A tire air pressure surveillance system is provided with plural air pressure detecting devices disposed in plural tires respectively for detecting air pressure therein and for sending detected results by radio, a receiving device for receiving the detected results from the air pressure detecting devices by radio, and a monitor device for monitoring air pressure in the tires based on the detected results received by the receiving device. The air pressure detecting devices send sensor ID along with the detected results for distinguishing each air pressure detecting device. The sensor ID beforehand memorized in EEPRROM of the monitor device as determination sensor ID is broadcast-sent to the receiving device through a local area network at a predetermined interval. Only the detected results along with the sensor ID corresponding to the determination sensor ID are sent to the monitor device by the receiving device.

A tire air pressure surveillance system is provided with air pressure detecting devices disposed in vehicle tires for detecting air pressure in the vehicle tires and for sending air pressure information, and a receiving device for receiving the air pressure information sent from the air pressure detecting devices. The tire air pressure surveillance system monitors air pressure in the vehicle tires based on the air pressure information received by the receiving device, so that the vehicle having air-injection type tires are traveling securely.
In the above-described tire air pressure surveillance system, it is necessary to distinguish whether or not the received air pressure information corresponds to the own vehicle, in order to prevent the air pressure state of the tires of the own vehicle from being mistakenly determined based on the air pressure information from air pressure detecting devices of tires of other vehicles. Moreover, in order to accurately determine the air pressure state in each tire of the own vehicle, it is necessary to distinguish the received air pressure information of each tire.
Therefore, distinguishing information is given to each of the air pressure detecting devices. The distinguishing information of the air pressure detecting devices of the tires of the own vehicle is beforehand registered in the receiving device. Furthermore, the air pressure detecting devices send the air pressure information along with the distinguishing information by radio. By comparing the received distinguishing information and the distinguishing information memorized beforehand in the receiving device, it is determined which tire the air pressure information corresponds to (for example, referring to JP-A-2001-322411).
However, the air pressure information from tires of the other vehicles approaching the own vehicle is also received by the receiving device of the every vehicle, and the comparison of the distinguishing information of the air pressure information between the own vehicle and the other vehicles is also performed by the receiving device. Therefore, a process load of the receiving device is increased when traffic is busy.
In order to decrease the process load of the receiving device, a monitor device can be provided to be separated from the receiving device, for monitoring air pressure based on the air pressure information received by the receiving device. That is, the monitor device monitors the air pressure instead of the receiving device, and thereby the process load of the receiving device is reduced. In this tire air pressure surveillance system, the distinguishing information is beforehand memorized as determination information in the receiving device, and only the air pressure information having the distinguishing information corresponding to the determination information is sent to the monitor device. Therefore, it is necessary to provide a memorizing device in the receiving device for memorizing the determination information beforehand, and thereby cost of the receiving device is increased. Moreover, when a tire is exchanged, it is necessary to memorize the distinguishing information (determination information) of the air pressure detecting device of the new tire, in each receiving device again when multiple receiving devices are provided in the vehicle.


According to one embodiment, an imprint template manufacturing apparatus includes: a supply head that supplies a liquid-repellent material in liquid form to a template having a convex portion where a concavo-convex pattern is formed on a stage; a moving mechanism that moves the stage and the supply head relatively in a direction along the stage; a controller that controls the supply head and the moving mechanism such that the supply head applies the liquid-repellent material to at least a side surface of the convex portion so as to avoid the concavo-convex pattern; and a cleaning unit that supplies a liquid to the template coated with the liquid-repellent material. The liquid-repellent material contains a liquid-repellent component and a non-liquid-repellent component that react with the surface of the template, and a volatile solvent that dissolves the liquid-repellent component. The liquid is a fluorine-based volatile solvent that dissolves the non-liquid-repellent component.

In recent years, an imprinting method has been proposed as a method for forming a fine pattern on a workpiece such as a semiconductor substrate. In this imprinting method, a mold (master) having a concavo-convex pattern formed thereon is pressed against the surface of a liquid transfer-receiving material (for example, photocurable resin) applied on a workpiece. Then, light is irradiated from the mold side to the liquid transfer-receiving material, and the mold is removed from the cured transfer-receiving material. Thereby, the concavo-convex pattern is transferred to the transfer-receiving material. A template is used as the mold to be pressed against the surface of the liquid transfer-receiving material. This template is also called mold, imprint mold or stamper.
The template is formed of quartz or the like having high translucency so that light such as ultraviolet rays is easily transmitted in a step (transfer step) of curing the transfer-receiving material. The template is provided with a convex portion (convexity) on its main surface, and the above-described concavo-convex pattern to be pressed against the liquid transfer-receiving material is formed on the convex portion. For example, the convex portion having a concavo-convex pattern is referred to as "mesa portion", and a portion other than the mesa portion on the main surface of the template is referred to as "off-mesa portion".
However, when the template is pressed against the liquid transfer-receiving material, the liquid transfer-receiving material seeps out from the end of the convex portion. Although it is a small amount, the liquid transfer-receiving material having seeped out may sometimes be raised along the side surface (side wall) of the convex portion. The transfer-receiving material adhering to the side surface of the convex portion is cured in that state by light irradiation. Accordingly, when the template is separated from the transfer-receiving material, a raised portion is present in the transfer-receiving material, resulting in the occurrence of pattern abnormality.
In addition, when the template is separated from the transfer-receiving material, the raised portion of the transfer-receiving material sticks to the template. It thereafter may drop on the transfer-receiving material at some timing and become dust. If the template is pressed onto the dropped dust, the concavo-convex pattern on the template may be damaged, or the dropped dust enters in the concavo-convex pattern on the template and becomes foreign matter. As a result, template abnormality occurs. Further, if pattern transfer is continuously performed using a template having such a damaged concavo-convex pattern or a template into which a foreign matter has entered, a defect is generated in the pattern of the transfer-receiving material, resulting in the occurrence of pattern abnormality.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Imprint template manufacturing apparatus and imprint template manufacturing method


A latch is provided, the latch having: a fork bolt that moves between an unlatched position and a latched position; a first detent lever that that cooperates with the fork bolt and moves between an engaged position and a disengaged position; a hold open lever for biasing against the first detent lever when the first detent lever is in the released position; and a single switch that is activated only when the first detent lever is moved from the engaged position towards the disengaged position and when the fork bolt moves from the unlatched position towards the latched position, wherein the latch does not have any other switches.

A vehicle frequently includes displaceable panels such as doors, hood, trunk lid, hatch and the like which are affixed for hinged or sliding engagement with a host vehicle body. Cooperating systems of latches and strikers are typically provided to ensure that such panels remain secured in their fully closed position when the panel is closed.
A door latch typically includes a fork bolt that is pivoted between an unlatched position and a primary latched position when the door is closed to latch the door in the closed position. The fork bolt is typically held in the primary latched position by a detent lever that pivots between an engaged position and a disengaged position. The detent lever is spring biased into the engaged position and thus, holds the fork bolt in the primary latched position when in the engaged position and releases the fork bolt when it is moved to the disengaged position so that the door can be opened.
The fork bolt is pivoted to the primary latched position by a striker attached to, for example, an associated door jamb when the door is closed. Once in the primary latched position, the detent lever engages the fork bolt to ensure the assembly remains latched.
Some vehicles have power unlatching mechanisms that electrically release the door latch. These power unlatching mechanisms moves the detent lever from the engaged position to the disengaged position such that the fork bolt can be rotated or pivoted to the unlatched position. However and when an external condition or force is applied to the door the door may not "pop open" freely and if the power unlatching mechanism is subsequently disengaged the detent lever returns to the engaged position by the spring biasing force and the door cannot be opened even though an electric release command was provided.
Latches mounted in the rear of the vehicle that need to be FMVSS compliant with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) usually use one switch that signals when the fork bolt is in a position other than the primary latched position. This type of latch typically uses a hold open or snow lever that keeps the detent in the released position when the latch is power released but there is an external load keeping the door closed. This condition can cause a latch to be in a primary position but the detent lever would be in the released position. Hence the door would be closed but the latch would not be latched.
In order to avoid the above described condition some latch manufactures add a switch on the detent that signals when the detent lever is in the released position. If only this detent switch is added and not the fork bolt switch then there is no way of knowing if the latch is in primary, secondary or open when the detent is being held open. Thus, typically two separate switches are employed to determine the state of the fork bolt and the detent lever.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide an automatically operated door latch assembly. More specifically, it is desirable to provide an automatically operated door latch assembly that is able to provide the status of the fork bolt and the detent lever with a minimal amount of components.


A method is presented for setting up communication parameters in a virtual private network node for connecting to at least one other node in the virtual private network. The method may include reading information from a hardware token for determining how to connect to a packet data network; reading information from the hardware token for determining how to obtain configuration information for the virtual private network node; connecting to a packet data network on the basis of information read from the hardware token; obtaining configuration information for the virtual private network node on the basis of information read from the hardware token; and using obtained configuration information for setting up the communication parameters.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to systems and methods for implementing secured IP (internet protocol) networks. Especially, the invention is related to such a method as specified in the preamble of the independent method claim.
2. Description of Related Art
At least the following acronyms are used within this specification:
BOOTPbootstrap protocol [BOOTP]DHCPdynamic host configuration protocol [DHCP]FWFirewallGPRSgeneral radio packet serviceGSMglobal service for mobile telecommunicationsIETFInternet Engineering Task ForceIPInternet Protocol [IP]IPSecIP security protocol [IPSEC]LANlocal area networkNATnetwork address translationPKIpublic key infrastructureRARPreverse address resolution protocol [RARP]SIMsubscriber identity moduleTCPtransmission control protocol [TCP]TFTPtrivial file transfer protocol [TFTP]URLuniform resource locatorVPNVirtual Private NetworkVRRPVirtual Router Redundancy Protocol [VRRP]WLANwireless local area network
A firewall is a device, or more accurately a set of programs protecting resources of a private network or a computing devices from outside users. Firewalls are typically located between a private network of an organization and a public network. A firewall filters the traffic between the networks, allowing certain kinds of traffic to pass and rejecting other types of traffic. A set of rules known as firewall rules determine which types of traffic are allowed in which direction, and which types of traffic are rejected. For maximum security, a firewall is typically installed in a dedicated computer whose only duty is to act as the firewall. Also so called personal firewalls are known, which typically are programs or sets of programs installed on a user's workstation, for protecting the data and programs in that particular workstation against snooping or sabotage. Various examples of firewalls are given for example in the patent U.S. Pat. No. 5,826,014.
A virtual private network (VPN) is a network, which is formed on top of another, typically an untrusted public network by using secured connections between VPN nodes. Virtual private networks are gaining popularity, since a VPN allows the LANs of remote office s of an organization to be connected without requiring a dedicted cable connection between the offices. The LAN of each site is connected to a public network such as the Internet via a VPN node, and the VPN nodes manage the transmission of traffic between the LANs, taking care of encryption and authentication. Typically, a VPN node connecting a LAN to a public network also comprises firewall functionality. Various examples of VPNs are given for example in the document RFC 2764 [Gleeson]. Connections between the VPN nodes are typically encrypted and authenticated according to the IP security protocol.
The IP security protocol [IPSEC] is being standardized by the IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force) for adding security to the well-known and widely used IP protocol. It provides cryptographic authentication and confidentiality of traffic between two communicating network nodes. It can be used in both end-to-end mode, i.e. directly between the communicating nodes or hosts, or in tunnel mode between firewalls or VPN devices. Asymmetric connections, where one end is a host and the other end is a firewall or VPN are also possible.
Conventionally, the construction of a virtual private network (VPN) is a large project for an organization, requiring large efforts in planning and implementation of the VPN. Construction of a VPN according to solutions presented in the prior art require sophisticated professional skill, whereby most organizations need to employ expensive consultants for the project. In a typical case, VP N and firewall functionality is added to existing LANs, for example for connecting local networks of two offices of the organization via the Internet. Typical phases of such a project are the following:    collecting information of the present structure of the affected LANs,    specifying the needed functionality of the VPN and firewall,    planning the structure of the VPN and defining the firewall traffic control rules,    obtaining the necessary equipment and software,    installing and configuring the software,    setting up the equipment in a test environment,    testing the setup and correcting of possible errors,    moving the equipment to production locations,    connecting the equipment to the LANs and the internet,    performing the final test,    taking the VPN into full use.
As can be seen, such a project is complicated, and requires a relatively long time to implement. However, if the organization has several remote offices connecting to a central office, the setup needed at each remote office can be replicated relatively easy after the VPN equipment at the first remote office has been configured and tested—unless the LAN configurations and/or needed functionalities vary a great amount.
Maintenance of the VPN/firewall system is also a significant source of costs. Configuration of the system must be updated, if a new LAN is to be connected to an existing VPN, or for example if the selection of protocols passed through the firewall to the Internet and back is to be changed. Typically, such configuration changes require an on-site visit of a maintenance engineer. In order to maintain the security of the systems, the software in the VPN/firewall devices need to be periodically updated to cover any faults and holes, which could be abused by malicious or spying third parties. A software update typically requires a visit by a maintenance engineer to update the software on site.
The maintenance is typically a large expense in the long run, and when combined with the expenses related to setting up of the systems in the beginning, these work related costs typically far exceed the costs of the needed equipment. More easily deployable and manageable systems are clearly needed.
Explosive growth of the Internet has strongly increased the importance of making networking equipment easier to install and manage. This is particularly true when implementing security services, such as virtual private networks, on the networks. VPNs involve routing, data encryption, public key infrastructure (PKI), data encryption, network address translation, firewalls, and many other complicated data communications and security technologies. It has become extremely difficult to find enough technical expert skilled in all these areas to configure and build such networks.
Traditionally, single networking devices have been configured using a command-line configuration method from a console port (for example, Cisco routers). Often, the command-line method is used to enable a networking port, and rest of the configuration is then performed by connecting to the networking device from a remotely located management center.
Some known devices permit configuration using a web browser. In this case, the user connects to the device through the network using the Transmission Control Protcol/Intern et Protocol (TCP/IP). Prior art includes devices that are factory-configured to use a pre-defined IP address, as well as devices that will respond to any IP address in the factory configuration. Some wireless LAN access devices will respond to any web-based requests even if the user has not already been authenticated.
There are also devices which are managed through a local area network using protocols that operate in a single ethernet network. For example, HP Color Laserjet printers can be configured using HP's management software from any Windows-based workstation connected to the local network.
Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP), together with Reverse Address Resolution Protocol (RARP), BOOTP, and/or Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) are also used to configure devices. In these systems, the device first obtains an IP address from the network, and then obtains its own configuration information using e.g. DHCP or TFTP. Examples of this kind of devices include diskless Sun Workstations in 1980's, diskless PC workstations, Windows workstations that obtain their IP address and other configuration information from DHCP. Cisco routers can also fetch their configuration file using TFTP from a configured server.
There is some prior art on configuring devices using smartcards. For example, the GSM SIM card contains the subscribers identity number and a cryptographic key for authentication. The SIM card also contains computational logic for executing an authentication an key generation algorithm on the SIM card, avoiding the need to transfer the secret key out from the card. The SIM card is used to authenticate the phone into the GSM network to allow communication. In GPRS, the GSM Packet Radio Systems, each phone can have an IP address. The GSM terminal (cellular phone) uses the SIM card to authenticate itself to the network, and obtains an IP address from the network.
Mobile IP defines a framework for an IP-based registration mechanism, whereby a mobile node can obtain information about foreign agents, can register to a foreign agent, and can obtain limited configuration information, such as a care-of-address from the foreign agent. There is also an authentication mechanism for Mobile IP proposed by Nokia that is based on using GSM SIM cards for authentication.
Security-aware devices for the Internet usually implement IPSEC and PKI functionality. These devices need to be configured with sensitive key material. The addition of security greatly complicates the installation of the network. Security-aware devices usually also need reasonably accurate time information in order to verify timeliness of security credentials such as certificates or digital signatures presented by other network nodes. Furthermore, the whole installation process must be secured, so that an attacker cannot compromise the network at any time. For example power outages are relatively easy to cause maliciously, and a method that can be compromised by causing a short power outage is not acceptable.
VPN devices are usually configured like routers. Typically, a serial port (console port) is used to perform the initial configuration. Some devices can be configured through a web interface.
Usually, after initial configuration networking devices are connected to a management system. The management system can then modify the configuration of the devices, and may in some cases even be able to upgrade the software of the networking device.
The prior art methods suffer from several problems:    they typically do not work if the networking device is separated from the management system by a NAT (Network Address Translation) device or by a firewall,    they usually require that initial configuration is performed manually, and    the communication between the network device and the management system is typically not properly secured.

Security system for a data communications network


A bias potential generation circuit in a level conversion circuit sets a bias potential applied to the backgate of an N-channel MOS transistor for pull-down at a positive potential when an input signal is set at the xe2x80x9cLxe2x80x9d level and the first and second signals are set at the xe2x80x9cHxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cLxe2x80x9d levels respectively, to lower the threshold voltage of the N-channel MOS transistor. Therefore, even if an amplitude voltage of the input signal is lowered, the operating speed can be increased.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a level conversion circuit, and more particularly, to a level conversion circuit converting a first signal having one level at a reference potential and the other level at a first potential higher than the reference potential into a second signal having one level at the reference potential and the other level at a second potential higher than the first potential, to output the converted signal to an output node.
2. Description of the Background Art
Conventionally, a semiconductor integrated circuit device is provided with a level conversion circuit converting a signal VI having an amplitude voltage of a first power-supply voltage VDD into a signal VO having an amplitude voltage of a second power-supply voltage VDDH higher than first power-supply voltage VDD. In recent years, however, power-supply voltages VDD and VDDH have been lowered in order to reduce power consumption in a semiconductor integrated circuit device, which has caused a problem that the current drivability of an MOS transistor is deteriorated as first power-supply voltage VDD is lowered, reducing the operating speed of the level conversion circuit.
One method for increasing the operating speed of the level conversion circuit is to directly connect the gate and the backgate of the MOS transistor to lower a threshold voltage of the MOS transistor according to a change in level of an input signal (see Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2001-36388 for example).
According to this method, however, the gate and the backgate of the MOS transistor are driven by the input signal, resulting in an increase in load capacitance of the input signal, and thus a satisfactorily high operating speed cannot be achieved.
A primary object of the present invention is, therefore, to provide a level conversion circuit with a high operating speed.
According to one aspect of the present invention, a level conversion circuit converts a first signal having one level at a reference potential and the other level at a first potential higher than the reference potential into a second signal having one level at the reference potential and the other level at a second potential higher than the first potential, to output the converted signal to an output node. The level conversion circuit includes a load circuit connected between a line of the second potential and the output node; a first N-type transistor having a drain connected to the output node, a source connected to a line of the reference potential, and a gate receiving the first signal; and a bias potential generation circuit having at least one transistor rendered conductive/non-conductive in response to the first signal and generating a bias potential higher than the reference potential and at most the first potential, to apply the bias potential to a backgate of the first N-type transistor, in response to the first signal being set at the first potential. Thus, the threshold voltage of the first N-type transistor can be lowered in response to the first signal being at the first potential, increasing the operating speed.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a level conversion circuit includes a load circuit connected between a line of the second potential and the output node; an N-type transistor having a drain connected to the output node, a source connected to a line of the reference potential and a gate receiving the first signal; and a switching circuit receiving the reference potential and a bias potential that is higher than the reference potential and equal to or lower than a built-in potential of a PN junction between a backgate and a source of the N-type transistor, applying the bias potential to the backgate of the N-type transistor in response to the first signal being set at the first potential, and applying the reference potential to the backgate of the N-type transistor in response to the first signal being set at the reference potential. Thus, the threshold voltage of the N-type transistor can be lowered in response to the first signal being at the first potential, increasing the operating speed.
According to a further aspect of the present invention, a level conversion circuit includes a load circuit connected between a line of the second potential and the output node; and an N-type transistor having a drain connected to the output node, a source connected to a line of the reference potential, a gate receiving the first signal, and a backgate receiving a bias potential equal to or lower than a built-in potential of a PN junction between the backgate and the source. Thus, the threshold voltage of the N-type transistor can be lowered, increasing the operating speed.
The foregoing and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Level conversion circuit converting logic level of signal


An efficient bit interleaving scheme for a multi-band OFDM ultra-wideband (UWB) system. The encoded bits of the multi-band OFDM system are interleaved within each OFDM symbol and across OFDM symbols. The bit interleaving scheme minimizes performance degradation due to groups of contiguous OFDM tones experiencing a poor SNR caused by the frequency selective channel, exploits the frequency diversity across sub-bands, randomizes the effect of co-channel interference from simultaneously operating un-coordinated piconets, and randomizes the impact of generic narrow-band interferers present within the UWB spectrum.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to multiband systems for ultra wideband (UWB) applications, and more specifically to a technique for implementing efficient bit interleaving for a UWB system employing multi-band orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM).
2. Description of the Prior Art
The encoded bits in a multi-band OFDM system are grouped into OFDM symbols, and each symbol is transmitted over different frequency sub-bands. The UWB multi-path channel is frequency selective and exhibits significant gain (or attenuation) variations across tones and sub-bands. This results in unequal error protection for the encoded bits transmitted across the various tones and sub-bands.
In view of the above, it would be both advantageous and desirable to provide a bit interleaving scheme that minimizes performance degradation due to groups of contiguous OFDM tones experiencing a poor SNR caused by the frequency selective channel, exploits the frequency diversity across sub-bands, randomizes the effect of co-channel interference from simultaneously operating un-coordinated piconets, and randomizes the impact of generic narrow-band interferers present within the UWB spectrum.

Efficient bit interleaver for a multi-band OFDM ultra-wideband system


A mist recovery apparatus recovers a mist of water, oil and the like from an exhaust gas produced in the rolling operation of aluminum plates. The apparatus has a shell provided with upper and lower pipe plates and a plurality of exhaust passing pipes extending between the upper and lower pipe plates and, each pipe having a twisted strip therein. The shell has an upper casing and a lower casing, which are respectively placed above the upper plate and beneath the lower plate. The exhaust gas containing a mist flows through the upper casing, exhaust passing pipes, and the lower casing sequentially. These exhaust passing pipes are cooled by a coolant passing around the pipes, so that the mist is removed from the exhaust gas and recovered. The experimentally suitable ratio of the length (L) of the exhaust passing pipe to the twisting half pitch (P) of the twisting strip is from 8-35.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for recovering mist from an exhaust gas containing a mist of water, oil, etc.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Heretofore, an exhaust containing a mist of steam, rolling oil and the like, which was produced from a roll coolant when, for example, aluminum plates are rolled, has been treated through, for example, a filter installation as shown in FIG. 5 so as to remove the mist. In detail, the exhaust G containing the mist is supplied through an exhaust line 21 respectively passes through a coarse mesh filter 23, a middle function filter 24, and a high function filter 25, in the filtering chamber 22 and is discharged to the atmosphere from an outlet 26. Flowing through such filters of the filtering chamber 22, the mist is held or kept in respective filters and removed from the exhaust.
According to other filtering mechanisms of the prior art, one type has a plurality of corrugated plates arranged in parallel, through which plates an exhaust gas passes and another, type is of a cyclone type.
In conventional filtering apparatus as shown in FIG. 5, the mist is held and deposited on the meshes of the filters, which gradually the recovery deteriorates of the mist. As a result, when the filter mesh is clogged with the mist, the old and clogged filter must be replaced by a new one. It is apparent that the maintenance cost is high, because the filter is high in price and the work replacing it is laborious. In many cases, since the mist content of the exhaust gas is supersaturated and passes through the filter mesh, there is a risk that the mist is discharged as is to the atmosphere. The size of the conventional mist recovery installation must be large in order to lessen the draught resistance or pressure of air.
Other apparatuses of a corrugated plate type and the cyclone type, respectively have little or poor recovery of the mist.

Mist recovery apparatus with twisted strip inserted pipes


A system and method for coordinating a telephony session on a voice messaging platform with an e-mail session on an e-mail messaging platform in an integrated universal messaging system are disclosed. The method, which is carried out by the system, comprises the steps of: (a) receiving a call on the voice messaging platform placed by a subscriber from a telephone handset and processing the call on the voice messaging platform in accordance with a first call flow; (b) invoking from the first call flow, a second call flow that initiates access to the subscriber""s account on the e-mail messaging platform, the second call flow executing in parallel with, and asynchronously of, the first call flow; (c) continuing to execute the first call flow while the second call flow is executing; and (d) playing one or more prompts by the first call flow, as needed, to mask at least a portion of any delays experienced in receiving a response from the second call flow.

A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material that is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure as it appears in the United States Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.
The present invention is directed to messaging systems, and more particularly, to universal messaging systems that integrate a voice (and possibly also fax) messaging platform with an electronic mail messaging platform to provide universal access to a subscriber""s voice, fax, and e-mail messages from either a Web client, such as a Web browser, or a traditional telephone handset session on the voice mail platform.
So-called xe2x80x9cUniversal Messagingxe2x80x9d systems are an attempt to combine traditional voice and fax messaging capabilities with electronic mail (xe2x80x9ce-mailxe2x80x9d) capabilities. One approach to providing a universal messaging system is to integrate an existing voice and/or fax messaging platform (hereinafter xe2x80x9cvoice messaging platformxe2x80x9d) with an existing e-mail messaging platform. Each platform retains its own message store, but the system integrates those stores so that a subscriber can access all of the subscriber""s voice, fax and e-mail messages from a single interface. Universal messaging systems typically provide access to messages from either a Web client, such as a Web browser, or a traditional telephone handset.
Many telephone companies today provide voice messaging services to their respective telephone customers. Such services typically are provided by a large-scale voice messaging platform, such as the Network Applications Platform (NAP) available from Unisys Corporation, Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, which is capable of providing voice and fax messaging capabilities to hundreds of thousands of subscribers. Recently, with the advent of the Internet and the World-Wide-Web (xe2x80x9cthe Webxe2x80x9d), e-mail messaging has become in many cases as popular, if not more popular, than traditional voice messaging. Telephone companies would therefore like to be able to offer their customers a universal messaging solution that gives those customers a common point of access to both voice and e-mail messaging services.
Integrated universal messaging solutions are particularly attractive to telephone companies, because the existing voice messaging system of the telephone company can be integrated with a separate e-mail messaging platform without having to displace or replace the voice messaging system. A telephone company can choose to host the e-mail messaging platform itself, or to partner with an internet service provider (ISP) that already has an existing e-mail messaging platform. With an integrated universal messaging solution, the telephone company can then provide a new service (universal access to both e-mail and voice messages) to a subset of its existing voice messaging subscriber base without impacting the remainder of its subscriber base. Thus, an integrated universal messaging solution protects the telephone company""s investment in its voice messaging system by adding to it instead of replacing it.
Integrated universal messaging systems usually provide message access via both a Web browser interface and a traditional telephony user interface (i.e., via a telephone handset). With the Web browser interface, a subscriber logs into the universal messaging system via an Internet connection and is presented with a single view of all voice, fax, and e-mail messages. E-mail messages are retrieved and displayed in the typical manner. Voice messages are typically retrieved as audio files that are then played over the subscriber""s computer audio system by a Web browser plug-in or the like. With the telephony user interface (TUI), the subscriber is able to call into the voice messaging platform in the usual manner and to obtain a count of all waiting voice, fax, and e-mail messages. For example, the subscriber may hear a prompt such as xe2x80x9cyou have  less than n greater than  voice messages, and  less than x greater than  e-mails in your mailboxxe2x80x9d. The subscriber can listen to voice messages in the usual manner. For e-mail messages, the caller may be presented with the time and date of a message, the message size, and the number of attachments. Additionally, the sender and subject lines of an e-mail message may automatically be converted from text-to-speech and played back to the subscriber. If requested by the subscriber, the main body of the e-mail message may also be converted from text-to-speech and played to the caller.
In order to provide a subscriber with e-mail message status and content via a telephone handset in an integrated universal messaging solution, the TUI of the voice messaging platform must not only manage the session with the voice messaging platform, but also must manage the session with the e-mail messaging platform. One problem with managing both sessions is that these two environments have historically provided very different user experiences. Users of voice messaging systems have become accustomed to very fast, almost real-time responses for retrieval and playback of voice messages and are likely to hang up if forced to wait even several seconds for an operation to complete. On the contrary, because access to e-mail messages and other information over a network, such as the Internet, is inherently more prone to access delays, delays in retrieving an e-mail message from an e-mail client or Web browser are much more tolerated (and even expected) by those who use e-mail and the Web regularly and are accustomed to such delays. Consequently, there is a need for methods and apparatus that improve the coordination of telephony handset sessions with e-mail messaging sessions in integrated universal messaging systems and that help to bridge the gap between user experiences in both environments. The present invention addresses this need.
The present invention is directed to methods and apparatus for coordinating a telephony session on a voice messaging platform with an e-mail session on an e-mail messaging platform in an integrated universal messaging system in a manner that bridges the gap between user experiences in the two different environments.
A method of the present invention comprises the steps of: (a) receiving a call on the voice messaging platform placed by a subscriber from a telephone handset and processing the call on the voice messaging platform in accordance with a first call flow; (b) invoking from the first call flow, a second call flow that initiates access to the subscriber""s account on the e-mail messaging platform, the second call flow executing in parallel with, and asynchronously of, the first call flow; (c) continuing to execute the first call flow while the second call flow is executing; and (d) playing one or more prompts by the first call flow, as needed, to mask at least a portion of any delays experienced in receiving a response from the second call flow. The step of invoking the second call flow from the first call flow can be made in response to a specific request for access from the subscriber, or it can be made automatically by the first call flow on behalf of the subscriber. Additionally, a telephony session identifier is created that identifies the subscriber""s session on the voice messaging platform, and an e-mail session identifier is created that identifies the corresponding session on the e-mail messaging platform. An association is maintained between the telephony session identifier and the e-mail session identifier to enable the two sessions to be coordinated. According to another feature of the invention, a timestamp is generated each time access to the subscriber""s e-mail account is initiated by the first call flow. The timestamp is passed with the request for access so that it can be returned with any response provided by the second call flow. When a response is received, the timestamp returned in the response is compared to the original timestamp passed with the request to ensure that the response provided by the second call flow corresponds to that particular request of the first call flow. The telephony session identifier may also be passed with the request and used in combination with the timestamp to verify the response.
A universal messaging system in accordance with the present invention comprises a voice messaging platform interfaced to a telephone network, an application executing on the voice messaging platform that comprises at least a first call flow and a second call flow, an e-mail platform comprising an e-mail server connected to a network external to the telephone network, and an interface component connected to the external network that provides access to the e-mail server via the external network upon request from the voice messaging platform. The application executing on the voice messaging platform processes calls received by the voice messaging platform from subscribers in accordance with the first call flow. Selected subscribers of the voice messaging platform have respective accounts on the e-mail server. According to the present invention, the first call flow invokes the second call flow to initiate access to a subscriber account on the e-mail messaging platform, and the second call flow thereafter executes in parallel with, and asynchronously of, the first call flow. The second call flow then interacts with the interface component to access the subscriber account on the e-mail server of the e-mail messaging platform. The first call flow continues to execute while the second call flow is executing and plays one or more prompts, as needed, to mask at least a portion of any delays experienced in receiving a response from the second call flow. The first call flow invokes the second call flow either (i) in response to a request by the subscriber for access to the subscriber""s account on the e-mail messaging platform or (ii) automatically on behalf of the subscriber.
Preferably, the voice messaging platform of the universal messaging system creates a telephony session identifier associated with a subscriber""s session on the voice messaging platform, and the interface component creates an e-mail session identifier associated with accesses to the e-mail messaging platform for that subscriber during the subscriber""s session on the voice messaging platform. The voice messaging platform maintains an association between the telephony session identifier and the respective e-mail session identifier.
According to a further aspect of the present invention, the application executing on the voice messaging platform generates a timestamp at the time that access to a subscriber""s e-mail account is initiated by the first call flow. The timestamp is then passed to the second call flow so that it can be returned by the second call flow in any response provided to the first call flow. When the application receives a response from the second call flow, it compares a timestamp returned with the response to the original timestamp generated by the application to ensure that the response provided by the second call flow corresponds to the particular access initiated by the first call flow. The telephony session identifier may also be passed with the request and used in combination with the timestamp to verify the response.
Additional features and advantages of the present invention will become evident hereinafter.

Coordination of a telephony handset session with an e-mail session in a universal messaging system


An ultraviolet ray curable ink jet composition of the present invention is characterized by being adapted to be ejected using an ink jet method and containing:                a polymerizable compound;        metal particles subjected to a surface treatment; and        a substance A having a partial structure represented by the following formula (1),

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an ultraviolet ray curable ink jet composition and a printed object.
2. Related Art
Conventionally, as a method of manufacturing a trinket showing an appearance having gloss, used is a metal plating, a metal foil press printing using a metal foil, a thermal transfer using a metal foil or the like.
However, there are problems in that a printed portion having a fine pattern is hardly to be formed by using such methods or such methods are difficult to be used with respect to a curved surface portion.
On the other hand, as a method of applying (printing) a composition containing a pigment or a dye onto an object, used is a method of applying the composition using an ink jet method. The ink jet method has such advantages as to be able to form the fine printed portion or to be used with respect to the curved surface portion.
Further, in order to further improve wear resistance, water resistance, solvent resistance and the like of a printed portion, recently, a composition (ultraviolet ray curable ink jet composition), which includes a polymerizable compound and can be cured due to ultraviolet ray irradiation, is used in the ink jet method (for example, Patent document 1).
However, in the case where metal particles are used instead of the pigment or the dye in the ultraviolet ray curable ink jet composition, stability (storage stability) of the composition is lowered. This causes a problem in that the composition is turned into a gel, and thus ejection stability and the like of the composition are lowered due to viscosity increase thereof.
Further, in order to suppress occurrence of such problems, it may be conceived that a polymerization inhibitor is added to the composition in a relatively high amount thereof (e.g., 2.0 mass % or more). However, in this case, the ultraviolet ray curable ink jet composition tends to have a lower curable property, and thus wear resistance of a printed portion of a printed object to be obtained using the ultraviolet ray curable ink jet composition becomes inferior. This causes lowering of durability of the printed object.
Furthermore, in the case where the ultraviolet ray curable ink jet composition contains the metal particles instead of the pigment or the dye, there is a problem in that the metal particles cannot sufficiently exhibit properties such as gloss which the metal itself constituting the metal particles inherently has.    Patent document 1: JP-A 2009-57548

Ultraviolet ray curable ink jet composition and printed object

Abstract: where R1 is a hydrogen atom, an oxygen radical, a hydrocarbon group or an alkoxy group, and each of R2, R3, R4 and R5 is independently a hydrogen atom or a hydrocarbon group.


An easily removable vehicle seat is provided for use with a vehicle including a floor having an upwardly facing surface. The floor includes front and rear wells extending below the upwardly facing surface and anchor members extending across the wells. The vehicle seat includes a rigid support structure having a downwardly facing surface for engaging the anchor members of the vehicle floor. A cushioned seat structure is provided on the rigid support structure. The vehicle seat also includes hook members mounted on the rigid support structure for movement between (1) an operative position extending below the downwardly facing surface so as to enter the wells and engage in hooked relationship with the anchor members and (2) an inoperative position disposed above the operative position thereof so as to enable the rigid support structure to be moved relatively over the floor. Wheels are mounted on said rigid support structure for movement between (1) an operative position extending below the downwardly facing surface of the rigid support structure and so as to enable the rigid support structure to be rolled over the upwardly facing surface of the vehicle floor and (2) an inoperative position disposed above the operative position thereof. The vehicle seat further includes a mechanism for moving the hook members into the operative position thereof and the wheels into the inoperative position thereof and for moving the hook members into the inoperative position thereof and the wheels into the operative position thereof.

This invention relates to removable vehicle seats, and in particular to easily removable vehicle seats which may be securely latched to the floor of the vehicle in an operative position and then released from the operative position and rolled to, and removed from, the opening of the vehicle.
Conventional removable vehicle seats include a seat cushion mounted to a riser assembly which provides the proper seat cushion height for optimal occupant comfort. Conventional riser assemblies for such seats provide a method of retaining the seat to the floor of the vehicle by means of a latch or a lock. Removal of the seat is achieved by unlatching the seat from the floor, then lifting and carrying the seat out of the vehicle to a place of storage. Typically, such seats must be removed when vehicle cargo space is required then reinstalled when passenger seating is needed. Lifting the vehicle seat to the opening of the vehicle and then from the vehicle to the storage area can be quite burdensome for the individual performing this task. Occasionally, when the vehicle seat is quite heavy, the seat is dragged across the floor of the vehicle and then removed from the vehicle opening causing damage to the interior of the vehicle or to the latching elements of the seat.
A need therefore exists to provide an easily removable vehicle seat which may be securely latched to the floor of the vehicle in an operative position and rolled to the opening of the vehicle while the latches are disposed in an inoperative position so as to minimize lifting of the seat upon removal.
An object of the present invention is to fulfill the above need. In accordance with the principles of the present invention, the objective is obtained by providing an easily removable vehicle seat for use with a vehicle including a floor having an upwardly facing surface. The floor includes front and rear wells extending below the upwardly facing surface and anchor members extending across the wells in a position above or below the upwardly facing surface. The vehicle seat includes a rigid support structure having a downwardly facing surface for engaging the anchor members of the vehicle floor. A cushioned seat structure is provided on the rigid support structure. The vehicle seat also includes hook members mounted on the rigid support structure for movement between (1) an operative position extending below the downwardly facing surface so as to enter the wells and engage in hooked relationship with the anchor members extending thereacross so as to detachably fixedly retain the rigid support structure and hence the cushioned seat structure thereon in a fixed operative position on the floor with the anchor members and the downwardly facing surface in engagement and (2) an inoperative position disposed above the operative position thereof so as to enable the rigid support structure to be moved relatively over the floor. Wheels are mounted on said rigid support structure for movement between (1) an operative position extending below the downwardly facing surface of the rigid support structure and the hook members when in the inoperative position thereof so as to enable the rigid support structure and hence the cushioned seat structure thereon to be rolled over the upwardly facing surface of the vehicle floor and (2) an inoperative position disposed above the operative position thereof. The vehicle seat further includes a mechanism for (1) moving the hook members into the operative position thereof and the wheels into the inoperative position thereof when it is desired to fixedly retain the rigid support structure and hence the cushioned seat structure thereon in the operative position thereof and (2) moving the hook members into the inoperative position thereof and the wheels into the operative position thereof when it is desired to move the rigid support structure and hence the cushioned seat structure thereon from the operative position thereof in rolling supported relation over the upwardly facing surface of the vehicle floor.
Another object of the present invention is the provision of a vehicle seat of the type described which is simple in construction, effective in operation and economical to manufacture and maintain.
These and the other objects of the present invention will become apparent during the course of the following detailed description and appended claims.

Vehicle seat assembly with retracting latch/engaging roller seat-to-floor lock


A ferrule includes: an upper body which projects from an upper end face of a hosel portion; an inserted portion which is provided to project downwards from the upper body to be inserted into an interior of a hosel hole; and a groove which is provided circumferentially on an outer circumferential surface of the inserted portion, wherein a lower end portion of the inserted portion has a diameter which is smaller than that of an upper side of the inserted portion than the groove.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a ferrule which is used for a golf club and more particularly to a ferrule in which a groove is provided on an outer circumferential surface of a portion thereof which is inserted into a hosel hole. Additionally, the invention relates to a golf club which employs this ferrule.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a golf club in which a shaft is inserted into a hosel hole in a head of the golf club and is then fixed in place therein with an adhesive, a ferrule is fitted on the shaft, and the ferrule is disposed on an upper end face of a hosel portion in abutment therewith. An inserted portion adapted to enter an upper end portion of the hosel hole is provided on this ferrule (Japanese Utility Model Registration No. 2515800, JP-A-2000-42146 and JP-A-8-117364). Stress is generated near the upper end portion of the hosel hole of the shaft when a golf ball is hit and this stress is mitigated by providing the ferrule. In addition, the aesthetic appearance of the golf club is also improved by providing the ferrule.
This ferrule is fixed in place relative to the hosel hole with the adhesive. Japanese Utility Model Registration No. 2515800 and JP-A-2000-42146 describe a technique in which a groove is provided on an outer circumferential surface of the inserted portion so that part of the adhesive interposed between an inner circumferential surface of the hosel hole and the ferrule is accommodated in the groove, whereby the bonding strength of the ferrule to the hosel hole is enhanced.
When mounting the shaft in the hosel hole in the head of the golf club, the ferrule is fitted on the shaft in advance, and the adhesive is applied to a distal end portion of the shaft. Then, the shaft is inserted into the hosel hole, and the inserted portion of the ferrule is also inserted into the hosel hole. The surplus of the adhesive applied to the shaft enters a gap between the outer circumferential surface of the inserted portion of the ferrule and the inner circumferential surface of the hosel hole. When the groove is provided in the inserted portion, the adhesive is accommodated in the groove, whereby the bonding strength of the ferrule to the hose hole is enhanced.


A three-dimensional display method is provided in the present disclosure. The three-dimensional display method includes obtaining position information of an observer; and adjusting displaying content of a stereoscopic image according to the position information. A tracking three-dimensional display unit and an image processing device are also provided in the present disclosure. In the present disclosure, three-dimensional displaying contents may be adjusted according to the position information of the observer to introduce movement parallax, so as to achieve mutual effect between the observer and displaying contents, and enhance the sense of reality of three-dimensional displaying.

Recently, three-dimensional display techniques are rapidly developed, and becomes a hot research spot. The three-dimensional display technique is importantly used in the fields of medical treatment, advertisement, military affairs, exhibit, recreation, etc. For the original three-dimensional display technique, a stereoscopic image is mainly observed via wearing special spectacles. However, currently popular products are mainly naked-eye three-dimensional display units based on binocular parallax. The main design of the naked eye three-dimensional display unit is to set a grating before a display panel, wherein the grating respectively provides at least two parallax images displayed by a display panel to left eye and right eye of an observer.
Presently, most naked-eye three-dimensional display units can only display the contents in the form of three dimensions. However, there is no mutual effect between the observer and the displaying contents, and the effect in the real living is not completely exhibited.
Referring to FIGS. 1A and 1B, when a position of an observer 103 changes, a moving direction and speed of an ambient object observed may generate difference, and a sheltering state may also change. This difference and change is referred to as movement parallax. Firstly, referring to FIG. 1A, a scene observed by the observer 103 is an image of an object 101 partly sheltered by an object 102. When the observer 103 moves to a position shown in FIG. 1B, an image that no sheltering relation occurs between the object 102 and the object 101 is observed.
The movement parallax may cause the observer 103 to have a certain depth feeling. With the movement of the observer 103, a feeling of spatial arrangement between objects may be enhanced due to changing of relative movement and sheltering relation between the objects. For example, when only observing from FIG. 1A, the observer 103 may not feel that there is a longer distance between the object 101 and the object 102. However, when the observer 103 moves to the position shown in FIG. 1B, a distance between the two objects is reflected.

Tracking-enhanced three-dimensional display method and system


A KGD carrier holds the IC chip by means of a carrier retaining member and a carrier base assembly. The carrier base assembly includes a carrier body, a carrier base and a substrate. The carrier body is provided with grooves, which are located opposing to pads formed on a peripheral portion of the substrate, to permit the in-and-out motion of contacts of the IC socket. The carrier base is provided with the grooves, which are located opposing to the pads formed on the peripheral portion of the substrate, to permit the in-and-out motion of the contacts of the IC socket. The substrate is interposed between the carrier body and the carrier base so as to enable the pads of the substrate and the corresponding contacts of the IC socket to be electrically connected with each other.

This application is based on Patent Application No. 2001-346330 filed Nov. 12, 2001 in Japan, the content of which is incorporated hereinto by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a KGD carrier, more particularly to a KGD carrier having the structure around the substrate thereof improved and an IC socket for mounting the KGD carrier.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the conventional way, when subjecting a non-package chip (or die) satisfying the given specifications, i.e., a KGD (Known Good Die), to the burn-in test, it has been a common practice that the KGD to be tested is once mounted on a special carrier, and the carrier mounted with the KGD is then mounted on an IC socket. Then, the IC socket is incorporated into a test board to undergo the burn-in test.
The structure of a conventional KGD carrier for mounting the KGD will be described briefly referring to FIG. 5. FIG. 5 shows a cross-sectional view of the carrier mounted with an IC chip.
The KGD carrier 10 comprises a carrier retaining member 20 and a carrier base assembly 30.
The carrier retaining member 20 comprises a cover 21, a chip retaining member 22, a coil spring 23 and a steel ball 24 so that the IC chip 40 placed on the carrier base assembly 30 can be held elastically.
The carrier substrate 30 comprises a carrier body 31 including a latch 36 for locking the carrier retaining member 20 with the carrier base assembly 30, a substrate (a contact seat) 32 as being a printed-circuit board, an elastomer frame 33, an elastomer 34 as being a cushion to be placed in the elastomer frame 33, and a carrier base 35. The carrier body 31, the substrate 32, the elastomer frame 33 and the carrier base 35 are integrated into a single body by using screws or the like (not shown) to form a carrier base assembly 30. The film-like substrate 32 needs to be kept open so that the pad 32a placed therearound can electrically be connected with the contact of the IC socket. Therefore, in order to prevent the substrate 32, especially the peripheral portion thereof, from becoming saggy, the substrate 32 is previously bonded to the elastomer frame 33 (or to the carrier base 35 if the elastomer frame 33 is omitted) or to the carrier body 31.
The IC chip 40 is mounted on the carrier 10 in a fashion described below. First, while the carrier retaining member 20 is removed, the IC chip 40 is placed on the substrate 32. Subsequently, the carrier retaining member 20 is used to press the IC chip 40 inward evenly and elastically until coming into close contact with the substrate 32, thereby enabling the IC chip 40 and the substrate 32 to be electrically connected with each other. Further, the latch 36 is made to engage with a cover 21 of the carrier retaining member 20 to complete the mounting of the IC chip 40 as illustrated in FIG. 5.
The carrier 10 mounted with the IC chip 40 is further mounted on an IC socket 50 as is shown in FIG. 6.
The IC socket 50 comprises an operating cover 51, a socket base 52 and a contact 53 which includes a contact portion 53a, an elastic portion 53b, a stationary portion 53c and a terminal portion 53d. The IC socket 50 is designed so that the contact portion 53a of the contact 53 moves back away from and forth toward a pad 32a, which is formed on the substrate 32 of the carrier 10 mounted on the IC socket 50, as the operating cover 51 moves up and down.
In order for the carrier 10 to be mounted on the IC socket 50, the operating cover 51 needs to be pushed downward to make the contact portion 53a of the contact 53 to retreat. Then the carrier 10 enables to be positioned and placed on a mounting base 52a of the socket base 52. Subsequently, when the downward pushing force of the operating cover 51 is released, the operating cover 51 rises because of the restoring force of the spring (not shown). Then, the contact portion 53a of the contact 53 returns to its original position and abuts the pad 32a of the substrate 32 of the carrier 10. Consequently, the substrate 32 (i.e., the IC chip 40) is electrically connected with the contact 53.
The IC chip 40, mounted on the IC socket 50 through the carrier 10 in the previously described manner, is then set in a test board (not shown) to undergo the burn-in test.
As described previously, in the case of the conventional carrier 10, the substrate 32 is bonded to the elastomer frame 33 and the carrier base 35 or the carrier body 31, so that, for example as shown in FIG. 6, the substrate 32 is in contact with the contact 53 of the IC socket 50 only at one point, which may result in unstable electrical connection.
In consideration of the point discussed above, the present invention is designed to provide a KGD carrier capable of obtaining sure electric connection by enabling the substrate of the KGD carrier base assembly and the contact of the IC socket to contact with each other at 2 points.
In order to attain the above object, the KGD carrier according to the present invention is designed to hold the IC chip by means of the carrier retaining member and the carrier base assembly. The carrier base assembly comprises the carrier body, the carrier base and the substrate. The carrier body is provided with grooves, which are located opposing pads formed around the substrate, to permit the in-and-out motion of contacts of the IC socket. The carrier base is also provided with grooves, which are located opposing the pads formed around the substrate, to permit the in-and-out motion of the contacts of the IC socket. The substrate is interposed between the carrier body and the carrier base to enable the pads and the corresponding contacts to be connected electrically with each other.
The above and other objects, effects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description of embodiments thereof taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

KGD carrier and an IC mounting socket mounting it


Numerous alerts may be received by a management system, potentially making it difficult to determine which alerts indicate events that are potentially more harmful. To identify alerts that indicate harmful events, a damage index for each of the alerts may be determined. Determining an alert damage index facilitates the ranking, sorting, or graphical representation of alerts. The alert damage index can indicate the potential damage or harm an event associated with the alert may cause if left unaddressed. For example, a low memory event has the potential to cause an application or server to respond slowly or not at all. The alert damage index may be determined by processing metrics that indicate the potential harm or severity of the event. For example, the alert damage index may be determined by processing an alert duration factor, an alert threshold breach factor, and a component load factor (damage factors).

The disclosure generally relates to the field of computer systems, and more particularly to performance management.
Applications or computer systems may include performance monitors that send designated performance metrics (metrics) to a management system. The performance monitors may also compare metrics to thresholds corresponding to the metrics. If a metric exceeds or falls below a threshold, the performance monitor sends an alert to the management system. Multiple alerts generated by the performance monitors may be in effect at any moment and may be displayed by the management system.


A hand press for squeezing liquid from contents of a can wherein the can is positionable on a base and with one hand a pair of handles are grasped and squeezed together to push a platen against a severed can end and squeeze out the liquid while the can is held by that one grasping hand over an appropriate drainage receiver such as a sink.

It is a common culinary practice to press liquid from certain can contents, such as tuna or the like, by manually forcing one severed can lid into the can to squeeze the liquid out of the contents while holding the can over a sink or bowl. This can be a time consuming and messy procedure with liquid tending to squirt out unpredictably. It may also be injurious if care is not taken to guard against finger cuts on the sharp severed can end edges, essentially while removing the can end after pressing is completed.
Following the design of long-known masher utensils such as that of U.S. Pat. No. 207,974, various scissors-type can presses have been proposed. One example is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,860,647 which has the disadvantage of a plunger stroke curving into the can, only partially offset by an angled plunger face, with the result that the plunger face is not forced straight into the can. Another scissor-type design is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,355,574 which is merely a modified pair of kitchen tongs from which the can may slip accidentally during operation and which cannot assert very great squeezing forces without hurting the fingers of the operator.
Straight-stroke ram-type can presses have also been proposed. One overly simple form is the press of U.S. Pat. No. 3,995,544 which requires both hands to operate if it is to be held over a sink or bowl to receive the drained liquid. In other fields unrelated to can presses, ram-type presses are known in which platens slide along parallel standards during operation, but they are complicated devices involving hydraulic systems or complex gear trains. Those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,664,042 and 5,001,911 are examples.
The principal object of the present invention is to provide a simple hand press for cans of tuna or the like which may be operated with one hand alone while the press and can are extended by that one hand over a sink or bowl and in which the severed can lid is forced straight into the can for squeezing the contents and forcing out the liquid.


A flexible stabilization assembly includes a flexible inner core, an outer spacer with an off-axis lumen that receives the inner core, and at least one end cap located on either end of the spacer and rotationally fixed with respect to the spacer. Bone screws cooperating with the end cap and spacer include structure for close cooperation and engagement with the end cap. When implanted, the flexible inner core is posteriorly biased with respect to the spacer.

The present invention relates to apparatuses and methods for use in performing spinal surgery and, in particular, to flexible bone attachment structures or implants for spinal support and alignment that provide variable degrees of segmental stiffness, and therefore flexibility, preferably using minimally or less invasive techniques for insertion of the implants. Due to the different degrees of segmental stiffness, certain embodiments of the apparatus of the present invention can be used with and/or without fusion.
The spine is structured as a repeating sequence of vertebrae, intervertebral discs and facet joints supported and held together by surrounding ligaments and muscles. The vertebra is a block of bone configured as a body anteriorly and laminae, extending posteriorly to form a spinous process, which are connected in the middle by a pair of pedicles. The spine can be divided into motion segments which include two adjacent vertebrae anteriorly, an intervening disc and associated facet joints posteriorly. The spine can be bent, compressed, stretched and twisted. In certain alignments, the spine is fairly shear resistant, but in some alignments it is not shear resistant. The spine is construed as a column which can be divided into three sections: anterior, middle and posterior columns. The anterior column includes the front half of the discs; the middle column includes the back half of the discs, plus the spinal canal and pedicles; and the posterior column includes the facet joints, laminae and spinous processes. The spine is thus a continuation of connected articulated motion segments which can be bent in multiple directions, including flexion and extension. Natural or normal bio-mechanical movement of the spine requires shortening of the posterior column length in extension and elongation or expansion of this length in flexion, with a substantial change in the interpedicular distance.
Historically, it has been common to fuse adjacent vertebrae that are placed in fixed relation by the insertion or installation therealong of bone screws or other bone anchors and cooperating longitudinal connecting members or other elongate members. Fusion results in the permanent and very stiff immobilization of one or more of the spinal motion segment intervertebral joints. Because the anchoring of bone screws, hooks and other types of anchors directly to a vertebra can result in significant forces being placed on the vertebra, and such forces may ultimately over time result in the loosening of the bone screw or other anchor implants from the vertebra due, in part, to the considerable stiffness of such implants, fusion allows for the growth and development of a permanent bone counterpart to the longitudinal connecting member that can maintain the spine in the desired position, even if the implants ultimately fail, fracture, loosen or are removed. However, fusion itself also results in considerable stiffness of the spinal segment being fused with its own associated consequences. Because fusion has been a desired component of spinal stabilization procedures in the past, longitudinal connecting members have been designed that are of a material, size and shape to largely resist flexion, extension, torsion, side bending, distraction and compression, and thus substantially immobilize the portion of the spine that is to be fused. Thus, longitudinal connecting members are typically uniform along an entire length thereof, and usually made from a single or integral piece of material having a uniform diameter, width or cross-sectional area of a size to provide substantially firm rigid support in all planes with little flexibility. Again, fusion often results in too much stiffness for the segment of spine being fused, even if the implants are later removed. This can result in multiple adverse side-effects, including loss of motion and accelerated degenerative changes at junctional levels.
An alternative to fusion, which immobilizes at least a portion of the spine, and the use of more stiff and even rigid longitudinal connecting members or other stiff, rigid and hard structures has been a "soft" or "dynamic" stabilization approach in which a flexible loop-, S-, C- or U-shaped member or a coil-like and/or a spring-like member is utilized as a less stiff longitudinal connecting member with elastic fixed return between a pair of pedicle screws in an attempt to create a flexible stabilization and the possibility for a more normal loading pattern between the vertebrae in flexion, extension, distraction, compression, side bending and torsion. Another type of soft or less stiff system known in the art includes bone anchors connected by limp cords or strands that can be bent and that intrinsically have little to no bending stiffness. Such a cord or strand may be threaded through cannulated spacers that are disposed between adjacent bone anchors when such a cord or strand is implanted, tensioned and attached to the bone anchors, thereby compressing the spacers. The spacers typically span the distance between bone anchors, providing some degree of bending stiffness and limits on the bending movement of the surrounded cord or strand and thus strengthening and supporting the overall system. However, such known systems have provided limited control with respect to torsional and shear forces and little to no allowance for lengthening or increasing distance between the heads or bodies of posteriorly positioned bone anchors with flexion, which is critical for correct spinal bio-mechanics as it relates to flexible stabilization or even to natural segmental spinal motion. Also, such known systems have provided no differentiation between bending stiffness in flexion compared to that in extension (i.e., more stiffness in flexion versus that in extension).

Flexible spinal stabilization assembly with spacer having off-axis core member


A media recommendation system for recommending media content that is historically related to seed media content is provided. The recommended media content may be songs, television programs, movies, or a combination thereof, and the seed media content may be a song, television program, or movie.

Recent years have seen a shift in music listening habits from physical media such as Compact Discs (CDs) and cassettes to digital media stored on the user's playback device such as Moving Pictures Experts Group Layer 3 (MP3) files. This transition has made music much more accessible to listeners worldwide. However, the increased accessibility of music has only heightened a long-standing problem for the music industry, which is namely the issue of linking audiophiles with new music that matches their listening preferences.
Many companies, technologies, and approaches have emerged to address this issue of music recommendation. Some companies have taken an analytical approach. They review various attributes of a song, such as melody, harmony, lyrics, orchestration, vocal character, and the like, and assign a rating to each attribute. The ratings for each attribute are then assembled to create a holistic classification for the song that is then used by a recommendation engine. The recommendation engine typically requires that the user first identify a song that he or she likes. The recommendation engine then suggests other songs with similar attributions. Companies using this type of approach include Pandora (http://www.pandora.com), SoundFlavor (http://www.soundflavor.com), MusicIP (http://www.musicip.com), and MongoMusic (purchased by Microsoft in 2000).
Other companies take a communal approach. They make recommendations based on the collective wisdom of a group of users with similar musical tastes. These solutions first profile the listening habits of a particular user and then search similar profiles of other users to determine recommendations. Profiles are generally created in a variety of ways such as looking at a user's complete collection, the playcounts of their songs, their favorite playlists, and the like. Companies using this technology include Last.fm (http://www.last.fm), Music Strands (http://www.musicstrands.com), WebJay (http://www.webjay.org), Mercora (http://www.mercora.com), betterPropaganda (http://www.betterpropaganda.com), Loomia (http://www.loomia.com), eMusic (http://www.emusic.com), musicmatch (http://www.mmguide.musicmatch.com), genielab (http://genielab.com/), upto11 (http://www.upto11.net/), Napster (http://www.napster.com), and iTunes (http://www.itunes.com) with its celebrity playlists.
The problem with the prior art is that it fails to incorporate a pop culture historical context to music recommendation. For many users, musical preferences are heavily influenced by the type and nature of music that was popular at the time they became interested in music, as witnessed by the popularity of oldies radio stations (i.e., stations playing music from the 1950s) and classic rock stations (i.e., stations playing music from the 1970s and 1980s). Further, their musical tastes are also influenced by the type and nature of other media (such as movies and television) that were popular at particular points in time. For instance, movies such as Saturday Night Fever, Grease, Chariots of Fire, Top Gun, Footloose, Flashdance, The Breakfast Club, and Pretty Woman and television shows such as MASH, Cheers, Happy Days, Fame, and Moonlighting all had soundtracks that enjoyed great popularity in their respective time periods.
For example, a user may like a particular artist from the early 1980s, such as Michael Jackson, but they might also enjoy songs from the television show Fame and the film Top Gun. However, recommendation systems based on music similarity would fail to make these suggestions to the user. As for communal based recommendation systems, they may perform marginally better in this case. More specifically, since communal based recommendation systems rely primarily on musical relationships set forth by particular users, they will inherently reflect some degree of pop culture association in their music recommendations. In other words, some people will remember artists, songs, and movies that were popular at the same time as another given artist or song or movie, and their collections and profile will reflect these associations. However, memory can be unreliable, and it is dubious that one user or collection of users can make all of the associations.
Therefore, there is a need for a media recommendation system that provides recommendations based on a historical context.


A Double-Acting Scotch Yoke (DASY) assembly includes a first yoke; a second yoke attached to the first yoke at a first flat-to-flat interface; a first piston attached to the first yoke at a second flat-to-flat interface; and a second, opposing piston attached to the second yoke at a third flat-to-flat interface. The planes of all of the flat-to-flat interfaces are perpendicular to a common, center axis of the first and second pistons. An X-engine crank train includes a plurality of DASY assemblies.

The invention relates generally to internal combustion piston engines, fluid pumps and similar machines and, more particularly to a Double-Acting Scotch Assembly (DASY) for an X-Engine configuration.
The most widely used engine configurations in use today are in-line, "V" and horizontally-opposed or 'flat'. Almost all of these engines use conventional connecting rods ("con rods") in the power conversion system. Con rods, due to the nature of their motion, produce multiple orders of vibration such that there is no practical way to cancel out all of the resultant vibration in an engine that has con rods. Some conventional engine configurations which use con rods, such as the 90° V-8, have balance for 1st-order and 2nd-order vibrations, but practically all engines with conventional con rods are never balanced for 3rd-orders and above.
The Scotch yoke is a mechanism for converting the linear motion of a slider into rotational motion or vice-versa. The piston or other reciprocating part is directly coupled to a sliding yoke with a slot that engages a pin on the rotating part. A bearing block interfaces the rotating motion at the crankshaft with the sliding linear motion at the yoke. The shape of the motion of the piston is a pure sine wave over time given a constant rotational speed.
Unlike conventional engine configurations in use today, the scotch yoke mechanism is a mechanism that couples the reciprocating pistons to the rotating crankshaft with true harmonic motion for the reciprocating mass such that an engine that uses scotch yokes can be said to be "100% balanced for all orders" if it is balanced for 1st-order forces and moments.
With regards to reducing friction in an engine, the scotch yoke mechanism can be used in a double-ended or "double-acting" fashion such that each reciprocating assembly has a piston at either end so each crank pin bearing on the crankshaft is coupled to two pistons instead of just a single piston. In this way, the ratio of total engine bearings/cylinders is therefore reduced and the crankshaft is shorter and lighter for a given number of cylinders. A further benefit of the double-acting scotch yoke is that the fluid motion inside the crankcase is minimized because opposite pistons simply push air in between them, whereas in "V"-type engines and in-line engines there is a larger mass of air which is pushed around the engine's bulkheads in a way that causes larger amounts of fluid friction.

Double-Acting Scotch Yoke assembly for X-engines


Provided are a Mn—Zn—O sputtering target that can be used for DC sputtering and a production method therefor. The Mn—Zn—O sputtering target has a chemical composition containing Mn, Zn, O, and an element X (X is one or two elements selected from the group consisting of W and Mo). A surface to be sputtered of the target has an arithmetic mean roughness Ra of 1.5 μm or less or a maximum height Ry of 10 μm or less.

A sputtering method whereby Ar ions or the like are caused to collide with a sputtering target formed from an alloy or sintered material is used in a wide range of technical fields such as glass coating, semiconductor device production, flat panel display production, and optical information recording medium (writable optical disc) recording layer formation.
Among these fields, in the technical field of optical information recording media, for example, there is increasing demand for higher capacity as increasingly large amounts of data are handled. Optical information recording media can be broadly classified as either read-only or writable, and writable optical information recording media can be further categorized into two types: recordable (write-once) and rewritable. Conventionally, organic dye materials have been widely studied as recording layer materials for recordable optical discs, but with the recent trend toward higher capacity, inorganic materials are now also being widely studied.
At present, materials based on oxides of palladium have been put into actual use as inorganic recording layer materials for recordable optical discs. However, Pd is a rare metal and, as a result, has high material cost. Therefore, materials based on oxides of manganese are also being developed as materials through which adequate recording characteristics can be obtained at cheap material cost.
In one example of a recording layer formed from a material based on an oxide of manganese as described above, PTL 1 proposes a Mn—Zn-Ma-O recording layer that contains an oxide of Mn and an oxide of a metal Ma (Ma is selected from Mg, Mo, Si, and Te), and further contains a metal M (selected from Sn, Zn, Bi, etc.). Moreover, PTL 1 discloses co-sputtering (multi-target sputtering) as a specific method for forming the Mn—Zn-Ma-O recording layer. Through the technique described in PTL 1, a recording layer formed from a Mn—Zn-Ma-O material can be obtained without using the rare metal Pd.

Mn—Zn—O sputtering target and production method therefor


A method is provided for forming a fine pattern. In the method, a first fine pattern and a first metal pattern are formed by respectively patterning a first fine pattern layer on a base substrate and a first metal layer on the first fine pattern layer. A second fine pattern layer and a second metal layer are sequentially formed over the first fine pattern and the first metal pattern. The second metal layer is patterned, so that a second metal pattern between adjacent portions of the first fine pattern. The second fine pattern layer is patterned using the second metal pattern as a mask, so that a second fine pattern is formed between adjacent portions of the first fine pattern.

1. Field of the Invention
Example embodiments of the present invention relate generally to flat panel displays. More specifically, example embodiments of the present invention relate to a method of forming a fine pattern, a display substrate and a method of manufacturing the display substrate using the method of forming a fine pattern.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a liquid crystal display device includes a display panel, a polarizer and a backlight assembly.
The display panel includes a first display substrate, a second display substrate and a liquid crystal layer. Wires and patterns are formed on the first display substrate and the second display substrate. Recent high resolution displays employ wires and patterns that have relatively fine widths.
However, in order to form fine wires or patterns using conventional photo lithography, an additional process is required, increasing the number of processes used in fabrication and complicating the overall manufacture. Alternative manufacturing approaches have involved new processes or new materials, requiring investment in new facilities and the new materials, increasing cost.

Method of forming a fine pattern, display substrate, and method of manufacturing the same using the method of forming a fine pattern


Method of joining a carbon-carbon composite piece 30 together with a metal insert 20, e.g. in the manufacture of aircraft brake discs 10. The method includes the steps of: providing a carbon-carbon composite piece 30 and a metal insert 20, wherein the metal insert 20 has a surface that is complementary to a surface of said carbon-carbon composite piece 30; providing a layer of a mixture of titanium powder and carbon powder on the first complementary mating surface; arranging the powder layer such that a second complementary mating surface is matched to the complementary mating surface, thereby forming a construct of the carbon-carbon composite piece 30, the powder layer, and the metal insert 20; placing the construct into a press and applying pressure to the construct to press together the carbon-carbon composite piece and the metal insert joined at their complementary surfaces; and applying an electrical current to the powder in the construct to initiate a metal-carbon reaction, thereby bonding the carbon-carbon composite piece 30 together the metal insert 20. The titanium powder particles may be from 25 to 100 microns in diameter, and the carbon powder (e.g., graphite particles) may be 0.1 to 1 microns in diameter.

The use of carbon-carbon composite brake disc assemblies in aircraft brakes, which have been referred to as carbon brakes, is well known in the aerospace industry. Carbon-carbon composite brake disc assemblies are manufactured by aircraft wheel and brake manufacturers using a variety of manufacturing methods, which generally require lengthy fabrication and densification methods. In recent years, aircraft manufacturers have increasingly specified the use of such carbon-carbon composite brake disc assemblies for brakes designed for use with new aircraft models.
Typically, a carbon-carbon composite brake disc of a brake disc assembly has either a plurality of circumferentially spaced-apart slots about the circumference of a central opening, which receive splines of an adjacent torque tube, or a plurality of circumferentially spaced-apart slots about the circumference of the outer diameter of the brake disc, which receive drive keys of an adjacent aircraft wheel. The splines of the torque tube and the drive keys of the wheel are usually made of metal. As is well known in the aircraft wheel and brake industry, the spaced-apart slots of the brake disc may each include a metal insert to provide a metal-to-metal interface between the brake disc and either the spline of the torque tube or the drive key of the wheel. The metal-to-metal interface reduces the wear of the spaced-apart slots in the carbon-carbon composite brake disc, and also reduces chipping of the slots, which can occur as a result of loads exerted on the surfaces of the slots.
However, the use of metal inserts may require that holes be drilled into the carbon-carbon composite brake disc so the metal inserts can be riveted to the disc, which increases machining and assembly time, and results in an increase the cost of manufacturing the brake disc. Additionally, the rivets are expensive to purchase and to install as well as add additional weight to the brake disc. Each rivet requires a hole to be drilled to accommodate it in the carbon-carbon composite piece and in the metal insert itself, which is also labor intensive. In addition, the rivets often break allowing the metal insert to be disconnected from the carbon-carbon composite piece.

Combustion synthesis to bond metal inserts to C-C composite surfaces


In a factory planning method, provision is made for the models (15a) of the model layout to be placed on a substrate, with the result that the position of the models can be determined using digital image processing after the models have been placed. As a result, the real models (15a) can be used for clear factory planning, in which case collisions (33) on account of an area requirement (15b) resulting from particular specifications to be displayed by the planning program are and an optimized proposal to preferably also be output are provided for. This advantageously makes it possible to combine the intuitive factory planning method using real models with the factory planning method using planning programs, thus enabling interactive working with both planning methods.

In the broader sense, a production plant is intended to be understood as meaning a structure which consists of at least two production devices. This can be used to mean, for example, a production cell which contains a plurality of machines. However, as a production plant, an entire factory hall or even an entire factory, for example, can also be represented as a model. In the broader sense, production devices should be understood as meaning all spatial units which are required for production. In the narrower sense, these include machines for machining products, but likewise devices for transporting the products between the different machines as well as other spatial devices which are required in the production plant. Other spatial devices may be understood as meaning, for example, offices for production managers, paths for employees, storage areas for material etc.
It is generally known practice per se to represent production plants, for example factory halls, as a model. Such models can support the powers of imagination of those involved in planning, in particular in the planning phase.
Computer-aided planning tools for factory planning, as are offered, for example, by the company Fujitsu under the trade name GLOVIA in a 2008 company brochure, are suitable as an alternative. These computer-aided planning tools require virtual three-dimensional models of the production devices and of the spatial conditions of the production plant to be input. The models produced in this manner can then be compiled in a virtual environment and a production sequence can be simulated in order to be able to draw conclusions on the functionality of the planned production plant.
Both real model layouts and computer-aided simulations of production plants can be used to carry out optimization processes which allow the production sequences as well as the space requirement and further aspects to be optimized before the production plant is constructed. In this case, real model layouts have the advantage that there is an intuitive interface for the factory planner. On the other hand, computer-aided planning programs have the advantage that simulation of the production sequence is easier, and further data can also be processed in addition to spatial data during modeling.
This is because, in order to be able to construct a simulation of the production plant in the planning program described above, the boundary conditions for the respective application to be planned must be known. These include the spatial conditions of the production plant, which may already be present (optimization task) or has yet to be constructed (planning task), and the properties of the production devices used. The data may already be present in databases, with the result that linking to the planning program can be carried out in a comparatively simple manner. However, data which are not yet available must be input to the planning program, thus resulting in effort for the factory planner.
In order to ease the effort involved in inputting the data to the planning system, US 2002/0107674 A1 proposes that the models of the production devices may be provided, for example, with two-dimensional markers which are suitable for identifying the individual models. An optical recognition system, for example, can use these markers to recognize the identity of the individual production devices. It is also possible to detect the orientation of said devices. The model itself can also be used as a marker using a relatively large amount of computational effort, in which case said marker must be recognized using suitable optical recognition methods.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,700,317 describes a program for planning the layout of factories, for example, in which, in addition to the actual area requirement of the production devices, a relatively large, relevant area requirement can also be taken into account. This relevant area requirement is automatically identified by the program and is taken into account when generating a proposal for the layout. After the proposal which takes into account the relevant area requirement of the production devices has been developed, the proposal is output on a suitable output device. The area requirement of the individual production devices is displayed there, in which case production devices whose relevant area requirement is relatively large are at a correspondingly relatively long distance from adjacent production devices. The manner in which the consideration of a relevant area requirement of individual production devices is included in detail in the proposed planning result cannot be gathered from the output.

Method for inputting a spatial layout of production devices to a computer-aided planning program and for optimizing the latter