A trimmable inductor assembly is provided for optimal balancing of phase currents in a multi-phase resonant converter. A magnetic device includes first and second core portions defining an outer edge of the device having a first axis, and further defining a first air gap. A bracket is positioned proximate the outer edge of the device and a magnetic plate is coupled to the bracket, with the magnetic plate and the second core portion defining a second air gap. A positioning device is coupled to the bracket and is responsive to control signals based on a detected phase current imbalance to drive the bracket and the magnetic plate between a first position defining a minimum air gap for the assembly and a second position defining a maximum air gap for the assembly.

The present invention relates generally to multi-phase resonant power converters. More particularly, the present invention relates to a multi-phase resonant power converter having circuitry and associated control methods to continuously adjust a resonant inductance and effectively balance the various phase currents.
Resonant converters have recently become progressively popular in power conversion, as zero volt switching and/or zero current switching can be achieved at the primary and/or secondary sides of the converter. Accordingly, high efficiency can be obtained due to lower switching power consumption.
To deliver more power, multi-phase resonant converters have been developed. Besides higher efficiency with phase management during light load conditions, another key benefit with multi-phase topologies is output ripple cancellation. Using the example of a single phase LLC converter, the ripple current may be up to 48.3% of the output current. However, the ripple current is reduced to 9.8% when two-phase interleaved LLC converters are utilized. Furthermore, three-phase interleaved LLC converters can achieve 4.2% ripple current. By calculation, the ripple current may be as low as 1% when six-phase interleaved LLC converters are adopted, meaning that no output capacitive filter would theoretically be required.
Unfortunately, the phase current may not be perfectly balanced because of resonant parameter sensitivity. Component tolerances, parameter variations with temperature, and loading and circuit parasitics all contribute to current imbalances among the various phases. In the worst case, the unit may fail due to overheating of the most heavily loaded phase. Phase current imbalance is therefore a very common issue in multi-phase resonant converters.
Referring to FIG. 7, an exemplary interleaved LLC converter 1 is represented as is known in the art. As is known in the art, the resonant frequency is given in accordance with the below Formula 1, where Lr stands for the inductance of the resonant inductor and Cr is the capacitance of the resonant capacitor (Cr is the parallel connection of Cr1 and Cr2, Cr3 and Cr4):
      Fr    =          1              2                                                  π                          LrCr                      ;Lr=Lr1=Lr2;Cr=Cr1+Cr2;Cr1=Cr2=Cr3=Cr4To achieve higher efficiency, the switching frequency should be set as close as possible to the resonant frequency.
The resonant inductor is the decisive component in an efficiency-optimized LLC circuit, which is reflected in that accurate capacitors (for example +/−5%) are readily available, but it is far more difficult to build accurate inductors without any trimming of the inductor (for example <+/−10%). Because not only the resonance frequency needs to be precise, but also the characteristic impedance of the resonance network (sqrt(Lr/Cr)), both components should be available with a low tolerance to assure a well balanced current in both phases. Therefore there is a need to have an adjustable resonance inductor.
It would therefore be desirable to provide a system and method which focuses on effectively reducing component sensitivity in the resonant inductance to achieve an optimal current balance in the multi-phase LLC converter.

Multi-phase resonant converter with trimmable inductor and phase current balancing method


An organic light emitting diode display with improved aperture ratio includes: a substrate; first and second pixels disposed in a first row of the substrate and third and fourth pixels disposed in a second row adjacent to the first row and respectively disposed in the same columns as the first and second pixels; a scan line and a previous scan line applying a scan signal and a previous scan signal, respectively, to the pixel units; a data line and a driving voltage line applying a data signal and a driving voltage, respectively, to the pixel units; and a common initialization voltage line disposed between the first and second pixels and between the third and fourth pixels, commonly connected to the pixel units, and applying an initialization voltage. One common initialization contact hole connected to all pixels units and one initialization voltage line connected to the common initialization contact hole are surrounded by the pixel units.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display. More specifically, the invention relates to an OLED display which provides an improvement in aperture ratio while increasing storage capacitance.
2. Description of the Related Art
An organic light emitting diode (OLED) display includes two electrodes and an organic emission layer disposed between the two electrodes, and electrons injected from one electrode and holes injected from the other electrode are combined in the organic emission layer so that excitons are formed, and light is emitted by energy generated from the excitons.
In each pixel of the OLED display, a plurality of switching thin film transistors are formed to compensate for non-uniformity of a threshold voltage of driving thin film transistors and deterioration of an organic light emitting diode. In this case, an initialization voltage that initializes the driving thin film transistor is applied to the driving thin film transistor through an initialization voltage line.
Furthermore, in order to improve visibility of the OLED display, a green pixel having excellent visibility is further provided, and thus an OLED display of four color pixels has been applied, and the four color pixels can be arranged according to various types such as a stripe type, a checker type, or pentile type.
In particular, in the four color pixel OLED display, initialization voltage lines are respectively formed in two pixels in one row and in two pixels in an adjacent row, and in this case, each pixel should include an initialization contact hole for connection of the driving thin film transistor of each pixel with the initialization voltage line.
However, pixels of a high resolution OLED display tend to be down-sized, and accordingly a space for a storage capacitor is reduced due to an initialization contact hole formed in each pixel, and an aperture ratio is also decreased due to the initialization contact hole formed in each pixel.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of an understanding of the background of the described technology, and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.


A system for automatic optimization of an ejection system for an aircraft includes the ejection system having a plurality of adjustable settings. The system further includes a sensor configured to detect user data corresponding to a user of the ejection system. The system further includes a controller coupled to the ejection system and to the sensor and configured to adjust at least one of the plurality of the adjustable settings of the ejection system based on the user data detected by the sensor.

Certain aircraft may include ejection systems designed to eject a member of the flight crew from the aircraft in certain situations. These ejection systems typically include an ejection seat in which the member of the flight crew is located during flight. The ejection seat may have various adjustable settings which are desirable to adjust based on parameters and preferences of the ejection seat and/or flight crew member. For example, the ejection seat may have settings related to timing of ejection, deployment of parachutes, adjustments to dimensions (e.g., lumbar support, seat height, headrest position), or the like. Currently, these settings are manually input during a pre-flight check. However, this is a time-consuming process as each setting is adjusted manually and separate from many other settings.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Automatic ejection seat performance and accommodation optimization based on passive detection of aircrew data


A navigating method for a cell phone with a positioning device and the apparatus thereof are described. The longitudinal and latitudinal coordinates of a guiding mobile in a global positioning system (GPS) are sent to a guided mobile via a short message service (SMS). After decoding the short message contents, the longitudinal and latitudinal coordinates are obtained by the guided mobile. And a navigation application is wakened and launched to perform a navigation function by establishing the longitudinal and latitudinal coordinates as a navigation destination.

1. Field of Invention
The invention relates to a navigating method for a cell phone with a positioning device and the apparatus thereof. In particular, the invention utilizes the SMS (Short Message Service) to transmit the position coordinates from a GPS.
2. Related Art
With rapid development in the cell phone technology, a new function is added to cell phones every now and then. It has evolved from old black-and-white phones to the current color phones, from monotonic bells to the current musics, the packet transmission for wireless application protocol (WAP) web surfing and general packet radio services (GPRS). The cell phone can even record videos just like the digital video (DV). In spite of its many functions, the most basic two functions of the cell phones have been existent all the time: conversation and transmitting short messages.
According to statistics, the popularity of cell phones in Taiwan has topped the world. Therefore, the cell phone has become an indispensable tool. Each person has at least one cell phone on the average. A valuable function in the cell phone is to allow the user to find out its position from the closest three base stations by trigonometry. Moreover, geographical information such as food, banks, movie theaters, etc can be transmitted to the user. Sometimes, the base station covers a range of as wide as several kilometers. The error can be as large as hundreds of meters. This does not provide the required precision.
Due to recent progress in IC designs and chip productions, manufacturers have developed a global positioning system (GPS) with a small-size chip. Imbedding such a chip in a cell phone enables the cell phone to enjoy the GPS functions. The consumers do not need to spend several hundreds of dollars to carry an additional GPS receiver.

Navigating method for cell phone with positioning device and apparatus thereof


Disclosed is a method allowing the automatic discovery of application component dependencies by tracing application calls to dependant resources. The call tracing is embedded dynamically in an application at runtime using Common Intermediate Language (“CIL”) code instrumentation at compile time or runtime. Such a method reads an instrumentation configuration file to determine an address extraction code portion that is to be instrumented to an application method code, locates the CIL method body for the application method that is to be instrumented, instruments the application method by inserting the address extraction code portion into the appropriate .NET Application or .NET library at either compile time or at run time, extracts the address of one or more external service providers from the designated .NET library methods responsible for communication during execution of the application method that was instrumented, publishes any newly discovered dependencies to a management system in the form of the discovery event, and causes the management system to build an application dependency map based on the resource address information obtained.

In many organizations, operations teams are charged with management and support of applications without getting clear information about the application topology and infrastructure provided by the application development team. It makes application management, change control, and impact analysis tedious and sometimes impossible. In those scenarios, the application is like an unpredictable and unstructured black box for operations.
For effective change control and impact analysis, the operations team has to discover application dependencies and analyze how a change to one component may affect other dependent components. Today, the only way to discover dependencies is to get a blue print from the application development team that describes the application architecture. After that, the blue print needs to be updated every time a new version of the application is deployed. That process is labor intensive and error prone.
The difficulty in comprehending application dependencies becomes even more complex when dealing with distributed applications, which are typically characterized by components running on several different machines, written in different languages, and interacting in complex ways. For instance, modern Enterprise .NET applications have a distributed architecture and may consist of a number of components talking to each other via various communication protocols. In some cases, they also rely on external service providers. Communication with external service providers is typically performed using Web Services. If we consider a single application component, it may have a number of dependencies on internal service providers that correspond to other components of the distributed application and on external service providers that may be outside of the boundary of the distributed application. A misbehavior or a change in any of the service providers may affect the functionally or availability of the application component.
It would therefore be advantageous to provide techniques by which application dependencies existent in distributed applications could be discovered, regardless of the manner in which the distributed application was developed, and particularly regardless of whether the separate application components are developed in different languages, or run on multiple machines, or interact in complex ways.

Automatic incremental application dependency discovery through code instrumentation


The conventional storage battery of a motor vehicle is housed in a thermally insulated chamber along with a secondary storage battery provided with a circuit including a heater and a thermostatically controlled switch set to bring the heater into service whenever the temperature in the chamber drops to a predetermined low. Both batteries are connected in parallel to the alternator of the vehicle.

It has long been known that low temperatures adversely affect the efficiency of storage batteries as a consequence of which they can and often do become incapable of starting the engines of motor vehicles in cold weather.
Battery failures from this cause can be avoided by heating it when temperatures fall below a predetermined level. Various proposals have been made to provide thermostatically controlled heating means for heating batteries within an insulated chamber or compartment. One such proposal was to use the battery to energize the means by which it was to be heated. Another proposal was to employ catalytic heaters within the chamber with the heaters provided with their own fuel supply. Storage batteries have also been heated within an insulated chamber by means of thermostatically controlled heater circuits connectable to outside circuits. It was an earlier practise to place a household electric lamp, connected to the household circuit under the hood to facilitate engine starting.


A prefabricated foundation panel for being supported on a footing to support the perimeter floor sill of a mobile home is disclosed. The panel has a generally rectangularly shaped frame including generally elongate, parallel and spaced, metallic top and bottom members as well as a plurality of spaced metallic cross members which are rigidly affixed to the top and bottom members. The outermost cross members of the frame are positioned so that they are flush with the ends of the top and bottom members. The top, bottom and cross members collectively define a plurality of spaces extending through the frame from an outer side thereof to an inner side thereof. A decorative aggregate coated facing is also provided for the panel which is attached to the outer side of the frame and which covers the plurality of spaces. A method of installing the panels around the lower periphery of a mobile home to enclose the lower periphery is also disclosed.

Skirting systems have been used for many years around mobile homes or trailer houses for the purpose of insulating the trailer from outside temperature changes and also for improving the appearance of the mobile home or trailer house. Representative of the art is that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,680,904 to Stoecker which discloses a portable skirting system. While this system is undoubtedly quite portable, it provides little or no support for the outer walls of the mobile home. Such support along the perimeter of a mobile home is needed for many of today's newer mobile homes due to the increasing size of today's mobile homes as well as the increasing use of heavy dry wall on the home's exterior walls. Unless supported, the exterior walls of many of these homes using dry wall will sag and possibly even buckle.


An adjustable book cover that includes a fabric panel with a hook-and-loop connecter system to maintain the panel in a selected size, and two endless resilient bands that maintain the panel in position on the book. The panel is folded to the correct size to fit the front and back covers of the book. The hook-and-loop connecter system maintains the panel in the corrected size. The panel is then wrapped around the exterior of the book so that the ends of the panels that include the resilient bands are tucked inside the front and back covers of the book. The resilient bands are then looped around the front and back covers of the book so that the panel is maintained in place on the book.

The most common type of adjustable book covers are known as "folded covers". Folded covers are comprised of a flat sheet of material that is folded around a book and tucked into the areas adjacent to the front and back covers of the book. Folded covers are adequate if the book is not handled or used extensively, however, folded covers tend to come off easily with moderate use because their design relies on friction to hold the covers in place. If an adhesive such as tape or glue is used to attach the cover to the book, the adhesive may damage the book and result in permanent tears or discoloration of the book surfaces. If a bookseller or owner customizes the cover by cutting and modifying the cover to specifically fit a particular book, then the cover cannot be re-used on a book of a different size. Additionally, folded covers are generally comprised of paper or thin plastic, and tend to be delicate and incapable of extensive wear.
The prior art also includes book covers comprised of more durable materials such as fabric, leather, vinyl, and heavier gauge plastics. Although these materials wear effectively, the associated size adjustment systems and cover retention mechanisms do not provide a snug and secure fit between the adjustable cover and the book.
The need exists for a durable adjustable book cover that incorporates a size adjustment system that ensures that the adjustable book cover correctly fits a selected book, and a cover retention system that ensures that the cover is retained on the book. The present invention provides an adjustable book cover comprised of a durable fabric that is maintained in the correct size by a hook-and-loop connecter system, and is held in position on the book by at least two resilient straps.

Adjustable book cover and method of making an adjustable book cover


There is disclosed a housing for a thin, flat display screen such as a liquid crystal display. The housing is formed of components comprising a front housing section having a front panel with an opening for exposing the screen of a flat screen device placed within the housing and a rear cover therefor which includes a hinged attachment to the front housing section which is recessed and inaccessible from the exterior of the closed housing. The assembly of front housing section and rear cover is secured with tangs carried on the lower rear edges of these components. The housing is adapted to be mounted in the chair arm of a passenger seat of commercial airliners, and includes a mounting bracket permitting it to be stowed within the chair arm when not in use. In this application it is essential that the housing have an outer covering of impact absorbing material to protect passengers from injury upon impact against the housing. It is also important that the housing be tamper and intrusion proof. To this end, the housing components are formed with interior metal liners which are surfaced with plastic foam coatings that completely encase the assembled housing. A control panel with membrane control buttons is integrally formed with the outer foam covering.

1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to a housing for the protection and support of a visual display panel and, in particular, for a housing useful for a thin screen display such as a liquid crystal display.
2. Brief Statement of the Prior Art
Liquid crystal displays and television monitors are typically housed within a hard plastic molded shroud or case. The plastic is formed by vacuum forming or by injection molding. Although these shrouds are acceptable for normal use, they are not acceptable for use in passenger aircraft as they cannot meet the FAA safety requirements for softness, to avoid injuries upon impact against the shroud. Although foamed plastics can be used to meet the FAA requirements, the usual foamed plastics have a substantial minimum thickness, typically 0.385 inch, necessary to form a smooth surface or skin which is free of porosity and voids. Further, flame retardant additives which are required in such an application increase the hardness of plastic foam, requiring additional thickness for adequate softness on impact.
Commonly, television displays in commercial passenger aircraft use projection screens at spaced locations in the passenger cabin. Recently, it has become desirable to provide individual television displays, using a liquid crystal display, located at each passenger's seat. The display must be sufficiently compact to permit it to be stowed in the seating. Passenger seats frequently have been provided with arm rests having storage compartments for trays and the like, and such an arrangement would be useful for stowing of liquid crystal displays, however, the internal dimensions of the arm rest compartments are too limited for storage of a liquid crystal display housing in a conventional plastic foam shroud.
Attempts which have been made to prevent injuries to passengers upon impact with the displays have employed "break away" support arms, or fabric covers for the displays. Neither of these attempts provides security against tampering or theft of the display. Also, the fabric covers do not provide a pleasing appearance and have limited impact absorbency.


In a multilamellar liposome, a pharmaceutical agent is encapsulated in the liposome in the absence of a partition enhancing buffer. Preferably, the pharmaceutical agent is prostaglandin E1 (PGE1). The pharmaceutical agent may be administered to a mammal in an amount effective to treat vascular disease. The release of the pharmaceutical agent from the multilamellar liposome may be regulated by proper selection of liposome size, dosage of the pharmaceutical agent, lipid to pharmaceutical agent weight ratio, and rate of infusion of the pharmaceutical agent.

The present invention relates in general to treatments for vascular disease, and more particularly to a method for treating vascular disease by administering a liposomal prostaglandin formulation to a mammal.
Prostaglandins are cyclic, oxygenated fatty acids known to be potent pharmacological agents and to have a potent effect on cell function in many organ systems. Prostaglandin E1 (PGE1), for example, has various pharmacological properties, the most notable being vasodilation, inhibition of platelet aggregation, and stimulation of intestinal and uterine smooth muscle. Major disadvantages of PGE1, however, are its short in-vivo half-life of approximately 30 to 90 seconds, instability, and rapid degradation. When administered intravenously, PGE1 is rapidly metabolized during circulation through the lungs so that its pharmacological effects are significantly diminished by the time it reaches a target site or organ system.
Encapsulation of PGE1 in liposomes solves the problems of instability, short term half-line and rapid degradation experienced with PGE1 in its free form. Liposomes may function as sustained release systems for drugs, and the rate of release may be manipulated. A liposomal formulation of pharmaceutical agents results in a more effective targeted delivery, enabling delivery of the maximum patient tolerated dosage with fewer side effects.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,103,026 describes a method of treating peripheral vascular disease by non-arterial administration of PGE1. The patent discloses that PGE1 in a saline solution is administered intravenously at a dose of 1-10 μg/hr for 10 to 20 minutes once per hour. Even though the PGE1 passes through the patient's lungs before transportation to the patient's extremities, therapeutic effects are reported. Administration of PGE1, however, is limited to hourly injections over an extended period of time. In Example 1 of the patent, the PGE1 dosage disclosed is 2-4 μg/hr administered intravenously for 10 minutes each hour for 3 days.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,925,375 describes the use of multilamellar liposomal prostaglandin formulations for treatment of disorders characterized by cellular activation and adhesion, inflammation and/or toxemia. The liposome disclosed by the patent contains an arachidonic acid metabolite, two or more lipid-containing bilayers and two or more aqueous compartments containing a release-inhibiting citric acid buffer. About 90% of available prostaglandin was associated or partitioned into multilamellar vesicles when a citrate buffer was used to rehydrate dried lipids to form liposomes. The liposomes are about 500 nm in diameter to about 1 micron in diameter. Prostaglandin comprising from about 10−12 g to about 10−3 g of the prostaglandin per kg of the animal's body weight is administered per dose of the composition.

Method for treating vascular disease by administering a liposomal prostaglandin composition


A gas detection device is provided. The device includes a substrate and a dielectric material applied to the substrate. A sensor material is applied to the dielectric film. The sensor material has a bottom, a side, and a top surface. An electrode material is at least partially applied to the dielectric film and at least partially applied to a portion of the side of the sensor material and a portion of the top surface of the sensor material to pin a portion of the sensor material to the dielectric material. The electrode material forms a vapor barrier upon the sensor material to facilitate preventing delamination between the sensor material and the electrode material over portions of the sensor material where the sensor material is not pinned to the dielectric material.

Generally, gas detection devices are chemo-resistive devices. The gas detection devices change electrical resistance upon contact with a target gas. In some situations, the gas detection device operates in a high humidity environment, wherein the gas detection device absorbs atmospheric moisture. As the gas detection device absorbs atmospheric moisture the sensor element in the gas detection device expands. The sensor element may exhibit a volume expansion of nearly 50% in the presence of water or high humidity. The volume expansion of the sensor element can cause a delamination of the sensor element from the electrode material and other materials in the gas detection device.
Additionally, gas detection devices typically operate at high temperatures, temperatures often above the boiling point of water. These high temperatures can drive the absorbed water from the sensor element. As water is driven out of the sensor element, the sensor element experiences a volume contraction, which can cause delamination of the sensor element from the electrode material and other materials in the gas detection device. Cycling volume expansion and volume contraction, even if it is not excessive, can cause delamination. Generally once fabricated, gas detection devices may be sealed in a dry environment in a container with a desiccant, or run at its operating temperature to prevent the absorption of water into the sensor element and the resultant delamination.
Generally, a gas detection device may be fabricated upon a silicon substrate. Common materials from which the electrodes may be made in the gas detection device include a metal, such as gold or other metals such as aluminum, and polysilicon. Common dielectric films that may be used in the construction of gas detection devices include silicon nitrides and silicon oxides. The substrate may advantageously be processed such that all manufacturing processes completed on the substrate are done prior to the sensor element deposition. Generally, a gas detection device that uses a sensing material such as tin dioxide on top of the substrate needs to be exposed to the environment, which may be moisture rich, to sense the target gas.
Gas detection devices typically have an electrode material deposited immediately prior to the sensor element. When there is a volume expansion or contraction of the sensor element material with respect to the electrode material, the volume expansion and contraction can cause the delamination of the electrode from the sensor element due to the large compressive or tensile, respectively, forces. For instance, the delamination of the electrode material from the tin dioxide sensor material in a MOS (Metal Oxide Semiconductor) sensor element may destroy the gas sensor.
Delamination may cause a field failure of a gas detection device. In the case of a gas sensor using tin dioxide as the MOS sensor material, volume expansion of the tin dioxide layer caused by exposure to and absorption of moisture, and volume contraction of the tin dioxide layer caused by desorption of moisture from the tin dioxide layer may cause the tin dioxide-electrode interface to fail. The same volume expansions or contractions of the tin dioxide layer will not cause the tin dioxide-nitride interface to fail. The tin dioxide remains adhered to the nitride. This is because the nitride-tin dioxide interface is stronger than the moisture-induced strain of the tin dioxide. There are processing complications from applying and patterning the electrode material after the sense material. Many processes known in the art for depositing and patterning an electrode material, such as gold, for instance, involve wet processes. Importantly, a sensor element should not be exposed to water during processing due to potential volume expansion or contraction delamination failures.
A need remains for preventing delamination between the sensor element and the electrode material.

Gas detection device and method of manufacturing the same


An improved high-speed external optical modulator, modulated by RF waves, which velocity matches the RF waves with the optical waves is disclosed. The apparatus includes a lithium niobate substrate on which is formed an optical waveguide, electrically floating electrodes, a low dielectric buffer layer and electrodes carrying the modulating RF energy.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to optical modulators, and more specifically to the linearization of external electro-optical modulators.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Telecommunication systems using optical fiber components are becoming increasingly popular. Basic components of an optical fiber system may include a laser diode, a modulator and a photodetector diode. Modulators are either direct (modulating the optical wave as it is being generated at the source) or external (modulating the optical wave after it has been generated). The design of laser diodes and photodetector diodes is known. However, a major problem with an optical communication system is its dynamic range, which is largely determined by the distortion from the modulator.
An electro-optical modulator modulates the optical wave with an electromagnetic or RF signal. The RF signal interacts with the optical wave over a pre-determined distance. The construction of optical modulators slows the RF wave relative to the optical wave so that it takes the RF wave a longer period of time to travel the interaction distance. Therefore, the electric field, which modulates the optical wave, varies along the interaction distance. Since the RF wave does not act on the same portion of the optical wave throughout the interaction distance, the optical wave is distorted. The longer the interaction distance, the greater the distortion.
There have been many attempts to decrease modulator distortion. One solution is to decrease the interaction distance. However, this attempted solution requires an extremely large electric field to obtain the same phase shift in the optical wave.
Another solution to reduce modulator distortion is to use a compensation means. After an initial interaction between the RF wave and the optical wave, the two waves are separated, a method of compensating for the phase difference is employed and the waves are brought together to interact again. This process would be repeated many times. An idling method, in which the RF voltages in the RF carrying electrodes are switched in a periodic or in an aperiodic fashion, is one method of compensating for the phase differences. For example, in a modulator of the Mach-Zehnder configuration, a 180.degree. phase shift is needed between the two signal branches. This method is inefficient since a very high voltage is needed to come to extinction. Further, these compensation attempts, although capable of working at high frequencies, are either not broadband or suffer from irregular frequency response. Most methods to compensate for the difference in speed between the RF wave and the optical wave have been unwieldy, impractical or expensive to implement.


The present invention provides a method of high speed assemble process capable of dealing with long packets with effective buffer memories usage. A processing method of fragmented packets in packet transfer equipment for transmitting and receiving packet data between terminals through network, includes, receiving fragmented packets, identifying whether the received packet is a packet fragmented into two from original, or a packet fragmented into three or more, for the packet identified as fragmented into two, storing the two fragmented packets into assembly buffer in fragmentation order, on basis of the respective offset values in the packets, and reading out from top, and for the packet fragmented into three or more, chain-connecting the assembly buffers and storing the packets therein in reception order, reading out the packets after deciding the order by comparing chain information and offset values of the fragmented packets within the chain, and then reassembling the packets.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a processing method of a fragmented packet in packet transfer equipment transmitting and receiving a packet data through a network, and packet transfer equipment using the method.
2. Description of the Related Art
Packet transfer equipment for transmitting and receiving a packet data between terminals through a network is conceptually illustrated in a network shown in FIG. 1. In this FIG. 1, the packet transfer equipment is shown as a node A and a node B. In the node A, there is provided encryption and encapsulation functions (S1) of the data which is transmitted from a plurality of terminals TE1-TEn, a server SA, or Internet INT accommodated therein. Further, the encapsulated data is transferred to the node B through an IP tunnel 100.
In the above configured system, when the data transmitted from the terminals TE1-TEn, the server SA or the Internet INT accommodated in the node A is encrypted and encapsulated (S1), a predetermined header is added (I). This may cause a packet length exceeding a maximum transfer byte length (or maximum transmission unit; MTU) which is specified by the network. In such a case, the node A on the transmission side has a function of fragmenting the packet into a plurality of packets, so that each length of the encapsulated packets falls within the MTU value (S2).
Thus, the encrypted data (I) is fragmented (II), and each fragmented packet is forwarded to IP tunnel 100.
Meanwhile, in the node B disposed on the receiving side of IP tunnel 100, the fragmented packets of the encrypted data are reassembled (S3), and thereby encrypted data identical to the encrypted data (I) generated in the node A is obtained (III).
Subsequently, the node B decrypts the encrypted data, and performs decapsulation so as to exclude the outer header (S4). Thus, the pre-encrypted data is obtained (IV).
In FIGS. 2A-3B, examples of fragment formats of the IP packet are shown (FIGS. 2A, 2B show cases of an IPv6 packet, and FIGS. 3A, 3B show cases of an IPv4 packet). In these figures, FIGS. 2A, 3A show cases of fragmentation into two packets, while FIGS. 2B, 3B show cases of fragmentation into three packets.
For example, in FIG. 2A, when fragmenting into two packets, the encapsulated data having an IPv6 header is divided into a data 1 of which length is L1, and a data 2 of which length is L2. Modified IPv6 header and fragment header are added respectively. Thus, the original packet is divided into fragmented packets.
In the IPv6 fragment format shown in FIGS. 2A, 2B, each modified IPv6 header includes a payload length and a modified next header (NH) value, and further, the fragment header is added. Whether or not the fragment header exists can be known from the next header (NH) value in the modified IPv6 header. Thus, using this NH, it is determined whether or not the received packet is a packet having been segmented (fragmented).
Further, the fragment header includes fragment offset value, continuation flag, and identifier. Moreover, the modified IPv6 header includes a source address. Using this source address and the identifier in the fragment header, the original encrypted data packet before segmentation can be identified. Also, using the fragment offset value in each fragment header and fragment continuation flag (1 or 0), each divided fragment data location can be identified.
Using hardware, it is relatively easy to perform the fragment processing (S2) at high speed in the transmission node A according to the fragment formats shown in FIGS. 2A-3B, because the processing can be performed serially packet by packet.
In contrast, as to the reassembly processing (S3) in the reception node B, it is necessary to monitor the reception of the entire fragmented packets, and to reassemble the packets. This reception processing becomes complicated, because the sequence within the fragmented packets may become out of sequence (sequence inversion) in the network, or a plurality of fragmented packets may be received from the network concurrently in a multiplexed form.
FIG. 4 shows a diagram illustrating an exemplary procedure of the reassembly processing (S3) for the fragmented packets. FIG. 5 shows an exemplary configuration of packet transfer equipment on the reception side to which the conventional reassembly processing (S3) is applied. Further, FIG. 6 shows a diagram explaining the reassembly processing shown in FIGS. 4 and 5.
In FIG. 4, a fragment decision search section 1 determines whether or not the packet received in a packet receiver 3 is a fragmented packet, by checking whether a fragment header is existent in a modified IPv6 header or an IPv4 header (process step P1).
If no fragment header is existent, this packet is determined to be not a fragmented packet, and accordingly the packet is forwarded to a packet processor 5 ('N' in process step P1). If a fragment header is existent ('Y' in process step P1), a packet source address (IP_SA) and a fragment identifier ID in the packet header are compared with the entry data having been registered as object packets for reassembly processing, so as to search and identify from which encrypted packet the fragmented packet is produced (process step P2).
As a result of the above search processing, if no matched data is found among the registered objects for reassembly processing ('N' in process step P3), the packet is determined as a new fragmented packet. Accordingly, the source address (IP_SA) and the fragment ID are registered newly as a new entry (process step P4), and the search result indicating a new fragmented packet is reported together with the new entry to a reassembly processor 4 (process step P5).
Meanwhile, if the search results in a match ('Y' in process step P3), the search result indicating packet assembly (reassembly) is proceeding is reported (process step P6). Based on this, from the search result, a fragmented packet of an identical packet is identified using the fragment ID, and the packets are assembled in reassembly processor 4 for each reported entry, in order of the offset values (process step P7).
Thus, on completion of the fragment assembly ('Y' in process step P8), release of the entry is instructed to fragment decision search section 1 (process step P9).
FIG. 6 shows an example of the conventional reassembly processing in the assembly processing (process step P7) shown in FIG. 4.
Referring to the processing shown in FIG. 6, the entry of the packet having been received in packet receiver 3 is searched in fragment decision search section 1. In reassembly processor 4, an assembly buffer 2 of fixed length is assigned correspondingly to each search entry. Here, the prepared number of assembly buffers 2 is identical to the number of entries concurrently processed.
Based on the packet obtained in fragment decision search section 1 and the search information thereof, data parts (data 1, data 2 and data 3) are written in each assembly buffer 2 (i.e. buffer memory for assembly) of which address location corresponds to a fragment offset value L in the packet header, while headers (H1, H2 and H3) are stored in a header storage area 2a of assembly buffer 2.
Here, as shown in FIGS. 2A-3B, the header information in the fragmented packet includes the fragment offset value L, and a flag M indicating whether or not a successive packet exists. The fragment offset value L indicates the start position of the payload data relative to the header of the top packet, in which the fragment offset value '0' represents the top packet. As to the flag M, M=1 indicates a successive packet is existent, while M=0 indicates the packet of interest is the final packet.
Next, after the entire fragmented packets are received, in reassembly processor 4, the reassembly processing is performed by successively reading out the packet data from assembly buffer 2 corresponding to the entry. Also, processing including substitution of the header is performed in this reassembly processor 4. Then, the packet is forwarded to packet processor 5, and further transmitted from a packet transmitter 6.
As such, the processing performed in reassembly processor 4 shown in FIG. 6 can be performed at high speed using hardware.
FIG. 7 shows another configuration example of the packet transfer equipment on the reception side, to which the reassembly processing (S3) is applied. FIG. 8 shows an explanation diagram illustrating the reassembly processing shown in FIG. 7.
In the exemplary configuration shown in FIG. 7, when fragment decision search section 1 decides the received packet is a fragmented packet, software processing in a software processor 8 performs the reassembly processing. In FIG. 7, the fragmented packet decided in fragment decision search section 1 is transferred to software processor 8 through an interface 7. The search and assembly processing by software is performed in software processor 8, and after reassembly, the packet is transferred again to packet processor 5 through interface 7.
As shown in FIG. 8, in software processor 8, packets are stored entry by entry in order of reception, in assembly buffer 2 connected by a chain. However, since the stored fragmented packets are not always received in order of fragmentation, after the entire fragmented packets are received, the fragment sequence is determined using the continuation information M and the fragment offset value L stored in each fragment header. Then, by rearranging the sequence (i.e. by reading out the fragments in order of fragmentation), reassembly processing is performed.
This method requires a substantial time for packet sequence decision processing. However, since efficient use of assembly buffer 2 can be attained, the method is effective in such equipment that does not need fast processing, as effective method using software and firmware.
Also, as a technique related to the above, an invention related to packet processing has been disclosed in the official gazette of the Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2001-223704. In this disclosure, based on an ATM cell received from an extended line, packets are stored in an assembly memory. The packets are read out from the memory, and a packet of which address is resolvable is processed by hardware, while a packet of which address is not resolvable is processed by software.
Now, in packet transfer equipment provided in a system in which encrypted packets are transferred at high speed on the order of Gigabits/sec through IP tunnel 100 as shown in FIG. 1, when a fragmented packet is received, the reassembled packet must be transferred to a decryption section at high speed.
High-speed processing may be actualized if the reassembly processing is performed by hardware, as in the conventional example shown in FIGS. 4 to 6. However, it is not possible to determine the packet length before fragmentation until the reception of the entire fragmented packets is completed. If a buffer of a certain length is prepared in advance, the reassembly cannot be performed when the packet length after reassembly exceeds the prepared buffer length.
In contrast, when reassembly processing is performed for the fragmented packets using software processor 8, as illustrated in the conventional example shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, a problem is that the processing time does not catch up packet reception in case fragmented packets are consecutively received.
Further, when the fragmented packets are to be reassembled in the former processing shown in FIGS. 4 to 6 as described above, securing an area having the maximum packet length after reassembly is required for the packet assembly. Since the upper limit of the packet length flowing on the network may be 64K Bytes, in order to ensure processing for the entire fragmented packet, a buffer memory amounting to 64K Bytes×(concurrent processing number) is necessary. This is very disadvantageous in view of both memory cost and mounting space.

Processing method of fragmented packet and packet transfer equipment using the same


A method for delivering catheters, and stents composed of soft, compliant polymers through anatomical passages. These devices have a bulbous or enlarged anchorage end with a diameter greater than the rest of the catheter. To facilitate implant and delivery a pusher catheter or sheath with an internal lumen larger than the outer diameter of the catheter but smaller than the outer diameter of the bulbous or enlarged anchorage end is provided. The distal end of pusher catheter or the sheath physically engages the proximal end of the bulbous or enlarged anchorage end and applies an axial force to coaxially advance the catheter over a guidewire through anatomical passages. This method allows a physician to move the catheter to an anatomical site without the device exhibiting buckling due to axial force applied. Similarly, this delivery method will allow more force to be applied to the distal end of the catheter diminishing the likelihood of buckling.

Specifically-trained physicians often implant a catheter or stent over a guidewire, proximate to, vascular and non-vascular occlusions; or to maintain patency of an anatomical lumen. To implant these devices, a physician must pass the device through vascular and non-vascular anatomical passages and cavities to reach the intended anatomical site which may exhibit an occlusion or an increased resistance when advancing the catheter or stent to the intended location.
One accepted method for passing these devices through anatomical passages includes placing the distal end (defined as the end that is farthest from the Physician) of a guidewire proximate to the anatomical site and advancing the catheter coaxially over the guidewire. In this method, the catheter is pushed from the proximal (defined as the end closest to the Physician) end of the guidewire to the distal end towards the anatomical site. The catheter is advanced either by hand (squeezing the catheter with an index finger and thumb and pushing along) or by using a relatively rigid plastic tube to push the catheter from behind.
In this method, the catheter must be pushed over the guidewire through long, sometimes tortuous, paths, reductions in lumen diameter and anatomical obstructions. Unfortunately, these obstacles require the physician to push the catheter or stent with increasingly excessive axial forces, and depending on the device design or the material from which the device is fabricated, buckling may occur.
Buckling of the device, due to excessive axial forces, is undesired as it may result in a damaged catheter, patient discomfort, accidental perforation of surrounding anatomy and prevention of catheter implantation to its intended location.
The axial load is the maximum force that may be applied to a catheter or stent when advancing the device into a patient before it begins to buckle. Therefore, the axial load is limited by the column strength of the device. This axial load is characterized by the Euler Equation for a simply supported device column under an external axial load (F); wherein (E=modulus of elasticity of the device; I=is the moment of inertia of the cross section of the device; and L=column length of the device). Accordingly, the buckling load of a catheter or stent can be determined by:F=((E)*(I)(3.14)2)/(L2)
With respect to the Euler Equation, if Length (L), and Moment of Inertia (I) are constant, only a change in materials with an increase in modulus of Elasticity (E) will increase the axial load capacity of a catheter or stent. For example, using the above Euler Equation, pushing a catheter with a length of (0.5 inches (L=0.50 inch)); compared to a catheter with a length of (12 inches (L=12.0 inch)) exhibits a profound effect on the axial load capacity (F). Considering that (L) is raised to the power of (2); it can be seen that (0.50 inches)2 versus (12 inches)2=0.25 versus 144; or a factor of over 500:1. Thus, devices with shorter columns will have a much greater axial load capacity resisting bucking. Unfortunately, shorter catheters are not practical; nor are they typically used in conventional applications where pushing a catheter is the method of delivery.
Multiple techniques have been developed by physicians to prevent buckling of the catheter during implantation. Many of the techniques mentioned below are often combined to reduce catheter buckling.
One technique is for physicians to apply only small amounts of axial force to the catheter either manually (by hand) or with a plastic tube (pusher catheter). This small axial force results in advancing the catheter several millimeters at a time. While this slow advance of the catheter does provide immediate tactile feedback to the physician should the catheter confront an obstruction during advancement, the process is long and tedious. In addition, once the catheter reaches the vascular occlusion at the implantation site, additional axial forces still must be applied in order to push the catheter across the occlusion. This increased axial force often causes the catheter, especially smaller diameter devices, to buckle.
An additional technique to prevent buckling of a catheter during implantation is to use a catheter or stent that is coated with layers of a lubricous polymer. These lubricous polymer coatings, which are typically are very thin, and relatively fragile, reduce the coefficient of friction of the device, which results in a reduced axial load. When these coated devices are inserted and advanced through anatomical paths, they encounter boundaries, such as vessel walls. These coated devices, which are flexible enough to bend tangentially at these boundaries, continue advancing along the anatomical path; however, these tangential bends may add external pressure to the coating at the points of contact. These external pressure points on the device contribute to the aqueous media being squeezed from the coating, much like squeezing water from a sponge. Ultimately, once the coating is compromised, any further contact between the device and anatomical boundaries at these tangential bends will exhibit an increased level of relative friction, such as dry on dry surfaces that results in increased axial loads required to push or advance the catheter along. In addition, this high friction may result in patient discomfort.
A further technique to prevent buckling of the catheter during implantation is to fabricate whole or portions of catheters and stents from moderate to rigid polymers. Similarly, a given thickness of rigid polymer can be extruded while a softer layer is coaxially extruded over or under the more rigid layer. Additionally, a layer of braiding material, either polymeric and or metallic, may be incorporated into the design of a catheter or stent whereby the braid is deposited or sandwiched between layers of catheter material. While these designs are more effective they result in undesirable and uncomfortable products as well as increased manufacturing costs.
Catheters or stents may also be manufactured with rigid portions, such as rigid proximal ends. These more rigid materials often cause patient discomfort and in many cases result in complications due to their increased ability to perforate surrounding anatomy during implantation.
Conventional delivery methods may also include coaxially placing and advancing soft catheters or stents within hollow rigid sheaths, avoiding the need to develop or design catheters that by themselves exhibit superior handling.
In any case, using a sheath or manufacturing a catheter out of more rigid material or incorporating a layer of braiding material are only attempts to increase the column strength of a catheter or stent whereby axial forces and corresponding push-ability can be maximized.
However, using a more rigid material either as part of the catheter, stent or sheath still results in patent pain and or discomfort.
As mentioned previously, many of the techniques mentioned above are often combined to reduce catheter buckling. For instance, in an attempt to augment conventional sheath-over-catheter delivery methods, catheters may be coaxially braided, a more rigid layer maybe integrated, and/or the device may be coated with layers of lubricous polymer. However, even a combination of these techniques results in patient discomfort, slow advancement and eventual buckling of the catheter or stent when increased axial loads are required to advance into or through anatomical passages.
Therefore, embodiments of the invention establish a novel method for delivery of catheters and stents that overcomes the buckling phenomena.


A semiconductor device is formed having two physically separate regions with differing properties such as different surface orientation, crystal rotation, strain or composition. In one form a first layer having a first property is formed on an insulating layer. The first layer is isolated into first and second physically separate areas. After this physical separation, only the first area is amorphized. A donor wafer is placed in contact with the first and second areas. The semiconductor device is annealed to modify the first of the first and second separate areas to have a different property from the second of the first and second separate areas. The donor wafer is removed and at least one semiconductor structure is formed in each of the first and second physically separate areas. In another form, the separate regions are a bulk substrate and an electrically isolated region within the bulk substrate.

A recognition that transistors of different types have different operating characteristics based on the nature of the crystalline structure has resulted in the development of semiconductor structures that are selected based on the transistor type. For example, N channel transistors have higher carrier mobility when formed in silicon with a (100) surface orientation than in a (110) surface orientation. The opposite is true for P channel transistors. Thus, techniques have been developed for forming the N channel transistors in a (100) surface orientation and P channel transistors in a (110) surface orientation. Similarly, techniques have been developed for forming N channel transistors in silicon that is under tensile stress and P channel transistors that are under compressive stress along the direction of the current flow in a <110> crystal direction. One of the difficulties in achieving these results has been achieving the particular enhancing property for both transistor types on the same integrated circuit. The complexity is further increased when semiconductor-on-insulator (SOI) is the desired technique for both transistor types.
Thus, there is a need for a method for overcoming or at least reducing the difficulties in achieving different semiconductor properties for the transistor types for enhancing performance.

Method to selectively form regions having differing properties and structure


A method and apparatus for a network repository for metadata. Embodiments of a data repository include a memory to store data including one or more data content items, where each data content item is associated with zero or more metadata items, and where each data content item is associated with a handle and each metadata item is associated with an attribute name. The data repository further includes a network interface configured to communicate with a client device, and a control unit configured to control the storage of data in the memory, where the control unit provides functions for writing data to and reading data from the memory and where the control unit is to transfer the data without interpretation.

A network may include the interconnection of multiple personal electronic entertainment media devices. The various media devices may be networked together in order to share data, increase convenience, and make fuller use of each element. For example, certain devices within a home may be connected together. In such an environment, there are multiple potential sources and users of streaming digital media content for audio, video, gaming, and other uses.
Within such a network, there may be data of various different data types and formats, together with connected metadata, where metadata refers to information about other data. For example, metadata associated with digital music may include information regarding the artist, song title, album art, release date, and other information. Repositories of digital data typically support the ability to browse, filter, or search the repository for data with particular attributes. This is typically accomplished by storing the associated metadata in a database that supports these operations. In contemporary systems, the database and the data repository are typically conjoined as a single system. For example, a digital music system maintains a database of songs, while a DVR (digital video recorder) may maintain its own database of recorded television shows.
However, in an interconnected network, there may be a need to share a data repository across a network. The sharing of the data repository introduces complications for maintaining the related metadata. For example, each client of a repository may have different demands on the format and data types to be stored in the database. Further, a part of the value added by each client may be the types of queries supported and the performance provided in responding to such queries. It is impractical to support a single database format that can meet all needs in a network, particularly if the set of possible metadata that will be stored in the database cannot be predetermined. For example, a digital media repository may include personal photographs and home movies, premium movie content, television recordings, digital music, and other data. The set of metadata may be content-specific, personalized (such as user ratings), vendor-specific, and specific to other factors. On the other hand, a completely open-ended database, while allowing a wide variety of data types, would be contrary to demands for performance and customization.


A turbocharger system for a light or heavy duty vehicle, a maritime vehicle or a construction vehicle comprises a turbocharger device, an exhaust manifold conduit, a valve, a receptacle for compressed gas and a gas compressor for compressing gas. By opening the valve during a predetermined pulse duration time period, compressed gas may be provided from the receptacle to the exhaust manifold conduit for initial turbocharger compressor spin-up. The turbocharger system further comprises a cooling means configured to decrease temperature of compressed gas provided by the gas compressor, and a heating means configured to increase temperature of the gas pulse generated by opening of the valve. By decreasing the temperature of the compressed gas in the receptacle upstream of the valve and subsequently heating up the generated air pulse before being provided to the exhaust manifold conduit, the response time of the turbocharger device can be improved.

In vehicles of today it is common to use an exhaust driven turbocharger for compressing air to an inlet manifold of an internal combustion engine (hereinafter simply referred to as engine). The up-speeding of the turbocharger is dependent on the exhaust flow, which in turn is dependent on engine speed and engine torque. Hence, turbocharger response is a well-known problem with turbocharger engines at low engine speeds. The response problem becomes even more imminent with the new technologies to reduce CO2 where turbochargers are used to down-speed and/or downsize engines due to the fact that more energy to build up the higher boost pressure is needed. The response problem is a limiting factor in the pursue for CO2 reduction, also because of that in order to provide an acceptable drivability of a vehicle a certain power margin to handle instant power demands without the need of shifting gear is required. Such instant power demand may be due to e.g., increased road inclination or driver requested acceleration.
It is known to use various compressors, such as e.g., mechanical compressors or electric compressors, connected to the inlet manifold in order to improve the turbocharger response by feeding air to the inlet side before the turbocharger has speeded up. Using of mechanical compressors adds complexity, adds cost, may impair the durability, has negative impact on the NVH (Noise, Vibrations, Harshness) properties and may be difficult to control. Using of an electric compressor also has major drawbacks e.g., due to complexity, cost and the fact that the electric compressor needs to be provided with electrical power.
EP 2749751 A1 discloses an improved turbocharger system wherein a tank, recharged by use of e.g., a compressor for compressing a gas such as air into the tank, is used to push compressed gas into an exhaust manifold conduit or an exhaust manifold during a predetermined pulse duration time period in order to obtain initial turbocharger compressor spin-up. However, in order for the improved turbocharger disclosed in EP 2749751 A1 to utilize its full potential further improvements and optimizations are needed.
Thus, there is still a need and room for further improvements.


A drive belt for a continuous variable transmission includes at least one endless metal band, preferably provided in a set of nested bands, at least partly being surrounded by transverse elements for at least clamping the belt in between the sheaves of a set of pulleys. At least one band is shaped such, as seen in cross section, that the arithmetical relation between thicknesses TA, TB and TC at three points PA, PB, PC on a contact face, given by the formula (1-(TA+TB)/2TC) represents a value greater than 0.001 and smaller than 0.100, wherein points PA, PB and PC are indicative of a substantially transverse line relative to the longitudinal direction of the band, wherein point PC is located between PA and PB, wherein points. and PB are located near the edge of the band.

The present invention relates to a metal belt for a continuously variable transmissions and a method for producing such, where the belt comprises at least one endless metal band, preferably provided in a set of generally conforming nested bands, at least partly being surrounded by transverse elements for at least clamping the belt in between the sheaves of a set of pulleys.

Metal belt and method for producing such


A grommet includes a body portion defining a first aperture and a second aperture. A hollow channel extends between the first aperture and the second aperture. The channel is defined by an interior surface of the body portion. One or more engagement structures are defined by the interior surface of the grommet body portion, and are configured to engage one or more corresponding engagement structures provided about an exterior surface of a mounting structure engaged about and elongated member that is positioned within the hollow channel of the grommet.

Grommet systems may be used to transmit an elongated member through a passageway extending through and defined by a structure that separates two different environments. In such grommet systems, it may be desirable to minimize, limit, or prevent movement of the grommet relative to the elongated member that is to be transmitted through the grommet passageway. Additionally, it may be desirable to minimize or prevent the passage of contaminants between the two environments separated by the structure.
Existing grommet systems for limiting movement of a grommet relative to a member (e.g., a wire harness) pose a number disadvantages, including: not incorporating a location alignment device that works in conjunction with the placement of the grommet on a member; slipping of the grommet relative to a member (causing inaccurate placement of the grommet relative to a member); not providing a barrier to fluids/contaminants; etc. Such limitations of existing grommet systems often result in the failure of the grommet system to meet customer slip and contamination requirements.
Given the limitations of existing grommet systems, it would be desirable to provide a system configured to minimize, limit, or prevent movement of a grommet relative to a member about which the grommet is installed.

Anti-slip system with overmold operation


A composite of two or more thermal interface materials (“TIMs”) is placed between a die and a heat spreader to improve cooling of the die in an integrated circuit package. The two or more TIMs vary in heat-dissipation capability depending upon the locations of die hot spots. In an embodiment, a more thermally conductive material may be positioned over one or more die hot spots, and a less thermally conductive material may be positioned abutting and/or surrounding the more thermally conductive material. The two or more TIMs may comprise a solder and a polymer. The composite TIM may be preformed as one unit or as a plurality of units. Methods of fabrication, as well as application of the package to an electronic assembly and to an electronic system, are also described.

One or more integrated circuits ("IC") dice may be assembled into an IC package by physically and electrically coupling them to a substrate made of organic or ceramic material. One or more IC packages may be physically and electrically coupled to a printed circuit board ("PCB") to form an "electronic assembly". The "electronic assembly" may be part of an "electronic system". An "electronic system" is broadly defined herein as any product comprising an "electronic assembly". Examples of electronic systems include computers (e.g., server, router, desktop, laptop, hand-held, Web appliance, etc.), wireless communications devices (e.g., cellular phone, cordless phone, pager, etc.), computer-related peripherals (e.g., printer, scanner, monitor, etc.), entertainment devices (e.g., television, radio, stereo, tape and compact disc players, video cassette recorder, camcorder, digital camera, MP3 (Motion Picture Experts Group, Audio Layer 3) player, etc.), and the like.
An IC package may comprise one or more IC dice. At least one surface of a die may be positioned against a TIM to couple the die thermally to another element, such as a heat spreader or heat sink. A TIM may be used to improve performance and long-term reliability by thermally coupling the IC die to the heat sink for improved thermal transfer.
In the field of electronics there is competitive pressure among manufacturers to drive the performance of their equipment up while driving production costs down and maintaining acceptable yield and reliability. This is particularly true regarding the packaging of dice on substrates, where each new generation of packaging is expected to provide increased performance, particularly in terms of higher clock frequencies, while generally being smaller or more compact in size.
The combination of higher operational frequencies, while concurrently maintaining or decreasing chip size, increases the heat dissipation requirement for associated packaging.

Electronic assembly with hot spot cooling


An open-top vessel having a closure cap, and a razor holder for releasably supporting a water rinsed razor and its blade within the vessel spaced below the closure cap. The vessel may be filled with mineral oil to a level above the blade, to have the blade submerged in the mineral oil. The razor holder may be supported on the closure cap, and rotatable via an exposed handle, for moving the razor as submerged in the mineral oil. More than one vessel may be used, as a kit, with each additional vessel also having a closure cap, a razor holder, and handle; and one or more vessels may be filled with mineral oil and one or more vessels may be left empty. The razor may be moved from vessel to vessel successively as it is being treated with the mineral oil and stored.

Wet blade razors, or the type used with a wet lather or shaving cream, generally is presumed to have a useful life only one or at most several shaves. Thereafter, the shaver feels uneven pulling of the blade against the skin or sees and feels that the shave is not close. In fact, the blade does lose its cutting edge very fast.
Many factors are believed to contribute to the short useful life of a wet razor, including: (1) physical wear on the cutting edge caused by dragging it across the skin and actually cutting the hairs; and (2) exposure of the cutting edge to the lather or shaving cream and to the water, during shaving, and possible chemical oxidation of the blade that occurs then.
The inventor herein has determined that the above-listed factors actually contribute an insignificant percentage, toward the short useful life of a wet razor. The real culprit is chemical oxidation that occurs after the shaving has been completed, the blade and razor has been rinsed clean with water, and the razor is set aside and stored until the next time for shaving. During this period, exposure of the razor blade to the atmospheric air promotes chemical oxidation of the blade's cutting edge, that dulls it many times faster than during shaving itself.


An N-level digitally encoded signal at a symbol rate f.sub.s substantially equal to three times the NTSC color subcarrier frequency, N being a plural integer, modulates a carrier signal of a frequency within a few hundred kilocycles of the NTSC audio carrier, for transmission through a channel subject at times to the presence of a co-channel NTSC analog television signal. The modulation is suppressed-carrier amplitude-modulation generating first and second amplitude-modulation sidebands. Any portion of the amplitude-modulation sidebands extending outside the channel is suppressed in the transmitted signal, thereby making the first amplitude-modulation sideband a vestigial sideband providing an image for only a portion of the second amplitude-modulation sideband closer in frequency to the carrier signal. The amplitude responses of the vestigial sideband and the portion of the second amplitude-modulation sideband closer in frequency to the carrier signal are halved in the transmitted signal compared to the amplitude response of a remaining portion of the second amplitude-modulation sideband further in frequency from the carrier signal. A fixed-amplitude pilot signal of the same frequency as the suppressed carrier is included in the transmitted signal.

The specification and drawing of U.S. Pat. No. 5,087,975 issued Feb. 11, 1992 to R. W. Citta et alii and entitled VSB HDTV TRANSMISSION SYSTEM WITH REDUCED NTSC CO-CHANNEL INTERFERENCE are incorporated herein by reference. Citta et alii describe a television signal transmission signal for broadcast television comprising a suppressed carrier, a VSB signal having respective Nyquist slopes at the lower- and upper-frequency edges of a television channel with 6-MHz bandwidth, the center frequency of the Nyquist slope at the lower-frequency edge of the channel being substantially coincident with the frequency of the suppressed carrier, and a pilot signal in quadrature relation with the suppressed carrier. The television signal transmission signal is susceptible to cochannel interference from NTSC television signal with a video carrier 1.25 MHz above the lower-frequency edge of the channel, a color subcarrier 3.58 MHz above the video carrier in frequency, and an audio carrier 0.25 MHz below the upper-frequency edge of the channel. The suppressed carrier is modulated by an N-level digitally encoded signal having a sample rate f.sub.s substantially equal to three times the NTSC color subcarrier frequency, with the frequency of the suppressed carrier being closer to the lower-frequency edge of the channel than the co-channel NTSC picture carrier by an amount equal to about f.sub.s /12. The received signal is demodulated by a synchronous detector in response to the received pilot signal and interfering NTSC beat components are attenuated by a linear filter having notches at f.sub.s /1, at 5 f.sub.s /12 and at f.sub.s /2.
A Digital Television Standard published Sep. 16, 1995 by the Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) specifies VSB signals for transmitting digital television (DTV) signals in 6-MHz-bandwidth television channels such as those currently used in over-the-air broadcasting of National Television System Committee (NTSC) analog television signals within the United States. These VSB signals differ from those described by Citta et alii in that each uses a pilot signal in phase with its suppressed carrier, rather than in quadrature therewith. These VSB signals each comprise a vestigial sideband near the lower upper-frequency edge of the television broadcast channel and a full sideband extending upward in frequency therefrom to the upper-frequency edge of the channel.

Method for transmitting VSB digital TV with carrier frequency near co-channel NTSC audio carrier frequency


A bearing is provided for use in connection with expansion joint systems. The bearing may be incorporated into expansion joint systems that are used in roadway constructions, bridge constructions, and architectural structures. The bearing can absorb increased loads that are applied to the expansion joint system. The structure of the bearing also permits improved motion of, and provides improved support for, the components of the expansion joint system that are supported on or engaged with the bearing.

The present invention relates to a bearing structure. The present invention more particularly relates to a bearing structure for an expansion joint system and an expansion joint system including the bearing structure.
An opening or gap is purposely provided between adjacent concrete structures for accommodating dimensional changes within the gap occurring as expansion and contraction due to temperature changes, shortening and creep of the concrete caused by prestressing, seismic cycling and vibration, deflections caused by live loads, and longitudinal forces caused by vehicular traffic. An expansion joint system is conventionally utilized to accommodate these movements in the vicinity of the gap.
Bridge constructions are especially subject to relative movement in response to occurrence of thermal changes, seismic events, and vehicle loads. This raises particular problems, because the movements occurring during such events are not predictable either with respect to the magnitude of the movements or with respect to the direction of the movements. In many instances, bridges have become unusable for significant periods of time, due to the fact that traffic cannot travel across damaged expansion joints. Gaps or openings in the bridge deck are provided for accommodating these movements, and expansion joint systems are often installed in the gap.
Prior art expansion joint systems include various types of bearings for absorbing loads applied to the expansion joint system and for supporting the various expansion joint system components. However, many of the bearings used in expansion joint systems cannot absorb the increased loads and rotations that are demanded by the roadway and bridge designs. Therefore, a need still exists in the art for an improved bearing structure that can accommodate increased loads and an expansion joint system including an improved bearing that can accommodate movements that occur in the vicinity of a gap having an expansion joint between two adjacent roadway sections, for example, movements that occur in longitudinal and transverse directions relative to the flow of traffic, and which are a result of thermal changes, seismic events, and deflections caused by vehicular loads.

Bearing and expansion joint system including same


A power roller (18C, 18D, 20C, 20D) of a toroidal continuously variable transmission is supported by a pedestal (94) such that it is free to rotate. A first roller bearing (96A) supporting the pedestal (94) in the trunnion (17) against a horizontal load which makes a right angle with an input shaft (16) of the transmission, and a second roller bearing (96B, 96C) supporting the pedestal (94) in the trunnion (17) against a vertical load which makes a right angle with the input shaft (16) of the transmission, are provided between the trunnion (17) and the pedestal (94). These roller bearings (96A), (96B), (96C) permit the pedestal (94) to easily displace parallel to the input shaft (16).

Tokkai Hei 6-129509 published by the Japanese Patent Office in 1994 discloses a toroidal continuously variable transmission of a dual cavity-half toroidal type for vehicles.
This transmission comprises a pair of toroidal units disposed on the same input shaft. In each unit, a pair of power rollers are gripped between an input disk and an output disk disposed facing each other on the input shaft. The input disk rotates together with the input shaft, and the power rollers gripped between the input disk and output disk transfer a torque to the output disk by friction. Each power roller is supported by trunnions via a pivot shaft. The trunnions comprise a trunnion shaft which makes a right angle with the input shaft.
If the trunnion is displaced in the direction of the trunnion shaft, the contact point of the power roller with each disk will change, and the direction of the force exerted by each disk on the power roller will vary. Due to the variation of this force, the power roller undergoes a rotational displacement together with the trunnion shaft, and as a result, the contact radius of either the input disk or output disk increases, and that of the other disk decreases.
The variation of these contact radii causes the speed ratio of the input disk and output disk, i.e., the speed ratio of the transmission, to vary.
Thus, the speed ratio of the transmission can be continuously varied by displacing a trunnion in the direction of the trunnion shaft. The rotation angle of the power roller supported on the trunnion shaft as fulcrum is referred to for example as the gyration angle of the power roller, and directly corresponds to the speed ratio of the continuously variable transmission.

Toroidal continuously variable transmission


An accelerator sensor is formed of a cylinder of a conductive material, a magnetized inertial member mounted in the cylinder so as to be movable longitudinally of the cylinder, a conductive member mounted at least on the end surface of the inertial member that is on the side of one longitudinal end of the cylinder, a pair of electrodes disposed at this one longitudinal end of the cylinder, and an attracting member disposed near the other longitudinal end of the cylinder. When the conductive member of the inertial member comes into contact with the electrodes, these electrodes are caused to conduct via the conductive member. The attracting member is made of a magnetic material such that the attracting member and the inertial member are magnetically attracted toward each other. At least a part of the electrodes described is made of a magnetic material which attracts magnetically the inertial member to prevent chattering between the inertial member and the electrodes.

An acceleration sensor of this kind is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,827,091. This known sensor comprises a cylinder made of a conductive material, a magnetized inertial member mounted in the cylinder so as to be movable longitudinally of the cylinder, a conductive member mounted at least on the end surface of the inertial member which is on the side of one longitudinal end of the cylinder, a pair of electrodes disposed at one longitudinal end of the cylinder, and an attracting member disposed near the other longitudinal end of the cylinder. When the conductive member of the magnetized inertial member makes contact with the electrodes, these electrodes are caused to conduct via the conductive member. The attracting member is made of such a magnetic material that the attracting member and the inertial member are magnetically attracted towards each other.
In this acceleration sensor, the magnetized inertial member and the attracting member attract each other. When no or almost no acceleration is applied to the sensor, the inertial member is at rest at the other end in the cylinder.
If a relatively large acceleration acts on this acceleration sensor, the magnetized inertial member moves against the attracting force of the attracting member. During the movement of the inertial member, an electrical current is induced in this cylinder, to produce a magnetic force which biases the inertial member in the direction opposite to the direction of movement of the inertial member. Therefore, the magnetized inertial member is braked, so that the speed of the movement is reduced.
When the acceleration is less than a predetermined magnitude, or threshold value, the magnetized inertial member comes to a stop before it reaches the front end of the cylinder. Then, the inertial member is pulled back by the attracting force of the attracting member.
When the acceleration is greater than the predetermined magnitude, or the threshold value, e.g., the vehicle carrying this acceleration sensor collides with an object, the inertial member arrives at the one end of the cylinder. At this time, the conductive layer on the front end surface of the inertial member makes contact with both electrodes to electrically connect them with each other. If a voltage has been previously applied between the electrodes, an electrical current flows when a short circuit occurs between them. This electrical current permits detection of collision of the vehicle.
The electrode consists of copper having a small electric resistance which is plated with a corrosion-resisting material such as gold and so on.
In the above conventional sensor, when the inertial member moves forward and makes contact with the electrode, the electrode bounces on the inertial member and vibrates small, so that the electrode makes contact with and separate from the inertial member repeatedly in an extremely short period to produce chattering.


A modular, stackable charge holder for a perforating gun assembly. The charge holder may include a retention socket for locking a detonating cord in place, and a male connector end and a female connector end for connecting to other modular component(s). The retention socket may include oppositely disposed retention arms, each having a shaped sidewall portion and a corresponding flange extending transversely from a top section of the retention arm. The male and female connector ends may respectively include a phasing protrusion and a phasing hole arranged to facilitate various phase angles between components, and a centrally oriented knob connector and a central bore adapted to interconnect.

Hydrocarbons, such as fossil fuels (e.g. oil) and natural gas, are extracted from underground wellbores extending deeply below the surface using complex machinery and explosive devices. Once the wellbore is established by placement of casing pipes after drilling and cementing the casing pipe in place, a perforating gun assembly, or train or string of multiple perforating gun assemblies, are lowered into the wellbore, and positioned adjacent one or more hydrocarbon reservoirs in underground formations.
Assembly of a perforating gun may require assembly of multiple parts. Such parts typically include a housing or outer gun barrel containing or connected to perforating gun internal components such as: an electrical wire for relaying an electrical control signal such as a detonation signal from the surface to electrical components of the perforating gun; an electrical, mechanical, and/or explosive initiator such as a percussion initiator, an igniter, and/or a detonator; a detonating cord; one or more explosive and/or ballistic charges which are held in an inner tube, strip, or other carrying device; and other known components including, for example, a booster, a sealing element, a positioning and/or retaining structure, a circuit board, and the like. The internal components may require assembly including connecting electrical components within the housing and confirming and maintaining the connections and relationships between internal components. The assembly procedure may be difficult within the relatively small free space within the housing. Typical connections may include connecting the electrical relay wire to the detonator or the circuit board, coupling the detonator and the detonating cord and/or the booster, and positioning the detonating cord in a retainer at an initiation point of each charge.
The housing may also be connected at each end to a respective adjacent wellbore tool or other component of the tool string such as a firing head and/or a tandem seal adapter or other sub assembly. Connecting the housing to the adjacent component(s) typically includes screwing the housing and the adjacent component(s) together via complementary threaded portions of the housing and the adjacent components and forming a connection and seal therebetween.
Known perforating guns may further include explosive charges, typically shaped, hollow, or projectile charges, which are initiated, e.g., by the detonating cord, to perforate holes in the casing and to blast through the formation so that the hydrocarbons can flow through the casing. In other operations, the charges may be used for penetrating just the casing, e.g., during abandonment operations that require pumping concrete into the space between the wellbore and the wellbore casing, destroying connections between components, severing a component, and the like. The exemplary embodiments in this disclosure may be applicable to any operation consistent with this disclosure. For purposes of this disclosure, the term "charge" and the phrase "shaped charge" may be used interchangeably and without limitation to a particular type of explosive, charge, or wellbore operation, unless expressly indicated.
The perforation guns may be utilized in initial fracturing process or in a refracturing process. Refracturing serves to revive a previously abandoned well in order to optimize the oil and gas reserves that can be obtained from the well. In refracturing processes, a smaller diameter casing is installed and cemented in the previously perforated and accessed well. The perforating guns must fit within the interior diameter of the smaller diameter casing, and the shaped charges installed in the perforating guns must also perforate through double layers of casing and cement combinations in order to access oil and gas reserves.
The explosive charges may be arranged and secured within the housing by the carrying device which may be, e.g., a typical hollow charge carrier or other holding device that receives and/or engages the shaped charge and maintains an orientation thereof. Typically, the charges may be arranged in different phasing, such as 60°, 120°, 180°, etc. along the length of the charge carrier, so as to form, e.g., a helical pattern along the length of the charge carrier. Charge phasing generally refers to the radial distribution of charges throughout the perforating gun, or, in other words, the angular offset between respective radii along which successive charges in a charge string extend in a direction away from an axis of the charge string. An explosive end of each charge points outwardly along a corresponding radius to fire an explosive jet through the gun housing and wellbore casing, and/or into the surrounding rock formation. Phasing the charges therefore generates explosive jets in a number of different directions and patterns that may be variously desirable for particular applications. On the other hand, it may be beneficial to have each charge fire in the same radial direction. A charge string in which each charge fires in the same radial direction would have zero-degree (0°) phasing.
Once the perforating gun(s) is properly positioned, a surface signal actuates an ignition of a fuse or detonator, which in turn initiates the detonating cord, which detonates the explosive charges to penetrate/perforate the housing and wellbore casing, and/or the surrounding rock formation to allow formation fluids to flow through the perforations thus formed and into a production string.
Known perforating guns suffer from shortcomings with respect to achieving the potential benefits of adaptable charge phasing. For example, metal charge tubes and other charge carriers that are not easily reconfigurable are not easily adaptable for use with different numbers of charges in different phasing. The number and phasing of charges in such rigid carriers may be limited by the number and orientation of charge holes/receivers in the particular charge carrier. Machining different charge carriers for every possible desired arrangement and number of charges in the perforating gun is not practically desirable.
In addition, a charge carrier that provides a very high charge phasing (i.e., a relatively severe angle between successive charges in the charge carrier) requires that a detonating cord make relatively drastic bends, especially for charges arranged with a relatively short distance between them, as it is routed between the initiating end of successive shaped charges. The detonating cord must be precisely positioned on the initiating end, above an initiation point, of the shaped charge to ensure that the detonating cord initiates detonation of the shaped charge. The detonating cord is retained at the initiation point of the shaped charge by a variety of known detonating cord retaining components. Typically, the forces and stresses on the detonating cord, especially at the detonating cord retaining components, increases as the phasing increases and the distance decreases between successive charges. The forces and stresses may damage the detonating cord and/or cause the detonating cord to become misaligned with the initiation point either to a side of the initiation point or in a direction away from the initiation point in which the detonating cord is pulling away from the retaining component.
In certain known systems, such as shown in FIG. 7-9, an assembly 10 of shaped charges 18 in individual, stackable charge holders 16 is shown as described in U.S. Pat. No. 10,472,938 issued Nov. 12, 2019, which is commonly owned by DynaEnergetics Europe GmbH and incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. With reference to FIG. 7, the shaped charges 18 are arranged with approximately 60° phasing.
With reference now to FIGS. 8 and 9, opposing end views a single stackable charge holder 16 as shown in the assembly of FIG. 7 is shown. As shown in FIG. 8, the charge holder 16 includes a plurality of pins 50 extending from a first base 222 on a male side 45 of the charge holder 16. As shown in FIG. 9, the charge holder 16 includes a plurality of sockets 52 that extend at least partially into a second base 224 on a female side 60 of the charge holder 16. Connecting adjacent stackable charge holders 16 to each other in a particular phasing includes arranging a first charge holder and a second charge holder such that the male side 45 of the first charge holder is opposite the female side 60 of the second charge holder and rotating the first and second charge holders relative to each other to the desired phasing of the shaped charges contained therein. Once the desired phasing is reached, pins 50 are inserted into aligned sockets 52 at the particular phasing to set the phasing of the charge holders/shaped charges and/or lock the adjacent charge holders together. The adjacent charge holders may be locked by, for example, inserting areas of expanded diameter (i.e., "mushroom tops" (not shown)) on the top of one or more pins 50 into the sockets 52, to establish positive locking therebetween.
While the assembly 10 and shaped charge holders 16 shown in FIGS. 7-9 are beneficial for providing a variety of different phasing in which the charge holders 16 may be oriented, certain challenges with such a system include, for example, the need to mold or machine relatively miniscule pins 50 with surface features such as, e.g., the mushroom tops previously discussed, to allow positive locking with the sockets 52. Forming such geometries on very small components such as the pins 50 shown in FIG. 8 is time consuming, among other things. In addition, while the substantially continuous rings of pins 50 and sockets 52 around the respective first base 222 and second base 224 allow for many possible phasing options, it can be difficult or time consuming to verify that the correct phasing has been achieved when connecting the adjacent charge holders because the phasing is difficult to determine by eye and connecting the charge holders off by one or two pin 50/socket 52 positions will not result in the proper phasing. For the same reasons, the substantially continuous rings of pins 50 and sockets 52 creates challenges for automating the assembly of the charge holders 16.
Accordingly, a modular perforating gun system that addresses the above challenges would be beneficial.


A pallet type mount wherein a pair of rigid members each having extensions that spacedly mesh with each other and an elastomer member secured between the rigid members so that when a compressive force is applied to the rigid members the pallet type mount provides compressive force for a load thereon while absorbing shock and vibration energy through tension forces on the elastomer member.

This invention relates generally to pallet mounts and more specifically a pallet mount that provides compressive support while absorbing shock and vibration through tensioning of an elastomer member.
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Various types of mounts are needed to absorb shock and vibration. In certain applications, such as applications beneath a cabinet or the like or in mounting equipment where little clearance is available it is necessary to use compressive loading. The present invention allows one to place a compressive load on a pallet like mount but still allows one to utilize the characteristics of a tension style mount to absorb the shock and vibration energy. The pallet type mounts of the present invention can be placed under the entire cabinet or at corner locations to provide compressive support for the static weight of the equipment and at the same time present tensionally resistance to shock and vibration forces to the equipment.
The invention comprises a pallet type mount wherein a pair of rigid members each having extensions that spacingly mesh with each other and an elastomer member transversly secured between rigid members so that when a load is placed on the rigid members the pallet type mount provides compressive resistance to support the weight of the a load thereon while absorbing shock and vibration energy through tension forces on the elastomer member stretched between the two rigid members.