A computerized music teaching instrument including a computer provided with a sound system capable of reproducing the tones of a music scale stored in a tone base, and a video screen adapted to exhibit an image selected from a series thereof stored in a data base. Each image exhibits a virtual keyboard having a row of numbered keys representing the respective tones in a musical scale, behind which is a row of puppets or progressively greater height, all puppets being shown in a reclining state except the puppet corresponding to the key in the keyboard shown in a depressed and activated state, as if actually pressed by the finger of a player. Associated with the computer is a remote controller provided with a keypad having an array of numbered switches corresponding to the keyboard keys and operating in conjunction with a digitizer whereby when a player depresses a keypad switch, the digitizer then generates a binary signal representing the number of the depressed key.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a music interactive toy and/or educational instrument. More particularly, the present invention relates to such toys and/or educational instruments for teaching people of all ages to recognize, by sound, name and symbol the musical notes of the scale.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Music plays a major role in the lives of most people. Music is often referred to as a universal language, allowing people who do not speak the same language to nevertheless communicate with each other. However, while children are taught the basics of a spoken language (a, b, c, . . . ) and a numerical language (1, 2, 3, . . . ), very little emphasis is placed on the musical language (do, re, mi, . . . ). In fact even musicians, though skilled at their particular intent sometimes have little knowledge concerning the musical language. Many musicians learn to play by sound without ever associating musical notes with their given names (xe2x80x9cdoxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9crexe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cmixe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cfaxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9csolxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9claxe2x80x9d, and xe2x80x9ctixe2x80x9d).
But most people do not have the natural born talent to learn how to play an instrument without knowing the musical language. Thus, it would be desirable to begin teaching the musical scale and the names of the musical notes (i.e., xe2x80x9cdoxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9crexe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cmixe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cfaxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9csolxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9claxe2x80x9d, and xe2x80x9ctixe2x80x9d) to children at a relatively young age (even as young as under two years old), when their minds are most receptive to new information. However, because many children have relatively short attention spans, a method of teaching the musical scale to children to be effective must hold their attention while simultaneously educating them.
A number of systems and aids have been proposed for teaching the musical scale to children. One such system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,114,501 to Tanaka. This system includes plural dolls, each having a flexible bellows and a uniquely configured air chamber and passageway to produce a unique noise in a particular pitch or tone. This system however, provides no means for varying the sound output by the dolls to cater to different children""s interests in an effort to capture and hold their attention.
A similar device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,540,132 to Hale. It includes plural puppet characters that incorporate tonal devices such as battery powered electronic devices that emit a sound in a tone corresponding to that of the musical note with which the puppet character is associated. The tonal device which is housed inside the puppet includes a pressure sensitive switch to activate it. This device also suffers from the shortcoming that there is no way to change the output format of the sound being generated depending on the person using the device. Also of prior art interest is the Shiraishi U.S. Pat. No. 5,545,071 in which figurines are associated with the keys of a keyboard.
It is evident from the foregoing that there continues to exist a need for an improved music teaching device for teaching individuals, particularly children to distinguish musical notes by sound, sight and/or name simultaneously. Furthermore, there exists a need for such a music teaching device that is adaptable to the particular user thereof and to his or her interests. There is a need to understand relative changes in pitch between the notes by visualizing these changes in a graduated increase in size of the colored dolls or miniature figures, corresponding to each note. The present invention addresses these and other needs. Of prior art interest is my U.S. Pat. No. 6,215,057 which discloses a music teaching instrument which seeks to satisfy these needs, entitled xe2x80x9cSound Generating Educational Toy and Teaching Devicexe2x80x9d.
In our U.S. Pat. No. 6,215,057 there is disclosed a music teaching instrument adapted to teach pre-school children the notes of a musical scale so that the notes will be remembered. The instrument includes a sound system having a memory in which is stored audible tones of the musical scale, and means to reproduce a tone extracted from the memory so that it can be heard by the player. A keyboard is provided having a row of keys corresponding to the tones of the scale. Switching means are associated wit the keys and are coupled to the sound system whereby when a key in the row is actuated by the player, a corresponding tone is then reproduced.
A row of puppets is placed behind the row of keys, each puppet being normally inactive and in registration with a respective key. A mechanism responsive to actuation of a key serve to activate the corresponding puppet, whereby the puppet then appears to be voicing the tone being reproduced.
A child who plays this instrument will not only hear the tones of a musical scale as he manipulates the keys but he will also be made to recognize that the pitch of successive tones increases progressively as one goes up the scale. This progression is expressed alphabetically by letters and by numerical counterparts to the respective tones, as well as by changes in color. These changes are also indicated by symbols for the tones. The collective effect of these changes is to dramatize tonal distinction and in doing so to implant them in the player""s memory.
The instrument disclosed in my above-identified prior patent is a unitary, self sufficient portable apparatus which operates independently of external or auxiliary devices. Consequently, the instrument can be placed at any site that suits the convenience of its player. In effect the instrument is a module that packages a sound system associated with a keyboard to produce tones that depend on which keys are being actuated, a row of puppets behind the row of keys being key-actuated to selectively raise the puppets, the puppet which is raised se to voice the tone the being reproduced.
A computerized music teaching instrument in accordance with the invention virtually carries out functions actually performed by the portable instrument disclosed in my prior U.S. Pat. No. 6,215,057, but it does so without any mechanism for these mechanisms are simulated by the computer.
Of prior art interest are the U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,763,257 and 4,704,682 to Manfred Clynes, both entitled xe2x80x9cComputerized System for Imparting an Expressive Microstructure to Successive Notes in a Musical Scalexe2x80x9d.
In the system disclosed in the Clynes patents, the notation of a musical score is fed into a computer having a sound card in which is stored the tones of the musical scale, the computer operating in conjunction with a sound system capable of reproducing the sounds stored in the card. In operation, each note from a music score entered into the computer is dig d to produce a binary signal which acts to extract from the sound card the corresponding tone whereby the successive notes of the score entered into the computer are reproduced. Thus a composer of music, at completing his score, can hear his composition performed without having to engage musicians for this purpose.
In view of the foregoing, an object of this invention is to provide a music teaching system which exploits the capability of a computer so that it affords a virtual image of an instrument for playing the tones of a music scale and functions in all respects in the manner of the music teaching instrument disclosed in my above-identified U.S. patent.
More particularly, an object of this invention is to provide a computerized music teaching system in which the computer is associated with a remote controller having a keyboard which simulates the keyboard of a piano, each of whose keys when depressed, produces a switching action that controls the computer to cause it to generate a tone whose number corresponds to the number of the key.
Briefly stated, in a computerized music teaching instrument in accordance with the invention, the computer is provided with a sound system capable of reproducing the tones of a music scale stored in a tone base, and a video screen adapted to exhibit an image of the instrument selected from a series thereof. Each of these images exhibits a keyboard having a row of numbered keys, each key representing a respective tone in a musical scale, behind which is a row of humanoid figures or puppets of progressively greater height, all puppets being shown in a reclining state except the puppet corresponding to the key in the keyboard shown in a depressed activated state, as if pressed by the finger of a player.
Associated with the computer is a remote controller provided with a keypad having an array of numbered switches corresponding to the keys on the keyboard image and operating in conjunction with a digitizer whereby when a switch on the keypad is depressed by a player, the digitizer then generates a binary signal representing the number of the depressed key.
The digital signal from the digitizer is entered in the computer and it acts to extract from the tone base the particular tone corresponding to the number represented by the signal. It also extracts from the data base of the computer and displays on the screen the image showing the depressed key on the keyboard corresponding to the depressed switch on the controller keypad. In the displayed image, the corresponding puppet is seen in an erect state, the sound of the tone then being reproduced by the sound system. The player who operates the controller produces and hears a tone whose position in a music scale depends on the number of the key on the keypad that is depressed by the player.


An olefin polymerization catalyst system comprises a solid, hydrocarbon-insoluble, magnesium-containing, titanium-containing, electron donor-containing component; an alkyl aluminum compound; and organosilane compound selected from the group consisting of branched C.sub.3 -C.sub.10 alkyl-t-butoxydimethoxysilanes.

This invention relates to olefin polymerization catalysts and particularly relates to specific silane modifier compounds useful in a supported alphaolefin polymerization catalyst system which can produce propylene polymers having a broadened molecular weight distribution.
Use of solid, transition metal-based, olefin polymerization catalyst components is well known in the art including such solid components supported on a metal oxide, halide or other salt such as widely-described magnesium-containing, titanium halide-based catalyst components. Also known is incorporating an electron donor compound into the titanium-containing component. An olefin polymerization system typically comprises a titanium-containing compound, an alkylaluminum compound and an electron donor modifier compound. The electron donor modifier used in combination with the alkyl aluminum compound and solid titanium-containing compound is distinct from the electron donor which may be incorporated within the titanium-containing compound. Many classes of electron donors have been disclosed for possible use as electron donor modifiers used during polymerization.
One class of such electron donor compounds is organosilanes. For example in U.S. Pat. No. 4,540,679, organosilanes, especially aromatic silanes are described. Use of organosilanes as cocatalyst modifiers also is described in Published U.K. Application No. 2,111,066 and U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,442,276, 4,472,524, 4,478,660, and 4,522,930. Other aliphatic and aromatic silanes used in polymerization catalysts are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,420,594, 4,525,555 and 4,565,798.
Although many organosilane modifiers have been described, it is advantageous to tailor a catalyst system to obtain a specific set of properties of a resulting polymer product. For example, in certain applications a product with a broader molecular weight distribution is desirable. Such a product has a lower melt viscosity at high shear rates than a product with a narrower molecular weight distribution. Many polymer fabrication processes which operate with high shear rates, such as injection molding, oriented film, and thermobonded fibers, would benefit with a lower viscosity product by improving throughput rates and reducing energy costs. Products with higher stiffness, as measured by flexural modulus, are important for injection molded, extruded, and film products since the fabricated parts can be downgauged so that less material would be needed to maintain product properties. Also important is maintaining high activity and low atactic levels such as measured by hexane soluble and extractable materials formed during polymerization.
The specific aliphatic silane modifiers of this invention not only are used in supported catalysts to provide high yield and low atactic products, but also produce a polymer with a broader molecular weight distribution than produced using the preferred silane described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,829,038, incorporated by reference herein, having a common inventorship to this application. Comparative data show a silane of this invention produces a better balance of properties--yield, atactic level, and molecular weight distribution--than other silanes having similar substituent groups.

Silane-modified supported polyolefin catalyst to produce a broadened molecular weight distribution product


Disclosed is a premises-fiber optical cable with a S-Z stranded-strength member, comprising: a plurality of inner tightly-coated optical fibers disposed at the central region of the optical cable and being S-Z type stranded; a plurality of inner yarns S-Z type-stranded for surrounding the inner tightly-coated optical fibers; a plurality of outer tightly-coated optical fibers S-Z type-stranded for surrounding the inner tightly-coated optical fibers and the inner yarns; a plurality of spirally-stranded outer yarns surround the outer tightly-coated optical fibers; and, an outer jacket disposed at the outer region of the optical cable for surrounding the outer yarns.

This application claims priority to an application entitled xe2x80x9cPREMISES OPTICAL CABLE WITH S-Z STRANDED STRENGTH MEMBER,xe2x80x9d filed in the Korean Industrial Property Office on Jan. 24, 2002 and assigned Serial No. 2002-4116, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical-fiber cable and, more particularly, to a premises-fiber optical cable.
2. Description of the Related Art
Premises-fiber optical cables are employed in a network for interconnecting telephone offices to each other and in a network for connecting telephone subscribers to a distribution cable. In general, the diameter of an optical fiber is substantially smaller than that of a conventional telephone cable, but the optical fiber has a wider bandwidth. However, the optical fiber can be easily damaged by a tension stress applied to the optical fiber in the longitudinal direction or by an external impact applied to the optical fiber in the diametric direction.
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a premises-fiber optical cable having a spirally-stranded strength member, and FIG. 2 is an exploded side view of the premises optical cable shown in FIG. 1. As shown, the optical cable comprises twelve tightly-coated optical fibers 110 and 130, strength members 120 and 140, a rip cord 150, and an outer jacket 160. The twelve tightly-coated optical fibers 110 and 130 include three inner-coated, optical fibers 110 and nine outer-coated optical fibers 130. The strength members 120 and 140 include an inner-strength member made of an inner yarn 120 and an outer-strength member made of an outer yarn 140.
Th above structure is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,781,433, entitled xe2x80x9cOptical Fiber Plenum Cable and Method of Making,xe2x80x9d in the names of Candido J. Arroyo, et al. Each of the inner and outer-coated optical fibers 110 and 130 comprises a core 132, a clad 134, and a tightly-coated layer 136. An exemplary inner-coated optical fiber 110 having an S-Z type stranded-lay configuration is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,828,352, entitled xe2x80x9cS-Z Stranded Optical Cable,xe2x80x9d in the name of Heinrich A. Kraft.
The inner yarn 120 surrounds the circumferences of the three inner-coated, optical fibers 110 and is spirally wound around the central member. The inner yarn 120 maintains a stranding condition of the inner-coated, optical fibers 110 and serves to buffer an external pressure applied to the optical fibers. The inner and outer yarns 120 and 140 may be made of aramid yarn. The nine, outer-coated optical fibers 130 are S-Z type stranded and surround the inner yarn 120 and the inner tightly-coated optical fibers 110. Similarly, the outer yarn 140 surrounds the circumferences of the nine, outer-coated optical fibers 130 and are spirally stranded. Together with the inner yarn 120, the outer yarn 140 serves to buffer the external pressure applied to the optical fibers. The outer jacket 160 is disposed at the outermost region of the optical cable and formed by extrusion. The outer jacket 160 may be made of a polymer such as Polyvinyl Chloride. The rip cord 150 is disposed adjacent to the inner wall of the outer jacket 160 to allow a worker to remove the outer jacket 160 easily.
Briefly, a method for manufacturing the conventional premises optical cable is as follows. First, the inner tightly-coated optical fibers 110 are S-Z type stranded. Second, the inner yarn 120 is spirally stranded. Third, the outer tightly-coated optical fibers 130 are S-Z type stranded. Fourth, the outer yarn 140 is spirally stranded. Fifth, the outer jacket 160 is formed by extrusion.
In the aforementioned conventional premises optical cable, the inner-coated optical fibers 110 and the outer-coated optical fibers 130 are S-Z type stranded about the central member, but the inner yarn 120, interposed between the inner and outer tightly-coated optical fibers 110 and 130, is spirally stranded. Therefore, in case a pressure from the outside is applied to the premises optical cable, the inner yarn 120 can not buffer the external pressure sufficiently. That is, in the section where the inner yarn 120 is stranded in the same direction of the stranding of the inner and outer-coated optical fibers 110 and 130, the inner yarn 120 is parallel to the inner and outer coated optical fibers 110 and 130, thus having a comparatively large area that is capable of buffering the external pressure. However, in the section where the inner yarn 120 is stranded in the opposite direction of the stranding of the inner and outer-coated optical fibers 110 and 130, the inner yarn 120 is stranded in a crosswise direction to the inner and outer-coated optical fibers 110 and 130, thereby having a comparatively smaller area capable of buffering the external pressure. Therefore, due to the lack of the uniformity of the buffered area, the inner yarn 120 can not achieve a sufficient buffering function.
Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems and provides additional advantages by providing premises-fiber optical cables with an improved buffering function.
In accordance with the present invention, the premises optical cable with a S-Z stranded strength member includes: a plurality of tightly-coated inner optical fibers disposed at the central region of the optical cable and being S-Z type stranded; a plurality of inner yarns S-Z type stranded for surrounding the inner tightly-coated optical fibers; a plurality of tightly-coated outer optical fibers S-Z type stranded for surrounding the circumference of the tightly coated inner optical fibers; a plurality of outer yarns spirally stranded for surrounding the tightly-coated outer optical fibers; and, an outer jacket disposed at the outermost region of the optical cable for surrounding the outer yarns.

Premises optical cable with S-Z stranded strength member


A multi-component thumb joint assembly incorporated into reconditioned end surfaces established between upper metacarpal and opposing lower proximal phalanx bones. A first component is anchored into a reconditioned end surface of the metacarpal bone and exhibits a first exposed support surface. A second component is anchored into a reconditioned end surface of the proximal phalanx and exhibits a second exposed support surface. An intermediate and spherical shaped component is supported in at least one of eccentric or rotational fashion between the first and second anchored components.

The prior art is documented with examples of joint implants including those applicable to replacing the human thumb. Examples of these include the carpometacarpal joint arthroplastic implant, jig, kit and method depicted in U.S. Pat. No. 8,167,953 to Warburton and in which a first base articulating surface is configured to articulate against a trapezium implant articulating surface.
Klawitter, US 2011/0172782, depicts a hemi-arthroplasty joint replacement implant for the base of the first metacarpal of the CMC (carpometacarpal) joint in which a spherical head articular surface is exhibited to the implant mounted to the trapezium. Additional examples of replacement joint prosthesis of a related nature and which exhibit some form of spherical or ball shaped articulating support are shown in each of US 2011/0112652, to Hansson, or U.S. Pat. No. 4,276,660, to Laure.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Implantable thumb joint assembly with spherical inter-support


A massager is provided with a housing having a first guide oriented in a longitudinal direction. A carriage is oriented in the housing and cooperates with the first guide for translation. A motor is supported upon one of the carriage and the housing and operably connected to the other for translating the carriage along the first guide. A second guide is mounted to the housing and oriented generally canted relative to the longitudinal direction. A massage member is pivotally connected to the carriage and pivotally connected to the second guide such that as the carriage is translated along the first guide, and angular orientation of the massage member is rotated relative to the carriage.

The prior art has provided various massagers, including massagers with a housing, a carriage in the housing for translation in the housing, and a massage assembly on the carriage. Examples of carriage massagers include U.S. Pat. No. 7,128,721 B2 issued to Ferber et al. on Oct. 31, 2006, and U.S. Pat. No. 7,470,242 B2 issued to Ferber et al. on Dec. 30, 2008.


An ASIC design methodology in which portions of the ASIC are implemented in silicon or other suitable semiconductor technology at an early stage in the design flow through the use of a series of interim devices. The invention provides a method in which additional portions or subsystems of the integrated circuit are incorporated into successive versions of the interim device. In this manner, the invention provides for the gradual incorporation of a plurality of architectural subsystems into the integrated device such that the synthesis and verification of each iteration is broken into manageable pieces. In the preferred embodiment, this design method is facilitated by incorporating a programmable portion into the design flow of each interim device such that each interim device includes a custom portion into which the subsystems that have been implemented in silicon are fabricated and a programmable portion. The programmable portion is useful in permitting the designer to make modifications to the subsystems implemented in the custom portion or to simulate the subsystems of the target device that have yet to be implemented in the custom portion.

1. Field of the Invention
The subject matter disclosed herein is related to the subject matter disclosed in Joly, PLD/ASIC Hybrid Integrated Circuit, U.S. Pat. No. 6,178,541, filed Mar. 30, 1998, issued Jan. 23, 2001.
The present invention relates to the field of integrated circuit design and more particularly to a method for implementing an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) through the use of an iterative process in which an increasingly greater percentage of the ASIC is implemented in the silicon.
2. Description of the Relevant Art
Integrated circuits have widespread applications in electronic systems of every variety. An integrated circuit is comprised of thousands of transistors fabricated on a monolithic crystalline lattice typically comprised of silicon or other semiconductor material. The transistors are selectively interconnected through the use of one or more conductive interconnect layers to achieve a particular functionality, typically dictated by the application to which the integrated circuit is directed.
For some well-known applications such as the more popular microprocessors and memory devices, a single device is suitable for a large number of applications and a large number of customers. Examples of such so-called commodity integrated circuits include, among others, x86 microprocessors and memory devices such as dynamic RAM (DRAM) and static RAM (SRAM) devices. Because commodity products can be sold in large quantities to a large number of customers, dedicated mask sets are typically employed in the fabrication of these devices. The relatively large one time or non-recurring engineering costs associated with the design and layout of a complex set of photomasks suitable for fabricating these commodity devices is typically justified by the extremely large number of units over which these non-recurring costs can be spread. In contrast to the commodity products, application specific or customer specific integrated circuits refer to devices that are customized for the needs of a particular application or a particular customer. Application or customer specific integrated circuits are typically limited in the number of customers or the quantity in which the devices will be sold. Because of the inherently limited markets associated with customer or application specific integrated circuits, non-recurring engineering costs have a more dramatic impact on the per-unit cost of these types of integrated circuits. To combat these relatively higher non-recurring costs associated with customer and application specific integrated circuits (collectively referred to throughout the remainder of this application as ASICs), programmable devices of many varieties have been used for a number of years. In a typical programmable device, a common mask set is used to produce a standardized integrated circuit which can be customized either in the field or at a late stage in the semiconductor fabrication process. By utilizing a common set of photomasks and processing steps, the per-unit cost of programmable integrated circuits is minimized. Programmable integrated circuits, however, are typically unable to maximize the performance and minimize the surface area required to produce a particular integrated circuit function. The sacrifice in performance and increase in surface area (and therefore, per-unit cost) is typically justified for ASICs when the lifetime or total volume of sales expected for a given ASIC is relatively low. In certain applications, however, customers require custom-built integrated circuits and can justify the non-recurring costs associated with the circuits by a large expected net sales volume. Typically, however, the large ASIC customer requires the custom-built circuit to be reduced from a conceptual or behavioral level description to an implemented circuit in silicon in a short period of time. Achieving an adequate turnaround time for the design and implementation of ASICs becomes increasingly harder as the ASIC technology evolves. Because ASIC manufacturing technology is now able to achieve millions of transistors on a single device, the task of designing a suitably complex circuit able to take advantage of this technology requires greater and greater engineering effort and cost. While electronic design automation (EDA) tools have aided in the ability of ASIC designers to reduce the time and cost associated with implementing complex circuits, the evolution or progress of EDA tools has generally failed to keep pace with the ASIC process technology. In other words, while fabrication and manufacturing improvements have enabled ASIC manufacturers to produce increasingly complex and smaller devices, the tools utilized to simplify the design task have not experienced a commensurate improvement. The net result is that ever-increasing pressures are placed on ASIC manufacturer to produce the complex circuits associated with the state-of-the-art devices in a suitable timeframe.
Referring to FIG. 1, a simplified block diagram of a conventional ASIC design flow is presented to understand the difficulty in fabricating complex ASICs in a short period of time. Initially, in the process represented in FIG. 1 by reference numeral 102, the behavior of the system in an abstract sense is defined. At this point in the process, the specific implementation of the system is left undefined and the interrelationships among the various circuit elements that will ultimately comprise the system are temporarily ignored in order to achieve a manageable model. At this stage in the process, the design of the ASIC may be entered with a schematic capture editor or other suitable EDA tool. The system designer then typically attempts to describe the behavioral model defined in process step 102 with a hardware description language (HDL) as shown with respect to reference numeral 104. A hardware description language is a highly specialized software language optimized for describing various elements and the interrelationships among the elements of an electronic system. Well-known hardware description languages include, among others, Verilog HDL and VHDL as will be familiar to those skilled in the field of integrated circuit design. After the integrated circuit has been suitably captured in HDL format, a behavioral synthesis tool is typically employed to produce an RTL representation of the ASIC. An RTL description of an integrated circuit represents a lower level of abstraction than the behavioral model without incorporating all of the in elements that will ultimately comprise the ASIC. An RTL description of an integrated circuit describes the circuit in terms of a plurality of digital registers, clocking circuits, and logic elements that are combined to implement the desired function of the integrated circuit. From the RTL description derived in process step 106, a gate level description of the device is achieved through a gate level synthesis as shown in process step 108. At the gate level, the circuit is described in greater detail than in the RTL description using a combination of common logic gates and circuits such as AND gates, OR gates, XOR gates, counters, adders, and other common logic gates. After a gate level description of the device has been achieved, suitable EDA tools can be employed to produce a netlist consisting of the list of circuit elements required to produce the ASIC and the interconnections among the various elements. From this netlist, suitable place and route programs are used to implement the circuit in a physical design that can be achieved with the process technology chosen for the fabrication of the circuit. After the physical design of the device has been produced, a mask set may be generated and the device fabricated. Suitable testing of the device may then begin to verify that the given circuit performs adequately. The simplified flow shown with respect to FIG. 1 is not meant to be representative of every stage of ASIC development but is rather intended to demonstrate the serial nature of the process. It should be further noted that, at each step represented in FIG. 1, various iterations of the process step are typically undertaken to optimize the performance of the circuit. In addition, a variety of simulation tools are available to simulate the circuit at the various levels of abstraction depicted with respect to FIG. 1.
It will be readily appreciated that the design process depicted in FIG. 1 is a serial process in which each successive step is undertaken only after the preceding step is ultimately completed. The serial nature of the conventional ASIC design flow was typically not thought to be problematic at a time when ASIC designs usually involved less than 100,000 transistors. As the circuit density and complexity of ASIC devices has steadily increased, however, it has become increasingly difficult and time consuming to complete each successive step required in the process. For example, in the time when typical ASICs incorporated less than approximately 100,000 transistors, the layout process represented in FIG. 1 by reference numeral 112 in which the circuit elements are given a physical dimension and location within the integrated circuit, was relatively routine. In addition, the time required to verify the behavior of the system using conventional simulation tools at the system definition level required an acceptably low number of iterations and could typically be accomplished within a time frame suitable for getting the device to market quickly. The problem, however, with the serial nature of the conventional ASIC design flow depicted in FIG. 1 is that the designer is unable to fully verify the device until the end of the design process at which time any mistakes in the design will require at least one or more iterations of the entire cycle.

Method for designing application specific integrated circuits


A cleaning device for beverage drafting and dispensing systems, especially dispensing systems for carbonated beverages such as sodas, colas and fruit juices, as well as beer, utilizes primarily water and a liquid chemical cleaning agent which can be induced into the drafting lines from a storage container, and from which it can be removed again after a prescribed settling time. The system includes a hydraulically controlled change valve, controlled via three solenoid valves, pressurized with tap water and enclosed in a valve housing which contains a hydraulically movable piston which, in the operating "tapping" position, provides the first flow. Such flow is intended for the beverage. On the lower part of the valve housing, the beverage container adaptor equipped with a check valve is connected and on the upper part of the housing, a line connection is made with the beverage line leading to the tapping cock. This connection through the device is accomplished by a channel surrounding the piston in the tapping position.

The present invention relates to a cleaning device for beverage drafting and dispensing systems, especially dispensing systems for carbonated beverages such as sodas, colas and fruit juices, as well as beer, utilizing primarily water and a liquid chemical cleaning agent which can be induced into the drafting lines from a storage container, and from which it can be removed again after a prescribed settling time.
Such a cleaning device does not presently exist, at least not in the configuration of the present invention with its attendant advantages. A fully automated device is described in applicant's co-pending application, Ser. No. 07/523,428. Although this device is functionally related to the present invention, the former is, however, significantly more complex than .the latter. With the exception of standard, pressurized storage containers for the commercially diluted liquid chemical cleaning agent which can be connected manually to the beverage line to be cleaned, no other devices or apparatus facilitating or easing the handling of the cleaning process of such beverage dispensing systems are known. In reality, the necessary cleaning process for such beverage lines and the associated drafting and dispensing equipment is completely manual. Whenever a particular beverage container is emptied, the operator is required to manually remove the dispensing adaptor and place in on the connecting valves of a new, full container.
Depending on the individual principles of the operating establishment, the recommendations of the manufacturer and/or government regulations, the drafting lines and/or the dispensing system should actually be cleaned during this container exchange process. For the purpose of such cleaning (and assuming that the appropriate pressurized containers with cleaning agent are installed at the site) the dispensing adaptor should actually be connected to the pressurized container containing the liquid, the chemical cleaning agent being properly diluted for the cleaning process. Since the cleaning agent container is properly pressurized, the operator now would return to the tapping cock and initiate the flow of cleaning agent by opening the tapping cock until cleaning agent would flow from the cock. The cleaning agent is generally easily recognizable due to a apparent coloration, e.g. blue.
As soon as such cleaning agent is dispensed, the operator would close the tapping cock again and allow the agent to settle in the beverage line, depending on brand and degree of dilution of the cleaning agent, for 15 to 30 minutes. After that period, the operator returns to the container site, and replaces the adaptor from the pressurized container containing the cleaning agent to a new beverage container which is also pressurized. Upon his return to the tapping cock, the operator again opens the cock, thus allowing the beverage to push out/flush the preceding cleaning agent in the beverage line. When the liquid flowing from the cock resumes the color of the beverage, the operator generally discards several portions of this beverage for safety reasons and for avoiding serving a beverage/cleaning agent mixture. Thereafter, the tapping process resumes normally.
It is easily understandable that the interruption of the regular tapping and dispensing process for such cleaning routines, requiring anywhere between 15 and 35 minutes, is hardly tolerable, especially at peak times and especially when the establishment operates only one tapping line for each type of beverage served. The mere exchanging of an empty beverage containers with a new, full one is interruption enough for the operator (or his customers), especially when the beverage containers are located remotely from the dispensing site, such as in basements, as is often the case.
It is also not very convenient for the operator to perform the cleaning routine for each beverage line at the end of his operating shift, which is many times exhaustive and lengthy, by moving back and forth between container and tapping site three times per line, taking waiting periods of 15 to 35 minutes into account for each line. Due to the expense of the specialized, pressurized container containing the diluted cleaning agent, it is very unlikely that an establishment will maintain one of these containers for each beverage line operated. It is also very unlikely, since in most cases not economically feasible, that any but the largest establishments would afford a separate, dedicated "cleaning operator" whose sole responsibility is the routine cleaning and maintenance of the beverage lines.
The logical consequence in the field is that beverage lines are not, or at least hardly ever, cleaned properly and frequently enough to assure continuous high quality of the beverages dispensed as well as highest possible hygienic status of the equipment and, therefore, compliance with the established government regulations. This is especially negative since the beverages dispensed, e.g., sodas, juices, beer, etc., are essentially food substances, and, as such, are subject to mutations or changes unless specific precautions are taken. These changes, though many times undesirable, are avoidable. One example are the changes caused by enzymes and bacteria when the food or beverage is exposed to air. Whenever these change processes take place in sodas, juices or beer, it results in significant impairment of the quality and noticeable change in taste.
Sodas, juices and beer furthermore contain substances which deposit a slime, skin or layer on the surfaces exposed to the beverage. Infrequent cleaning of such surfaces, e.g. tapping lines, dispensing systems, etc., results in a significant enhancement of such deposits. Regular and frequent cleaning with appropriate liquid chemical cleaning agents, however, results in the removal and the subsequent prevention of such deposits and/or keeps such deposits within negligible tolerances.
With the exception of the traditional method for the cleaning of beer tapping systems used in Germany and other parts of Europe, namely, the use of water and abrasive rubber cleaning balls, the present cleaning process for beverage lines, esp. for sodas, colas and/or juices does not utilize water, and, is not intended to incorporate water as an additional cleaning agent for the tapping lines, the tapping cocks, the container adaptor and/or other parts of the dispensing equipment, unless one manually disconnects the beverage lines and connects the entire system to a water supply.
Sodas and colas especially, however, do contain more or less significant amounts of sugar, glucose or other, similar substances with the specific property of depositing themselves on exposed surfaces even under flowing conditions, not to mention at still condition, and to subsequently crystalize. Primarily sugar crystals have a tendency to deposit on the surfaces of dispensing lines and system components and to develop rather resilient crusts. On the inner surfaces of tapping lines, such crusts may even be tolerated, although they are definitely detrimental to the quality and, sometimes, the dispensing speed of the dispensing process. In particular, excessive foaming of the beverage and excessive and undesirable release of carbonation due to higher flow resistance in the lines take place. Moreover, existing sugar crystals perpetuate the formation of new crystals. These crystals are even more disconcerting where moving parts of the dispensing equipment and/or seals and gaskets are concerned. The friction and/or penetration of the sugar crystals can easily result in blockage of such moving parts, their excessive and premature wear, as well as in leakages.
Based on the above situation and the associated concerns, the present invention provides a device which allows for the automatic, remote-controlled initiation of the cleaning process with a specific, liquid, chemical cleaning agent as well as for the combined, controlled cleaning and/or flushing process with clean tap water.
The above object has been achieved in accordance with the present invention with a cleaning device comprising a hydraulically controlled change valve, controlled via three solenoid valves, pressurized with tap water and enclosed in a valve housing which contains a hydraulically movable piston which, in the operating "tapping" position, provides the first flow. Such flow is intended for the beverage. On the lower part of the valve housing, the beverage container adaptor equipped with a check valve is connected and on the upper part of the housing, a line connection is made with the beverage line leading to the tapping cock. This connection through the device is accomplished by a channel surrounding the piston in the tapping position.
Furthermore, in the operating "cleaning" position, the valve provides for a second flow, such flow being intended for a water/cleaning agent mixture. On the one side of the housing, a line with such mixture is connected to the upper part of the first flow through the device and into the beverage line, while the lower part of the first flow to the beverage container adaptor, and thus into the container, is blocked by moving the piston and thus disconnecting the channel.
Furthermore, an additional hydraulic control connection (tap water connection) is made on the opposite side of the housing. The hydraulic action of the connected tap water is controlled with the three solenoid valves, the pistons of which are retained in the rest position via check valves. These check valves in the rest position provide for a connection via a channel between a valve exit opening and a valve side opening and in the opposite "operating" position, with excited solenoid, provide for a connection via a channel between a valve exit opening and a valve entry opening.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the entry opening of two of the solenoid valves is connected to the pressurized tap water source. The exit opening of one of the two solenoid valves functions as the "tap- or normal position valve," through the hydraulic control connection, and is connected with the side connection of the housing and thus with the piston. The exit opening of the other of the two solenoid valves, functions as the "cleaning- or flushing valve", and is connected to the line carrying the cleaning mixture and thus to the other side connection of the housing or the piston. The cleaning mixture carrying line leads through an adjustable dilution/dispensing device based on the Venturi-principle. The third solenoid valve functions as the "cleaning agent valve", and is integrated between the exit opening of the "cleaning - or flushing valve" and the entry to the dilution/dispensing device to form a by-pass connection to the side opening of the third solenoid valve. The exit opening of the third solenoid valve is connected with the cleaning agent entry opening of the dilution/dispensing device, and its entry opening is connected to a gravity line of a cleaning agent retention container. The side openings of the other two valves are connected with a drain hose. The solenoids of all three valves are connected to a common electrical power supply, allowing the initiation/switching of each valve via a designated switch, preferably located on a switch board near the tapping cock/dispensing site.
The cleaning device of the present invention now allows alternate connection of the tapping line either with the beverage container or the water line depending on the position of the piston. All that is required to do so is the initiation of the switches at the tapping cock which operate the appropriate solenoid valves. This eliminates the cumbersome process of the operator having to move between container and tapping site and to continuously connect and disconnect various lines, in order to, for example, flush a beverage line for cola with water and to keep the line filled with water overnight in order to dissolve possible sugar crystal in the line. This very beneficial process can be accomplished fully automatically with the push of a button.
When the solenoid valve for the chemical cleaning agent is initiated and the piston is moved to the "cleaning" position water will absorb cleaning agent which is injected into the line. The gravity injection is adjustable. The complete filling of the line with the water-cleaning agent solution or mixture becomes evident when colored liquid flows from the tapping cock. The cock can than be closed, allowing the solution to settle in the line for the prescribed lengths of time to complete the cleaning process. By again switching the cleaning valve, the operator can easily flush with clean water, thereby eliminating the need to flush with beverage as is common with the present manual process, and resume the dispensing process at leisure or the next morning, carrying only water in the lines during rest hours. This assures that no valuable beverage is being discarded, a common problem, especially with beer lines, amounting to a sizable amount depending on the length of the lines.
The cleaning device of the present invention for beverage lines assures a time and labor saving cleaning process and allows the cleaning and flushing of any beverage lines at any time. It also results in significant cost savings for the establishment, namely, no beverage loss, no need for specialized, pressurized containers for cleaning agent solution and associated equipment, elimination of regular, professional cleaning services for beer lines; etc. Significant space savings also result due to the elimination of the pressurized containers for cleaning solution and substitution by a much smaller container of concentrated cleaning agent. Due to the use of the Venturi dilution-dispensing device and the fact that the piston is operated by water pressure only, it is required to have a pressure controlled water line on site.
The configuration of the cleaning device of the present invention includes the beverage entering on the bottom and the cleaning liquid entering from the side. The flow principles of the device result in the fact that the lower portion of the device itself, as well as the adaptor to the beverage container, are not being cleaned in the normal process describe above. Although this is a relatively short line, it is still recommended to clean this section occasionally, such as over night or when changing a beverage container.
Another aspect of the present invention is the use of an adaptor integrated into the cleaning process. To perform such a complete or total cleaning process, the adaptor is configured to be removed from the beverage container and connected with a separate receptacle upon which the regular process is performed. To reinitiate the dispensing process, the procedure is reversed.
Another feature of the present invention is the arrangement of the solenoid valves in a functional block unit, allowing on the one side the connection of the adjustable diluting-dispensing device for the cleaning agent while allowing one each connection on the bottom for pressurized clean water or drain water. On top, provisions are made for hydraulic control water (i.e., set water) and hydraulic control water-cleaning agent mixture. In addition, the base block has a combination pipe housing the lines for water, drain and cleaning agent and allowing for the sideward connection of additional devices for the construction of multiline configurations.
Another advantageous aspect of the present invention involves the change valves piston-cylinder which is hydraulically activated. A significant benefit is the fact that the piston is actually activated by the hydraulic action of either the cleaning water itself or the mixture of cleaning water and cleaning agent. This results in the fact that the liquid used is either beverage or cleaning liquid, assuring that no foreign agents are introduced into the system and that all normally floated cavities are consistently cleaned. Depending on the position of the solenoid valve, the piston is activated as a hydraulic cylinder from either side.
In this respect the reliable sealing of the two flows i.e., drafting and cleaning, against each other is critical to avoid any undesirable mixing of the two during the routine dispensing or cleaning process. A good churning and whirling of water and cleaning agent is, however, critical for the effectiveness of the cleaning process. It is important that the water-cleaning agent mixture gushes across the gasket of the piston and then flows through the jet-like gap to reach the area between the throat and the piston bore. The flow through the jet-like gap results in an intensive churning sufficient to assure effective and efficient cleaning of all associated components, and ensuring a continuous exclusion of any encrusting.
The device of the present invention is also equipped with a beverage container connection adaptor with check valve. The lower end of the valve housing is equipped with a bore, which at its upper and narrow end, connects into the vertical bore of the drafting flow. Underneath is a set-bore which incorporates the upper, wider, cylindrical end of an otherwise conical connection piece. This connection piece functions as an abutment for the coil spring and, in its center, has a bore for the pin which disconnects the lower conical nipple resting on the counter surface at the connection piece of the tube jointing sleeve held under pressure of the coil spring by way of an elastic seal. A downward protruding pin on this cone is configured so that it comes to rest on a counter pin of a coupling- or connecting unit or receptacle of the beverage container when the adaptor is locked in place with a quarter-turn fastener. That configuration results in the mutual cancellation of two spring forces, allowing an open flow of beverage through the adaptor and cleaning device. Upon disconnection of the adaptor, the two valves which had been connected via pins, i.e., the one on the beverage container and the one on the change valve, return to the sealed position. This prevents any liquid from escaping the change valve or the dispensing system. Therefore, after the adaptor had been attached to the receptacle and adequately floated with water or cleaning solution, it may then be removed to allow the settling process while disconnected from the receptacle and thus to allow the cleaning of more than one adaptor with only one support receptacle for the process of cleaning entire dispensing multiline systems, a benefit which also saves time. The individual adapters can, after the settling period, be replaced on the beverage containers in which situation the beverage would be used for flushing and rinsing. Alternately, pure water can be used in a renewed cleaning/flushing process after the settling time.
Another key benefit of the present invention is the fact that the device can be used for more than one dispensing lines without requiring extensive additional equipment. One embodiment of such a multiline construction provides that each beverage line requires only the basic change valve as the adaptor to the beverage container while the hydraulic set-water line and the set-water/cleaning agent-line of each change valve are connected to a common base block. The connection of such can be made by appropriate fittings such as multiline distributors, cross pieces or similar devices or it could be configured to provide for T-junctions from one change valve to the next.
In a multiline embodiment of the present invention, switching to, e.g., the "drafting" position would result in all change valves moving into the drafting or dispensing position due to the fact that the appropriate solenoid valves cause the cylinders to change position. With a multiline construction, all interconnected beverage lines are cleaned simultaneously, initiated or controlled from one switch box near the dispensing cocks. This also means that the individual steps in operating the cleaning device (namely, changing positions of cylinders, settling times for the cleaning agent, flushing/rinsing, etc.) would also occur in parallel, thus obviating the necessity to constantly walk back and forth between cock and beverage container for one line at a time. This results in significant time savings and even more operating convenience. Also, there is an increased efficiency of equipment utilization and a corresponding material savings since a multiline configuration only requires the change valve for each beverage line and the necessary connecting lines.
There is also an enhanced flexibility to the system according to the present invention. A multiline configuration does not necessarily require the cleaning of each beverage line connected. Any line within the system may remain uncleaned if desired. As long as the drafting cock for the line in question is not opened during the cleaning operation for the other lines, the original beverage "standing on the line" under CO.sub.2 pressure will remain in the line undisturbed. In this manner, a line with rarely dispensed beverage may be cleaned at less frequent intervals, reducing the amount of chemical cleaning agent used.
If the previously described restriction of not dispensing beverage but initiating the cleaning process by opening the drafting cock when the system is switched to the "cleaning" position is undesirable, a further aspect of the system of the present invention resides in the fact that, in the case of multiline dispensing systems, each line, starting with the second line, is equipped with a change valve and an expansion block. Each expansion block, in turn, incorporates a normal position solenoid valve as well as connections for the hydraulic set-water line and the cleaning agent line leading to the appropriate change valve. The expansion block further incorporates fittings to connect to the common water line, drain and cleaning agent line of the base block and/or the adjacent expansion block for the next beverage line. Thus, a direct in-line connection from the base block with the three solenoid valves to an infinite number of expansion blocks exists.
The additional benefit of this system expansion capability is the fact that each expansion block only requires one solenoid valve, the normal position valve. Assuming further that each line now has a separate switch on the central control console to move its piston into the normal or drafting position, it becomes easy to select the lines to be cleaned and the ones not to be cleaned during a particular cleaning process. The construction of this aspect allows for an easy and cost efficient way of expanding the base system by simply interconnecting the appropriate number of expansion blocks.
The present invention also provides for the integration of a separate switch next to each tapping cock of a drafting system. This is entirely optional since the appropriate switches for each line may also be incorporated in the central control console.

Cleaning device for beverage dispensing systems


A leaf spring assembly features a stack of leaf springs having mounting couplings attached at opposite ends. The mounting couplings each have first and second mounting elements clamped together about at least a main spring and a safety spring. The safety spring has retaining elements at opposite ends each having an extension portion and a blocking portion. The extension portion extends past the end of the main spring. Here the blocking portion extends generally perpendicularly from the extension portion to block motion of the mounting coupling should failure cause it to be detached from the stack of springs. This ensures that failure does not cause complete separation of the spring stack and mounting couplings.

Leaf spring assemblies are conventionally used for suspending one component relative to another. Vehicle suspension is one example of an application using such assemblies. However a leaf spring assembly can be used in many different situations and the present invention is applicable to any of these and is not intended to be limited to vehicle suspensions.
Single point suspension systems are often utilized in heavy duty truck and trailer suspension systems. These systems typically use leaf spring assemblies featuring a plurality of individual leaf springs stacked one atop the other and connected together at approximately a center point along their length. The stack of leaf springs is connected to the frame at this center point, for example by a trunnion. At each end of the stack of springs the main leaf is connected to an axle by means of a cast or fabricated mount. These axle seats are often located on the spring stack by dowels extending into corresponding holes through the main leaf. These axle seats are typically open at the end of the spring stack in order to allow for interleaf movement.
In the event of failure of the main leaf or the dowels, the attachment would become unstable and could result in the axle coming free from the vehicle on which the leaf spring assembly is mounted as a result of the open ends. There is a demand for a safety device that compliments the locating of the mounts, for example by the dowels, by further securing the mounts to the stack of leaf springs.

Leaf spring assembly having safety spring with retaining elements


A housing combination includes a housing, and at least two antenna modules embedded at corners of the housing. Each antenna module includes an antenna carrier and an antenna radiator. The antenna carrier defines a first receiving groove and a second receiving groove opposite to each other. The antenna radiator includes a main portion and a conductive contact. The main portion is received in the first receiving groove, and the conductive contact is received in the second receiving groove. The main portion is embedded in the housing, and the conductive contact is exposed from the housing.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to housings of electronic devices, especially to a housing combination having antenna modules formed thereon and a method for making the housing combination.
2. Description of Related Art
Electronic devices, such as mobile phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), and laptop computers are widely used. Most of these electronic devices have antenna modules for receiving and sending wireless signals. A typical antenna includes a thin metal radiating element mounted on a support member, and attached to a housing. However, the radiating element is usually exposed from the housing, and may be easily damaged and having a limited receiving effect. In addition, the radiating element and the support member occupy precious space.
Therefore, there is room for improvement within the art.

Housing combination of electronic device and method

Shenzhen Futaihong Precision Industry Co., Ltd.


An adaptive inventory management system for use in a materials handling facility storing a plurality of items that are each associated with a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag. The management system including a global inventory database subsystem and a RFID interrogator subsystem comprising a plurality of RFID interrogators that are each configured to read the unique identifier of the RFID tag associated with each of the plurality of items that are within a defined boundary of at least one scan zone generated by the respective RFID interrogator and to communicate the unique identifier of the each scanned RFID tag identified within each scan zone of the respective RFID interrogator to the global inventory database subsystem. The management system being selectively configured to effect user desired levels of fidelity and/or resolution with respect to the generated unique identifier of the each scanned RFID tag within a defined space of the materials handling facility.

Supply chain management is utilized to manage the storage and movement of goods, including raw materials, work-in-process, and finished goods, from the point of origin to points of purchase or consumption. Reasons to accurately account for articles in a warehouse include tracking shipments from a bulk vendor, reduction of inventory for just-in-time manufacturing operations, reduction of shrinkage due to breakage and pilfering, managing claims against a manufacturer, and validating sales and other dispositions of articles. With continued growth and emphasis on efficiency of enterprises such as retail and warehousing operations, for both online commerce and physical brick-and-mortar stores, it is increasingly important to account for and track the actual inventory at each enterprise location in real time. The ability to identify an item and locate its whereabouts is a core competency for companies that use various forms of warehousing for product or part inventory. Companies typically invest in creating and maintaining a highly organized network for tracking its items, e.g., packages, objects, and the like, to lower costs and enhance operational efficiencies.
Conventionally, this identification and tracking function may be provided by a variety of known mechanisms and systems. Machine-readable barcodes are one way organizations keep track of items. In one example, in order to keep track of inventory, the operator typically scans or otherwise captures an image of the bar code on each item so that a back-end part of the operator's operation can keep track of what is coming in and leaving their warehouse. In addition, when an item is removed from the premises, the bar code for that item is scanned or captured to track inventory levels. Bar codes, however, have the disadvantage that personnel must manually scan each bar code on each item in order to effectively track the items.
Radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags are another known mechanism for tracking items. In contrast to barcodes, RFID tags do not usually require manual scanning. An RFID system typically includes an RFID reader and an RFID device such as a tag or label. The RFID reader transmits a Radio-Frequency ("RF") carrier signal to the RFID device. In operation, the RFID device may respond to the RF carrier signal (or interrogator signal) with a data response signal (or authentication reply signal) encoded with information stored on the RFID device. Conventionally, RFID devices may store information such as a unique identifier or an Electronic Product Code ("EPC") associated with an article or item.
To address these requirements, a system is needed that may monitor data regarding objects and efficiently extend visibility of such objects. Thus, there remains a need for an improved system that may provide more extensive and robust identification and tracking of items in a warehouse environment and to do so in a cost effective manner.


This disclosure pertains to methods and systems for selecting an end to end freight service. In one embodiment, the methods and systems disclosed herein allow for rapid and efficient selection of freight services for moving mass. In one embodiment, the methods and systems disclosed herein comprise normalizing freight service options.

The advent of an E-commerce market and improved global communications offers businesses the opportunity to operate and provide services anywhere in the world. As such, shipping products from a warehouse in the United States to a customer in China is an everyday occurrence. In fact, operating on an international scale is imperative for growing and developing a business.
Transporting goods from one country to another is a growing trend for many businesses. However, the advances in technology have yet to make an impact on the logistics side of transporting goods. Most shipping logistics are handled by physical bookkeeping and manually contacting shipping companies via telephone, email, fax, etc., to receive quotes for their services. Then, the rates are compared from all the companies to determine the best price. These methods are convoluted, messy, and time consuming. This approach to handling shipping matters stalls growth and may ruin a business, especially concerning to freight shipping.
Large scale shipping requires moving large amounts of goods (books, electronic devices, cars, etc.) using a freight, a large storage container suitable for holding large amounts of mass. Shipping by air, land, water, or some combination thereof becomes complicated on the large scale commonly practiced in the freight shipping industry. One wrong decision (or poor execution of a decision) hinders the development of a business by not meeting the demands of customers, keeping goods in stock, managing a supply chain effectively, etc. Not only are the many current methods inefficient, the cost associated with their implementation is expensive and wasteful.
There exists a need for quickly and easily selecting end to end freight services. There also exists a need for comparing various options and services without expending resources by individually and/or personally contacting multiple service providers. There also exists a need for comparing various services in a timely and efficient manner.

Methods and systems for selecting an end to end freight service


A power transmission system and an attenuation mechanism are disclosed. A power transmission system includes an electric motor, a drive wheel, a transmission shaft and an attenuation mechanism. The transmission shaft transmits a torque between the electric motor and the drive wheel. The attenuation mechanism is attached to the transmission shaft. The attenuation mechanism includes a support member and an inertia member. The support member is attached to the transmission shaft. The inertia member is disposed to be rotatable relative to the transmission shaft. The inertia member is engaged with the support member by friction.

As a type of vehicle using an engine as a drive source, vehicles equipped with an attenuation mechanism have been known so far. For example, Japan Laid-open Patent Application Publication No. 2007-320494 describes a practical example that a dynamic damper is provided for inhibiting resonance caused by vibration of a drive source.
In electric cars or high-power hybrid cars, a motor has a large inertia, whereby chances are that intense torque fluctuations occur due to input from drive wheels in traveling a winding road or in escaping from a low-μ road. There is a risk that a drive system is damaged or broken by the intense torque fluctuations. Hence, it is required to inhibit the intense torque fluctuations. For example, attaching a dynamic damper, a torque limiter or so forth is a countermeasure assumable as means for inhibiting the intense torque fluctuations.
However, in attachment of the dynamic damper as a countermeasure, a large torsion angle is required because a frequency inputted from a winding road is low in general, whereby it is concerned that the entire device is excessively increased in size. On the other hand, in attachment of the torque limiter as a countermeasure, a transmission torque is required to be greater than or equal to a drive torque, whereby it is concerned as well that the entire device is excessively increased in size. Thus, these countermeasures have a drawback that increase in size of the entire device inevitably results in increase in installation space.
In view of the above, it is an object of the present invention to provide a power transmission system and an attenuation mechanism, both of which can inhibit intense fluctuations in torque inputted thereto from a drive wheel without increasing an installation space.

Power transmission system and attenuation mechanism


Methods performed by a wireless device operating in a dormant mode comprise performing a measurement on each of a plurality of resources from a predetermined set of resources or demodulating and decoding information from each of a plurality of resources from a predetermined set of resources, such as a set of beams. The methods further include evaluating the measurement or the demodulated and decoded information for each of the plurality of resources against a predetermined criterion, and then discontinuing the performing and evaluating of measurements, or discontinuing the demodulating and decoding and evaluation of information, in response to determining that the predetermined criterion is met, such that one or more resources in the predetermined set of resources are neither measured nor demodulated and decoded. The methods further comprise deactivating receiver circuitry, further in response to determining that the predetermined criterion is met.

In any cellular system, it is of very high importance that battery powered, mobile nodes (hereafter referred to as "user equipments," or "UEs") can spend most of their time in a low activity state to preserve energy. Typically, a cellular system will have one or more defined "active" modes, where the UE is controlled by the network and is instructed to attach to a certain cell, do certain measurements etc. The system will generally also have one or more "idle" or "dormant" modes, where the UE typically listens only to certain signals from the network and makes its own decisions regarding which cell or cells to listen to, and when to report back status updates.
Most UEs in most cellular systems today spend a majority of their time in dormant mode, and therefore it is of utmost importance that the UEs can consume as little power as possible in dormant mode.
In a cellular system like as the 5th-generation radio access network (RAN) currently being defined by the 3rd-Generation Partnership (3GPP) and often referred to as "New Radio" or "NR," beamforming can be used for the transmission of cell information signals. "Beamforming" here refers to a (usually) highly directional transmission of the signal energy for a given signal or set of signals, e.g., with 3-dB beam-widths of less, often substantially less, than 90 degrees in the horizontal plane, for downlink transmissions. While conventional transmissions are shaped to some degree, e.g., to avoid transmitting excessive energy in a vertical direction and/or to direct the majority of the signal energy to a particular cell sector, the beamformed transmissions discussed herein are intentionally shaped to a greater extent, so that, for example, any given downlink beam provides useful signal strengths only within a small fraction of the area that is generally served by the transmitting node. Accordingly, to serve the entire area, the transmitting node may make use of multiple, and perhaps very many, beams, which may be time-multiplexed, frequency-multiplexed, or both.
Beamforming cell information signals or broadcast signals, such as so-called mobility reference symbols, rather than transmitting them over an entire cell, may be done for several reasons. One reason is to increase the effective antenna gain of the transmitter, e.g., to compensate for higher path loss in high frequency bands or to enable extended coverage at traditional frequencies. Another reason is to obtain a rough spatial positioning of a UE, based on the directionality of the beam.
Typically, the beamformed cell information signals will be time multiplexed between beams so that high output power can be used for each beam.


The success of anti-tumor immune responses requires effector T cells to infiltrate solid tumors, a process guided by chemokines. Herein, we demonstrate that in vivo post-translational processing of chemokines by dipeptidylpeptidase 4 (DPP4, also known as CD26) limits lymphocyte migration to sites of inflammation and tumors. Inhibition of DPP4 enzymatic activity enhanced tumor rejection by preserving biologically active CXCL10, and increasing trafficking into the tumor by lymphocytes expressing the counter-receptor CXCR3. Furthermore, DPP4 inhibition improved adjuvant-based immunotherapy, adoptive T cell transfer and checkpoint blockade. These findings provide the first direct in vivo evidence for controlling lymphocyte trafficking through CXCL10 cleavage and support the use of DPP4 inhibitors for stabilizing the biologically active form of chemokines as a strategy to enhance tumor immunotherapy.

Chemokines regulate leukocyte trafficking in healthy tissues (homeostatic chemokines) and in response to stress, infection or tissue damage (inflammatory chemokines)1. Although the mechanisms supporting chemokine-induced Leukocyte motility (chemokinesis) and directed migration (chemotaxis) have been described2, less is known about how these mechanisms are regulated through naturally occurring post translational modifications. It is known that chemokine activity can be influenced by post-translational modifications3,4, but the lack of direct in vivo evidence has limited the impact of these in vitro biochemical observations on both the field of chemotaxis and on the development of novel immunotherapies.
Dipeptidylpeptidase 4 (DPP4, also known as CD26) is an X-prolyl dipeptidylpeptidase capable of enzymatically removing the first two amino acids from proteins that possess a proline or alanine in the penultimate N-terminal position5. Under steady state conditions, DPP4 is enzymatically active both as a membrane-bound and soluble protein; and its expression extends to several tissues and biological fluids in the body6. DPP4 expression and/or activity can be modulated by inflammation and malignant transformation7,8. Although DPP4 has been documented as an important diagnostic or prognostic biomarker in several clinical settings, its role in regulating protein function in the context of disease pathogenesis is largely unknown. The one disease setting where DPP4 has been extensively studied is type II diabetes. N-terminal truncation of the incretin hormones glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) leads to the formation of antagonist forms, and constitutes a mechanism of insulin resistance in disease pathogenesis. Accordingly, DPP4 inhibitors have been developed and approved as treatment for type II diabetes patients9.
In addition to the incretin hormones, other secreted molecules possess the N-terminal consensus motive for DPP4 recognition. Notably, several chemokines have been shown to be processed in vitro by DPP43,10. Among these molecules, the pro-inflammatory chemokine CXCL10 was shown in vitro to be readily truncated. Importantly, this generated an antagonistic form that is capable of engaging its receptor, CXCR3, but does not induce chemotaxis4. Prior studies in chronic hepatitis C suggested that this phenomenon might have relevance in disease pathogenesis. Specifically, high concentrations of N-terminal truncated CXCL10 (referred to herein as CXCL10(3-77)) were correlated with treatment failure11,12. Moreover, treatment non-responders showed higher concentrations of soluble DPP4, as compared to those that achieved viral clearance12,13. Other chemokine substrates that have been characterized include CXCL12, whose truncation by DPP4 is believed to regulate G-CSF and GM-CSF mobilization of CXCR4-expressing hematopoietic stem cells14. CCL22 and CCL5 provide two additional examples that have been evaluated in vitro10,15, however in vivo evidence of altered Leukocyte trafficking is thus far lacking.
DPP4 has been described as having tumor suppressor function. Wesley et al., Cancer Res 2005; 65: (4), 2005. It has been shown to regulate the activities of mitogenic peptides implicated in cancer development. Id.

Dipeptidylpeptidase 4 inhibition enhances lymphocyte trafficking, improving both naturally occurring tumor immunity and immunotherapy

INSTITUT NATIONAL DE LA SANTE ET DE LA RECHERCHE MEDICALE (INSERM)


A motorman's cab display system includes a motorman's cab display apparatus that can automatically adjust display luminance of a display device without using an illuminance sensor. The motorman's cab display apparatus determines, based on location information of a train transmitted from a train information control system, whether the train is traveling in a tunnel, sets, when determining that the train is traveling in the tunnel, as the luminance of a display screen, luminance for inside of tunnel set in advance, and sets, when determining that the train is traveling outside the tunnel, as luminance of the display screen, luminance information for outside of tunnel set in advance. A display control method for motorman's cab display apparatuses includes: calculating a traveling location of the train; and adjusting the luminance of the display screen according to the luminance information output from a luminance determining unit.

A motorman's cab display apparatus set in a motorman's cab in a motorman's car or a conductor's compartment of a train functions as a man-machine interface of a train information control system that controls various kinds of information through a communication network in a train formation. The motorman's cab display apparatus displays, for example, operation information of the train and monitoring information of on-board apparatuses and enables a motorman to input control information into a train information control system by operating a touch panel provided on a display surface of the motorman's cab display apparatus.
Patent Literature 1 describes a head-up display that projects display contents of a motorman's cab display apparatus on a front glass and displays the display contents.

Motorman's cab display system and display control method for motorman's cab display apparatus


A ceiling grinder comprising a drive unit, a grinding wheel, which can be set in rotation by means of the drive unit, a grinding head housing, which receives the grinding wheel and has an opening allowing the grinding wheel access to the surface to be ground and a holding element for holding the grinder. The ceiling grinder also has means for producing a negative pressure within the grinding head housing, by which the ceiling grinder is held on the surface to be ground, wherein the means for producing the negative pressure comprise lamellar elements, which rotate about the axis of the grinding wheel during the grinding operation of the ceiling grinder and thereby cause within the grinding head housing an air flow that induces a static negative pressure.

Besides, such ceiling grinding machines, which are suitable for grinding not only a ceiling but also for grinding walls or other surfaces, are known in the most diverse embodiments from the prior art, for example from EP 0727281 B1. Such (ceiling) grinding machines, as is also the case, for example, of the grinding machine according to EP 0727281 B1, are frequently provided in the region of the grinding-head housing with a port for an air duct leading to a vacuum cleaner, in order to extract the air contaminated with grinding dust during the grinding operation out of the grinding-head housing.
Furthermore, from DE 202005011659 U1 there is known another grinding machine of the aforesaid type, in which, in addition to the aforesaid features, there are also provided means for generating a reduced pressure inside the grinding-head housing, so that the head part of the grinding machine, or the grinding machine—because of a force resulting from the reduced pressure—is pulled toward or held against the surface to be ground.
In this connection the hood surrounding the grinding plate therein is adjustable counter to a spring force and is equipped on its rim (pointing toward the surface to be ground) with an exchangeable slip ring, which is flush with the front side of the grinding plate during the grinding operation and thereby largely or completely seals the gap between the hood and the machined surface for a suction air flow. Hereby a reduced pressure can be generated inside the hood by means of a vacuum cleaner attached to the hood, so that the head part of the grinding machine is sucked to some degree against the wall or the ceiling and if necessary is held there against the force of its total weight. By virtue of the said means for generating reduced pressure, working with such a grinding machine is made much easier and less fatiguing for the operator, since hereby he no longer has to hold any of the weight or the total weight of the grinding machine above his head, especially during ceiling-grinding work.
Nevertheless, this machine also suffers from certain disadvantages.
In the first place, a grinding machine of such design, especially if the total weight of the grinding machine is to be held in this way against a ceiling, necessitates a particularly powerful vacuum device, which must still guarantee adequately high suction power to maintain operating safety even under difficult conditions (intense dust generation and correspondingly rapid fouling of dust filters inside the vacuum device). In the second place, the reduced pressure that can be generated inside the hood—and therefore the suction force that can be achieved against its contact face—is also dependent on adequate planarity of the surface to be ground, which in practice or in the specific application situation is not always the case. In the region of a (more or less) large irregularity of the surface to be ground, the gap between hood and surface to be machined can no longer be "largely" or "completely" sealed, whereby undesired ingress of air under the hood of the grinding head results. Hereby the reduced pressure generated by the vacuum cleaner can collapse immediately, and so the force pulling toward the surface to be ground suddenly disappears or is substantially reduced. The same problem may also occur due to operator errors, for example when the operator working with the grinding machine tilts the grinding head by a clumsy movement, whereby the reduced pressure previously prevailing in the hood suddenly collapses. The grinding machine, which at that moment may not be held adequately securely by the operator, may then separate from the ceiling (or wall) to be ground and—while the grinding plate is turning at high speed—drop to the floor, thus posing a considerable risk of injury for the operator or any other person in the vicinity. And, finally, the slip rings provided in the cited prior art are subject to rapid abrasive wear, which also leads to progressive deterioration of the necessary sealing or throttling effect of such a slip ring. Thus the slip rings must be frequently replaced in order to achieve the best possible reduced pressure.
And, finally, WO 2007/093874 A1 shows a floor grinding machine as well as a grinding disk provided therefor. The grinding disk is equipped on a mounting face turned toward the disk to be ground with a plurality of mutually independent grinding elements, which can be mounted detachably on the mounting face. However, the said floor grinding machine is not suitable for grinding ceilings, and beyond this it is neither described nor known that the said grinding elements are suitable for generating a reduced pressure.


Methods and apparatus for providing continuous availability include communicatively coupling a first node and a second node, each having at least one processor, an executing application management framework, and a first application. The first node is executing its associated first application. A plugin for the first node application management framework is executed. The plugin is dynamically loadable by the application management framework. The plugin specifies application availability rules for protecting the availability of the first application.

The use of computers has become vital to the operation of many government, business, and military operations. Loss of computer availability can disrupt operations resulting in degraded services, loss of revenue, and even risk of human casualty.
For example, disruption of financial systems, electronic messaging, mobile communications, and internet sales sites can result in loss of revenue. Disruption of an industrial process control system or health care system may result in loss of life in addition to loss of revenue. Some applications can accommodate an occasional error or short delay but otherwise require high availability, continuous availability or fault tolerance of a computer system. Other applications, such as air traffic control and nuclear power generation, may incur a high cost in terms of human welfare and property destruction when computers are not available to perform the intended processing purpose.
The classifications of high availability, continuous availability and fault tolerance may be further defined in terms of recovery point objective and recovery time objective. Recovery point objective is a measure of the amount of data loss that a system can support. Recovery time objective is a measure of the allowable downtime for a computer system after a fault.
A fault tolerant system has a relatively short recovery time objective and a recovery point objective of zero such that no loss of data is experienced. A continuously available system likewise has a relatively short recovery time objective, however, the recovery point can be non-zero because a limited amount of data loss is tolerable. The "continuous availability" is from the perspective of the end-user.
One approach for providing continuous availability relies upon a proprietary operating system running on commercially available hardware. Another approach relies upon the use of a commercially available operating system running on proprietary hardware systems. One disadvantage of such approaches is that the application may need to be tailored to the proprietary operating system or the proprietary hardware. The use of proprietary hardware or operating system software tends to increase the cost of implementation particularly as the application is scaled to handle more users or a greater throughput.

Methods and apparatus for providing continuous availability of applications


A valve drive device comprising a valve body drive mechanism including a drive gear, a driven gear for turning the valve body, and a power transmission switching part provided with a protruded part of the drive gear and a turning restriction part turnably attached to the driven gear. The turning restriction part comprises a lever part urged with an urging force toward an outer side of the driven gear. The driven gear comprises a lever turning restriction part for restricting turning of the lever part and the lever part is structured to perform a contact operation with the protruded part and a separating operation separated from a contact position with the lever turning restriction part. The valve body drive mechanism further comprises a foreign matter entry restraining part which covers at least a part of a region formed between the lever part and the lever turning restriction part.

Conventionally, in order to cool an inside of a chamber of a refrigerator or the like, a refrigerant valve device structured to supply refrigerant has been known. One of the refrigerant valve devices includes a valve drive device structured to drive a valve and adjust a supply amount of refrigerant which is supplied to an inside of a chamber (Japanese Patent No. 5615993 (Patent Literature 1)).
The refrigerant valve device described in Patent Literature 1 includes a valve body which is turnable with a position shifted to an opening of either of a refrigerant inlet and a refrigerant outlet as a center in a base provided with the refrigerant inlet, the refrigerant outlet and a valve seat face, and a valve body drive mechanism structured to turn the valve body. The valve body drive mechanism includes a stepping motor (hereinafter, referred to as a motor), a pinion which is integrally rotated with a drive shaft of the motor, and an output gear which is engaged with the pinion and is integrally turned with the valve body.
When the motor is rotated, the output gear, i.e., the valve body is also turned through the pinion which is integrally rotated with the motor. As a result, the valve body is capable of adjusting an opening degree of an opening of either of the refrigerant inlet and the refrigerant outlet to adjust a supply amount of the refrigerant.
In the valve body drive mechanism, when the pinion is rotated in a forward rotation direction, the output gear and the valve body can be turned from a first turning restricted position to a second turning restricted position which is a position obtained by rotating the motor in the forward rotation direction.
In order to adjust a supply amount of the refrigerant, when the motor is rotated in a reverse rotation direction from the second turning restricted position to the first turning restricted position, an arm part of the output gear and an abutted part of the pinion are abutted with each other and a state that a further turning of the pinion in the reverse rotation direction is restricted is obtained. Therefore, since the motor tries to continue to rotate to the reverse rotation direction in a state that rotation of the pinion to the reverse rotation direction is restricted, the motor occurs step-out. As a result, when the step-out of the motor occurs, the arm part and the abutted part are collided with each other and a noise (collision noise) may be generated.


A golf club head includes a frame having a plurality of hollow axial members extending from the front side to the rear side, and a hosel part is integrally formed with the frame. A foam resin core is deposited around the frame. A face plate is disposed at the front side of the frame. A synthetic resin covering is applied over the frame and over the core by installing the assembly of the frame and core in a mold and pouring in the synthetic resin material at a low pressure so as not to deform or shift the frame or the core and the synthetic resin fills the gaps among the frame, the core and the face plate.

The present invention relates to the club head of a golf club, particularly a golf club normally called a wood, and more specifically relates to a club head which accommodates a frame in which the club shaft is installed integrally, wherein the frame is coated with a synthetic resin material which surrounds a foam resin core that is disposed over the frame, and the invention relates to a process for fabrics of that club head.
The club head of a golf club may be comprised of a composite resin material It comprises a frame including a hosel part where the shaft is installed. It has an axial part extending from the face or striking side of the club head to the back side. A foam resin core material is applied over the outer periphery of the frame. A composite resin layer, which is formed to a prescribed thickness, covers the outer periphery of the foam resin core material.
The known club head is assembled as follows. Subsequent to the installation of a foam resin core on the frame, another composite resin layer, which covers the outer peripheral surface of the foam resin core, is thermally hardened by a heating and compressive forming method.
The above described golf club head has superior features, including its sweet spot and its light weight, because its major portions are formed from a synthetic resin. Nevertheless, it has not offered the golfer a satisfactory striking sensation, that is, it has not offered the sensation that can be obtained from a club head made of wood. According to the known manufacturing method, moreover, the hardening of the composite resin layer on the outer peripheral surface of the foam resin core by the heating and compressive forming method deforms the foam resin core unevenly as a result of the heating, and this dislocates the frame inside the core. This makes the thickness of the composite resin layer uneven, thereby giving the club head an uneven weight distribution without fixing its center of gravity.
In addition, gaps tend to be produced between the frame and the foam resin core and between that core and the surrounding composite resin layer When a golf ball is hit, the club head produces a strange sound because of the gaps.

Golf club head and process for its fabrication