A patency check protocol (150) for evaluating a patency check injection (156) is disclosed. The protocol (150) incorporates a pressure standard (152) (e.g., a pressure threshold; a target pressure curve). A pressure associated with the patency check injection is monitored (160) and compared against this pressure standard (164). If a first condition is identified (166) (e.g., if the pressure threshold is reached; if the monitored pressure deviates from the target pressure curve by more than a certain predetermined amount), one or more actions may be undertaken (168) (e.g., one or more notifications or alerts may be issued; the flow rate may be reduced for the patency check injection; the patency check injection may be suspended/terminated).

Various medical procedures require that one or more fluids be injected into the patient. Medical imaging procedures oftentimes involve the injection of contrast media into the patient, possibly along with saline or other fluids. Other medical procedures involve injecting one or more fluids into a patient for therapeutic purposes.
Consider the case where both contrast media and saline are to be injected into a patient in accordance with a certain injection protocol. This injection protocol may entail injecting a certain volume of contrast media at a certain flow rate into the patient, followed by injecting a certain volume of saline at a certain flow rate into the patient, followed by injecting a certain volume of contrast media at a certain flow rate into the patient. In the case where a power injector is being used to execute an injection protocol, it is common to monitor a pressure associated with both a contrast media injection and a subsequent saline injection. It is also common for a pressure threshold to be input to the power injector and to take one or more actions if this pressure threshold is reached or exceeded during both a contrast media injection and a saline injection phase of an injection protocol.
Fluid being injected into a patient may be unintentionally directed into patient tissue versus a vein. This is generally referred to as extravasation, and may be the result of a technologist missing the patient's vein entirely when inserting a catheter, by the technologist piercing through the vein when inserting the catheter, or by the vein rupturing during a fluid injection. A patency test or check may be undertaken prior to initiating an injection protocol. This patency check may entail manually injecting saline into the patient through the flowpath that is to be used for the actual injection procedure. If there is a blockage in the flowpath or if the flowpath terminates in patient tissue versus within the patient's vein, the technologist should feel "back-pressure" when pushing on the syringe plunger. The technologist may also touch the patient's skin in proximity to the injection site during the patency check to determine if fluid is entering the patient's vein—there may be a bulging of the patient's skin at the injection site if fluid is being directed into patient tissue versus the patient's vein.
Power injectors may be used to execute an injection protocol. A power injector generally includes what is commonly referred to as a powerhead. One or more syringes may be mounted to the powerhead in various manners (e.g., detachably; rear-loading; front-loading). Each syringe typically includes what may be characterized as a syringe plunger, piston, or the like. Each such syringe plunger is appropriately interconnected with an appropriate syringe driver that is incorporated into the powerhead, such that operation of the syringe driver axially advances the associated syringe plunger. One typical syringe driver is in the form of a ram that is mounted on a threaded lead or drive screw. Rotation of the drive screw in one rotational direction advances the associated ram in one axial direction, while rotation of the drive screw in the opposite rotational direction advances the associated ram in the opposite axial direction.
At least certain power injectors include a patency check or test feature that is software-based. A small quantity of saline (e.g., about 10 milliliters) may be injected at the maximum flow rate that is anticipated to be used for the actual injection protocol. This patency check injection is done prior to executing the injection protocol. The back-pressure that develops during the patency check injection may be displayed. However, this pressure-monitoring functionality is not integrated with the patency check functionality. That is, pressure information is not provided to the logic that controls the patency check injection.


A helmet apparatus to improve viewing of a display image as well as an external scene includes a combiner placed over one eye of the user. The combiner is coated with a material which attenuates light to provide a contrast between the combiner and ambient light conditions.

Helmet mounted displays allow for the simultaneous viewing of visual information and/or images generated by a computer or other source, together with and/or superimposed on a direct viewing of an external scene. Such helmet mounted displays are used in many areas including training, entertainment and military applications such as aircraft pilots. Aircraft pilots find such displays useful in furnishing information relating to aircraft operation, weather radar presentations, maps, weapons aiming, and other such information as would be useful or desirable while flying.
In some displays, the visual information or visual images are superimposed on an optical combiner mounted on the head gear, a helmet visor for example, in view of the eye of the wearer such as the observer""s line of sight. In helmet mounted displays, in order for a display image to be viewed by the user""s eye, sufficient contrast against the background scene must exist to allow the image to be clearly viewed. For example, during the daytime, it would be difficult for an observer to view a display image as well as the external scene due to the brightness of daytime.
To assure that the contrast is provided in high ambient conditions, the display image must either be of high luminance or the background luminance must be attenuated. However, capabilities to provide a good contrast have resulted in high cost, high energy use or complex configurations. It would be desirable to have a simple, low cost implementation to provide a great contrast in helmet displays that requires little energy. Further, it would be desirable to have an implementation in which the helmet user could control the contrast.
A helmet apparatus to improve viewing of a display image as well as an external scene includes a combiner placed over one eye of the user. The combiner is coated with a material which attenuates light to provide a contrast between the combiner and ambient light conditions. The apparatus automatically attenuates the combiner when ambient light is sensed by a light sensor. The combiner will attenuate more if the ambient light is greater. The combiner attenuation may also be controlled manually based on the user""s desire.


The device is equipped with the classical catheter (1) finishing in its front end in a tip (2) for attachment to the neck of the uterus, which is prolonged by a cannula (3) of smaller diameter. The device has said cannula (3) closed by means of an elongated lid (4xe2x80x2), with a rounded face, with a perimeter depression and concave curve (8) at the middle level, where orifices are established (5xe2x80x2) as an outlet for the semen, specifically two orifices in diametric opposition, whose positioning is such that they are level with the uterine horns of the pig to be inseminated, by the introduction of the catheter (1), which is defined by a mark (11) in the cannula (3) or in a connector (12), which optimises the conditions of insemination allowing a lower semen consumption. In addition, the rear end of the lid (4xe2x80x2) has a diameter after the cannula (3), to protect the edge of the free end from the latter, avoiding damage to the mucus of the female to be inseminated. In order to facilitate the process of application and to avoid contamination of the distal part of the cannula, this is presented divided into two portions that can be coupled together, the furthest away being introduced and therefore protected within the catheter (1).

This is a national application based upon International Application No. PCT/ES00/00499, which was filed on Dec. 29, 2000 and which published in Spanish on Jul. 12, 2001, which in turn claims priority from Spanish Application No. U 200000004, which was filed on Jan. 3, 2001, and Spanish Application No. P200002360 filed on Sep. 29, 2000.
The present invention relates to a device that is to constitute the means for transmission of a dose of semen from a recipient container to the uterus of a female pig, for the post-cervical artificial insemination thereof.
The object of the invention is to achieve a device with some optimum features, that not only facilitates the anatomic implantation thereof in the pig, prior to the insemination itself, but also determines some optimum results in said insemination, with a minimal consumption of semen, or what constitutes an optimum use of the sperm introduced by means of the device and the deposition in the uterine horn of the female pig herself, by means of outlets with which for such purposes the expulsion end of the device has been equipped.
The application of the seminal dose in pigs on heat is performed normally by the vaginal route, using an instrument known as a catheter, this being made from a tubular implement, although it can present different forms. In all cases, it serves to reach the neck of the uterus and attach itself in the first 3-4 centimetres, as a nut does on a bolt, allowing the seminal dose to be applied through it, which has to pass through the rest of the uterine neck, approximately another 15 centimetres, before reaching the neck of the uterus.
There are currently different types of catheter that range from the classical reusable xe2x80x9cMelrosexe2x80x9d type made form a single rubber or similar piece that is very similar to the penis of the male pig, to an almost endless list of disposable plastic catheters.
These latter are generally formed of three pieces that correspond to the handle, the rod and the end or tip, such that the handle, not present in all catheters, is a piece of small dimensions that allows the catheter to be handled with ease and, for those that possess it, the cannula from the seminal container to be attached to the catheter.
The rod or body of the catheter is a tube approximately 50 centimetres long that acts as a conduct for the seminal liquid. The diameter of this tube is variable, although its outer diameter never exceeds 10 millimetres.
The point, as the main element of the catheter, is a piece of variable size and form which in any case allows the introduction and attachment to the neck of the uterus. They can take on cylindrical form (lid), made of foam and of a size near to 2 centimetres, and they can be conical, made of different types of plastic and with very variable sizes but which are usually between 3 and 8 centimetres. Attachment to the neck of the uterus is facilitated in some cases thanks to the helical form of the cone and in other cases thanks to the existence of rings or supplementary laminas that increase the degree of coupling between the catheter and the irregularities of the cervical wall.
In the French patent FR 8419723 a solution for a catheter is described, in which the terminal cannula does not emerge axially from the tip of the catheter, but rather does so laterally, such that said cannula, because of its inclined arrangement, impinges the wall of the uterine neck, which may produce scratching, and also makes handling difficult and uncomfortable.
In addition, in this Patent FR 8419723, it is specified that the cannula should have at least one lateral aperture, which suggests that the number of outlets is not determinant or important, inasmuch as in said Patent, the only thing that is foreseen is that the semen is introduced into the uterine neck, but with any orientation of outlet or outlets.
The artificial insemination device that is put forward is characterised in that inside the catheter a cannula is placed axially through which it is possible to achieve a post-cervical insemination, by lengthening the length of the insemination conduct beyond the uterine neck, depositing the semen in the uterine horns.
The new artificial insemination device consists of a standard catheter consisting of a tube or rod of flexible material and of a certain length, that has at its front end a standard tip, preferably cylindrical, with a widening spiral for attachment to the uterine neck. The back end of the catheter has a handle or a widening suitable for handling. The elements of the new invention consist of a hollow cannula suitable for post-cervical insemination. For this, the cannula is hollow, preferably of cylindrical form, whose outer diameter is particularly suitable to be introduced and housed, fitting tightly but allowing movement, inside the catheter. The cannula is obviously longer than the catheter, and is equipped at its rear end with a coupling device to allow bottles or tubes containing the semen to be introduced or the containers that contain it, directly if it is possible or with an intermediate adaptor. The front end of the cannula finishes in sphere or solid bead which closes it. A few centimetres from this sphere, the cannula""s cross-section narrows gently, with two laterally opposite orifices to be found in said narrowing for expulsion of the semen.
In its use and functionality, in addition to the trans-cervical cannula, the insemination catheter requires a gynaecological lubricant, the way to proceed being as follows:
The vulva of the pig is cleaned carefully and the catheter is prepared to be introduced. Sufficient quantity of gynaecological gel should be applied to the tip of the catheter on the outside and inside of the outlet. Next, it is placed in position conventionally until the tip of the catheter is fixed to the uterine neck, attached to the first 3 or 4 centimetres, as is the case in traditional artificial insemination. Next, the trans-cervical cannula is introduced through the rear end of the catheter until coming into contact with the cervical rings. During this operation, the cannula impulses the gynaecological gel towards the inside of the neck of the uterus, activating the terminal ball of piston or plunger. This action is very important as, in this way, the gynaecological gel is deposited deep in the neck of the uterus to subsequently facilitate the advance of the cannula along its length to the body of the uterus. This is necessary as, in this fashion, as the cannula continues to be propelled through the catheter it ends up emerging on the outlet of the tip. Once the cannula emerges through the point of the catheter, the cannula is still pushed. The front end of the cannula, which has emerged through the point of the catheter, passes through the cervical rings until reaching the neck of the uterus. This advance of the front end of the cannula through the uterine neck is facilitated by the existence of the gynaecological gel previously impelled and the rounded form of the end of the cannula, thus avoiding possible damage or erosions in the mucus of the uterine neck. This additional distance advanced by the end of the cannula makes a better fertilisation possible. Next, the container with the seminal material is placed over the rear outlet of the cannula and the insemination performed. Once the seminal dose has been applied, the cannula is partially retracted. The set of the cannula and the catheter are then removed in conventional fashion.
The new invention confers important advantages, as it allows trans-cervical insemination with the semen deposited directly into the body of the uterus, instead of in the start of the uterine neck, as occurs conventionally, which requires that the sperm travel approximately 10 to 15 centimetres naturally until reaching the uterine body. The second advantageous point is the use made of the semen employed, as in the traditional procedure part of the semen deposited in the cervix may turn back, and be discharged from the vagina and therefore not used. According to the invention, the dose of semen to be used can be reduced, achieving an equally satisfactory use, with better yield of the sperm and genetic material used from the breeding male pigs.
The trans-cervical cannula is suitable for use in conjunction with any standard catheter or catheter already in existence, provided it has sufficient diameter and length in accordance with the needs, with the indispensable requirement that the tip of the catheter is opened frontally, in order that the cannula may emerge easily.
In an alternative form of embodiment, the lid of the cannula, instead of adopting a spherical configuration, adopts a lengthened configuration with a rounded end, with a perimeter groove and means in which the outlet orifices are precisely established, in twos and diametrically opposed. Said cannula, which will measure not less than 60 centimetres and not more than 75 centimetres, has in its end flow a connector by which the fastening connector will be attached to the seminal container.
In accordance with another of the characteristics of the invention, the rear end of said lid, basically of the screw type, is of larger diameter than the cannula to which it is attached, in order to totally cover the edge corresponding to the border or end of the latter, thus avoiding lesions due to friction with the uterine wall of the pig.
In accordance with another of the characteristics of the invention, it has been foreseen that said lid has specifically two outlet orifices, diametrically opposed to one another and which complementarily the connector or the cannula itself, for its entirety or part of its length, incorporates a signal that allows said orifices to be duly aligned in the uterus of the pig, specifically to bring them face to face with the respective uterine horns, which allows a considerable reduction in the seminal dose necessary to obtain satisfactory results from the insemination.
On the other hand, and from the point of view of maintaining the device sterile during the manipulation thereof, it has been foreseen that it is marketed in such a fashion that the front end of the cannula and thus also the end lid, are housed inside the helical tip, in order to keep them perfectly protected and so it is not necessary to perform any manipulation on them to thread the cannula through the inside of the tube or catheter.
To ensure that it is positioned in a stable fashion, it has in turn been foreseen that said tip has its front end closed, in order to avoid the accidental emergence of the cannula, and affected by at least one diametric cut to all its deformation and corresponding opening on applying axial pressure of an appropriate magnitude on the cannula.
This implies a greater emergence of the cannula at its other, rear, end; having anticipated for this and to make packaging easier, that said cannula can be fragmented into two sectors, that can be duly coupled at the moment of use of the equipment, one of them equipped to this effect with an inner casing coupled by pressure thereon and emerging to be coupled in analogous fashion to the other sector, with a suitable pressure to prevent accidental rotation of a sector with respect to the other from occurring and, as a result, the loss of marking for orientation of the front lid.
In this sense, it is also foreseen that either the two sectors of the cannula are related through a markedly Inclined plane that determines a single position relative to each other, which in substitution are related by an angular cut, with the same end, or by any other means that allows the relative position between the two sectors to be maintained.


In a structure that exfoliation is performed in the pitch sending of a carrier tape (15) by making a cover tape exfoliating mechanism (50) intervene between joining surfaces of a base tape (15a) and a cover tape (15e), in an exfoliation start position where an exfoliating knife tip (51f) of an acuminate shape, which is provided at a front end, starts to exfoliate the joining surface, a lower guide member (40), which guides the carrier tape (15) from below, is pushed up from the bottom side by a lever member (44), and when the carrier tape (15) is installed, the carrier tape (15) is pushed up together with the lower guide member (40) to make the exfoliating knife tip (51f) in the exfoliation start position to be aligned to the joining surfaces and enter between the joining surfaces.

A tape feeder is known as a supply device of electronic components in a component mounting device. By intermittently sending a carrier tape which holds electronic components, the tape feeder supplies the electronic components to a pickup position of a transferring head of a component loading mechanism. The carrier tape is pitch sent by a tape sending mechanism along a tape path provided in the body part of the tape feeder near the pickup position while the upper part of the carrier tape is covered by a cover tape and the carrier tape is guided. Thus, the electronic components are picked up by the transferring head of the component loading mechanism through a component takeout opening that a cover member is provided with at the pickup position.
The carrier tape which holds electronic components is generally supplied by being wound around a supply reel, and when a new carrier tape is installed, a tape installing operation is performed which inserts the carrier tape which is drawn out from the supply reel from a tape takeout part, and sets at the bottom side of the cover member in the pickup position. In this tape installing operation, complicated operations are required, that is, after the sending holes of the carrier tape are properly engaged with the sending pin of a sprocket which forms the tape sending mechanism, the carrier tape is pressed from above to the tape path by a pressing member to be set in the body part.
Therefore, in order to make the tape installing operation easy, a tape feeder is known conventionally in which a tape guide which guides the carrier tape near the pickup position is attachable and detachable to/from the body part, and which includes an exfoliating member in the tape guide which exfoliates the cover tape from the carrier tape (for example, refer to a patent document 1). According to this structure, the carrier tape can be set to the tape guide when the tape guide is detached from the body part, and there is an advantage that the operativity of the tape installing operation can be improved.

Tape feeder and a tape installing method in the tape feeder


A jack-up platform of the type having a buoyant upper barge (10) mounted so that it can be moved along the length of bearing legs (12), mechanical mechanism (18) for moving the legs (12) relative to the barge (10), and submerged storage tank (14) intended to rest on the bottom. The tank (14) has a lower opening (26) allowing the inside of the tank (14) to be placed in contact with the marine environment. The tank defines a bell-shaped/inverted U-shaped cavity confining an air bubble (30) in its upper part. The tank (14) is connected to the lower end of the legs (12) so that it can be moved relative to the barge (10) from the mechanical mechanism (18) for moving the legs.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a jack-up platform of the type comprising a buoyant upper barge mounted so that it can be moved along the length of bearing legs, mechanical means for moving the legs relative to the barge, and a submerged storage tank intended to rest on the bottom.
It furthermore relates to a method of installing a submerged tank of a jack-up platform of the aforementioned type and to a method of raising such a tank.
2. Description of the Related Art
Such types of platform are used for operating oil fields. What happens is that before the extracted oil is transported, for example by boat, as far as land, the submerged tank is used for its temporary storage.
It is known practice for this purpose to provide a large-capacity storage tank on which the legs of the jack-up platform rest.
In known platforms, the tank is generally made with concrete walls. It forms a footing on which the rest of the platform rests.
When installing the platform, the storage tank is floated out separately to the site where the platform is to be installed. It is then submerged by weighting it down by filling it with water taken from the sea.
When the tank is resting on the bottom, the barge of the platform bearing the legs is floated out to a location over the tank. The legs are then lowered until their lower end rest on the upper surface of the tank. The barge is then jacked up above the water level.
Such a method of installing a platform is effective and well mastered. However, in the case of platforms which have to be moved around the oil field a number of times during their life, the storage tank cannot be reused.
This is because as the tank is independent, it is extremely tricky and risky to re-float it.
Thus, each time the platform is moved to a new site, it is necessary initially to install a new tank. This considerably increases the cost of re-siting the platform.
Furthermore, abandoning the submerged storage tank once the upper barge has been re-sited is harmful to the environment.

Jack-up platform having a submerged tank and methods for installing and raising the tank


An apparatus for use with a hard disk drive, comprising: a selectable notch filter with a selectable notch frequency; a shock sensor of the hard disk drive, coupled to the selectable notch filter, the shock sensor having at least one resonance frequency; a flip flop coupled to an output of the notch filter and an output of the shock sensor; a calibration logic coupled to an output of the flip flop, wherein an output of the calibration logic is coupled to a selection input of the selectable notch filter.

FIG. 1A is directed towards a prior art servo combo driver diagram 100 for a HDD. The diagram 100 includes a shock sensor 110 having a shock sensor 115. The shock sensor 115 has a resonance frequency, which can lay outside of a normal shock signal range. However, a shock has elements of an impulse that resonates at the resonance frequency, thereby creating at least in part a false signal that needs to be accounted for through employment of a notch filter.
FIG. 1Bi is directed towards illustrating an example frequency response of the shock sensor 115. As is illustrated, the shock sensor 115 has a resonance frequency, which can be both within a desired sensor range and outside of a sensor range. However, a shock has elements of an impulse that resonates at the resonance frequency, thereby creating at least in part a false signal that needs to be accounted for through employment of a notch filter.
FIG. 1Bii is directed towards an example prior art shock sensor transient response. As is illustrated, the resonance frequencies are propagated.
The periodic nature of the resonance is determined from the physical structure of the sensor, so when the physical structure (or X, Y, Z sizes) of the sensor varies, the resonance frequency also varies. For one typical sensor used in HDD drive, the resonance frequency is roughly times order of the shock signal (1˜3 k Hz signal, 20 k˜50 kHz resonance), and the resonance gain is about 30 dB more of the shock signal. Once the sensor receives shock (or hit by something), the shock and resonance signals are input to an IC as the summation of the signals. Both shock signal and resonance signals gradually decays back to zero.
One such example is given in U.S. Pat. No. 8,132,459 to Toga, et al. ("Toga,") entitled "System and Method to Determine Mechanical Resonance of an Accelerometer", hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. Generally, in Toga, an "electric impulse" is applied to a shock sensor at different frequencies to determine a resonance of the shock sensor, so a notch filter for this resonance can then be applied. However, the "electric impulse" approach can require a number of incremental changes to the notch frequency in order to determine the correct notch filter frequency. Generally, Toga is directed to the generation of the mechanical resonance frequency of a shock sensor by electrically stimulating the sensor.
FIG. 1Ci comparison of an actual behavior of a shock sensor between a mechanical hammer and an electrical impulse. Mechanical hammer: the sensor or the peripheral is mechanically (actually) hit and outputs both the shock and resonance signal. Electrical Impulse: Toga patent for electrically stimulating the sensor and the sensor outputs only the resonance signal.
FIG. 1Cii discloses how, as seen on the impulse and mechanical waveforms, the resonance signal amplitudes generated by impulses decay as time passes, and eventually comes back to steady state.
Generally, Toga uses the electrical impulse approach to generate or pull out the mechanical resonance of a shock sensor. Toga also uses 'zero crossing' of the resonance signal with respect to the reference voltage so that it catches and digitize the resonance signal and it can be measured as a 'time', which can be converted to the frequency (=1/time). However, it does not talk about how to calibrate the notch filter into the resonance frequency. Furthermore, according to Toga, even if it can find the resonance frequency, the notch filter needs absolute tolerance on the frequency settings as it only finds the input frequency.
Therefore, there is a need in the art to address at least some of the issues associated with prior art notch filters for HDDs.

System and method for automatic calibration of notch filter of hard disk drive


An arrangement structure of a shifting actuator of an internal combustion engine mounted on a motorcycle is provided in which while the shifting actuator is provided externally of an engine case of the engine so as not to interfere with auxiliaries, it is protected without external protrusion and external appearance is kept satisfactory. An external wall of an engine case is partially inwardly recessed to form a recessed portion capable of accommodating a shifting actuator. An actuator body of the shifting actuator is disposed in the recessed portion. An attachment bracket attached to an end portion of the actuator body is fitted to a first fitting hole of an engine case outer lateral wall on the side of the recessed portion and is secured to the engine case outer wall. The motorcycle has a multistage transmission that can reduce its axial width to achieve compactness.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an arrangement structure of a shifting actuator for drivingly shift-switching a multistage transmission attached to an internal combustion engine mounted on a motorcycle.
The multistage transmission includes a plurality of drive gears and driven gears which are rotatably supported by respective parallel gear shafts in a constant-mesh state for each speed-change stage.
2. Description of Background Art
In general an internal combustion engine mounted on a motorcycle is provided integrally with a multistage transmission in an engine case. A space is narrow where such an engine is mounted on a body frame. If auxiliaries are arranged around the engine, the space is increasingly narrowed. In addition, also a shifting actuator for drivingly shift-switching the transmission has to be arranged so as not to interfere with the auxiliaries.
The shifting actuator is a relatively large actuator, which is usually provided so as to project. Therefore, it is not easy for the shifting actuator to be arranged because of being restricted by the auxiliaries.
There is an example in which an internal combustion engine mounted on a motorcycle has a transmission integral with an engine case (a crankcase) and a shifting transmission for drivingly shift-switching the transmission is provided on the engine case so as to project therefrom (see e.g. Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2008-137417)
In Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2008-137417, an electric motor which is the shifting actuator is projectingly provided at a left lateral lower portion, not interfering with auxiliaries, of the engine case provided integrally with a transmission.
Since the shifting actuator disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2008-137417 is projectingly provided at a left lateral lower portion of the engine case, it is not necessary to allow the actuator to have a special structure. However, the laterally projecting actuator is not preferable in view of external appearance.
In addition, a protecting member or the like has to be especially provided to protect the shifting actuator from collision with a foreign object such as a flying stone.
The electric motor which is the shifting motor disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2008-137417 is mounted to a gear shift device projectingly provided on the left lateral lower portion of the engine case.
The gear shift device is a transmission mechanism configured such that relay gears, a worm-like barrel cam and a pin gear are engaged with one another to transmit the drive of an electric motor. Such a gear shift device is projectingly provided and the electric motor is mounted to this gear shift device.
In Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2008-137417 described above, not only the shifting actuator for turning a shift drum inside the engine case but also the transmission mechanism is provided to project outwardly from the engine case. Thus, the gear shift device of the transmission mechanism is complicated and an attachment structure in which the gear shift device is mounted to the engine case with sealing ensured is also complicated, so that also mounting work is not simple.
Additionally, the shifting actuator and the transmission mechanism are mounted to the engine case to project externally therefrom, that is, the whole is exposed, which is not preferable in view of external appearance.
Further, a protecting member or the like has to be especially provided to protect the shifting actuator and the transmission mechanism from collision with a foreign object such as a flying stone, etc.
This constant-mesh type multistage transmission is such that one of the drive gears and driven gears is secured to a gear shaft and the other is rotatably supported by another gear shaft and a gear to be engaged with the gear shaft is switched from the rotatable gears by an engagement switching mechanism for executing shifting.
Japanese Patent Application No. 2008-93703 which has previously been filed by the same Applicants discloses a shift drive mechanism that drives an engagement switching mechanism to switch engaging means for executing shifting. The engaging means is provided between a plurality of gears and a gear shaft to execute engagement therebetween. This shift drive mechanism is configured as below. A shift rod disposed at the hollow central axis of the gear shaft moves cam rods in an axially movable and slidable contact with the hollow inner circumferential surface of the gear shaft. In addition, such cam rods drive the engaging means to execute shifting.
The multistage transmission disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. 2008-93703 is configured as below. Gear trains composed of drive gears and driven gears meshing each other are housed in a transmission chamber defined in a crankcase. A plurality of the drive gears are secured to a drive gear shaft and a clutch is attached to a right end portion of the drive gear shaft passing through the right lateral wall of the crankcase.
The driven gear shaft is provided with an engagement switching mechanism provided with cam rods adapted to switch engagement between the driven gear shaft and each of the driven gears. An output sprocket is fitted to the left end portion of the driven gear shaft passing through a left lateral wall of the crankcase.
A shift rod insertably fitted into the driven gear shaft along a hollow central axis moves the cam rod.
The shift rod further projects leftward from the left end portion of the driven gear shaft passing through the left lateral wall of the crankcase. A shift rod movement mechanism in which a shift drum moves a guide pin provided at the left end portion of the shift rod is installed on the outside of the left lateral wall of the crankcase.
In short, the multistage transmission of Japanese Patent Application No. 2008-93703 has the clutch projectingly provided on the right of the crankcase and the shift rod movement mechanism provided on the left side of the crankcase. Therefore, the multistage transmission is increased in left-right (axial) width and enlarged.
This constant-mesh type multistage transmission is such that one of the drive gears and driven gears is secured to a gear shaft and the other is rotatably supported by another gear shaft and a gear to be engaged with the gear shaft is switched from the rotatable gears by an engagement switching mechanism for executing shifting.
In addition, Japanese Patent Application No. 2008-246752 which has previously been filed by the same Applicants discloses a shift drive mechanism that drives an engagement switching mechanism to switch engaging means for executing shifting. The engaging means is provided between a plurality of gears and a gear shaft to execute engagement therebetween. This shift drive mechanism is configured as below. A shift rod disposed at the hollow central axis of the gear shaft moves cam rods in an axially movable and slidable contact with the hollow inner circumferential surface of the gear shaft. In addition, such cam rods drive the engaging means to execute shifting.
The shift drive mechanism of the multistage transmission disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. 2008-246752 is configured as below. A shift pin radially passes through a cylindrical operating member mounted to an end portion of the shift rod via a bearing. One end of the shift pin passing therethrough is slidably fitted to a groove formed to extend in the axial direction of the guide member. The other end of the shift pin is slidably engaged with a shift guide groove formed in the outer circumferential surface of a shift drum. The shift drum is turned to axially move the shift pin guided by the shift guide groove. In this way, the shift rod is moved via the cylindrical operating member. Shifting is executed by the engagement switching mechanism operated by the movement of the shift rod.
The shift pin undergoes an operating force resulting from the turning of the shift drum at an end portion engaged with the shift guide groove to be parallel-moved in an axial direction. However, an end portion on the side opposite the end portion engaged with the shift guide groove slides along the groove formed to extend in the axial direction of the guide member. Therefore, the end portion of the shift pin on the side opposite the end undergoing the operating force causes friction resistance. Thus, the shift pin is configured to tilt easily in the axial direction.
The shift pin may not be parallel-moved with its posture maintained due to the inclination and if so, the friction resistance will increase to make the smooth axial movement difficult.
The present invention has been made in view of such situations and it is an object of the present invention to provide an arrangement structure of a shifting actuator of an internal combustion engine mounted on a motorcycle, in which while the shifting actuator is provided externally of an engine case of the engine so as not to interfere with auxiliaries, it is protected from collision with a foreign object without external protrusion and external appearance is kept satisfactory.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide an attachment structure of a shifting actuator of an internal combustion engine mounted on a motorcycle, in which the attachment structure of the shifting actuator to an engine case is simple, attachment work is easy, the shifting actuator can be prevented from collision with a foreign object, and external appearance can be kept satisfactory.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a multistage transmission that can reduce its axial width to achieve compactness.

Arrangement structure of shifting actuator of internal combustion engine mounted on motorcycle


The present disclosure provides a contamination resistant sensor port which includes one or more sealing members positioned so as to limit and/or prevent internal contamination of the sensor port with fluids and/or particles present in the environment outside the sensor port.

Analyte sensors are commonly used to monitor the level of an analyte in a body fluid. For example, diabetics use analyte sensors, e.g., in the form of analytical test strips, to monitor body glucose levels. Commonly, an analyte sensor is contacted with a bodily fluid and inserted into an analyte meter or other device capable of determining one or more analyte levels based on signals provided by the analyte sensor. The analyte sensor can be received by the analyte meter or other device either before or after a sample of body fluid is applied to the analyte sensor. The sensor receiving area of the device, commonly referred to as a "sensor port," provides an opening in the device for insertion of the analyte sensor. Consequently, the sensor port also provides an opening from the outside environment to the interior of the device. This exposure to the outside environment via the sensor port creates the potential for contaminating materials to enter the device's interior. As such contamination may affect internal components and/or interfere with the analysis results, there is interest in developing sensor ports which limit the potential for contamination.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A plurality of scan lines is used to detect characteristic features of a checkerboard structure or similar pattern structure of symbology within a field of view. The scan lines cross leading edges of the symbology which provides signals to a plurality of processors. The processors detect instances wherein sequential leading edges exhibit angular shifts corresponding to a pattern of the symbology. A further processor is used to detect when a coincidence of these angular shifts occur, thereby providing an indication of the location of the symbology within the field of view.

An "over-the-belt" barcode scanner system is a system in which a camera or other imaging device is positioned over or adjacent a pathway, such as a conveyer belt, to scan items which pass through a field of vision of the imaging device. Such a system is primarily designed to read any bar code in a wide field of view. The width of the searching area for over-the-belt scanner systems is typically from 30 cm up to 150 cm.
If the imager is positioned over the belt, the width of the belt defines the number of sensing elements necessary to achieve the desired resolution. For example, if the scanner system needs to read a bar code symbology with a 0.125 mm. (0.005 in) "x" dimension in a 75 cm wide field of view, then the minimum resolution has to be at least one pixel per element or, in this case, one pixel per 0.125 mm. The total number of required sensing elements in this case will be 750/0.125=6000 pixels. As we can see from this example, the width of the searching area in many practical applications is extremely large. The situation is significantly aggravated for two dimensional bar code symbologies such as Data Matrix.
Prior to reading a symbology, it is necessary to locate the symbology. In some cases, the symbology is not aligned with a specific scanner location, so that it is necessary to locate the symbology within a large field of view. The process of locating the symbology for subsequent reading of the symbology is called "finding." Early finding techniques included attempting to scan symbologies until a predetermined beginning or ending sequence of leading edges was detected, followed by further sequences which match a predetermined pattern. This technique is particularly well adapted to data scans of bar codes in similar one-dimensional symbologies. In the case of two-dimensional symbologies, such a scan is inadequate.
Various techniques have been used to find two-dimensional symbologies. These techniques include scanning for characteristics that are added to the symbology to identify a position of the symbology. Typical characteristics of this type include starting bars, center targets and finder patterns. For example, to identify the location of Data Matrix symbology, an L-shaped finder pattern is used to locate the symbology in the field of view of a video imager. Any straight line within the field of view is a candidate for the "L" searching algorithm. This means that in order to find the symbology, we must trace every straight line in an attempt to find another straight line which is perpendicular to the first line. A goal of the present invention is to provide a method of filtering the image in real time in order to eliminate all features which are distinguishable from the symbology.
It would be advantageous if one could efficiently and quickly perform the "finding" operation. Since the code itself need not be read, it would be advantageous if finding were accomplished in a different and simpler manner from the process of reading the code.

Fast finding algorithm for two-dimensional symbologies


Embodiments of the claimed subject matter provide a method and apparatus for scheduling transmissions for an antenna array. One embodiment of the method includes scheduling a subset of a plurality of packets for concurrent transmission over an air interface to a corresponding subset of a plurality of wireless-enabled terminals. The subset is selected based on information indicating locations of the subset of the plurality of wireless-enabled terminals. This embodiment of the method also includes concurrently transmitting the subset of the plurality of packets using a plurality of antennas.

This application relates generally to communication systems, and, more particularly, to wireless communication systems.
Wireless communication systems typically deploy numerous base stations (or other types of wireless access points such as eNodeBs) for providing wireless connectivity to user equipment such as mobile units or other wireless-enabled devices. Each base station is responsible for providing wireless connectivity to the mobile units located in a particular cell or sector served by the base station. The air interface between the base station and the mobile unit supports downlink (or forward link) channels for carrying information from the base station to the mobile unit and uplink (or reverse link) channels for carrying information from the mobile unit to the base station. The uplink and/or downlink channels typically include data channels for carrying data traffic such as voice information and control channels for carrying control signal such as pilot signals, synchronization signals, acknowledgment signals, and the like.
Multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) techniques may be employed when the base station and, optionally, the user terminals include multiple antennas. For example, a base station that includes multiple antennas can transmit multiple independent and distinct signals to multiple users concurrently and on the same frequency band. MIMO techniques are capable of increasing the spectral efficiency (e.g., the number of bits/second/Hertz) of the wireless communication system roughly in proportion to the number of antennas available at the base station. However, the base station also requires information about the state of the downlink channel(s) to each of the users to select users that have approximately orthogonal downlink channels for concurrent transmission. The channel feedback may be provided by the users on the reverse link, but this increases overhead associated with the MIMO transmissions, which reduces the spectral efficiency of the wireless communication system.
Random fluctuations in the channel states can create sets of downlink channels that are approximately orthogonal. Thus, if the number of users associated with a base station is large, these random fluctuations naturally tend to create groups of users that have approximately orthogonal downlink channels. Opportunistic MIMO schemes identify these groups of users so that the interference between the concurrent transmissions from the base station to the users in the selected group is within an acceptable tolerance level. For example, let nT denote the number of transmit antennas at the base station and let K indicate the number of users connected to the base station. In conventional systems, the number of transmit antennas at the base station nT is smaller than the number of users K connected to the base station. Each user is equipped with nR receive antennas. The channel coefficients between each transmit antenna and each receive antenna at user k can be assembled into an nR×nT matrix Hk, k=1, . . . , K.
In a multi-user MIMO system that employs linear unitary pre-coding matrices, the base station can transmit concurrently to as many as nT users, which can be chosen from the population of K users. The relationship between transmit and receive signals can be represented as:y=HUs+n  (1)where s is an nT-dimensional vector containing the transmit signals, y is the nR-dimensional vector of received signals, n is an nR-dimensional noise vector, and U is an nT×nT unitary pre-coding matrix, i.e., a matrix satisfying UUH=I. Note that some of the entries of s may be zero if the base station chooses to transmit to less than nT users (this is sometimes termed "rank adaptation"). Each base station typically stores a codebook consisting of L pre-coding matrices, Ui, i=1, . . . , L. Altogether, the L pre-coding matrices amount to nT·L column vectors, where each column vector has nT entries.
The pre-coding matrices map the signals onto the available channels. The base station can vary this mapping to adapt to the channel conditions by selecting different pre-coding matrices based on the base station's knowledge of the matrices Hk, k=1, . . . , K. Information about the matrix Hk, can be reported to the base station using feedback from the mobile unit. For example, when the base station implements an opportunistic scheme, each user periodically reports a preferred subset of the column vectors in the codebook via the reverse link to the base station. The users also report a quality indicator corresponding to a hypothetical transmission associated with each preferred column. The size of the subset of columns that can be selected and reported by each user is a parameter that can be anywhere between 1 and nT·L. For each pre-coding matrix U, in the codebook, the base station identifies those users that have expressed preference for a column vector from that matrix Ui and associates those users with that matrix Ui. Only one user can be associated with each column, so if several users have expressed preference for the same column vector of that matrix Ui, only one of those users is retained in the association (this can be done randomly or based on priorities). Thus, there are at most nT users associated with each matrix Ui. Note that each user could be associated with multiple pre-coding matrices Ui.
The base station selects one of the pre-coding matrices, e.g. on the basis of priorities of the users associated with the matrices Ui. The priorities can be determined by a scheduler in the base station. Once the matrix and associated users have been identified, the base station can begin concurrent transmission to the selected users using the corresponding pre-coding matrices Ui.
Base stations in conventional MIMO systems use a relatively small number of antennas (e.g., typically 2-4 antennas) to transmit and receive signals. The number of antennas is also typically significantly smaller than the number of users served by the base station. Consequently, the spatial channels can be determined using a reasonable amount of overhead to transmit feedback to the base station from the user equipment. Moreover, brute force techniques can be used to schedule packet transmissions over the channels by considering all possible combinations of users.

Method and apparatus for scheduling transmissions for antenna arrays


RF switching devices are provided that alternatively couple an antenna to either a transmitter amplifier or a receiver amplifier. An exemplary RF switching device comprises two valves, one for a receiver transmission line between the antenna and the receiver amplifier, the other for a transmitter transmission line between the antenna and the power amplifier. Each valve is switchably coupled between ground and its transmission line. When coupled to ground, current flowing through the valve increases the impedance of the transmission line thereby attenuating signals on the transmission line. When decoupled from ground, the impedance of the transmission line is essentially unaffected. The pair of valves is controlled such that when one valve is on the other valve is off, and vice versa, so that the antenna is either receiving signals from the power amplifier or the receiver amplifier is receiving signals from the antenna.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates generally to semiconductor devices and more particularly to radio frequency (RF) switches for use in RF applications.
2. Related Art
FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary transceiver 100 of the prior art coupled to an antenna 110. The transceiver 100 includes a switch 120, such as a solid-state single pole double throw switch, configured to switch between a power amplifier 130 and a receiver amplifier 140. The transceiver 100 further includes filters 150 disposed between the switch 120 and the antenna 110.
In the prior art, the antenna 110 is sometimes coupled to multiple circuits each comprising a switch 120, power amplifier 130, and receiver amplifier 140, where each such circuit is dedicated to a particular frequency band. Here, the transceiver 100 handles one or more high bands and/or one or more low bands, for example. In these instances the filters 150 selectively remove frequencies outside of the particular frequency band to which the circuit is dedicated.
Most of the power being produced by the power amplifier 130 is at some desired frequency, however, some power also goes into harmonics of that primary frequency. Accordingly, another function of the filters 150 is to remove the higher harmonics of the transmitted signal so that the antenna 110 only transmits at the desired frequency.
In operation, the transceiver 100 transmits an RF signal by coupling the power amplifier 130 to the antenna 110 and receives an RF signal by coupling the receiver amplifier 140 to the antenna 110. It will be appreciated, however, that since the power amplifier 130 and the receiver amplifier 140 are both coupled to the same switch 120, the switch 120 can unintentionally couple the high-power transmitted RF signal onto the receiver transmission line 160, an effect known as parasitic leakage.
Additionally, the switch 120 needs to be able to handle the high voltages produced by the power amplifier, in the range of about 15 to 30 volts. Such voltages are too high for metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) switches to withstand.


A semiconductor device having a novel spacer structure and method of fabrication. The present invention describes a semiconductor device which has an electrode with a first thickness. A silicide layer having a second thickness is formed on the electrode. A sidewall spacer which is formed adjacent to the electrode has a height which is greater than the sum of the thickness of the electrode and the thickness of the silicide layer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of semiconductor device fabrication, and more specifically to a method and structure for reducing silicide encroachment in an integrated circuit.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Today integrated circuits are made up of literally millions of active and passive devices such as transistors, capacitors, and resistors. In order to improve device performance, low resistance silicide layers are generally formed on electrodes such as gate electrodes and on doped regions such as source/drain regions.
For example, FIG. 1A is an illustration of a portion of a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) integrated circuit. Integrated circuit 100 includes a PMOS transistor 102 and an NMOS transistor 104 separated by an isolation region 103. NMOS and PMOS transistor 102 and 104 each include a pair of source/drain regions 106, a polysilicon gate electrode 107, and a gate dielectric layer 101. Insulative sidewall spacers 108 are formed along opposite sidewalls of gate electrode 107 as shown in FIG. 1A. In order to decrease the resistance of gate electrode 107 and source/drain regions 106, low resistance silicide is formed on gate electrode 107 and source/drain regions 106.
One method of forming a low resistance silicide is a self-aligned silicide process known as a SALICIDE process. In such a process, a refractory metal layer 109, such as titanium, tungsten, cobalt, nickel or palladium, is blanket deposited over the substrate and MOS devices 102 and 104 as shown in FIG. 1B. The substrate is then heated to cause a reaction between metal layer 109 and exposed silicon surfaces such as source/drain regions 106 and gate electrode 107 to form a low resistance silicide 110 as shown in FIG. 1C. Locations where no silicon is available for reaction, such as oxide spacers 108 and isolation region 103, metal layer 109 remains unreacted. Unreacted metal 109 can then be etched away leaving silicide only on source/drain regions 106 and on gate electrode 107 as shown in FIG. 1D.
A problem with the above described process is that circuits fabricated with the process are vulnerable to short circuits due to silicide encroachment. That is, during the high temperature anneal used to form silicide layer 110 or during subsequent anneal steps, silicide can diffuse or spill over from polysilicon gate electrode 107 and source/drain regions 106 and form an undesired silicide bridge 112 over sidewall spacers 108 and cause shorting of gate electrode 107 to source/drain region 106. Silicide encroachment is further compounded by silicides, such as nickel silicide (NiSi), which experience silicide volume in creases over the combined volume of the consumed silicon and metal layer. For example, the reaction of nickel and silicon creates a nickel silicide/polysilicon gate electrode layer having an approximately 18% volume increase over the silicon electrode shown in FIG. 1A. As such is shown in FIG. 1C to silicide 110 reaches above spacer 108. Silicide encroachment can also cause short circuits between source/drain regions of adjacent devices which are separated by planar isolation regions. For example, as also shown in FIG. 1E, as isolation regions are made more planar and made more compact (less than 0.4 microns wide), such as with shallow trench isolation (STI), silicide from adjacent transistor source/drain regions 106 can diffuse or spill over isolation region 103 and cause silicide shorts 114 between adjacent devices.
In order to help reduce the potential for silicide shorts between source/drain regions and gate electrodes, polysilicon layer 107 is formed thick, (i.e., greater than 2000 xc3x85), in order to ensure that silicide 110 has a large distance to bridge over spacers 108. Unfortunately, however, by increasing the thickness of polysilicon gate 107, the ion implantation technique used to dope gate electrode 107 (typically the source/drain implantation) is unable to drive dopants sufficiently deep into the electrode 107 to provide a uniformly doped low conductivity gate electrode. When the lower portion (portion near gate dielectric layer 101) of the gate electrode has no or reduced doping, the device has increased gate resistance which detrimentally affects the drive current. This non uniform gate electrode doping is commonly referred to as xe2x80x9cpolysilicon depletion effectsxe2x80x9d.
Addition ally, in order to prevent silicide encroachment, silicide layer 110 is generally kept thin (i.e., thinner than the thickness of the polysilicon gate electrode). It would be desirable to be able to form silicide layers which are thicker than the polysilicon layer so that lower resistance electrodes can be fabricated and device performance improved.
Thus, what is desired is a device structure and method of fabrication which reduces silicide encroachment as well as poly depletion effects.
In a first embodiment of the present invention, a semiconductor device having a novel spacer structure and its method of fabrication is described. According to the first embodiment a semiconductor device having an electrode with a first thickness is formed. A silicide layer having a second thickness is formed on the electrode. A sidewall spacer formed adjacent to the electrode and has a height which is greater than the sum of the thickness of the electrode and the thickness of the silicide layer. In another embodiment of the present invention, regions of a device which are to receive silicide are etched below the top surface of isolation regions prior to silicide deposition. In this way silicide regions are formed below the top surface of the isolation regions.

Device structure and method for reducing silicide encroachment


An ultrathin mesh optical panel and a method of use and making are disclosed. One embodiment of the optical panel includes a plurality of optical waveguides, wherein each optical waveguide is formed of a mesh material surrounding an optically clear core. The optical panel further includes a light generator. Each optical waveguide internally reflects the light incoming at the inlet of the waveguide to the outlet of the waveguide. The optical panel may optionally include a light redirecting coupling layer and/or a diffuser. An alternate embodiment of the ultrathin optical panel includes a plurality of optical waveguides, wherein the mesh material serves as the light transmissive material. A method of making and using is applicable to both major embodiments. A modification of either embodiment is disclosed wherein the optical waveguide is aligned to be non-perpendicular to the panel face.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to optical displays, and, more particularly, to an ultrathin cellular display panel and a method of making an ultrathin cellular display panel.
2. Description of the Background
Optical screens typically use cathode ray tubes (CRTs) for projecting images onto the screen. The standard screen has a width to height ratio of 4:3 with 525 vertical lines of resolution. An electron beam is scanned both horizontally and vertically across the screen to form a number of pixels which collectively form the image.
Conventional cathode ray tubes have a practical limit in size, and are relatively deep to accommodate the required electron gun. Larger screens are available which typically include various forms of image projection. However, such screens have various viewing shortcomings, including limited viewing angle, resolution, brightness, and contrast, and such screens are typically relatively cumbersome in weight and shape. Furthermore, it is desirable for screens of any size to appear black when not illuminated, in order to improve viewing contrast. However, it is impossible for direct view CRTs to actually be black because they utilize phosphors to form images, and those phosphors are non-black.
Optical panels may be made, for example, by stacking waveguides. Such a panel may be thin in its depth compared to its height and width, and the cladding of the waveguides may be made black to increase the black surface area, but such a panel may also experience limitations in perceived brightness, due to the total internal reflection of light within each waveguide being controlled only in the vertical axis. Further, the presence of black cladding in only one direction may decrease the relative blackness, and thus the contrast, of the screen.
Therefore, the need exists for an optical panel which possesses the advantages corresponding to a stacked waveguide panel, and which does not experience a decrease in brightness or a decrease in contrast over conventional screens.
The present invention is directed to an ultrathin cellular optical panel. The optical panel includes a plurality of optical waveguides, wherein each optical waveguide is formed of a mesh material surrounding an optically clear core. One end of each core of each cell forms an inlet for the cell, and an opposite end of each core of each cell forms an outlet for the cell, and the plurality of inlets form an inlet face for the optical panel, and the plurality of outlets form an outlet face for the optical panel. The optical panel further includes a light generator that generates light incident on the inlet face. Each cell internally reflects the light incoming at the inlet of the cell to the outlet of the cell. The optical panel may additionally include a light redirecting coupling layer parallel to the inlet face that redirects light to couple the light into the inlet of each cell. Further, the optical panel may include a diffusing layer that spreads light exiting the outlet face to the desired viewing angle.
The present invention is also directed to a method of displaying light using an ultrathin cellular display panel. The method includes the steps of providing a plurality of optical waveguides, wherein each cell is formed of a mesh material surrounding an optical core, passing the light substantially perpendicularly to an inlet of the core of each cell, and displaying the light at an outlet of each cell opposite the inlet of each cell, wherein the light at the plurality of outlets forms an image. The method may additionally include the steps of positioning the inlets of each of the mesh screen cells proximate to a light redirecting coupling layer, wherein the light redirecting coupling layer redirects light incident at a substantially acute angle to each inlet into light incident substantially perpendicular to each inlet, and optionally inserting a bond material, such as an adhesive, liquid, or gel, having a higher index of refraction than the mesh material between the mesh screen cells and the light redirecting coupling layer. Further, the method may include the steps of positioning a diffusing layer proximate to the outlets of each of the mesh screen cells, wherein the diffusing layer diffuses the light exiting the plurality of outlets to form the image, and optionally inserting a bond material, such as a transparent adhesive, liquid, or gel, having a similar or identical index of refraction than the optically transmissive cell optical cores between the mesh screen and the diffusing layer.
The present invention solves problems experienced in the prior art, such as the required use of expensive and cumbersome projection equipment, and the great depth of optical panels requiring such projection equipment, due to the provision of total internal reflection of light within each optical waveguide in both the vertical and horizontal directions, thereby improving panel perceived brightness and contrast while maintaining the minimized depth advantages which correspond to a stacked waveguide panel.

Ultrathin mesh optical panel and a method of making an ultrathin mesh optical panel


Techniques for two-way authentication between two communication endpoints (e.g., two devices) using a one-way out-of-band (OOB) channel are presented. Here, in embodiments, both communication endpoints may be securely authenticated as long as the one-way OOB channel is tamper-proof. Embodiments of the invention do not require the one-way OOB channel to be private to ensure that both endpoints are securely authenticated. Since providing a two-way or private OOB channel adds to the cost of a platform, embodiments of the invention provide for a simple and secure method for two-way authentication that uses only a non-private one-way OOB channel and thus helping to reduce platform cost. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.

Portable computing devices are quickly gaining popularity in part due to their ease of mobility. Secure association of two devices, also known as device pairing, may be an important component of network security for mobile computing devices. Secure association generally involves the secure exchange of cryptographic information between two devices so that they are able to communicate securely over insecure communication channels. For example, some wireless headsets may be securely paired with a phone so that the communication between them is secure.
Some current implementations may allow for exchange of cryptographic keys between two devices over insecure wireless channels such that no eavesdropper may decode the cryptographic information (for example, the Diffie-Hellman protocol). However, the Diffie-Hellman protocol is susceptible to a man-in-the-middle attack in which each of the two devices wishing to pair may instead associate with a third device (i.e., the man-in-the-middle attacker) without realizing it. One approach that may prevent this type of attack uses an out-of-band (OOB) channel to authenticate the devices involved in the Diffie-Hellman exchange with each other. An OOB channel generally refers to a mechanism for sending and/or receiving information to/from another device without using the main communication channel. For example, common OOB channels may include Near Field Communications (NFC), or the entry of a password on both devices (which is then verified as being the same on both ends), or the display of a password on one device that needs to be entered on the other device.
One basic requirement of these OOB channels can be that they involve a human to verify whether the two devices that wish to pair are legitimate devices and then use the human to complete the authentication process. So in the case of NFC, for example, a person may have to bring the two devices within NFC communication range (which may be a few centimeters in some current implementations), while in the case of the password entry, the person actually enters the same password on both devices.
One limitation of OOB channels is that many allow only one-way communication due to size and/or cost constraints. For example, in the case of NFC, data is typically allowed to flow from a first device (e.g., tag device) to a second device (e.g., reader device). Hence, the channel is effectively unidirectional. In such cases, common device pairing standards (e.g., WiFi Protected Setup and Bluetooth Simple Pairing) stipulate that one of the devices send some information (e.g, secret) over the OOB channel and use knowledge of that information for authentication purposes. However, the OOB channel is not necessarily private and hence an eavesdropper (or man-in-the-middle attacker) could potentially obtain the secret over the OOB channel and masquerade as the second device. Here, only the first device gets authenticated and not the second device. Effectively, this means that only one-way authentication occurs, which means that a man-in-the-middle attack still remains possible for one direction of the communication.

Two-way authentication between two communication endpoints using a one-way out-of band (OOB) channel


A system and method are disclosed for presenting a reason for the rejection of a credit application from an applicant is disclosed. The method includes obtaining a factor from a credit bureau identified as a factor that influences the FICO score assigned to the application by the credit bureau. The factor identified by the credit bureau is mapped to an internal rejection code. A rejection reason is provided that corresponds to the internal rejection code to the applicant.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to methods and apparatuses for electronic commerce. More specifically, the invention relates to methods and apparatuses for evaluating the reason for rejecting a credit card applicant and supplying an appropriate reason for such rejection.
2. Relationship to the Art
With the advent of electronic commerce on the Internet, applicants have begun to expect decisions that have historically required a period of days or weeks to be made instantly when processed on line. Numerous transactions such as purchases of consumer goods, airline tickets, and movie tickets have been adapted for execution on line in a matter of seconds. What has not been perfected is the ability to make a credit decision and grant credit to a party on line in real time. (For the purpose of this specification, "instant" or "real time" credit means within a short period of time within less than about five minutes.) As a result, virtually all Internet commerce to date requires some previously secured method of payment such as a credit card obtained by conventional means or other previously arranged payment source such as a bank account or electronic money.
Many credit card issuers provide applications on line that may be filled out by applicants. However, the underwriting decision for such applications is not made and communicated on line. If such a decision could be made on line and communicated to the applicant, it would be important for rejected applicants to communicate the rejection in a manner that is consistent with the legal requirements for rejecting credit applicants.
When a credit card issuer rejects an applicant, there are specific legal requirements for how that rejection must be made. These requirements are set forth in detail at 37 CFR 202 et seq. In addition to meeting the various legal requirements, it would be desirable to provide rejected applicants with a reason for rejection that makes sense to the rejected applicant for the purpose of increasing goodwill and decreasing incidence of complaints. Raw credit bureau data may provide certain factors that were relevant to the determination of a FICO score for an applicant. However, such factors often may not provide a reasonable basis for rejection, since certain positive factors such as home ownership may be included for rejected applicants.
In addition, it would be desirable if a method could be developed for verifying that a rejected applicant has downloaded and viewed a rejection message. If such a method could be developed with sufficient reliability to meet the legal requirements of rejecting an applicant, then it could potentially be possible to avoid the cost of having to send a rejection notice letter to rejected applicants.

Method and apparatus for a verifiable on line rejection of an applicant for credit


A worktable, which is incorporated with a cutting machine, includes a table body and a cutting end support. The table body has at least a guiding rail formed on an upper surface for guiding a cutting pathway of a saw blade wherein the guiding rail has an opening end portion extended from an edge of the table body. The cutting end support is mounted on the table body at the opening end portion of the guiding rail. The saw blade is adapted to cut through the cutting end support to form a cutting groove when the saw blade is suspendedly slid along the opening end portion of the guiding rail. Therefore, a bottom side of an edge portion of the work piece is substantially supported by the cutting end support when the saw blade cuts the edge portion of the work piece through the cutting groove.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a cutting machine, and more particularly to a worktable for a cutting machine, wherein the worktable comprises a cutting end support provided on an end portion of a guiding rail to support a work piece so as to enhance the quality of cutting work.
2. Description of Related Arts
Referring to FIG. 1A, a conventional worktable comprises a table body having a working surface for placing a work piece thereon and at least a guiding rail indented on the working surface, and a guiding member, having an opening, mounted on an edge of the table body wherein the guiding rail is extended to the opening of the guiding member in such a manner that when the work piece is placed on the working surface of the table body, a corner portion of the work piece is positioned at the opening of the guiding member in a suspended manner, as shown in FIG. 1B.
Accordingly, a cutting machine, which is arranged to support on the table body, comprises a saw blade rotatably supported over the table body wherein the work piece on the table body is cut or shaped by the saw blade along the guiding rail. However, the conventional work body has several drawbacks.
When the saw blade starts to cut the work piece along the guiding rail, the saw blade can precisely cut on the work piece because the bottom portion of the work piece is supported on the working surface of the table body. However, when the saw blade is slid out of the guiding rail to finish cutting the corner portion of the work piece, the corner portion of the work piece may crack. Since the corner portion of the work piece has no support with respect to the worktable, the rotational cutting force of the saw blade will exert on the work piece. Therefore, the corner portion of the work piece, which is relatively fragile, will be easily cracked. Since the work piece, such as ceramic tile, marble or natural stone, is expensive, a little crack portion of the work piece may be useless or must be thrown away. Otherwise, the user must repair the cracked work piece by filing the crack thereof, so as to highly increase the manufacturing cost of the work piece.
Moreover, the worktable is usually made of stiffness material, such as steel, that provides less friction between the working surface and a bottom surface of the work piece. Therefore, when the work piece is placed on the working surface of the table body, the work piece may have an intention to unavoidably slide on the working surface by the cutting force of the saw blade so as to provide an inaccurate cutting work.
A main object of the present invention is to provide a worktable for a cutting machine, wherein the worktable comprises a cutting end support provided on an end portion of a guiding rail to support a work piece so as to enhance the quality of cutting work.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a worktable for a cutting machine, wherein the cutting end support is extended from the end portion of the guiding rail to form a reinforcing layer that covers on a table body of the worktable and provides an anti-skidding working surface which can prevent an unwanted sliding movement of the work piece when the work piece is placed on the working surface during the cutting process.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a worktable for a cutting machine, wherein the cutting end support is capable of being cut by a saw blade of the cutting machine to form a cutting groove in such a manner that when a corner portion of the work piece is substantially supported on the cutting end support of the supporting member the cutting end support ensures the cutting alignment of the work piece when the saw blade is slid through the cutting groove.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a worktable for a cutting machine, wherein since the cutting groove must be formed by the saw blade cutting through the cutting end support, the cutting groove, having a width slightly larger than a thickness of the saw blade, is mechanically fitted for the corresponding saw blade slidably passing through.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a worktable for a cutting machine, wherein the cutting end support is an integral one-piece body provided at the end portion of the guiding rail before the cutting groove is formed. In other words, the cutting end support functions as a manufacture warrantee to ensure the cutting machine is brand new and no one use it before when the cutting groove is not formed on the cutting end support yet.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a worktable for a cutting machine, wherein no expensive or complicated part is required to employ in the present invention and the worktable does not require to altering its original structural design, so as to minimize the manufacturing cost of the worktable.
Accordingly, in order to accomplish the above objects, the present invention provides a worktable for a cutting machine which comprises a saw blade rotatably supported over the worktable, wherein the worktable comprises:
a table body having an upper surface and at least a guiding rail formed on the upper surface wherein the guiding rail, having an opening end portion extended from an edge of the table body, is adapted for guiding a cutting pathway of the saw blade when the saw blade is suspendedly slid along the guiding rail on the table body; and
a cutting end support mounted on the table body at the opening end portion of the guiding rail wherein the cutting end support is adapted for supporting an edge portion of a work piece when the work piece is placed on the table body;
whereby, the saw blade is arranged to cut through the cutting end support to form a cutting groove when the saw blade is suspendedly slid along the opening end portion of the guiding rail in such a manner that a bottom side of the edge portion of the work piece is substantially supported by the cutting end support when the saw blade cuts the edge portion of the work piece through the cutting groove.
Alternatively, the present invention provides a worktable for a cutting machine which comprises a saw blade rotatably supported over the worktable, wherein the worktable comprises:
a table body having an upper surface and at least a guiding rail formed on the upper surface wherein the guiding rail, having an opening end portion extended from an edge of the table body, is adapted for guiding a cutting pathway of the saw blade when the saw blade is suspendedly slid along the guiding rail on the table body; and
a cutting end support which is mounted on the table body at the opening end portion of the guiding rail and has a cutting groove having a width slightly larger than a thickness of the saw blade, wherein the cutting end support is adapted for substantially supporting an edge portion of a work piece when the work piece is placed on the table body such that the saw blade is arranged to slidably cut the edge portion of the work piece along the cutting groove.


Provided is a compact thermal spray powder suitable for forming a ceramic thermal spray coating which is compact and excels in durability. The thermal spray powder disclosed herein includes ceramic particles formed of a ceramic material with a melting point equal to or lower than 2000° C. The thermal spray powder is configured such that the peak top of a main peak is in a range of 10 μm or less in a log differential pore volume distribution obtained by a mercury porosimetry, and when the peak top of a second peak is at a fine pore size less than that of the peak top of the main peak, the ratio (H2/H1) of the height H2 of the second peak to the height H1 of the main peak is 0.05 or less.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a thermal spray powder including ceramic particles.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the field of fabrication of semiconductor devices or the like, the surface of a semiconductor substrate is generally subjected to fine processing by dry etching using plasma of a halogen gas such as fluorine, chlorine, and bromine. After the dry etching, the interior of the chamber from which the semiconductor substrate has been removed is cleaned using oxygen gas plasma. At this time, parts inside the chamber which are exposed to highly reactive oxygen gas plasma or halogen gas plasma can be eroded. Where the eroded portions fall off in the form of particles from the parts, the particles can become a foreign matter (the foreign matter is referred to hereinbelow as "particulate") that adheres to the semiconductor substrate and causes circuit defects.
Therefore, in order to reduce the occurrence of the particulate in the semiconductor device production apparatuses, the parts exposed to plasma of oxygen gas or halogen gas have been conventionally provided with thermal spray coatings of ceramic materials having high resistance to plasma erosion. For example, Japanese Patent Application Publication (JP-A) No. 2002-363724 indicates that a thermal spray coating with resistance to plasma-induced erosion can be formed using granules, which include yttrium oxyfluoride in at least part thereof, as a thermal spray material. The conventional techniques relating to thermal spray materials formed of ceramics are described, for example, in JP-A No. 2002-363724, 2002-302754, and 2006-225689.


The present invention relates to an improved process for preparing [(1S,2R)-3-[[(4-aminophenyl)-sulfonyl](2-methyl-propyl)amino]-2-hydroxy-1-(phenylmethyl)-propyl]-carbamic acid (3R,3aS,6aR)-hexahydrofuro[2,3-b]furan-3-yl ester—which compound is also known under its INN as darunavir—by reacting carbonic acid 2,5-dioxo-1-pyrrolidinyl[(3R,3aS,6aR)-hexahydrofuro[2,3-b]furan-3-yl]ester with 4-amino-N-[(2R,3S)-3-amino-2-hydroxy-4-phenylbutyl]-N-(2-methylpropyl)-benzenesulfonamide in ethanol as solvent. Furthermore said process allows for darunavir to be isolated immediately in its ethanolate form, i.e. darunavir monoethanolate, which is the marketed form of darunavir under the tradename Prezista™.

Darunavir is a nonpeptidic protease inhibitor approved for use in the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection and has the following chemical structure:
WO-2005/063770 discloses in Examples 7 a process for preparing darunavir by reacting carbonic acid 2,5-dioxo-1-pyrrolidinyl [(3R,3aS,6aR)-hexahydrofuro[2,3-b]furan-3-yl]ester [referenced throughout this text as compound (A)], that was first prepared in situ, with 4-amino-N-[(2R,3S)-3-amino-2-hydroxy-4-phenylbutyl]-N-(2-methylpropyl)-benzenesulfonamide [referenced throughout this text as compound (B)] in ethyl acetate as solvent to which triethylamine was added as a base. The reaction was quenched by addition of methylamine in an aqueous solution in ethanol. The crude darunavir isolated from the reaction mixture was converted into its ethanolate form by crystallization from absolute ethanol with a yield of 71%.
WO-2005/063770 discloses in Examples 9 a process for preparing darunavir by reacting compound (A), that was first prepared in situ, with compound (B) in acetonitril as solvent to which triethylamine was added as a base. The reaction was quenched by addition of methylamine in an aqueous solution in ethanol. The crude darunavir isolated from the reaction mixture was converted into its ethanolate form by crystallization from absolute ethanol with a yield of 81%.
Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, vol. 48, p. 1813-1822 (2005) discloses the synthesis of darunavir as compound (la) by reacting compound (A) with compound (B) in dichloromethane as solvent in the presence of triethylamine as a base with a yield of 90%.

WO-2009/055006 discloses a process for preparing a deuterated form of darunavir by reacting carbonic acid 2,5-dioxo-1-pyrrolidinyl [(3R,3aS,6aR)-hexahydrofuro[2,3-b]furan-3-yl]ester with a deuterated form of 4-amino-N-[(2R,3S)-3-amino-2-hydroxy-4-phenylbutyl]-N-(2-methylpropyl)-benzenesulfonamide in dichloromethane as solvent in the presence of triethylamine as a base.
WO-2014/016660 discloses in Example 3 a process for preparing darunavir in its propionate solvate form by reacting carbonic acid 2,5-dioxo-1-pyrrolidinyl [(3R,3 aS,6aR)-hexahydrofuro[2,3-b]furan-3-yl]ester with 4-amino-N-[(2R,3S)-3-amino-2-hydroxy-4-phenylbutyl]-N-(2-methylpropyl)-benzenesulfonamide in a two phase mixture of ethyl acetate and water, followed by salt conversion with propionic acid with an overall yield of 90%.
It now has been found that darunavir can be obtained in a simplified procedure by reacting carbonic acid 2,5-dioxo-1-pyrrolidinyl [(3R,3aS,6aR)-hexahydrofuro[2,3-b]furan-3-yl]ester, i.e. compound (A), with 4-amino-N-[(2R,3S)-3-amino-2-hydroxy-4-phenylbutyl]-N-(2-methylpropyl)-benzenesulfonamide, i.e. compound (B), in the absence of an organic base and ethanol as solvent while heating. Upon completion of the reaction, the reaction mixture is heated till homogeneous and then allowed to cool to ambient temperature whereby darunavir crystallizes in its monoethanolate form.

Simplified procedure for the preparation of darunavir

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