A manifold joining system is provided that allows for adjustment of the relative lineal and angular position of the manifold while still maintaining a fluid seal at the points of connection. The joining system may include elements for securing the relative lineal and angular position of the manifold upon positioning the connection of the manifold as desired.

The present invention relates to a manifold joining system. More specifically, the present invention provides a system for joining a manifold together in a manner that allows for lineal and angular adjustment while providing a sealing connection of the manifold.
Many industrial processes require fluid transport and control. Associated instrumentation and hardware frequently require intricate valving, piping, and instrumentation. In some applications, controls and other instrumentation may be mounted upon or within a panel for the purposes of providing ready access and identification to an operator.
Commonly, a control or instrumentation panel will be provided with preconfigured holes or mounts for locating of valves, meters, controls and the like. As a result, during the installation or repair of the manifold associated with a particular panel, valves, controls, piping, and other items must be installed into the panel in a preset configuration as required for a particular panel. For example, where a manifold requires multiple valves, predrilled holes or other mounts provided with the panel may dictate the distance between the valves and their relative angular relationship. As a result, installation and repair of such a manifold may require matching of multiple fittings and/or cut to length tubing or piping in an effort to properly mount and position the valves or other controls within the panel. Such an endeavor can consume valuable time and materials.
Accordingly, a joining system that would allow for adjustment of the relative lineal and angular positions of a manifold while providing fluid sealing connections would be useful and beneficial in terms of materials and labor.
Objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the following description, or may be obvious from the description, or may be learned through practice of the invention.
The present invention provides a system for joining a manifold or piping system. More specifically, the present invention allows for joining a piping system in a manner that allows for adjustment of the relative lineal and angular position of the manifold while still maintaining a fluid seal at the points of connection.
In one exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a manifold joining system is provided that includes a fitting that has at least two connecting ends. Each connecting end of the fitting defines an opening to an internal fluid passageway formed by the fitting. Each connecting end includes an external surface that defines a series of threads for connecting the fitting to a manifold. The external surface located on each connecting end also defines a groove for the receipt of a sealing element. The groove is located between the opening and the series of threads on each connecting end. A pair of sealing elements is includedxe2x80x94one each being located in the groove of each connecting end. A pair of threaded locking elements are provided. One locking element is located on each connecting end and is operated over the series of threads. The locking element operates to secure the relative lineal and angular position of a manifold being joined. The external surface may also define an extension located between the groove and the series of threads. The length of the extension helps to determine the degree of lineal adjustment of the manifold joining system. The fitting may further include an additional connecting end defining yet an additional opening to the internal fluid passageway. This exemplary embodiment may also include a valve connected to one of the connecting ends. The valve is configured for receipt of the connecting end and has a sealing surface for providing a fluid seal with one of the sealing elements. The sealing element may be comprised of an o-ring; although it should be understood using teachings disclosed herein the variety of sealing elements of various configurations and materials of construction may be utilized.
In another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a manifold joining system is provided that includes a connecting element that has a first opening and a second opening. Each such opening is configured for being matingly connected to a manifold. First and second locking elements are configured with the first and second openings so as to allow the lineal and radial positions of the manifold relative to the fitting to be fixed. First and second sealing elements are provided, each being located between the first and second locking elements and the first and second openings respectively. Each sealing element is configured for allowing the fitting to be resealably connected to the manifold. An annular recess may be provided between each locking element and each opening. The annular recess is configured for receipt of the sealing element. The connecting element may define a series of threads, located approximate to each opening, and configured for receiving the first and second locking elements. The locking elements may be spaced apart from the sealing elements by a predetermined distance that determines the degree of linear and angular adjustability of this embodiment of the present invention. Furthermore, this embodiment may include a valve connected to the first opening. Such valve is configured to provide a sealing surface for contact with the first sealing element.
In still another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a lineally and radially adjustable fitting for a piping system is provided. This embodiment includes a connector that forms a fluid passageway between first, second, and third ports. The connector also defines a series of threads located externally upon each of said first, second and third ports. Locking elements are located on the series of threads of the first and second ports. The locking elements are configured for resealably securing the relative lineal position and radial orientation of the piping system relative to the connector. First and second sealing elements are located proximate to the first and second ports and operate to provide a fluid seal when the connector is attached to a piping system. The connector of this exemplary embodiment of the present invention may further define an extending surface between the first sealing element and the series of threads for the first port. A recess may be located proximate to the first port and configured for receipt of a sealing element. This embodiment of the present invention may further include a valve, connected to the first port of the connector. The valve may be configured to receive the first port and provide a sealing surface for mating receipt of the first sealing element.
In another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a manifold joining system is provided that includes a cylindrical shaped fitting that defines an internal fluid conduit that extends through the length of the cylindrical fitting between at least two openings located on the fitting. The cylindrically shaped fittings define a pair of threaded male connectors configured for connecting the fitting to a manifold. Sealing rings are located on each threaded male connector in a spaced relationship from the threads. One sealing ring is located proximate to each of the two openings. This embodiment may further include a valve connected to at least one of the threaded male connectors. The valve defines an internal surface configured for contacting at least one of the sealing rings so as to provide a fluid seal for the connection.
While the exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been discussed using the connection of valves as an example, it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the use of valves and instead may be used to connect a manifold having various types of controls or other instrumentation as may be needed for a particular process. Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to any particular materials of construction as will be understood by one of skill in the art using the teachings disclosed herein.
These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following description and appended claims. Accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate an embodiment of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.


A rinsing instrument (1) including a vibration part (30) and a spraying part (20) which can be coupled to each other. The spraying part includes a hollow cylindrical body (21) with an input end (23) and a narrow needle (25); an axially displaceable piston (22) arranged in the interior of the body, which at its free side directed away from the spraying mouth is provided with a coupling member (27) for coupling to the vibration part, for instance a threading. The vibration part includes a housing (31) which at an end is provided with a coupling member (32) for coupling to the spraying part, for instance a threading; a vibration generator (34) mounted in the housing, for instance a motor; a battery chamber (39) for receiving a battery (35) providing electrical supply to the vibration generator; a user-controllable switch (36) mounted in the housing for actuating the vibration generator.

When a dentist is going to fill a molar, and particularly when he is to treat a root canal, it is usual that he rinses the cavity in the molar or root canal, respectively, for instance to remove grains and/or debris (for instance bacteria) resulting during preceding drilling actions or rasping actions. To that end, he has a kind of syringe, i.e. a piston in a cylinder, with a sharp needle of which the end is placed in the molar or root canal, respectively. The dentist presses the piston, which presses rinsing liquid out of the cylinder, and a little jet of the rinsing liquid sprays through the needle into the cavity of the root canal. The quality of the ultimate result of the treatment, for instance the filled root canal, depends among other things of a well implemented rinsing action: in case rinsing is not performed correctly and clutter or bacteria remain behind, it is possible that for instance inflammations arise.
It has appeared that the quality of the rinsing action depends to an important extent on the expertise of the dentist in question. If he generates a rinsing jet which is too powerful, for instance by using ultrasonic rinsing techniques, there is a chance on damage to the soft tooth tissue. On the other hand, a jet which is insufficiently powerful has an insufficient cleansing action.
It has appeared that, under normal circumstances, the cleansing effect of a rinsing action is often not 100%, but that the cleansing effect can be improved by vibrating the rinsing jet. This improvement of the cleansing effect is known per se, and the state of the art involves large, complicated and expensive apparatus for generating an ultrasonic vibration, which vibration is transferred to the piston/cylinder combination by means of one or more hoses. These hoses make it difficult for the rinsing syringe to be easily handled.
Furthermore, a problem of an approach according to the state of the art is that the end tip of the sharp spraying needle vibrates wildly in transverse direction, and thus can hit wildly against the wall of the root canal to be treated, which is not only unpleasant but may also lead to damaging healthy tissue.


A drug for preventing the absorption of food materials dissolved during digestion, a drug for preventing obesity, a drug for treating hyperlipemia, a drug for treating diabetes mellitus, and a drug for preventing constipation, wherein the flocculant and other auxiliary additives at request, are coated with the aquatic enteric material.

In recent years when a great variety of foodstuffs are available abundantly, people of these days are inclined to intake excessive nutrition, and this causes obesity. For this reason, some young women minimize their intake of food in the hope of avoiding becoming obese.
However, this can cause the problem of unbalanced food intake, often causing a variety of physiological and psychological problems, such as sitiophobia and the resulting overeating.
It is generally considered that self-control of eating is desirable for preventing to be obese, but it is almost impracticable to voluntarily give up the intake of tasty food in these days, the age of gourmet.
To solve this problem, use of the reducing drugs has been proposed. In European countries and the United States, for example, Fenfluramine, Fluoxetine and other drugs are now commercially available, and Mazindol (Sandoz Pharmaceutical Ltd., Switzerland) for inhibiting the desire to eat, has also been developed. However, these are medical pharmaceuticals directly or indirectly acting upon the alimentary center and the satiety center of hypothalamus in the brain, and hence their adverse effects are unavoidable. In addition, the efficacy of these pharmaceuticals may decrease upon repeated administrations.
It is known that excessive intake of nutrition causes obesity, and sometimes leads to the so-called adult diseases, such as diabetes mellitus, heart disease and apoplexy. It has been reported that foodstuffs, that cause lipid production including cholesterol and neutral fat (triglycerides), are involved in the occurrence of cerebrovascular disorders, namely, arterioscelrosis and heart disease.
Furthermore, the increased occurrence of adult diseases in the younger generation resulting from excessive intake of nutrition has become a social problem.
It is reasonable to say that food should be restricted to prevent excessive intake of nutrion. However, various limitations of foodstuffs thus required mean the limitation of cuisine, and this gives housewives a great deal of extra labor.
When one of the family members might be at the risk of becoming obese or falling victim to an adult disease, a housewife must prepare special food, in addition to the ordinary food for the other family members. This gives her a great burden.
This stimulated the realization that fattening foodstuffs, even if taken in excessive amounts, would not cause obesity or adult disease if the excess portion of the nutritive food materials dissolved during digestion were excreted without absorption by the body.
This concept has already resulted in the applicant's invention of a drug for preventing the absorption of food materials dissolved during digestion (Japan Patent Application No. 105474 in 1988), which is characterized by the oral administration of a cavity device that allows a certain amount of the dissolved food material to be efficiently excreted with the feces.
Although the aforementioned cavity device is fairly effective, the excretion of the dissolved food material is limited, because the dissolved food material is incorporated into the aforementioned cavity device. A permeable membrane or a membrane having a valve is required for the preparation of the aforementioned cavity device. This involved problems of the difficulty in manufacturing and a high production cost.

Inhibitor of absorption of digestion product of food and drink


A basket gate mechanism, including two opposed gate segments supported at its ends by pairs of different length arms interconnected by a mechanism to coordinate the movement of the segments which are opened and closed by a double acting hydraulic cylinder simplifying the opening and closing of the gate; a linkage device to support the gates minimizing torsional stress resulting from the gate being angled, and a pair of shear plates to control the level of the solids discharged onto the conveyor.

This invention relates to a bin, hopper or ship""s cargo hold discharge gate used in controlling the flow of a particulate material out of the bottom of the bin, hopper, or cargo hold.
The cargo spaces of ships adapted to convey particulate solids in bulk, generally known as bulk carriers, generally comprise a series of cargo holds which are in many ways similar to bulk bins or hoppers used in other applications to contain similar particulate solids. In this context, by xe2x80x9cparticulate solidsxe2x80x9d is meant any particulate solid material which is normally conveyed in bulk, in high volume; typical examples are crushed coal, many mineral ores including powdered sulphur, crushed rock, salt, fertilisers, saltpetre and various types of grain. These materials are well adapted to being moved about by continuous feed machinery, typically including the use of continuous belt conveyors, bucket elevators, and the like. These materials also vary in size and bulk density from wheat, which is relatively small and of low bulk density, to minerals which can be about 20 cm or more in diameter and have a relatively high bulk density.
Although a relatively small bin, or hopper, for example as used in a truck or rail car, fitted with a gate mechanism can be emptied from the bottom relatively easily, emptying a relatively large space, such as the sections of a bulk storage facility or the holds of a bulk carrier ship, poses additional problems. In a so-called xe2x80x9cself unloadingxe2x80x9d bulk carrier, the discharge gate system is located in the bottom of each hold, which serves both to close the bottom of the hold, and, when opened, to allow transfer of the hold contents onto a first conveyor means located in a tunnel under the cargo holds. The conveyor moves the received solids along the tunnel, beneath the holds, to an elevator means which is generally at one end of the bulk cargo space, for example in the hull forecastle. The elevator moves the particulate solids essentially vertically, to a point from which they can be discharged from the ship, generally carried by a second conveyor means. In some self unloading bulk carriers each cargo hold can include two or three gate systems, together with the required tunnels and conveyers. Similar underfloor installations are used in bulk storage facilities.
In many self unloading bulk carriers the discharge gate system in each hold comprises a row of centre opening gates, so-called xe2x80x9cbasket gatesxe2x80x9d, generally located so that the central axis of opening is along the length of the conveyor beneath the gate. The bottom of the hold is tapered downwardly to the row of gates to facilitate solids flow. The length of the gate opening can be from 1 meter to 10 meters, with most gates being in the range of from about 2 meters to 7 meters. The width of the aperture when the gate is open can also be up to 2 meters.
Each basket gate mechanism typically includes two opposed gate segments, and a hydraulic cylinder system to move the segments to open and to close the gate aperture; it is also possible to use linear electrically powered actuators or pneumatic cylinders instead of hydraulic devices. A feature common to all so-called basket gates currently in use is that the gate segments move together and provide equal opening about the centre line of the gate opening; this is usually ensured by linking the segments together by a coordination mechanism. Several coordination mechanisms have been described, including lever systems (see e.g. Ward, U.S. Pat. No. 2,284,781; Leonardi et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,844,292; Gloucester R.C and W. Co., GB 2 081 198; Elder et al., WO 99/46187; Lorgard, WO 94/04444; and Dominium Magnesium Ltd, GB 1,175,179) hydraulic and pneumatic systems (see e.g. Suykens, U.S. Pat. No. 3,704,797; Hartmann Manuf. Co, GB 1,196,531; and Allis-Chalmers, GB 1,538,183) and gear systems (see e.g. Elder, WO 99/46187). The gate segments have to be substantial structures, as they have to support the load imposed by the cargo when closed, which also means that significant force can be required to move the gate segments.
Although gate openings have increased in length and width, the construction of the basket gate has hardly changed. Each box-like elongate gate segment is mounted between frames which support the top ends of the links carrying the gate segments, the mechanisms used to coordinate gate segment movement, and the hydraulic cylinders used to move them; other than at the ends of a row of basket gates, each frame generally supports the ends of two adjacent gates. The frames and mechanisms between each gate are supported by structures in the bottom of each cargo hold, and are protected by a covering structure, known as a hog back. In the known basket gate, the hydraulic system is arranged to act onto either the coordination mechanism, the ends of the gate segments directly, or at more or less the midpoint of the gate segments, with the result that for each gate at least two, and often four, hydraulic cylinders are required, which both increases first cost and hydraulic installation complexity (especially if a remote control system is used), and requires significant maintenance. Additionally, in the known basket gate systems, the conveyor placed below the gate to receive discharged solids operates at only one preset constant speed. It then follows that the only practical way to control the rate at which particulate solid material is discharged from a selected hold is to control carefully the width of the gate opening, either by separate local manipulation of each gate, or by remote control. In a bulk carrier this requires either an operative to work in an inhospitable and relatively inaccessible space, or a sophisticated control system operating a complex hydraulic system to move the gate segments. Although the control system can usually be located in a reasonably protected space, the hydraulic system is located in the tunnel under the holds, with the consequence that the hydraulic system is located in an aggressive environment and at a location in which maintenance is not easy. Similar problems arise in the construction and operation of gate discharge systems used in sub-floor locations in bulk storage facilities.
A need therefore exists for a simpler, less complex, and more compact basket gate discharge system, which will occupy a smaller space, which provides a measure of discharge rate control, and which does not require a complex hydraulic system. Such a mechanism will have applicability more generally in bulk holding bins, silos, hoppers and rail cars, and more particularly in bulk storage facilities and bulk cargo carriers.
This invention seeks to provide such a mechanism. In the basket gate according to this invention, the hydraulic system is simplified, and constructed to locate the gate in only three positions: closed, open to an operating position to discharge solids, and fully open to a clean-out position; double acting hydraulic cylinders attached between the gate ends are used to move the gate segments. The movement of the gate segments is preferably coordinated by a gear system, which can be small and compact. Additionally, the longitudinal axis of the gate is located at a small angle relative to the plane defined by the conveyor belt beneath the gate, so that the downstream end of both the gate opening and the hold opening is somewhat wider than the upstream end. In order to compensate for this angle, the mechanisms at each end of the gate which support and coordinate movement of the gate segments provide for differential movement of the gate ends so that torsional twisting of the gate segments is substantially avoided. As a further flow control measure, the downstream ends of each of the gate segments are provided with overlapping shear plates, which define the maximum depth of particulate solid which can be deposited onto the conveyor beneath the gate. The overall space requirements for the basket gate are diminished, since the supporting frames and the hog back needed to protect them are smaller, and the gate structure as a whole is significantly simplified.
In an installation designed and used for only one product, the operating position of the gate segments is chosen to provide a suitable particulate solid flow rate. In order to control the discharge rate for an installation used for several products, the conveyor control system is modified to allow the linear speed of the conveyor to be varied.
Thus in its broadest embodiment this invention seeks to provide an angled discharge gate mechanism, for use in conjunction with a hopper having at least one bottom opening, the bottom opening having an upstream end and a downstream end, through which particulate solid material discharges onto a conveyor located beneath the opening and extending along the longitudinal axis of the opening, the conveyor moving in a downstream direction, the gate mechanism including a pair of gate segments supported at their ends by linkages attached at first ends to a supporting structure and at second ends to the gate segments, which linkages also include gate segment movement coordination means, and a hydraulic system constructed and arranged to move the gate segments to provide a discharge aperture, where the hydraulic system is constructed and arranged to locate the gate segments in a position chosen from the group consisting of fully closed, operating, and clean out the longitudinal axis of the gate is located at an angle of from about 0.5xc2x0 to about 5xc2x0 relative to the plane defined by the conveyor, the hopper bottom opening is located at the same angle of from about 0.5xc2x0 to about 5xc2x0 relative to the plane defined by the conveyor, the hopper bottom opening is trapezoidal in shape, with its wider end at the downstream end of the gate furthest from the plane defined by the conveyor, the gate discharge aperture provided between the gate segments in either the operating position or the clean out position is trapezoidal in shape, with its wider end furthest from the plane defined by the conveyor and the linkages both supporting the gate segments and coordinating the movement of the gate segments provide differential movement of the gate segment ends without imposing significant torsional stress on the gate segments.
Preferably, the gate also includes two shear plates, each attached to the downstream end of each gate segment and which overlaps with the shear plate at the downstream end of the other gate segment at all three positions for the gate segments, and which control the maximum height of particulate solid material deposited onto the moving conveyor. More preferably, the distance between the bottom edge of the shear plates and the conveyor belt is sufficient to allow the particulate solid deposited onto the conveyor to adopt its normal repose angle. Additionally, the gate also includes sealing plates attached to the upstream ends of each of the gate segments.
Preferably, the conveyor is provided with a variable speed drive means, and a drive means speed controller.
Preferably, in a sequence of discharge gates, the gate longitudinal axes are all inclined at the same angle, and the upstream ends of the gates are all substantially the same distance from the plane defined by the conveyor.
Preferably, the width of the gate opening provided when the gate segments are moved to the operating position is at least 1.5 times the average particle size of a particulate solid material contained in the hopper.
Preferably, the gate supporting linkages, coordinating means and supporting structures having a first frame means adjacent a first end of the gate aperture and a second frame means adjacent a second end of the gate aperture. A pair of first linkage means including pairs of linkage arms, the arms in each pair being rotatably attached at one end to the first frame means, and at the other end to spaced apart locations at each first end of the gate segments, and a pair of second linkage means including pairs of linkage arms, the arms in each pair being rotatably attached at one end to the second frame means, and at the other end to spaced apart locations at each second end of the gate segments are also included. Furthermore, the gate supporting linkages, the coordinating means and the supporting structures include a first gear means attached to the first linkage means in cooperating relationship between each pair of first linkage means, a second gear means attached to the second linkage means in cooperating relationship between each pair of second linkage means, a first gate segment actuating means connected between each first end of the gate segments, and a second gate segment actuating means connected between each second end of the gate segments. The direction of travel of the conveyor is from the first ends of the gate segments toward the second ends of the gate segments and the linkage arms in the first linkage means are each shorter than the linkage arms at the same positions in the second linkage means by an amount sufficient to minimise any torsional stress placed on the gate segments when the gate is moved between its closed, operating, and clean out positions.
Preferably, the gear means is located between one arm of a pair of arms attached to first gate segment, and the adjacent arm of a second pair of arms attached to the second gate segment. More preferably, the gear means comprises a first gear segment incorporated in one arm of a pair of arms attached to first gate segment; a first rotatable gear meshed with the first segment; a second rotatable gear meshed with the first gear; and a second gear segment attached to the adjacent arm of a second pair of arms meshed with the second gear.
Preferably, within each pair of arms, the arms are of differing length so that the gate segments slope downwardly toward the conveyor when the gate is opened.
Alternatively, the gate supporting linkages, coordinating means and supporting structures having first frame means adjacent a first end of the gate aperture and a second frame means adjacent a second end of the gate aperture. A first pair of support plate means including a first member each being attached at one end to each first end of the gate segments and rotatably at the other end to spaced part locations on the first frame means and a second pair of support plate means including a second member each being attached at one end to each second end of the gate segments and rotatably at the other end to spaced part locations on the second frame mean are also included. Furthermore, the gate supporting linkages, the coordinating means and the supporting structures include at least one gate segment movement coordinating means comprising a first link, a second link and a third joining link, each of which links has a first end and a second end and a support shaft. The first end of the first link is rotatably attached to the first member of the first pair of support plate means, the second end of the first link is rotatably attached to the first end of the third joining link, the second end of the third joining link is rotatably to the first end of the second link, the second end of the second link is rotatably attached to a second member of the second pair of support plate means, the first and second links are of substantially the same length and the third joining link is slidably attached to the shaft by a sliding engagement means constructed and arranged to maintain the third joining linkage substantially perpendicular to the shaft.
Preferably, the first and second links are the same length, and are longer than the third link. More preferably, the first and second links are the same length, and are both about twice as long as the third joining link.
Preferably, the shaft is round and the sliding engagement means comprises a tubular sleeve.


An apparatus and method are provided to identify an endpoint as a general packet radio service tunneling protocol endpoint, and configure a radio access bearer to skip a path management procedure. The apparatus and method also transmit the radio access bearer to a universal generic access network controller to prevent activation of the path management procedure to the general packet radio service tunneling protocol endpoint.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention defines a mechanism which would not activate path management for a mobile device in which a general packet radio service tunneling protocol-user plane (GTP-U) protocol would be implemented.
2. Description of the Related Art
Unlicensed Mobile Access (UMA) is an extension of Global System for mobile communication (GSM)/general packet radio service (GPRS) mobile services into the customer's premises that is achieved by tunneling certain GSM/GPRS protocols between the customer's premises and a core network (CN) over a broadband IP network. Unlicensed Mobile Access (UMA) is a complement to traditional GSM/GPRS radio coverage, used to enhance customer premises coverage, increase network capacity and potentially lower costs. UMA consortium originally developed specifications, but in late 2005 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) adopted the UMA specifications and produced generic access network (GAN) specifications.
Currently, 3GPP parties are discussing alternatives to evolve GAN even more and one strong alternative is universal mobile telecommunication system (UMTS) GAN, i.e., UMTS CS/PS access over wireless local area network (WLAN) (similar to traditional UMA). A system and method are needed that would include a mechanism to allow optimization of packet data throughput in a universal mobile telecommunications system generic access network.

Apparatus and method for removing path management


Methods and apparatus for improved calculation of redundancy information in RAID storage controllers. Features and aspects hereof provide for a firmware/software element (FPE) for generating redundancy information in combination with a custom logic circuit (HPE) designed to generate redundancy information. A scheduler element operable on a processor of a storage controller along with the FPE determines which of the FPE and HPE is best suited to rapidly complete a new redundancy computation operation and activates or queues the new operation for performance by the selected component.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to storage systems and more specifically relates to methods and structure for improved performance in computing parity in a RAID storage controller by using both hardware parity computation assist circuitry and programmed instructions for parity computation.
2. Discussion of Related Art
In RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) storage systems, logical volumes are defined and managed. A logical volume comprises portions of two or more disk drives and stores redundancy information along with user data provided by attached host systems. The redundancy information is generated and stored in conjunction with stored data such that failure of a single disk drive (or two disk drives in some embodiments) does not preclude ongoing access to the data on the logical volume. Rather, the logical volume may continue operation until such time as the failed drive is replaced and the full redundancy features are restored (a "hot swap" operation and a "rebuild" operation).
Various "levels" of RAID storage management are standardized in the storage industry. In RAID level 5, user data and redundancy information is distributed ("striped") over a plurality of storage devices (at least 3 devices). In RAID level 5, the redundancy information is the exclusive-OR ("XOR") sum of the user data. Thus, a "stripe" of data in RAID level 5 management includes a plurality of blocks of user data and a corresponding parity block that is the XOR sum of the user data in the related blocks of the stripe. In like manner, RAID level 6 defines a stripe of data as a plurality of blocks of user data and two blocks of redundancy information—typically a first parity block that is the XOR sum or the other blocks and a second block that may be also XOR parity, Galois field accumulation (also referred to as Galois field multiplication or "GFM"), or other redundancy computations. RAID level 6 can therefore keep a logical volume operating even in the event of two disk drive failures of the logical volume.
Computation of the redundancy block (or blocks) can impose a notable computational load on a general purpose processor of the storage controller. For this reason, a number of present storage controllers replace the software ("firmware") computation of a redundancy block (or blocks) with a special purpose circuit designed to assist the general purpose processor by off-loading the redundancy computations to a specially designed circuit for such computation. However, even such special purpose processors can become overloaded in a high performance storage system and/or may be less efficient for certain types of data or certain patterns of user data access.
Thus it is an ongoing challenge to efficiently compute redundancy information used in RAID storage systems and in particular in RAID levels 5 and 6 storage management.

Methods and apparatus for improved raid parity computation in a storage controller


A method and system for mucosally administering a macromolecular drug to mucosa of the oral cavity is shown. The system comprises an inner drug/enhancer/polymer layer having one surface adapted to contact and adhere to the mucosal tissue of the oral cavity and an opposing surface in contact with and adhering to an overlying inert layer. The inner layer contains from about two to sixty percent by weight of a bile salt enhancer, five to sixty five percent by weight of a hydrophilic polymer which is water soluble or swellable and an effective amount of a macromolecular drug having a molecular weight of at least 500 daltons. Polysaccharides, polypeptides and proteins are preferred forms of macromolecular drugs. The bile salt enhancer facilitates the delivery of macromolecules such as low molecular weight heparin and calcitonin. The polymer serves as a plasticizer to prevent the crystallization and/or aggregation of such macromolecular drugs. Hydroxypropyl cellulose is a particularly suitable polymer.

This invention relates to a dosage form and a method for delivering macromolecular drugs to a human or animal. More particularly, this invention relates to a dosage form and a method for delivering charged or uncharged macromolecular drugs to a warm-blooded animal by transmucosal administration and particularly to the buccal and sublingual tissues of the oral cavity.
The delivery of macromolecular drugs presents one of the greatest challenges in pharmaceutical science. Recently there has been much interest in the use of membranes of the oral cavity as sites of drug administration. Both the buccal and sublingual membranes offer advantages over other routes of administration. For example, drugs administered through the buccal and sublingual routes have a rapid onset of action, reach high levels in the blood, avoid the first-pass effect of hepatic metabolism, and avoid exposure of the drug to fluids of the gastrointestinal tract. Additional advantages include easy access to the membrane sites so that the drug can be applied, localized, and removed easily. Further, there is good potential for prolonged delivery through the buccal membrane. M. Rathbone & J. Hadgraft, 74 Int'l J. of Pharmaceutics 9 (1991). Administration through the buccal mucosa may be better accepted than rectal dosing, for example, and generally avoids local toxic effects, such as has been a problem in nasal administration. B. Aungst & N. Rogers, 53 Int'l J. Pharmaceutics 227, 228 (1989).
The sublingual route has received far more attention than has the buccal route. The sublingual mucosa includes the membrane of the ventral surface of the tongue and the floor of the mouth whereas the buccal mucosa constitutes the lining of the cheek. The sublingual mucosa is relatively permeable, thus giving rapid absorption and acceptable bioavailabilities of many drugs. Further, the sublingual mucosa is convenient, accessible, and generally well accepted. This route has been investigated clinically for the delivery of a substantial number of drugs. It is the preferred route for administration of nitroglycerin and is also used for buprenorphine and nifedipine. D. Harris & J. Robinson, 81 J. Pharmaceutical Sci. 1 (1992).
The buccal mucosa is less permeable than the sublingual mucosa. The rapid absorption and high bioavailabilities seen with sublingual administration of drugs is not generally provided to the same extent by the buccal mucosa. D. Harris & J. Robinson, 81 J. Pharmaceutical Sci. (1992) at 2. The permeability of the oral mucosae is probably related to the physical characteristics of the tissues. The sublingual mucosa is thinner than the buccal mucosa, thus permeability is greater for the sublingual tissue. The palatal mucosa is intermediate in thickness, but is keratinized whereas the other two tissues are not, thus lessening its permeability.
The ability of molecules to permeate through the oral mucosa appears to be related to molecular size, lipid solubility, and ionization. Small molecules, less than about 100 daltons, appear to cross the mucosa rapidly. As molecular size increases, however, permeability decreases rapidly. Lipid-soluble compounds are more permeable through the mucosa than are non-lipid-soluble molecules. In this regard, the relative permeabilities of molecules seems to be related to their partition coefficients. The degree of ionization of molecules, which is dependent on the pK.sub.a of the molecule and the pH at the membrane surface, also greatly affects permeability of the molecules. Maximum absorption occurs when molecules are unionized or neutral in electrical charge; absorption decreases as the degree of ionization increases. Therefore, charged macromolecular drugs present the biggest challenge to absorption through the oral mucosae.
Substances that facilitate the transport of solutes across biological membranes, penetration enhancers, are well known in the art for administering drugs. V. Lee et al., 8 Critical Reviews in Therapeutic Drug Carrier Systems 91 (1991) [hereinafter "Critical Reviews"]. Penetration enhancers may be categorized as chelators (e.g., EDTA, citric acid, salicylates), surfactants (e.g., sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)), non-surfactants (e.g., unsaturated cyclic ureas), bile salts (e.g., sodium deoxycholate, sodium tauro-cholate), and fatty acids (e.g., oleic acid, acylcarnitines, mono- and diglycerides). The efficacy of enhancers in transporting both peptide and nonpeptide drugs across membranes seems to be positively correlated with the enhancer's hydrophobicity. Critical Reviews at 112. For example, the efficacy of bile salts in enhancing the absorption of insulin through nasal membranes was positively correlated with the hydrophobicity of the bile salts' steroid structure. Critical Reviews at 115. Thus, the order of effectiveness was deoxycholate<chenodeoxycholate<cholate<ursodeoxycholate. Conjugation of deoxycholate and cholate, but not fusidic acid derivatives, with glycine and taurine did not affect their enhancement potency. Transmucosal intestinal delivery of heparin was not apparent in terms of showing prolongation of partial thromboplastin time or release of plasma lipase activity when administered through the colon of a baboon. However, significant activity was detected when the bile salts, sodium cholate or deoxycholate, were included in the formulation. Critical Reviews at 108.
Various mechanisms of action of penetration enhancers have been proposed. These mechanisms of action, at least for peptide and protein drugs, include (1) reducing the viscosity and/or elasticity of mucus layer, (2) facilitating transcellular transport by increasing the fluidity of the lipid bilayer of membranes, (3) facilitating paracellular transport by altering tight junctions across the epithelial cell layer, (4) overcoming enzymatic barriers, and (5) increasing the thermodynamic activity of the drugs. Critical Reviews at 117-125.
Many penetration enhancers have been tested and found effective in facilitating mucosal drug administration. Moreover, hardly any penetration enhanced products have reached the market place. Reasons for this include lack of a satisfactory safety profile respecting irritation, lowering of the barrier function, and impairment of the mucociliary clearance protective mechanism. Critical Reviews at 169-70. Another factor that must be dealt with for any enhancer that is to be administered through the buccal or sublingual membranes is the unpleasant taste associated with essentially all of the known enhancers. Further, in order for an enhancer to function adequately, the enhancer and drug combination is preferably held in position against mucosal tissues for a period of time sufficient to allow enhancer assisted penetration of the drug across the mucosal membrane. In transdermal technology, this is often accomplished by means of a patch or other device which adheres to the skin layer by means of an adhesive. In many instances, such as is the case in many macromolecules, the drug may crystallize or not be sufficiently soluble in the enhancer. Thus, a solvent or some other means may be required to provide the degree of drug/enhancer compatibility required to form a functioning system. The isolating of a macromolecular drug/enhancer combination to provide exposure to a designated mucosal area coupled with maintaining the drug in a physical form suitable for passage through the mucosal tissues presents unique problems which need to be overcome for an effective delivery system, particularly through mucus in the oral cavity. This problem is further exacerbated when the drug and/or the enhancer of choice are distasteful in flavor.
Oral adhesives are well known in the art. See, for example, Tsuk et al., U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,972,995; Lowey, 4,259,314; Lowey, 4,680,323; Yukimatsu et al., 4,740,365; Kwiatek et al., 4,573,996; Suzuki et al., 4,292,299; Suzuki et al., 4,715,369; Mizobuchi et al., 4,876,092; Fankhauser et al., 4,855,142; Nagai et al., 4,250,163; Nagai et al., 4,226,848; Browning, 4,948,580; Schiraldi et al., U.S. Pat. No. Re. 33,093; and J. Robinson, 18 Proc. Intern. Symp. Control. Rel. Bioact. Mater. 75 (1991). Typically, these adhesives consist of a matrix of a hydrophilic, e.g., water soluble or swellable, polymer or mixture of polymers which can adhere to a wet mucous surface. These adhesives may be formulated as ointments, thin films, tablets, troches, and other forms. Often, these adhesives have had medicaments mixed therewith to effectuate slow release or local delivery of a drug. Some, however, have been formulated to permit adsorption through the mucosa into the circulatory system of the individual.
There is nothing in the art which is directed specifically with overcoming problems associated with enhancer assisted buccal or sublingual delivery of large drug molecules wherein the drug molecule is subject to crystallization and at least one member of the combination is of objectionable flavor.
As an example, heparin, a drug having potent anticoagulation properties, is a polyanionic molecule having marginal flavor. Native heparin exists mainly in the lungs, intestine, and liver of a variety of mammals. It is also found in high levels intracellularly in mucosal mast cells, connective tissue mast cells and basophilic leukocytes. Commercial heparin preparations are mostly obtained from porcine intestinal mucosa or beef-lung. It is composed of alternating 1-4-linked uronic acid and D-glucosamine residues. The uronic acid residues are either L-iduronic acid or D-glucuronic acid; D-Glucosamine residues are either N-sulfated (major proportion) or N-acetylated (minor proportion). Thus, heparin is a polyanion exhibiting a strong negative charge at neutral pH. Heparin is extremely heterogeneous in both structure and molecular weight because the biosynthesis of the native precursors, heparinproteoglycans (M. W. 750,000 to 1,000,000), are usually not completed. Low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) refers to the fractionated or depolymerized heparin, which has a lower molecular weight than the normal commercial grade heparin, i.e. between about 4000-6000 daltons.
The anticoagulant properties of heparin have been demonstrated to be associated with binding to antithrombin III (AT III). At III is a plasma glycoprotein with molecular weight of approximately 58,000. AT III binds with thrombin very tightly in a 1:1 stoichiometric ratio, which blocks the active site on thrombin and prevents it from interacting with fibrinogen. However, the inhibition rate of thrombin with AT III is low in the absence of heparin. Heparin dramatically accelerates the rate of thrombin inactivation up to 2000-fold. Clinically used heparin can be separated into two distinct fractions according to its affinity for AT III. Approximately 33% of heparin has a high affinity for AT III, which has potent anticoagulant activity (up to 90% of the activity of the unfractionated heparin). A low-affinity heparin binds to the same site on AT III, but with approximately 1000 times lower affinity.
Although anticoagulation is its major pharmacological activity, heparin has many other functions. Heparin inhibits the proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells and renal mesengial cells, suppresses the delayed-type hypersensitivity, and inhibits angiogenesis. Other pharmacological functions of heparin include antithrombotic effect, antibacterial, antivirus, and antitumor angiogenesis, particularly in combination with cortisone. Although it has been clinically observed that heparin may induce thrombocytopenia, in vitro studies have shown that normal heparin enhances the release of platelets. Moreover, various heparin-binding growth factors can be purified with heparin affinity chromatography.
Heparin has been extensively used in many clinical applications, including cardiac surgery, peripheral vascular surgery, dialysis, autotransfusion, transplantation, the treatment of pulmonary embolism, disseminated intravascular coagulation, and venous thrombosis. The dosage is dependent on the type of application. Heparin has also been used as a prophylactic agent against deep vein thrombosis. The dose of heparin for this treatment is relatively low, e.g., 10,000 U/24 hr for subcutaneous administration. Heparin is also of value in the treatment of thromboembolic disorders, such as pulmonary embolism and arterial thrombosis. These treatments require relatively high doses of heparin, approximately 30,000 U/24 hr.
The transmucosal administration of heparin, particularly via the oral cavity by buccal or sublingual delivery, has been heretofore unavailable. However, as referenced above, there is a need for a practical means for the delivery of heparin or other macromolecules, particularly those in ionic form, by means of buccal or sublingual administration.

Transmucosal delivery of macromolecular drugs


The subject invention is a multiple access newspaper receptacle, which comprises, in general, a longitudinally extending housing with a corresponding internally disposed hollow chamber, having a dual entry access to said hollow chamber. First, there is a hinged door for entrance from the front of the box, with a second access door on back, or front of said newspaper tubular member. Each door is hinged to the tubular member and each door has integrally constructed therein a shaft member the ends of which are pivotally mounted into the tubular member, with one door being adapted to pivot from the bottom inside of the housing and the other door being adapted to be pivoted from the upper inside of the housing.

The primary application of the subject invention is to newspaper receptacles. Other potential applications include parcel drop boxes, wherein the user must extract the contents after a deposit therein of specified types of articles. The invention additionally has other applications to containers used in business or other purposes of intermediate or temporary storage of items intended for later usage. In this respect, since the primary application of this invention is to the manufacture and construction of newspaper receptacles used primarily in rural or suburban areas, the following discussion will be directed mainly to this type of container, with the understanding that the background will be substantially similar for the other types of devices and that the invention has such wider applicability.
The construction and usage of newspaper receptacles of the type used primarily in rural or suburban areas differs significantly from those used in older urban areas. In this respect, in urban areas of moderate or large-sized cities, newspaper receptacles are usually appended directly to a building, and as such they are generally offset from the road, being on the building they are generally distal from the roadway, some distance, on which the dwelling is located. In comparison, newspaper receptacles in rural areas and many suburban areas are usually affixed above the ground on a vertical stanchion positioned immediately adjacent the road. In this respect, the newspaper receptacle door, or entranceway, is almost universally faced towards the roadway. The entrance doorway is usually emplaced extremely close to the edge of the roadway travelled by the delivery vehicle to facilitate placing of newspapers inside. Frequently, the adjacent roadway is a heavily traversed thoroughfare, with vehicles passing at at moderate to high speeds a relatively few feet from the receptacle entrance door. One can readily ascertain the relative danger to the patron by the proximity of the mailbox to the roadway traffic, in view of the fact that the user must step close to the roadway traffic in order to extract the newspaper from the receptacle. The potential for vehicular-pedestrian mishaps is substantial under such circumstances, and the threat of serious injury is a very real danger. The danger lies in the fact that the patron, or any family member who seeks to obtain the newspaper from the receptacle must step in front of the box to open the doorway, and pull the paper out accordingly. Such a procedure normally entails the need to stand in front of the receptacle doorway or close thereto and this may require, in many instances, being too close to the doorway. This aspect clearly presents a potential danger by reason of the close proximity to the roadway and the traffic thereon. Yet another problem involved with the use of such newspaper boxes is the type of doorway that is employed is frequently constructed in a manner that does not lead to maximum durability. This invention is also conceived to the end of improving doorway durability.
This invention is conceived as a means to overcome the foregoing problems and devise a receptacle which avoids or alleviates, to a substantial degree, the potential for highway accidents involving persons who are extracting newspapers from a receptacle and provide improved doorway durability. The following objects of the subject invention are directed accordingly.


Disclosed is a method for improving vibration damping of a substrate, such as the underbody of an automobile. The method comprises applying a plastisol which comprises a polymeric component, a general purpose plasticizer and a rosin ester resin. The fused plastisol has improved damping behavior as determined using Dynamic Mechanical Thermal Analysis.

The objective of this invention is to provide improved vibration damping performance to metallic substrates. Examples of such substrates include, but are not limited to, those used for the construction of vehicles. More specifically, the objective of this invention is to provide improved vibration damping within the range of temperatures frequently encountered during driving, namely from −30° to 50° C. and most frequently from −10° C. to 40° C. Another objective of this invention is to provide improved vibration damping within this temperature range across the frequencies audible to humans, particularly in the low frequency range of 10 to 200 Hz as described in "Low Frequency Noise. What we know, what we do not know, and what we would like to know", Leventhall, Geoff, Journal of Low Frequency Noise, Vibration and Active Control 28, 2, pp. 79-104 (2009).
The reduction of noise, vibration, and harshness (often abbreviated as NVH) to humans is a goal of many industrial processes. Exposure to NVH comes from numerous sources, and can be mitigated by various means. For example, laminated safety glass can be comprised of acoustic interlayers which suppress sound transmission. Applications of such acoustic interlayers can include glass panes in commercial and residential buildings and automotive glazing. Other sources of NVH in vehicles include engine noise, road noise, springs and suspensions, braking, and chassis vibration. Noise suppression techniques include component design to reduce vibration and sound transmission; use of composite materials instead of metals; elastomeric sleeves or guards; nonwoven fabrics; carpet or other materials applied to the vehicle interior; foam; liquid-applied damping formulations; and objects produced from viscoelastic materials, such as bitumen or asphaltic pads. Although effective to varying extents depending on the source of the noise, these techniques suffer from limitations. For example, asphaltic pads cannot easily be placed and conformed to some locations on a vehicle body, require manual application, are subject to embrittlement, and must continue to adhere to the metal substrate in order to be effective. Some materials contribute undesired weight to the vehicle, contrary to weight reduction goals designed to improve fuel mileage. Materials which require high temperature and/or long times to cure can slow production, add cost, and result in higher energy usage.
One mode of NVH is through vibration. Polymeric materials can damp, or reduce oscillations of, a substrate by dissipating the oscillation energy with their viscoelastic behavior. A standard measurement of damping utilizes the Oberst method and apparatus. In this method, a material engineered to confer damping behavior is affixed to a stainless steel bar which has negligible damping itself. The effect of the damping material is deduced from the behavior of the sample bar compared to an untreated reference bar. Damping behavior may also be measured using Dynamic Mechanical Thermal Analysis, or DMTA. In this technique, a sample is exposed to a sinusoidal force, generally over a range of temperatures or frequencies. When heated, the modulus of a viscoelastic polymeric substance varies greatly from the glassy state at low temperatures, through the glass transition to a rubbery state, and finally to a lower viscosity molten state. The ratio of the storage modulus to the loss modulus, a value known as the tan δ, is a measure of the material's ability to damp vibrations. Higher tan δ values signify more effective damping behavior. The DMTA tan δ has been shown to correlate well with the Oberst bar testing.
Plasticized polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is well known in the automotive industry. Plasticized PVC applied as a plastisol in automotive underbody coatings and sealants, after thermal curing, can protect the vehicle from chipping by stones and other materials on the road surface. Such coatings also offer protection against corrosion, for example from salted roads. These coatings are typically formulated with general purpose plasticizers and also provide a low level of reduction of the transmission of vibrations from metallic substrates. However, the performance of these plasticized PVC coatings is inadequate to confer satisfactory vibration damping across the range of temperatures and noise frequencies typically encountered without the incorporation of additional damping techniques. These performance deficiencies are exacerbated when the desire to reduce NVH to vehicle passengers over traditional levels is considered. Despite these deficiencies, the ease of application and economy of PVC plastisols make them an appealing potential solution to the reduction of NVH should performance improvements be realized. There is a need to be able to improve plasticized PVC coating damping performance using formulations comprising general purpose plasticizers.

Polymeric compositions with improved noise suppression


A message alert system is useful for a communication device (10) having a display (12) and a processor (30). The message alert system includes a computer-readable medium (32) and a routine stored in the computer-readable medium (32) and configured for execution by the processor (30). The routine includes a first routine that receives a message having a message type, and a second routine that generates a display item (40) for the display (12) of the communication device (10) in accordance with the message type such that the display item (40) comprises information indicative of the message type of the received message and whether further messages of the message type have been received by the communication device (10). The routine may further includes a memory check routine that determines whether storing the message in the computer-readable medium (32) would result in exceeding a predetermined amount of the capacity of the computer-readable medium (32). The routine may still further include a routine that analyzes the message to determine a size thereof. In such an embodiment, the second routine generates the display item in accordance with the size of the message.

Communication devices, such as pagers, cellular telephones and the like, commonly receive not only voice messages via, for example, a voice mail system, but also textual messages. Recent advances in the display technologies have provided the capability to receive and display larger amounts of textual data. For example, cellular telephones now typically include a database for storing address book entries that may be accessed and displayed by the user. Despite the increasing reliance on such displays, the desire to provide an easily portable communication device has typically limited the size of the display to rather small dimensions.
Depending on the communication device, the user may be notified of receipt of a message via an audible, tactile, or visual alert. Visual alerts have typically included the generation of an icon on the display, the icon being indicative of a received message. To access the message, a user must usually then access a main menu providing a series of options, one of which will eventually lead to the message. As the number of features provided by the communication device grows, the user may often have to navigate through several decision screens before finally reaching a detailed description of the message.
Thus, there remains a need for a message alert system and a method of notifying a user of messages which simplifies the procedure for a user to access messages.

Message alert system and method of providing message notification


A method for providing a known good integrated circuit die having enhanced planarity from a prepackaged integrated circuit die having a surface warpage such as in a ball grid array (BGA) package is provided. A partially-depackaged integrated circuit package is affixed to a substrate with a spacer element there between such that the active surface of the die within the partially depackaged integrated circuit die is “bowed” slightly upwardly to define a convex surface. The exposed encapsulant on the now-convex surface of the mounted, partially-depackaged integrated circuit package is then lapped or ground away to a predetermined depth so that an integrated circuit die is provided having an enhanced planarity and surface uniformity.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the dense packaging of electronic circuitry and to the stacking of semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) chips also referred to as "die" or "integrated circuit die" herein. More specifically, the invention relates to a process for de-packaging warped integrated circuit die in a prepackaged integrated circuit to correct planarity imperfections to provide enhanced uniformity in the final die for use in IC stacking applications.
The invention is an enabling technology for providing a substantially planar integrated circuit die for use in the fabrication of a "neo-layer" and "neo-wafer".
2. Description of the Related Art
The ability to fabricate very thin, stackable layers containing one or a plurality of homogeneous or heterogeneous integrated circuit chips is desirable and allows high density, high speed electronic systems to be assembled for use in military, space, security and other applications.
Examples of such layers and modules are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,072,234, entitled Stack of Equal Layer Neo-Chips Containing Encapsulated IC Chips of Different Sizes, U.S. Pat. No. 6,797,537, Method of Making Stackable Layers Containing Encapsulated Integrated Circuit Chips With One or More Overlying Interconnect Layers, U.S. Pat. No. 6,784,547, Stackable Layers Containing Encapsulated Integrated Circuit Chips With One or More Overlying Interconnect Layers, U.S. Pat. No. 6,117,704, Stackable Layer Containing Encapsulated Chips, U.S. Pat. No. 6,072,234, Stack of Equal Layer Neo-Chips Containing Encapsulated IC Chips of Different Sizes, U.S. Pat. No. 5,953,588, Stackable Layers Containing Encapsulated IC Chips, and U.S. Pat. No. 7,768,113, entitled Stackable Tier Structure Comprising Prefabricated High Density Feed-through.
The stacking and interconnection of very thin microelectronic layers permits high circuit speeds in part because of short lead lengths with related reduced parasitic impedance and reduced electron time-of-flight. These desirable features combined with a very high number of circuit and layer interconnections allow relatively large I/O designs to be implemented in a small volume.
The present invention provides a stackable integrated circuit die having an enhanced planarity and uniformity for use in multi-layer, microelectronic modules such as are disclosed in the above referenced patents which permit die having different functions and therefore different areas to be stacked as if they were same size die.
A prior art process for making a "neo-chip" or "neo-layer" involves the "potting" of individual IC chips in a encapsulant or compound which supports and insulates each chip and which can be cut or diced to provide equal area layers so that chips having different sizes can be stacked in layers whose edges are coplanar with one another. The individual chips, in die form, may be incorporated into neo-wafer form for processing. Thereafter, layers are cut out of the neo-wafer and incorporated into stacks.
The prior art neo-layer processes may include the processing and stacking of chips purchased as individual die. Beneficially, chips purchased as individual die are generally "known good" die, which have been "burned in", and are therefore pre-tested prior to stacking.
Prior to stacking, one or more known good die are used to create the "neo-wafer", by locating those known good die in a potting fixture. Potting material is flowed into the fixture, which is enclosed and then the potting material is cured. The resulting "neo-wafer" is removed from the fixture and then subjected to pre-stacking process steps, including spinning on a layer of dielectric material, forming vias through that material to reach the terminals on the die in the wafer, and then forming electrical conductors on the surface of the dielectric layer leading from the die terminals. Thereafter the neo-wafer is diced into one or more layers suitable for stacking, each layer containing at least one of the known good die.
Each layer of a completed stack has electrical leads which connect the IC circuitry of the embedded chip or chips to one or more access planes, where the electrical leads are available for connection to exterior circuitry.
Major cost-saving benefits can be obtained by the sole use of "known good" die, and the use of a neo-wafer in processing one or more of such die.
Neo-stacking offers significant improvements over bare silicon die stacking, but it also proved troublesome under certain market circumstances. In particular, it is often difficult to obtain bare die because many manufacturers will only sell packaged die.
For instance, when trying to buy bare DRAM die from a particular manufacturer, it was discovered that the manufacturer would not sell bare DRAM die, but would sell the DRAM die already pre-tested and installed in prepackaged integrated circuit packages.
Because of the demand for die and the high capital investment necessary to be a mass manufacturer of them, it is difficult to induce a mass fabricator of die to supply only die as opposed to the usual finished product which is a packaged or encapsulated integrated circuit chip. Such mass fabricators are typically fully occupied with the manufacture of finished and packaged integrated circuits. Individual IC chips are not typically offered for sale either in wafer or in die form.
Even in those cases where a mass fabricator can be induced to manufacture and sell a bare functional die, the die may only be supplied in wafers or diced without testing. In other words, a die is normally tested after it is connected to its lead frame and packaged to ascertain whether it is operable as intended. Mass testing of bare die is not a procedure that many mass fabricators are equipped or even inclined to do. Therefore, a purchaser of bare die must test each die individually in order to determine its operability or the yield. Bare die testing is too limited to ensure acceptable yields, while comprehensive testing and burn-in renders bare die production cost-ineffective. These problems are sometimes referred to as the known good die or KGD problem.
Because prepackaged parts are burned in and therefore contain known good die, it is sometimes desirable or necessary to depackage the known good die within a prepackaged IC package for use in certain applications such as the above neo-processes.
A present concern in providing KGD from de-packaged IC chips is the observation that certain types of thinner IC chips (less than 250 microns thick) are provided with a non-uniform planarity, i.e., are warped inside the package encapsulant material whereby the active surface area of the IC chip having electronic circuitry defined thereon is concave.
A difficulty arises when depackaging prepackaged integrated circuit die (such as by grinding or lapping away a predetermined portion of encapsulant on the upper and lower surface of the prepackaged part) in that the die within the package may be warped across its surface. In such cases, the lapping or grinding process steps can result in the removal of an operable portion of the chip itself (i.e., the active surface of the integrated circuit die), a feature that is undesirable for use in neo-layers.
The warped die condition is due to IC package fabrication processes with the result being that the upper, active surface of the die in, for instance, a ball grid array package material is slightly concave, i.e., warped, which warped condition is exacerbated as the encapsulating material is progressively removed during depackaging.
Applicant has observed conditions in which the ends of prepackaged die are approximately 35 to 45 microns above the internal package substrate while the center of die is approximately 15 microns above the substrate. Non-planarity or warpage has been measured in some packages with a difference of about 50 microns from the end of the die to its center, which is unacceptable in certain die stacking applications.
Because of the above-described integrated circuit package conditions, processes such as grinding and lapping to depackage (i.e., to remove encapsulant material) the die can worsen the final die thickness uniformity, sometimes resulting in removal of the active IC semiconductor material from the die before the desired final die thickness is achieved.
What is needed is a method whereby known good die can be economically and practically obtained from packaged known good die and that have enhanced planarity and surface uniformity.

Method for depackaging prepackaged integrated circuit die and a product from the method


A sump filter assembly for filtering hydraulic fluid supplied by a transmission sump includes a filter housing, a support member, a retainer member, and a biasing member. The filter housing has a top surface and a bottom surface, wherein the bottom surface opposes a bottom surface of the transmission sump. The support member includes a first end portion attached to the filter housing. The retainer member is slideably connected to the support member and includes a first end portion having a retaining surface, wherein the retaining surface opposes the top surface of the filter housing. The biasing member has a first end in contact with the retaining surface of the retainer member and a second end in contact with the top surface of the filter housing.

The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present invention and may or may not constitute prior art.
A typical automatic transmission includes an electronically controlled hydraulic control circuit or system that uses a hydraulic fluid to actuate torque transmitting mechanisms, as well as to lubricate and cool the transmission. The hydraulic fluid is typically stored in a fluid reservoir, or sump, located at a bottom of the transmission. A pump connected to the sump is used to draw the hydraulic fluid from the sump and communicate the hydraulic fluid throughout the hydraulic control system.
In order to prevent damage to the control system due to unwanted contaminants that may be present in the hydraulic fluid, a filter is generally disposed in the sump and is connected to the pump. The filter includes a filter element surrounded by a filter body having an inlet for incoming hydraulic fluid and an outlet for outgoing hydraulic fluid. The filter removes the contaminants from the hydraulic fluid prior to entering the pump.
However, it is desirable that the volume of hydraulic fluid in the sump be large enough so that the filter inlet for incoming fluid is submerged in the hydraulic fluid in order to prevent air from being drawn into the filter, thus leading to air entrainment within the hydraulic fluid. Entrained air within the hydraulic fluid, in turn, reduces the control, cooling, and lubrication effectiveness of the hydraulic fluid.
Existing sump filter designs and manufacturing tolerances may lead to the filter body and filter inlet to move up and away from the bottom of the sump. The accumulated system manufacturing tolerances at the filter inlet may be, for example, on the order of 7-8 mm. As a result, the volume of hydraulic fluid stored in the sump must by increased by a corresponding amount to prevent the filter inlet from lifting out of the hydraulic fluid due to manufacturing tolerances and therefore drawing air into the filter. However, this increased volume of hydraulic fluid adds to the vehicle mass, cost, and packaging, and increases the burdens of transmission hydraulic fluid management on the system. These consequences of additional hydraulic fluid volume also negatively affect vehicle acceleration, braking, and maneuverability. Accordingly, there is a need for a transmission sump filter assembly that reduces movement of the filter inlet opening due to manufacturing tolerances in order to minimize the volume of hydraulic fluid within the sump.


An image display apparatus for displaying images based on signals of an input image is provided. A backlight emits light. A liquid crystal panel modulates light emitted from the backlight. A emission intensity calculating unit calculates an emission intensity of the backlight such that a center value of a lightness range displayable on the panel defined depending on the emission intensity of the backlight substantially agrees with a center value between maximum and minimum values of lightness of each signal of the input image. A backlight controlling unit controls light emission of the backlight such that the light is emitted with the emission intensity. A signal correcting unit corrects each signal of the input image in accordance with the emission intensity. A liquid crystal controlling unit controls modulation of the liquid crystal panel based upon the corrected signals.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image display apparatus.
2. Related Art
Conventionally, in a liquid crystal display apparatus, a luminance of a backlight has been controlled for purposes of expanding a display dynamic range, lowering consumption power, and the like.
For example, in JP-A 2005-309338 (Kokai), a luminance of a backlight is controlled so that the maximum luminance in the input image can be displayed by calculating a modulation ratio of the luminance of the backlight from the maximum luminance value in an input image.
However, when the control of the modulation ratio of the luminance is performed based on the maximum luminance value in the image, the following problem occurs. That is, in case that a range of the luminance in the input image is large, a bright portion of the input image is preferentially displayed and a dark portion of the input image is not sufficiently displayed, and consequently, deterioration of image quality is stood out such that black become like white.


A method for calibrating a projection device, the projection device being equipped with at least two controllable and regulatable light sources, which each transmit a beam component of a scanning beam. The calibration method includes defining a reference beam for the scanning beam; determining, in each instance, a dewarping function for the x-projector coordinate and for the y-projector coordinate of the reference beam, each dewarping function converting the specific projector coordinate to corresponding image coordinates, which are assigned to the image information; determining, in each instance, an offset function for the x-projector coordinate and the y-projector coordinate for all beam components, each offset function approximating the offset between the specific x- or y-image coordinate of the reference beam and the x- or y-image coordinate of the respective beam component.

The present invention relates to so-called scanning projection devices for displaying image information discretely stored, the scanning beam of the projection devices being made up of a plurality of beam components of different light sources, such as a flying spot laser raster scanner. The present invention is used for compensating for the offset between the individual beam components of the scanning beam of such a projection device.
In this case, the image formation is accomplished with the aid of a pulsed light beam, which scans the projection surface, using a particular trajectory, e.g., line by line. In this context, the intensity of this scanning beam is varied according to the image information to be displayed. As already mentioned, in the case of the projection devices in question here, the scanning beam is made up of a plurality of components of different light sources, which cover different wavelength ranges. The beam components ideally overlap in the projection plane and form a single pixel. Thus, by variation of the intensity of the individual light sources, a very large color spectrum may be represented in this manner. However, in practice, an optimal alignment of the light sources with respect to the optical construction of the projection device is rarely attained, which means that generally, an offset between the pixels of the individual beam components is present.
The image information is provided in the form of discrete scanning values. Each scanning value is assigned to an image point. These "ideal" image points are situated in a raster, which covers the entire image surface and is described by integral image coordinates of a rectilinear and, generally, orthogonal image coordinate system. Due to the optical construction, which is necessary for the alignment and deflection of the individual beam components during the scanning/projection operation, the actual trajectory of the scanning beam, that is, of the individual beam components of the scanning beam, deviates from this raster, which means that the position of the projected pixels does not correspond to the raster points. The projected pixels span the so-called projector coordinate system, which, in contrast to the image coordinate system, is not rectilinear and orthogonal, but, as a rule, curved. In this projector coordinate system, the projected pixels are assigned integral projector coordinates.
In a non-corrected pixel video stream, the image information of a particular image point would be assigned to the pixel, whose projector coordinates are identical to the image coordinates of this image point. In this instance, nearly all of the pixels would be projected differently from the corresponding image coordinates. As a result, this procedure produces image distortion.
In order to prevent this, the non-linear difference of the projector coordinates from the image coordinates is compensated for by preprocessing the image information during the projection operation. This preprocessing of the image information requires calibration of the projection device. In this context, a function is determined, which converts the projector coordinates of the pixels to image coordinates, which is referred to as dewarping.
During the projection operation, the projector coordinates of the individual, projected pixels are converted into image coordinates with the aid of this predefined dewarping function, in order to then assign the specific pixel the image information, which corresponds to its position in the image surface. Generally, the image coordinates of the real pixels are not integral. Thus, the regulation of the intensity of the corresponding light source is mostly based on not only a single scanning value of the image information, but on a mean of scanning values, in a surrounding area to be defined, of the image coordinates of the real pixel. This preprocessing of the image information allows the nonlinear difference between image coordinates and projector coordinates to be compensated for, and corresponding image distortion to be prevented.
The complexity and, consequently, the computing expenditure for the dewarping is, first of all, a function of the type of optical layout, which is selected and implemented for the alignment and deflection of the individual beam components during the scanning/projection operation, and secondly, a function of the targeted quality of the image reproduction. If the dewarping is applied to all light sources involved in the projection operation, then not only is the image distortion compensated for, but also the offset between the color components of the individual pixels, which is superimposed on this image distortion. Depending on the number of light sources involved, this is associated with a very high computing expenditure.
PCT Application No. WO 2009/025976 describes an option of compensating for the offset between the individual beam components in the projection plane largely independently of the image distortion. To that end, in an initial calibration step, an offset corresponding to the offset is initially determined for each beam/color component. According to PCT Application No. WO 2009/025976, during the projection operation, the image information is written to a temporary storage unit, in which the image information of an entire image is stored, namely, so as to be divided up according to color channels and provided with position information. In this context, the image information of each color channel, that is, the associated position information, is acted upon by the respective offset determined in advance. The image information acquired in this manner is then used as input data for a dewarping method and a compensation of image distortion based on it. In the case of PCT Application No. WO 2009/025976, the dewarping is therefore only carried out for a single light source involved with the projection operation, which limits the computing expenditure markedly.
However, the variant, described in PCT Application No. WO 2009/025976, of compensating for the offset between the individual beam components of the sampling beam of a projection device requires a relatively large temporary storage unit for the image information. For some applications, such as mobile projection devices from the area of consumer electronics, this proves to be problematic.

Method for calibrating a projection device and method for operating a projection device calibrated in this manner


A method of producing a cladding tube for nuclear fuel for a nuclear pressure water reactor includes forming a tube which at least principally consists of a cylindrical tube component of a zirconium-based alloy, where the alloying element, except for zirconium, which has the highest content in the alloy is niobium, wherein the niobium content in weight percent is between about 0.5 and about 2.4 and wherein no alloying element, except for zirconium and niobum, in the alloy, has a content which exceeds about 0.2 weight percent. The cladding tube is then annealed such that the tube component is partly but not completely recrystallized. The degree of recrystallization in the tube component is higher than about 40% and lower than about 95%. A fuel assembly for a nuclear pressure water reactor also has a plurality of such cladding tubes.

Methods of the kind which is described above are known. With such methods, cladding tubes of Zr-based alloys which contain Nb are thus produced. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,648,995 describes such a method and a cladding tube of this kind.
When a cladding tube is used in a nuclear reactor, it contains nuclear fuel, usually in the form of pellets comprising enriched uranium, usually in the form of UO2. The cladding tube with its content thus constitutes a fuel rod. Because of the very particular environment in which cladding tubes are used, different requirements must be fulfilled.
There are mainly two kinds of modern light water reactors: boiling water reactors (BWR) and pressure water reactors (PWR). In these kinds of reactors different conditions prevail which call for different requirements on the parts which form part of the reactors. In a PWR, the fuel rods are cooled mainly by water that is in a liquid phase under high pressure. In a BWR, the pressure is lower and the water which cools the fuel rods is evaporated such that the fuel rods are surrounded both by water in a liquid phase and in a steam phase. Furthermore, the fuel assemblies have different construction in a BWR and a PWR. In one kind of BWR, the fuel rods in a fuel assembly extend all the way between a top plate and a bottom plate which keep the fuel assembly together. In a PWR, on the other hand, the fuel rods are usually held in position with the help of spacers and do not reach all the way to the top plate and the bottom plate.
A fuel rod which is used in a nuclear reactor is exposed to high temperatures and pressures. Over time thereby creep phenomena occur. Such a creep should as far as possible be avoided since it can have negative effects. For example, a creep of the fuel rods may have as a consequence that they will press against the fuel pellets which are located therein. The neutron radiation to which a fuel rod is exposed when it is used may also have as a consequence that the fuel rod tends to grow with time. Also such a growth caused by neutron radiation may have undesired effects. It should therefore be avoided that the cladding tube grows to a larger extent. Modern fuel rods which are produced in suitable zirconium alloys and which undergo special heat treatments during the production often have a relatively low tendency to grow when they are exposed to neutron radiation. The tendency to grow may be reduced, inter alia in that the cladding tube during the production undergoes a final recrystallization anneal.
Through a suitable choice of the material for the cladding tube and a suitable method of production, the cladding tube can obtain suitable properties concerning for example hardness and ductility.
In the environment where the cladding tubes are used they may be subject to different corrosive attacks. These attacks may come from the outside or from the inside. The attacks from the inside often have their basis in an influence from the nuclear fuel material that is located there, so-called pellet-cladding interaction (PCI). If a crack is formed through the cladding tube (a so-called primary damage), water may penetrate in through the crack and spread along the inside of the tube. This may lead to new corrosive attacks from the inside of the tube, so-called secondary damages. A cladding tube of zirconium or zirconium-based alloys may also react with hydrogen such that hydrides are formed in the cladding tube. These hydrides may be formed from the inside of the tube, particularly if a crack has been formed such that water has penetrated into the tube. These hydrides make the tube more fragile and the probability for the formation of cracks increases. Particularly hydrides that extend in a radial direction through the tube constitute an increased risk for crack formation. Such radial hydrides may therefore speed up possible secondary damages and crack formations.
The complicated chemical, mechanical and metallurgical conditions that are the case in a nuclear reactor have lead to the fact that a very large number of suggestions have been proposed for the selection of materials and for the methods of production of cladding tubes. Even small changes in the composition of alloys or production parameters may have a large importance for the properties of the cladding tube.

Method, use and device concerning cladding tubes for nuclear fuel and a fuel assembly for a nuclear pressure water reactor


A system and methods of maintaining communication with a medical device for exchange of information, instructions, and programs, in a highly reliable manner. Apparatus and methods for accomplishing this task include:                1) The inclusion of a locating device in the system, in close proximity to an implanted device, but which does not drain the implanted device battery. The locating device may be implanted or external to the body.        2) The use of motion detection and global positioning system devices to locate elements within a communicating system for the medical device;        3) The assessment of received signal quality by elements of the system;        4) The use of a notification system for a device user who is moving out of range of communications; and        5) Documenting the absolute and functional integrity of instructions received by the medical device.

Implantable medical devices ("IMDs") exhibit growth in terms of:
a) the development of new devices which perform functions not previously performed;
b) the development of more sophisticated devices that replace previous simpler models; and
c) the number of implanted units per unit time.
Some devices perform "mission critical" functions—i.e. they stimulate heart, or brain, or deliver powerful drugs.
The devices are designed to function largely autonomously. That is, they interact with the patient in whom they are implanted ("the IMD owner"), and interact with an MD only on the infrequent occasions when the MD is present.
From time to time, the actions of these devices may result in unintended and/or harmful consequences due to:                a) improper or suboptimal programming of the device by a physician or technician;        b) a change in the condition of a patient, such that what was appropriate programming in the past, is no longer appropriate given the patients altered medical condition;        c) malfunction of the device itself;        d) malfunction of a sensor which provides information to the device; and        e) electromagnetic interference.
Under these circumstances, it is desirable to have a means of very rapidly addressing a malfunction or pseudo-malfunction [e.g. suboptimal programming], e.g. by reprogramming the device so that in the short term, one or more undesirable actions are prevented. Though the patient may go to a physician's office or seek help in an Emergency Room, these actions may require hours to days to execute. On the other hand, the ability to remotely communicate with an implantable device, and to control its function remotely, can provide a solution that is available in minutes or seconds, and can provide real-time corrections as well.
The present application addresses various aspects of the communications between an IMD and a remotely located medical professional. Whereas the preferred embodiment of the invention is an IMD, the inventive concepts described herein may be applied to other devices—medical and non-medical—as well.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Apparatus for controlling an implantable medical device


Speed adjuster devices, systems, and methods are provided. In an embodiment of the present invention, a speed adjustor device comprises an input shaft, an output shaft, and a housing. The input shaft can receive a first rotational velocity input in a first direction. The housing can receive a second rotational velocity input in a second direction such that the housing rotates relative to the input shaft. The output shaft can be coupled to the input shaft and the housing to provide an output rotational velocity. Other embodiments are also claimed and described.

Many methods and systems that couple mechanical components having different optimal rotational velocities are currently used. The typical gear box is one such system. A gear box has a gear ratio that enables an input to the gear box to be adjusted according to the gear ratio, when the gear box provides an output. For example, suppose a gear box has a gear ratio of 1 to 5 and an input of 10 revolutions per minute ("RPM"). Under normal operating circumstances the gear box, in this example, would produce an output of 50 RPM. As those skilled in the art will understand, gear boxes house numerous gears and are designed to provide numerous gear ratios. An increase in gear ratio leads to more expensive and larger gear boxes. Maintenance costs are also higher for gear boxes having increased gear ratios due to an increased number of internal components. Thus, people using gear boxes to couple mechanical components generally want to utilize smaller gear boxes.
An application that utilizes gearboxes are speed adjustors. Speed adjustors receive an input at one speed and provide an output at a different speed. Typically such a conversion is needed because mechanical components have different optimal input and output rotational velocities. The satellite reducing or increasing revolution of a variable or fixed revolving input shaft per minute into a higher or lower speed is well known. Usually applications consist in using a more efficient input of an engine (the driving or input force) into a useable slower output speed delivering an increased torque.
A good output for a standard diesel engine is between 1600 & 1800 RPM. Such engines are used in earth-moving-mining vehicles having large wheels. The large wheels need a tremendous torque at low speed because of their large size and weight of the vehicle's payload. To couple mechanical power from the diesel engine, the output of the diesel engine is converted into a high torque, low speed output by satellite gear reducers such as the "Torque Hub®" built by Fairfield Company, La Fayette, Ind. The input in this example is the engine's drive which transports power to a plurality of satellite gears surrounding the small input gear at the wheels of the vehicle. The satellite gears in turn roll inside the large static inversed gear ring, part of the fixed gear box housing assembly. The satellite gear assembly rotates at a slower speed than the input shaft within the fixed inversed gear ring and further transfers the rotational power to the wheels at an increased useable torque. The gear box is mounted to the frame of the vehicle so that the torque of the output of the gear box is transferred to the large wheels.
While serving their respective purposes, currently used speed adjusters have drawbacks and can be improved. An ideal speed adjuster would utilize the smallest possible gear box for a give set of design constraints. In addition, current speed adjustors are not optimally designed to couple the rotational force of multiple inputs to a single output.