The invention involves a composition for forming a combined conversion and lubricating coating on a metal substrate with which the composition is brought into contact. The composition comprises (a) an oxyethylated aliphatic alcohol whose aliphatic hydrocarbon moiety contains 18 or more carbon atoms and (b) dissolved phosphate anions. Preferably the composition also comprises inorganic boron, an alkali metal salt of a fatty acid, and an accelerator for phosphate coating.

1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to aqueous liquid combined conversion coating and lubricant coating compositions and to uses thereof. These compositions, in a single liquid-coating-forming contact with a metal substrate followed by drying into place on the metal substrate surface, produce a coating that combines both a solid adherent conversion coating and a solid and/or liquid lubricant and is highly effective in facilitating cold working of the thus-coated metal substrate in any type of cold working operation that requires deformation of the thus-coated surface of the object by relative motion between this coated substrate surface and a forming tool such as a drawing die.
2. Background Art
Many aqueous liquid compositions that form coatings on metal surfaces that protect the metal surface while it is being cold worked are known. The previously most effective ones have generally been zinc, calcium, and/or sodium soaps applied over a preceding heavy phosphate conversion coating on steel substrates or over a complex calcium aluminate conversion coating on aluminum substrates. (Normally, a sodium stearate or other sodium soap salt is applied over a zinc phosphate coating or a calcium aluminate coating. Reaction between the sodium soap and the zinc or calcium in the previous conversion coating is believed to result in both zinc or calcium soap and sodium soap layers, and this type of lubricant is accordingly often called a "reactive" lubricant.) However, this combination is environmentally disadvantageous, especially when used over phosphate coatings, because the liquid compositions used to form phosphate coatings generally contain some types of metal ions, such as those of zinc, nickel, manganese, and/or the like, that are regarded as polluting. Zinc and calcium soaps are substantially insoluble in water, but cause workplace nuisances at best and hazards at worst because they tend to form fine dust particles in the air around sites of cold working processes when used as cold working lubricants. This combination is also economically disadvantageous because it normally requires separate conversion coating and lubricant coating process steps, with associated requirements for equipment for large scale practice of cold working using this method of lubricating the metal substrates being worked.
Various polymer based lubricants have been taught in the art as replacements for the combination of stearates over zinc phosphate conversion coatings, but heretofore none of the polymer based lubricants have proved to be commercially acceptable in all applications. A frequently objectionable feature of commercial use of prior polymeric lubricants is the presence of scratches on the surface of the cold worked article.
Previous attempts to combine the best features of conversion coatings and other lubricants in a single step resulted in the issuance of U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,289,546 and 4,289,547, which have many disclosures in common, and in earlier patents cited in these two patents. In long term practice, the teachings of all of these patents proved to be commercially unacceptable for use on steel, which is the most common substrate treated for protection during cold working, because iron cations dissolved from the steel eventually accumulated in the working compositions to such an extent as to make their continued use unsatisfactory.
A major object of this invention is to provide lubricants and processes that will eliminate or at least reduce the environmental and other disutilities noted above while still achieving cold working performance that is adequate when compared with the prior art use of phosphate conversion coatings followed by zinc soap application. Other alternative or concurrent objects are to reduce total energy and/or other costs of cold forming operations, particularly by reducing process related waste of objects being cold worked, more particularly because of rejection for scratched surfaces, and/or by achieving higher production rates per unit time. Still another alternative or concurrent object is to provide a lubricant satisfactory for extruding under the more severe conditions in current commercial practice.
Except in the claims and the operating examples, or where otherwise expressly indicated, all numerical quantities in this description indicating amounts of material or conditions of reaction and/or use are to be understood as modified by the word "about" in describing the broadest scope of the invention. Practice within the numerical limits stated is generally preferred. Also, throughout this description, unless expressly stated to the contrary percent, "parts of", and ratio values are by weight; the term "polymer" includes "oligomer", "copolymer", "terpolymer", and the like; the description of a group or class of materials as suitable or preferred for a given purpose in connection with the invention implies that mixtures of any two or more of the members of the group or class are equally suitable or preferred; description of constituents in chemical terms refers to the constituents at the time of addition to any combination specified in the description or of generation in situ by chemical reactions specified in the description, and does not necessarily preclude other chemical interactions among the constituents of a mixture once mixed; specification of materials in ionic form additionally implies the presence of sufficient counterions to produce electrical neutrality for the composition as a whole (any counterions thus implicitly specified should preferably be selected from among other constituents explicitly specified in ionic form, to the extent possible; otherwise such counterions may be freely selected, except for avoiding counterions that act adversely to the objects of the invention); and the term "mole" and its grammatical variations may be applied to elemental, ionic, and any other chemical species defined by number and type of atoms present, as well as to compounds with well defined molecules.


A method of forming a semiconductor structure having at least a contact plug includes the following steps. At first, at least a transistor and an inter-layer dielectric (ILD) layer are formed on a substrate, and the transistor includes a gate structure and two source/drain regions. Subsequently, a cap layer is formed on the ILD layer and on the transistor, and a plurality of openings that penetrate through the cap layer and the ILD layer until reaching the source/drain regions are formed. Afterward, a conductive layer is formed to cover the cap layer and fill the openings, and a part of the conductive layer is further removed for forming a plurality of first contact plugs, wherein a top surface of a remaining conductive layer and a top surface of a remaining cap layer are coplanar, and the remaining cap layer totally covers a top surface of the gate structure.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of forming a semiconductor structure having at least a contact plug, and more particularly, to a method of forming a semiconductor structure having a gate structure and at least a contact plug, wherein a top surface of the contact plug is substantially higher than a top surface of the gate structure, and the top surface of the contact plug and a top surface of a cap layer formed on the gate structure are coplanar.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Poly-silicon is conventionally used as a gate electrode in semiconductor devices, such as the metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS). However, with a trend toward scaling down the size of semiconductor devices, the conventional poly-silicon gate has faced problems such as inferior performance due to boron penetration and unavoidable depletion effect which increases equivalent thickness of the gate dielectric layer, reduces gate capacitance, and worsens a driving force of the devices. Therefore, work function metals are used to replace the conventional poly-silicon gate to be the control electrode that is suitable for the high-k gate dielectric layer.
In conventional arts, after forming the transistor with a metal gate, a wiring system is formed thereon to electrically connect the metal gate and the source/drain regions, thereby providing signal input/output pathways for the transistor. The wiring system includes a plurality of contact plugs, and the double patterning technique (DPT) has been developed and taken as one of the most promising lithographic technologies to overcome the limitations of the conventional tools for forming complicated and intensive patterns. In other words, multiple photolithography processes are required to be performed during the conventional contact plug processes, therefore, the cleaning solution, the etchant or the chemical solvent used in the photolithography processes may directly contact the exposed metal gates, which may deform or damage the formed metal gates. Consequently, how to avoid the effects caused by the later processes and maintain the normal function of the metal gates is still an important issue in the field.

Method of forming semiconductor structure having contact plug


An article transfer apparatus includes a power driven shuttle carriage mounted for movement along a first linear path between opposite end limits. An article holder assembly includes a base mounted on the carriage for movement relative to the carriage along a second linear path normal to the first linear path between opposite end limits. The holder base mounts a sleeve slidable along an elongate guide rod whose opposite ends may be independently positioned transversely of the first linear path. The guide rod may thus be located to extend parallel to or to be inclined relative to the first path to accordingly enable the sleeve position the holder on this second linear path or to move the holder base transversely of the carriage driving movement of the carriage along the the first path. An article holder unit mounted on the base may be manually adjusted about one axis relative to the base and driven in rotative adjustment relative to the base about a second axis by a reversible power drive mounted upon the base.

A transfer apparatus of the general type with which the present invention is concerned is disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 4,553,444. The apparatus disclosed in that patent includes a pair of fixed parallel tracks upon which a shuttle carriage is mounted for power driven movement longitudinally of the tracks from one end of the tracks to the other. Although not disclosed in detail in that patent, which is primarily directed to the mechanism employed to drive the shuttle carriage, a work piece holder is mounted upon the shuttle carriage. In a typical application, the transfer apparatus is positioned to extend between two machines which perform successive operations upon a work piece. The shuttle carriage is positioned at the end of its track adjacent the first machine and an automatic or robotic device is employed to extract a work piece from the first machine and load the work piece onto the work holder of the transfer apparatus, which then drives the shuttle carriage with the work piece to the opposite end of the transfer unit. A second automatic device then removes the work piece from the shuttle carriage and loads it into the second machine.
Because the loading and unloading of the transfer apparatus is performed by automatic devices, it is essential that the work holder of the transfer unit be precisely positioned at each end of its stroke to be in a proper orientation and alignment with the loading or unloading device. Where the production line in which the transfer apparatus is employed handles only work pieces of single configuration, problems of establishing the desired alignment between the transfer unit and the loading and unloading devices are simply solved by the initial set up of the unit. However, particularly in automotive related industries, present day practice requires that many production lines, particularly those employ machines involving a large capital investment, be capable of rapid conversion from production of one part to the production of a different part. Such a change over, in addition to the required modification of the tooling, can, and usually does, require modifications to the loading and unloading apparatus and changes to the work holder structure and its orientation upon the transfer unit, and possible a relocation of the end positions of the shuttle carriage.
One example of such a production line is one which is employed to stamp inner door panels for automotive vehicle doors. These inner door panels are employed to mount the door latching and window operating mechanisms and are of a complex shape such that the work piece blank passes through several successive stamping operations before it is finished. Transfer units of the general type referred to above are employed to transfer the work piece blank from one press to the next. Typically, two or more different inner door panel configurations are required for each different model of automobile- right and left handed configurations for two door automobiles, and right and left front and rear door configurations for four door automobiles.
Press lines for stamping parts of such complex shape include a series of relatively large presses fixedly mounted on the shop floor in spaced relationship to each other along a straight line. The transfer units extending between adjacent presses will have their longitudinal centerlines aligned with the straight line path through the presses. Where it is intended that the line will be shifted at fairly frequent intervals from production of one part to production of a different part, to accomplish a quick change is set up, the loading and unloading devices are provided with quick change modular work piece gripping heads, and a matched set of work piece holders are provided for the transfer unit, again with quick change couplings accommodating rapid removal and replacement upon the shuttle carriage of the transfer unit. By appropriate design, these matched pairs of work piece grippers and work piece holders will minimize or eliminate the necessity of reorientation or realignment of the transfer unit with its associated loading and unloading devices upon conversion from the handling of one part to the handling of another.
However, where the line must be capable of handling several different parts of differing sizes, shapes and configurations, it is frequently necessary to shift the orientation of the part between successive presses. Loading of the part upon the work holder on the shuttle carriage may, for example, be most conveniently accomplished if the work holder is inclined toward the adjacent side of the press from which it receives the part and is reversely inclined for the unloading operation at the opposite end of its stroke. Also, the geometry of the part may be such that shifting the part transversely of its path of travel between the two presses may be desirable.
Shifting of the position of the part relative to the fixed frame of the transfer apparatus during transit from one end of the apparatus to the other will normally require some powered device mounted upon the shuttle carriage, and the supply of power to these actuating devices will require the coupling of an electrical cable or pneumatic hose to some point on the carriage. In that the path of travel of a typical shuttle carriage may be ten feet or more, the handling of these power cables or supply lines, which must be connected at one end to a stationary power outlet presents a problems. Guidance and handling of a single line extending from a fixed supply location to the moving carriage can easily be handled with an articulated cable guide of well known construction. However, when two or more power supply lines or cables must be attached at one end to a movable shuttle carriage at locations on the carriage which are in turn moveable relative to one another, a single cable guide is not sufficient and two or more cable guides leading to relatively moveable points on the shuttle present an exceedingly complex design problem.
The present invention is directed to a transfer unit which includes a work holder mounted upon a shuttle carriage for independent adjustable movement in two types of movement relative to the shuttle carriage while requiring but a single supply cable connection to the carriage.


A data statistics method and an apparatus thereof, the method comprises: receiving, by a first processor of the cooperative data party, data identifiers corresponding to pieces of first data for the data statistics and corresponding encrypted data from the statistical data party; determining, by the first processor, an identifier intersection according to data identifiers corresponding to pieces of second data of the cooperative data party and the received data identifiers corresponding to the pieces of first data; performing, by the first processor, statistical processing on encrypted data corresponding to common data identifiers in the identifier intersection to obtain encrypted statistical values; and sending, by the first processor, the encrypted statistical values to a second processor of the statistical data party to enable the second processor to perform decryption on the encrypted statistical values and obtain the statistical values.

A great number of data islands may exist in the big data era. For example, the data of a person can be dispersedly stored with different enterprises. However, there may be no complete mutual trust among the enterprises due to competitive relationships and concerns of the user privacy protection, which may create a barrier for cooperation of data statistics among the enterprises. There is an urgent need for a solution on how to achieve some data statistics calculations using the data owned by different parties without leaking data privacy of the respective enterprises, to ensure that the privacy of the core data of the respective enterprises is fully protected. However, no good solution is available so far.


A molding head includes: an outer casing unit that has a top wall portion which is installed above a discharge hole and in which a plurality of shaping holes are formed, and that causes a molding surface of the top wall portion to discharge the content which has passed through the shaping holes; and an inner plate that is disposed inside the outer casing unit and defines a dispersion chamber between the inner plate and a supply surface of the top wall portion, in which a guide protrusion portion with which the content collides to be introduced to openings of the shaping holes on the molding surface side is formed on at least one of inner surfaces of the plurality of shaping holes, or in at least one of circumferential opening edge portions of the plurality of shaping holes on the supply surface side.

In the related art, for example, a molding head disclosed in the following Patent Document 1 is known. The molding head includes an outer casing unit that has a top wall portion which is installed above a discharge hole for discharging a content and in which a plurality of shaping holes penetrated in a vertical direction are formed, and causes an upwardly directed molding surface of the top wall portion to discharge a content which has passed through the shaping holes, and an inner plate that is disposed inside the outer casing unit and defines a dispersion chamber, which disperses a content from the discharge hole in a radial direction along the molding surface and supplies the content to the shaping holes, between the inner plate and a downwardly directed supply surface of the top wall portion. In this molding head, a molded article is formed on the molding surface by combining a plurality of molding pieces formed by a content from the dispersion chamber passing through each of the plurality of shaping holes.


An gas directing/exhaust system and method are provided that has different embodiments. In some embodiments, the gas directing mechanism has a first pathway and a second pathway. In other embodiments, the gas directing mechanism has a second pathway and one or more first pathways located inside of the second pathway. In other embodiments, the gas directing mechanism has the first and second pathways and a third pathway inside of the second pathway.

It is well known that internal combustion engines require a flow of air to operate. In particular, the air and fuel are mixed together and then ignited to generate energy which translates into power, for example, to move a piston up. An internal combustion engine may be used for a variety of different purposes, including powering a vehicle, generating energy, such as a gasoline powered portable generator, and many other uses. The temperature and amount of air flowing into the internal combustion engine affects the performance of the engine as is well known.
In order to increase the performance of an internal combustion engine, the temperature and amount of air being provided to the internal combustion engine may be adjusted. For example, an automobile may be turbo charged in which the incoming air is compressed and then fed into the internal combustion engine. The turbo charging of an internal combustion engine, however, is expensive and difficult to install for anyone other than an experienced mechanic. Another less expensive option is to attempt to lower the temperature of the incoming air flow while at the same time increasing the air flow. This can be accomplished using after-market add on components which replace the original gas directing system. One example of a known system is made by AEM Power, Inc. (http://www.aempower.com). According to AEM Power, this system creates multiple frequency sound waves to help charge the cylinders with air in the upper engine RPM region. According to AEM Power, a shorter secondary pipe generates high frequency sound waves with higher engine RPMs and the smaller, longer primary pipe generates lower frequency sound waves at lower engine RPMs. This system does result in an increase in engine horsepower and torque. The same system described above may also be used to engine exhaust gases. However, the horsepower and torque gain from the AEM V2 Intake System can still be further increased. Thus, it is desirable to provide an gas directing system and method that produces more horsepower and torque, and it is to this end that the present invention is directed.


A liquid ejecting apparatus, including an electric potential control unit capable of switching between an identical electric potential state which sets a predetermined region of the liquid ejection unit side and a predetermined region of the ejecting medium support unit side to the identical electric potential and an electric potential difference generating state which generates the electric potential difference between both of them, wherein the liquid ejecting apparatus includes a configuration in which, when the ejecting medium passes through a liquid ejecting area to which the liquid is ejected by the liquid ejection unit, the electric potential control unit forms the identical electric potential state, and when the ejecting medium does not pass through the liquid ejecting area, the electric potential control unit forms the electric potential difference generating state for at least a proper period.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a liquid ejecting apparatus represented by a facsimile or a printer.
2. Related Art
Hereinafter, an inkjet printer as an example of the liquid ejecting apparatus will be described. The ink jet printer is configured so as to have a support member (also called a platen) at a position facing an ink jet recording head, thereby defining the distance between the ink jet recording head and a recording paper, by supporting the recording paper by the support member.
Herein, in the ink jet printer of recent years, as miniaturization of ink droplets proceeds aiming for further improvements in recording quality, ink droplets become further miniaturized, for example, to the extent of several pl. For this reason, the mass of the ink droplet is extremely small, and even if the ink droplet is discharged from the ink jet recording head to the recording paper, a part thereof does not impact on the recording paper, becomes mist and floats, generating various problems. In addition, in a so-called edgeless recording which performs the recording without a margin at four sides of the recording paper, since the ink droplet is discharged even at an area deviated from the end portions of the recording paper, the mist and floating phenomenon becomes more noticeable.
Thus, hitherto, as described in JP-A-2007-118321 and JP-A-2007-118318, there is proposed a technique in which Coulomb's force operates on the ink droplet, by providing an electric potential difference among the ink jet recording head, the recording paper, and the support member to generate an electric field, thereby attracting the ink droplet to the recording paper.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Liquid ejecting apparatus with an electric potential control unit


An image forming apparatus includes a developing unit, a transfer section, and a calculator. The developing unit includes an image carrier carrying a developer image. The transfer section includes a transfer belt, a cleaning member, and a container, and transfers the developer image onto a print medium. The transfer belt is disposed in contact with the image carrier. The cleaning member removes a developer attached to the transfer belt. The container contains the developer removed by the cleaning member. The calculator calculates a collection amount on the basis of medium information of the print medium. The collection amount is an amount of the developer collected in the container.

The technology relates to an image forming apparatus that forms an image and to an image forming method used by the image forming apparatus.
Some image forming apparatuses collect, in a collection container, a waste toner attached to a transfer belt. For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. H08-292696 discloses an image forming apparatus that calculates in advance the number of sheets of print media printing on which causes the collection container to be filled with the waste toner. The image forming apparatus performs such calculation for transfer print media having various medium sizes. Further, the image forming apparatus estimates, on the basis of a result of the above-described calculation, timing at which the collection container is filled with the waste toner.

Image forming apparatus and image forming method


A spirally wound resilient cylindrical or tubular connecting element adapted to connect or terminate pressure sensitive or brittle elongated conducting elements in either supporting or end-to-end conductive relationship. In one embodiment, the connecting element is comprised of a generally resilient cylindrical member having a hollow internal passageway therethrough adapted to receive said conducting elements in end-to-end relationship, said cylindrical member having integrally associated therewith a second, smaller, cylindrical member defining a second hollow passageway therethrough, said second hollow passageway adapted to receive an expansion strand or rip wire, said expansion strand having an outside diameter slightly larger than the internal diameter of said second hollow cylindrical passageway, wherein when said expansion strand is disposed within said second hollow cylindrical passageway the internal diameter of said first hollow cylindrical passageway is expanded beyond its equilibrium diameter. When said expansion strand is removed from said second hollow cylindrical passageway, the inherent resiliency of said connecting element urges said connecting element to grip the conducting strand or strands about their outer periphery with a generally equally directed radial force, thereby holding said conductive strands in firm coaxial alignment without disturbing the conductive material of the strand or strands.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to the art of connecting or terminating pressure-sensitive or brittle elongated conducting elements such as optical fiber strands, or elements made from ceramic oxides or glass, plastic or paper. It may serve as a splice, terminal or guide for such conducting elements which cannot be readily used with connecting devices used for metallic wires.
2. Basis of the Invention
The invention consists basically of a springy-wound cylindrical or tubular connecting element rolled to a diameter smaller than that of the conducting element with which it is used, but opened up in the production process to a diameter slightly larger than that of the conducting element, allowing insertion of the latter therein Said connecting element is prevented from recoiling from this enlarged configuration by a retaining or locking means. Once said retaining means is removed or opened, the expanded tubular element contracts over the conducting elements which have been introduced into the ends of the connecting element, said element in the process exerting its inherent residual recoil energy about the inserted end portions of said conducting elements to retain same relative to each other.
The invention is carried out in a 3-step process, of which the first two steps concern manufacture and the third the release of the retaining means. The invention consists essentially of a connector, pre-tensioned in manufacture, and released in the third or installation step. The third step utilizes the residual recoil action of the springy connecting tube element This recoil energy is a function of the dimensions and, of course, the properties (i.e.: springiness) of the tube material. It can be engineered into the design of a connector with the precision of a pressure gauge, ranging from a slight circumferential touch being exerted on the connected end portions of the conducting elements to substantial and evenly distributed pressure thereover.

Connector for optical fibers and the like


A database of a host computer stores attribute data, such as price, of many products. The database is accessed by wireless transmission on a real-time basis to automatically retrieve the price of a selected product. The retrieved data is printed on paper in human-readable form by a printer. The paper and the selected product are presented to a check-out site to complete purchase of the product.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to an arrangement for and a method of updating inventory markings and, more particularly, to a point-of-sale (POS) system including a scanner for electro-optically scanning a target, e.g., a bar code symbol on a label applied to a product; a terminal such as a data base computer or cash register operative for storing information, e.g., price, relating to the product, and for periodically updating such information; a printer for printing an updated label for such updated information; and a scale for weighing the product.
2. Description of Related Art
Targets having indicia of different light reflectivity, such as bar code symbols printed on labels affixed to products, have been electro-optically scanned by directing laser beams to symbols for reflection therefrom. A portion of the reflected laser beam for each symbol was collected by a photodetector having a finite field of view. Each symbol and/or the field of view was scanned by different scan patterns including, but not limited to, a single scan line, a set of generally parallel scan lines, two sets of intersecting parallel scan lines, multiple intersecting scan lines, Lissajous scan patterns, holographic scan patterns, omnidirectional scan patterns, etc.
POS scanners and readers of this general type for electro-optically reading symbols have been disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,251,798; 4,360,798; 4,369,361; 4,387,297; 4,593,186; 4,496,831; 4,409,470; 4,460,120; 4,607,156; 4,673,805; 4,736,095; 4,758,717; 4,760,248; 4,806,742; 4,808,804; 4,825,057; 4,816,661; 4,816,660; 4,845,350; 4,835,374; 4,871,904; D-306,434; D-306,435; as well as pending applications Ser. Nos. 193,265; 265,143; 265,548; 265,149; 264,693; 367,335; 367,007; 429,198; 392,207; and 349,860, all of the aforementioned patents and patent applications having been assigned to the same assignee as the instant application, and being hereby incorporated herein by reference.
Once a product having a symbol-bearing label has been scanned and identified, information such as price relating to the identified product is retrieved from a data base of a host computer. This information is then used, for example, at a supermarket checkout counter to indicate the price of the identified product to a customer.
Although generally satisfactory for its intended purpose, some customers wish to know the price of a product before standing in line at the checkout counter. To assist the customer, some stores post price signs in the vicinity of the products for sale on supermarket shelves. However, those signs are sometimes removed and not replaced on the shelves. More often, the price information is outdated from one day to the next due to price increases or special promotion sales. The only reliable price information is obtained typically only at the checkout counter and, as previously noted, many customers would like to know the price beforehand.
For certain items, for example, meats, fish, vegetables, fruits, etc., whose actual price is a function of weight, the only scale which is determinative of the actual price is the one at the checkout counter. Other in-store scales typically provide guidance only as to the approximate weight of the products. Here, again, it would be desirable for the customer to know the price of the products to be purchased before checking out.
Expediting checkout is also desirable in crowded supermarkets. The aforementioned items that have to be weighed at the checkout counter slow the checkout procedure. It would be desirable to apply machine-readable coded labels to such items in advance of checkout so that they may be automatically read at checkout. Supermarkets often have separate in-store specialty counters, e.g. an appetizing counter, where foodstuffs are weighed and labeled with a price dependent on weight. The foodstuff is identified by manual entry of a numerical code at a keyboard. Such manual entry is prone to human error, with the result that the wrong code and foodstuff is identified.
1. Objects of the Invention
It is a general object of this invention to advance the state of the art of such scanners.
It is another object of this invention to update inventory markings on a real-time basis.
Another object of this invention is to print updated product labels when information relating to the product has been updated.
A further object of this invention is to print individual updated product labels for application to each product.
Still another object of this invention is to advise a customer of the price of a product prior to checkout.
Yet another object of this invention is to reliably apprise a customer of the actual price of a product whose price is a function of weight prior to checkout.
Another object of this invention is to expedite the checkout procedure by automatically reading coded labels of products whose price is dependent on weight.
2. Features of the Invention
In keeping with these objects, and others which will become apparent hereinafter, one feature of this invention resides, briefly stated, in a method of and an arrangement for updating inventory markings. The invention includes storing information relating to inventory products in a data base of a host computer, and periodically updating such information relating to the products as circumstances, e.g. price increases or decreases, warrant. Each of the products is identified by electro-optically reading indicia thereon having parts of different light reflectivity. In a preferred embodiment, the indicia are bar code symbols printed on labels affixed to the products.
Each time a product has been identified, the host computer is interrogated on a real-time basis for the updated information. If updated information is available, an updated label is printed, the updated label containing the updated information in human-readable and/or machine-readable form. The updated label is thereupon applied to the identified product.
Thus, when the information relating to the products is price information, the customer is reliably apprised of the actual price of the item prior to checkout. No longer need the customer be faced with missing price signs. In the case where the price information includes price per unit weight data, this invention further contemplates weighing the identified product prior to interrogating the host computer. Thus, the updated label is printed with the weight and price information for application to the identified product prior to checkout.
The electro-optical reading of the symbol is preferably performed by a hand-held head supported by a retail clerk, and aimable at each symbol during reading. Within the head are mounted means for directing a light beam, preferably a laser beam, to the symbol, means for detecting at least a portion of light of variable intensity reflected off each symbol over a field of view, means for scanning at least one of said laser beam and said field of view, and means for processing electrical signals indicative of the detected light intensity into data identifying the product bearing the symbol.
Rather than a hand-held head, all of the aforementioned means can be incorporated in a head of a desktop, stand-alone workstation. The head may be connected, in a preferred embodiment, to one end of an arm that is bendable in order to position the head in a desired orientation.
The printing of the updated label may be performed by a printer on-board the head, or located remotely therefrom, e.g. a portable printer either held separately by the clerk or supported on a belt or shoulder strap worn by the clerk.
In a preferred embodiment, the printer is a thermal printer that is powered by a re-usable, rechargeable battery. The printer advantageously prints on leading portions of a paper roll of tear-off labels not only the aforementioned price information, but also sequence numbers indicative of the number of times that the printer has printed labelsxe2x80x94a feature useful in preventing pilferage.
The electro-optical reading of a bar code symbol uniquely associated with each product insures that incorrect product identification by manual entry of an incorrect numerical code at a keyboard is reliably prevented.

Point-of-sale system with real-time database access and printing of human-readable price information


A sphygmomanometer simulator for live training includes an upper arm cuff for a simulated patient; a rigid walled pressure vessel within the cuff; a manual inflator and manual release valve coupled to the rigid walled vessel to selectively increase and release the pressure within the pressure vessel; a pressure sensor coupled to the pressure vessel; a cuff controller receiving the pressure sensor measurements and controlling a speaker within the cuff to emit designated simulated Korotkoff sounds associated with a simulated blood pressure and with the pressure of the pressure vessel; a visual gauge controlled by the cuff controller and displaying a pressure associated with the pressure in the pressure vessel and simulated Korotkoff gauge bumps associated with the simulated blood pressure for the simulated patient; and a user controller coupled to the cuff controller for inputting the simulated blood pressure for the simulated patient.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a universal sphygmomanometer simulator for live training and evaluation.
2. Background Information
Sphygmomanometer
Blood pressure refers to the force exerted by circulating blood on the walls of blood vessels, and constitutes one of the principal vital signs of a patient or subject (human or animal). The pressure of the circulating blood decreases as blood moves through arteries, arterioles, capillaries and veins; the term blood pressure generally refers to arterial blood pressure, i.e., the pressure in the larger arteries, arteries being the blood vessels which take blood away from the heart. Blood pressure in humans is most commonly measured via a device called a sphygmomanometer, which traditionally uses the height of a column of mercury to reflect the circulating pressure. Although many modern blood pressure devices no longer use mercury, blood pressure values are still universally reported in millimeters of mercury.
A sphygmomanometer or blood pressure meter (also commonly referred to as a sphygmometer) is composed of an inflatable cuff to restrict blood flow, and a mercury or mechanical manometer to measure the pressure. It is always used in conjunction with a means to determine at what pressure blood flow is just starting, and at what pressure it is unimpeded. Manual sphygmomanometers are used in conjunction with a stethoscope.
The word "sphygmomanometer" comes from the Greek "sphygmós" meaning "pulse and the scientific term "manometer" meaning "pressure meter". The invention of the sphygmomanometer is commonly attributed to Samuel Siegfried Karl Ritter von Basch in 1881. Scipione Riva-Rocci is attributed with introducing a more easily used version in 1896. While in 1901, Harvey Cushing modernized the device and popularized it within the medical community.
A conventional sphygmomanometer consists of an inflatable cuff, a measuring unit (the mercury manometer, or aneroid gauge), and a mechanism for inflation which may be a manually operated bulb and valve or a pump operated electrically. The usual unit of measurement of blood pressure is millimeters of mercury (mmHg) as measured directly by a manual sphygmomanometer.
There are two categories of sphygmomanometers: manual sphygmomanometers and digital sphygmomanometers.
Manual sphygmomanometers require a stethoscope for auscultation. They are used by trained practitioners, and cannot be used in environments too noisy to permit hearing the characteristic sounds. It is possible to obtain a basic reading through palpation, but this only yields the systolic pressure. Mercury sphygmomanometers are often considered to be the gold standard for manual sphygmomanometers and measure blood pressure directly by observing the height of a column of mercury; errors of calibration cannot occur (unless the markings on the scale of millimeters are wrong). Due to their accuracy, mercury sphygmomanometers are often required in clinical trials of pharmaceuticals and for clinical evaluations of determining blood pressure for high-risk patients including pregnant women. Aneroid sphygmomanometers (mechanical types with a dial) are manual sphygmomanometers that are in common use, and can require regular calibration checks, unlike mercury manometers. Aneroid sphygmomanometers are considered safer than mercury based, although possibly less accurate. A major cause of departure from calibration is mechanical jarring. Aneroid sphygmomanometers mounted on walls or stands are less susceptible to this particular problem.
Digital sphygmomanometers typically use oscillometric measurements and electronic calculation rather than auscultation. They may use manual or automatic inflation. These are electronic, and claimed to be easy to operate without training by anybody, and can be used in noisy environments. They measure systolic and diastolic pressures by oscillometric detection, using a piezoelectric pressure sensor and electronic components including a microprocessor. They do not measure systolic and diastolic pressures directly, but calculate them from the mean pressure and empirical oscillometric parameters. Digital oscillometric monitors are also confronted with "special conditions" for which they are not designed to be used: arteriosclerosis; arrhythmia; preeclampsia; pulsus alternans; and pulsus paradoxus. The oscillometric method of detection used gives blood pressure readings that differ from those determined by auscultation, and vary subject to many factors, for example pulse pressure, heart rate and arterial stiffness. In addition to the digital oscillometric monitors drawbacks where they cannot be used, the overall accuracy of such devices has been questioned.
As a note the category of digital sphygmomanometers is defined by the method of calculating the resulting pressure rather than the type of display. A manual sphygmomanometers using auscultation may have a digital display of the associated pressure.
As shown in FIG. 1A, in humans, the cuff 16 of a typical manual sphygmomanometer 10 is normally placed by the medical professional smoothly and snugly around an upper arm 12 of a patient 14, at roughly the same vertical height as the heart while the patient is seated with the arm 12 supported. It is essential that the correct size of cuff 16, typically adjustable within a given range, is selected for the patient 14. Too small a cuff 16 results in too high a pressure, while too large a cuff 16 results in too low a pressure. For clinical measurements it is usual to measure and record blood pressure measurements of both arms of the patient 14 in the same consultation to determine if the pressure is significantly higher in one arm than the other. The cuff 16 is inflated, such as via bulb 22, until the artery 18 is completely occluded.
With the cuff 16 inflated until the artery 18 is completely occluded, a stethoscope 20 is placed in a position to listen to sounds (Korotkoff sounds) through the brachial artery 18, then medical professional slowly releases the pressure in the cuff 16 via releasing manual valve 24. As the pressure in the cuffs 16 falls, a "whooshing" or pounding sound is heard when blood flow first starts again in the artery 18. The pressure, shown on display or gauge 28, at which this sound began is noted and recorded as the systolic blood pressure 26. The cuff 16 pressure is further released until the sound can no longer be heard. The pressure reading on display 28 when the sound can no longer be heard is recorded as the diastolic blood pressure 30. In noisy environments where auscultation is impossible (such as the scenes often encountered in emergency medicine), systolic blood pressure 26 alone may be read by releasing the pressure until a radial pulse is palpated.
The sounds that medical professionals listen for when they are taking blood pressure using a manual sphygmomanometer are known as Korotkoff sounds and are named after Dr. Nikolai Korotkoff, a Russian physician who described them in 1905, when he was working at the Imperial Medical Academy in St. Petersburg.
If a stethoscope 20 is placed over the brachial artery 18 in a normal person (without arterial disease), no sound should be audible. As the heartbeats, these pulses are transmitted smoothly via laminar (non-turbulent) blood flow throughout the arteries, and no sound is produced. Similarly, if the cuff 16 of a manual sphygmomanometer 10 is placed around a patient's upper arm 12 and inflated to a pressure above the patient's systolic blood pressure 26, there will be no sound audible via a stethoscope 20 placed over the brachial artery 16. This is because the pressure in the cuff 16 is high enough such that it completely occludes the blood flow. This is similar to a flexible tube or pipe with fluid in it that is being pinched shut.
If the pressure is dropped to a level equal to that of the patient's systolic blood pressure 26, the first Korotkoff sound 32 in FIG. 10 will be heard. As the pressure in the cuff 16 is the same as the pressure produced by the heart, some blood will be able to pass through the upper arm 12 when the pressure in the artery 18 rises during systole. This blood flows in spurts as the pressure in the artery 18 rises above the pressure in the cuff 16 and then drops back down beyond the cuffed region, resulting in turbulence that produces an audible sound 32. As the pressure in the cuff 16 is allowed to fall further, thumping sounds continue to be heard as long as the pressure in the cuff 16 is between the systolic 26 and diastolic 30 pressures, as the arterial pressure keeps on rising above and dropping back below the pressure in the cuff 16. Eventually, as the pressure in the cuff 16 drops further, the sounds change in quality, then become muted, and finally disappear altogether. This occurs because, as the pressure in the cuff 16 drops below the diastolic blood pressure 30, the cuff 16 no longer provides any restriction to blood flow allowing the blood flow to become smooth again with no turbulence and thus produce no further audible sound.
There are five Korotkoff sounds that are described. The first Korotkoff sound 32 is the snapping sound first heard at the systolic pressure. Clear tapping, repetitive sounds for at least two consecutive beats is generally considered to occur at the systolic pressure 26. The second Korotkoff sounds 34 are the murmurs heard for most of the area between the systolic 26 and diastolic 30 pressures. The third Korotkoff sound 36 is described as a loud, crisp tapping sound. The fourth Korotkoff sound 38, at pressures within 10 mmHg above the diastolic blood pressure 30, was described as "thumping" and "muting". The fifth Korotkoff sound 40 is silence as the cuff 16 pressure drops below the diastolic blood pressure 30. The disappearance of sound is considered to occur at the diastolic blood pressure 30, actually about 2 mmHg below the last sound heard.
In addition to the Korotkoff sound heard through the stethoscope 20 in operation of a manual sphygmomanometer 10 the needle or gauge 28 of a manual sphygmomanometer 10 shows a slight "bump" as the blood rushes through the artery 18 causing a slightly elevated pressure reading. This visually noticeable bump in the pressure display occurs just before the first Korotkoff sound 32 and continues at pressures below the fifth Korotkoff sound 40. These visible gauge bumps are referenced herein as Korotkoff gauge bumps merely for the purpose of having a uniform reference for these features. Visualizing and recognizing the Korotkoff gauge bumps are also an important aspect of manual sphygmomanometer training.
Training
With the above described background it is important to have a method of accurately training medical professionals to accurately take blood pressure readings of patients using manual sphygmomanometer.
A number of blood pressure medical simulators have been developed to assist training medical professionals to accurately take blood pressure readings of patients using manual sphygmomanometer. For example see the LIFE/FORM® Blood pressure simulator using a manikin arm through which fluid is supplied at the desired pressure. Similarly Gaumard supplies a S415 BLOOD PRESSURE TRAINING SYSTEM™ which includes a full-size adult left arm that may also be attached to any Gaumard adult manikin and which is programmable to the desired simulated blood pressure. Laerdal also manufactures a BLOOD PRESSURE TRAINING ARM™ that provides "a lifelike, adult arm with an electronic trainer" designed for training the procedure of blood pressure measurement using a manual sphygmomanometer. Similarly, Armstrong Medical Industries manufactures a BLOOD PRESSURE SIMULATOR in the form of a manikin arm type device which is described as "a lifelike simulator" that "allows the presetting of values for both systolic and diastolic pressures. It provides an excellent means to practice listening to and distinguishing blood pressure sounds prior to actual clinical experience. It is possible to audibly discern the five Korotkoff phases. The electronically generated sounds are digitally recorded." While these simulators provide effective tools for supplying the trainees with a wide range of blood pressures to obtain and provide a method of verifying the accuracy of the trainee's results, they do not provide the real live aspects of interacting with a human regardless of how "lifelike" the systems become.
In recognizing the drawbacks of existing manikin based simulators educators will often have trainees work on trial subjects, most commonly by pairing the trainees together in which they switch from being the trainee and patient. This training has the advantage of introducing live subjects with all the aspects and nuances of interacting with live subjects that remains difficult to capture with manikin type simulators. However this training technique offers very little variation in the blood pressures that the trainees will experience (in general the class room subjects have an average blood pressure) and does not allow the teacher to easily verify the results of a particular trainee or to present a trainee with a desired blood pressure to measure.
Another medical training approach used in medical training is using live actors as patients who are reporting a selections of symptoms associated with a given malady or condition. In such training exercises the trainees are told to measure the actor/patient's blood pressure (which is often not indicative of an actor's simulated condition), and then told to ignore the results and assume that the trainee recorded results then given to the trainee and more in line with the actor's simulated condition. This live training technique also has the advantage of having trainees work with live subjects with all the aspects and nuances of interacting with live subjects, but it does not allow the trainee to actually obtain abnormal pressures (barring an actual abnormal condition of the actor) and lessens the realism of the training event as the trainee must disregard the obtained values and imagine some other imaginary set of values. This method also fails to allow the trainer to validate the accuracy of an abnormal blood pressure measurement obtained by the trainee.
There remains a need in the art to effectively expand the useful tools applicable to medical teachers and to provide effective tools for use with live subjects that supply the trainees of manual sphygmomanometer with a wide range of blood pressures to obtain and provide a system of verifying the accuracy of the trainee's results.

Universal sphygmomanometer simulator for live training and evaluation


A device for limiting swivel of a wheel of a stroller includes a fork mounted with the wheel, a swivel-limiting unit, and a quick release unit. The swivel-limiting unit includes a connecting seat adapted to be disposed fixedly on a frame unit of the stroller, a limiting seat connected fixedly to the fork, and a control member disposed on the connecting seat and operable to extend into the limiting seat so as to prevent rotation of the fork relative to the connecting seat. The quick release unit includes a base disposed fixedly on the connecting seat, and a movable member disposed movably on the base and operable to move on the base so as to allow for removal of the fork from the swivel-limiting unit.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a device for limiting the swivel of a front wheel, and more particularly to a device for limiting the swivel of a stroller front wheel, which is easy to operate and assemble/disassemble.
2. Description of the Related Art
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a conventional front wheel assembly 11 for a stroller includes two wheels 111, a coupling block 112 journalled between the wheels 111, and a post 113 extending upwardly from a center of the coupling block 112 and formed with an annular groove 114. A front frame 12 of the stroller is provided with a fixed upright sleeve 13, which has a lower end recess 131 for insertion of the post 113 thereinto. The sleeve 13 further has a transverse hole 133 formed in a lower end portion thereof and communicated with the recess 131. A generally elliptical retaining ring 14 is sleeved on the sleeve 13, and has two opposite operable portions 141, a hole 142, and a projection 143 opposite to the hole 142 and extending into the annular groove 114 of the post 113. A bolt 144 extends through the hole 142 in the retaining ring 14, and engages a threaded hole in the sleeve 13.
When it is desired to remove the front wheel assembly 11 from the sleeve 13, the operable portions 141 are pressed toward each other so as to remove the projection 143 of the retaining ring 14 from the annular groove 114 of the post 113, as shown in FIG. 3. This allows for removal of the front wheel assembly 11 from the sleeve 13. However, a significant force must be applied by the user so that the operable portions 141 are displaced by an amount sufficient to remove the projection 143 from the annular groove 114. Furthermore, there is no swivel-limiting structure for the front wheel assembly 11. Such a configuration results in random rotation of the front wheel assembly 11 when moving on an uneven road surface, thereby increasing difficulties with respect to controlling the stroller.

Device for limiting swivel of a front wheel of a stroller


A polyolefin microporous film having a laminated structure provided with at least one layer A containing a polyolefin and at least one layer B containing a polyolefin. 0 mass % to less than 3 mass % of polypropylene is contained in layer A and 1 mass % to less than 30 mass % of polypropylene is contained in layer B. When the proportion of polypropylene contained in layer A is represented by PPA (mass %) and the proportion of polypropylene contained in layer B is represented by PPB (mass %), PPB>PPA. In the polyolefin microporous film, the heat shrinkage ratio in TD at 120° C. measured upon applying, in MD, a constant load determined on the basis of the relationship: load (gf)=0.01×piercing strength (gf) of polyolefin microporous film×length (mm) in TD of polyolefin microporous film, is 10 to 40% inclusive.

Polyolefin microporous membranes have been used as separators for batteries, separators for capacitors, materials for fuel cells, microfiltration membranes, etc., and in particular, as separators for lithium ion secondary batteries. Separators prevent direct contact between positive electrodes and negative electrodes and also permeate ions through electrolytic solutions held in their microporous membrane.
In recent years, lithium ion secondary batteries have been used for applications of miniature electronic devices, such as cellular phones and laptop computers, etc., and also applied to electric vehicles including electric cars and small electric motorcycles, etc. Since in-vehicle lithium ion secondary batteries tend to have a larger capacity per unit cell, the amount of heat generated upon abnormal heat generation of the batteries also increases. Therefore, improvement in safety has become a more important issue due to the growing demand for the lithium ion secondary batteries for in-vehicle applications. On the other hand, from the viewpoints of increasing a capacity and energy density, saving a weight and thinning lithium ion secondary batteries, the mainstream of external materials for lithium ion secondary batteries has shifted from metal cans to laminated films.
Laminate type batteries have a more flexible external body than square batteries and cylindrical batteries, and there are concerns about battery swelling and distortion due to gas generation. In order to prevent them, batteries are assembled by using separators having an adhesive layer on the surface thereof, and then an adhesion treatment is carried out, in which the separators and electrodes are adhered with each other by pressing (also referred to as "hot pressing" in the present description) the battery while heating it.
As a base material of such separators of lithium ion secondary batteries, various raw materials or materials for polyolefin microporous membranes have been investigated (PTLs 1 to 7).
PTL 1 describes a polyolefin multilayer microporous membrane having at least 3 layers comprising first microporous layers (surface layers) consisting of a polyethylene-based resin containing ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene, and a second microporous layer (intermediate layer) consisting of a polyolefin resin containing high density polyethylene and polypropylene, wherein the polyolefin multilayer microporous membrane has a puncture strength of 25 g/μm or more, a static coefficient of friction for an aluminum foil of 0.40 or more, and a meltdown temperature of 180° C. or higher.
PTL 2 describes a multilayer microporous membrane having at least a first microporous membrane layer containing a first polyethylene, a first polypropylene, and a second polypropylene different from the first polypropylene, and a second microporous membrane layer containing the first polyethylene and the second polyethylene, wherein the multilayer microporous membrane has a puncture strength of 3,500 mN or more and air permeability of 1,000 seconds/cm3 or shorter after thermal compression.
PTLs 3 and 4 describe a polyolefin microporous membrane in which a microporous membrane A and a polyethylene microporous membrane B are laminated and integrated with each other, wherein the microporous membrane A comprises polyethylene and polypropylene as essential components, wherein the microporous membrane A comprises 3 to 50% by weight of the polypropylene, and the polyolefin microporous membrane has a membrane thickness is 5 to 20 μm.
PTL 5 describes a polyolefin microporous membrane comprising a first microporous layer containing polypropylene and polyethylene and a second microporous layer laminated on the first microporous layer, wherein the first microporous membrane constitutes a surface layer, and the polypropylene has a heat of fusion of 90 J/g or more.
PTL 6 describes a polyolefin microporous membrane comprising polyethylene and polypropylene as essential components and consisting of a laminated film of three layers, wherein the polyolefin microporous membrane has an average pore size of 0.02 μm or more and 1 μm or less, at least one surface layer comprises more than 50% by weight and 95% by weight or less of the polypropylene, and the entire membrane comprises 60% by weight and 95% by weight or less of polyethylene.
PTL 7 describes a polyolefin microporous membrane comprising a laminated film of two or more layers, wherein at least one surface layer has a thickness of 0.2 μm or more and 4 μm or less and contains 5% by weight or more and 60% by weight or less of inorganic particles, and at least other layer contains 50% by weight or more of polyethylene, wherein the polyolefin microporous membrane has an air permeability of 50 seconds/100 cc or longer and 1000 seconds/100 cc or shorter, and a puncture strength of 3.0 N/20 μm or more.

Polyolefin microporous film and lithium-ion secondary cell in which same is used


A hinge assembly could be installed between a panel and a base of an LCD and has a body, an active leaf and two mounting leaves. The body has two sides and two protrusions formed on the two sides respectively. The active leaf has two mounting portions mounted pivotally with the mounting leaves respectively and each mounting portion has a retainer. The mounting leaves are mounted pivotally on the two sides of the body and each mounting leaf has a slide slot with a folding end and an active slot with a latching end. The slide slots hold the protrusions respectively and the active slots hold the retainers. When the protrusions reach the folding ends, the panel and the base is folded into a flat status and encasing or transporting of the LCD is convenient.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a hinge, and more particular to a hinge assembly mounted between a panel and a base of a LCD and allowing the panel and the base to fold into a flat status to facilitate encasing and transporting.
2. Description of Related Art
An LCD (liquid crystal display) generally includes a panel, a base and a hinge. The hinge is typically mounted between the panel and the base to make the panel rotatable relative to the base for convenience of watching the panel.
When a LCD needs to be encased or transported, the panel and the base of the LCD is folded to reduce volume of the LCD, so that to encase and transport the LCD is convenient. However, the rotation angle of a conventional hinge is normally limited, so that the panel and the base may have an inevitable included angle between the panel and the base after folded, which enlarges the volume of the LCD and makes encasing and transporting more troublesome.
Moreover, the conventional hinges are not able to retain the position of the panel and the base after folded, such that the LCD may probably shake during encasing or transporting and are easily damaged.
To overcome the shortcomings, the present invention provides a hinge assembly to obviate or mitigate the aforementioned problems.


Disclosed herein are antisense compounds and methods for decreasing CD40. Examples of disease conditions that can be ameliorated with the administration of antisense compounds targeted to CD40 include hyperproliferative disorders, graft versus host disease (GVHD), graft rejection, asthma, airway hyperresponsiveness, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), multiple sclerosis (MS), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and certain forms of arthritis.

The immune system serves a vital role in protecting the body against infectious agents. It is well established, however, that a number of disease states and/or disorders are a result of either abnormal or undesirable activation of immune responses. Common examples include graft versus host disease (GVHD) and graft rejection, and autoimmune linked diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and certain forms of arthritis.
In general, an immune response is activated as a result of either tissue injury or infection. Both cases involve the recruitment and activation of a number of immune system effector cells (e.g., B- and T-lymphocytes, macrophages, eosinophils, neutrophils) in a process coordinated through a series of complex cell-cell interactions. A typical scenario by which an immune response is mounted against a foreign protein is as follows: foreign proteins captured by antigen presenting cells (APC's) such as macrophages or dendritic cells are processed and displayed on the cell surface of the APC. Circulating T-helper cells which express an immunoglobulin that recognizes (i.e. binds) the displayed antigen undergo activation by the APC. These activated T-helpers in turn activate appropriate B-cell clones to proliferate and differentiate into plasma cells that produce and secrete humoral antibodies targeted against the foreign antigen. The secreted humoral antibodies are free to circulate and bind to any cells expressing the foreign protein on their cell surface, in effect marking the cell for destruction by other immune effector cells. In each of the stages described above, direct cell-cell contact between the involved cell types is required in order for activation to occur. (Gruss et al., Leuk. Lymphoma 1989, 24:393). In recent years, a number of cell surface receptors that mediate these cell-cell contact dependent activation events have been identified. Among these cell surface receptors is CD40 and its physiological ligand, CD40 Ligand (CD40L) which is also known as CD154.
CD40 was first characterized as a receptor expressed on B-lymphocytes. It was later found that engagement of B-cell CD40 with CD40L expressed on activated T-cells is essential for T-cell dependent B-cell activation (i.e. proliferation, immunoglobulin secretion, and class switching). It was subsequently revealed that functional CD40 is expressed on a variety of cell types other than B-cells, including macrophages, dendritic cells, thymic epithelial cells, Langerhans cells, and endothelial cells. These studies have led to the current belief that CD40 plays a broad role in immune regulation by mediating interactions of T-cells with B-cells as well as other cell types. In support of this notion, it has been shown that stimulation of CD40 in macrophages and dendritic results is required for T-cell activation during antigen presentation. (Gruss et al., Leuk. Lymphoma, 1997, 24:393). Recent evidence points to a role for CD40 in tissue inflammation as well. Production of the inflammatory mediators IL-12 and nitric oxide by macrophages have been shown to be CD40 dependent. (Buhlmann and Noelle, J. Clin. Immunol., 1996, 16:83). In endothelial cells, stimulation of CD40 by CD40L has been found to induce surface expression of E-selectin, ICAM-1, and VCAM-1, promoting adhesion of leukocytes to sites of inflammation (Buhlmann and Noelle, J. Clin. Immunol., 1996, 16:83); Gruss et al., Leuk. Lymphoma, 1997, 24:393). Finally, a number of reports have documented overexpression of CD40 in epithelial and hematopoietic tumors as well as tumor infiltrating endothelial cells, indicating that CD40 may play a role in tumor growth and/or angiogenesis as well (Gruss et al., Leuk. Lymphoma, 1997, 24:393; Kluth et al., Cancer Res., 1997, 57:891).
Due to the pivotal role that CD40 plays in humoral immunity, the potential exists that therapeutic strategies aimed at downregulating CD40 or interfering with CD40 signaling may provide a novel class of agents useful in treating a number of immune associated disorders, including but not limited to graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), graft rejection, and autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and certain forms of arthritis. Inhibitors of CD40 may also prove useful as anti-inflammatory compounds, and could therefore be useful as treatment for a variety of inflammatory and allergic conditions such as asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, allograft rejections, inflammatory bowel disease, autoimmune encephalomyelitis, thyroiditis, various dermatological conditions, and psoriasis. Recently, both CD40 and CD154 have been shown to be expressed on vascular endothelial cells, vascular smooth muscle cells and macrophages present in atherosclerotic plaques, suggesting that inflammation and immunity contribute to the atherogenic process. That this process involves CD40 signaling is suggested by several studies in mouse models in which disruption of CD154 (by knockout or by monoclonal antibody) reduced the progression or size of atherosclerotic lesions. (Mach et al., Nature, 1998, 394:200-3; Lutgens et al., 1999, Nat. Med. 5:1313-6).
Finally, as more is learned of the association between CD40 overexpression and tumor growth, inhibitors of CD40 may prove useful as anti-tumor agents and inhibitors of other hyperproliferative conditions as well.
Currently, there are no known therapeutic agents which effectively inhibit the synthesis of CD40. To date, strategies aimed at inhibiting CD40 function have involved the use of a variety of agents that disrupt CD40/CD40L binding. These include monoclonal antibodies directed against either CD40 or CD40L, soluble forms of CD40, and synthetic peptides derived from a second CD40 binding protein, A20. The use of neutralizing antibodies against CD40 and/or CD40L in animal models has provided evidence that inhibition of CD40 signaling would have therapeutic benefit for GVHD, allograft rejection, rheumatoid arthritis, SLE, MS, and B-cell lymphoma. (Buhlmann and Noelle, J. Clin. Immunol, 1996, 16:83). Clinical investigations were initiated using anti-CD154 monoclonal antibody in patients with lupus nephritis. However, studies were terminated due to the development of thrombotic events. (Boumpas et al., 2003, Arthritis Rheum. 2003, 48:719-27).
Due to the problems associated with the use of large proteins as therapeutic agents, there is a long-felt need for additional agents capable of effectively inhibiting CD40 function. Antisense oligonucleotides avoid many of the pitfalls of current agents used to block CD40/CD40L interactions and may therefore prove to be uniquely useful in a number of therapeutic, diagnostic and research applications. U.S. Pat. No. 6,197,584 (Bennett and Cowsert) discloses antisense compounds targeted to CD40.


Method for updating control program of physical storage devices including the steps of: selecting PSD(s) to be updated with the control program; making the PSD(s) in an off-line state; and updating the control program of the PSD(s), wherein if it needs to issue a write request to the selected PSD(s) before completion of updating the control program, unmodified data segment(s) corresponding to the write request is marked as modified data segment(s). the selected PSD(s) performs partial rebuilding after completion of updating the control program, and if it needs to read out from or write to an unmodified data segment of the selected PSD(s) before completion of the partial rebuilding, a R/W request can be issued to the PSD directly without waiting for completion of the partial rebuilding of the PSD. Multipe parity data chunks can also be provided in the same data stripe in another embodiment.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a method for updating a control program of at least one physical storage device (PSD) in a storage virtualization system, and more particularly, to a storage virtualization controller and system using the method thereof.
2. Description of Related Art
With regard to the related prior arts, please refer to U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,032,218 , 6,907,504, 6,728,833, 6,816,950, 6,820,211 and U.S. Patent Publication No. 2005033933.
It can be known from the above prior arts that: in conventional storage virtualization systems, when updating control programs of hard disk drives (HDDs), the systems will enter degraded mode. Under the degraded mode and without interrupting read/write requests from a host entity, the systems can update control program of only one HDD at one time. However, a storage virtualization system generally has many HDDs. If it needs to update all of the HDDs in the system, the update will consume quite a lot of time and make the system stay in the degraded mode for a long time, which results in poor performance of the overall system and results in increasing the risk of data loss. Further, in some conventional prior arts, all of the data in HDD need to be updated with control program have to be first duplicated to another proxy HDD, and then an updating procedure begins. Upon completion of updating the control program of the HDD, all of the data in the proxy HDD are copied back to the HDD, which is time-consuming and results in poor performance.
Moreover, in the prior arts, when a HDD is being rebuilt after its control program has been updated, the HDD cannot be accessed, which greatly reduces system performance.
Further, during the procedure of updating a control program of a PSD in the conventional storage virtualization systems, if the system merely has single set of parity data for checking user data, when failure of other PSD occurs, a portion of data in the system will be lost and cannot be rebuilt, which causes irrecoverable data damages.
Summarizing from the above, while updating a control program of a PSD, the conventional storage virtualization system has the disadvantages of consuming long time for updating the procedure, of poor performance of overall system, and of high risk of data loss, and during the procedure of updating the control program of PSD, if the system merely has single set of parity data for checking user data, a significant disaster of system data loss will be caused when failure of other PSD occurs.

Method for updating control program of physical storage device in storage virtualization system and storage virtualization controller and system thereof


An LED lighting device can compensate a brightness change and a color change caused by a temperature change and exhibit an in-plane uniform luminance and color. A lighting device includes: at least one line connected in parallel, a constant voltage source for applying a constant voltage to the line, an ON/OFF controller, and a current detector for measuring a value of current flowing in the line. The line is formed by one or more light-emitting diodes and a switch for turning ON/OFF the current flowing in the light emitting diodes connected in series. According to the current value of each of the lines measured by the current detector, the ON/OFF controller controls the ON/OFF period of the switch of each of the lines.

The present invention relates to an LED lighting device drive circuit and an image display device using the same.
Recently, with increase of the light emission efficiency, the light emitting diode (LED) is employed for a lighting device more and more. Especially the LED is tried to be employed for a backlight arranged at the rear surface of a liquid crystal display (LCD) device. As a display method of the liquid crystal display device, in addition to the TN (twisted nematic) as a mainstream, an IPS (in-plane switching) and an MVA (multi-domain vertical alignment) characterized by a wide visual angle are used. These devices form an image by introducing the light of the lighting device arranged on the rear surface of the display unit into a liquid crystal panel capable of controlling the transmittance of the light. As a light source of the lighting device, in addition to the LED, it is possible to use a cold cathode fluorescent light (CCFL), a hot cathode fluorescent light (HCFL), an organic light emitting diode (OLED), and the like. The LED has a high color purity and can increase the color reproduction range of the liquid crystal display device. Moreover, since no lead is used, it is appropriate for the environment. Furthermore, since the LED has a high-speed response, it is possible to easily perform modulation with a light emission time width, which easily reduces power consumption.
The lighting device as a liquid crystal display device should have a characteristic that the brightness and color will not change. However, the LED has a characteristic that the light emission efficiency changes depending on the temperature and its brightness is changed by the affect of self-heating during ON state. Accordingly, the LED requires a compensation technique so that the brightness and the color will not be changed by the temperature change.
JP-A-2005-310997 discloses a technique for compensating the fluctuation of the brightness of the LED as the time elapses. That is, a photo sensor is divided to detect an emitted light quantity of each LED and feedback is performed on the LED drive condition so as to prevent the brightness change of the LED.
Moreover, JP-A-2004-199896 discloses a technique for arranging a temperature sensor in the vicinity of the LED so as to detect the LED temperature state and performing feedback on the LED drive condition.
Recently, however, a large-screen liquid crystal television exceeding 32 inches is spread. In order to realize this, it is necessary to arrange a plenty of LEDs substantially uniformly in the wide area. For this, it is difficult to compensate the brightness fluctuations of the plenty of LEDs by the techniques disclosed in the aforementioned JP-A-2005-310997 and the JP-A-2004-199896.
For example, in the compensation technique using a photo sensor, when a plenty of light sources are used, the positional relationship between the light source and the photo sensor differs among the light sources and the light quantity received by the photo sensor differs depending on the respective light sources. Accordingly, it is necessary to prepare a compensation table for compensating the positional relationship between the photo sensors and the light sources and estimate the light source emitted from each of the light sources. Such a complicated process in turn increases the circuit cost.
Alternatively, a plenty of photo sensors are required and increase of the number of photo sensors increases the production cost. Moreover, when using light sources of multi-primary colors such as LED for each of the RGB, it is necessary to arrange a color filter for the photo sensor and detect the light of each color, which also increases the production cost.
Moreover, in the compensation technique using the temperature sensor, when a plenty of LEDs are arranged on a large-area surface such as a large-size television, a temperature distribution is caused in the plane due to thermal convection and heat discharge structure. Accordingly, it is actually difficult to detect the temperatures of all the LEDs in the plane by a single temperature sensor and a plenty of temperature sensors are required, which increases the production cost.

LED lighting device and LCD device using the same


According to one embodiment, an indirect transfer medium includes: a base material; and an image receiving layer on which an image is capable of being formed by ink-jet printing. The image receiving layer includes a vinyl acetate maleate copolymer as thermo-adhesive material. The image receiving layer is laminated on the base material.

Printing made on a fibrous medium such as paper with an ink-jet printer has the following drawbacks.
(1) Ink bleeds along fibers, and thus high image quality is not achieved.
(2) When water or a chemical adheres to the paper after printing, ink dye or ink pigment is removed from the paper and thus printed records are not preserved.
In order to address the drawback (1), paper coated with resin or the like for preventing the ink from bleeding to improve image quality, i.e., ink-jet printing paper, is widely used.
In order to address the drawback (2), in addition to the aforementioned technique, there has been proposed: a technique to add a cationic resin or the like to include a component for fixing dye and pigment onto the paper; and a technique to adhere a protective film onto the printed paper so that water or chemical does not make contact with ink components.
Furthermore, as a technique to address the drawbacks (1) and (2), there has been known an indirect transfer method for providing the bonding surface of a protective film, which is usually adhered onto paper after printing, with a high-quality image printing capability. Then, according to the indirect transfer method, the bonding surface is adhered onto a target medium after the printing is performed on the protective film.
However, there are a limited number of examples of indirect transfer methods for ink-jet printing, and also, known examples of indirect transfer media are often limited to use in iron-on transfer sheets and ID cards, for example. Therefore, there has not been proposed an indirect transfer method with high image quality, high durability, and high production efficiency, and that can be used for official documents and the like.

Indirect transfer medium and forgery prevention medium producing apparatus


A method for driveline impact reverberation reduction including operating an engine coupled to a transmission; regulating operation of the engine with a controller to adjust fueling of the engine which includes providing a signal to the controller representative of a requested engine torque; determining a first fueling rate as a function of the signal and a set of preselected operating instructions; adjusting a set of engine operating parameters according to the first fueling rate; determining a second fueling rate as a function of the first fueling rate; and adjusting a set of engine operating conditions according to the second fueling rate.

The present application generally relates to engine control techniques, and more particularly, but not exclusively, reduced driveline system impact reverberation of an internal combustion engine.
In certain internal combustion engine systems, it is desirable to minimize driveline system impact reverberation. Present approaches to engine control of driveline system impact reverberation suffer from a variety of drawbacks, limitations, disadvantages and problems including those respecting sluggish engine response and others. There is a need for the unique and inventive engine control apparatuses, systems and methods disclosed herein.

Driveline system impact reverberation reduction


A toe tap for a tap shoe is characterized by a blunt forward edge which defines a platform for a dance to utilize during dance steps, particularly when the dancer elevates to an elongated pointe position with supported by the tips of the toes. The tap includes a base which has a rear edge extending toward the ball area of the dance shoe and side edges which extend between the front and rear edges. The tap further includes constant perimeter around the side and front portions and a lip extending upwardly from the base at the constant perimeter to enable the dance to execute shuffle and other dance movements with the medial and lateral portions of the foot. A projection further extends from the lip at the front edge. The projection has a flat surface co-planar with the blunt front edge of the base to define a larger platform for supporting the toe tips of the dancer's foot.

In many styles of dance, the dancer performs dance moves on the tip of a dance shoe. There are numerous movements including variations of toe stands and toe drops. These movements occur in all genre of dance: pointe, ballet, tap, jazz, character, modern, hip hop, and the like. There have been innovations that have helped the dancer achieve a more stable or prolonged position "en pointe" or on the tip toes. These prior innovations include adding a platform or similar type of flat surface to the toe area of the dance shoe to help execute the movements. This solution has been previously applied to pointe shoes and dance sneakers. Until now, there has not been the same innovation adapted for, and applied to, tap shoes.
While performing, practicing or studying the art of tap dance, the dancer may be required to stand on the toe or tip of the shoe. To execute this motion, the dancer lifts upwards and forwards through their body and their feet using their shoe as a tool to get them on pointe and keep them there. The shoe protects the foot and provides strength to the foot in order to complete this motion. Due to the nature of tap shoes as they have traditionally been made, the dancer is forced to stand on the rounded front portion of the tap which is mounted on the sole of the shoe. This is prohibitive to achieving optimal balance and affects both short and prolonged toe stands. It also hinders the ability of the dancer to string dance moves and motions together while "en pointe", because the rounded tip forces the dancer to unnecessarily work harder in order to achieve the proper body alignment and position. Extra effort is required to maintain proper and safe technique and produce the required/desired sound to achieve the art as it is meant to be heard and seen. Since there is no safe area for the dancer to balance on existing taps and related footwear, there is an added risk for injury while performing such intricate and technical footwork and body motion.
In addition to utilizing the tap in the front or toe portion of the shoe, tap dancers also utilize the side portions of the sole of the shoe. There are dance movements that require dancers to produce sounds while engaging in scuffing movements using the inside and outside edge of the shoe's sole. Since the sound producing metal tap portion of a tap shoe does not always extend to be flush with the edge of the shoe's sole construction, for reasons varying from shoe size to last shape, producing a sound utilizing the edge of the sides of the foot can be difficult. The toe tap is frequently arranged further in towards the center of the ball of the foot of the shoe, leaving an area of the sole of the shoe exposed around the tap, i.e. framing the tap, preventing it from being easily accessible at the edges of the shoe. In order to access this area of the foot, and thereby generating the tapping sound, the dancer must twist the foot and ankle into positions that can create injury, either immediately, or over time. While the motion and desired sound result is achievable, the tap shoes used to achieve it could be improved upon to reduce the possibility of injury.


An exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) system that utilizes an insulated separation wall that separates the hot, humid EGR gas duct from the cool, dry inlet air duct in the upstream proximity of the compressor inlet of the associated turbocharger compressor. This insulated separation wall inhibits the condensation of water droplets and the formation of ice particles near the mixing point of the EGR gases and inlet air in the upstream proximity of the compressor inlet, such that the turbocharger compressor wheel, blades, and other components are not subsequently damaged by the condensed water droplets or formed ice particles. The added insulation in this cold sink area essentially thermally isolates the hot, humid EGR gas flow from the cool, dry inlet air flow until the actual mixing point of the flows.

As fuel efficiency and emissions concerns become increasingly important, more and more vehicles are being equipped with turbochargers utilizing exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) systems. EGR systems increase the fuel efficiency of an internal combustion (IC) engine and reduce the emissions of noxious exhaust gases by recirculating a portion of the unused fuel and exhaust gases back to the engine for use, instead of releasing them into the environment. In a low pressure (LP) EGR system, the exhaust gases are reintroduced to the engine just upstream of the turbocharger compressor, at the turbocharger compressor inlet. At this location, the pressure is low, even under high engine boost conditions.
As illustrated in FIG. 1, EGR gases are mixed with conventional inlet air just before entering the turbocharger compressor. The ratio of EGR gases to inlet air determines the efficiency of the EGR system and engine overall. The utilization of EGR gases, however, is often limited by the condensation of water droplets in the EGR gases near the mixing point as the hot, humid EGR gases are cooled by the cool, dry inlet air. This cooling usually occurs through (and condensation usually occurs on and adjacent to) the wall that divides the hot, humid EGR gases from the cool, dry inlet air just prior to the mixing point, in the hot, humid EGR gases. This problem is especially pronounced under cold start and low temperature operating conditions, sometimes delaying the normal activation of the EGR system. This can compromise emissions testing results, for example, and otherwise degrade engine performance. In a worst case scenario, under extreme conditions, ice particles can even be formed in the EGR gases, exacerbating these issues.
Problematically, the condensed water droplets (or ice particles) near the mixing point of the EGR gases and the inlet air are fed directly to the turbocharger compressor. These water droplets (or ice particles) can impact the turbocharger compressor wheel, blades, and other components, damaging them. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the water droplets initially exert a force perpendicular to the component surface, which causes a blast wave upon component surface contact, resulting in a force exerted parallel to the component surface. This force exerted parallel to the component surface can impinge upon surface imperfections, causing spalls, cracks, etc. at or near such surface imperfections.
Thus, what is still needed in the art is an EGR system that inhibits the condensation of water droplets and the formation of ice particles near the mixing point of the associated EGR gases and inlet air, and especially on and adjacent to the wall separating the EGR gases from the inlet air, such that the subsequent turbocharger compressor wheel, blades, and other components are not damaged by the condensed water droplets or formed ice particles.

Exhaust gas recirculation compressor inlet thermal separation system