To provide an image coding apparatus that can generate a code that can be decoded by a general decoding apparatus while attaining a high coding speed. As a result of processing in a plurality of prediction units 21, a control unit 11 generates a predicted pixel value for a pixel of interest based on a pixel value of a predicting pixel located at a distance from the pixel of interest, the distance being predetermined for each pixel value prediction unit 21, counts, as a run-length for each pixel value prediction unit 21, the number of times that the pixel value of the pixel of interest successively correspond with the predicted pixel value, selects any of pixel value prediction units related to a run-length of one pixel or more, and outputs a code by referring to a predetermined code table with respect to a distance between the pixel of interest and the predicting pixel for the selected pixel value prediction unit 21 and the run-length thereof. The code table is defined to include, as a redundant code, a code related to a distance other than the distances between the pixel of interest and the predicting pixels.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image coding apparatus for coding image data.
2. Description of the Related Art
In an image processing apparatus, such as a copier, image data to be processed is coded and compressed for efficient transfer of the image data. For higher processing speed of the whole image processing apparatus, a higher compression speed is desired. Thus, in view of balancing compression ratio and processing speed, an image coding apparatus shown in FIG. 3 is utilized, for example. The image coding apparatus is equivalent to that described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2000-350215.
In the image coding apparatus shown in FIG. 3, pixels of interest are sequentially selected from image data input via an image input unit 1 in a predetermined scanning order, and a pixel value of each pixel of interest is predicted by a plurality of prediction units 2a, 2b, . . . , 2n. As shown in FIG. 4, each prediction unit 2 outputs, as a predicted pixel value, values of pixels in the vicinity of the pixel of interest, for example, values of a pixel (A) located to the left of the pixel of interest, a pixel (B) located above the pixel of interest, a pixel (C) locate to the left of the pixel (B) and a pixel (D) located to the right of the pixel (B). For each prediction unit 2, a run-length count unit 3 counts the number of times the prediction unit 2 successively outputs the predicted pixel value corresponding with the pixel value of the pixel of interest.
A selection unit 4 selects a longest run-length from the run-lengths counted by the run count unit 3. If the longest run-length is equal to 1 or greater, the selection unit 4 outputs information for identifying the prediction unit 2 having output the longest run-length (identification information). On the other hand, if the longest run-length is 0, the selection unit 4 outputs a prediction error (a difference between pixel values of the pixel A and pixel of interest in FIG. 4, for example) generated by a prediction error calculation unit 5. A coding unit 6 codes the identification information on the prediction unit 2 or the prediction error output from the selection unit 4 based on a code table and outputs the result.
Another conventional image coding apparatus is based on the periodicity of image data. To provide an LZ77-based data compression apparatus, the apparatus comprises a moving window for storing coded input data and a comparator for comparing a substring of an entry in the moving window with a data string obtained by coding the substring. The number of comparators is less than the size of the moving window, and a vicinity of 0, a vicinity of L (L being an input parameter) or a vicinity of 2L is used as an offset to the entry. (Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. Hei11-168389)


A product processing installation and corresponding method for the grinding and/or crushing of granular fruits or the like. There is a self-adaptive regulation and control method and corresponding regulation and control device for the self-optimised control of a mill installation and a grinding line of a roller system of the mill installation. The grinding line include a plurality of processing units, which, based on operational process parameters, can each individually be controlled and individually regulated in their operation by means of the regulation and control device. A batch control with a defined processing sequence in the processing units can be regulated by an operational process recipe, wherein a defined amount of a final product can be produced from one or more input materials by means of the operational process recipe. The processing units are controlled based on specific operational batch process parameters assigned to the operational process recipe.

Milling, in particular grain milling, is also referred to as an art. Unlike in other areas of industry, in which the influence of the various factors that determine the dynamics of a process is mostly well known, and in which the relevant processes can therefore be easily parameterised using appropriate equations and formulas or the apparatus and device involved is simply controlled and regulated accordingly, the number of relevant factors that influence the grinding quality and also the yield of the processed final product is extraordinarily high in the milling industry. It is therefore often necessary for a miller, as human expert, to manually adjust and set the entire grinding or milling installation following analysis of the starting/raw material based on his intuition and know-how in order to obtain the best possible results in terms of the expected quality and yield of the final product (e.g. ash content, yield, baking quality, etc.). All this while minimising costs, i.e. in particular, energy efficiency. It should also be noted that the grinding properties of the starting material, e.g. the ground wheat or grain, are fundamental for the grinding process. Since the grinding installation must typically be regulated by the head miller, the head miller also has decisive influence on and control of the characteristics of the produced flour. This starts with the choice of the wheat class, which can refer to both the market class and to the place or region of production of the wheat, to influence certain grain attributes such as a certain protein range. The miller also controls the wheat blend/grists, which are added to the grinding installation. The miller can also measure the mill flow, roller speed, speed differentials, distribution of the fluted rollers, e.g. sharp-to-sharp, and roller pressure in the case of smooth rollers. The miller has additional regulation options in combination with sieving and cleaning and finally in the grinding current selection for mixing the final flour produced. All these parameters and regulation options are used by the miller to consistently produce a flour of a certain quality.
As shown by the example discussed, grinding rollers in particular, as used for example in grain milling, require permanent monitoring. Apart from the optimisation of the production and the characteristics of the final product, it may also happen, for example, that a so-called dry run, rocking in the regulatory control or other operational anomalies occur. If an abnormal condition lasts too long, the, for example, the temperature of the grinding roller can rise to a critical range and potentially cause a fire or damage to the roller. However, operational anomalies can affect the optimal operation of the installation in a different way, in particular the quality, yield or energy consumption. Although grinding installations are at least partially automated in many areas, current systems relating to automatic control and optimal operation are difficult to automate. In the prior art mill systems are therefore often still set manually by operating personnel according to their empirical experience. Automated control or regulation of the operation is often limited to the signal transmission and transmission of control commands, e.g. via PLC control and connected input devices with graphical user interface (GUI). PLC refers to a Programmable Logic Controller, which can be used as a device to control or regulate a machine or installation and can be programmed on a digital basis. If the quality of the supplied material changes, it typically takes a certain time before a high throughput can again be achieved with good product quality. In addition, the operator often only has an indirect quality control, which results, for example, from a drop in yield in one of the downstream components. This also complicates a good setting of the mill system or, for example, timely intervention if anomalies occur in the grinding process. If there is one operator (head miller) in the regulation and control of a grinding roller system, complete control of the entire production process is however absolutely necessary in order to be able to execute such control "by hand" at all. The result of the control is substantially dependent on the respective technical skills and experience of the operator, i.e. the supervising head miller. If less qualified personnel are used for the operation, e.g. during special times (holidays, night work, etc.), this may result in a reduction in results for the mill, for example due to a lower yield of light flour or the like. Attempts to replace the head miller with processor-based regulation devices [sic] that the complex knowledge and experience of the head miller could not be automated simply by means of rule-controlled devices, especially not by independently, self-sufficient functioning regulation set-ups that work without regular routine human intervention.
As far as the grinding and reduction systems are concerned, different grinding and reduction systems are known in the prior art. The roller mill is by far the most important grinding device for grain and grain mills. Whether it is maize, common wheat, durum wheat, rye, barley or malt that is to be processed, the roller mill usually offers the most ideal processing of all types of grain. The process used in a grain mill is a stage comminution. The flour core (endosperm) is crushed step by step by passing through a plurality of fluted or smooth pairs of steel rollers. It is separated in separators by sieves from the bran and the seedling by sieves. In the case of pairs of rollers of a roller mill, one roller typically rotates faster than the other. Due to the opposite rotation of the two rollers, the material is drawn into the roller gap. The shape, depth and swirl of the fluting together with the rotational speed differential determine the intensity of the grinding in each step. Impact mills are also known. Impact mills are suitable, for example, for grinding a wide a plurality of products in grain mills (grain and by-products of grinding), animal feed factories (animal feed, legumes), breweries (fine meal production for mash filtration), oil mills (extraction meal and crushed oil cake) or even pasta factories (pasta waste). The product is fed to the impact mill or hammer mill from a preliminary container and captured by the beater rotor. The particles are comminuted until they can pass through the openings of a sieve shell surrounding the rotor. Finally, flaking installations are also known, in which the flaking mill together with the corresponding steaming apparatus forms the core. The flaking material is treated hydrothermally in the upstream steaming apparatus before it reaches the flaking mill. The installation is suitable for processing pearl barley (whole, cleaned and peeled oat kernels) as well as groats (cut oat kernels), maize, common wheat, barley, buckwheat and rice. It should be noted that due to the specific problems and requirements in the production of flour and semolina from grains and similar products, an independent type of roller mill, the so-called milling roller mill, has developed, which, in contrast to the grinding technology of rocks, the production of flakes from vegetable raw materials, etc., contains a very unique grinding technique.
Regardless of the specific properties of the grain mills, it is known in all of the grinding systems discussed in the prior art (see, for example, DE-OS 27 30 166) that there are and can always be disruptive influences which do not allow idealised grinding conditions. These disruptive influences include, among other things, uneven roller temperatures, changing the spring characteristics of a pair of rollers, changing the grinding gap or grinding pressure, etc. The invention relates in particular to a control and regulation device for stable, adaptive control and regulation of the described grinding systems for grinding grain and influencing process elements (grinding material and installation elements) and the operational process parameters of the grain mill installation that can be assigned to these, with timely detection of disruptive influences or other operational anomalies. It is known that the provision and automation of such control and regulation systems is complex, since a plurality of at least partially interdependent, i.e. correlated, parameters must be taken into account (e.g. EP0013023B1, DE2730166A1). The operation of the grinding devices is influenced by a plurality of parameters, such as through the selection of the type of grain or the grain mixture and the growing area, the harvest time, the desired quality criteria, the specific weight and/or the moisture of the individual sorts of grain or the grain mixture proportions, the air temperature, the relative air humidity, the technical data of the installation elements used in the mill system and/or the desired flour quality as specified process variables and the selection of the distance, the grinding pressure, the temperature and/or the power intake of the motors of the grinding rollers, the flow rate and/or the moisture content of the grinding material achieved and/or the quality of the flour with respect to the mixture proportions, which complicates sufficiently differentiated control of the grinding process in the grain mill installations. It is often sufficient that a few of these process variables and operational process parameters slip outside their tolerance in order to have a massive influence on the operation of the mill. It is thanks to this complexity of the process that despite all efforts to automate the installations, the head miller is still current, since, as a "human expert", he has to decide whether a change in the control signals assigned to the input signal variables appears desirable or not. The head miller will always take the target variables into account. If he has found an optimal assignment between the input signal variables mentioned and the control signal variables, this assignment is typically ensured by corresponding memory allocation and addressing within the grain mill installation.
Prior art document WO9741956A1 discloses a method for the automated control of the grinding process in a mill with a plurality of grinding units. A sample is sieved at the exit of the grinding units. In the sample, the percentage of throughput to retained grinding material is compared to predefined standard values. If a deviation is measured, the gap between the grinding rollers of the grinding pair of rollers of the grinding unit concerned is adjusted in accordance with the deviation. DE2413956A1 of the prior art also relates to a method for grinding grain to flour using grinding units, and subsequent sieving. As is known, when grinding the grain, the grinding material is passed through a number of successive roller mills, wherein the emerging material is sieved to separate the material which has been ground to the required size, while the remaining material is fed to the subsequent grinding units disposed behind one another. The grinding units are monitored by means of a monitoring unit. The behaviour of the grinding units is controlled based on a predefined scheme during the grinding process so that it matches the predefined scheme. Finally, JPH06114282A shows a method for monitoring the particle size distribution in a grinding installation, with the aim of maintaining a constant particle size distribution within the installation. In the method, the delivery rate, the distance between the grinding rollers and the spring pressure of the rollers are monitored in order to obtain the desired particle size distribution. The method adapts the regulation of the grinding installation if a deviation of the particle size distribution from the desired particle size distribution is detected.

Intelligent, self-adaptive control apparatus for the automated optimization and control of the grinding line of a roller system, and corresponding method


An apparatus includes a bit cell of a programmable memory circuit. The bit cell includes a programmable device. The bit cell includes a first device having a first type. The first device is configured to conduct a first current between a first node and a second node in response to a first value of a signal on the word line and a signal on a bit line. The programmable device is configured to be programmed in response to a first level of the first current. The bit cell includes a circuit coupled to the second node. The circuit is configured to reduce a leakage current through the first device in response to a second value of the signal on the word line and based on a feedback signal. In at least one embodiment of the apparatus, the feedback signal is based on a signal on the bit line.

1. Field of the Invention
This application is related to integrated circuits and more particularly to integrated circuit memory arrays.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a read-only memory (ROM) is a static memory structure that retains a state indefinitely, even without power. Read-only memory is typically arranged in an array having one bit cell per stored data bit. Signal lines connecting each row are known as word lines. An individual bit cell is coupled to at least some other bit cells (e.g., every bit cell) in the same column of the array. In a typical ROM, the array structure is implemented as a NOR array. The array structure may include any suitable NOR gate structure using one or more devices per bit cell (e.g., NMOS, pseudo-NMOS, domino NOR gate, etc.). The ROM may be programmed during device manufacturing or after device manufacturing.
A programmable read-only memory (PROM) (i.e., field programmable read-only memory (FPROM) or one-time programmable non-volatile memory (OTP NVM)) is a form of digital memory that is programmed after a device is constructed. In a typical PROM, a one-time programmable element is used to set the state of an individual bit cell. For example, the state of each bit cell may be locked or permanently stored by a fuse or an antifuse. Blowing a fuse opens a connection or increases the resistance of the fuse element by a substantially detectable amount, and programming an antifuse closes a connection or decreases the resistance of the antifuse element by a substantially detectable amount. A typical PROM is manufactured with all bit cells reading as a particular value (e.g., '0' or '1'). If the PROM is manufactured with all bit cells reading as '1,' blowing a fuse of a bit cell during programming will cause the bit cell to read as '0.' A typical PROM can be programmed just once after manufacturing by blowing appropriate fuses, which is an irreversible process. In general, since it is impossible to reverse the programming (e.g., blowing) of a fuse, the only possible changes to the PROM after programming include changing the state of any bit cells that remain at '1' to '0' by blowing those remaining fuses. After all of the bit cells have blown fuses (e.g., read '0'), no further programming changes are possible.

Method for leakage reduction in memory circuits


A multiple power supply sensor for protecting shared processor buses in a multiprocessor system. In the case that a power failure or power supply malfunction occurs in one of the processors of the system, at least one of the shared processor buses will be isolated from the malfunctioning processor. As a result, data on that bus is not corrupted by the manfunctioning processor. The isolation is accomplished by independent sensor circuits present in each processor for each bus.

The present invention relates generally to protecting a multiprocessor system from total failure in the case that one processor malfunctions. More particularly, the invention is directed to isolating a malfunctioning processor from the multiprocessor system.
Multiprocessor systems often include more than one interprocessor bus through which the different processors communicate with each other. At least one bus must always be functional for the system to operate properly. If a processor loses power or its power supply malfunctions, its power supplies begin to produce voltages which are not within specification limits. As a result, other malfunctions can occur in a processor. These malfunctions can result in a malfunctioning processor triggering further malfunctions throughout the system. Therefore, the malfunctioning processor must be isolated or "fenced off" from the rest of the system using a fencing circuit.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,356,550 shows a system using a single power supply sensor circuit, capable of operation even after the power supply voltages had dropped. This system was used to provide signals to each of the fencing circuits indicating that the fences should be "raised" so as to isolate the malfunctioning processor from the interprocessor buses.

Multiple power supply sensor for protecting shared processor buses


A computer implemented method in a data processing system for fingerprinting input/output workloads for input/output schedulers. Requests are identified in a workload for an input/output scheduler. Each request is classified to form a set of classifications. Whether an action is needed is determined based on the set of classifications. If the action is needed, the action is initiated.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an improved data processing system, in particular, to a computer implemented method, a data processing system, and a computer program product for optimizing performance in a data processing system. Still more particularly, the present invention provides a computer implemented method, a data processing system, and a computer program product for input/output workload fingerprinting for input/output schedulers.
2. Description of the Related Art
Input/output schedulers (I/O schedulers) can increase the performance of input/output (I/O) throughput of a system dramatically by tuning the I/O scheduler parameters based on the current workload of the system. The input/output requests scheduled by an I/O scheduler for a system is the I/O workload of the system. A tunable parameter for the I/O scheduler is a parameter that affects the operation of an I/O scheduler. This type of parameter may be changed dynamically while the I/O scheduler is operating. The I/O scheduler parameters may include tunable parameters, such as a default read expire time-out period, a default write batch expire time-out period, and a write queue depth. However, the workload is very difficult for the I/O scheduler to classify because the I/O scheduler only examines a small perspective of what is occurring in the system. If an I/O scheduler could classify the actual current workload, the I/O scheduler could operate much more efficiently by tuning the I/O scheduler parameters based on the current workload of the system.
A common attempt at classifying workloads is made by attempting to recognize a sequential read operation through read-ahead classification. The idea of read-ahead classification is to increase the disk read ahead size by observing a pattern in which a single application accesses a single file on the disk.
Another common attempt at classifying workloads is made by an anticipatory I/O scheduler. This I/O scheduler breaks down all I/O requests for all applications into either a read request or a write request. If the current request is a read request, then the typical anticipatory I/O scheduler will run an adaptive heuristic algorithm (an approximation algorithm) on the probability that another read request will occur that accesses a sector that is a small seek distance away from the sector to be accessed by the current read request, even if the sector to be accessed is for a different file.

Input/output workload fingerprinting for input/output schedulers

International Business Machines Corporation


A nozzle assembly (1) provided in a chromatography column (3), said nozzle assembly comprising a nozzle tube (21) through which chromatography media slurry is to be provided to the column (3). According to the invention said nozzle assembly (1) further comprises a pivot (39) connected in a first end (40a) to a pivot point arm (35), said pivot (39) can be pivoted into at least two different locked pivot positions and said pivot (39) being connected to the nozzle tube (21) such that a nozzle tip (25) of said nozzle tube is adjusted into at least two different locked nozzle tip positions corresponding to the at least two different locked pivot positions.

Chromatography columns are typically comprised of a column tube with a top end cell covering the top opening of the tube and a bottom end cell covering the bottom opening of the tube. A chromatography column with variable column height also comprises a plunger or adaptor integrated in the top end cell, which adaptor can be moved to different heights within the column tube. The top end cell (possibly integrated with an adaptor) and bottom end cell comprise further a nozzle assembly adapted to provide chromatography media to the column, sample inlet/outlet, sample distribution means, filter, net, O-rings and seals. The nozzle assembly comprises typically a nozzle tube through which chromatography media in the form of a slurry is provided to the column. The nozzle assembly comprises further normally a slurry outlet used during the unpacking of the column. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,902,485 an access valve suitable for controlling fluid flow into and out of a chromatography column is described. Axial movement of the probe, also known as a nozzle tube, adjusts the valve between a fully open condition, in which both a first conduit extending through the probe and a second conduit defined around the probe are open to the column interior, and a partly open condition in which a sealing component of the probe closes the second conduit. Also further axial movement of the probe provides a fully closed position in which both conduits are closed. The partly open position is useful for packing chromatography media into its column while the third position is useful for unpacking the same.
The movement of the probe into the three different positions is crucial and important. In prior art this is sometimes difficult and not very exact. Some solutions are also rather expensive and require complicated mechanics. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,902,485 one possible way of performing this is shown. In this described system the axial movement of the nozzle tip is performed by use of a screwing mechanism which will not provide very exact positions.


A concentrate burner provided over a reaction shaft of a copper smelting furnace, is characterized by comprising: a raw material supply portion that supplies a starting material into the reaction shaft, the starting material including copper concentrate; and an additive supply portion that is provided separately from the raw material supply portion and supplies solid additive to the starting material.

Recently, a material to be treated in a copper smelting tends to be shifted from a material that is mainly composed of copper concentrate to a material of which a high profit material ratio is increased. However, it was not possible to deal with degradation of an operation (degradation of a slag loss) caused by the shifting. When a high margin material is treated, a generation amount of a hardly meltable substance of which a main component is magnetite (Fe3O4) increases in a furnace. However, a mechanism is not specified. It is possible only to deal with degradation of a furnace condition after the condition is degraded. In a condition that it is not possible to change a mixing ratio of materials, there are no other effective solving means. The degradation of the operation is forced for a long time. Therefore, a profit is greatly degraded.
There is disclosed a method for dealing with a furnace blocking, increase of an intermediate layer and so on that are caused by a peroxide slag (Fe3O4 or the like) generated by degradation of a gas phase and a solid phase reaction in a reaction shaft, as a conventional technology (for example, see Patent Document 1). However, in the technology, the furnace blocking and the increase of the intermediate layer are dealt with after the phenomena occur. An effect is small in the operation condition that the high margin material is increased. Therefore, the technology does not sufficiently deal with the phenomena.

Concentrate burner of copper smelting furnace and operation method of copper smelting furnace


A microelectronic device is rendered resistant to reverse engineering by encapsulating it in a dual layer encapsulant. The inner layer is compatible with the operation of the device, and has a greater resistance to chemical attack then does the device. The outer layer includes a filler of barium sulfate and gadolinium oxide, to absorb X-rays and N-rays respectively, is more resistant to chemical attack than the inner layer, and includes a groove around its periphery, to preferentially allow chemical attack radially. A full chemical attack damages the device beyond usable inspection, but a partial chemical attack is insufficient to remove X-ray and N-ray concealment.

This invention relates to apparatus for resisting reverse engineering a microelectronic device, and has particular relation to such apparatus which resists reverse engineering efforts employing chemical, X-ray, or neutron ray (N-ray) attack.
As competition increases between manufacturers of electronic devices, trade secret protection assumes growing importance. Each manufacturer must assure that the extremely valuable and extensive engineering effort needed to invent, research, and develop a new product is not reproduced, at a tiny fraction of its original cost, by a competing manufacturer who simply buys the product on the open market and copies it. Encapsulants which are adequate to protect the operation of the device against vibration, contamination, and other environmental threats have generally been insufficient to also protect the device from inspection and reverse engineering by competitors.

Reverse-engineering resistant encapsulant for microelectric device


Various embodiments disclosed include methods of performing a double exposure process on a level of an integrated circuit (IC) chip to form an IC chip having an embedded electrically measurable identifier. In some cases, the method includes: exposing a level of an integrated circuit (IC) chip using a first mask orientation; subsequently exposing the level of the IC chip using a second mask orientation distinct from the first mask orientation; and developing the level of the IC chip to form an electrically measurable identifier on the IC chip.

Integrated circuit (IC) chip identification is conventionally performed by either optical recognition or triggering (blowing) an electrical fuse. These approaches can be expensive and time consuming. Additionally, these approaches require test structures which occupy valuable real estate on a wafer holding the IC chip(s). Even further, blowing electrical fuses can cause chip defects which reduce reliability and yield.

Chip identification pattern and method of forming


A system and method for tracking a data transmission, and for reporting the receipt of the data transmission and the level and/or type of interaction between the intended recipient user and the data transmission. Preferably, the length of time which elapses before the user receives the data transmission is measured and compared to a predetermined period of time. If the intended recipient user does not receive the data transmission within a predetermined period of time, and/or if the intended recipient user does not interact with the data transmission according to the predetermined level and/or type of interaction, then preferably the intended recipient user receives a data transmission through a different communication medium, such as voice mail if the original medium was e-mail, for example. More preferably, the sender user and/or another designated user is notified if such a period of time has elapsed.

The present invention relates to a system and method for tracking data transmissions, and for reporting on the receipt of such transmissions by the intended recipient, including the quality of interaction with the data transmission by the recipient. In particular, the system and method of the present invention provide a mechanism for notifying the sender of the quality of such an interaction.
Networks which connect two or more computers, such as the Internet or intranets, enable client computers to obtain data transmissions, such as documents, images, messages, data packages or other types of data, from remote storage media which are not installed on the client computer itself. Instead, these remote storage media are managed and operated through a remote computer, known as a server computer or simply as a xe2x80x9cserverxe2x80x9d (in the same vein, the client computer is also often termed only a xe2x80x9cclientxe2x80x9d). The data transmission may then be sent to a recipient user at a particular user address and/or user computer by a sending user, such that the data transmission is xe2x80x9cpushedxe2x80x9d, or transmitted by request of a user other than the recipient user. One example of a xe2x80x9cpushxe2x80x9d technology is e-mail (electronic mail), in which the ending user controls when the e-mail message is sent, while the recipient user passively receives the e-mail message at a particular e-mail address. Typically, the messages at such an e-mail address may be accessed from a plurality of different computers. Thus, the recipient user may optionally choose to receive, or xe2x80x9cdownloadxe2x80x9d, the e-mail messages at a convenient computer.
One difficulty with e-mail, as well as with other xe2x80x9cpushxe2x80x9d technologies, is that the quality of the interaction of the recipient user with the e-mail message is difficult to ascertain. Indeed, unless the sending user and the recipient user share a common e-mail software within a common network, the sending user may not even be able to determine whether the e-mail message has been received at all. Furthermore, the existing solutions within the context of sharing a common e-mail software within a common network do not provide a mechanism for notifying the sending user if the message has not been received by the recipient user, or if the recipient user has not interacted with the message sufficiently. In addition, these existing solutions do not provide any mechanism for attempting to contact the recipient user through another communication medium, such as voice mail for example, in order to notify the recipient user of the existence of the message. Also, the existing solutions are restricted to e-mail alone, and are not useful for tracking and reporting on other types of data transmissions within the context of xe2x80x9cpushxe2x80x9d technologies. Thus, existing solutions have many disadvantages.
Therefore, there is an unmet need for, and it would be highly useful to have, a system and method for tracking and reporting various types of data transmissions within the context of xe2x80x9cpushxe2x80x9d technologies, such as e-mail, for determining the type of interaction between the recipient user and a particular data transmission, and for notifying the sending user and/or the recipient user through the same or an alternative communication medium if the initial data transmission has not been satisfactorily received.
The present invention is of a system and method for tracking a data transmission, and for reporting the receipt of the data transmission and the level and/or type of interaction between the intended recipient user and the data transmission. If the intended recipient user does not receive the data transmission within a predetermined period of time, and/or if the intended recipient user does not interact with the data transmission according to the predetermined level and/or type of interaction, then preferably the intended recipient user receives a data transmission through a different communication medium, such as voice mail if the original medium was e-mail, for example. More preferably, the sender user and/or another designated user is notified if such a period of time has elapsed.
According to the present invention, there is provided a method for reporting an interaction of a recipient user with a data transmission, the method comprising the steps of: (a) providing a recipient client for receiving the data transmission, and a server for sending the data transmission; (b) sending the data transmission from the server to the recipient client; (c) if the data transmission is successfully received by the recipient client, reporting a successful receipt of the data transmission to the server; (d) determining the interaction of the recipient user with the data transmission by the recipient client; and (e) reporting the interaction to the server.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a system for reporting an interaction of a recipient user with a data transmission, the system comprising: (a) a server for sending the data transmission; (b) a recipient client for receiving the data transmission and for the interaction with the recipient user; (c) a client agent for reporting a report of the interaction, the client agent being operated by the recipient client; (d) a server agent for receiving the report of the interaction and for sending a notification if the interaction is not performed; and (e) a sender agent for receiving the notification. As an example, lack of performance of an interaction could be determined according to an elapsed period of time, such that if the interaction does not occur, the interaction is designated as not performed. Lack of performance may be absolute, if no interaction occurred for example, or relative, if the desired level or degree of interaction is not performed for example.
Hereinafter, the term xe2x80x9cprotocol based on TCP/IPxe2x80x9d includes any such protocol, including but not limited to the HTTP (hypertext transfer protocol) and FTP (file transfer protocol) protocols.
Hereinafter, the term xe2x80x9cdata transmissionxe2x80x9d refers to any discrete, identifiable unit of data, including but not limited to documents, images, e-mail messages, voice mail messages, paging messages, data packages or any other type of data.
Hereinafter, the term xe2x80x9cWeb browserxe2x80x9d refers to any software program which can display text, graphics, or both, from Web pages on World Wide Web sites. Hereinafter, the term xe2x80x9cWeb pagexe2x80x9d refers to any document written in a mark-up language including, but not limited to, HTML (hypertext mark-up language) or VRML (virtual reality modeling language), dynamic HTML, XML (extended mark-up language) or related computer languages thereof, as well as to any collection of such documents reachable through one specific Internet address or at one specific World Wide Web site, or any document obtainable through a particular URL (Uniform Resource Locator). Hereinafter, the term xe2x80x9cWeb sitexe2x80x9d refers to at least one Web page, and preferably a plurality of Web pages, virtually connected to form a coherent group. Hereinafter, the term xe2x80x9cWeb serverxe2x80x9d refers to a computer or other electronic device which is capable of serving at least one Web page to a Web browser.
Hereinafter, the term xe2x80x9cappletxe2x80x9d refers to a self-contained software module written in an applet language such as Java or constructed as an ActiveX(trademark) control.
Hereinafter, the term xe2x80x9cnetworkxe2x80x9d refers to a connection between any two computers which permits the transmission of data.
Hereinafter, the phrase xe2x80x9cdisplay a Web pagexe2x80x9d includes all actions necessary to render at least a portion of the information on the Web page available to the computer user. As such, the phrase includes, but is not limited to, the static visual display of static graphical information, the audible production of audio information, the animated visual display of animation and the visual display of video stream data.
Hereinafter, the terms xe2x80x9ccomputer userxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cuserxe2x80x9d both refer to the person who operates the Web browser or other GUI interface and navigates through the system of the present invention by operating a computer.
Hereinafter, the term xe2x80x9ccomputerxe2x80x9d refers to a combination of a particular computer hardware system and a particular software operating system. Examples of such hardware systems include those with any type of suitable data processor. Hereinafter, the term xe2x80x9ccomputerxe2x80x9d includes, but is not limited to, personal computers (PC) having an operating system such as DOS, Windows(trademark), OS/2(trademark) or Linux; Macintosh(trademark) computers; computers having JAVA(trademark)-OS as the operating system; and graphical workstations such as the computers of Sun Microsystems(trademark) and Silicon Graphics(trademark), and other computers having some version of the UNIX operating system such as AIX(trademark) or SOLARIS(trademark) of Sun Microsystems(trademark); a PalmPilot(trademark), a PilotPC(trademark), or any other handheld device; or any other known and available operating system. Hereinafter, the term xe2x80x9cWindows(trademark)xe2x80x9d includes but is not limited to Windows95(trademark), Windows 3.X(trademark) in which xe2x80x9cxxe2x80x9d is an integer such as xe2x80x9c1xe2x80x9d, Windows NT(trademark), Windows98(trademark), Windows CE(trademark) and any upgraded versions of these operating systems by Microsoft Inc. (Seattle, Wash., USA).
For the present invention, a software application could be written in substantially any suitable programming language, which could easily be selected by one of ordinary skill in the art. The programming language chosen should be compatible with the computer by which the software application is executed, and in particularly with the operating system of that computer. Examples of suitable programming languages include, but are not limited to, C, C++ and Java. Furthermore, the functions of the present invention, when described as a series of steps for a method, could be implemented as a series of software instructions for being operated by a data processor, such that the present invention could be implemented as software, firmware or hardware, or a combination thereof.

System and method for tracking and reporting data transmission and receipt


Disclosed herein is a chain for use in a street sweeper in conveying dirt swept from the street along an inclined surface to a hopper for later disposal. Flights for conveying the dirt along the inclined surface are easily attached to the chain. The chain is of an offset configuration and is run open end forward. The offset configuration run open end forward results in less chain and sprocket wear than prior art straight sidebar configurations. Chain components are carbonitrided for high hardness. The distance the flights can be pivoted from the surface they contact is limited by strategic location of flight attachment portions of sidebars. Assembly is simplified.

Street sweepers include a rear brush which selectively is put in contact with a street and caused to rotate so as to sweep dirt from the street to a chain assembly which conveys the street dirt along an inclined surface, upwardly at an angle into a hopper.
A problem with prior art sweeper chain assemblies is that they are composed of many separate components, and are expensive to assemble. One prior art chain assembly includes a pair of parallel spaced apart straight sidebar chains. Each chain comprises a plurality of pairs of chain sidebars connected together by chain pins. Selected pairs of sidebars have flight attachments, extending away from each other, respectively including a surface normal to the rest of the sidebar. The flight attachments have bores extending therethrough, which bores have respective axes normal to the direction of chain travel. The axis of each bore through the flight attachments is mid way between chain pin holes of the associated sidebar. A planar, elongated, pusher bar or squeegee is sandwiched between two elongated angle irons and is bolted to the angle irons. One of the angle irons has spaced apart brackets which bolt to the flight attachments of the parallel spaced apart chains so that the pusher bar or squeegee extends perpendicularly to the direction of chain travel and is supported by the parallel spaced apart chain. Other pusher bars or squeegees are similarly mounted to other flight attachments so that there are a plurality of transversely extending flights secured to the parallel chains at selected sequential positions along the chains. The chain assembly conveys street dirt upwardly at an angle into a hopper.
Chains in street sweepers are operating in abrasive environments, and are subjected to wear.
A problem with using straight sidebar chains is that friction between chain pins and bushings causes elongation of such chains, resulting in sprocket teeth being jumped which causes skewing of the pusher bars extending between the parallel, spaced apart chains. Another problem with using straight sidebar chains is that wear at the interfaces of the bushing outer diameters and the sprocket tooth faces causes improper chain-sprocket interaction.


A system and method of character input using a virtual keyboard, which may have a reduced number of keys. The virtual keyboard may be displayed on a touch screen and may include a plurality of keys. The virtual keyboard may have a plurality of keys, each key having a number of characters or symbols. Characters associated with a particular key may be selected through a series of related touch screen inputs.

Mobile devices may have a limited character input capability due to their size. Such devices may be equipped with a touch screen for entering characters through a display such as a virtual keyboard. A virtual keyboard may be represented as an image displayed on the screen of a mobile device. To enter a character a user may press a pictured key with the character he wants to input. In some devices, a stylus is used for this purpose. However, in many of today's device the keyboard and, in fact, the whole device may be controlled by a finger or thumb.
In some cases, due to their size, it not practical for certain mobile devices to display a standard keyboard having keys of a usable size. With this in mind, some mobile devices may display a virtual keypad with a layout similar to that of standard phone. Specifically, the mobile device may display a keyboard having a limited number of keys and assign one key to a number different characters. To select a particular character, a user may press a key several times until the right character is displayed or in some instances the device may be programmed to predict words as the user presses keys.

Touch screen input recognition and character selection


An active-matrix-type display apparatus ensuring sufficient luminous intensity of display devices within a display plane and allowing improved display properties is provided. Such display apparatus having of a plurality of pixels comprises a lower electrode formed on a substrate; organic layers formed on the lower electrode; and an upper common electrode formed on the organic layers; in which a plurality of the pixels are partitioned by a rib larger in the thickness than the organic layers and having at least a conductive material layer; and the conductive material layer is electrically connected to the upper common electrode.

The present application claims priority to Japanese Application No. P11-306245 filed Oct. 28, 1999, which application is incorporated herein by reference to the extent permitted by law.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a display apparatus which comprises organic electro-luminescence devises individually having an organic light emitting layer, and a method for fabricating such display apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
An organic-electro-luminescence (abbreviated as EL hereinafter) device based on electro-luminescence of organic materials has an organic layer comprising an organic hole transport layer and an organic light emitting layer laminated between a lower electrode and an upper electrode, and is attracting a good deal of attention as a light emitting device capable of high-luminance light emission by low-voltage direct current drive.
Since such an organic EL device can respond as fast as within 1 xcexcsec or below, an organic EL display apparatus using such devices can be driven by simple-matrix duty operation. A problem will, however, arise in that there is a growing need for instantaneously applying a large current to the organic EL devices to ensure sufficient luminous intensity in the future situation in which the EL display apparatus will be operated at a higher duty responding to an increasing trend in the number of pixels, which is likely to damage the devices.
On the other hand in active-matrix operation, operation current can constantly be applied to the organic EL devices during a period of one frame according to signal voltage, since the signal voltage can be retained by a retention capacitor provided to the individual pixels together with a thin film transistor (abbreviated as TFT hereinafter). Thus, unlikely to a case with the single matrix operation, there is no need to instantaneously apply a large current so that the damages to the organic EL devices can be reduced.
In the active-matrix display apparatus using such organic EL devices (that is, the organic EL display), each pixel on a substrate is individually provided with a TFT, the TFTs are covered with an interlayer insulating film, and further thereon organic EL devices are formed. Each organic EL device comprises a lower electrode patterned for the individual pixels so as to be connected to the TFT, an organic layer formed so as to cover the lower electrode, and an upper electrode provided so as to cover the organic layer.
In such an active-matrix display apparatus, the upper electrode is formed as a so-called blanket film covering all pixels, and used as an upper common electrode for such all pixels. In the display apparatus capable of color display, the organic layers are separately patterned for each color on the lower electrode.
Such display apparatus having organic EL devices on the insulating film covering the TFTs on the substrate is, however, disadvantageous in that such TFTs are causative of narrowing the aperture of the organic EL devices when the display apparatus is designed as of transmission type in which light emitted from the organic layer is observed from the substrate side.
Thus for the active-matrix display apparatus, it is supposed to be advantageous to adopt a so-called upper light withdrawing structure (hereinafter referred to as top emission type) in which the light is withdrawn from an opposite side of the substrate so as to ensure a sufficient aperture of the organic EL devices.
Constituting the active-matrix display apparatus as the top emission type requires the lower electrode to be made of a light reflective material and the upper common electrode to be made of a transparent material. Indium tin oxide (ITO) and indium zinc oxide (IXO), known as materials for transparent conductive film, are however higher in resistivity than metals, so that the upper common electrode is likely to cause voltage drop due to internal voltage gradient occurs therein. This may cause significant degradation of the display properties since the voltage applied to the individual organic EL devices on the display plane becomes non-uniform, and since the luminous intensity in the center portion of the display plane decreases.
While the transparent conductive film such as ITO or IXO can be formed by evaporation or sputtering, the former method is difficult to yield a film of good quality, and the obtained film tends to have high resistivity and low light transmissivity. The sputtering is thus adopted in the fabrication process of the display apparatus to form the transparent conductive film. The sputtering is, however, higher in energy of particles to be deposited as compared with vapor deposition, so that the underlying surface on which the deposition proceeds is more likely to be damaged. Since the basic structure of the organic EL device resembles to that of a light emitting diode made of inorganic semiconductor materials, such damages exerted on the underlying organic layer will be causative of leak current, which may further result in the production of non-emissive pixels called xe2x80x9cdead pixelsxe2x80x9d.
To avoid the production of such dead pixels, it is proposed to form the upper common electrode with a metal film thin enough so as to allow sufficient light transmissivity. Such metal film may, however, inevitably has a high sheet resistance as a result of the thinning and will also produce voltage gradient in the upper common electrode similarly to the case with the transparent conductive film, which will cause voltage drop and thus will significantly lower the display properties.
The thinning of the upper common electrode raises another problem in that the electrode cannot fully prevent the atmospheric moisture or oxygen from intruding into the organic layer, which will accelerate deterioration of the organic layer.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an active-matrix-type display apparatus ensuring sufficient luminous intensity of the organic EL devices and allowing improved display properties.
To accomplish the foregoing object, a first aspect of the present invention relates to a display apparatus having a plurality of pixels, which comprises:
a first electrode formed on a substrate;
a light emitting layer formed on the first electrode; and
a second electrode formed on the light emitting layer, wherein:
the plurality of pixels are partitioned by a rib larger in thickness than the light emitting layer and having at least a conductive material; and the conductive material layer is electrically connected to the second electrode.
Since the rib having the conductive material serves as an auxiliary wiring for the second electrode, the pressure drop of the second electrode can successfully be suppressed and thus sufficient luminous intensity of the organic light emitting layer of the individual pixels can be retained even when the second electrode is made of a high-resistivity material. Moreover, the rib also serves as a spacer for a mask used for patterning the organic layer, so that there is no need to separately provide the spacer and the auxiliary wiring between every adjacent pixels. This allows space saving between every adjacent pixels and reserve of the pixel area.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a display apparatus having a plurality of pixels, which comprises:
a field effective transistor formed on a substrate and having a first electrode, a second electrode and a third electrode;
an interlayer insulating film formed on the field effective transistor;
a lower electrode connected to the first electrode through an opening formed on the interlayer insulating film;
an organic layer formed on the lower electrode and having a light emitting layer; and
an upper electrode formed on the organic layer, wherein:
the plurality of pixels are partitioned by a rib larger in thickness than the organic layer and having at least a conductive material; and the conductive material layer is electrically connected to the upper electrode.
According to the display apparatus according to the second aspect of the present invention, sufficient luminous intensity of the organic light emitting layer of all pixels on the display plane can be retained while achieving the space saving between every adjacent pixels to reserve sufficient pixel area by providing between every adjacent pixels the rib which serves as the spacers for the mask used for patterning the organic layer and also as the auxiliary electrode for the upper electrode covering the entire plane of the display plane. This results in improvement in the display properties of an active-matrix-type display apparatus.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for fabricating a display apparatus having a plurality of pixels, which comprises:
a step for forming on a substrate a first electrode;
a step for forming between adjacent ones of the plurality of pixels a rib having a conductive material;
a step for placing a mask on the rib, and forming on the first electrode a light emitting layer smaller in thickness than the rib; and
a step for forming a second electrode on the light emitting layer and on the rib.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for fabricating a display apparatus having a plurality of pixels, which comprises:
a step for forming on a substrate a field effective transistor having a first electrode, a second electrode and a third electrode;
a step for forming on the field effective, transistor an interlayer insulating film;
a step for forming an opening to the interlayer insulating film;
a step for forming on the interlayer insulating film a lower electrode connected through the opening to the first electrode;
a step for forming between adjacent ones of a plurality of the pixels a rib having a conductive material;
a step for placing a mask on the rib, and forming on the lower electrode an organic layer having a light emitting layer smaller in thickness than the rib; and
a step for forming on the organic layer an upper electrode and a protective layer made of an insulating material or a conductive material while keeping the organic layer unexposed to the air.

Display apparatus with ribs having conductive material


Systems, methods, and apparatus are provided for authenticating a consumer using challenge questions. A response to a challenge question is verified via seeding the challenge question, receiving response, and deductively determining the answer. The verified response and challenge question may then be used to authenticate a consumer as part of an authorization process.

The present application is generally related to payment transactions, and more specifically to the use of challenge questions in authorizing a transaction.
It is desirable to have mechanisms that ensure that a consumer who is using a portable consumer device such as a credit card is really the consumer who is associated with the credit card. Fraudulent activity can be very costly to merchants, issuers of portable consumer devices, and others.
A number of consumer authentication mechanisms are known. In one example of a conventional consumer authentication process, a consumer may purchase gas at a gas station using his credit card. Before the consumer is allowed to buy the gas and before the authorization request message is sent to the issuer of the portable consumer device, the gas pump may request that the consumer supply his zip code. The answer supplied by the consumer is then compared against a zip code obtained, for example, from the records of the issuer of the credit card or records from some other third party.
This authentication request may be provided by the merchant as a way to ensure that the consumer is in fact the consumer associated with the credit card. The gas station wants to verify that the consumer is authentic, since the gas station may bear some of the risk for any fraudulent activity that results from purchases made at the gas station.
While such conventional authentication methods have some effectiveness, there are still problems. For example, conventional authentication requests typically reuse the same questions. If someone has stolen a consumer's portable consumer device and knows the consumer's zip code (possibly obtained from the same third party), for example, that person could still conduct fraudulent transactions using the authentic portable consumer device. As there may be limited number of known data that can be used as a correct answer to a question posed to the consumer, it may not be hard for a thief to obtain such information. The data may be public (e.g., in a phone listing or on the Internet) or obtainable for purchase from a third party if requested under false pretenses.
Better ways to authenticate consumers using portable consumer devices are desirable. Embodiments of the invention address the above problems, and other problems, individually and collectively.

Seeding challenges for payment transactions


A system for processing a portion in a processing volume of a transparent material by application of focused radiation including a device for generating and an optical system for focusing radiation, with a device for changing the position of the focus of the radiation and a control device. This system performs a slow scanning movement of the focus and an independent fast scanning movement of the focus which section can be moved by the slow scanning movement in the entire processing volume in an arbitrary direction; as well as by a system into which a scan pattern is encoded, with scanning movement including at least one lateral base component in the x- and/or y-direction, which is superimposed by components with synchronous change-of-direction-movements in the z-direction and in x-direction and/or y-direction. The invention also includes corresponding methods, a control program product and a planning unit.

The present invention relates to a system for processing an area in a processing volume of a transparent material by application of a focused radiation, which contains a device for generating radiation, an optical system for focusing the radiation into a focus in the processing volume, a device for changing the position of the focus in the processing volume and a control device arranged to control the system. The present invention further relates to a corresponding method for processing an area in a processing volume of a transparent material by application of a focused radiation and a control program product and a planning unit for a system or a method for processing an area in a processing volume of a transparent material by application of focused radiation.
Such a device can be used in ophthalmology as an ophthalmologic therapy device, corresponding methods can be used as ophthalmologic therapy methods. The transparent material to be processed can thereby be a natural eye tissue, for example the lens, the cornea or the capsular sac, or even an artificial eye material, such as an artificial lens.
To date, so-called spiral scans are customary. These are described for example in the documents U.S. Pat. No. 5,984,916 and DE 102011085047 A1, an exemplary embodiment is shown in FIG. 1. A laser beam 1 is focused by an optical system 2, 201 in a transparent material 3. The focus 4 is thereby moved by a scanning system along a scan line 5, which is spirally here due to a lateral arbitrary closed movement such as a rotational movement, and a slow z-movement of the scanning system, through a transparent eye tissue 3. The optical system 2, 201 thereby determines the shape of the focal cone 6. In order to be able to use such a spiral scan for processing the eye tissue 3, the lateral area reachable by the optical system 2, 201 must be large enough to reach all processing areas without slow lateral movement of the optical system 2, 201. The optical system 2, 201 is correspondingly large and expensive. Due to the necessary size, this method is also only conditionally suitable for use in flexible, mobile devices with an articulated arm.
Incisions with a femtosecond laser are also known which are implemented in the vertical direction by fast scanning movements. This is called vertical z-wobble and is described for example in document WO 2013/057318 A1. FIG. 1b shows a schematic exemplary embodiment of the z-wobble. A laser beam 1 is also focused here in a transparent material 3 by use of an optical system 2, 202. The focus 4 is thereby moved through a scanning system along a scan line 5, which is generated here by a periodically recurring, fast scanning movement in the z-direction which is superposed with a slow scanning movement in an x-y plane, through a transparent eye tissue 3. Such movement for processing eye tissues 3 by use of a laser scans allows a smaller optical system 2, 202, as the fast movements are respectively carried out in a small volume. However, in unfavorable incision or processing patterns, the already generated vertical incision lines or processing lines already partially overshadow the laser focus 4 for incision lines to be applied closely adjacent thereto.
The aim is therefore to describe an apparatus and a method for processing an area in a processing volume of a transparent material, allowing it to work with a cost-efficient, thus small optical system and minimizing shadowing effects of the previously carried out incision lines or patterns in the laser focus for yet to be producing incision lines or patterns.
A possibility is provided by the lateral wobbling as disclosed in the documents EP 2412341 B1 or EP 2596773 B1 in an x-y plane.
Starting with such fast, for example oscillating lateral movements, a generation of a plane which proceeds parallel to the z-axis, is now possible by adding a small z-movement, as shown in FIG. 2. A laser beam 1 or another radiation is again focused by an optical system 2, 202 in a transparent material 3. The focus 4 is thereby moved by a scanning system along a scanning line 5, which is produced here by a periodically recurring, fast lateral scanning movement which is superimposed with a slow scanning movement in a z-direction, through a transparent eye tissue 3. Here, for example, a cylindrical incision with significant local z-extension, i.e. an extension in the z-direction which is larger than the effective area of a laser focus and thus requires several scans with the focus 4 arranged above one another, and having a lateral extension which is larger than the (partial) field, that can simultaneously be achieved with the optical system 2, 202 without additional lateral movement, can be assembled of several "patches", thus partial processing areas, in order to be able to utilize the speed advantage of the lateral wobbling. Such a procedure of "patching" is necessary when using the lateral wobbling in ophthalmology for a number of treatment patterns, particularly of incision images such as the cylindrical incision of the capsulotomy.
A lateral wobbling is possible with a system which allows a fast scanning in a plane of a processing volume perpendicular to a beam axis plane.
The assembly from several partial processing areas, however, produces many border regions 501, in which two adjacent partial processing areas have to be aligned to each other, such that, on the one hand, no "processing gap" results, and, on the other hand, regions, for which this is not intended, are not processed twice. It also leads to situations in the peripheral areas of the partial processing areas where a shadowing effect by already produced incision or processing lines becomes unavoidable.

Opthalmological therapy system and method for processing a portion of a processing volume of a transparent material by application of focused radiation


A control system for a suspension height adjustment mechanism of a vehicle. The suspension height adjustment mechanism comprises a front suspension height adjustment mechanism at a front end of the vehicle and a rear suspension height adjustment mechanism at a rear end of the vehicle. The control system is configured to control the suspension height adjustment mechanism in response to user-generated control signals to: increase the height of at least the rear end of the vehicle to a first predetermined vehicle height corresponding to a High tow hitch height; and decrease the height of at least the rear end of the vehicle to a second predetermined vehicle height corresponding to a Low tow hitch height. Both the first and second predetermined vehicle heights are accessible from one or more other vehicle height that is different to the first and second predetermined heights. Decreasing the vehicle height from the High tow hitch height to the Low tow hitch height comprises the control system controlling the suspension height adjustment mechanism such that the height of the front end of the vehicle is decreased less than the height of the rear end of the vehicle.

It is known to provide vehicle suspension systems that can be configured to attain a number of predetermined vehicle ride heights. These systems can be operable by way of one or more manual switches on a console of the vehicle and accessible from the driving position, such that a user can choose the most appropriate suspension setting for their style of driving or for the nature of the terrain the vehicle is traversing. Such suspension settings can include a Normal suspension ride height, an Off-Road suspension ride height and an Access height, for example.
In these known systems, often the option to adjust the suspension of the vehicle is only available to a user when they are seated in a driver's seat or a front passenger's seat of the vehicle, and the available vehicle ride heights are restricted to a number of pre-set ride heights. Some vehicles go part way to addressing such limitations and offer limited vehicle ride height adjustment functionality when the vehicle is parked and the user is positioned outside of the vehicle cabin.
The available vehicle ride heights in such systems often include a Normal height and a Loading height, and the user may opt to lower the vehicle ride height from the Normal height to the Loading height to increase the ease with which they can access the rear loadspace of the vehicle, for example. This functionality is limited, however, typically allowing the user to select only one of two pre-set vehicle ride heights, a 'raise' switch being used to access an upper ride height when the vehicle is positioned at a lower ride height, and a 'lower' switch being used to access the lower ride height when the vehicle is positioned at the upper ride height.
There remains a need to provide a vehicle suspension system with increased functionality and greater flexibility for the user. The present invention has been devised to mitigate or overcome at least some of the above-mentioned problems.


An ionically crosslinkable fluoroelastomer composition comprising:    (a) at least one fluoroelastomer [polymer (F)];    (b) at least one ionically crosslinking system comprising at least one accelerator and at least one curing agent;    (c) from 0.5 to 20 weight parts, per hundred parts of fluoroelastomer [polymer (F)], of at least one polar compound having boiling point of 150° C. or less, selected among:    alcohols having formula:RH—OH    wherein RH is a C1-12 hydrocarbon group, aliphatic or aromatic, substituted or unsubstituted, linear or branched;    aldehydes having formula:

Fluorinated elastomers have found increasing application in specialized areas, such as high temperature resistant gaskets, seals, diaphragms, and tubing. Fabricated fluoroelastomer articles can withstand temperatures of about 250-350° C. while retaining their good elasticity. It is necessary for many applications, for example, gaskets for high-temperature reactors, that the fluoroelastomer article be resilient and have low compression set. This is accomplished by curing the article; that is, by vulcanizing or cross-linking the elastomer.
Prior art processes for vulcanization of fluoroelastomers are well-known in the art and can be categorized among peroxydic route and ionic route.
Fluoroelastomers to be cured by the peroxidic route should advantageously comprise cure sites in their back-bone, either provided by suitable functional groups in recurring units from functional comonomers incorporated in the polymer chain or by reactive end-group, e.g. formed by suitable chain transfer agents (e.g. iodine-containing cure-sites). In such a case, curing can be carried out according to known techniques, comprising adding suitable peroxides capable to generate radicals by thermal decomposition, and curing coagents, i.e. polyfunctional unsaturated compounds able to generate crosslinking points.
Thus, JP 8295776 (ASAHI GLASS) Nov. 12, 1996 discloses a peroxide-vulcanisable fluororubber composition comprising a fluoroelastomer, an organic peroxide; a crosslinking aid having at least two unsaturated bonds; a divalent metal hydroxide or oxide; an organic onium compound; and a polar compound chosen among ester, ketones, sulfone compounds, alcohols, water; preferably among methanol, ethanol, propanol, i-propanol, n-butanol, s-butanol, t-butanol, dimethyl sulfone, diethyl sulfone, sulfolane, acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, acetylacetone, methyl acetate, ethyl acetate, and ethyl malonate, in an amount from 0.05 to 10 phr. The polar compound is believed to improve dispersibility of to organic onium compound and thus yield improved oilproof and thermal resistance properties in the corresponding vulcanizate.
EP 1566583 A (FREUDENBERG CARL KG) Aug. 24, 2005 discloses a fluoroelastomer composition suitable for the manufacture of gasket for fuel cells, said composition comprising a fluoroelastomer precursor comprising halogenated crosslinking sites, inert particulate fillers, a curing agent and magnesium oxide. Said composition can be provided under the form of liquid admixture of low viscosity, by admixing a solvent chosen among ketones, alcohols, esters.
US 2002177666 (3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES) Nov. 28, 2002 and US 2004044139 (3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES) Mar. 4, 2004 disclose a composition comprising a nitrogen-containing cure site monomer, a catalyst which is the reaction product between an organo-onium and an acid, said acid being, notably, an aromatic polyoxy compound, and, optionally, an alcohol (e.g. octanol or decanol).
Nevertheless, introduction of cure sites in the fluoroelastomer to be cured is sometimes tedious and costly and upper service temperature of fluoroelastomers cured via the peroxidic route is often limited.
It is thus preferred for several applications to cure the fluoroelastomers via the so-called ionic route. Curing by ionic route is generally carried out by addition of curing and accelerating agents, which are well known to the skilled in the art. While in curing via the peroxidic route radicals are formed, which generate reactive species by activation of suitable cure sites in the polymer chain, ionic curing proceeds by reactive ionic species, with no need of cure sites in the polymer nor of radical initiators.
It is thus clear that curing mechanisms of ionically curable fluoroelastomers and peroxide curable fluoroelastomers are completely different processes which imply different active species.
Ionically curable fluoroelastomers are often used in applications wherein a high processing throughput rate is required: it is thus a general requirement in this field to obtain high curing rates, so that processing cycles can be reduced.
There is thus a continuous need in the art for fluoroelastomer compositions which can be cured by the ionic route and which combine satisfactory cure rates with good processing safety and good storage stability of unvulcanized formulations; and which yield vulcanized polymers of good stress-strain properties and a low compression set.

Abstract: wherein R′H is a C1-12 hydrocarbon group, aliphatic or aromatic, substituted or unsubstituted, linear or branched;    ketones having formula:

Abstract: wherein R″H groups, equal or different from each other, are C1-6 hydrocarbon groups, aliphatic or aromatic, substituted or unsubstituted, linear or branched;    esters having formula:

Abstract: wherein R′″H groups, equal or different from each other, are C1-6 hydrocarbon groups, aliphatic or aromatic, substituted or unsubstituted, linear or branched.


A semiconductor memory device includes an array having memory cells arranged in rows and columns; a clock-to-address converter for counting an external clock signal to generate an address for accessing the array based on the counted value, during a test operation mode; and a redundancy circuit for storing the address generated by the clock-to-address converter.

The present disclosure relates to a test system and, more particularly, technology for providing a repair address to a semiconductor memory device in a test operation mode.
In fabricating a semiconductor integrated circuit, various procedures including design, process, package, and test are necessary. Moreover, the test is categorized into a functional method, a parameter method, and a burn-in method. In these methods, semiconductor integrated circuits may be tested in a wafer, in die, or in a package form. Although the package is a relatively cheap procedure, semiconductor makes typically package devices before testing, that is, before determining proper operations of the semiconductor integrated circuit devices. Considering the complexity of the structures of semiconductor integrated circuit devices, however, and due to the high cost necessary for packaging semiconductor integrated circuit devices, the devices need to be tested with a wafer or die form to reduce the probability of packaging abnormal semiconductor integrated circuit devices. Further, in connection with the advent of multichip modules, a wafer or package test certainly is required since a semiconductor integrated circuit device is only one of the elements mounted on a multichip carrier.
FIG. 1 is a flowchart useful for describing a conventional test method.
Referring to FIG. 1, a test device may write test pattern data in a semiconductor integrated circuit device for example a semiconductor memory device, to be tested according to a given timing (S10). Then, the test device reads test pattern data written in the semiconductor memory device (S20). The test device judges whether the read test pattern data includes fail data (S30). The presence of fail data may be judged by comparing the read test pattern data with the written test pattern data. Defective cells of the semiconductor memory device corresponding to the fail data may be repaired with redundant cells (S40).
In order to repair defective cells of a semiconductor memory device, a conventional test device may provide addresses of the defective data to a semiconductor memory device under test via an address bus. Hereinafter, an address for defective data is referred to as a defective address or a repair address. Defective addresses from a test device may be stored in a redundancy circuit of a semiconductor memory device. The redundancy circuit includes electric fuses that are selectively cut according to the input defective addresses, which are stored in the redundancy circuit by selective cutting of electric fuses.
In general, vector address information is stored in a test device to appoint each cell of a semiconductor memory device under test. The vector address information includes addresses for appointing all cells in the semiconductor memory device under test. At a repair step, the test device may provide the semiconductor memory device under test with address information that coincides with a defective address of the vector address information. Generally, the stored space of the test device for storing vector address information is limited. As the storage capacity of a semiconductor memory device is gradually increased, its vector address information is also increased. Accordingly, it is hard to test a semiconductor memory device with increased storage capacity using a test device with a limited storage space. Further, in a case where a test device does not have a function for comparing vector address information with an address of defective data, it is impossible to repair defective cells of a semiconductor memory device.

Semiconductor memory device, test system including the same and repair method of semiconductor memory device


An LED lamp 20 according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a pair of input terminal parts 20a, 20c, a rectifier circuit unit 22, and an LED unit 24. And the LED lamp 20 has variable inductance units L50, L60 for causing an AC to flow from one of the pair of input terminal parts 20a, 20c to the other input terminal part through the rectifier circuit unit 22, a current detection unit 31 for detecting a magnitude of a DC flowing through the LED unit 24, and an inductance variable control unit 32 for making inductance values of the variable inductance units L50, L60 variable according to the magnitude of the DC detected by the current detection unit 31.

As typical lighting devices for fluorescent lamps (usually referred to as fluorescent lights) used in general, there have conventionally been lighting devices for various fluorescent lamps such as those of the glow starter and rapid start types, which are also known as magnetic ballasts, or the inverter type, also known as an electronic ballast.
The inverter type fluorescent lamp lighting devices, which have rapidly been becoming widespread in recent years in particular, are devices which convert an AC into a DC and then cause an inverter circuit constituted by a transistor, a capacitor, a choke coil and the like to generate a high voltage at a high frequency (20 kHz to 100 kHz) near a resonance frequency.
The high voltage switches on the fluorescent lamp, and thereafter a current flowing through the fluorescent lamp stably lights the fluorescent lamp at a lower voltage.
This is superior to the conventional magnetic ballasts of the glow starter and rapid start types using choke coils in terms of such characteristics as lower power, higher efficiency, usability at both 50 Hz or 60 Hz, lower noise and indiscernibility of flicker.
These will now be explained with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 15(a) is a diagram illustrating an example of glow starter type ballasts, FIG. 15(b) is a diagram illustrating an example of rapid start type ballasts, and FIG. 15(c) is a diagram illustrating an example of inverter type ballasts.
The glow starter type ballast illustrated in FIG. 15 (a), which is the most popular type, preheats electrodes (also referred to as filaments; the same hereinafter) of a fluorescent lamp with a starting device using a glow starter (G), so as to enable lighting in a few seconds after switching on.
The rapid start type ballast illustrated in FIG. 15(b), which is used in combination with a rapid start type lamp, is lit instantaneously and simultaneously with preheating when switched on.
On the other hand, the ballast of the inverter type lighting device illustrated in FIG. 15(c) converts an AC within the AC input voltage range of 85 to 450 V into a DC and then causes an integrated circuit to drive an LED lamp at a high frequency such as that mentioned above (e.g. see page 4 and FIG. 2 of Patent Literature 1).
While a choke coil L is inserted in series with the LED lamp in order to smooth the current flowing through the LED lamp in this case, an electrolytic capacitor (not depicted) is typically inserted in parallel with the LED lamp.
FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating an example in which two fluorescent lamps are connected in series to a series rapid ballast.
This configuration, in which two fluorescent lamps are connected in series and lit by a single ballast, is simpler and less expensive than one using two single-lamp ballasts or a flickerless ballast.
When powered, the electrodes of each of fluorescent lamps A and B are preheated, and the secondary voltage does not shift to normal discharging but attains a weakly discharging state due to a starting capacitor having a high impedance. The lowered voltage at both ends of the starting capacitor caused by the weak discharge current is applied to the fluorescent lamp B, and starts to discharge the fluorescent lamp B.
When discharging occurs in both fluorescent lamps, the starting capacitor at the high impedance is placed into a substantially non-operating state, so that normal discharging is generated in both fluorescent lamps, and a lit state is maintained.
Thus discharging lamps one by one in such a series connection can light two fluorescent lamps in series at a relatively low secondary voltage, but is disadvantageous in that both of the fluorescent lamps fail to light when one of them is removed for power saving or has burnt out.
Meanwhile, as the above-mentioned ballast of the inverter type lighting device (hereinafter also referred to as inverter type ballast or electronic ballast), which is applied not only to LED lamps but also to conventional fluorescent lamps, a constant current regulation type in which the current flowing through the fluorescent lamp is controlled so as to have a fixed magnitude and a constant power regulation type in which the power supplied to the fluorescent lamp is controlled so as to have a fixed magnitude have widely been known (see, for example, Patent Literatures 2 and 3).

LED lamp, illumination device including the LED lamp and current control method of the LED lamp


A power converter with a fan assembly cools down a temperature of the power converter. The power converter with a fan assembly includes a housing, a plate, and a second plate. The housing includes a fan assembly (which is integral to the housing) to draw in air. The plate is coupled to the housing to create an air channel between the plate and the housing and the second plated is coupled to the housing to create a second air channel between the second plate and the housing. The fan assembly draws in air through one of the air channel or the second air channel and moves air out through the other of the air channel and the second air channel to cool down the temperature of the power adapter.

Power converters or power adapters, both DC/DC and AC/DC converters utilized for portable electronic devices, are being required to take up a smaller amount of space, as compared to current designs. In addition, the portable electronic devices powered by the power converters require more power in order to operate. Accordingly, the power converters or power adapters need to more efficiently supply power to the portable electronic devices.
As the power requirements of the portable electronic devices, usually measured in watts, continue to increase, cooling issues for the power adapters or power converters arise due to the increased operating temperature of the portable electronic devices. According to EN60950 regulations, the surface temperature of a portable electronic device that is handled by users or consumers should be below 85 degrees Fahrenheit. This allows the power converter or the power adapter to not run the risk of being too hot to a user's touch.
Internal temperatures, within the power adapter or power converter, are being generated in excess of the 85 degrees due to the increased power requirements of the power adapter or power converter. These higher temperatures not only create an increased device surface temperature, the higher temperatures may also lead to component degradation or malfunction. Currently, a reduction in internal temperature of the power converter, by external fins or other converter surface designs, for example, may result in an increased surface temperature of the converter.
Accordingly, a need exists to be able to maintain the surface temperature of a power converter at a safe level and at the same time maintain the internal temperature at a level that does not damage internal components of the power converter or power adapter.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


Shaped articles of a crosslinked poly(vinylidene fluoride) resin can be prepared in a relatively simple process to be imparted with greatly improved resistance against heat, water, and chemicals in a much higher productivity than in the conventional electron-beam irradiation method. The method comprises the steps of (a) compounding the resin with an organosilane compound having an ethylenically unsaturated group, e.g., vinyl, and at least one alkoxy group in a molecule and a free-radical generator, e.g., organic peroxides, (b) heating the resin compound to effect graft-polymerization of the organosilane compound to the polymer molecules, (c) shaping the resin compound into a desired form, and (d) heating the shaped body in water containing a silanol-condensation catalyst dissolved or dispersed therein.

The present invention relates to a method for the preparation of a shaped article of a crosslinked poly(vinylidene fluoride) resin. More particularly, the invention relates to a low-cost method for the industrial preparation of a shaped article of a crosslinked poly(vinylidene fluoride) resin, which is uniformly crosslinked to the depth of the core portion of the article and has greatly improved resistance against heat, water and chemicals.
It is known that poly(vinylidene fluoride) resins can be crosslinked by the irradiation with electron beams in a dose of several Mrad to several tens of Mrad in the absence or presence of a crosslinking aid to enhance the efficiency of the crosslinking reaction with an object to improve various properties of the shaped articles of the resin (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,269,862). This method by the electron beam irradiation is, however, disadvantageous, due to the high costs for the very expensive apparatus of electron beam irradiation and has a limitation in the applicability to thick-walled articles or articles of an irregular form due to the relatively small penetrability of electron beams through synthetic resin bodies.
Apart from poly(vinylidene fluoride) resins, Japanese Patent Publication 61-50484 teaches that certain halogen-containing synthetic resins, e.g., chlorinated polyethylenes, poly(vinyl chloride) resins, poly(vinylidene chloride) resins and the like, can be crosslinked by the reaction with a mercapto group-containing organosilane compound as a crosslinking agent. This method, however, is not applicable to poly(vinylidene fluoride) resins because the mercapto group containing organosilane compound acts as a dehydrofluorinating agent of the poly(vinylidene fluoride) resin to introduce ethylenically unsaturatred double bonds to the main chain structure of the polymer rather than to act as a crosslinking agent.

Method for the preparation of shaped article of crosslinked poly (vinylidene fluoride)


A vapor deposition apparatus for depositing thin film on substrates in which solid starting materials are used. In this apparatus, a carrier gas flows up and down in the same direction as gas convection, such that the effect of gas convection is minimized and film thickness and impurity concentration are uniform over the substrate surface. This uniformity is achieved by orienting a main reaction tube in a vertical direction, attaching two branch reaction tubes at the top of the main reaction tube, and venting carrier gas out the bottom of the main reaction tube. Alternately, the main reaction tube can be oriented horizontally, with the substrates being carried on a holder within a container having pores on its top and bottom.

A method for producing a semiconductor thin film for electronic devices of ZnS, GaAs, Si etc. or an insulating thin film of Ta.sub.2 O.sub.5, Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 etc. includes a vapor deposition method wherein starting materials of the thin film are vaporized and transferred onto a substrate. If a vapor pressure of the starting materials is low at room temperature, i.e. less than about 1 torr, the starting materials may be heated or chemically reacted with a reactive carrier gas to promote vaporization.
For example, if an electroluminescent (EL) film is prepared from ZnS and Mn by a heat chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method, a horizontal type vapor growth apparatus as shown in FIG. 3 is generally employed. In this apparatus, a reaction tube 1 includes two reaction tubes 2a and 2b and is surrounded with electric heaters 3a, 3b and 3c. A starting material ZnS 11 is placed in the reaction tube 2a and a metal (Mn) material 12 is placed in the reaction tube 2b. Substrates 10 are put on a holder and placed a little apart from the reaction tubes 2a and 2b. A baffle 4 for promoting the mixing of gas is arranged between the substrates 10 and the reaction tubes 2a and 2b. The electric heaters 3b and 3c heat to a desired temperature the reaction tubes 2a and 2b into which a carrier gas is introduced and starting material gas is transferred onto the substrate through the baffle 4 to form a ZnS:Mn film on the substrates 10.
In recent years, it has been desired that the CVD film having good qualities is grown in a large area of more than 100 cm.sup.2. An apparatus which can produce such high quality CVD film at low cost and in large quantities is also desired. However, in order to realize the above desire, there are three problems to be overcome.
(1) Since the substrates become larger and heavier, a running lift can not be used and an accumulation on a reaction tube wall is attached to the substrate.
(2) If the horizontal reaction tube is made a large scale, convection of gas in up and down directions occurs meaningfully, so as to cause nonuniformity of deposited film thickness in up and down directions between two substrates or in the same substrate.
(3) A conventional vertical apparatus for a large area substrate cannot ensure a position where solid starting materials are placed.

Vapor deposition apparatus for using solid starting materials


A plurality of battery cells of a battery pack may include at least one first battery cell arranged in a first row, at least one second battery cell arranged in a second row adjacent to the first row, at least one third battery cell arranged in a third row adjacent to the second row, and at least one fourth battery cell arranged in a fourth row adjacent to the third row. The at least one first battery cell and the at least one second battery cell are connected in series. Each of the at least one first battery cell is connected in parallel with a corresponding one of the at least one third battery cell. Each of the at least one second battery cell is connected in parallel with a corresponding one of the at least one fourth battery cell.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2012-99307 describes a battery pack. This battery pack includes a plurality of battery cells supported parallel to each other and a plurality of lead plates that electrically connects the plurality of battery cells. Each of the battery cells is connected in parallel with at least one battery cell and is connected in series with other battery cells.


A process for manufacturing fiberboard by preparing a fiber slurry mixture including containing cellulose fibers and water then atomizing a liquid bituminous material, such as asphalt. The liquid bituminous material is atomized by mixing it with a pressurized gas, such as compressed air, forming a mist comprising droplets of bituminous material having a diameter between 20 microns and 50 microns. A water spray solidifies the bituminous material droplets thereby forming bituminous particles which fall into the fiber slurry within the spray chamber. From there the slurry is sheared, dewatered, and dried, forming a finished fiberboard.

The present disclosure relates to a process for manufacturing fiber expansion joints. In particular, the present disclosure relates to a method for introducing fine particles of bituminous material, such as asphalt, into a slurry fiber mixture for formation into boards used in fiber expansion joint applications. Although the term "asphalt" is used throughout the present disclosure, it should be understood that any bituminous material, including tars and pitches, may be employed and still remain within the scope of the present disclosure.
Asphalt impregnated expansion joints are used in connection with concrete structures to relieve stresses created by thermal expansion and contraction of the concrete and prevent failure of the concrete caused by changes in ambient temperature. Typical applications for asphalt impregnated fiber expansion joints include sidewalks, driveways, floor slabs, streets, highways, airport runways, and similar applications. Because such concrete expansion joints are installed in applications exposed to the weather, it is desirable that water absorption be limited to prevent degradation of the expansion joint. It is also desirable that concrete expansion joints have strength and resiliency. Therefore, asphalt impregnated fiberboard expansion joints are required to meet or exceed the requirements of ASTM Standard Specification D 1751-04.
ASTM D 1751-04 requires that an expansion joint for concrete paving and structural applications have specified material characteristics, including that 35% weight of the finished fiberboard shall be asphalt uniformly distributed throughout the board. Additionally, the stress required to compress a test specimen of a fiber expansion joint to 50% of its original thickness must not be less than 100 psi nor greater than 750 psi. When a fiber expansion joint is compressed to 50% of its original thickness having three of its edges restrained, the amount of extrusion of the free edge cannot exceed 0.25 inch. A fiber expansion joint that has been compressed to 50% of its original thickness must recover at least 70% of its thickness within 10 minutes after the applied load is released. A fiber expansion joint must not have a density less than 19 lb./cu. ft. A fiber expansion joint test specimen with four square-cut edges, when submerged horizontally under 1 inch of water at 70 degrees F. may not absorb more than 15 volume % in 24 hours for a nominal volume of ½ inch and no more than 20 volume % for all other thicknesses.
Fiber expansion joints have been made by saturating fiberboard in an asphalt/solvent solution, allowing the asphalt solvent mixture to be absorbed into the fibers, and allowing the solvent to evaporate. Fiber expansion joints have also been made by adding solid asphalt particles into a slurry of fibers. The asphalt particles are dispersed in the fiber slurry by mechanical mixing, and the slurry is dewatered, pressed into a board and dried.

Wet-end manufacturing process for bitumen-impregnated fiberboard