A continuously variable reversible transmission including an input shaft (2), a housing (1), an input arm (4), first and second CVT shafts (5.6), a fixed input wheel (35), a ratio selector mechanism, an overall output wheel (36) and an output shaft (24). The input arm (4) is fixed to the input shaft (2) and extends substantially perpendicular to the input shaft. At each end of the input arm, a first (5) and second (6) CVT shaft is rotatably mounted, with the axes of the CVT shafts extending parallel to the input shaft. The fixed input wheel (35) may be aligned with the axis of the input shaft. The first CVT shaft (5) is coupled with the fixed input wheel (35), the second CVT shaft (6) is coupled with the first CVT shaft (5) and the output wheel (36) which is fixed to the output shaft (24) is coupled with the second CVT shaft. The first and second CVT shafts may orbit around the axis of the input shaft, such that changing the ratio of at least one of the couplings produces a variation of the speed of the output shaft from forwards, through zero to reverse.

This application is the national phase under 35 U.S.C. xc2xa7 371 of PCT International Application No. PCT/AU00/01568 which has an International filing date of Dec. 18, 2000, which designated the United States of America.
The present invention is directed to the area of mechanical continuously variable power transmissions, in particular continuously variable transmission (CVT) systems for vehicles.
There is presently a trend towards the use of CVT systems in automobiles, beginning in the super-mini class and progressing through to mid-size luxury vehicles. There are many advantages to using a CVT system over a conventional manual or automatic transmission, for example, improvements in economy, performance and versatility. Electronic control easily allows the CVT to be switched between automatic operation and a xe2x80x9cmanualxe2x80x9d mode where it can emulate a clutch-less manual transmission on demand. However most of the CVT systems proposed to date have been limited in that they need additional arrangements of gears to provide reverse and neutral functions.
A small number of prior art CVT systems which can continuously vary the output from a range of forward speeds, though zero to reverse ratios have been proposed. These can have additional application in mopeds and motorcycles as they include an integral reverse. They all use twin, parallel power transmission paths, one path including a CVT, to achieve the desired result of a CVT which can continuously vary the output ratio between two opposite directions, passing cleanly through zero. This prior art can be grouped into two basic arrangements. The first arrangement, proposed by Cowan in U.S. Pat. No. 5,121,936 and by Wilkes et al. in WO 98/54489, uses a planetary gear set to combine the output of the parallel transmission paths of the CVT and another direct or geared drive, such that the final output may vary continuously through a range of forward speeds, zero, and reverse. The second arrangement, proposed by Suzuki in JP 10-274293 and Kanetani JP 8-61459 utilises a differential to combine the CVT path and the linear power transmission path to achieve the same result of a CVT which can continuously vary the output ratio between two opposite directions, passing cleanly through zero. All of these arrangements can be quite bulky and involve more complexity and parts as they use planetary gear-sets or differentials in addition to a CVT.
It is therefore the object of the present invention to provide a continuously variable reversible transmission (CVRT) which overcomes some or all of the disadvantages of the prior art, namely complexity and package size.
With this object in view, there is provided by the present invention a continuously variable reversible transmission system including an input shaft, a housing, an input arm, first and second CVT shafts, a fixed input wheel, a ratio selector mechanism, an overall output wheel and an output shaft. The input shaft has a major axis and the input arm may be fixed to the input shaft, the input arm may include at least first and second portions, each input arm portion extending substantially perpendicular to the input shaft. At each end of the input arm first and second portions, a respective first and second CVT shaft may be rotatably mounted, each of the first and second CVT shafts having a respective major axis extending substantially parallel to the input shaft, the major axis of each of the respective first and second CVT shafts being the axis of rotation of the respective shaft with respect to the input arm.
The fixed input wheel may be aligned with the major axis of the input shaft, the first CVT shaft may be coupled with the fixed input wheel, the second CVT shaft may be coupled with the first CVT shaft, the overall output wheel may be coupled with the second CVT shaft, and the overall output wheel may be fixed to the output shaft. In this arrangement, the first and second CVT shafts may orbit around the major axis of the input shaft due to rotation of the input shaft, such that changing a ratio of at least one of the couplings produces a variation of the speed of the output shaft from forwards, through zero to reverse.
The continuously variable reversible transmission may include a CVT sub-assembly which rotates about the major axis of the input shaft, the CVT sub-assembly including the input arm, the first and second CVT shafts, a CVT input wheel and a CVT output wheel. The CVT input wheel may be mounted on the first CVT shaft such that relative rotation of the CVT input wheel and the first CVT shaft is prevented. The CVT output wheel being mounted on the second CVT shaft such that relative rotation of the CVT output wheel and the second CVT shaft is prevented. The coupling of the first CVT shaft with the fixed input wheel may include the CVT input wheel, and the coupling of the second CVT shaft with the overall output wheel including the CVT output wheel. The rotation of the CVT sub-assembly may thereby cause rotation of the CVT input wheel relative to the fixed input wheel, resulting in a rotation of the first CVT shaft about its major axis in addition to its orbit about the major axis of the input shaft. The coupling between the first CVT shaft and the second CVT shaft in the CVT sub-assembly may be arranged to permit a variable rotation of the second CVT shaft relative to the first CVT shaft, producing a variable CVT ratio. The variable rotation of the second CVT shaft and the CVT output wheel about the major axis of the second shaft in addition to the orbit of the second shaft about the major axis of the input shaft may thereby cause a rotation of the overall output wheel due to the coupling between the CVT output wheel and the overall output wheel, the overall output wheel being fixed to the output shaft. The rotation of the output shaft may then be zero when the CVT ratio is of a set magnitude. As the CVT ratio is increased above the set magnitude, the output shaft turns in a forward direction and as the CVT ratio is decreased below the set magnitude, the output shaft turns in a reverse direction.
The set magnitude of the CVT ratio required to produce zero rotation of the output shaft may be calculated from the effective pitch circle diameters of at least the CVT input wheel, the CVT output wheel and the overall output wheel. As the transmission system is a planetary arrangement, the sizes of the components are all interrelated. Other dimensions can therefore be substituted to enable the same calculation using different combinations of dimensions.
The fixed input wheel and the CVT input wheel may both be toothed gear wheels. The fixed input wheel may be an external tooth gear wheel, like a sun gear in a conventional planetary gear system. Alternatively, the fixed input wheel may be an internally toothed gear wheel meshing with the CVT input wheel like a ring gear in a planetary gear system.
Alternatively the coupling between the fixed input wheel and the CVT input wheel may be achieved by using a looped link, such as a belt, chain or other form of segmented strap. If the fixed input wheel and the CVT input wheel are pulley wheels, then the looped link may be a belt. If these pulley wheels are of variable width, the pulley wheels and belt may thereby provide a variable ratio of the coupling between the fixed input wheel and the CVT input wheel. However, in yet another possible alternative, the looped link may be a chain.
Similarly, on the output side, the overall output wheel and the CVT input wheel may both be toothed gear wheels. The overall output wheel may be an external tooth gear wheel like a sun gear in a conventional planetary gear system. Alternatively, the overall output wheel may be an internally toothed gear wheel meshing with the CVT output wheel like a ring gear in a planetary gear system.
The coupling between the overall output wheel and the CVT output wheel may be by a looped link which can be any belt or chain type device, for example it may be a segmented strap. If the overall output wheel and the CVT output wheel are pulley wheels then the looped link may be a belt, then if the pulley wheels are of variable width, the pulley wheels and belt may thereby provide a variable ratio of the coupling between the overall output wheel and the CVT output wheel. Alternatively, the looped link may be a chain.
The CVT sub-assembly may include a first and a second pair of variable cone pulley wheels coupled by a pulley belt. The first pair of variable cone pulley wheels may be located on the first CVT shaft such that the space between the pulley wheels can be varied and such that the pulley wheels are driven to rotate with the first CVT shaft, the second pair of variable cone pulley wheels may be located on the second CVT shaft such that the space between the pulley wheels can be varied and such that the pulley wheels are driven to rotate with the second CVT shaft. The pulley belt may run between and engage the first and second pairs of variable cone pulley wheels such that as the spacing between the variable cone pulley wheels of each pair of variable cone pulley wheels is changed in opposing directions, the rotation of the second pair of variable cone pulley wheels is increased or reduced in relation to the rotation of the first pair of variable cone pulley wheels, thereby producing a variable CVT ratio. Additionally, the CVT input wheel may be an integral part of one of the pulley wheels of the first pair of variable cone pulley wheels and/or the CVT output wheel may be an integral part of one of the pulley wheels of the second pair of variable cone pulley wheels.
Alternatively, the CVT sub-assembly may include first and second curved friction discs and at least two friction wheels, a second CVT input wheel and a second CVT output wheel. The first and second curved friction discs may be located along the major axis of the input shaft such that they are free to rotate about said axis. The second CVT input wheel may be fixed to the first CVT shaft and may be coupled to the first curved friction disc, the second CVT output wheel may be fixed to the second CVT shaft and may be coupled to the second curved friction disc. Each of the at least two friction wheels may be in contact with each of the curved friction discs, the contact points between the friction wheels and the curved friction discs being controlled by an angular rotation of the friction wheels about an axis which is substantially perpendicular to the input shaft major axis such that as the contact points are varied along the curve of each curved friction disc by controlling the angular rotation of the friction wheels, the rotational speed of the second curved friction disc is changed in relation to the rotational speed of the first curved friction disc, thereby producing a variable CVT ratio.
Alternatively, two variable ratios may be used in series to increase the range of ratios available from the continuously variable reversible transmission. Respective first and second pulley wheels may be fixedly mounted to the first and second CVT shafts, each of the first and second pulley wheels including at least one angled channel around its periphery. The fixed input wheel may be an external ring including friction nodes which contact the at least one angled channel of the first pulley wheel, the friction nodes being controlled radially to vary the point of contact between the friction nodes and the first pulley wheel, to thereby provide a first variable ratio between the rotational velocity of the input shaft about its major axis and the rotational velocity of the first pulley wheel about the major axis of the first CVT shaft. The first CVT shaft may be coupled with the second CVT shaft by a gear fixedly mounted on each shaft. Alternatively, the gears may be an integral part of each pulley wheel. The coupling may be by a looped link. Similarly, the overall output wheel may be an external ring including friction nodes which contact the at least one angled channel of the second pulley wheel, the friction nodes being controlled radially to vary the point of contact between the friction nodes and the second pulley wheel, to thereby provide a second variable ratio between the rotational velocity of the second pulley wheel about the major axis of the second CVT shaft and about the major axis of the input shaft and the rotational velocity of the overall output wheel about the input shaft major axis. The rotation of the output shaft being zero when the ratio between the first variable ratio and the second variable ratio is of a set magnitude. It may be preferable to use only one variable ratio in this arrangement, for example the second variable ratio may be fixed to eliminate the need for adjusting the position of the friction nodes in the rotating overall output wheel.
As may be appreciated, many combinations of the above arrangements are possible in designing a continuously variable reversible transmission system according to the present invention. For example different input and output arrangements to the CVT may be combined to change the range of ratios available, to vary the position of the zero output position within that range of ratios, and to reverse the output direction as required.
Practical applications of the present invention will now be described by way of examples with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Continuously variable reversible transmission


Method and apparatus for estimating surface moisture content of wood chips employing a surface moisture measurement obtained from a non-contact surface moisture sensor, which measurement is calibrated with values of a set of optical parameters, such as HSL color camera signals, representing light reflection characteristics of the wood chips in order to estimate the surface moisture content thereof.

In the past years, significant efforts have been devoted to develop processes for the production of pulp and paper products aimed at reducing manufacturing costs while improving product quality. Quality control of the raw materials entering in the production of pulp and paper products using either chemical or thermo mechanical pulping (TMP) processes, particularly regarding wood chips used, has been identified as a key factor in process optimization. The bleaching agent (ex. hydrosulphite, peroxide) is widely used to improve pulp brightness to a specified level which fulfills customers needs. Especially for TMP, the objective of process control is to have stable, high pulp quality with minimal energy and bleaching agent consumption. Thus, a constant flow of chips into the refiners is an important parameter for maintaining good refining performance. As a raw material, wood chips are heterogeneous and when fed into a refiner can vary in terms of wood chip species, chip size distribution, moisture content, bulk and basic density, freshness and impurities content (bark, knot, rot, etc.). These variations disturb in turn TMP process control and influence pulp quality, as mentioned by Smook, G. A. in "Handbook for Pulp & Paper Technologies", Joint Texbook Committee of the Paper Industry, 54, (1982), as well as by Wood, J. R. in "Chip Quality Effects in Mechanical Pulping—a Selected Review", TAPPI Pulping Conference, Proceedings, 491-497 (1996). More specifically, the variations in the wood raw materials and its fibers may give rise to 30-40% of variations in the pulp properties as taught by Lundgwist, S. O., et al, in "Wood Fiber Simulation—A Model Based Tool for Optimized Wood and Fiber Utilization", Control System 2002, Proceedings, June 3-5, Stockholm, Sweden, 164-169 (2002).
In mills, visual evaluation of wood chip quality is widely used. From the chip color, a specialist can determine the chip species and estimate freshness, bark, rot, and knot contents. A known approach consists of sorting trees according to their species or blend of species prior to wood chips manufacturing, to produce corresponding batches of wood chips presenting desired characteristics associated with these species. Typically, hardwood trees such as poplar, birch and maple are known to generally produce pale wood chips while conifers such as pine, fir and spruce are known to generally yield darker wood chips. In practice, wood chips batches can either be produced from trees of a same species or from a blend of wood chips made from trees of plural species, preferably of a common category, i.e., hardwood trees or conifers, to seek wood chips uniformity. However, chips characteristics basically depending on initial bark content of wood chips used, the mere knowledge of wood chips species composition for a given batch does not necessarily give a reliable indication of the chips quality.
Many studies have shown that wood species is the dominant factor in pulping performance and pulp quality. The spruce family is the most favourable species for TMP as mentioned by Varhimo, A. et al, in "Raw Materials" in Sundbolm, J. "Mechanical Pulping" Chapter 5, Fapet OY, 66-104 (1999). Homogeneity and low fines content of chip size distribution produce good pulp strength, while knot and bark contents decrease the strength and brightness of the pulp as mentioned by Brill, J. W. in "Effects of Wood and Chip Quality on TMP Properties". International Mechanical Pulping Conference, Proceedings, Stockholm 153-162 (1985). Continuous variations in wood basic density and moisture content occurring in chip flow tend to cause variations in refining consistency, which in turn affect pulp uniformity and energy consumption as mentioned by Trväinen, J. in "The influence of Wood Properties on the Quality of TMP Made From Norway Spruce (Picea abies)—Wood From Old growth Forests, First-thinning, and Sawmill Chips," International Mechanical Pulping Conference, Proceedings, 23-34 (1995). Rot should be avoided as it impairs the brightness and strength properties of paper as discussed by Hartler, N. in "Wood Quality Requirements in Mechanical Pulping", Nordic Pulp and Paper Research Journal. (1): 4 (1986). Knots produce low strength pulp and are predominant among oversize chips. They also reduce pulp brightness as mentioned by Brill and Wood in the above cited papers. Fresh wood chips increase productivity, decrease hydrosulfite consumption, and stabilize the pulping process as mentioned by Ding, F. et al, in "Economizing the Bleaching Agent Consumption by Controlling Wood Chip Brightness", Control System 2002, Proceedings, June 3-5, Stockholm, Sweden, 205-209 (2002). A quantitative evaluation of pulpwood chip quality has been proposed for the chemical pulping process by Hatton, J. V. in "Chip Quality Monograph", Joint Textbook Committee of the Paper Industry. 311 (1999). However, this evaluation being wholly based on offline laboratory measurements, accuracy depends on sampling method, frequency, and quantities. Because offline measurements cannot be used to stabilize, predict, and optimize processes, this evaluation can seldom be used in the industry. An online approach to control quality of wood chips employed in the wood chips manufacturing method disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,577,671 issued on Nov. 26, 1996 to Seppanen, which method consists of separating from ground whole-tree chips, bark and cellulose wood chips through a series of separation stages including pneumatic separation, vibration segregation with sieve and color difference sorting. The resulting low bark, pale wood chips can be then processed using a minimum quantity of bleaching agent. Although processing cost can be minimized accordingly, added manufacturing cost due to bark separation step may still maintain overall production cost at a high level.
An improved online technology is discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,398,914 B1 issued to the present assignee, which discloses a method and apparatus for classifying batches of wood chips according to light reflection characteristics to allow optimal use of dark wood chips in pulp an paper processes. Chip brightness is a characteristic related to chip freshness, a very important parameter for TMP process, which presents the chip aging state. Chip aging is a very complex phenomenon that depends on the wood species, log and chip storage, and ambient air condition. It is very difficult and unnecessary to estimate effective chip age from its actual aging state. Although chip aging can be observed from chip brightness, it is only useful for substantially unvaried wood species. When an unknown proportion of wood species is present, more information is needed to provide reliable chip quality assessment.
The importance of chip quality for pulp and paper production processes, and especially for the TMP process has long been recognized, but heretofore, no multi-variable, reliable method for estimating the quality of wood chips has been proposed using known offline or online measurement technologies.

Centre de recherche industrielle du Québec


A connector includes: a housing including terminal accommodating chambers, and lances projecting into the terminal accommodating chambers and capable of withdrawing from the terminal accommodating chambers due to elastic deformation of the lances; terminals inserted into the terminal accommodating chambers and each including a terminal contact part formed on its leading side for contact with a mating terminal and an engagement part foamed for engagement with respective lance and a front holder fitted to a front part of the housing to move between a formal engagement position and a temporary engagement position to hold the terminal contact part. The housing is provided with an opening which exposes engagement points between the lances and the engagement parts in a direction generally perpendicular to an elastically-deformable direction of the lances.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a connector including a housing equipped with a lance for engagement with a terminal.
2. Related Art
Conventionally, there are proposed a variety of connectors each including a housing equipped with a lance for engagement with a terminal. One conventional example of such connectors is illustrated in FIG. 12 (refer to JP 2012-038549 A). In the conventional example illustrated in FIG. 12, a connector 100 includes a housing 103 including a terminal accommodating chamber 101 and a lance 102 projecting into the terminal accommodating chamber 101 and also withdrawing from the terminal accommodating chamber 101 due to its own elastic deformation, a terminal 106 inserted into the terminal accommodating chamber 101 and including a terminal contact part 104 formed on its leading end side for contact with a mating terminal (not illustrated) and an engagement part 105 formed for engagement with the lance 102, and a front retainer 107 fitted to a front part of the housing 103 to retain the terminal contact part 104. The housing 103 is formed with a jig insertion hole 109 into which a terminal releasing jig 108 is inserted to release the engagement of the lance 102 with the engagement part 105.
In the above-mentioned constitution, the terminal releasing jig 108 is inserted into the housing 103 through the jig insertion hole 109 of the housing 103. By elastically deforming the lance 102 with the terminal releasing jig 105 inserted into the housing 103, the engagement of the lance 15 with the engagement part 105 of the final 106 is cancelled. In this state, the terminal 106 can be withdrawn backward (leftward in FIG. 12).


Systems and methods for determining angular position in rotating machines. A repeating sequence of segments are arranged in a track disposed at a diameter around a shaft of a rotor that rotates about an axis. A sensor is positioned to face the track and is fixed relative to the stator. The track and the sensor face to each other, which may be in directions that are parallel to the axis. The sensor generates an output that is decoupled from the diameter of the track and is related to the repeating sequence of segments.

Various types of rotating machines are used in applications where position information is needed for control purposes such as to control motion. For example, angular position may be used to derive speed. Also as an example, electronically commutated motors may rely on a determination of angular position of the rotor to provide information to commutate the motor. Typical DC motor commutation may rely on some form of hall sensor or optical position encoder to provide the position information. In a number of applications these options may be relatively costly and may be complicated to implement.
In some applications a gear toothed wheel has been used in combination with a gear tooth sensor. This alternative is relatively straight-forward to implement and generally has a relatively low cost. Output from this type of sensor corresponds with the number of gear teeth passing in front of it. When a gear tooth aligns with the sensor, the sensor's output may increase and when the gear tooth or magnetic pole moves away from the sensor, the output may decrease. This repeats at every tooth resulting in a sinusoidal output. These sensors are generally designed to work with certain defined gear tooth pitches. In applications that require a large number of gear teeth, the size of the resulting gear often requires redesign of the motor and as a result, implementing this alternative may become impractical.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide alternative systems and methods for determining angular position between two or more relatively rotating bodies, including in applications with limited packaging space. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description of the invention and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background of the invention.

System and method for determining angular position in rotating machines


A cDNA clone from HL60 neutrophils, designated p2, which encodes a human interleukin-8 receptor. This IL-8 receptor can be expressed in oocytes or transfected host cells. This receptor has 77% amino acid identity with a second human neutrophil receptor isotype that also binds IL-8. It also exhibits 69% amino acid identity with a protein reported to be an N-formyl peptide receptor from rabbit neutrophils.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to identification and characterization of a human interleukin-8 receptor which also binds gro. In another aspect, it relates to stable expression of functionally active IL-8 receptor in host cells.
2. Background Information
Stimulation of neutrophils with IL-8, NAP-2 or gro causes mobilization of intracellular calcium stores and elicits motile, secretory, and metabolic responses that are critical to the role of the neutrophil in host defenses. See B. Moser, I. Clark-Lewis, R. Zwahlen, M. Baggiolini, J. Exp. Med. 171, 1797 (1990); A. Walz, B. Dewald, V. von Tscharner, M. Baggiolini, ibid. 170, 1745 (1989); and M. Thelen et al., FASEB J. 2, 2702 (1988). IL-8 is an inflammatory cytokine that activates neutrophil chemotaxis, degranulation and the respiratory burst, the means by which neutrophils attack pathogens in the body. Neutrophils express receptors for IL-8 that are coupled to guanine nucleotide binding proteins (G-proteins); binding of IL-8 to its receptor induces the mobilization of intracellular calcium stores. IL-8, also known as neutrophil activating protein-1 or NAP-1, is a potent chemoattractant for neutrophils that is produced by many cell types in response to inflammatory stimuli. See J. J. Oppenheim, Prog. Clin. Biol. Res. 349, 405 (1990). This IL-8 receptor has 77% amino acid identity with a second human neutrophil receptor isotype that also binds IL-8 (Genentech, FASEB, April 1991).
IL-8 is structurally and functionally related to several members of the macrophage inflammatory protein-2 (or MIP-2) family of cytokines. These include MIP-2, gro (or melanoma growth-stimulatory activity), and NAP-2. See S. D. Wolpe and A. Cerami, FASEB J. 3, 2565 (1989); B. Moser, I. Clark-Lewis, R. Zwahlen, M. Baggiolini, J. Exp. Med. 171, 1797 (1990); and A. Walz, B. Dewald, V. von Tscharner, M. Baggiolini, ibid. 170, 1745 (1989). High affinity binding sites for IL-8 have been found on transformed myeloid precursor cells such as HL60 and THP-1 as well as on neutrophils. See B. Moser, C. Schumacher, V. von Tscharner, I. Clark-Lewis, M. Baggiolini, J. Biol. Chem. 266, 10666 (1991); J. Besemer, A. Hujber, B. Kuhn, J. Biol. Chem. 264, 17409 (1989); P. M. Grob et al., ibid. 265, 8311 (1990); A. K. Samanta, J. J. Oppenheim, K. Matsushima, J. Exp. Med. 169, 1185 (1989); E. J. Leonard et al., J. Immunol. 144, 1323 (1989). NAP-2 and gro compete with IL-8 for binding to human neutrophils suggesting that they interact with the same receptors. See B. Moser, C. Schumacher, V. von Tscharner, I. Clark-Lewis, M. Baggiolini, J. Biol. Chem. 266, 10666 (1991).
Functional expression in the Xenopus oocyte has established the identity of cDNA clones encoding rabbit and human forms of another peptide chemoattractant receptor on neutrophils, the N-formyl peptide receptor. See K. M. Thomas, H. Y. Pyun, J. Navarro, J. Biol. Chem. 265, 20061 (1990); and F. Boulay, M. Tardif, L. Brouchon, P. Vignais, Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 168, 1103 (1990). Yet the amino acid sequence of the rabbit form of the receptor (originally designated F3R) is only 28% identical with that of the human form (designated in this paper as FPR); this is far greater than the differences between species reported for all other G protein-coupled receptors. See T. I. Bonner, A. C. Young, M. R. Brann, N. J. Buckley, Neuron 1, 403 (1988); and S. Yokoyama, K. E. Eisenberg, A. F. Wright, Mol. Biol. Evol. 6, 342 (1989).
By cloning the complementary DNA sequence encoding the human interleukin 8 receptor (IL8R), the primary structure of this receptor can be established and its role in the inflammatory response can be further investigated. Such studies could potentially lead to the design of new anti-inflammatory agents.

Amino acid sequence for a functional human interleukin-8 receptor

The United States of America as represented by the Department of Health and Human Services


A moisture-barriered, body-contact protective interface structure including a core, viscoelastic, acceleration-rate-sensitive cushioning structure, and a moisture-barriering container surrounding the cushioning structure, with the container being operable to block the flow of moisture while accommodating gas breathability for the cushioning structure.

The present invention relates to a human-body-contact, protective and cushioning interface structure. More particularly, it relates to such a structure which is designed to be interposed the body and some external structure which is worn on or attached to the body, and through which various kinds of loads (such as shock, general wearing-pressure related, and gravitational) may be applied to the body. While there are many applications wherein the structure of the present invention can offer distinct advantages, one preferred embodiment of the invention is described herein specifically (for illustration purposes) in the setting of a helmet, such as a military helmet, with respect to which the invention has been found to furnish particular utility.
Describing the invention first with reference to the conventional "military helmet" environment, this environment is very demonstrative of the issues that are successfully addressed by the present invention. For example, the current U.S.-issue infantry helmet utilizes an internal webbing system combined with a removable leather liner to suspend the helmet on the wearers head. Airspace between the webbing and the shell of the helmet greatly contributes to the ballistic and cooling capabilities of the helmet, but the webbing system has proven consistently to be quite uncomfortable, and thus to be the source of many complaints from users.
Generally speaking, such discomfort comes about principally because of localized capillary circulation loss caused by localized high-pressure points that exist in the contact interface between the helmet and the head. These pressure points come about typically because of poor conformation (uneven pressure distribution) of the usual web-borne head-contacting structure and the shape of the head. Such pressure points generate the complained-of discomfort and pain by creating localized low-blood-concentration ischemia regions in the head.
The structure of the present invention offers improvements in many areas of body-protective interest. This structure, in one preferred form of the invention, features a novel, multi-layered, pad-like cushioning structure which includes different layer components that individually address (1) conformance-comfort and ballistic behaviors, (2) moisture-wicking and cooling behaviors, and (3) moisture (water)-barriering behavior that both guards and enhances the performances associated with matters (1) and (2).
The structure of the invention, in relation to the matters of ballistic behavior and comfort, effectively minimizes, substantially to beyond notice, localized high-pressure contact conditions which are the principal creators of discomfort. In the bargain, so-to-speak, of dealing with this issue, the same structural features which vanquish discomfort promote significantly improved ballistic response. Notably, the structure's improved ballistic behavior remains uncompromised even in the very challenging circumstances of water immersion which can, if not carefully prevented from introducing any water into the cushioning core material, appreciably disable the shock-handling capabilities of that material.
Other features of the invention successfully improve the state of the art with respect (a) to minimizing the build-up of heat, (b) to maximizing the dispelling of perspiration, and (c) to enhancing the action of evaporative cooling.
According to one preferred embodiment of the invention, our proposed new structure includes (a) an outer body-contacting structure which is formed of a suitable moisture-wicking structure, (b) an anatomically conforming, acceleration-rate-sensitive (preferably viscoelastic), cushion-like core structure which is disposed adjacent the moisture-wicking structure, and (c) a moisture (water)-barriering, yet core-breathability-accommodating, barrier structure forming a substantially complete jacketing enclosure, or container, around the core structure.
The cushion-like, rate-sensitive core structure can be, selectively, either of a single-component or of a plural-component (plural sublayers) nature, and in the setting of a military helmet, preferably takes the form of two, individual, viscoelastic sublayers which have two different durometers. In this helmet setting, and during use by a wearer, the lower-durometer sublayer is employed closer to the head, and the higher-durometer sublayer is on the opposite side of the lower-durometer sublayer relative to the head, and is interposed the lower-durometer sublayer and the outer external structure which is still on the inside of a helmet. Within, and throughout the full, three-dimensional boundaries of each rate-sensitive, viscoelastic layer, the layer material therein is unfettered in its uniform, omnidirectional performance in response to introduced impact/shock loads. No other structure extends as a non-"homogeneous" anomaly through and in this region, which other structure would alter such uniform, all-over, load-response behavior.
In this newly proposed layered structure, the body-contacting (head-contacting in the case of a helmet) moisture-wicking layer effectively draws moisture away from the body. It accomplishes this, in the helmet environment, in a way which is experienced as being superior to the related activity of a conventional helmet support system.
The barrier layer forms a substantially uninterrupted continuum—a continuum which possesses no through-flow passage capable of permitting the through-flow of water to the core structure—enclosing the inside rate-sensitive core-structure material, and thus defines a limiting boundary for the migration of wicked moisture (water), preventing it from wetting the rate-sensitive material, and encouraging, at its outer surface, rapid evaporation and attendant cooling. In addition, the barrier layer is designed to accommodate substantially uncompromised cushioning behavior in the adjacent rate-sensitive, viscoelastic structure. This barrier layer, as above mentioned, may take the form of a suitable enveloping enclosure, or container, which may, as in the preferred embodiment of the invention specifically illustrated herein, be structured as a sprayed-on coating.
The cushioning, rate-sensitive, viscoelastic layer structure (two sublayers in the preferred helmet embodiment described herein) furnishes a unique and very effective response both to static and to dynamic (shock/impact/ballistic) loads. This material is temperature and pressure sensitive, and tends to creep (flow laterally) away from hot spots and from localized high-pressure spots. It thus tends to evenize the distributed static (wearing) load, and thus to eliminate, substantially, localized capillary circulation loss, and hence, localized ischemia regions. This latter-mentioned feature can be especially significant also in tight bandaging situations.
Additionally, and very significantly with regard to shock protection, the cushioning layer in the structure of this invention responds (rate-resistantly) to shock-produced, rapid acceleration with a resistance to deformation that generally rises in a somewhat direct relationship to the level of acceleration. This kind of acceleration-rate sensitivity is somewhat analogous to the phenomenon known in the world of fluid mechanics as shear-resistant fluid dilatancy. This behavior causes a shock load to be transmitted to and borne by the body over a relatively wide surface area, and thus generally reduces the likelihood of serious injury. The rate-sensitive core material proposed by the structure of this invention also responds to (and following) an impact event by recovering slowly to an undeformed condition—thus avoiding any dangerous "rebound" activity. The important and special rate-resistant, and slow "recovery", response of this material requires the maintenance, immediately adjacent it, of adequate gas-breathability during onset and recovery from deformation, in an environment which also simultaneously guards the core material against the infusion of water, or other "solid-like" moisture. Moisture infusion would dramatically and negatively affect ballistic-response cushioning behavior. The barrier layer, either as an enclosure with some space existing between it and the core structure, or as a sprayed-on layer which possesses the quality of gas breathability, accomplishes these functions.
The layer structure of this invention is easily rendered in a variety of specific configurations, and thus is readily usable in a host of different settings. It is relatively easy and inexpensive to manufacture, and it can be introduced very conveniently in a wide range of "retrofit" situations. The specific layer organization of the invention which is chosen for different selected applications is itself an accommodating variable—a variable which enhances the invention's versatility. For example: overall structure thickness can be different for different circumstances. A single, or more than two, rate-sensitive sublayer(s) can be employed. Within a relatively wide range, a different specific durometer value (or values) for the rate-sensitive sublayer(s) can be chosen. The moisture-wicking layer can be distributed in different ways in the structure to suit different use environments, and can be omitted if desired for use of the invention in certain applications. The moisture (water)-blocking barrier layer can have different selected characteristics to suit different applications. Importantly, this layer is chosen to be such, that in any situation, such as a water-immersion event, which exposes the proposed new layer structure to significant wetting, substantially no water can penetrate the barrier layer to degrade the shock-managing performance of the rate-sensitive layer material contained inside.
Accordingly, variations from, and modifications of, the invention are recognized to be possible. Several of these are mentioned specifically below.
All of the special features and advantages mentioned above that are offered by the present invention will become more fully apparent as the description which now follows is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Moisture-barriered, body-contact protective interface structure


A refrigeration system for cooling foodstuffs in an aircraft body having a deck and a space (26) below the deck, uses a surface type heat exchanger (7) positioned for a heat exchange with the environment of the aircraft. A catering container (1) is constructed as a cooler box, and at least one refrigeration device (21) is exchangeably mounted in the space below the deck. The refrigeration device (21) is equipped with at least one modular refrigeration unit (6) connected through respective pipes or conduits (8, 9) to the surface type heat exchanger (7). The refrigeration device (21) is connected by further conduit means (3, 10) to the cooler box (1). The temperature difference between inside and outside of the aircraft is efficiently used for the refrigeration.

Conventional passenger service systems for an aircraft are arranged in the passenger cabin which is inefficient because the space taken up by the service system could be used for passenger seats, particularly since such systems require a substantial volume that reduces the space available for the passengers, thereby reducing the number of passengers that can be transported in the aircraft. These space requirements are dictated by the following requirements: a service station where the supplies are made ready, a kitchen, foodstuff storage space, and parking spaces for transport carts, waste collecting devices, as well as heating and cooling units.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,660,787 (Sprenger et al.), issued on Apr. 28, 1987, discloses a food supply system for an aircraft having an upper and a lower deck. A pantry is located on the upper deck and food supply carts carried on a platform are arranged on the lower deck for cooperation with the pantry on the upper deck. A lifting mechanism is arranged for moving carts from the platform to the pantry and vice versa. This known system does not disclose anything regarding the refrigeration of the food supply.


A pulse wave period measuring apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention detects a pulse wave of a subject, detects a maximum value and a minimum value in a predetermined period of the pulse wave, calculates one or more reference values between the maximum value and the minimum value in the predetermined period, based on one or more internally dividing ratios common to plural predetermined periods of the pulse wave, calculates two or more times in the predetermined period, the apparatus calculating the two or more times at which the pulse wave intersects with the one or more reference values, calculates a time period between each calculated time in the predetermined period and a corresponding calculated time in a last period before the predetermined period, as a pulse wave period of the pulse wave, calculates a variation of pulse wave periods, for two or more pulse wave periods calculated between the predetermined period and the last period before the predetermined period, and calculates, based on the variation of the pulse wave periods, the stability of measuring the pulse wave periods.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a pulse wave period measuring apparatus, a pulse wave period measuring method, a heartbeat period measuring method, and a recording medium.
2. Background Art
A photoelectric pulse wave sensor is configured to measure a pulse wave by light. The sensor irradiates a light beam into a living body, and measures a reflected or transmitted light beam. When the light beam is irradiated into the living body, the light beam is absorbed by hemoglobin in the living body. Therefore, the intensity of the reflected or transmitted light beam varies according to the amount of blood. This implies that the intensity of the reflected or transmitted light beam varies synchronized with a heartbeat. Therefore, the photoelectric pulse wave sensor can measure a pulse wave of a subject by measuring the reflected or transmitted light beam. The sensor is used, for example, for monitoring a heart rate during exercise or the like.
The pulse wave is relatively easy to be measured, in comparison with other biological indicators such as an electro-cardiograph. In general, the pulse wave sensor can be easily attached, and is suitable for use in daily life. On the other hand, the pulse wave often fluctuates greatly in amplitude and baseline, due to narrowing and ballooning of a blood vessel or a breathing disturbance. In addition, it has been known that a subject's motion causes a change in contact state between the sensor and the subject's body and a change of the internal blood flow in the subject's body, which greatly disturbs the waveform of the pulse wave. It is desirable to take account of the above-mentioned merits and demerits when the pulse wave is measured. It should be noted that a heart rate can be calculated by detecting a pulse wave period. The accuracy of detecting the pulse wave period is greatly affected by a distortion or deformation of the pulse wave. Therefore, it is required to provide methods of stably measuring the pulse wave and of determining whether or not the pulse wave is stably measured.
The pulse wave sensor is applicable, for example, to a device for easily monitoring, at home, a sleeping condition or a health condition during sleep. In recent years, significant efforts have been made to develop such a device. JP-A 2002-291710 (KOKAI) discloses a method which calculates a pulse beat period from the pulse wave measured during sleep, performs a frequency analysis on the pulse beat period, and determines the sleeping condition based on the analyzed result of the frequency analysis. More specifically, the method converts a series of pulse beat period data calculated from the pulse wave, into a frequency spectrum distribution, extracts a predetermined frequency band component from the frequency spectrum distribution, and determines the sleeping condition, based on the value obtained by integrating the frequency component.
However, the method disclosed in the JP-A 2002-291710 (KOKAI) has a problem that if noise is contained in the series of pulse beat period data, the noise has a significant effect on the frequency spectrum. Therefore, it is necessary to remove the noise contained in the pulse beat period, due to a distortion or deformation of the pulse wave.
Further, JP-A 2004-89314 (KOKAI) and JP-A 2001-198094 (KOKAI) disclose methods for detecting a distortion of a pulse waveform. The method disclosed in JP-A 2004-89314 (KOKAI) accumulates a reference waveform in advance, calculates a correlation value between the reference waveform and an observed waveform, and determines whether the observed waveform is normal or abnormal, based on the correlation value. The method disclosed in JP-A 2001-198094 (KOKAI) measures pulse wave periods for plural pulse beats, and determines whether an observed waveform is normal or abnormal, based on the variation of the pulse wave periods.
However, according to the method disclosed in JP-A 2004-89314 (KOKAI), when measuring each waveform, it is necessary to extract a waveform of a pulse beat and calculate a correlation between waveforms, so that the processing load is quite heavy. In particular, when processing is performed in the sensor, a high performance computer is required for the processing, and thus a larger computer is required. In addition, since increasing power consumption is expected for the processing, a larger battery is required. In this way, a larger sensor is required when the processing is performed in the sensor. Further, according to the method disclosed in JP-A 2001-198094 (KOKAI), since pulse wave periods for plural pulse beats are required, it takes too much time for the determination, and it is difficult to determine whether the waveform is normal or abnormal for each waveform. In fact, when a pulse wave is measured, it is often the case that only one waveform is abnormal due to a momentary motion or noise. However, the method cannot adequately deal with such a case. The methods disclosed in JP-A 2004-89314 (KOKAI) and JP-A 2001-198094 (KOKAI) have such problems.

Pulse wave period measuring apparatus, pulse wave period measuring method, heartbeat period measuring method, and recording medium


A binary refrigerating apparatus employs a refrigerant composition that has a small global-warming potential (GWP) and can be used as a refrigerant capable of achieving a low temperature of −80° C. A refrigerant composition used as a low-temperature-side refrigerant is a refrigerant mixture including a non-azeotropic mixture in which 20% by mass or less of carbon dioxide (R744) is mixed to difluoroethylene (R1132a). A refrigerant composition used as a high-temperature-side refrigerant is a combination of: a non-azeotropic mixture comprising the refrigerant group of difluoromethane (R32), pentafluoroethane (R125), 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane (R134a) and 1,1,3-trifluoro ethane (R143a); and 1,1,1,2,3-pentafluoropentene (HFO-1234ze), having a global-warming potential (GWP) of 1500 or less.

Conventionally used refrigerants for refrigerators include a non-azeotropic mixture (R407D) of difluoromethane (R32)/pentafluoroethane (R125)/1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane (R134a) (15/15/70% by mass) and a non-azeotropic mixture (R404A) of pentafluoroethane (R125)/1,1,1-trifluoroethane (R143a)/1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane (R134a) (44/52/4% by mass). The boiling point of R407D is about −39° C., and the boiling point of R404A is about −46° C., and these are suitable for known refrigerating apparatuses. Furthermore, even when a compressor inlet temperature is relatively high, an outlet temperature does not increase to a degree that oil sludge is caused in a compressor. However, R404A has a relatively high GWP of 3920.
On the other hand, for obtaining a lower temperature range of −80° C. or lower, R508A (an azeotropic mixture of trifluoromethane R23 and hexafluoroethane R116) is used. The boiling point of R508A is −85.7° C., and suitable for obtaining low temperature.
However, the above-described refrigerants each have a physical property that the global-warming potential (the GWP value) is extraordinarily high.
This refrigerant composition is either a refrigerant composition including an azeotropic mixture (R508A, boiling point: −85.7° C.) of 39% by weight of trifluoromethane (R23) having a rather high specific heat ratio and 61% by weight of hexafluoroethane (R116) having a rather low specific heat ratio, or a refrigerant composition including a mixture of this azeotropic mixture and n-pentane or propane that is mixed in a ratio of 14% or less with respect to a total weight of trifluoromethane and hexafluoroethane. This refrigerant composition can achieve a low temperature of −80° C.
However, the above-described R508A has a high GWP of 13200, which has been a problem.
Carbon dioxide (R744) has a small GWP of 1, but has a problem that oil deterioration and sludge occur due to increase in pressure and outlet temperature. Therefore, there are proposed: a refrigerant mixture in which carbohydrates such as propane, cyclopropane, isobutene, and butane are added to carbon dioxide in a ratio of about 30 to 70% of the whole; and a refrigeration cycle apparatus including the refrigerant mixture (see Patent Literature 1).
Furthermore, there are proposed: a refrigerant mixture containing isobutane in a ratio of 40 to 60% and trifluoromethane (R23) as the remainder (see Patent Literature 2); a refrigerant mixture in which propane is mixed in a ratio of 65% or more to a mixture of difluoromethane and pentafluoroethane (see Patent Literature 3); and the like.


A 6T SRAM cell includes a first inverter having a first pull-up transistor and a first pull-down transistor serially coupled between a supply source and a complementary supply source, and a second inverter cross-coupled with the first inverter having a second pull-up transistor and a second pull-down transistor serially coupled between the supply source and the complementary supply source. The cell further includes a first pass-gate and second pass-gate transistors coupled to the first and second inverters, respectively. The first pass-gate transistor and the first pull-up transistor are respectively constructed on a first P-type well and a first N-type well adjacent to one another, which are overlaid by a first doped region and a second doped region of substantially the same width in alignment with one another, respectively.

The present disclosure relates generally to integrated circuit (IC) designs, and more specifically to a layout design of six-transistor (6T) static random access memory (SRAM) cell.
A standard 6T SRAM cell has six transistors formed on a bulk semiconductor substrate. Among the six transistors, four are N-channel devices (NMOS transistors) categorized according to their functions as two pull-down transistors and two pass-gate transistors. The remaining two transistors are P-channel devices (PMOS transistors) functioning as pull-up transistors.
Conventionally, the pull-down transistor is located next to the pass-gate transistor, wherein an N-type doped region is implemented as the drains and the sources for both transistors. The pull-down transistors are required to withstand a high level of current, and are therefore designed to be large in physical size. Compared to the pull-down transistors, the pass-gate transistors are designed to be much smaller in physical size as they are not required to withstand such high level current. Thus, the doped regions of the pull-down transistors can be much wider than those of their adjacent pass-gate transistors. Due to the mismatched sizes of the pull-down transistor and the pass-gate transistor, the conventional SRAM cell is particularly susceptible to reliability defects caused by deviation of fabrication process.
Desirable in the art of IC designs are additional designs that can eliminate the width mismatch issue while reducing the overall size of the 6T SRAM cell.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.


A polyketone composition includes: (A) a polyketone having, in a main chain, a structural unit represented by the following Formula (I); and (B) an epoxy compound. In Formula (I), X represents a bivalent group that has from 1 to 50 carbon atoms and that may have a substituent group, Y represents a bivalent hydrocarbon group that has from 1 to 30 carbon atoms and that may have a substituent group, and n represents an integer from 1 to 1500.

Aromatic polyketones having aromatic rings and carbonyl groups in the main chain have excellent heat resistance and mechanical properties and are used as engineering plastics. Most polymers belonging to aromatic polyketones are aromatic polyether ketones polymerized by utilizing a nucleophilic aromatic substitution reaction, which also have an ether bond in the main chain. On the other hand, aromatic polyketones having no ether bond in the main chain can exhibit even more excellent heat resistance and chemical resistance than those of aromatic polyether ketones (see, for example, Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2).
In recent years, it has been reported that an aromatic polyketone with high transparency and heat resistance can be obtained by directly polymerizing an alicyclic dicarboxylic acid and 2,2′-dialkoxybiphenyl compound by Friedel-Crafts acylation (see, for example, Patent Document 3), and application thereof to optical members is expected.

Polyketone composition including epoxy compound, cured polyketone, optical element, and image display device


Device is a cylindrical stick made of paper, cloth, plastic, wood, metal, or other synthetic resinous material impregnated on its inner surface with a portion of cosmetic lipstick product. The shaft is supported during horizontal orientation by two finger held ends of the cylindrical shaft which allow for easy placement of the device between the lips and transfer of the corresponding lipstick product to the lips.

This invention is a finger held device which provides for individual single use sanitary sampling of cosmetic lipstick. The primary purpose of this sanitary sampling device is to provide the cosmetics consumer with a means to safely apply lipstick products to her lips.
The prospective purchaser of lipstick products has difficulty selecting the most suitable lipstick shade unless that purchasing consumer can actually apply the particular lipstick, directly to her lips, and compare the color, texture, etc. to her personal preference. As it stands today there is no commonly used cosmetic lipstick sample applicator which serves this purpose.
In the U.S. Pat. No. 4,611,611, there is disclosed a device which intends to provide a means of sampling cosmetic lipstick. This device comprises of a folded piece of paper or other tissue carrying the lipstick sample on a flat surface and enclosed within a cover. The lipstick sample application process is a matter of transferring the lipstick product from the paper applicator to the lips. In order to transfer the lipstick the sample applicator is placed between the lips as the lips are pressed down on the sample. While the lips are pressing on the surface of the paper containing the lipstick portion the transfer is made from the paper applicator to the lips.


An electronic device mounting substrate includes: a first wiring substrate shaped in a rectangular frame, an interior of the rectangular frame constituting a first through hole; a second wiring substrate shaped in a rectangular frame or plate, the second wiring substrate being disposed so as to overlie a lower surface of the first wiring substrate and be electrically connected to the first wiring substrate; a metallic plate disposed so as to overlie a lower surface of the second wiring substrate so that the second wiring substrate is sandwiched between the metallic plate and the first wiring substrate; and a lens holder secured to an outer periphery of the metallic plate. A frame interior of the first wiring substrate, or a frame interior of each of the first wiring substrate and the second wiring substrate, constitutes an electronic device mounting space.

Heretofore there is known an electronic apparatus constructed of an electronic device mounting substrate with an electronic device mounted thereon. As the electronic device mounting substrate used for such an electronic apparatus, there is known one comprising a metallic base body and a frame-shaped wiring substrate. To construct the electronic apparatus, an electronic device is mounted on the electronic device mounting substrate, and, a lid body is disposed on the upper surface of the wiring substrate. In the electronic apparatus thereby constructed, the electronic device is mounted in a recess defined by the upper surface of a thermal diffusion metallic layer disposed on the upper surface of the metallic base body and the inner side surface of the frame-shaped wiring substrate, and, an external circuit and so forth are electrically connected to an external circuit connection electrode disposed on a surface of the wiring substrate such as the upper surface thereof (refer to Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication JP-A 2006-303400).
Higher and higher performance capabilities have been demanded in portable terminal equipment as typified by smartphones, information processing equipment as typified by PCs (Personal Computers), and digital home-use appliances as typified by digital cameras, and, in order to respond to such a demand, it is necessary to mount a larger number of electronic apparatuses in a single housing. However, housings can no longer be given an increased capacity, wherefore housing capacity inevitably remains at its present level, or, on the contrary, it has come to be reduced. This trend has created the necessity of downsizing and low-profile design of electronic apparatuses. In the case of the electronic apparatus described in JP-A 2006-303400, it is conceivable that the thickness of the metallic base body of the electronic device mounting substrate will be reduced to render the electronic apparatus lower in profile.
In this electronic apparatus, when the lid body is subjected to an impact, a stress is applied to the wiring substrate. However, if the metallic base body has a reduced thickness for low-profile design of the apparatus, the applied stress will cause warpage or fracture in the wiring substrate. After all, it is not easy to achieve the low-profile design by the reduction of the thickness of the metallic base body.
An object of the invention is to provide an electronic device mounting substrate and an electronic apparatus which are capable of enhancement in impact resistance.

Electronic device mounting substrate and electronic apparatus


A method of forming a phosphor screen in which a color filter layer is formed between a phosphor layer and an inner surface of a panel having a slurry in which a fine particle pigment and transparent particles are dispersed into a photosensitive liquid coated on the inner surface of the panel. Then, the color filter layer is formed by exposure and development. When the color filter layer that constitutes one portion of a phosphor screen of a color cathode ray tube is formed in this manner, an adhesive force with which the color filter layer is bonded onto the panel can be increased and a transmittance of the color filter layer can be improved.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a phosphor screen of a cathode ray tube.
2. Description of the Related Art
As a color cathode ray tube of high contrast, there is known a color cathode ray tube in which a panel having a phosphor screen formed on its inner surface is made of a dark glass having a transmittance of about 40% to 45% or a color cathode ray tube in which a phosphor screen is formed of a so-called pigment phosphor in which a pigment of the same color is deposited on a phosphor particle.
In the former color cathode ray tube in which the panel is formed of the dark glass, an external light is absorbed by the dark glass so that a contrast thereof can be increased. At the same time, however, a light emitted from the phosphor screen also is absorbed by the dark glass so that a brightness thereof is lowered.
In the latter cathode ray tube in which the phosphor screen is formed by using the pigment phosphor, an external light is absorbed by the pigment so that a contrast thereof can be increased. In this case, however, phosphor particles of several layers (e.g., three to four layers) are laminated to form the phosphor screen. As a result, a light from the phosphor particle is partly absorbed by the pigment with the result that a brightness thereof is lowered about 10 to 15%.
In order to improve the aforesaid defects, there has been developed a color cathode ray tube in which a color filter layer is formed on the inner surface of the panel and a phosphor layer is formed on the color filter layer to form a phosphor screen.
In this color cathode ray tube, a glass having a high transmittance can be utilized as a panel glass and an amount of phosphor can be increased as compared with the pigment phosphor. Also, external light is absorbed by the color filter layer so that a high contrast and a high brightness can be obtained.
The color filter layer for the phosphor screen is formed as follows:
A photosensitive liquid made of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and ammonium dichromate (ADC) is coated with a slurry in which a fine particle inorganic pigment is dispersed, dried, exposed with ultraviolet rays by using a color selecting electrode as a photo mask and then developed to thereby form the color filter layer.
In the above method of forming the color filter layer, upon exposure, ultraviolet rays are absorbed by the pigment and the transmittance of ultraviolet rays is decreased. As a result, a boundary that is in contact with the glass panel is not exposed sufficiently so that a loose failure of the color filter layer occurs. If an exposure amount is increased, then a width of color filter layer is increased and a predetermined width cannot be obtained.

Method of manufacturing a phosphor screen of a cathode ray tube


A system and method are disclosed for presenting on-line survey invitations to users over a network. The system selectively presents survey invitations to users in accordance with a survey recruitment definition associated with a tag embedded within a Web page (node) downloaded and executed on a user computer. A particular survey is selected from a set of presently active surveys applied by a survey logic server to received requests based upon a category (node ID) provided by a user computer in accordance with the execution of logic contained in the survey recruitment definition.

Businesses have increasingly discovered that the Internet can be an effective forum for recruiting participants for the purpose of executing a survey. Rather than rely upon in-person solicitations on the street and in shopping malls, a variety of survey services leverage Web-enabled survey solicitation mechanisms. Such survey solicitation mechanisms, often in the form of pop-up windows, seek willing survey participants from the millions of user's surfing the Internet on a daily basis. The purpose and subject-matter with which the surveys are associated (e.g., products, services, opinions, political views/elections, sporting events, health, etc.) is virtually limitless.
A particular example of on-line survey fulfillment services involves surveying users that have been exposed to a particular on-line advertisement (as well as those that have not) to gauge the effect/impression of the ad on the users. In addition to being a good advertising forum, the Internet has also proven to be a convenient and source of consumer survey participants to assess the impact of particular Internet advertising campaigns on exposed users.
Recruiting users to take surveys can be a challenging task. U.S. Pat. No. 6,070,145, entitled "RESPONDENT SELECTION METHOD FOR NETWORK-BASED SURVEY" proposes a method in which visitors to a Web site are randomly chosen to be solicited to take an on-line survey. If a visitor is chosen, then a graphic image soliciting the visitor to take the survey is transmitted from a surveyor to the Web site being visited. The image is then displayed to the visitor. If the visitor is not chosen, then a dummy image is displayed.
Another survey method is described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,010,497, entitled "SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR EVALUATING AND/OR MONITORING EFFECTIVENESS OF ON-LINE ADVERTISING." The method described therein involves determining whether a user has been exposed to an on-line ad by checking cookies stored on the user's computer. Based, at least in part, on this determination, a decision is made as to whether or not to solicit the user to take an on-line survey.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/900,674, filed Jul. 6, 2001, entitled "Method and System for Conducting An On-Line Survey," describes yet another way to carry out on-line surveys. In that system, in response to receiving a request for a block of data from a user's computer, a determination is made whether the user has previously been solicited to take an on-line survey. Thereafter, computer-readable instructions are returned with the requested block of data that facilitate invoking a procedure for soliciting the user to take an on-line survey.
Another known survey recruitment scheme involves a variety of data and logic that acts upon the data. For example, a survey recruitment scheme often specifies a number of survey takers needed to complete the survey as well as the characteristics (including ad exposure) of the survey participants. Such information is used to guide whether an individual user, having particular traits, is recruited to take a particular survey. In known systems, such as the one described in the aforementioned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/900,674, a considerable amount of communications are potentially required between multiple servers and databases to administer recruitment of survey participants.

Method and system for on-line survey recruitment


A safety helmet structure and a processing method thereof. The safety helmet includes a first section, a second section and an extension section defined between the first and second sections. The first section is sprayed with a figure. A decorative section or a figure layers is adhered to the second section. After a periphery of the decorative section or figure layer partially passes over an edge of the second section, the periphery of the decorative section or figure layer enters the extension section. The first and second sections together form a helmet subassembly. The helmet subassembly is placed in a mold and integrally bonded with a buffer material or foam material filler to form a helmet assembly.

The present invention is related to a safety helmet structure and a processing method thereof. The safety helmet structure has several sections, which are defined in accordance with the layout of decorative sections or figure layers. The decorative sections or figure layers are attached to set sections, which are covered or wrapped with the decorative sections or figure layers. The sections are connected to form a helmet subassembly. The helmet subassembly is integrally bonded with a buffer material to form a helmet assembly.
A conventional safety helmet has a plastic shell. The surface of the plastic shell is printed or sprayed with a figure. Alternatively, a decorative section or a figure layer is attached to the surface of the plastic shell. The plastic shell is retained in a sealed vacuum mold with a helmet-shaped module. A foam material filler is heated, whereby the plastic shell encloses the foam material filler. Accordingly, the plastic shell is integrally bonded with the foam material filler to form a safety helmet structure for a bicycle rider or a horse rider.
In order to enhance quality feeling or attraction of the safety helmet, the surface of the helmet is often sprayed with colorful figures. Alternatively, figure layers or fabric materials are attached to and overlaid on the surface of the helmet. In practice, after the plastic shell is molded, some set regions of the surface of the plastic shell are sprayed with the figures or the figure layers or fabric materials are adhered to set regions. (The spraying operation or the figure layer adhesion operation can be performed before or after the plastic shell is bonded with the foam material filler.) The above manufacturing process of the safety helmet has some defects as follows:                1. Only those skilled operators are relied on to perform the figure layer adhesion operation. The figured attachable papers or fabrics are laid out on the set regions with certain borders and profiles. In the case that the operator is not skilled enough to smoothly adhere the figure layers or fabric materials to the plastic shell, the peripheries of the figure layers or fabric materials are often crimped as shown by area A of FIG. 1. This is because when adhering the figured attachable paper or fabric to the surface of the plastic shell, the operator will push and stretch the figure layer so as to smoothly adhere the same onto the surface of the plastic shell. In this case, the periphery of the figure layer often partially exceeds or passes over the set region of the plastic shell. Especially, with respect to an elastic attachable paper or an elastic attachable fabric, the periphery thereof will more apparently exceed or pass over the set region of the plastic shell. In general, the operator needs to expense extra time to fix the figure layer so as not to ruin any other portion of the surface of the helmet, on which a figure is sprayed or a figure layer is adhered. This makes it more difficult to manufacture or process the helmet and increases manufacturing time.        2. In prior art, a precise dimension of the figure layer is specifically required so as to conform the figure layer to the set region without exceeding the planned position. However, it is hard to control the sizes of those elastic figure layers or fabric materials. Therefore, in the adhesion operation, it still often takes place that the periphery of the figure layer exceeds or passes over the set region to a certain extent.        3. In the case that the periphery of the figure layer exceeds or passes over the set region without possibility of fully fixing or smoothening the periphery of the figure layer, an operator will have to partially crimp the periphery of the figure layer so as to adhere the figure layer within the set region.        4. In the case that the selected figured attachable paper or attachable fabric has a considerable thickness, in practice, when molding the plastic shell, the plastic shell is often formed with slightly recessed region for adhering the figure layer therein in flush with the surface of the helmet. Under such circumstance, it is especially required that the figure layer is adhered to the set region without exceeding or passing over the set region. This is because the periphery of the figure layer exceeds or passes over the set region, the surface of the helmet will become unsmooth to ruin the entire appearance of the helmet.        5. In the case that the adhesion operation is preformed by an unskilled operator, the periphery of the figure layer is more likely to be partially squeezed or crimped. Also, in the figure layer adhesion operation, an unskilled operator often incautiously applies successive adhesive to other regions of the plastic shell to contaminate the same.        6. A large number of workers are needed to perform the figure layer adhesion operation without possibility of mass-processing the helmets by means of machines. It is difficult to have all the workers skilled in the adhesion operation so that it is hard to control the quality of the products.
It is therefore tried by the applicant to provide a safety helmet structure and a processing method thereof to solve the above problems existing in the prior art. In the safety helmet structure of the present invention, the decorative sections or figure layers are adhered to set regions of the surface of the helmet in flush with the surface thereof. Moreover, the decorative sections or figure layers can be easily smoothly adhered to the set regions by those not very skilled in the adhesion operation. Also, the processing time is shortened and the ratio of defective products is lowered.

Safety helmet structure and processing method thereof


Embodiments of the invention relate to methods of presenting personalized search results pages to users, and to search engine systems and servers configured to implement such methods. For example, a method of presenting such a page to a user of a search engine includes steps of computing an engagement index of the user based on the distribution in time of that user's interactions with the search engine then presenting, in response to a query by the user, a personalized search results page to the user.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to personalizing the layout of advertisements that are displayed on the results pages of search engines.
2. Art Background
Balancing monetization and user experience of search result pages (SRPs) is an active area of research in commercial search engines that serve sponsored listings (text based ads and potentially graphical ads) alongside organic (also called algorithmic or native) search results. Several leading commercial search engines typically display sponsored listings on any of three physical locations on the search results page, in conjunction with the organic results. The three locations are labeled as North, East, and South which are situated at the top, right-hand side and bottom (respectively) of the search results page.
Eye-tracking studies have identified geographic regions on search results pages as focal points or "hotspots" for users. These are regions that get more than an ordinate amount of visual attention when a user is initially presented with an HTML page filled with search related content. One of the hotspots is in the top-center of the page, which is where the human eyeball tends to focus on before processing the remainder of the document. This North region is usually the location of an ad banner, and therefore it merits extra attention in terms of what content should be placed at that position.
The North region is typically a major source of revenue for a search engine, primarily due to the extra visual attention that the sponsored listings receive from users, which translates directly into additional mouse clicks on these advertisements. Most search marketing business models are based on CPC (cost-per-click), so the mouse clicks translate directly into revenue.
However, the North region can also be a major contributor to a negative user experience. The higher the number of north sponsored listings, the more negative the user experience is likely to be especially if the ads are deemed irrelevant by the user. The negative user experience can be measured by explicitly by surveying users to gauge their satisfaction or implicitly using query abandonment rates, time-to-first-click, user return rate, as well as several other proxy metrics.
Current methods for determining advertising layout, the number of listings in each viable location, use query-based features, such as the words in the query, the number of advertisers bidding on the query, the quality of matching between the query text and advertisement description, etc. While query-based approaches solve the basic problem, they do not take into account the user who has issued the query.

Personalizing sponsored search advertising layout using user behavior history


An image storage control apparatus includes an input section for inputting an image, a determining section for determining a processing mode in accordance with a type of the image input by the input section, a processing section for processing the image input by the input section in accordance with the processing mode determined by the determining section, and a storage control section for causing the same storage medium to store the image processed by the processing section and processing mode data representing the processing mode determined by the determining section.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus having a detachable storage means such as a photo-magnetic disk and designed to store an image.
2. Related Background Art
Various types of image storage apparatuses for storing an image on a storage medium such as a magnetic disk or photo-magnetic disk have been proposed. In an apparatus disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,008,760, after a specific type of halftone processing to be performed is designated with respect to a read photographic image, the image is stored on a magnetic disk. In addition, there has been proposed an apparatus capable of setting various filing modes in accordance with image storage forms.
When, however, standardized operations are to be performed by using these apparatuses, a filing mode must be set for each operation. This sometimes makes operation cumbersome.


A locknut (12) has an L-shaped slider (18) formed of a washer-like piece (19) held above a nut (13) by a contiguous spring element (20) spot-welded to the nut. The spring causes the washer to press against a bolt (33) or stud with locking torque when the locknut is secured thereon, and to rest away from the nut when not adjacent a bolt or stud. While the locknut is being tightened or loosened, a wrench (29) forces the spring against the nut so the washer surrounds a bolt or stud without contacting it. A skirt (43), of straight or downwardly-curved cantilevers (46, 46a) may be disposed on an annulus secured to a surface of the nut opposite the washer, for additional locking torque.

A common variety of locknuts are those which use a deformed (ovalized) nut which requires significant torque to thread the nut onto a bolt or stud. Deformed nuts wear the stud threads which can limit their useful life.
Another common variety of locknuts are those which use partial or full elastomer inserts which require significant torque to thread the nut onto a bolt or stud. However, use of elastomer inserts are very limited in high temperature applications and they mask faults in the bolt or stud being secured.
Some locking features are effective only as long as the stud threads are not worn. Once the stud threads are worn, the deformed locknut will lose some of its resistance torque.
Some locking features are effective only so long as the nut does not turn with respect to the bolt or stud. Once the nut turns some minimal amount, either due to temperature variations, shock or vibration, the nut will no longer be locked.
When a nut is tightened on the threads of a bolt or stud, the more torque applied, the more live load or preload that is passed through the threads of the bolt to create a tensile force in the bolt. To avoid disruption of the locking feature as a result of minimal rotation, many locknuts rely on a torque provided by a resilient preload, such as Belleville washers and the like.
During repair or overhaul procedures, the locknuts need be loosened, and thereafter reapplied to the same or similar bolts. In either case, the threads of either the locknut or the bolt may be worn as a consequence of the tensile stress applying frictional forces to the threads of the bolt and of the locknut. This wear can increase the likelihood of the locknut loosening by virtue of vibration, or in some instances, by virtue of rotary shock imparting torque to the locknut inadvertently. In some cases, nuts are secured to bolts after being fully tightened thereon by pinching, by deformation of the bolt and nut, or by damaging small areas of the interface between the bolt threads and with the nut threads, such as by denting with a punch or chisel. In the latter cases, the upper portion of the bolt receives as much wear as the nut whenever repair or other refurbishment occurs. Utilizing new locknuts does not necessarily overcome the likelihood of locknuts loosening thereafter. In cases where the bolt is in fact a stud, stud replenishment would be required in order to be fully effective.


The claimed subject matter relates to architectures for facilitating network-accessible or local backup or restore features in a manner that leverages event-oriented contextual information associated with one or more users of the data to be backed up or restored. In particular, a first restore-based architecture can interface with an associated second backup-based architecture that hosts or maintains a backup data store in order to retrieve a version of the data file that is desired by a user. Additionally, the first architecture can obtain a log of contextual event descriptions that can be aggregated by the second architecture or obtained independently from, e.g. a social networking service or a calendar application associated with the user. Thus, in addition to displaying time and date information associated with the desired version, the first architecture can provide the user with a social context of event from the social services feeds to aid the user in distinguishing between multiple versions of the data file.

Since the launch of the computer revolution decades ago, data has been steadily migrated or been duplicated to exist in electronic or digital form. Today, a very significant portion of personal or other information about many individuals, corporations, or other entities exists in this form. These individuals or entities have come to rely on the utility and convenience of computer-based data storage, since these data stores can be accessed by way of computer networks. Moreover, computer-based data storage has become a popular means for protecting data, as data can be readily duplicated and updated.
Today, numerous backup and restore systems or services exist in the marketplace aimed at both protecting a user's data from loss as well as archiving multiple versions of evolving documents, applications, or other data files. Unfortunately, previous backup services or systems archive data as well as multiple versions of that data strictly according to a time stamp. Therefore, time and date for archived data are typically the only information the user is provided by an associated restore application. Thus, in order for a user to retrieve a particular version from the archive, the user must remember the time/date when the backup occurred, which is often very difficult to do, or manually review the contents, which is inefficient and/or time-consuming.

Employing user-context in connection with backup or restore of data


An RF powered CO2 gas-discharge laser includes discharge electrodes and a lasing gas mixture between the electrode. The lasing gas mixture is ionized when the RF power is applied to the electrodes and laser action is initiated when the RF power has been applied for a duration sufficient to ignite a discharge in the lasing gas mixture. The gas mixture is pre-ionized by periodically applying the RF power to the electrodes for a predetermined period during which ignition of a discharge is not expected to occur. RF power reflected back from the electrodes is monitored. If the monitored power falls below a predetermined level indicative of the imminent onset of laser action before the predetermined duration has elapsed, application of the RF power to the electrodes is terminated to prevent the laser action from occurring.

A CO2 laser typically includes spaced apart parallel discharge-electrodes in an enclosure containing the lasing gas mixture. A laser resonator is configured with a longitudinal axis thereof extending between the electrodes. A gas discharge is struck (lit) in the lasing gas mixture by applying RF power usually in the form of RF voltage pulses to the discharge electrodes. This causes the laser resonator to deliver pulses of laser radiation corresponding in duration and frequency to the duration and frequency of the RF voltage pulse. When pulses are being delivered there is sufficient ionization remaining in the mixture following the application of one RF pulse that the next pulse essentially immediately re-lights the discharge for delivery the next pulse.
In a commercially-available pulsed CO2 lasers there is typically some means provided for maintaining some level of ionization in the lasing gas mixture when laser pulse trains are not being delivered. This is commonly referred to as pre-ionization. Pre-ionization facilitates lighting the gas discharge when it is desired to deliver laser pulses. Pre-ionization means are usually configured to minimize any delay between application of the RF pulse power to the electrodes and the delivery of laser pulses. The pre-ionization means should also be configured such that whatever minimum delay remains, that delay is predictable and repeatable.
In early low power lasers for example with less than 100 Watts (W) average power output pre-ionization has been provided by a separate pre-ionization device, not unlike a spark-plug, and operated by a power supply separate from the RF power supply for the discharge electrodes. This method was found to be inadequate for lasers with higher power output. A method referred to as a simmer discharge method has been developed for such lasers. In the simmer discharge method, pre-ionization is created by applying RF pulses, from the main RF power supply of the laser, to the discharge electrodes with a pulse-duration long enough to create free electrons and provide the required ionization, but not long enough to actually light a discharge (plasma) and cause laser action.
A challenge to the development of the simmer discharge method has been to find means of accommodating a difference in load impedance of the discharge that exists between the simmer discharge (pre-ionization) condition and the lit-discharge (lasing) condition. One such means is described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/367,174, filed Feb. 6, 2009, assigned to the assignee of the present invention, and the complete disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference. A simmer discharge method in accordance with this description functions reliably in pulsed CO2 lasers having an average output power up to 400 W.
It was found that when attempting to implement this method in pulsed CO2 lasers having an average power output up to 1000 W the pre-ionization-pulse duration that had provided reliable consistent pre-ionization in the lower power lasers sporadically caused unwanted laser action in the higher power lasers. It was also found that because of statistical variations between nominally the same 1000 W lasers, a pre-ionization pulse duration that could provide pre-ionization without unwanted laser action was difficult to predict. This necessitated a time-consuming and costly "calibration" of each laser to determine a specific optimum pre-ionization pulse duration for that laser. Attempting to use a duration short enough to avoid lasing without such calibration led to unreliable discharge ignition. It was found necessary to further develop the pre-ionization method to avoid the conflict between avoiding unwanted laser action and unreliable discharge ignition.
An exemplary description of the operation of the above-discussed prior-art simmer discharge procedure in a gas discharge laser is set forth below with reference to FIGS. 1A and 1B, which each depict voltage as a function of time, and together provide a timing diagram. FIG. 1A illustrates timing of simmer pulses, and FIG. 1B illustrates timing of laser pulses. Before turning on the laser, the simmer discharge is first turned on at a time t0.
Simmer pulse generating circuitry commands an RF Power Supply (RFPS) to emit a RF simmer-pulse train consisting of short RF pulses exemplified in FIG. 1A by pulses SP1, SP2, and SP3. The RF pulses have a width (duration) WS, and a peak voltage V. The pulses are repeated with a time interval T therebetween, i.e., at a pulse-repetition frequency (PRF') equal to 1/T. In this approach the RFPS powers the unlit discharge, i.e., the simmer function, and the lit discharge. The peak voltage V is nominally the same for the lit and unlit discharge conditions. The duration of a simmer pulse is shorter than the duration of a laser pulse and too short to actually cause a lasing discharge. By way of example a simmer pulse may have a duration of about 4 μs. The simmer pulses precondition the laser gas during a laser warm up period by generating sufficient number of free electrons within the gas between the discharge electrodes. The initial warm up period can be as long as several minutes. The free electrons insure a discharge is quickly ignited when a user command to emit a laser pulse instructs the RFPS to emit an RF pulse having a width (duration) WL long enough to excite a lasing discharge and emit a laser pulse, for example about 50 microseconds or longer. The period T is selected such there will always be sufficient free electrons during this period to facilitate ignition of a lasing discharge when required.
In FIG. 1B the user command pulse is arbitrarily selected to arrive at time t2, temporally spaced by a duration tD following the termination of simmer pulse SP3 at time t1. As time tD is less than the time T between simmer pulses, there are sufficient free electrons in the discharge to promptly ignite the discharge with little time jitter (delay). On receipt of the laser command pulse the simmer pulse command circuitry is disabled. The laser pulse (LP1) is terminated at time t3. If another user command signal is not received before another period T has elapsed following t3, the simmer pulse circuitry is re-activated to cause simmer pulses to be delivered by the RFPS. In FIG. 1B, pulse SP4, represents the first of such pulses. The simmer circuitry commands the RFPS to deliver simmer pulses with period T therebetween until another user command is received to deliver a laser pulse.
The prior-art system described above works very well, but there is always a question about how long a simmer pulse should be for any given laser arrangement. Certainly the duration must excite the gas without causing lasing. Extensive experimentation with a 400 W CO2 slab laser has indicated that a 4 μs pulse as exemplified above satisfied these criteria. However, when the same simmer-pulse width was applied in a 1000 W CO2 slab laser, laser action occurred before the end of the simmer pulse and a small amount of laser power was emitted by the laser when it had not received a signal to do so. Reducing the simmer pulse width to 3 μs is in the 1000 W slab laser appeared to work acceptably, at least in that one particular laser. A problem is that there are statistical variations between lasers in the same model family so it can not be certain that a simmer pulse duration that does not cause lasing in one unit of the family will also not cause lasing in another unit of the family.
While an appropriate simmer-pulse duration for any particular laser can be determined relatively quickly by experiment, this experimental determination adds time and cost to the laser production. Accordingly there is a need for a method and circuitry for delivering simmer pulses that automatically avoids unwanted lasing during delivery of the simmer pulses.


A data processing apparatus is provided with state retention circuits into which state values are saved from nodes within the data processing circuitry when entering a sleep mode from an active mode. Error management circuitry is coupled to the state retention circuits and detects errors in the retention of the state values. If errors are detected then an error recover response is triggered. A voltage controller coupled to the error management circuitry serves to vary a supply voltage to the state retention circuits during the sleep mode so as to maintain a finite non-zero error rate in the retention of the state values by the state retention circuits.

It is known to provide data processing systems with an active state and a sleep state. In the active state normal data processing operations are performed and normal supply voltage levels are used. When data processing operations are no longer required it is known to place the data processing apparatus into a sleep state. Within this sleep state various portions of the data processing apparatus may be powered down, or operated at different/reduced voltage levels in order to reduce the power consumption. In order to provide a rapid exit from the sleep state it is known to provide state retention circuits which store state values during the sleep mode such that the state values are locally available upon exiting the sleep mode so that processing may quickly resume within the active mode. One form of such state retention circuits are termed "balloon latches". These balloon latches may be provided with their own supply voltage and formed so as to have characteristics desirable in lowering power consumption during the sleep mode (e.g. low leakage current).
As process geometries for forming integrated circuits become increasingly small (e.g. 35 nm and below), these circuits become increasingly vulnerable to soft errors, such as are caused by ionizing radiation. In order to increase resistance to such soft errors, it is normal to provide a generous margin in the supply voltage level to state retention circuits over the minimum required in order to increase their resistance to soft errors and the like. However, these generous margins in the supply voltage levels to the state retention circuits adversely increase the power consumption during sleep mode, such as by increasing leakage current.

State retention using a variable retention voltage