The invention relates to a condensation polymer, as well as to a process for preparation said polymers, having at least one dialkylamide endgroup connected through the polymer backbone to a unit derived from an alkylamide, the connection comprising at least one ester linkage. The polymer according to the invention can be linear or branched. The condensation polymers can be very widely used in technically different fields, both in thermosetting and in thermoplastic applications. The invention also relates to a composition comprising the condensation polymer according to the invention, an active substance and a polymer, as well as to a process for incorporating an active substance in an object comprising at least of a polymer composition, by bringing the object into contact with the active substance. More in particular, the invention relates to the dying of polymer fibers.

The invention relates to a condensation polymer having at least one dialkylamide endgroup connected through the polymer backbone to a unit derived from an alkylamide, the connection comprising at least one ester linkage.
According to a preferred embodiment, the polymer according to the invention contains at least two groups according to formula (I)
in which
H, a (C1-C20) alkylgroup or a (C6-C10) arylgroup;
B=a (C6-C24) aryldiradical or a (C2-C24) alkyldiradical;
R1, R2, R3, R4, R5 and R6 may, independently of one another, be chosen from the group of H, (C6-C10) arylgroups or (C1-C8) alkylgroups;
R7 and R8 may, independently of one another, be chosen from the group of optionally heteroatom substituted (C6-C10) arylgroups or optionally heteroatom substituted (C1-C28) alkylgroups and n=1-4. Preferably, n=1.
According to a further preferred embodiment, the polymer according to the invention is a polymer according to formula (II):
in which:
H, a (C1-C20) alkylgroup or a (C6-C10) arylgroup;
B=a (C6-C24) aryldiradical or a (C2-C24) alkyldiradical;
R1, R2, R3, R4, R5 and R6 may, independently of one another, be chosen from the group of H, (C6-C10) arylgroups, (C1-C8) alkylgroups or xe2x80x94CH2xe2x80x94OX2;
R7 and R8 may, independently of one another, be chosen from the group of optionally heteroatom substituted (C6-C10) arylgroups or optionally heteroatom substituted (C1-C28) alkylgroups.
Preferably, R1 and R2 are both equal to H.
According to a further preferred embodiment, the polymer according to the invention has a number of dialkylamide endgroups xe2x89xa73 and the polymer is represented by formula (III):
in which
B=a (C6-C24) aryldiradical or a (C2-C24) alkyldiradical;
R3 and R6 are chosen from the group of H, (C6-C10) arylgroups and (C1-C8) alkylgroups;
R7 and R8 may, independently of one another, be chosen from the group of optionally heteroatom substituted (C6-C10) arylgroups or optionally heteroatom substituted (C1-C28) alkylgroups.
In all above embodiments, preferably, R3 and R6 are (C1-C4) alkyl groups, more preferably a methyl- or ethylgroup. In all above embodiments, preferably, R7 and R8 are optionally hetero-atom substituted (C1-C20) alkyl groups, more preferably, R7 and R8 are hetero-atom substituted C2-, C3- or C6-alkylgroups. R7 and R8 may be substituted with a group selected from the group of alcohol, ether, ester, cyanide, carbonate, urethane, urea, amide, imide, amine, imine, imidazole, oxime, sulfide, thiol, thiourea, sulfon, sulfoxide, sulfate, fosfate, fosfine, fosfinoxide, silane, silicone, silicate, fluoro, chloro, bromo or iodo groups. Suitable choices for R7 and R8 are di(m)ethylaminoethyl, di(m)ethylaminopropyl, di(m)ethylaminohexyl, tri(m)ethylsilylpropyl, tri(m)ethoxysilylpropyl, perfluoro-octyl, perfluoro-octyl-(m)ethyl, (m)ethoxy-ethyl, (m)ethoxy-2-propyl, maleimido-propyl, maleimidohexyl, octenylsuccinimido-hexyl, hexahydrophthalimidohexyl, 2-(benz)imidazole-ethyl, difenylfosfino-ethyl, furfuryl, cyanoethyl, or cyanopropyl groups. R7 and R8 can also be part of the same optionally substituted cyclic group, such as a morfoline, thiomorfoline, piperidine, pyrrolidine, oxazolidine, thiazolidine or piperazine group.
In all formulas in this application in which R-groups are present, the R groups may together or with neighbouring carbon atoms form part of a cycloalkyl group.
Depending on the starting monomers chosen, B, R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, R7 and R8 in the molecule or mixture of molecules can be selected to be the same or different.
B is optionally substituted, preferably with a (C1-C26) alkyl group. Preferably, the alkylgroup is chosen from the group of methyl, octenyl, nonenyl, decenyl, undecenyl or dodecenyl. Suitable choices for B are (alkyl-)1,2-ethylene, where the alkyl is defined as above, (methyl-)1,2-ethylidene, 1,3-propylene, (methyl-)1,2-cyclohexyl, (methyl-)1,2-phenylene, 1,3-phenylene, 1,4-phenylene, 2,3-norbornyl, 2,3-norbornen-5-yl or (methyl-)1,2 cyclohex-4-enyl radical.
Preferably, the weight average molecular mass of the polymer according to the invention is between 600 g/mol and 50,000 g/mol, more preferably between 800 g/mol and 25,000 g/mol.
Preferably, the number average molecular mass is between 500 g/mol and 15,000 g/mol, more preferably between 700 g/mol and 4,000 g/mol.
Preferably, the average number of dialkylamide endgroups per molecule is between 2 and 250, more preferably between 3 and 50.
The polymer according to the invention can be linear or branched. The linear polymer according to the invention generally comprises amide and ester units alternating along a chain as follows:
xe2x80x94Axe2x80x94Exe2x80x94Axe2x80x94Exe2x80x94Axe2x80x94Axe2x80x94Exe2x80x94Axe2x80x94Exe2x80x94Axe2x80x94Exe2x80x94Axe2x80x94
wherein a diamide (Axe2x80x94A) unit is coupled with alternating ester (E) and amide (A) units.
A branched polymer according to the invention generally comprises amide and the ester units alternating along the main and side chains as follows:
wherein a diamide (Axe2x80x94A) is coupled with alternating ester (E) and amide (A) units.
Preferably, in the branched polymer according to the invention a (xcex2)-hydroxyalkylamide group is present, which can be both present as a bis-(xcex2)-hydroxyalkylamide endgroup, such as
or as a pendant side chain group, such as
Preferably, the molar amount of amide units in the chain is higher than the molar amount of ester units.

Condensation polymer containing dialkylamide endgroups, process for producing said condensation polymers and applications thereof


A cardlock clamp is described that is used to secure an electronics module in a channel of a card cage. The cardlock clamp is configured to convert an input compression force into clamping forces in at least two radial directions perpendicular to the input compression force. The described cardlock clamp also provides self-alignment and self-center functions for the electronics module inserted into the channel. Further, variations of the cardlock clamp are described that provide more effective heat transfer from the electronics module to the card cage.

In certain applications, a circuit card is secured in a channel in a chassis of a card cage by a clamping device in the form of a wedgelock device. In addition to securing the circuit card, the clamping device is often configured to provide some thermal interface between the circuit card and the card cage to remove heat from the circuit card to the card cage.


A heat management system for air-cooled engines suitable to power yard care equipment or vehicles. The system may generally comprise an engine, a blower configured to blow ambient cooling air across the engine, and an exhaust system comprising an exhaust header and a muffler. The exhaust header has an inlet end which receives heated exhaust gas from the engine and an outlet end fluidly coupled to the muffler. An air control baffle is configured to redirect a portion of the cooling air from the blower towards the exhaust header and the muffler to enhance cooling the exhaust system. The system may further include an outermost protective shield exposed to equipment operators and an inner heat barrier or shield located between the muffler and protective shield. The system is designed to ameliorate both radiative and convective sources of heat transfer to maintain the protective shield at temperatures below established industry standards.

The present invention generally relates to internal combustion engines, and more particularly to systems and related devices for managing heat associated with the exhaust components of air-cooled engines suitable for use with yard care equipment or vehicles.
The high temperature exhaust of combustion gas from an internal combustion engine generates a considerable amount of heat. This poses a potential burn danger to operators of engine-powered yard care equipment or vehicles such as riding mowers or tractors if the exhaust components are touched when hot. Certain industry safety standards such as ANSI/OPEI B71.1-2017 Consumer Turf Care Equipment—Pedestrian-Controlled Mowers And Ride-On Mowers define hot surface tests to measure temperatures typically recorded at exposed parts of the engine assembly and vehicle frame such as an outermost thermal barrier or shield (e.g. Browning Shield), which at least partially covers and restricts direct access to the hot exhaust components of the engine. The standard specifies a maximum surface temperature of 176 degrees F. which cannot be exceeded for the Browning Shield or adjoining portions of the vehicle frame exposed to equipment operators to prevent a potential burn hazard.
Improvements are desired to better distribute and control the heat emitted by exhaust system components of air-cooled engines to meet applicable industry safety standards.


A training apparatus for use on a training surface is disclosed. The training apparatus includes a sport-projectile stopping member and an elongated body substantially transverse to the sport-projectile stopping member. The elongated body has a first section, a second section, and a transition section between the first and second sections. A portion of the first section is positioned on the sport-projectile stopping member, and the first section is sized such that the sport-projection stopping member, the first section, the training surface and the transition section define an orifice through which a sport-projectile can pass through.

Sports players require a range of skills that must be continually refined to become great players. Most, if not all, sports use a form of projectile such as a ball, puck or ring. Some sports restrict the handling of such projectile to hand (e.g. handball) or feet (e.g. soccer), while in other sports, the player must use a stick to manipulate the projectile (e.g. hockey, lacrosse or ringette). Moreover, in some sports, the game is played on an unfamiliar surface, which requires the player to learn an additional skill that is fundamental to the sport.
In sports where a stick is used to manipulate the projectile, in addition to the level of fitness and strength required by all athletes, the player must have good stick control. Most conventional training devices concentrate on these skills. For example, the training device in Murphy (U.S. Pat. No. 5,226,821) concentrates primarily on puck control for hockey players. Similarly, Maki (Canadian Patent No. 1,305,731) is for improving puck handling skills. Other conventional training devices concentrate on developing related skills such as shooting and/or passing (Witzke, U.S. Pat. No. 6,926,624; Hammett, U.S. Pat. No. 5,362,045; and, Cranston, U.S. Pat. No. 6,165,084).
While good stick control, shooting and passing skills are the basis for a good player, a great player possesses many more skills that must be developed and continually refined. Where the sport is played on an unfamiliar surface such as ice, there are many more variables in the equation to becoming a great player. For example, in the sport of hockey and ringette played on ice (both sports may be played on other surfaces), the player requires great skating skills, balance, agility and weight distribution in addition to all the other fundamental skills. Conventional training devices lack such training and thus, there is a need for a training device that develops a broader range of skills and physicality required by such players.


Methods, systems, and computer program products are provided that enable web applications to be identified, and that enable the identified web applications to be published to remote servers. Objects are accessed in storage for a developed web application. A feed is received that includes a plurality of signatures that correspond to a plurality of webapp development applications. A webapp development application used to develop the web application is identified by comparing the signatures to the objects. A web deployment package is downloaded for the identified webapp development application. The downloaded web deployment package is applied to enable the web application to be published to a server, such as by modifying settings and/or applying transformations to the objects that defined by the downloaded web deployment package.

A web application (also known as a "web app" or "webapp") is an application that is accessible over a network such as the Internet or an intranet. A web application may be hosted in a browser-controlled environment or coded in a browser-supported language and reliant on a common web browser to render the application executable. Web applications are becoming popular due to the prevalence of web browsers, and the convenience of using a web browser as a client. The ability to update and maintain web applications without distributing and installing software on potentially thousands of client computers is one reason for their popularity, as is the inherent support for cross-platform compatibility. Examples of web applications include some blogs, webmail, online retail sales, online auctions, wikis and many other functions.
Webapp development software currently exists that may be used to develop a web application, such as Joomla!® developed by the Joomla Project Team (used to develop websites), and WordPress® (used to develop web blogs). Furthermore, publication tools exist that support the publishing of web applications developed by such webapp development software. However, current publication tools are not capable of automatically determining the underlying webapp development application used to develop the web application, and as such, is unaware of application-specific settings that have to be applied to the web application to enable publication. As a result, the publication tool cannot publish the web application to a remote server. Typically, a user of the publication tool has to manually edit files of the web application to place it in condition to be published by the publication tool.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Automatic recognition of web application


A semiconductor chip having an adhesive layer previously formed on an element forming surface thereof and having a bump exposed from the surface of the adhesive layer is wire-bonded to a printed circuit board. Another semiconductor chip is stacked on the above semiconductor chip with the adhesive layer disposed therebetween and is wire-bonded to the printed circuit board by wire bonding. Likewise, at least one semiconductor chip is sequentially stacked on the thus attained semiconductor structure to form a stack MCP.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a semiconductor device and a manufacturing method thereof and more particularly to a stack multi-chip package (MCP) having a plurality of semiconductor chips stacked and packaged.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, a stack MCP is formed by performing the process for forming elements on a semiconductor wafer, grinding the backside of the wafer, attaching film-like adhesive to the backside, dicing the wafer to form semiconductor chips, stacking and mounting the chips in a plural-stage form by repeatedly performing the process for mounting the thus formed chips and the wire bonding process, and then resin-molding the thus stacked chips.
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an enlarged portion of a conventional stack MCP. In this case, an example wherein four semiconductor chips are stacked and mounted is shown. A semiconductor chip 13-1 is mounted on a chip mounting portion of a printed circuit board 11 with an adhesive layer 12-1 disposed therebetween. A pad 14-1 of the chip 13-1 and a wiring layer 15-1 on the printed circuit board 11 are electrically connected to each other via a bonding wire 16-1.
A second semiconductor chip 13-2 smaller than the chip 13-1 is mounted on the first semiconductor chip 13-1 with an adhesive layer 12-2 disposed therebetween. A pad 14-2 of the chip 13-2 and a wiring layer 15-2 on the printed circuit board 11 are electrically connected to each other via a bonding wire 16-2.
A spacer 17 smaller than the chip 13-2 is formed on the second semiconductor chip 13-2 with an adhesive layer 12-3 disposed therebetween. As the spacer 17, for example, a chip (which is called a spacer chip) on which no element is formed can be used.
A semiconductor chip 13-3 having substantially the same size as the chip 13-1 is mounted on the spacer 17 with an adhesive layer 12-4 disposed therebetween. A pad 14-3 of the chip 13-3 and a wiring layer 15-3 on the printed circuit board 11 are electrically connected to each other via a bonding wire 16-3.
A semiconductor chip 13-4 having substantially the same size as the chip 13-2 is mounted on the semiconductor chip 13-3 with an adhesive layer 12-5 disposed therebetween. A pad 14-4 of the chip 13-4 and a wiring layer 15-4 on the printed circuit board 11 are electrically connected to each other via a bonding wire 16-4.
The chips 13-1 to 13-4 and spacer 17 mounted in a stack form and the bonding wires 16-1 to 16-4 are sealed into a resin package 18.
Multi-layered wiring (not shown) is formed in the printed circuit board (multi-layer printed circuit board) 11, and the wiring layers 15-1 to 15-4 formed on the chip mounting surface of the printed circuit board 11 are electrically connected to respective wiring layers 19-1 to 19-4 formed on the backside thereof. Solder balls 20-1 to 20-4 for external connection are formed in an array form on the wiring layers 19-1 to 19-4 (BGA).
However, the above stack MCP and the manufacturing method thereof have the following problems (a) to (f).
(a) Semiconductor chips are formed by attaching film-like adhesive onto the wafer backside after the backside of the semiconductor wafer is ground and dividing the wafer by dicing. Therefore, backside chipping occurs in the dicing process in many cases and only chips which are low in bending strength can be formed. Thus, it is only possible to form chips with a thickness of 100 to 150 μm or more (for example, refer to Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 11-204720).
(b) As described in (a), since chipping often occurs on the backside of the thus formed semiconductor chip, there occurs a possibility that cracks will occur in the chip at the time of wire bonding onto the element forming surface.
(c) As a method for solving the problems of (a) and (b), it is considered that a dicing before grinding (DBG) method (for example, refer to Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2003-17513) is used. However, if film-like adhesive is attached to the backsides of chips in order to mount the chips in a stack form after the wafer is divided by the dicing before grinding method, the divided chips will stick together and it becomes necessary to cut the film-like adhesive on the backside. The cutting process can be made unnecessary if film-like adhesive is attached to the individual chips. However, if film-like adhesive is individually attached to a large number of chips, the manufacturing process becomes complicated.
(d) Further, as another method for solving the problems of (a) and (b), a method for enhancing the bending strength of the chip by etching the ground surface to eliminate chipping after the backside of the semiconductor wafer is ground is considered. However, with this method, if the chip thickness is reduced to 100 μm or less, cracks or breakage larger than those occurring in a case where no etching process is performed may occur. As a result, there occurs a possibility that the number of faulty chips is increased.
(e) When the sizes of chips to be stacked are substantially the same, wire bonding is performed for the upper-side chip in a suspended state and the possibility that poor connection occurs becomes strong if the rigidity of a thin chip is low. For example, in FIG. 1, the wire bonding portion of the chip 13-3 has an overhung of ΔL from the end portion of the spacer 17 and the end portion of the chip 13-3 is ball-bonded in a suspended state (in a non-fixed state). At this time, the bonding position may be deviated due to warping of the chip 13-3 or cracks will occur due to pressure at the bonding time. Further, if cracks do not occur, there occurs a possibility that the chip 13-3 will be bent and brought into contact with the lower-side bonding wire 16-2, thereby causing poor connection.
(f) In order to alleviate problem (e), a method for eliminating chipping and warping by etching the ground surface after the backside of the semiconductor wafer is ground is considered. However, even if the problem of cracking and warping can be solved by the above method, a problem of poor connection caused by bending of the chip 13-3 by pressure at the ball bonding time cannot be solved.


A system for generating parametric stereo data from phase modulated stereo data is provided. A phase difference system receives left channel data and right channel data and determines a phase difference between the left channel data and the right channel data. A phase difference weighting system receives the phase difference data and generates weighting data to adjust left channel amplitude data and right channel amplitude data based on the phase difference data. A magnitude modification system adjusts the left channel amplitude data and the right channel amplitude data using the weighting data to eliminate phase data in the left channel data and the right channel data.

Multi-channel audio coding techniques that eliminate phase data from audio signals that include phase and magnitude data are known in the art. These techniques include parametric stereo, which uses differences in magnitude between a left channel signal and a right channel signal to be used to simulate stereophonic sound that would normally include phase information. While such parametric stereo does not allow the listener to experience the stereophonic sound with the full depth of field that would be experienced if phase data was also included in the signal, it does provide some depth of field that improves the sound quality over simple monaural sound (such as where the amplitude of each channel is identical).
One problem with converting from multi-channel audio data that includes magnitude and phase data to multi-channel audio data that includes only magnitude data is proper handling of the phase data. If the phase data is simply deleted, then audio artifacts will be generated that cause the resulting magnitude-only data to be unpleasant to the listener. Some systems, such as Advanced Audio Coding (AAC) system, utilize side band information that is used by the receiver to compensate for the elimination of phase data, but such systems require a user to have a special receiver that can process the side band data, and also are subject to problems that can arise when a noise signal is introduced in the side band data, which can create unpleasant audio artifacts. In addition, attempting to transmit side band data for high frequency phase variations can create audio artifacts when low bit rate transmission processes are used.

Parametric stereo conversion system and method


The disclosure discloses a method and a system for establishing a media channel based on relay. The method comprises: during a session negotiation process between a first User Equipment (UE) and a second UE, a media relay control server allocating a first service identifier and a second service identifier, transmitting the first service identifier to the first UE, transmitting the second service identifier to the second UE, and transmitting the first service identifier and the second service identifier to a media relay device; the media relay device receiving the service identifiers reported by the first UE and the second UE; the media relay device verifying, according to the first service identifier and the second identifier transmitted by the media relay control server, the service identifiers reported by the first UE and the second UE, and establishing a media channel between the first UE and the second UE if the verification is passed. Through this disclosure, the security of connections between network nodes is improved.

Peer-to-Peer (P2P) technology, also called P2P Internet technology, equally connects nodes of a network to each other, and each host node functions as both to client and server. At present, in the P2P technology, symmetrical Network Address Translation (NAT) traversal is mainly realized by relay. By deploying a relay server on the Internet, a public network address-port (IP-Port) pair of a session is acquired before this session is actually initialized and the public network IP-Port pair is taken as the address information of a user of the session.
FIG. 1 shows a schematic structure diagram of a network for solving symmetrical NAT traversal according to related art. The User Equipment (UE) 101 is a terminal device used by a user; the NAT 102 is located between the UE and the Internet and responsible for shielding the access to this UE; the media relay control server 103 is responsible for allocating the media relay device 104 for a user session and controlling the media relay device 104 to reserve resource for the user session; the media relay device 104 is responsible for forwarding communication data for two parties of the communication. Generally, the media relay control server 103 and the media relay device 104 are located in a public Internet.
If a UE A and a UE B are to perform media communication therebetween, they need to perform session negotiation first, then establish a P2P connection between the UE A and the UE B and notify each other of their public IP-Port pairs. FIG. 2 shows a flowchart of a process of solving NAT traversal based on a relay technology and establishing a P2P connection between user nodes, wherein the process mainly comprises the following steps.
Step 201: before a session is initialized, both UE A and UE B need to register in a media relay control server. When establishing the session, the UE A transmits a session request to the media relay control server, wherein the request carries a first destination address-port pair A1 of the UE A for receiving response information from the UE B.
Step 202: the relay control server requests a media relay device to reserve media resource for this session. The media resource allocated by the media relay device includes a first public IP-Port pair used for receiving a media data packet transmitted from the UE A and a second public IP-Port pair used for receiving a media data packet transmitted from the UE B, and then a binding relationship of data forwarding between the first public IP-Port pair and the second public IP-Port pair is established.
Step 203: the media relay device returns the reserved media resource information to the media relay control server; meanwhile, the media relay device begins monitoring data on the reserved resource, that is, on the first public IP-Port pair and the second public IP-Port pair.
Step 204: the media relay control server replaces the first destination IP-Port pair A1 in the session request message with the first public IP-Port pair.
Step 205: the media relay control server forwards the replaced session request message to the UE B.
Step 206: the UE B receives the session request, extracts the first public IP-Port pair from the session request message as the communication address information of the UE A, and returns an acknowledgement response message to the media relay control server; wherein the response message includes a second destination IP-Port pair B1 of the UE B for receiving response information from the UE A.
Step 207: the media relay control server replaces the second destination IP-Port pair B1 in the acknowledgement response message with the second public IP-Port pair.
Step 208: the UE A receives a session acknowledgment response message, extracts the second public IP-Port pair from the acknowledgment response message as the communication address information of the UE B.
Step 209 to Step 210: the UE A and the UE B establish a media channel therebetween through the media relay device to perform media communication.
FIG. 3 shows a flowchart of establishing a media channel between a UE A, a UE B and a media relay device according to a related art, wherein the process mainly comprises the following steps.
Step 301: after receiving a session acknowledgement response message from the UE B, the UE A transmits a first media data packet to the UE B; since the UE A extracts the second public IP-Port pair from the acknowledgment response message as the communication address of the UE B, the media data packet of the UE A is transmitted to the second public IP-Port pair of the media relay device.
Step 302: the media relay device receives the first media data packet from the UE A, establishes a binding relationship between a first destination IP-Port pair A2 (that is, a media plane address-port pair of the UE A) and the second public IP-Port pair, and caches the media data packet transmitted from the UE A until a media data packet from the UE B is received.
Step 303: the UE B transmits a first media data packet to the UE A, wherein the media data packet is transmitted to the first public IP-Port pair of the media relay device.
Step 304: the media relay device receives the first media data packet from the UE B, establishes a binding relationship between a second destination IP-Port pair B2 (that is, a media plane address-port pair of the UE B) and the first public IP-Port pair, and caches the media data packet transmitted from the UE B until a media data packet from the UE A is received.
Step 305 to Step 306: after receiving the first media data packet from the UE A and the UE B respectively, the media relay device establishes an association relationship among the first destination IP-Port pair A2, the second public IP-Port pair, the first public IP-Port pair and the second destination IP-Port pair B2, forwards the data received by the second public IP-Port pair to the UE B through the first public IP-Port pair and forwards the data received by the first public IP-Port pair to the UE A through the second public IP-Port pair based on the association relationship.
Step 307 to Step 308: subsequent media data packets between the UE A and the UE B are forwarded through the media relay device based on the association relationship.
Step 301 to Step 302 and Step 303 to Step 304 can be executed simultaneously; however, Step 305 and the following steps only can be executed after Step 301 to Step 304 is executed.
From the processes shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, it can be seen that, in the related art, after pre-allocating two public IP-Port pairs, the media relay device begins monitoring the two ports; when a first media data packet is received on a public IP-Port pair, the media relay device binds the source IP-Port of the media data packet with this public IP-Port and forwards the media data packet to the final destination IP-Port through the other public IP-Port pair. Therefore, when the first media data packet received by the media relay device on a public IP-Port pair is malicious, the establishment of the media channel would fail.

Method and system for establishing media channel based on relay


A security lock, locking system, kit, and personal apparel, such as garments, purses, and luggage that include the security lock. The security lock is a typical combination lock, which includes a body and a locking member in communication with a lock mechanism disposed within the body and a user interface disposed upon or within the body. A battery powered light is disposed proximate to the user interface such that the light illuminates the symbols on the movable members when power is supplied thereto. The system includes a security lock, with or without a light, and an adjustable cable. The kit and apparel include the system and a pouch.

The opportunistic theft of personal belongings is, unfortunately, a frequent occurrence in public places and is a risk that everyone faces when they are out in public. Because of the risk of their belongings being stolen, most people are hesitant to leave belongings, such as coats, briefcases, luggage, or the like, unattended in public places. Accordingly, people are forced to carry their belongings with them at all times, even when the belongings are unlikely to be needed and could otherwise be left.
The inventor of the present invention has encountered this problem in a number of situations. For example, during the snowy winter months when a coat is required outdoors, the inventor found there was nowhere to leave her heavy coat while strolling through the mall. Therefore, her choices were to carry the heavy garment, place it somewhere and risk having it stolen, or to leave it in the car and walk through the bitter cold to the mall. A similar situation occurred when traveling. While waiting for a flight, the inventor needed to use the restroom. However, rather than leave her carry-on bag, coat and purse in the waiting area, she was forced to bring all of her belongings with her.
In response to these situations, the inventor purchased a cable style bicycle lock to secure her garment to one of the mall's benches during her next trip. Unfortunately this solution was not ideal, as the heavy cable was too bulky and heavy to continually carry in the pocket of the garment or even in a purse or bag. Further, the cable was too tightly wound and would not release its "curl" enough to slip easily through the garment's sleeve. As this was the case, it was readily apparent that the bicycle lock would not be adapted for use in securing a carry-on bag or purse in addition to a garment. Based upon these drawbacks, the inventor determined that a standard bicycle style lock was not suitable for either situation.
The inventor then searched for other commercially available products that that might be easily carried and stored and would deter opportunistic theft of garments and personal belongings, but found that none were available. A search of patents describing products that might solve these problems was also undertaken, and resulted in the identification of two patents that had some relevance to the problem at hand.
One such product is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,986,457, which discloses a closed loop cable system that is fed through the arms of a coat and is permanently attached thereto. This is described as a single-use system for use in clothing stores, in which the cable cut off by a store clerk when the coat is purchased. Accordingly, it is not adapted for reuse by consumers. Further, the system is only meant to serve as an identifier that the coat was not worn into the store by a customer and, hence is not adapted to attach to a fixed object. Finally, this device has a fixed length and is not adjustable by the user.
Another garment locking system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,550,293, which discloses a system that utilizes a wire disposed upon a locking spring loaded spool, which allows the wire to be extended and retracted in order to vary its length. This system is an improvement over the product described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,986,457, insofar as it is reusable, has an adjustable length and is adapted to attach to a fixed object. However, this system does not have any means for securing the cable to the lock such that only the owner may remove it. Accordingly, it is primarily adapted for use in preventing garments from being stolen while the owner is nearby and could periodically check on the garment, and may not be relied upon to prevent theft of such a garment when left completely unattended.
As commercially available products were not available and products described in issued patents did not solve the problem, the inventor decided to develop her own system. Her first prototype was simply a thin wire cable of sufficient length to extend through the arms of the garment, with loops at each end through which a small keyed padlock could be secured. This prototype worked reasonably well, as the cable was light enough to be easily transported and was flexible enough to pass through the arms of the garment. However, the inventor found that this was not ideal. First, the cable became unlooped when stored in her pocket or purse, making it difficult to access other objects carried therein. Second, the cable needed to be of sufficient length to pass through the garment and other belongings and be secured to a stationary object. Thus, the cable was made longer than would normallybe necessary, resulting in the excess cable causing a tripping hazard. Third, the use of a keyed type padlock required the use of separate keys, which must be carried and identified before the lock could be opened.
Based upon the drawbacks identified in the initial prototype, the inventor endeavored to modify the design to include a carrying pouch, to allow the length of the cable to be adjusted, and to utilize a combination type lock that didn't require the use of a separate key. This resulted in a prototype that forms one embodiment of the present invention. This prototype overcame the drawbacks inherent in the first prototype and solved the problems that lead to its development. However, the inventor noted that it was difficult to read the numbers on the combination lock in dimly lit places.
In response to the difficulty in reading the numbers, the inventor searched for a commercially available combination lock that included an integral light. However, she once again found that such a product was not available. Accordingly, she developed a combination lock for use with her system that integrating a light into the design. This improvement proved to be an important one and forms the basis for the preferred embodiment of the present invention.


Composite cordierite honeycomb structures especially suitable for diesel exhaust filtration applications comprise a non-oxide polycrystalline phase constituting 10-70% by weight, with the remainder of the ceramic material constituting a cordierite phase, the non-oxide polycrystalline phase being selected from the group consisting of carbides, nitrides, and borides. Preferably the non-oxide phase is either polycrystalline silicon carbide or polycrystalline silicon nitride and has a particle aspect ratio of less than 3. Inventive ceramic bodies are porous with an open porosity of at least 30%, preferably between 40% and 60%, and a median pore size of at least 5 micrometers, more preferably greater than 8 micrometers and less than 12 micrometers.

The present invention relates to multicellular honeycomb structures useful in applications of diesel engine exhaust filtration, and more particularly to porous ceramic filters of improved thermal conductivity and thermal shock resistance under conditions encountered in diesel exhaust systems.
Filters of diesel exhaust streams require a combination of high thermal shock resistance, excellent chemical and mechanical durability in harsh environments, and good filtration efficiency.
Cordierite monolith filters have been in use for heavy duty engine applications for nearly two decades. Benefits of these filters include minimal material and manufacturing costs. Recently, there has been an increase in demand of filters for passenger diesel cars due to tightening environmental pollution regulations. However, it appears that in passenger cars, especially under conditions of xe2x80x9cuncontrolledxe2x80x9d regeneration (i.e., where the onset of combustion coincides with, or is immediately followed by high oxygen content and low exhaust gas flow rates resulting in high temperature spikes) existing cordierite filters have shown tendency for failure. During an uncontrolled regeneration, the combustion of the soot (a reaction which is already highly exothermic) may produce temperature in the cordierite filter body of up to 1300xc2x0 C.-1500xc2x0 C. or even higher.
Even if the temperatures are not sufficient to damage the filter, they may be high enough to cause partial sintering to the surface of the filter walls of xe2x80x9cashxe2x80x9d particles, which consist of oxides such as those of calcium, zinc, magnesium, phosphorus, and sulfur, that are carried by the exhaust gas from burning of the engine lubricating oil, and oxides of metals such as iron and cerium that may be present as additives to the diesel fuel to aid in combustion of the soot. Additionally, oxide particles of iron, copper, and zinc may be present from wear of the engine components. These particles are not combustible and, therefore, are not removed during regeneration. Such sintered ash deposits may be difficult or impossible to remove from the filter during periodic maintenance, resulting in (i) a decrease in pore size and porosity and an increase in back pressure and loss in soot loading capacity, and (ii) formation of eutectics from reaction with the filter material which lowers the melting point of the underlying ceramic material.
As an alternative to cordierite monolith filters, silicon carbide (SiC) filters have emerged as the preferred choice. Benefits of these filters reside in SiC""s stable composition, high mechanical strength and high thermal conductivity. However, SiC also has high thermal expansion and poor thermal shock resistance which may result in cracking of the filter during regeneration cycles. Consequently, current SiC diesel particulate filters have to be designed in segmental configuration to minimize cracking during use, which translates into higher costs of manufacturing and production.
In view of the foregoing drawbacks in the prior art, an object of the present invention is to obviate the above-mentioned problems in diesel exhaust filters by providing a composite cordierite body of improved thermal and mechanical properties under conditions encountered in diesel exhaust systems. Cordierite ceramics provided in accordance with the invention may be made by conventional extrusion or other forming processes, so that ceramic products in any of the configurations presently utilized, but exhibiting improved thermal properties, may be provided.
Ceramic bodies provided in accordance with the invention comprise a non-oxide polycrystalline phase selected from the group consisting of carbides, nitrides and borides constituting 10-70% by weight of the body, and the remainder an oxide phase, preferably cordierite (magnesium aluminum silicate). Preferably, the non-oxide polycrystalline phase constitutes 10-50% by weight of the body, and more preferably 10-30% by weight of the body, is selected from the group consisting of polycrystalline silicon carbide and polycrystalline silicon nitride and has a particle aspect ratio of less than 3. In addition to cordierite, other suitable oxide phases include alkali aluminum silicates, such as lithium aluminum silicate and potassium aluminum silicate, alkaline earth aluminum silicates, such as calcium aluminum silicate and barium aluminum silicate.
Inventive structures are porous with an open porosity of at least 30%, preferably between 40% and 60%, and a mean a median pore size of at least 5 micrometers, preferably between 6 and 30 micrometers, and more preferably between 8 and 12 micrometers.
The inventive structures further exhibit a mean coefficient of thermal expansion from 22-1000xc2x0 C. of about 20-45xc3x9710xe2x88x927/xc2x0 C., and a four-point modulus of rupture as measured on a cellular bar of at least about 300 pounds per square inch (psi), preferably at least about 700 psi, and more preferably at least about 1000 psi.
The manufacture of a composite cordierite ceramic body in accordance with the invention comprises first providing a ceramic batch compounded from source materials for the cordierite phase and the non-oxide phase. For the cordierite phase suitable sources include reuse cordierite powder and conventional raw material comprising source material for MgO, Al2O3, and SiO2. For the non-oxide phase suitable sources include powdered silicon carbide and powdered silicon nitride. The batch is compounded in proportions which will yield, after firing, a mixed cordierite-non-oxide composition.
The compounded batch is next shaped into a green body, preferably a multicellular honeycomb structure, by a suitable ceramic forming process, preferably extrusion. In a preferred embodiment, the batch is blended with a suitable vehicle to form a plasticized mixture, and this mixture is formed into a green body by extrusion and optionally drying.
The resulting green body is next fired in air to temperatures of 1000xc2x0 C.-1500xc2x0 C., preferably between about 1200xc2x0 C.-1400xc2x0 C., with a soak time in that temperature range of a duration sufficient to form a sintered body, the soak time being preferably about 1 to 10 hours, more preferably 2 to 6 hours.
Composite cordierite bodies provided in accordance with the present invention are especially suited in applications of filtering diesel exhaust.


An apparatus is adapted for attaching to an article, wherein the apparatus comprises a housing (500) having a molded locking feature (510) substantially adjacent to a guide (550). A clip is mounted on the main housing (500), wherein the clip (508) further comprises a pin (506) having first and second ends, and a holder (860) adapted for mounting on the housing (500) via the guide (550), and having first and second shoulders (542, 540), each shoulder having a boss for receiving the pin therethrough. A member (508) has a third shoulder (532) having a boss for receiving the pin therethrough and has a fourth shoulder (530) having a sealed boss for receiving the pin thereat. The third shoulder (532) is substantially aligned and adjacent to the first shoulder (542) and the fourth shoulder (530) is substantially aligned and adjacent to the second shoulder (540) such that the first end of the pin is inserted through the boss of the first, second, and third shoulders and partially into the sealed boss of the fourth shoulder thus holding the member (508) and the holder (860) together. The clip attaches to the housing (500) at the guide (550) such that the second end of the pin pushes against an inside surface of the molded locking feature (510) wherein the pin is held in position between an inside surface of the sealed boss and the inside surface of the molded locking feature (550).

Selective call receivers (also known as pagers) have been available for several years and the technology used therein is well known. In its basic form, a selective call receiver is a miniature radio receiver that can be carried on a user's person for receiving radio transmitted messages. Each selective call receiver has a unique address, and when that unique address is received, the selective call receiver alerts the user of a following received message. Selective call receivers, then, allow the user carrying the selective call receiver to receive a page providing that user with a message or notice while the user is away from an office or phone. The page may be a simple beep for alerting the user to call a predetermined telephone number for a message. Alternatively, the page may be more complex, for example, a telephone number or an alphanumeric message displayed on the selective call receiver's message display, or stock quotes or news information received from a news and information service for down-loading into a personal computer from the selective call receiver, etc. Selective call receivers also typically include a variety of accessories. For example, an acknowledge circuit might be included on the selective call receiver for sending a signal back to a transmitter to verify that a page has been received. Additionally, selective call receivers may use a speaker, a flashing LED (light emitting diode), and/or a tactile alert such as a vibrator to alert the user of a received page. Additional features can include backlit displays, improved antennas, low battery alert, etc.
Competition in the selective call receiver market demands that additional features be provided, and further that the selective call receivers maintain small form factors. Selective call receivers, for example, are now offered in small form factors that can unobtrusively be carried on a belt, on a wrist as a wristwatch pager, or in a pocket in a thin form factor roughly the size of a credit card (credit card or thin form factor).
Consumer demands for less expensive, smaller selective call receivers have been met, in part, by offering some functions for selective call receivers as accessories and not as a standard part of a purchased selective call receiver. To further reduce costs, designers continually look to methods of reducing costs of features presently available. For example, two common methods of carrying selective call receivers upon a user's person include clipping the selective call receiver to a belt, or connecting the selective call receiver to a lanyard accessory. A simple pin used to hold a clip to the housing can cost ten cents or more. If the cost of such a pin could be reduced to a penny or less while simultaneously offering a lanyard accessory option, then a selective call receiver could be made less expensively. A savings of even a few cents per selective call receiver is substantial considering that millions of selective call receivers are sold each year.
Thus, what is needed is a selective call receiver having a new pin for holding a belt clip to a housing, which pin is substantially reduced in cost while offering an additional feature.

Molded-in locking pin for belt clip and lanyard


Methods, devices, systems and computer program products are provided to facilitate cryptographically secure retrieval of secret information that is embedded in a device. The embedded secret information can include a random number that is not custom-designed for any specific requestor of the secret information. Upon receiving a request for the embedded secret information, an encrypted secret is provided to the requestor that enables the recovery of the embedded secret information by only the requestor. Moreover, a need for maintenance of a database of the embedded secret information and the associated requestors is eliminated.

This patent document relates to security of information and security of a device, including techniques for exchanging secret information between different entities and generating secure device secret key.
Secure exchange and delivery of information among various devices are important in various applications involving securing information and certain devices. To this end, various security protocols and algorithms are available to enable secure exchange of information including voice, images, videos and other types of data amongst various entities. Data security protocols often rely on cryptographic techniques, such as encryption, digital signatures and hash functions, to allow authentication and exchange of information at the desired levels of security. These techniques often rely on a secret value (e.g., a secret key, a random value, etc.) that is used by one or more of the involved parties to establish a secure communication channel, to effectuate authentication protocols and the like.


Disclosed herein are compositions and methods for treatment of muscle dysfunction, including diabetes. In addition, the invention relates to therapeutic compositions comprising nucleotides and/or polypeptides of the invention in combination with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, wherein the composition facilitates the treatment of skeletal muscle disorders. Moreover, the invention relates to the treatment and/or prevention of pathological conditions associated with altered intracellular Ca2+ regulation and disrupted membrane structure that occurs when the expression levels of MG29 are reduced.

The triad junction of skeletal muscle is comprised of a single invagination of the plasma membrane that plunges into the cytoplasm (the transverse-tubules or T-tubules) that is juxtaposed with two sections of the terminal cisternae of the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR). Screening of an antibody library for novel proteins that localize to the triad junction by immunostaining identified proteins that are implicated in excitation-contraction (E-C) coupling and other aspects of Ca2+ handling in skeletal muscle. One protein identified during the screening of this library was a novel transmembrane protein called, mitsugumin29 (MG29).
MG29 is nearly exclusively expressed in skeletal muscle fibers, although some minor levels of expression can be resolved in the kidney, and contains four transmembrane domains that allow the protein to localize at both the transverse (T-) tubular membrane and SR membranes of the triad junction. This subcellular distribution suggest MG29 may mediate communication between the T-tubular and junctional SR membrane. The protein structure of MG29 is homologous in amino acid sequence and shares characteristic structural features with the members of the synaptophysin family of transmembrane proteins essential for neurotransmitter release.
Synaptophysin was originally identified as an abundant and highly immunogenic membrane protein of small synaptic vesicles that is also found in dense-core chromaffin and neurosecretory granules. Synaptophysin and its homologues, synaptoporin (or synaptophysin II) and pantophysin, share a common transmembrane organization, with four membrane-spanning regions and cytoplasmic amino and carboxy termini.
A unique feature of synaptophysin is that it has an oligomeric structure, leading to the proposal that synaptophysin may be a component of the fusion pore that forms during neurotransmitter release. Moreover, Alder et al. have shown that antisense oligonucleotides complementary to the synaptophysin mRNA reduce Ca2+-dependent glutamate secretion from Xenopus oocytes induced by injection of total brain mRNA. Microinjection of synaptophysin antibody into motor neurons blocked neuromuscular transmission. These data are consistent with synaptophysin being essential for neurotransmitter secretion. However, genetic approaches to identify the function of synaptophysin have not been successful; mutant mice lacking synaptophysin show a normal phenotype. This may reflect compensation by synaptoporin or other synaptophysin family members. Indeed, mice doubly deficient in synaptophysin and synaptogyrin display defects in synaptic plasticity.
Synaptophysin has been proposed to play a structural role in vesicle formation. Based on its high capacity to bind cholesterol, synaptophysin has been implicated in the generation of membrane curvature during synaptic vesicle biogenesis. Synaptophysin is also known to tightly interact with other proteins of the synaptic vesicle membrane, i.e. synaptobrevin and the vacuolar H+-ATPase. These interactions are thought to regulate exocytotic membrane fusion at the level of the SNARE complex or fusion pore formation. The latter idea is supported by studies on yeast vacuole fusion that implicate the vacuolar ATPase directly participate in membrane fusion.
The similarities between MG29 and synaptophysin prompted an investigation into whether MG29 plays an important role in modulation of membrane structures in skeletal muscle. Skeletal muscles are among the most plastic tissue in nature, and normal muscle physiology requires the formation and maintenance of the complex membrane structures. Throughout development, aging and other processes including fatigue require constant adaptations of the skeletal muscle system, thus identification and characterization of genes and proteins involved with plasticity in skeletal muscle membrane structures is essential to understand muscle physiology, as well as treating and diagnosing pathologies related to muscle dysfunction, including diabetes.
Skeletal muscle is a form of striated muscle tissue existing under control of the somatic nervous system. It is one of three major muscle types, the others being cardiac and smooth muscle. Skeletal muscle accounts for as much as 80% of insulin-sensitive glucose metabolism and a substantial portion of whole body glucose metabolism in humans. Insulin resistance (IR) of skeletal muscle is a major risk factor for metabolic disease and is characteristic of type 2 diabetes mellitus, obesity, and hypertension. A substantial body of literature identifies the proximal steps of glucose metabolism, those of glucose delivery, transport, and phosphorylation, as key loci of insulin action in health and as determinants of skeletal muscle insulin resistance.
Therefore, an understanding of the mechanism and regulation of muscle glucose utilization is necessary to determine the nature of the defects present in metabolic diseases such as obesity and insulin-resistant diabetes. Glucose transport, the initial step in glucose utilization, is often considered rate determining in glucose utilization in muscle. One approach to assessing the balance of transport and phosphorylation in determining glucose utilization is to establish how these processes are coupled at the cellular level
Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder characterized by an inability to control blood glucose levels due to either a loss of the insulin-producing beta cells of the islets of Langerhans in the pancrease, which leads to insulin deficiency (i.e., Type I diabetes), and/or due to insulin resistance (i.e., Type II diabetes or NIDD).
Type I diabetes can be further classified as immune-mediated or idiopathic. The majority of type 1 diabetes is of the immune-mediated nature, where beta cell loss is a T-cell mediated autoimmune attack. There is no known preventive measure against type 1 diabetes, which causes approximately 10% of diabetes mellitus cases in North America and Europe. Most affected people are otherwise healthy and of a healthy weight when onset occurs. Sensitivity and responsiveness to insulin are usually normal, especially in the early stages. Type 1 diabetes can affect children or adults but was traditionally termed "juvenile diabetes" because it represents a majority of the diabetes cases in children.
With Type II diabetes the defective responsiveness of body tissues to insulin is believed to involve the insulin receptor. However, the specific defects are not known. In the early stage of Type II diabetes, the predominant abnormality is reduced insulin sensitivity. At this stage hyperglycemia can generally be reversed by a variety of measures and medications that improve insulin sensitivity or reduce glucose production by the liver. As the disease progresses, the impairment of insulin secretion occurs, and therapeutic replacement of insulin may sometimes become necessary in certain patients.
If the amount of insulin available is insufficient, if cells respond poorly to the effects of insulin (insulin insensitivity or resistance), or if the insulin itself is defective, then glucose will not have its usual effect so that glucose will not be absorbed properly by those body cells that require it nor will it be stored appropriately in the liver and muscles. The net effect is persistent high levels of blood glucose, poor protein synthesis, and other metabolic derangements, such as acidosis.
When the glucose concentration in the blood is raised beyond its renal threshold (about 10 mmol/L, although this may be altered in certain conditions, such as pregnancy), reabsorption of glucose in the proximal renal tubuli is incomplete, and part of the glucose remains in the urine (glycosuria). This increases the osmotic pressure of the urine and inhibits reabsorption of water by the kidney, resulting in increased urine production (polyuria) and increased fluid loss. Lost blood volume will be replaced osmotically from water held in body cells and other body compartments, causing dehydration and increased thirst.
Lack of adequate treatment of diabetes can lead to acute complications, including hypoglycemia, diabetic ketoacidosis, nonketonic hyperglycemia, or nonketotic hyperosmolar coma. Serious long-term complications include cardiovascular disease, e.g., heart attack, stroke, arterial diseases (e.g., coronary artery disease); neuropathy; renal failure; retinal damage; erectile dysfunction; blindness, slow healing wounds; and amputation.
As of 2000 at least 171 million people worldwide suffer from diabetes, or 2.8% of the population. Type 2 diabetes is by far the most common, affecting 90 to 95% of the U.S. diabetes population (Wild S, Roglic G, Green A, Sicree R, King H (May 2004). "Global prevalence of diabetes: estimates for 2000 and projections for 2030". Diabetes Care 27 (5): 1047-53). Accordingly, there exists an ongoing need for the development of pharmaceutical modulators of muscle function for the treatment of conditions related to muscle dysfunction, including diabetes.

Compositions and methods modulating MG29 for the treatment of diabetes

University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey


A technique manages input/output(I/O)-critical tasks and background tasks within a computer device. The technique involves identifying tasks on the computer device as I/O-critical tasks and background tasks, accessing a ready task list that indicates any ready I/O-critical tasks and any ready background tasks, and based on the accessed ready task list, performing the tasks on the computer device. Such a technique enables the computer device to make better decisions that reduce I/O latencies while still efficiently utilizing central processing unit (CPU) cycles.

Storing and safeguarding electronic content may be beneficial in modern business and elsewhere. Accordingly, various methodologies may be employed to protect and distribute such electronic content.
Several applications (e.g., block applications, file applications, etc.) may share a central processing unit (CPU). For example, a block application may voluntarily release of the CPU to allow other applications to also utilize the CPU. However, frequent attempts for CPU release may lead to significant performance degradation due to the incurred overhead.

Managing access to a CPU on behalf of a block application and a non-block application


A CODEC and a SLIC assembly perform current-sensing-voltage synthesis impedance matching and DC feed control functions. Signal processing that does not require high voltage, such as impedance matching and DC feed control, is performed in the digital domain by the CODEC while the SLIC assembly includes high voltage circuitry. This configuration is useful for Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) applications with a short subscriber line loop or other long loop applications. The SLIC includes high voltage operational amplifiers (op amps) to drive ring and tip signals. Bipolar transistors are also provided as bias compensating diodes for bias point stabilization over dynamic operating conditions such as temperature. The high voltage op amps include a composite MOSFET-bipolar complimentary symmetry driver stage that offers the bias control and stability of a bipolar device topology and drive capabilities of a power MOSFET device.

The present invention relates to telecommunications systems, and more particularly, to telephony interface systems and techniques.
With integration of digital logic circuits into analog circuits operating with DC and AC voltages and currents, a circuit with a BORSCHT function is typically used to interface between analog and digital circuits. BORSCHT stands for the functions of battery feed, over-voltage protection, ringing, signaling, coding, hybrid and testing. The BORSCHT functions are typically contained in a circuit called a subscriber line interface circuit (SLIC). SLIC""s are typically used to interface between a central office and subscriber telephone instruments in a subscriber line interface, which is also called a local loop.
In one aspect of the present invention, a telephony line interface circuit includes a SLIC having an operational amplifier with a composite MOSFET-bipolar driver stage.
In another aspect of the present invention, a method of interfacing a telephony device to a communication medium includes outputting signals to a telephony line with a composite MOSFET-bipolar driver stage.
In yet another aspect of the present invention, a telephony line interface circuit includes a SLIC having a tip amplifier to drive a tip signal of a telephony line, and a ring amplifier to drive a ring signal of the telephony line, each of the tip and ring amplifiers comprising a composite MOSFET-bipolar driver stage.
In yet a further aspect of the present invention, a telephony line interface circuit includes a SLIC having an operational amplifier with a composite MOSFET-bipolar driver stage, and a CODEC coupled to the SLIC.
In yet another aspect of the present invention, a method of interfacing a telephony line to a communications medium includes converting digital data from the communications medium to analog signals, and outputting the analog signals to the telephony line with a composite MOSFET-bipolar driver stage.

DSP based SLIC architecture with current-sensing voltage synthesis impedance matching and DC feed control


The present invention is a novel and improved technique for performing coding with particular application to turbo, or iterative, coding techniques. In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, interleaving is performed by generating the address of a memory using a PN state generator. Data is written into a memory in sequential order, and then read out using addresses specified by the PN state generator. To deinterleave, the interleaved data is written into a memory using addresses specified by the PN state generator, and then read out in sequential order. A set of PN state generators that provide excellent coding performance is provided.

I. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to coding. More particularly, the present invention relates to a novel and improved technique for performing maximum a posteriori probability (MAP) decoding.
II. Description of the Related Art
xe2x80x9cTurbo codingxe2x80x9d represents an important advancement in the area of forward error correction (FEC). There are many variants of turbo coding, but most use multiple encoding steps separated by interleaving steps combined with iterative decoding. This combination provides previously unavailable performance with respect to noise tolerance in a communications system. That is, turbo coding allows communications at Eb/N0 levels that were previously unacceptable using the existing forward error correction techniques.
Many systems use forward error correction techniques, and therefore would benefit from the use of turbo coding. For example, turbo codes could improve the performance of wireless satellite links where the limited downlink transmit power of the satellite necessitates receiver systems that can operate at low Eb/N0 levels. Using turbo codes in a wireless satellite link could reduce the dish size for a digital video broadcast (DVB) system, or alternatively, allow more data to be transmitted.
Digital wireless telecommunication systems such as digital cellular and PCS telephone systems also use forward error correction. For example, the IS-95 over-the-air interface standard, and its derivatives, such as IS-95B, define a digital wireless communications system that uses convolutional encoding to provide coding gain to increase the capacity of the system. A system and method for processing RF signals substantially in accordance with the use of the IS-95 standard is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,103,459 entitled xe2x80x9cSystem and Method for Generating Signal Waveforms in a CDMA Cellular Telephone Systemxe2x80x9d assigned to the assignee of the present invention and incorporated herein by reference (""459 patent).
Many types of turbo coding require more complex circuitry than the previous available FEC coding techniques. For example, many turbo codes use maximum a posteriori probability (MAP) decoders, which are more complex than conventional Viterbi trellis decoders. For high data rate applications, the more complex MAP decoder can reduce the data rate at which data transmission can be performed. Thus, it would be highly desirable to have a MAP decoder that could operate at high data rates.
The present invention is a novel and improved technique for performing maximum a posteriori probability (MAP) decoding, with particular application to turbo, or iterative, coding techniques. In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, a set MAP decoders are applied in parallel to different sections of a frame symbol estimates to be decoded. Each MAP decoder generates decisions for the section of symbol estimates received. In one embodiment, initialization values are generated. The MAP decoders use the initialization values to start decoding at each section where the section begin at the middle of the frame.


A junction system serves for establishing an electrically conductive connection between a wiring system arranged at a first outer structure and a wiring system arranged at a second inner structure. The respective end regions of the wiring system which have to be interconnected constitute annular receptacles arranged coaxially in tandem, into which a prismatic connector element can be inserted from the outside which comprises on its outer side appropriately designed contact units extending in its longitudinal direction. The quantity of the contact units amounts to a whole or integral multiple of the quantity of the contact pairs to be connected, and these contact units are arranged at the junction element to be offset with respect to each other by a fixed rotational angle.

So as to be able to perform as large a quantity of experiments as possible independently of each other in an orbital station under cosmic state conditions, wherein the individual experiments are to begin and end at different times, so-called experimentation carriers have been developed which are also designated as orbital replaceable units (ORU). These are largely autonomous laboratory modules, which can be brought to the orbital station subsequently, for instance, also in the course of an in-orbit supply flight and which are then connected to the structure of the orbital station.
The orbital station itself is organized in "ORUs" so that the add-on components can also be exchanged if they fail. In this connection it is necessary to break and again to reestablish an electrically conducting interconnection between supply lines located on the orbital station structure and corresponding terminals at the experimentation carrier. One of the requirements specified herein is that these interconnection or interface points are to be accessible from the external side of the primary structure and are to be easily replaceable in case of possible damage.

Electrical connector element for orbital stations


An edge light type backlight unit having an improved light-reception portion. The backlight unit includes one or more light sources that emit light, a light guide panel that guides the propagation of light incident on one side edge thereof, one or more light-reception portions having a first entrance face slanted opposite the side edge of the light guide panel on which the light is incident at a predetermined angle, and one or more reflecting elements that are disposed between each of the light-reception portions and each of the light sources and guides the light emitted by the light source so that it is incident on the first entrance face.

This application claims priority from Korean Patent Application No. 10-2004-0004562, filed on Jan. 24, 2004, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an edge light type backlight unit, and more particularly, to a backlight unit having an improved light-reception portion.
2. Description of the Related Art
Typically, a liquid crystal display (LCD) device is one of light-reception flat panel displays and needs a separate light source to produce an image since the LCD itself does not emit light. To this end, a backlight unit is located behind the LCD device and emits light. The backlight units are used in LCD devices as well as in surface light source systems such as illuminating signs.
Backlight units are classified into direct light type units and edge light type units according to the position of a light source. For a direct light type unit, a lamp disposed beneath a LCD panel directly emits light onto the LCD panel. For an edge light type unit, a lamp located on an edge of a light guide panel (LGP) emits light onto the LCD panel via the LGP.
An edge light type unit may include a linear light source or a point light source as an illuminant. Representative examples of the linear light source and point light source are a cold cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL) having two electrodes at opposite ends within a tube and a light emitting diode (LED), respectively.
While a CCFL provides bright white light, high brightness, high luminous uniformity, and a large area design, it operates in response to a high frequency alternating current (AC) signal and has a narrow temperature range. In contrast to the CCFL, an LED exhibits lower brightness and luminous uniformity. However, the LED operates according to a direct current (DC) signal, has a long life span and a wide temperature range and minimizes the thickness.
The LGP, which is used for an edge light type unit, converts light emitted by a light source through its edge into surface light and outputs light in a vertical direction. The LGP has a scattering or holographic pattern formed by a printing or machining method for conversion into the surface light.
FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a conventional edge type backlight unit using a point light source, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a graph illustrating an azimuth angle of an LED. Referring to FIGS. 1-3, three LEDs 20, which are point light sources, are disposed along one edge 11 of a LGP 10. The LGP 10 has a holographic pattern 30 at the bottom thereof, which allows light emitted by the LED 20 to be directed onto a light-emission surface 12. The LED 20 emits light toward the edge 11 in an angular range between −90° and +90° about an optical axis as shown in FIG. 3. In this case, an azimuth angle at which light having intensity Imax/2 that is half the maximum light intensity Imax is emitted is called a forward half maximum (FWHM) angle. A typical LED has a FWHM angle between about −45° and +45°.
The light emitted from the LED 20 is incident on the LGP 10 through the edge 11. The holographic pattern 30 with a diffractive grating structure and which is oriented in a predetermined direction converts the incident light into surface light and diffracts the surface light onto the light-emission surface 12.
Furthermore, as the range of azimuth angles of light being incident on the holographic pattern 30 decreases, uniformity of brightness over the light-emission surface 12 increases. Uneven brightness over the light-emission surface 12 makes a screen appear mottled. For example, while a variation in brightness of about 0.9 within a narrow range of about 1 cm may be detected as a stain on the screen, a slow variation in brightness of about 0.8 between the screen's center and corners may not be detected as a stain. Thus, at least brightness uniformity over 0.8 is required to prevent a stain on the screen. To achieve a better quality image, brightness uniformity over 0.9 is needed.
FIG. 4 is a plan view of FIG. 1, which illustrates distribution of light output through the light-emission surface 12. Referring to FIG. 4, the light-emission surface 12 is divided into a first region 12a, a second region 12b, and a third region 12c, which are disposed in a direction away from the edge 11. The distribution of light output from each of the regions 12a, 12b, and 12c is as shown in FIG. 4. That is, the second and third regions 12b and 12c have wider distributions of outgoing light than the first region 12a.
FIG. 5 is a graph of brightness vs. exit angle represented by a FWHM angle. Three curves C1-C3 represent brightnesses of light output from the first region 12a, the second region 12b, and the third region 12c, respectively. As is evident by FIG. 5, the brightness on the first region 12a is greater than those on the second region 12b and the third region 12c. The first region 12a has a FWHM angle of 20°/20° while the second region 12b and the third region 12c have a FWHM angle of 20°/35° where the values before and after the slash "/" denote FWHM angles in X and Y directions in FIG. 4, respectively.
The difference in brightness on each region 12a, 12b, or 12c arises because the range of azimuth angles of light incident on the holographic pattern 30 is narrower in the first region 12a than in the remaining regions 12b and 12c. That is, in the second region 12b and the third region 12c, light having a wider range of azimuth angles after being reflected many times is incident on the holographic pattern 30. The brightness uniformity decreases as an azimuth angle of light emitted by the LED 20 on the LGP 10 increases.
As shown in FIG. 2, the back light unit further includes two prism sheets 15 and 17 disposed on the LGP 10 so that light obliquely incident on and output from the light-emission surface 12 propagates in the same direction as light diffracted by the holographic pattern 30. Thus, the conventional backlight unit suffers from low optical efficiency, large number of assembling steps, and high manufacturing costs.


The present disclosure describes methods and systems that monitor the utilization of computational resources. In one implementation, a system periodically measures the utilization of computational resources, determines an amount of computational-resource wastage, identifies the source of the wastage, and generates recommendations that reduce or eliminate the wastage. In some implementations, recommendations are generated based on a cost of the computational-resource wastage. The cost of computational-resource wastage can be determined from factors that include the cost of providing a computational resource, an amount of available computational resources, and the amount of actual computational-resource usage. Methods of presenting and modeling computational-resource usage and methods that associate an economic cost with resource wastage are presented.

Advances in networking technology have fostered a move toward centralization of computational resources. In particular, desktop personal computers are being replaced by network-connected mobile devices and thin clients that provide a user interface and display functions, with a portion of processing, storage, and memory resources provided remotely by datacenters over a network connection.
The datacenters generally provide these resources using one or more computer systems that act as hosts for application programs, server programs, or virtual machines operated by clients. Efficient operation of a datacenter involves properly selecting and configuring host computer systems that are able to meet the demands of a client's applications and programs at a reasonable cost. If the datacenter is unable to provide enough computational resources during times when demand for computational resources is high, performance of client applications and programs will be impaired. If the datacenter installs excessive computational resources where demand is low, the additional resources will be underutilized and increase the cost of operating the datacenter.

Method and system that measures and reports computational-resource usage in a data center


The invention relates to a hitch system for an agricultural vehicle for lifting and lowering a load or an attachment. The hitch system further includes a hydraulic system with a double-action hydraulic cylinder, and an electronic control unit connected to the hydraulic system for controlling the hydraulic system and the pressurization of the hydraulic cylinder. The control unit controls a contact pressure for a working device as a function of a sensed load on the axle.

In the prior art, agricultural vehicles are known, for example, tractors or haulers, but also loader vehicles, such as telehandlers, which have hitch systems on which various attachments can be attached for performing a wide variety of tasks. Such a hitch could be arranged both on the back and also on the front. Often, it is necessary or useful to equip the attachments with a specified contact pressure on the ground, in order to operate the attachment and the vehicle at an optimized overall efficiency in their interaction. This contact pressure can involve weight being transferred selectively from the vehicle to the attachment or vice versa.
Furthermore, a hitch is known that moves slowly upward from the ground at a specified pressure, that is, are provided with a so-called floating position function with a contact pressure that can be specified.
Such hitch systems are disclosed, for example, in EP 1 281 872 B1 and DE 10 2004 033 315 A1, wherein the former discloses an electro-hydraulic hitch assembly for an agricultural work machine. The disclosed hitch assembly has available a double-action hydraulic cylinder whose two pressure chambers can be pressurized and can be controlled by means of a suitable control valve, wherein an electro-hydraulic pressure control is provided that detects the pressure by means of pressure sensors in the two pressure chambers and that controls or regulates accordingly.
DE 10 2004 033 315 A1 also discloses a hitch system with double-action hitch cylinders and a pressurized volume flow control means, wherein a pressure-limiting valve is provided through which a maximum pressure in the hydraulic system is controlled as a function of operating states of the hitch assembly or the attachment.
The systems known from the prior art have in common that they can be used as control parameters for the pressure in the working cylinder of the front power lift and therefore certain operating states can be taken into account not at all or only insufficiently for the contact pressure regulation of the hitch. Thus, with conventional contact pressure regulators, often it can be recognized only with difficulty that, for example, the attachment is no longer located on the ground. Another disadvantageous state or a case that can be detected only with difficulty is created, for example, when the vehicle loses contact with the ground or a limit in this respect is reached due to too high a contact pressure of the attachment on an axle.


Surface analysis method capable of obtaining depth profiles of elements and chemical bonds in a nondestructive manner and with high accuracy, which comprises irradiating light to a sample surface to be analyzed with changing its energy, detecting electrons emitted from the surface of the above sample and corresponding to a certain binding energy, and subjecting the resultant detected signal to integration transform; and constitution of a device for carrying out the method.

This invention relates to a surface and interface analysis technique, and in particular, it relates to a surface analysis method suitable for nondestructive and high-precision depth profile analysis, and an apparatus therefor.
With increasing packing density and decreasing film thickness of semiconductor devices, depth profile analysis (as well as small area analysis) has become very important.
Chemical state of a Si/SiO.sub.2 interface determines the electric characteristic of an MOS transistor, and that of a polySi/SiO.sub.2 or polySi/Si.sub.3 N.sub.4 interface has an influence on the electric characteristic of a capacitor. The electric characteristics of transistors and capacitors can be greatly improved by these (abruption in an interface, and a distribution and change of elements and chemical bonds in the vicinity of an interface), analyzing these chemical states and feeding the results back to a production process. Also, in a photo-CDV process, the distribution of film-forming metals, such as W, Ti, etc., near the surface is very important.
In the above examples, elements and chemical bonds to be analyzed exist in a region with a depth from a sample surface of a few to several tens nm. Hence, surface analysis technique necessary for analyzing them is required to have capability of analyzing atomic species and their chemical bonds or changes in their compositions in a region from the top surface of a sample to its several tens nm deep interior part. Also, the surface analysis technique is required to achieve a depth resolution of about 0.1 nm in case that an interface abruptly changes in its structure or composition and so on. It goes without saying that the technique is required to be nondestructive.
Conventional depth profile analysis techniques are as follows. One of the well-known techniques is AES (Auger Electron Spectroscopy) or SIMS (Secondary Ion Mass Spectroscopy). These techniques carry out depth profile analysis by irradiating a sample surface with ions having a large kinetic energy for sputtering the surface, and analyzing the surface or sputtered particles. The other techniques are EDX (Energy Dispersion X-ray Spectroscopy) and PIXE (Particle Induced X-ray Emission), in which depth profile analysis is carried out by irradiating the surface with particle beams and measuring intensity attenuation caused by absorption of emitted X-ray by the sample.
The above prior techniques have the following problems.
One of the problems is cascade mixing found in an ions-sputtering method. Within a region irradiated with ions (a region from an irradiated surface to a 1 to 10 nm deep interior part), due to the above effect, element distribution tends to be uniform. Therefore, it is impossible to obtain any depth profiles in this region. In addition to this cascade mixing, the ion-sputtering method has other various factors to decrease analysis accuracy, such as a preferential sputtering caused by a difference in atomic species, crater edge effect caused by non-uniformity of ion beams, etc. As a result, the depth resolutions in AES and SIMS are limited to 1 nm [C. W. Magee and R. E. Honig, Surf. Interface Anal. 4, 35 (1982)]. Furthermore, AES and SIMS have problems that chemical bond analysis is almost impossible and that the analysis is destructive.
On the other hand, EDX and PIXE are only applicable to depth profile analysis of a sample with layered structures (an element distribution within the layer is uniform), and their depth resolution is about 5 nm. EDX and PIXE therefore have a low resolution, and furthermore, they do not make it possible to carry out depth profile analysis of elements whose distribution continuously changes.
As mentioned above, the prior art methods has a low depth resolution, and no accurate depth profiles can be measured. Furthermore, the prior art methods also have a disadvantage that the chemical bond analysis is impossible.

Surface analysis method and a device therefor


Provided is a power gating control circuit for stably controlling data restoring. The power gating control circuit includes a retention circuit and a non-retention circuit. The retention circuit includes a first flip-flop, which stores or restores data of the first flip-flop in a power gating mode. The non-retention circuit includes a second flip-flop and a third flip-flop. The power gating control circuit performs initialization of data of the second flip-flop and the third flip-flop in the power gating mode, and an initialization operation of the non-retention circuit is controlled to be performed before data of the retention circuit is restored.

Field
At least some example embodiments of inventive concepts relate to a power gating control circuit such as a power gating control circuit for stably controlling data restoring.
Description of Related Art
While image resolution has increased, data traffic between a mobile application processor and a display driver integrated circuit (IC) has rapidly increased. Accordingly, power consumed by the mobile application processor and/or the display driver IC also has gradually increased.
In general, while multimedia data traffic increases and the number of function blocks to which a power source is supplied increases, the mobile application processor consumes more power.

Power gating control circuit for stably controlling data restoring


A valve apparatus for setting and monitoring the clamping pressure of a clamping device (9) for workpieces to be clamped, in particular in lathes, has at least one pressure control valve (1A, 1B) for setting the clamping pressure, and has at least one pressure sensor (6A, 6B) detecting the clamping pressure. The clamping pressure is adjusted in relation to a predefinable setpoint clamping pressure. The valve apparatus can set the clamping pressure for safety and monitor it to maintain or reduce it during the machining.

In modern machine tools, for example lathes, the workpieces to be machined are generally clamped by clamping devices which can be hydraulically actuated, particularly by clamping cylinders, and/or are secured tightly by tailstock spindle sleeves which can be hydraulically actuated. The respective machine is released only after the clamping pressure is reached. If, at this point during machining with the machine tool, the clamping pressure on the clamping device is reduced due to a fault, this reduction can lead to loosening of the clamping device. The subsequently released workpiece can cause serious damage to the machine and constitutes a considerable safety risk for the machine operator.
In addition to this monitoring of the clamping pressure to ensure safe clamping forces, it can also be advantageous to reduce the clamping pressure, and therefore the clamping force, to prevent damage to the machined workpiece if it acquires a wall thickness geometry that has been reduced from "full bored," for example, as a result of the type of machining. The clamping force remaining the same relative first of all to the solid material used would lead to the deformation of workpiece geometries that are reduced in wall thickness, and therefore, are weakened.


A wideband/broadband antenna is described, comprising a dielectric substrate with a first surface with an antenna feed with two conductors, comprising a first feed connection and a second feed connection, wherein the second feed connection is or acts as the ground. A first conductive layer extends from the antenna feed in a first direction and is electrically connected to the first feed connection, wherein the first conductive layer extends in a direction away from the antenna feed, and to a first end edge. A second conductive layer extends in a second direction, away from the first conductive layer, and is electrically connected to the second feed connection. A non-conductive zone separates the first and second conductive layers. On a second surface of the substrate there is a third conductive layer which extends from a second end edge in the direction towards the antenna feed, the extent of which at least in part coincides with that of the first conducting layer at the first surface. The first end edge of the first conducting layer and the second end edge of the third conducting layer substantially coincides, and the first and third electrical layers are electrically connected with each other at or near said end edges. Apart from said electrical interconnection at the edges, the layers are electrically separated from each other.

There is a large and growing need of omnidirectional, broadband/wideband antennas. An increasing number of appliances and devices are now connected to the wireless network, and with the trend towards the "Internet of Things (IoT) everyday items such as household appliances, clothes, accessories, machines, vehicles and buildings are now more frequently equipped with wireless connections. This enables the devices to receive commands from users and other entities, in order to be able to be controlled remotely, to forward information from sensors and the like, etc. To provide good antennas for this type of use is still a major problem. When applied to devices, such as household appliances, antennas are often placed in bad positions, seen from the point of view of radiation and communication. Where the antennas with which the device will communicate are positioned is usually not foreseeable by the manufacturer. Moreover, there is a need to use the same or similar products on many different markets, which poses problems when communicating because different frequency bands are used in different parts of the world, etc.
There is therefore a need for a robust and efficient antenna which is omnidirectional and wideband/broadband, and thus can be used in many different environments and situations, and in a number of different frequency bands.
Characteristics that generally can be said to characterize a well-performing omnidirectional antenna is:                Low-losses: The EM power being fed into/from the antenna will be delivered/received without significant losses. Losses are primarily due to impedance mismatching and resistive losses. Physically large enough space is a precondition for low losses for a given wavelength for resonant aerials. The minimum length for resonance is half a wavelength. Losses are usually defined as a percentage efficiency, where 100% efficiency is a hypothetical ideal antenna without any material losses.        Physically small size: This is often high on the wish list of today's compact wireless electronics. Unfortunately, however, it becomes an opposed condition to the condition for resonance, which requires a certain minimum physical size.        Bandwidth: Depending on the intended use of the antenna, the need for frequencies which the antenna is designed for varies. Some radio applications cope with very narrow frequency bands, such as GPS. Broadband antennas, however, must handle a broad continuous frequency range. Broadband antennas should be capable of being resonant for multiple frequency bands. This is difficult to achieve design wise without decreased cost efficiency. It has become particularly difficult since mobile telephony and data covers many and broad frequency ranges, ranges which also vary between different parts of the world, so that the total demand of coverage becomes very large. LTE (4G) is commonly found in the frequency ranges 700-1000, 1600-2400, 2500-2700 MHz. Within these bands we will also find 2G and 3G.
The choice of antenna type is depending on which properties to be prioritized. In a mobile phone priority is primarily given to small size properties, instead of other properties. One can accept aerial losses of 70-80% if it admits small dimensions. Since the antenna is built-in, and thus has a short height above the ground plane, it often requires an antenna type that can work, if not good, then at least decent in respect of the low altitude. For selection of an antenna at a house and car-mounted, monopole-type antennas often work well. In such an antenna, there are ribs/arms whose length only needs to be one quarter of a wavelength long, since a second quarter-wavelength is available as a reflection in the ideal ground plane on which the antenna is placed.
Often, such as the connection in the Internet of Things, there is, however, a need for antennas that are smaller than a car antenna, and that can work even without an ideal ground plane. Preferably, the bandwidth should cover the frequencies for all wireless telephony and data, regardless of continent. To have an antenna that covers all existing markets is important. It makes the logistics easy for the manufacturer of such equipment, because you only need to have an antenna type, regardless of sales market.
In the context of the nowadays extreme bandwidth demands, due to the development of the telephony, an antenna that is optimal at a single frequency cannot be provided, but a compromise has to be found, accepting a slightly lower efficiency but gaining a somewhat greater bandwidth, which in this case is valued higher. It is also often a requirement that the antenna should function well without access to an external ground plane.
Antennas designed for this purpose are therefore compromise solutions, dimensioned and composed out of different partial solutions that provide the antenna's total properties. If the antenna is to perform well, regardless of the external ground plane, however, one becomes bound by physical laws, related to how good an antenna it is possible to achieve at a minimum physical extent. Antenna types that are common for such applications are dipole-antennas, which have two equal arms with an arm length equal to half a wavelength, loop antennas, where the perimeter corresponds to a wavelength, and monopole-antennas with internal ground plane. In respect of monopole-antennas, one way to increase the usable frequency range of the antenna is e.g. to have multiple sub-arms with different length. It is also known to create a continuous surface that admits many different length extensions to be provided in the conducting layer, to allow resonance lengths for multiple frequencies. Such antennas often include a conducting aerial layer printed on a printed circuit board (PCB), and a second layer that forms the ground plane. The basic rule for these antennas is that ground plane must have the same physical extension as the antenna element. Otherwise, it would not fit a full mirror image. The ground plane may have a horizontal extension, but could also have a vertical extension. The ground plane and the antenna provided on the PCB can be arranged on the same side of the substrate, but can alternatively be located on separate side.
These known omnidirectional, broadband antennas, however, still suffer from many problems, such as lack of performance in certain frequency ranges, too low broadband performance, too large dimensions, etc.
There is therefore a need for a new omnidirectional, wideband/broadband antenna that fulfills at least one, and preferably all, of the following objects: good performance and efficiency in all the relevant frequency ranges, relatively compact, with small dimensions, cost-effective to manufacture, and adequate performance independent of environment and surroundings.