The present invention discloses a method for providing node information, a method for acquiring node information, a Device Management (DM) server and a terminal device. The method for providing node information includes: receiving a command including a Management Object Identifier (MOI) and node object information (41); and returning node information according to the MOI and the node object information in the command (42). The DM server includes a sending module and a receiving module. The terminal device includes a receiving module and a returning module. The DM server acquires node values of multiple nodes of multiple MO instances through one command, thereby increasing efficiency of the DM server acquiring node information, and saving OTA resources.

The Device Management (DM) specification "OMA DM V1.2" formulated by the Open Mobile Alliance Device Management Work Group (OMA DM WG) is used by a third party to manage and set environment and configuration information of a terminal device (for example, a mobile phone terminal and a function object in a terminal), so as to solve a problem existing in use of the terminal device. For example, an operation such as installation and an upgrade of software and firmware is performed in an Over The Air (OTA) mode, and a service being more human-centered and personalized is provided, thereby improving user experience. The third party may be an operator, a service provider, or an information management department of a partner.
The environment and configuration information of the terminal device is saved in a DM tree. The DM tree includes some Management Objects (MOs). The DM tree is formed from nodes, for example, a root node, an interior node, and a leaf node. The root node is the topmost node in the DM tree; the leaf node may have a node value but cannot have a child node; the interior node cannot have a node value, but can have a child node.
The DM and a relevant application protocol define a data model of an MO, that is, a structure of nodes, descriptions of nodes and related properties. For example, the Device Capability MO (DCMO) protocol defines an MO for managing capabilities of a device. In a specific application, the MO needs to be instantiated in a terminal, that is, nodes are assigned with values and names to generate an actual MO instance that is stored in the DM tree so as to being managed by a DM server and used by a terminal device.
When the data model of the MO is defined, one kind of node, that is, an unnamed node, is defined to act as a placeholder. The node is named only when the DM server or the terminal device instantiates the node, and a node of this type is called an x node.
The DM tree may be regarded as an interface for the DM server to manage the terminal device. The DM server communicates with a DM client in the terminal device through a DM protocol to manage the terminal device. The DM server operates and controls the MO in the DM tree through an operation command such as Get, Replace, Exec, Copy, and Delete. A node of the MO is addressed through a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) such as ".A/B/C/D".
In the prior art, the DM server first searches for a position of the MO in the DM tree by locally resolving a Device Description Framework (DDF) or acquires the position of the MO from the terminal device by sending a Management Object Identifier (MOI), and then acquires node information such as structure information and data information (including a node property and a node value) in an MO instance from the terminal device according to the acquired position.
During the implementation of the present invention, the inventors find that the prior art has at least the following disadvantages. The DM server needs to perform at least two operations to acquire the node information, and therefore execution efficiency is low.

Method for providing node information, method for acquiring node information, and device


A system for sampling air contained in an appliance shipping container includes a gas analyzer sealably interconnected with a probe by a flexible conduit. Disposed on the lower portion of a side wall of the appliance shipping container is an opening sealably covered by a film patch. A conveyor line arrangement positions the shipping container such that the film patch is disposed adjacent the probe. When the appliance shipping container is detected to be suitably positioned adjacent the probe, an electro-solenoid interconnected with the probe is activated causing the probe to puncture the reflective film patch and permitting an air sample to be drawn from the appliance shipping container into the gas analyzer. If the presence of a vaporized refrigerant is detected, a controller shunts the appliance shipping container to a site for repair of the appliance.

The present invention is directed to a system for sampling the air within an appliance shipping container and detecting the presence of contaminants in the air, and more particularly to a system for detecting a refrigerant leak from a refrigerator disposed within a shipping container.
Typically, an appliance such as an air conditioner, freezer or a refrigerator includes a refrigeration system having a compressor, evaporator and condenser sealably connected together and having a charge of pressurized refrigerant. More specifically, in the manufacture of refrigerator appliances, it is well known that leaks of refrigerant from the refrigeration system may cause the refrigerator to fail to operate. Further, the leaks in the refrigeration system may be of a very minute nature and accordingly are difficult to detect because the refrigerant used in most modern appliances is odorless and colorless.
Various methods are used therefore, for detecting leaks in the refrigeration system of the refrigerator during the manufacturing process of the refrigerator. For example, one such method includes submerging a portion of the refrigeration system, pressurized with compressed air, in a liquid bath and visually noting the presence of bubbles which indicate the presence of leaks. Another method involves pressurizing a portion or all of the refrigeration system using compressed air and monitoring the system for any loss of pressure which would indicate a leak.
Typically, the above mentioned leak detection methods are employed to identify leaks in the components of the refrigeration system and their interconnections prior to charging the system with refrigerant. However, leaks may develop in the refrigeration system after installation of the refrigeration system into the refrigerator cabinet structure and after the refrigeration system has been charged with refrigerant. These leaks may be due to damage which occurs during subsequent assembly and packaging steps of the refrigerator after the installation of the refrigeration system and handling of the refrigerator once it is in the shipping container.
It would be desirable, therefore, to develop a system for detecting leaks in a refrigeration system of a refrigerator upon the completion of the manufacturing process of the refrigerator. Such a system is made difficult by the fact that the typical refrigerant used in a refrigeration system is similar to the typical blowing agents used for providing foam insulation in the refrigerator. Therefore, leak detection equipment must be able to discriminate between refrigerant compounds and blowing agent compounds. Furthermore, a leak in the refrigeration system, which occurs after the system has been charged with refrigerant, will allow the refrigerant to leak from the system in a gaseous form and unless confined, the gaseous refrigerant will quickly disperse. A novel solution for detecting leaks in a refrigeration system may be found, however, by utilizing the shipping container surrounding the refrigerator as an enclosure for partially confining leaking refrigerant from the refrigeration system such that a novel method to detect leaks in a refrigeration system may operate by detecting the presence of the refrigerant as an air contaminant within the shipping container.

Appliance shipping container air sampling system


A system and methods are provided for controlling interventional devices using magnetic resonance imaging (“MRI”) guidance. In some aspects, the method includes arranging a pivoting guide about a subject's anatomy that is configured to direct an interventional device toward a selected target point within the subject's anatomy, generating, using an MRI system, MR data associated with markers placed on the pivoting guide, and determining a vector defining an orientation of the pivoting guide from locations for the markers identified using the MR data. The method also includes orienting the pivoting guide in multiple directions to determine multiple vectors, and identifying a pivot point for the pivoting guide using the determined vectors. The method further includes determining a trajectory for the interventional device using the identified pivot point and the selected target point, and controlling the interventional device along the determined trajectory.

The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for interventional or intra-operative medical procedures. More particularly, the present disclosure is directed to systems, devices and methods for localizing interventional tools or devices using image guidance.
At present, many invasive procedures, such as neurosurgeries or breast biopsies, involve inserting a rigid device into the body using stereotactic image guidance. Traditionally, image guidance can be performed using retrospective of analysis of pre-operative images, such as x-ray or magnetic resonance ("MW") images, acquired during a planning stage that is performed in advance of the invasive procedure. However, the stereotactic coordinates of some tissue structures may change from the planning stage, and hence a lack of intra-operative imaging can complicate efforts to precisely target such structures during the procedure. As some image guidance tasks require sub-millimeter accuracy, methods for orienting devices that avoid the limitations of human error are desirable.
With respect to interventions in the brain, some functional approaches have been developed. For example, one approach to functional neurosurgery relies upon conventional three-dimensional MR images to produce a brain "roadmap" with good gray/white matter contrast. In order to gain access to the brain, a brain port, which includes a movable alignment guide that is visible on MR images, is attached to the skull over a craniotomy location. Additional images are then acquired to determine proper alignment of the guide, and the device is inserted therethrough and into the target anatomy. For instance, the device may be a hollow cannula for pumping a liquid agent or relieving a brain fluid.
In order to properly aim such an alignment guide, one simple method has included identifying a target point in the subject's anatomy and a pivot point for the guide, as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,195,577 and 6,782,288. These points then define a 3D line representing an insertion trajectory. Two-dimensional imaging planes orthogonal to the trajectory are then acquired to view the guide's cross section and determine how the aim must be adjusted so that the guide is pointing along the trajectory. However, while geometrically simple, the above approach relies on the interventionist's ability to interpret images during the procedure, including visually locating the pivot point of the guide.
Some devices employ more complex ports that include orientable and translatable stages. However, such devices are much heavier, costlier, and more complex to use than less-complex brain ports. In addition, operation of these devices requires longer processes that include iterative scanning and adjustment, which is time-consuming and unintuitive to surgeons. Moreover, instead of running the operation, a surgeon is often required to defer portions of such procedures to a team of technologists and physicists.
Given the above, there remains a need for systems and methods that facilitate high-precision device placement in an intuitive, efficient, manner.

System and method for real-time interventional device localization using magnetic resonance imaging


A flexible filter for use in filtering wavelengths of light that interfere with night vision awareness systems is disclosed. A filtering material is applied to a first flexible film in a substantially liquid form and is cured thereto using ultraviolet light. The filtering material filters wavelengths of light between about 610 and 930 nanometers when cured. A second flexible film is temporarily held in place by a support member. The second flexible film is applied to the cured filtering material and is fused thereto using a combination of increased temperature and pressure for a predetermined time. The first and second flexible films are made of polyurethane.

Night vision imaging (NVIS) systems provide improved vision and situational awareness in low ambient light conditions to a viewer such as an aircraft pilot. A night vision imaging system allows the pilot or operator to use night vision imaging goggles while flying the aircraft. Night vision imaging goggles are sensitive to light primarily in the red to near-infrared wavelengths, approximately 610 nanometers (nm) to 930 nm in the electromagnetic spectrum (the near-infrared spectrum). Night vision imaging goggles allow the pilot to view outside conditions in low light using light in the near-IR spectrum, allowing aircraft operation during nighttime conditions.
It is important to ensure that avionics display systems provided in an aircraft are compatible with the use of night vision imaging goggles. If the light from an avionics display is within the near-IR spectrum and therefore viewable by the night vision goggles, the light from the display can be seen reflecting off the aircraft canopy, degrading goggle performance and pilot vision. Incompatible lights make the outside scene less visible with the goggles. Additionally, changing illumination can affect visual acuity.
One method of controlling this problem is to apply a filter to any display to be used during NVIS operation. The filter substantially reduces the transmission of light having wavelengths in the near-IR spectrum. Using such a filter, an emissive display can be used during night vision operations.
To save space and increase viewability, NVIS filters should be conformal to the displays with which they are used. A non-planar or a flexible display, such as a display relying on emissive organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) or a panoramic rear projection display, requires a correspondingly flexible NVIS filter if the display is to be used in NVIS applications. Although there is a need for a flexible, robust NVIS filter that can be used with flexible or non-planar displays, such filters do not currently exist.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a flexible NVIS filter that may be used with flexible or non-planar display technologies.
It is also an object of the invention to provide a flexible NVIS filter that can be easily and efficiently manufactured.
A feature of the invention is a flexible NVIS filter having a UV-curable filtering material disposed between flexible substrates or films.
An advantage of the invention is a fully or partially flexible NVIS filter usable with non-planar or flexible display technologies.


Automatic pool cleaners and associated hoses are detailed. Hoses may contract and expand in use and include sections of differing compliancies. Such contractions and expansions may be intensified in more compliant portions and attenuated in less compliant portions. Also discussed are positive locking mechanisms for adjacent hose sections.

Although the Applicant does not wish to be bound by theory, it is believed that a brief, simplified explanation of the mechanism causing a pool cleaner head to move along a surface will assist a reader's understanding of the invention.
A suction kind, automatic pool cleaner includes a pool cleaner head having a suction pad interfacing with a substrate or surface to be cleaned, and a resilient hose interconnecting an inlet through the pad with a suction inlet of a pump for pumping pool water via a suction area at the interface of the pad and the surface to be cleaned, and via the hose to the pump. In the pool cleaner head, downstream of the suction pad inlet and upstream of the hose, there is provided a flow interruption mechanism for cyclically interrupting the flow, fully or partially. Water flowing along the hose has momentum due to mass and flow speed. Thus, when the flow is interrupted, an area of negative pressure is created in the hose and, because of the cyclic nature of the flow interruption, the negative pressure occurrences are presented as negative pressure pulses. At the occurrence of each negative pressure pulse, over pressure externally of the hose causes contraction and thus a shortening of the hose and thus a corresponding, jerking, displacement of the pool cleaner head. Simultaneously with the interruption of flow, suction between the suction pad and the surface being cleaned is temporarily interrupted, thus facilitating displacement. When flow is resumed, the negative pressure pulse is cancelled, pressures are equalized and the hose extends again, while suction between the pad and the surface is reinstated thus preventing or hindering the head from being displaced.

Automatic swimming pool cleaners and associated hoses


According to some embodiments, a system and method are provided comprising a vegetation management module to receive image data from an image source; a memory for storing program instructions; a vegetation management processor, coupled to the memory, and in communication with the vegetation module, and operative to execute program instructions to: receive first image data and second image data for an area of interest; overlay the first image data over the second image data to generate an overlaid image; receive feeder attribute data for at least one feeder in the overlaid image; generate a risk score for the at least one feeder based in part on the received feeder attribute data; and generate a visualization based on the at least one feeder and the generated risk score. Numerous other aspects are provided.

Vegetation management is important to maintain reliable power distribution, as appropriate vegetation management may prevent forest fires and unexpected power shutdown due to vegetation related incidences, which may be very costly. A utility company may provide the power via power lines. As part of vegetation management, the utility company may determine the proximity of the vegetation to the power lines. Decision making regarding the proximity of the vegetation and how to manage it may be important when it comes to minimizing the number of outages due to vegetation, preventing forest fires and disruption of the power.
It would be desirable to provide systems and methods to improve vegetation management.

Multi source geographic information system (GIS) web based data visualization and interaction for vegetation management


Methods for preparing high quality superconducting oxide precursors which are well suited for further oxidation and annealing to form superconducting oxide films. The method comprises forming a multilayered superconducting precursor on a substrate by providing an electrodeposition bath comprising an electrolyte medium and a substrate electrode, and providing to the bath a plurality of precursor metal salts which are capable of exhibiting superconducting properties upon subsequent treatment. The superconducting precursor is then formed by electrodepositing a first electrodeposited (ED) layer onto the substrate electrode, followed by depositing a layer of silver onto the first electrodeposited (ED) layer, and then electrodepositing a second electrodeposited (ED) layer onto the Ag layer. The multilayered superconducting precursor is suitable for oxidation at a sufficient annealing temperature in air or an oxygen-containing atmosphere to form a crystalline superconducting oxide film.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to superconducting oxide films and processes for forming thick films of superconducting oxide films. More particularly, the present invention is directed to a electrodeposition process where oxygen is bubbled into the electrolyte during deposition to deposit superconductor precursors onto a wide variety of substrates for subsequent annealing for production of superconducting oxide films. The present invention is further directed to a process of preparing superconducting oxide films from annealed multilayered precursors, wherein the precursor comprises two or more separately electrodeposited layers and wherein an intermediate Ag layer is deposited between each electrodeposited layer. The electrodeposited layers in the multilayered precursors are deposited from an electrolyte solution, which may or may not be saturated with oxygen.
2. Description of Related Art
There has been a great deal of effort expended in designing and developing suitable processes for making superconducting oxide films. The most desirable of such processes are those that are simple, efficient, and capable of producing a superconducting oxide film with a relatively high superconducting transition temperature (T.sub.c) Processes which employ electrodeposition as part of the superconductor fabrication procedure have been proposed due to the simplicity, reproducibility, and coating quality that can be obtained using electrodeposition techniques. The deposition processes used to form superconducting oxide films typically involve electroplating a mixture of the desired metals onto a suitable surface to form a film of superconducting precursor metals, which is then annealed at high temperature to form the superconducting oxide. Various methods have been used for the preparation of superconductors. One such general methodology for preparing superconducting oxide films comprises the electrochemical deposition of a mixture of appropriate metals on a substrate, followed by oxidation of the deposited, mixture into the superconducting oxide film. A related method comprises the sequential electrodeposition of layers of appropriate metals on a substrate, followed by oxidation of the deposited, layers. Another approach involves suspending, dispersing or dissolving superconductor precursor components within a liquid medium, followed by electrodeposition on a substrate and subsequent oxidation of the entire mass. Exemplary electrodeposition procedures are set forth in the following U.S. Pat. Nos.: 4,870,051; 4,879,270; 4,939,308; 5,120,707; and 5,162,295. The superconducting oxide films may be prepared on various substrates, including wires or tapes, depending on the desired use of the superconducting oxide film.
The primary technical challenge that must be satisfied to permit usage of high temperature superconducting (HTS) wires or tapes in superconducting magnets or power-related applications is the successful demonstration of a low-cost, high-field, high current-carrying wire or tape with acceptable mechanical properties. A great deal of effort has recently been directed to the use of YBa.sub.2 Cu.sub.3 O.sub.7-x (YBCO). YBCO has useful magnetic properties at 77 K, but it is highly susceptible to magnetic field degradation in the transport current due to weak links resulting from high-angle grain boundaries.
Thallium (Tl)-based superconducting oxide films present an alternative to YBCO due to a number of features, including high transition temperatures reaching to 127 K and unique features in their growth morphology. Nabatame et al. Physica C (1992) 193: 390) reported a magnetic field versus temperature irreversibility line for a thallium-based superconducting oxide that compared favorably at 77 K with the YBCO performance.
Although many of the previously-developed deposition procedures are suited for their intended purposes, there is still a continuing need to develop further and even better deposition procedures that are simple, efficient, and capable of producing superconducting oxide films that have relatively high superconducting transition temperatures. There is also a continuing need to develop efficient deposition procedures for producing thick superconducting oxide films having good film morphology and the are suitable for use in superconducting magnets and other power related applications.

Electro-deposition of superconductor oxide films


A new and distinct cultivar of Gerbera plant named ‘MAJBUR20AA’, characterized by its broadly upright and uniformly mounding plant habit; moderately vigorous to vigorous growth habit; dense and bushy appearance; numerous inflorescences with deep red purple-colored ray florets; upright and moderately strong peduncles; good garden performance and relative tolerance to low temperatures.

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Gerbera plant, botanically known as Gerbera hybrida and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name 'MAJBUR20AA'.
The new Gerbera plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in De Kwakel, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program is to create new garden Gerbera plants with numerous attractive inflorescences, resistant to cold temperatures and good garden performance.
The new Gerbera plant originated from a cross-pollination in March, 2014 of a proprietary selection of Gerbera hybrida identified as code number 14T1407, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Gerbera hybrida identified as code number 15T1531, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Gerbera plant was discovered and selected as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in De Kwakel, The Netherlands in June, 2015.
Asexual reproduction of the new Gerbera plant by vegetative terminal cuttings and in vitro meristem culture in De Kwakel, The Netherlands since August, 2015 has shown that the unique features of this new Gerbera plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.


An object oriented system manages the life of objects referenced by other objects in the computer memory. A compiler compiles the various classes that are to be included in the object oriented program to be run on the computer. Some classes are the counted object class type that provides a count of the number of objects referencing a target counted object. Other classes are the uncounted object class type that does not provide a count of the number of objects referencing a target uncounted object. A counter wrapper class is included, whose instantiated object provides a count of the number of objects referencing a target uncounted object when the counter wrapper object is associated with the target uncounted object. A means is provided to determine whether a new target object is from the uncounted object class and, if so, that selectively causes the counter wrapper object to be associated with the new target object. The detection means may be a compiler program that performs the detection while the object oriented program is being compiled. Alternately, the detection means may be a universal class whose instantiated object performs the detection during the running of the compiled program. The counter wrapper object associated with the new target object, counts the number of objects referencing the new target object and initiates the destruction of the new target object when the number of objects referencing the new target object diminishes to none.

1. Related Patents
The invention disclosed herein is related to the invention described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,315,703, entitled "OBJECT-ORIENTED NOTIFICATION FRAMEWORK SYSTEM", by David R. Anderson, et al., assigned to the same assignee as the invention disclosed herein and incorporated herein by reference.
The invention disclosed herein is related to the invention described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,519,867, entitled "OBJECT-ORIENTED MULTITASKING SYSTEM", by Eugenie L. Bolton, et al., assigned to the same assignee as the invention disclosed herein and incorporated herein by reference.
2. Discussion of the Background
A program in a procedural language such as Fortran or Basic, is a list of instructions that tell the computer to perform an operation. Large procedural programs are broken into subroutines with smaller lists of instructions. In a procedural language program, the emphasis is on performing operations, such as to display a text or read a disk. Variables in the procedural instructions are assigned values when instructions are executed, those values being derived from units of data read into the computer. The variables and the data are exposed to and can be manipulated by instructions in any part of the procedural program.
A program in an object oriented language such as C++ or Smailtalk, combines data and the instructions or methods that operate on the data into a single unit, the object. Typically, the programmer can limit the methods within the object to be the only route to manipulate the data contained in that object. This is the principle of encapsulation. In an object oriented program, the emphasis is on the entities that perform, represented by objects, not on the performance of operations, as in a procedural program.
The methods and variables for a particular object are defined by a class template. All objects which are instances of a given class are identical in form and behavior, but contain different data in their variables. Classes are organized in a tree structure representing the relationships among a set of classes. Classes higher in the hierarchy are superclasses. Classes lower in the hierarchy are subclasses. They can make use of the methods and variables defined in all classes above them on their branch of the class hierarchy, through the principle of inheritance. Subclasses inherit the methods and variables from their superclasses.
One object can signal another object to perform the methods contained in the receiving object, by sending a message. The message consists of the name of the receiver, the method it is to carry out, and any parameters the method may require to fulfill the request.
The variables within a method in an object may be assigned values by reference. A reference provides an alias for a variable. Instead of a value being passed to the function, a reference is passed to the original variable in the calling program. The programmer can have the function access the actual variables in the calling program. Another way to pass arguments to functions is to use pointers. A pointer variable, or simply a pointer, is a variable that holds an address value to data or to an object. Passing a pointer as an argument to a function is somewhat similar to passing a reference. They both permit the variable in the calling program to be modified by the function. However, whereas a reference is an alias for the original variable, a pointer is the address of the variable. This can be useful in accessing arrays of data. Pointers can point to objects as well as to simple data types. For example, an array of pointers allows easy access to a group of objects, and is more flexible than placing the objects themselves in an array. For instance, a group of objects can be sorted by sorting an array of pointers to the objects, instead of sorting the objects themselves.
The object oriented program written in source code by the programmer in the C++ or Smalltalk language, is compiled with a C++ or Smalltalk compiler. Then the compiled program is executed at runtime. During the running of the program, memory space can be unnecessarily occupied by objects that are no longer used. When an object is instantiated from a class that includes a pointer to a target class, an instance of the target class must also be instantiated, unless it already exists in the system memory. In early object oriented environments available in the prior art, when the referencing object was later destroyed, there was no way provided by the object oriented environment to also remove the target object. Unused objects would then accumulate in the system memory reducing the available free memory space. Later prior object oriented environments provided an automatic mechanism to reclaim memory space, by associating an up-down counter with each object that is the target of a pointer reference from another object. The counter is incremented with each additional referencing object. The counter is decremented when the referencing object is destroyed. When the counter returns to zero the target object is destroyed, thereby freeing the portion of the memory that it occupied.
Frequently, object oriented programs will load other programs, libraries, or other modules that contain objects that do not have the up-down counter destruction feature. The prior art does not have a way to automatically clear such objects from the memory after they are no longer used. What is needed is a mechanism to monitor objects during their lifetime in the memory, to manage those objects that do not have an up-down counter destruction feature.
The following references give some additional background on object oriented programming principles:
Booch, Grady. Object Oriented Design and Applications. 2d ed. Redwood City, Calif.: Benjamin/Cummings, 1994. PA1 Budd, Timothy. Introduction to Object-Oriented Programming. Reading, Mass.: Addison-Wesley, 1991. PA1 Goldstein, Neil, and Jeff Alger. Developing Object-Oriented Software for the Macintosh. Reading, Mass.: Addison-Wesley, 1992. PA1 Meyer, Bertrand. Object-Oriented Software Construction. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice Hall, 1988. PA1 Taylor, David A. Object-Oriented Information Systems: Planning and Implementation. Reading, Mass.: Addison-Wesley, 1992. PA1 Wirfs-Brock, Rebecca, et al. Designing Object-Oriented Software. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice Hall, 1990. PA1 ISO/ANSI C++ Draft Standard, April 1995, American National Standards Institute.

Management of reference object lifetimes in object oriented programs


There is provided alloy steel powders for the injection molding use manufactured by the atomizing method which are characterized by their substantially spherical particle shape and average particle diameters of 20 microns or less, a compound for the injection molding use which contains the alloy steel powders and one or more organic binders, a process for manufacturing sintered materials in performing injection molding of compound and subsequently debinding the obtained injection molded part followed by sintering the debound part, at least the first stage of the sintering step is performed in reduced pressure atmosphere, and the sintered material having a relative density ratio of 92% or more.

The present invention relates to metal powders for injection molding use, their compounds and the method for producing sintered parts from the same.
(1) Sintered steel, which is a kind of sintered metal body, is partially replacing ingot stainless steel, since the former offers advantages over the latter with respect to improvement of the yield and reduction of machining cost.
With regard to the molding method for the sintered steel, great hopes are entertained of such injection molding methods that will readily enable molding of parts having complex three-dimensional configurations in place of the compression molding whose limitation is that the producible parts are limited to those of two-dimensional designs.
However, since the manufacture of sintered steel bodies by injection molding was started only recently, there are still a variety of technical problems which remain unresolved, and, in particular, there is room for major improvement in the raw material powder.
Generally, it is requisite for the raw material powder for injection molding of a 20 microns or less average particle diameter that it is in the spherical shape and in the form of fine particles. An advantage of the spherical powder is that it imparts good slip among the particles, that is to say, it has excellent injection moldability. For instance, by comparison of a spherical powder with an irregular shape powder, both of which have been added with an organic binder of an identical kind and in an identical quantity, it is found that the former offers a lower viscosity and demonstrates better injection moldability. Furthermore, an equivalent level of injection moldability can be achieved with a lower quantity of the binder. For the said reasons, it becomes possible to shorten the debinding cycle, and also to achieve a high density by dint of a finer particle size of the powder.
For the purpose of achieving such properties required of the raw material powder, modification of operational parameters for the atomizing apparatus, e.g. the pressure and flow rate of the atomizing medium and adjustment of the diameter of the metallic melt injection nozzle, has been the conventionally adopted means. However, no other means for the intended improvement has been adopted through the route of altering the chemical composition of the raw material powder, but such chemical composition that is similar to that adopted for the raw material powder intended for compression molding, whose average particle diameter is about 80 microns, that is to say, the chemical composition form, in which such impurities as may interfere with compressiblity in the case of compression molding have been removed to the bare minimum, has been conventionally adopted.
Nonetheless, problems have been experienced in that satisfactory injection moldability cannot be achieved with fines for injection molding of the conventional chemical composition (Ref.: The "Tokushu-ko (Special Steel)", Vol.36, No.6, page 52, Table 1, Jun. 1, 1987), since spherical particle formation does not take place to a sufficient extent in that powder.
(2) The present circumstance is that being in current use as a raw material powder for the injection molding use are those powders which are essentially sintering fine powders for the compression molding use as described in the Japanese Patent Publication No. 1761/84, the "Funtai Oyobi Funmatsu Yakin (Powders and Powder Metallurgy)", Vol. 12, No. 1 (February, 1965), page 25 to page 32, by Tamura et al. and the "Funtai Oyobi Funmatsu Yakin", Vol. 22, No. 1 (March, 1975), page 1 to page 11, by Kato et al., but have chemical compositions not at all different from those of the powders intended for powder metallurgy, namely, comprising 1.5% or less by weight of silicon, 0.4% or less by weight of manganese, and less than 1 Manganese/Silicon ratio(ordinarily, the Manganese/Silicon ratio is less than 0.3).
What has remained problematic is that the said powders are not necessarily satisfactory with respect to the injection moldability and the sintering characteristics, since the traditional technological philosophy centering on prevention of oxidation in the atomizing step by keeping the Manganese/Silicon ratio at less than 0.3 has been followed strictly so that chemical compositions having extremely reduced contents of carbon and manganese, which deteriorate the compressibility and moldability in the compression molding operation, have been conventionally used, while such practice resulted in insufficient development of such expertise for producing spherical powder and handling oxides on the surface, which is required of stainless steel powder (the average particle diameter: 20 microns or less).
(3) Iron-Cobalt-type alloy is known as a soft magnetic material having the highest saturated magnetic flux density among all magnetic materials. In other words, Iron-Cobalt-type alloy can be said to exhibit a higher magnetic energy with a given volume among all magnetic materials. Great hopes are entertained of this material, by virtue of its excellent magnetic characteristics, for applications associated with electric motors, magnetic yoke, and the like which require high magnetic energy generated from small-size parts.
On the other hand, ingot Iron-Cobalt-type alloy is in such a dilemma that industrial production of small-size parts is virtually impossible due to its poor cold workability.
Powder metallurgy is considered to be a valid means by which to overcome such inferior workability, and variety of methods have been proposed. For instance, there are the Japanese Patent Laid Open No. 291934/86, the Japanese Patent Laid Open No. 54041/87, and the Japanese Patent Laid Open No. 142750/87 concerning Iron-Cobalt-type sintered materials, and the Japanese Patent Publication No. 38663/82 (The Japanese Patent Laid Open No. 85649/80) concerning Iron-Cobalt-type sintered materials containing phosphorus and the japanese Patent Laid Open No. 85650/80 concerning Iron-Cobalt-type sintered materials containing boron. Furthermore, there is the Japanese Patent Laid Open No. 75410/79 concerning Iron-Cobalt-Vanadium-type sintered materials.
However, all of the hitherto proposed methods, which depend on the principle of compression molding, are accompanied by such limitation that so-called mixed powder, namely, a powder prepared by admixing iron-cobalt alloy powder, cobalt-vanadium alloy powder, iron-phosphorus alloy powder, and/or iron-boron alloy powder with iron powder and cobalt powder, so that the raw material powder will enable molding in a mold for the compression molding press, while the admixing or blending ratio had to be limited to an extent that does not deteriorate the compressibility.
For the said reason, it has been the object of the conventional technique to overcome low sintered density and low magnetic characteristics attributable to the said limitations. The method proposed in the Japanese Patent Laid Open No. 291934/86 is intended for improvement in the compressibility by utilizing rapidly quenched iron-cobalt alloy, in which no regular lattice structure is formed, as well sinterability by dint of the blend of such rapidly quenched iron-cobalt alloy powder with cobalt powder, the method proposed by the Japanese Patent Laid Open No. 54041/87 is for improvement in the sintered density by HIP (hot isostatic press) Method, and the method proposed by the Japanese Patent Laid Open No. 142750/87 aims at improvement in the magnetic characteristics by means of improved green density (compressed powder density) and sintered density by combination of coarse Iron-Cobalt-type alloy powder with cobalt fines.
There are methods proposed in the Japanese Patent Publication No. 38663/82 (The Japanese Patent Laid Open No. 85649/80) and the Japanese patent Laid Open No. 85650/80, both of which are intended for improving magnetic characteristics by means of achieving high sintered density that unblended powders. The former method comprises sintering a pulverized iron-phosphorus alloy (26.5% by weight of P) so that the phosphorus content will be 0.05 to 0.7%. The latter method comprises sintering of pulverized iron-boron alloy (19.9% by weight of B) so that the boron content will be 0.1 to 0.4%.
Furthermore, the sintered material disclosed in the Japanese Patent Laid Open No. 75410/79 is intended to improve magnetic characteristics by increasing the sintered density of Iron-Cobalt-Vanadium-type alloy as sintering material through liquid phase sintering of a composition prepared by blending pulverized vanadium-cobalt alloy ground powder consisting of 35 to 45% by weight of vanadium, comprising 38% vanadium eutectic composition, with iron powder and cobalt powder. The conventional methods as proposed hereinabove are, however, intended for compression molding using a mold, and are not applicable to injection molding, since the raw material powder is essentially a mixture of various single-element metal coarse powders having inferior sintering characteristics and two-element alloy powders, and said powders differ from one another in the particle size and the particle shape due to difference in the manufacturing methods employed.
In the present days, Iron-Cobalt-type sintered material is replacing a part of the ingot iron-cobalt alloy material on account of the former's advantage with respect to the yield and the machining cost. In particular, with regard to the molding process, expectation is entertained of future development of the injection molding method which is capable of readily giving three dimensional profile parts, substituting the compression molding method which is merely capable of producing two dimensional parts.
Nevertheless, since it is only recent that the manufacture of Iron-Cobalt-type sintered material, depending on the injection molding technique, was started, there still remain various technical problems which are yet to be resolved. In particular, with regard to raw material powder, there is much to be improved.
Generally, the raw material powder intended for injection molding is required to be fines in the spherical particle shape, and has oxides on the surface of the particle which can be reduced, in the case of Iron-Cobalt-type sintered material as was described in relation to the Stainless Steel-type sintered material.
However, even in the case of Iron-Cobalt-type sintered material, alteration of the chemical composition of the raw material powder has not been adopted as a means for realizing improvement, as was the case with Stainless Steel-type sintered material, but a same composition as the raw material powder (having an average particle diameter of about 80 microns) predicated on an assumption that it be used for the compression molding only has been adopted.
Namely, chemical compositions in which such impurities as will deteriorate the compressibility and the processability in the compression molding step have been conventionally used. However, there existed problems in that said chemical compositions are not necessarily satisfactory with respect to the injection moldability and sintering characteristics, since there are not available sufficient knowledge and experiences regarding the method by which to obtain the spherical particle shape and oxides on the surface for the fine powder for the injection molding use having the conventional composition (the average particle diameter is 20 microns or less).

Alloy steel powders for injection molding use, their compounds and a method for making sintered parts from the same


In a test data management method, an electronic signal that needed to be tested of an electronic device is select. A predefined template file of a test report of the electronic signal is generated. Test data of the electronic signal is obtained from a test file, and is inserted into predetermined locations of the template file. The test report of the electronic signal is generated according to the template file and the inserted test data, and the test report is stored into a storage system of a computing device.

1. Technical Field
Embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to data management technologies, and particularly to a test data management system and method.
2. Description of Related Art
Tests of electronic signals of electronic devices, such as bus signals and power signals of computers, are very important during the research and manufacturing of the electronic devices. Test results of the electronic signals may include a large amount of test data, such as test values and test graphs (e.g., oscillograms of the electronic signals). The test data may be manually transcribed into a predefined file to generate a test report. Such transcription is not only time-consuming but also prone to error.

Hong Fu Jin Precision Industry (ShenZhen) Co., Ltd.


A socket assembly configured to be reflow soldered to a circuit board comprising a perimeter frame having a central open area surrounded by perimeter walls. The socket assembly may be configured to be surface mounted on a circuit board, wherein at least one of the perimeter walls includes a post extending downward therefrom. The socket assembly also comprises a base fit into the open area of the perimeter frame. The base is separate and distinct from the socket frame. The base has a post hole therein positioned to mate with the post. Additionally, the socket assembly comprises contacts held by the base, and solder balls provided on a bottom of the base. The solder balls engage the contacts and, prior to, and after, soldering, extend beyond a bottom of the socket frame.

The present invention generally relates to a separable interface connector, and more particularly relates to a separable interface connector that joins a printed circuit board through reflow soldering to an electrical component, such as a motherboard.
Various electronic systems, such as computers, comprise a wide array of components mounted on printed circuit boards, such as daughterboards and motherboards, which are interconnected to transfer signals and power throughout the system. The transfer of signals and power between the circuit boards requires electrical interconnection between the circuit boards.
Certain interconnections include a socket assembly and a plug assembly, or integrated circuit (IC) chip. Some socket assemblies include spring contacts, which are configured to mate with conductive pads on the plug assembly. As the socket assembly and plug assembly mate, the spring contacts exert a normal force on the contact pads, thus ensuring proper electrical contact between the spring contacts and the conductive pads.
In order to establish adequate contact, the spring contacts wipe across the conductive pads, cleaning both surfaces, as the plug assembly is mated into the socket assembly. Typically, during mating, the spring contacts are deflected. During deflection, the spring contacts exert a resistive force on the plug assembly. The resistive force typically has normal and tangential components. The normal force is usually referred to as the contact force and the tangential force is usually caused by the frictional behavior of the wiping motion.
Typical socket assemblies, whether pin grid array (PGA), land grid array (LGA), or ball grid array (BGA) assemblies, are soldered to an electrical component, such as a motherboard. Typically, solder balls are attached to the bottom of the socket assembly. The socket assembly is positioned on a motherboard, and both components are passed through an oven, or other heating device, to begin the solder reflow process. During the solder reflow process, the solder balls melt and form a cohesive layer between the socket assembly and the motherboard. The solder layer cools after the heating and forms an electrically conductive bond between the socket assembly and the motherboard.
Some socket assemblies are soldered to motherboards such that the solder layer is the only intervening material that supports and extends between the socket assembly and the motherboard. That is, the socket assembly does not contact the motherboard at any other point during or after the solder reflow process. When the plug assembly is mated into the socket assembly, however, the mating or clamping force exerted into the socket assembly is fully translated to, and absorbed by, the solder layer. The solder layer may be further collapsed, disrupted or otherwise compressed due to the forces absorbed. Consequently, the electrical connection between the socket assembly and the motherboard may be adversely affected.
In order to counter the effects of mating or clamping forces being exerted into the solder layer, some socket assemblies include standoffs that support and stabilize the socket assembly onto the motherboard. Typically, the standoffs extend a distance that is less than that of the solder balls, but more than that of the natural reflow height of the solder balls. That is, before the solder reflow process, the standoffs do not touch the motherboard. When the socket assembly is soldered to the motherboard, the height of the socket assembly from the motherboard is dictated by the standoffs. U.S. Pat. No. 6,155,848, issued to Lin (xe2x80x9cthe ""848 patentxe2x80x9d), describes an auxiliary device for a ZIF electrical connector that uses standoffs. The ""848 patent discloses that the height of the stand-off portion is less than the height of the solder balls before soldering, and equal to the height of the solder balls after soldering. Thus, after the solder reflow process, the resulting solder layer is dictated by the height of the standoffs. U.S. Pat. No. 6,220,884, issued to Lin (xe2x80x9cthe ""884 patentxe2x80x9d) discloses a BGA socket that comprises an insulative cover supported by standoffs on a base. The standoffs of the cover extend beyond a bottom surface of the base. After the solder reflow process, the resulting solder layer is dictated by the height of the standoffs.
Additionally, in both the ""848 and ""884 patents, the components (such as IC chips) that mate with each socket include pins. That is, the IC chips include pins that are mated into the socket. The existence of pins on the IC chips mandates that the height of the sockets is adequate to receive and retain the pins.
However, conventional socket assemblies, including those of the ""848 and ""884 patents, do not allow the solder balls to reflow to the height they naturally would if there were no components that interfered. That is, the solder balls do not melt to a natural reflow height. Rather, the height of the resulting solder layer is dictated by the height of the standoffs. Because the solder layer is not necessarily at its natural height, electrical transmission through the solder layer may be adversely affected. For example, the solder layer may be too dense or too sparse due to the fact that the standoffs dictate the height of the solder layer.
Thus, a need exists for a socket assembly that may be reflow soldered to an electrical component more efficiently, and in a manner that ensures a better conductive path through the resulting solder layer.
Certain embodiments of the present invention provide a socket assembly configured to be reflow soldered to a circuit board. The socket assembly comprises a socket frame, or perimeter frame, having a central open area surrounded by perimeter walls. The socket assembly may be configured to be surface mounted on a circuit board, wherein at least one of the perimeter walls includes a post extending downward therefrom. The socket assembly also comprises a socket board, or base, fit into the open area of the socket frame. The socket board is separate and distinct from the socket frame. Optionally, the socket frame may be integrally formed with the socket board as a single unit during manufacture. During assembly, the socket frame may then separate, or break away, from the socket board by way of a separation zone, such as a perforated area between the socket frame and the socket board.
The socket board has a post hole therein positioned to mate with the post. Additionally, the socket assembly comprises contacts held by the socket board, and solder balls provided on a bottom surface of the socket board. The solder balls engage the contacts and, prior to, and after, soldering, extend beyond a bottom of the socket frame.
The post is held partially seated in the post hole when the socket board and frame are positioned in a pre-soldered state. The post becomes fully seated in the post hole when the socket board and frame move during a plug assembly mating state, that is, when a plug assembly is mated into the socket assembly. The assembly process is controlled in that, after the reflow process, the post is able to move through the post hole in a mating direction defined by the direction of the plug assembly moving into the socket assembly.


A saddle tee assembly for connecting a lateral pipe to a main pipe. The saddle tee assembly includes a saddle tee boot, a collar means and clamping device. The saddle tee boot has a flexible saddle and cylindrical hollow tee section. The saddle attaches to a main pipe; the hollow tee section receives the lateral pipe in a first hollow section. A section hollow section with an internally tapered surface seals against the end of the lateral pipe. A flexible collar overlies the saddle about the periphery of the hollow tee. A clamping device circumscribes the main pipe to apply tension along the circumference of the main pipe to the collar thereby to force the collar into the saddle and the saddle against the main pipe. A water-activated mastic for improved sealing characteristics may be interposed between the saddle and the main pipe.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to the interconnection of pipes and more specifically for fittings or apparatus for connecting individual pipes into a pipe system.
2. Description of Related Art
Many pipe systems include a main pipe and a plurality of subsidiary pipes that in various applications may be called service, lateral or branch pipes. In the following discussion the phrase "lateral pipe" means any such subsidiary pipe that connects to a main pipe at a tap hole through the main pipe wall. In some systems liquid flows from the main pipe, as a supply pipe or manifold, to lateral pipes; in others, from lateral pipes to the main pipe as a collector or return pipe. Such pipe systems may be installed above or below ground. The pipes may be formed of a wide variety of materials including plastics (polyvinylchloride is typical), thermoplastics, metal and concrete.
It is important to connect such lateral and main pipes with a leakproof connection. In sewer systems, for example, such connections are required to prevent sewage from leaking into the ground and, as importantly, ground water from infiltrating the sewer system. It also important the apparatus for making such connections be simple to install in the field, particularly in pipe systems having pipes of large diameter and weight.
This invention particularly relates to a class of pipe fittings called "saddle tee" fittings. Basically a saddle tee fitting has a saddle portion for overlying a portion of a main pipe and a cylindrical extension, called a "tee", that receives the end of a lateral pipe. The saddle is intended to form a seal with the main pipe and the tee, with the lateral pipe. The tee may extend at any angle from an axis of the main pipe, angles of 90.degree., 60.degree. and 45.degree. being typical.
There are a number of features that should characterize a saddle tee fitting. The fitting must produce a leakproof seal to prevent flow both into and out of the pipe system (i.e., to prevent leaking and ground water filtration). The fitting must be durable and withstand the environment. The fitting must be easy to install, preferably without any requirement for special tooling at an installation site. The fitting should not impede or otherwise alter the flow characteristics in the pipe system. One single saddle tee fitting sized for a given lateral pipe should connect to main pipes of different diameters in order to reduce inventory requirements.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,736,335 of Webber for "Tapping and Cutoff Connection to Plastic Fluid Pressure Main" discloses a saddle fitting for plastic pipe. A saddle connects to a main pipe by suitably wetting counterfacing surfaces with an adhesive, typically a plastic solvent, and by clamping the saddle to the pipe until a plastic bond forms.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,606,558 to Davidson for "Plastic Pipe Fitting" discloses a saddle fitting with a perforated saddle and a tee that extends from the saddle. During assembly a solvent coats the interface of the saddle and the main pipe. A clamping tool attaches to bosses at each end of the saddle to clamp the saddle firmly to the main pipe until plastic flows through the perforations and forms rivet-like structures that permanently bond the saddle to the pipe. Then the clamping tool can be removed.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,649,055 to Neilson for "Clamp Fitting With Seal For Plastic Pipe" discloses a fitting with a saddle body that snaps to a main pipe after counterfacing surfaces of the pipe and saddle are coated with a plastic or adhesive. When the saddle snaps onto the pipe, the saddle provides the necessary clamping forces to position the saddle until the solvent or adhesive sets. An O-ring or similar sealing device in a circumferential groove of the saddle provides a seal around a tap hole through the main pipe.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,894,521 to Evans for "Electric Heating Element For Fusing Thermoplastic Materials" a saddle contains an integral heating element. The saddle seals to a pipe of thermoplastic materials when the element heats. This produces a permanent seal between the saddle and the pipe.
Each of the foregoing references discloses saddle tee fittings in which a permanent bond forms between the saddle and the main pipe. This bond depends upon the ability of the materials in the pipe and saddle to commingle or fuse. Each requires special materials in the form of solvents or heaters. It is not possible to obtain such a joint in sewer systems comprising concrete or ductile iron pipes. Even if it were possible to make such joints in these materials, the requirements for special tools and materials would minimize the desirability of the joints with respect to sewer systems.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,188,121 Cude et al for "Cable Sheath Pressure Tap Fitting" discloses a saddle tee structure that enables the formation of a tap for a high pressure line containing electrical conductors or the like. The saddle tee fitting is rubber or plastic while the pipe has an outer sheath of lead or other weather resistant material. The saddle includes an underlying gasket preferably with an adhesive backing for adhering to the pipe. A tape wrap overlies the saddle portion and pipe thereby to hold the saddle against the pipe. In this structure a small gap exists in the tape along the axially extending edges of the saddle that are coextensive with the tee structure. In the Cude et al patent this is a small gap. If this approach is applied to other pipe systems, that gap will approximate the diameter of the lateral pipe gap and can be up to 4" or more. It becomes difficult to maintain a seal across gaps of these proportions. Cude et al also suggest substituting hose clamps for the tape wrap. Such a substitution would not reduce any gap; indeed the gap might increase in length.
British Patent No. 852,326 to Collins for "Improvements in Pipe Connections" discloses another embodiment of a saddle tee fitting. The fitting comprises an integral base and flange formed of plastic or the like. The tee portion of this fitting is internally or externally threaded. Given the materials suggested for construction, a requirement for a separate sealing gasket and the use of rigid straps (cast iron is preferred), it must be concluded that this fitting is rigid. It does not distort to any significant or practical degree. Consequently, it is only possible to connect a given fitting to a main pipe of a given size. Moreover, this structure requires a significant number of component parts that are specially formed thereby increasing the costs of the fitting and the complexity of installation.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,494,780 to Burnett for a "Liquid Piping Saddle Assembly Connecting A Branch Pipe to a Main Pipe" discloses a generally cylindrical elastomeric tee with one end preformed to attach to a main pipe of different sizes. A shoulder in the exterior of the tee provides a bearing surface for a rigid collar or casting. A flexible strap, when tightened, pulls the casting over the tee against the shoulder to drive the tee against the main pipe and produce a seal. This process deforms the tee adjacent the main pipe. Moreover, the internal structure of the tee includes another shoulder that spaces the end of a lateral pipe from the main pipe. Consequently a pocket forms that can collect debris and eventually restrict flow through the connection.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,966,397 of McKinnon for "Flexible Pipe Saddle" discloses a flexible saddle tee fitting that uses spaced hose clamps to affix a saddle to a pipe. As described later with respect to FIGS. 1 and 2, this saddle tee fitting includes a rectangularly shaped saddle that flexes about an axis that is coincident with the longitudinal main pipe axis, but is relatively rigid in other directions, particularly along the axially extending edges of the saddle parallel to the main pipe axis. Two clamping bands encircle the main pipe at the axial ends of the saddle. The spaced clamping bands leave a gap along the axial edge of the saddle. Although this edge contains a stiffening device, it is still difficult to guarantee seal integrity along this entire gap.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,020,832 to Coblentz for a "Flexible Pipe Saddle" discloses a saddle tee assembly with a flexible resilient polymer saddle tee, an overlying flexible metallic skirt and a plurality of clamping bands. The saddle tee has a flexible skirt portion that conforms to a main pipe about an opening and a cylindrical tee portion for receiving a lateral pipe. A radially-extending, bevelled annular shoulder formed inside the tee receives the end of the lateral pipe. Three clamping bands encircle the flexible metal skirt and main pipe to effect a seal.
Saddle tee fittings for attachment to differently sized main pipes, like those described in the Burnett, McKinnon and Coblentz patents, typically are molded to a nominal pipe size. For example a saddle tee for receiving a six-inch lateral pipe might be molded for attachment to a ten-inch main pipe as a nominally sized pipe even though the saddle tee could be connected to larger and smaller main pipes. When a saddle tee is attached to a main pipe of nominal size, the tee portion forms a cylindrical passage. Internal, radial or bevelled shoulders remain in a radial plane, so they contact the end of the lateral pipe. Moreover, the tee is readily sealed to the lateral pipe when it is cylindrical.
When the saddle tee is fitted to main pipes of different sizes, the tee portion distorts into an oval shape. As the main pipe diameter increases from the nominal diameter, the tee deforms into an oval cross section with a major axis parallel to an axis of the main pipe. As the main pipe diameter decreases from the nominal diameter, the tee deforms into an oval cross section with a major axis at right angles to the axis through the main pipe. Such distortions make it more difficult to guarantee a seal between the tee and the lateral pipe. These distortions produce concave or convex distortions in the internal, radial or bevelled, shoulder that normally engages the end of the lateral pipe. Consequently axial gaps exist between the shoulder and lateral pipe. These gaps can trap entrained solid materials flowing through the pipe and eventually alter or impede flow.


A composition can indicate whether hands have been washed for an approximate predetermined period of time. The composition includes a pH indicator and a delivery system. The delivery system contains a pH-altering compound. The delivery system is added to the pH indicator approximately when hand washing begins. A method of washing hands is also presented. The pH indicator is applied to the hands. The delivery system is applied to the hands approximately when hand washing begins. The pH indicator and delivery system are mixed. A system for washing hands is also presented. The system includes a pH indicator, a delivery system, and a dispenser that releases the pH indicator and delivery system to hands. The hands are washed until the pH indicator changes color.

Conventional soaps used for hand washing do not indicate whether the soap has been used for an appropriate amount of time for the process to be effective. As a result, hands are often washed for too short an amount of time for the process to be effective in cleansing hands. Properly washing your hands is one of the best ways to prevent infection and the spread of diseases. Doctors, nurses and other people who work in medical settings have to wash their hands frequently to avoid spreading infective agents between patients or to themselves. Those who prepare food must keep clean hands so they do not put germs into the food they are making. Also, childcare workers must wash their hands often so they do not make children sick. In addition to professionals whose hygiene is regulated, individuals should be conscious of the germs on their hands. Turning doorknobs, handling money and coughing may transfer bacteria and viruses to one's hands, which can then be spread to other people's hands or to your mouth and eyes and cause infection. Anyone who prepares food for others can infect others if his or her hands are not properly cleaned. Many of the diseases spread this way are more inconvenient than a simple cold. Some examples are the flu, hepatitis A and typhoid. See Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services, "Hand Washing," available at <http://healthlink.mcw.edu/article/955074416.html>Aug. 29, 2002.
Approaches ensuring effective hand cleansing include antibacterial hand rubs. One drawback with such hand rubs is that such rubs may dry hands more than washing with soap. Another approach known involves applying a dye that glows under a black light to hands prior to washing hands, washing hands, then analyzing the effectiveness of the hand-washing process by examining the hands under a black light. In addition, some hospitals use electronic devices that alert an employee if the employee's hands were not effectively washed. Such approaches may be expensive and fail to achieve widespread use. The present disclosure may have one or more of the following advantages. The disclosure can be an easy, convenient, and inexpensive approach to facilitate effective hand washing.


Embodiments of the present invention disclose a method and an apparatus for reading and writing data in a file system, which are applicable to the field of communication technologies. In the embodiments of the present invention, the file system supports file-level redundancy algorithm operations of independent disks; after receiving a file read/write request, the file system determines a read/write location of the data to be read/written in the data strip, sequentially caches the to-be-read/written data information corresponding to at least one data strip, and processes the cached data information of at least one data strip. In this way, after the to-be-read/written data information corresponding to a complete data strip is cached, the data is read/written by using a data strip as a unit, and thereby improving efficiency of reading/writing data.

A file system is a file management system for managing and storing file information. The file system is capable of reading and writing data from and into a redundant array of independent disks (RAID) module by using a virtual block device of a logic unit (LUN). The RAID module may include one or more data storage blocks (marked as RAIDn). Each data storage block includes multiple hard disk drives. The data is stored in the hard disk drives, and carries additional redundant information.
Upon receiving a data read/write request, which is also known as an input/output (I/O) request in the process of reading and writing data, the file system parses the data read/write request, and then stores the request into a corresponding location in the LUN virtual block device; the RAID module reads the data read/write request in the LUN virtual block device, parses the data read/write request, and then processes the requested data by using a RAID data protection method, for example, stores the data into one or more hard disk drives or reads the data from one or more hard disk drives. The RAID data protection method is a method used by the RAID module for reading or writing data and comes in many types, that is, a data protection method of RAIDn (n=1, 2 . . . ). In the prior art, the RAID module stores data by using a data strip as a unit, and each data strip stores multiple data fragments.
In the process of research, the inventor finds that when file data is processed in the prior art, the file system writes the read/write request into the LUN virtual block device, and then the RAID module reads from and writes data into the hard disk drive, which leads to low efficiency of reading and writing data.

Method and apparatus for reading and writing data in file system


The present invention applies to single or two stage pulse tube refrigerators that have one or more passive orifices at the hot end(s) of the pulse tube(s) through which gas flows to achieve phase shifting and the phase shifting gas flow circulates to a remote heat sink by adding check valves and an appropriate piping circuit.

The Gifford-McMahon (G-M) type pulse tube refrigerator is a cryocooler, similar to G-M refrigerators, that derives cooling from the compression and expansion of gas. However, unlike the G-M systems, in which the gas expansion work is transferred out of the expansion space by a solid expansion piston or displacer, pulse tube refrigerators have no moving parts in their cold end, but rather an oscillating gas column within the pulse tube (called a gas piston) that functions as a compressible displacer. The elimination of moving parts in the cold end of pulse tube refrigerators allows a significant reduction of vibration, as well as greater reliability and lifetime, and is thus potentially very useful in cooling cryopumps, which are often used to purge gases from semiconductor fabrication vacuum chambers, to 10 K.
G-M type pulse tube refrigerators are characterized by having a compressor that is connected to a remote expander by high and low pressure gas lines. The expander has a valve mechanism that alternately pressurizes and depressurizes the regenerators and pulse tubes to produce refrigeration at cryogenic temperatures.
G-M type pulse tube refrigerators that operate below 20 K have the disadvantage of requiring that the hot end of the pulse tube be above the cold end in order to avoid the thermal losses associated with convective circulation within the pulse tube. Conventional two-stage GM type pulse tube refrigerators typically have the valve mechanism and the hot end of the pulse tube on top. This enables the heat that is rejected at the hot end of the pulse tube to be easily transferred to the low-pressure gas and returned to the compressor where it is rejected. Conventional two stage pulse tube refrigerators also require a relatively large buffer volume(s). Two stage G-M refrigerators, which are presently being used to cool cryopumps, require no buffer volume and can be mounted in any orientation.
Most cryopumps are mounted below the vacuum chamber where space above the cryopump housing is very limited. Having the valve mechanism above the cryopump housing limits the applications of the cryopump. Thus, any options to orient the pulse tube refrigerator with the valve behind or below a cryopump housing that has a side inlet are highly desirable. Minimizing the size of the buffer volumes is also desirable. Separating the hot end of the pulse tube from the valve introduces the problem of removing the heat that has to be rejected at the hot end of the pulse tube.
The present invention address the need to remove heat from the hot end of the pulse tube when it is remote from the valve.
C. K. Chan, C. B. Jaco, J. Raab, E. Tward, and M. Waterman, in a paper titled "Miniature pulse tube cooler", Proc.7th Int'l Cryocooler Conf., Air Force Report PL-CP—93-1001 (1993) pp. 113-124, describe a Stirling single stage pulse tube that is inline, thus the hot end of the pulse tube is remote from the regenerator inlet. It has double orifice control. Heat from the hot end of the pulse tube and buffer are rejected to the base at the regenerator inlet by conduction through the buffer housing which extends the full length of the pulse tube. The hot end of the pulse tube is not attached to the vacuum housing so the entire pulse tube assembly can be easily removed.
The object of this invention is to provide an improved means of removing heat from the hot end of a pulse tube refrigerator when it is remote from the warm end of the regenerator. While the primary application for this invention is the cooling of cryopumps by GM type pulse tube refrigerators it is equally applicable to Stirling type pulse tube refrigerators when heat has to be transferred from the pulse tube to a remote sink.

Pulse tube cooling by circulation of buffer gas


A management machine according to an exemplary aspect of the invention includes a receiver that receives, from a first server, server information on the first server and AP information on a plurality of applications located in the first server, and a selector that selects a candidate application from the plurality of applications for each of a plurality of algorisms referring to the AP information and the server information, and that performs a relocation of one of the candidate applications from the first server to a second server.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a management machine, a management system, a management program, and a management method.
2. Description of the Related Art
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2005-115653 discloses a virtual machine management server that reads data on the storage capacities of servers and data on the storage capacities of virtual machines to optimally locate the virtual machines to the servers based on the data.
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2003-515813 discloses a volume manager that uses several different algorisms, such as a simple majority system and a weighted voting system, when determining whether a volume list is appropriate.
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2003-16043 discloses a server that allocates the same data processing task to a plurality of terminals and evaluates the processed results by majority voting so as to determine a correct operation result.

Selection of server for relocation of application program based on largest number of algorithms with identical output using selected server resource criteria


A process for separation of particularly propane, methane or ethane from natural gas includes providing a distillation tower arrangement for separating the heavier components discharged at the bottom from lighter gas discharged at the top with at least two separate towers at different pressures such that the heavier product from the higher pressure tower is expanded and fed to the lower pressure tower. A feed gas containing the components under a first pressure is separated into a first proportion and a second proportion, where neither proportion is zero. The first proportion is fed to the tower. The second proportion is compressed to a pressure higher than the first pressure, heat is extracted from the compressed second proportion to effect condensation thereof, the compressed condensed second proportion is sub-cooled, expanded to the first pressure and supplied after expansion to the distillation tower arrangement at a position thereon adjacent the top of the distillation tower arrangement so as to cause cooling of the materials in the distillation tower arrangement. The method is particularly advantageous in a low pressure supply system in which the lighter gas discharged at the top of the tower arrangement is supplied at a pressure less than 100 psi and more preferably less than 75 psi.

The present invention relates to the separation of hydrocarbon gases into components of differing boiling points. The invention relates more specifically to a method and an apparatus especially suited for separating propane, methane or ethane from natural gas.
The applicant's prior U.S. Pat. No. 4,770,683, issued Sep. 13, 1988, describes a process and an apparatus for distillation of two materials of differing boiling points. A process for distillation of two materials of differing boiling points particularly propane, ethane or carbon dioxide from natural gas is described in which the conventional distillation tower is divided into a first tower at higher pressure than a conventional tower and a second tower at lower pressure. Liquid drawn from the first is expanded to the lower pressure through two or more stages with cool extracted at each stage and used to cool gas withdrawn from the top of the first tower to keep the top tray at a required temperature. Gas withdrawn from the second tower is compressed and cooled for return to the first tower as a reflux. The use of the cool from the expanded liquid and the use of the two towers provides an improved thermodynamic efficiency and avoids the use of costly turbo-expanders.
In addition, a further arrangement by the present applicant is disclosed in PCT published application WO95/10011 of Apr. 13, 1995. This discloses an improvement to the above patent in which efficiency is enhanced by the provision of a third tower and an arrangement by which additional cool is supplied to the top of the high pressure tower as a reflux.
Traditionally natural gas at less than 100 psig has been ignored for lpg recovery. Whenever such gas is processed, it is first compressed to above 300 psig before processing. However the process of the present invention, used for separation of various materials of close boiling points generally uses a distillation tower arrangement.
This invention is particularly concerned with separation of heavier components from natural gas.
Ethane recovery is similar to lpg recovery in concept except that more energy is required for refrigeration and reflux compression. This process also applies to situations where the low pressure gas is sold at higher pressures but the benefits compared to other processes are much less than that described in the first paragraph where, essentially there are no other processes that are ever considered unless the desired residue gas pressure for the sales pipeline is above 200 psig. The use of this technology for the recovery of ethylene in ethylene plants, will reduce the power requirements and capital cost of the Demethanizer portion of these plants. The above U.S. patent of the applicant was described as being very applicable to the separation of ethane and ethylene. That patent could also be used for the Demethanizer in an Ethylene Plant but it is believed that this patent will be an improvement when combined with that patent.
This invention relates to distillation processes for the separation of close boiling point materials. Such a process is used in the extraction of various materials generally using a distillation tower. Examples of such separations are:
1. Recovering ethane from natural gas PA1 2. Recovering propane from natural gas PA1 3. Recovering carbon dioxide from natural gas PA1 4. Recovering helium from natural gas PA1 5. Rejecting nitrogen from natural gas PA1 6. Recovering ethylene in ethylene plants.
This patent has optimal advantage when utilised in conjunction with a two tower or multi-tower process described in the above United States patent. It may also be used to advantage with other distillation patents for example the various arrangements described in patents held by the Ortloff Corporation.

Thermodynamic separation of heavier components from natural gas


A thin film of material having a rock-salt-like structure is deposited on a smooth amorphous substrate surface by ion beam assisted deposition.

There are an increasing number of thin film and thick film materials which, in their application to devices of all types, depend on properties dependent on their anisotropic physical properties, or which require low-angle grain boundaries between grains. Thus, these materials must be deposited in special orientations in order to utilize their properties. The present method of achieving this is to epitaxially deposit onto carefully selected single crystal substrates with matching lattice constants and chemical compatibility.
Ion beam assisted deposition (IBAD) has shown promise as means to produce textured films on non-epitaxial substrates that can then subsequently be used as a structural template for the deposition of other films, eliminating the requirement of single crystalline substrates. The material commonly used has been (100)-oriented Yttria-Stabilized-Zirconia (YSZ). However, the texturing of (100) YSZ evolves slowly, so a thick film (>0.5 .mu.m) is required to achieve good in-plane alignment (.about.13.degree.), limiting the application of YSZ due to high processing time and cost. Other materials, characterized by rock salt and rock salt-like structures, have been considered potentially advantageous for use as templates for forming well textured layers such as superconducting films due to their simple crystal lattice which tends to naturally align with a preferred surface for subsequent growth of textured films {(001) type sheet axis}. Rock salt structures tend to have a reasonable lattice match with films such as YBCO and PZT which make them attractive for a variety of electronic and electrical applications. In addition, the simple chemistry of these structures makes them easier to process than the more complex multi-cation structures. By "rock-salt material" is meant a structure having a cF8 Pearson symbol and a B1 Sturukturbericht designation. Typical rock salt materials are described, for example, by "Metals Handbook, Ninth Edition", volume 9, p707-711, which pages are herein incorporated in their entirety by reference , and by C. S. Barrett and T. B. Massalski, "Structure of Metals", McGrawHill, 3rd edition, 1966, p.240-241, which pages are herein incorporated in their entirety by reference. Exemplary rock salt materials include CaO, SrO, TiN, ZrO, and BaO. By "rock-salt-like material" is meant a material with a crystalline structure with atomic arrangements identical to or similar to that in rock-salt, such as cubic structures with (100) close-packed planes or cubic structures in which a part of the lattice (some planes) has the same atomic arrangement as in rock-salt. Examples, in addition to rock salt materials, are rock-salt superstructure B1, cubic superlattice LI.sub.2 spinel superlattice H1.sub.1, and perovskites & perovskite superstructures E2.sub.1. Exemplary compounds with rock-salt superstructure B1 are LiNiO.sub.2, and LiInO.sub.2. Typical cubic superlattice LI.sub.2 compounds are Ni.sub.3 Al, Au.sub.3 Cu, AlZr.sub.3, etc. Typical spinet superlattice H1.sub.1 compounds are MgAl.sub.2 O.sub.4, and .gamma.-Al.sub.2 O.sub.3. Typical perovskites & perovskite superstructures E2.sub.1 compounds are SrTiO.sub.3, CaTiO.sub.3, NdGaO.sub.3, LaAlO.sub.3, SrZrO.sub.3, BaZrO.sub.3, and SrRuO.sub.3. However, at present, these materials are typically used either in expensive single crystal forms or as epitaxially grown films which must be produced upon substrates which themselves exhibit a biaxially textured surface.

Thin films having rock-salt-like structure deposited on amorphous surfaces

Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University


There is provided inter alia an isolated polynucleotide, wherein the polynucleotide encodes a polypeptide selected from the group consisting of:    (a) a polypeptide having the amino acid sequence according to SEQ ID NO: 1,    (b) a functional derivative of a polypeptide having the amino acid sequence according to SEQ ID NO: 1, wherein the functional derivative has an amino acid sequence which is at least 80% identical over its entire length to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1, and    (c) a polypeptide having the amino acid sequence according to SEQ ID NO: 3.

Adenovirus has been widely used for gene transfer applications due to its ability to achieve highly efficient gene transfer in a variety of target tissues and large transgene capacity. Conventionally, E1 genes of adenovirus are deleted and replaced with a transgene cassette consisting of the promoter of choice, cDNA sequence of the gene of interest and a poly A signal, resulting in a replication defective recombinant virus.
Recombinant adenoviruses are useful in gene therapy and as vaccines. Viral vectors based on chimpanzee adenovirus represent an alternative to the use of human derived Ad vectors for the development of genetic vaccines. Adenoviruses isolated from chimpanzees are closely related to adenoviruses isolated from humans as demonstrated by their efficient propagation in cells of human origin. However, since human and chimp adenoviruses are close relatives, serologic cross reactivity between the two virus species is possible.
There is a demand for vectors which effectively deliver molecules to a target and minimize the effect of pre-existing immunity to selected adenovirus serotypes in the population. One aspect of pre-existing immunity that is observed in humans is humoral immunity, which can result in the production and persistence of antibodies that are specific for adenoviral proteins. The humoral response elicited by adenovirus is mainly directed against the three major structural capsid proteins: fiber, penton and hexon.
Vectors, compositions and methods of the present invention may have one or more following improved characteristics over the prior art, including but not limited to higher productivity, improved immunogenicity and increased transgene expression.

Adenovirus polynucleotides and polypeptides


A first light waveguide is formed, and second and third light waveguides are respectively connected to the first light waveguide at first and second positions. A first coupler for effecting tight branching and/or combining is arranged near the first position, and a second coupler for effecting light branching and/or combining is arranged near the second position. An optical amplifier is arranged on the first light waveguide between the first and second positions for compensating for a light loss of a light wave caused by each of the first and second coupler.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical device for use in opto-electronic integrated circuits and the like which are needed in fields of optical communication and the like, and particularly, to an optical device with an optical coupler formed in a light waveguide for effecting light wave branching and/or combining and an optical amplifier which is suitable for use in opto-electronic integrated circuits having a plurality of transmitter and/or receiver portions for optical communication and similar devices or systems.
2. Related Background Art
In recent years, there has been proposed a structure in which a V-shaped groove is formed at a crossing part of crisscross waveguides as shown in FIG. 1 to build a coupler 71 for controlling transmission and reflection of light waves and in which the combining and/or branching of the light waves are conducted between a main waveguide 74 and two sub-waveguides 72 and 73 connected to the main waveguide 74.
In FIG. 1, optical amplifier portions 75 and 76 are arranged in the main waveguide 74 that forms a bus line, and the sub-waveguides 72 and 73 are respectively connected to receiver and transmitter portions (not shown) via optical fibers 77 and 78. The optical amplifier portions 75 and 76 respectively are composed of traveling-wave type lasers for directly amplifying a light signal on the main waveguide 75. The optical fibers 77 and 78 are respectively coupled to the sub-waveguides 72 and 73 by using butt coupling. Ratios of the light branching and combining are adjusted by controlling the light electro-magnetic field profile in the waveguide and the groove depth of the coupler 71. The groove can be formed by etching using fine working techniques such as Ga-focused ion beam (FIB) and reactive ion beam etching (RIBE).
Further, in FIG. 1, reference numerals 81 and 82 are optical fibers forming the bus line, and reference numerals 83a-83d are antireflection coats. In the structure of FIG. 1, multiplexed light signals are transmitted from the transmitter portion (not shown) and propagated through the optical fibers 81 and 82 in opposite directions via the optical coupler 71, and parts of light signals propagated through the optical fibers 81 and 82 are branched by the optical coupler 71 to be guided to the receiver portion (not shown) through the sub-waveguide 72 and the optical fiber 77. The light signal thus received by the receiver portion is demultiplexed and detected to generate desired information.
The structure of FIG. 1, however, has the following drawbacks. First of all, high process accuracies such as positional accuracy and depth control accuracy are needed for the coupler 71, and hence its yield and reproducibility are lowered. That is, strict accuracy is needed to the process since the manner of the light combining and branching is determined from the formation of the coupler 71 relative to a field profile of the light wave propagated through the light waveguides 72-74.
Further, in the structure of FIG. 1, while it is possible to perform the coupling of the light wave at equal ratio from the sub-waveguides 72 and 73 (the transmitter and receiver parts are connected thereto) to the main waveguide 74 or bus line in opposite directions, the branching ratio from the main waveguide 74 to the sub-waveguide 72 is different from that from the main waveguide 74 to the sub-waveguide 73. That is, compared with the branching ratio (e.g., -3 dB) toward a lower portion (i.e., a closed side) of the V-shaped coupler 71, the branching ratio (e.g., -6 dB) toward an upper portion (an open side) of the V-shaped coupler 71 is small. As a result, it becomes impossible to branch the light wave propagated through the main waveguide 74 into light waves propagated through the sub-waveguides 72 and 73 with equal intensity.

Optical device with an optical coupler for effecting light branching and/or combining and an optical amplifier