-impermeable backsheet and an absorbent core which is sandwiched between the topsheet and the backsheet. The article is arranged along a longitudinal axis and also along a transversal axis which extends in a perpendicular direction in relation to the longitudinal axis. Furthermore, the article can be divided into a front portion, a back portion and a crotch portion.
The absorbent article will absorb body exudates when it is worn. A potential disadvantage which may occur when the absorbent article is in its wet condition is that the crotch portion may sag and hang down. This tendency for sagging is unwanted and may lead to insufficient comfort, fit and function of the article.
A previously known absorbent article of the above-mentioned kind is disclosed in the patent document US 2012/316528. This document shows a disposable diaper having an absorbent core which, according to an embodiment, comprises longitudinally extending channels. The purpose of the diaper is to provide good liquid handling properties and an increased flexibility and improved fit during use.
Even though the article disclosed in US 2012/316528 fulfills certain requirements related to liquid handling and fit, there is a need for further improvements. Also, there is a demand for efficient and reliable manufacturing methods for the above-mentioned type of absorbent articles.

Absorbent article and method for manufacturing an absorbent article


A golf accessory is provided that includes an insert for removably and interchangeably mounting within an interior of a golf club shaft for interchangeably altering a predetermined stiffness or bending moment of the club shaft.

A typical golf club includes a club head attached to a club shaft. The club head includes a face which is designed to contact a golf ball. An upper end of the club shaft often includes a comfortable grip, which a golfer grasps to manipulate the club.
During a typical golf swing, the golfer begins the swing with the club head adjacent to the golf ball. The golfer then pulls the club rearwardly and upwardly in an arcing motion called a backswing. At a top of the backswing, the golfer reverses the direction of the swing and brings the club downwardly and forwardly causing the club head to contact the golf ball.
Typically the shaft of the golf club is flexible, causing it to oscillate, or bend backwardly and forwardly, during a swing. At the beginning of the swing, the club is in a neutral position with the club shaft substantially straight. During the backswing momentum builds in the club and the reversal of the swing direction at the top of the backswing creates a force that causes the shaft to bend backwardly from the neutral position. This is commonly referred to as "shaft lagging."
As the shaft lagging reaches a maximum deflection, the stiffness of the shaft causes the shaft to naturally reverse directions and snap back in a forward direction towards the neutral position, and then move past the neutral position and bend forwardly from the neutral position into a position commonly referred to as "shaft leading." When the shaft leading reaches a maximum deflection, the stiffness in the shaft again causes the shaft to naturally reverse directions and snap back in a rearward direction towards the neutral position.
In order to maximize the distance of a golf shot, the golfer should contact the ball shortly after the shaft has reached its maximum shafting lagging position. In such an instance the power generated by the golfer's swing is enhanced by the shaft's natural tendency to shift or "kick" forward from the shaft lagging position to the neutral position. If the shaft has already shifted past the neutral position and into the shaft leading position when the club head contacts the ball, then the power generated by the golfer's swing is lessened by the shaft's natural tendency to shift backwardly from the shaft leading position to the neutral position.
As such, in order to maximize the distance of a golf shot the golfer should choose a golf club shaft having a stiffness that is appropriate for that golfer's particular swing. This choice is dependent on several factors such as the power generated by the golfer's swing and the speed of the golfer's swing. If a golfer chooses a shaft that is too stiff for that golfer's particular swing, then the shaft will not deflect sufficiently to generate a "kick" behind the golf ball. If a golfer chooses a shaft that is not stiff enough for that golfer's particular swing, then the shaft will either lag or lead excessively causing the ball to leave the club head at a launch angle that is lower or higher, respectively than desired.
Golfers often discover the appropriate club shaft stiffness to match their particular golf swing through trial and error. Accordingly, a need exists for an insert for removably and interchangeably attaching to a golf club for altering the stiffness or bend profile of the club shaft.

Insert for altering the stiffness of a golf club shaft