The invention concerns a self-adhesive hanger device comprising a self-adhesive portion formed with a first flexible synthetic film strip (1) and hanging means formed by a second flexible synthetic film strip (5) welded integral to the first strip (1) along a parting line (6), the second strip (5) forming at least a tab provided with a slot (10) adapted to form a loop for hanging an object (11).

The invention relates to a self-adhesive hanger comprising a self-adhesive portion adapted to be able to be stuck to an object to be suspended, and a hanger secured to the self-adhesive portion and permitting hooking or gripping the hanger, and the object to which it is stuck.
There exist numerous situations in which objects must be able to be hung.
Such is particularly the case of packaged articles offered for sale in stores, hung from arms secured to shelves or presentation panels. For small articles, there is most often used specific packaging, so-called blisters, comprising a cardboard base (on which commercial information and/or instructions can be given) bearing a shell or a synthetic film enclosing the articles. The cardboard base is pierced to be able to be threaded on an arm. Similarly, certain other types of packaging provided with holes, permit hanging the articles. Nevertheless, it is known that it is important to be able to reduce the volume and quantity of material used in packages which, as trash, is costly and imposes increasing problems of elimination and pollution. Moreover, certain types of articles or packaging cannot be presented by hanging. Such is in particular the case of articles or groups of articles packaged in thermoshrunk film (magnetic cassettes, food pastes, cheeses, magazines, electrical connections or accessories, . . . ) or in paper or cardboard envelopes (packages of crackers, boxes of vegetables, cereals, cartons of cigarettes, candy, chocolate bars, paper articles, . . . ), or unpackaged materials (tools, receptacles (bottles, flasks, pots . . . ), lingerie, clothing, shoes, sporting goods, . . . ).
The same problem arises in numerous other situations, for example for hanging on the wall decorative objects such as frames, for the manual transportation of objects without handles (packages, shoes, documents, files, bottles, flasks . . . ).
Numerous solutions have been proposed to satisfy this problem in certain applications.
A first solution consists in a hook cut out of a so-called rigid synthetic material sheet (resilient in flexure, such as polyester, PVC, polypropane . . . ) stuck on a self-adhesive label adapted itself to be stuck on the object to be hung. This solution is relatively costly and complicated to make. Moreover, the presence of the rigid plate creates in general an added thickness preventing the production of reels of large dimension for automatic positioning with a standard label maker. Also, once positioned on an object for its presentation hung in a store, the rigid hook necessarily extends beyond the object, which poses problems of packaging, manipulation, size and risk of untimely hooking or tearing during storage or transport before hanging the articles. Moreover, this device is not very resistant to the extent to which a risk exists that the rigid plate comes unstuck from the label, or the label comes unstuck from the object, particularly under the influence of the weight of the hung object which is generally not exerted in the plane of the plate and of the label (this latter being only rarely centered relative to the object).
A second solution consists in a plate of rigid synthetic material of which a portion is cut out to form a hanger (hook or opening) and another portion is provided with a layer of self-adhesive material adapted to be stuck on an object to be hung. This solution also is relatively troublesome given the cost of the rigid synthetic materials and prevents use of an automatic labeler. Moreover, it cannot be used in a case in which the hanger must not extend beyond the contour of the object. And here again, it offers only a low strength and is not adapted for hanging heavy objects.
A third solution consists in a label of flexible synthetic material having a self-adhesive portion, and a pre-cutout portion suitable to form, by deployment and/or plastic stretching, a hanging handle.
In the case of deployment without stretching, it is possible to use low-cost flexible materials, such that this solution is thus less costly than the preceding. But the production of the cutout permitting forming the handle by deploying a strip of precut material is relatively delicate and costly to produce. Moreover, it offers a relatively low resistance to the extent to which the width of the strip forming the handle is necessarily very much less than that of the self-adhesive portion, and the ends or corners of the cutout constitute regions of less strength. Moreover, this label is less easy to use during the step of hanging objects, because it requires a precise manipulation to grip the pre-cutout strip and to deploy it to form the handle. Thus, if this manipulation can be suitable for special use, for example in a laboratory, it hinders productivity in industry or commerce during mass production. Moreover, the shape of the pre-cutout being essentially dictated by the size of the handle and its strength, it is difficult to produce various forms adapted to the hooking members. The handle thus formed accordingly does not generally offer a good holding of the objectxe2x80x94particularly in horizontal directions, relative to the hooking member. And when the objects are grouped, the adjacent handles can become entangled. Finally, the handle thus deployed does not offer regularity of shape and is hardly pleasing to the eye. This solution is thus suitable for gripping handles for objects that are small in number and not very heavy, but is not suitable either for the presentation of articles at points of sale or for heavy articles.
Thus, U.S. Pat. No. 4,832,301 discloses a suspension label comprising a peripheral portion provided with double-faced adhesive strips for sticking it to an article, and a central cutout portion forming a suspension tab bendable along a bend line delimited by the ends of the cutout forming the tab, this bend line not corresponding to an assembly line. Rounded fillets must be provided at these ends of the cutout, which remain particularly fragile. In a modification, this label is not directly applied to the article, but to an intermediate adhesive label that is not cut out, and is itself stuck to the article, and which can be of paper to receive printing. This second label, provided to reinforce the hanging, is in practice without interest, because all the forces remain imparted to the first cutout label and the adhesive strips. Here again, the bend line is delimited by the cutout of the tab and does not correspond to an assembly line of the two labels. This device thus has all the drawbacks mentioned above, of difficulty and cost of production, fragility, aging, difficulty of handling, not very effective holding, not very good appearance.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,782,495 discloses another modification of a hanger of this third type in which the hanger portion is formed by an extension prolonging the adhesive portion, cut out and folded and bent down before use along a bend line in this adhesive region. Other portions are folded down on the assembly to hold the folded down hangar portion on the adhesive portion before use. As a result, the assembly is complex and costly and is adapted for special use in laboratories or care centers (for example for holding perfusion bags) but inappropriate for industrial or commercial use for hanging large numbers of articles.
In the case of deployment accompanied by plastic drawing, it is moreover necessary to use a stretchable material such as a polyamide, which is high priced. Moreover, the drawing operation is delicate and the risk is great of stretching the material too far. And the material in the stretched condition within the plastic region offers much less resistance in tension.
A fourth solution consists in a label formed by a flexible strip having two self-adhesive portions separated by an intermediate non-adhesive portion forming a hanging loop with the object itself when the self-adhesive portions are stuck to the object. Here again, such a label is in practice relatively costly to produce (because of the presence of two separate adhesive portions independently protected each by a non-stick protective sheet), cannot be applied to object to be hung by a conventional automatic labeler, and does not permit adapting the shape of the suspension loop to ensure good holding relative to the hooking members.
The invention seeks to overcome all of these drawbacks by providing a self-adhesive hanger which, simultaneously, can be produced at an extremely reduced cost, can be automatically applied in mass production with the help of a simple labeler, offers high strength and can be adapted to hanging very diverse objects, including heavy objects over a long period of time, and whose hanger can be easily adapted without increasing the cost, to hooking or gripping members with which it is adapted to coact.
The invention also seeks to provide a device which, moreover, will be easy to use, convenient and self-explanatory during hanging objects, and in particular, which will be compatible with constraints of productivity of the work of hanging large numbers of objects in series (stores or industrial depots, supermarkets . . . ).
To do this, the invention relates to a self-adhesive hanger comprising a self-adhesive portion adapted to be able to stuck to an object to be hung, formed by a first strip of a first film of flexible synthetic material of which one surface, the so-called adhesive surface, bears a layer of self-adhesive material and the other surface, the so-called outer surface, is free from adhesive material, and hanging means secured to the self-adhesive portion, formed by at least a second strip of a second sheet of flexible synthetic material, connected to and at least in part facing the external surface of the first strip, the second strip forming at least one tab comprising at least one cutout defining an opening in this tab adapted to form a hanging loop, this tab being adapted to be raised from the first strip by bending along a bend line, characterized in that:
the second strip is connected in permanent assembly by welding to the external surface of the first strip, along at least one weld line,
at least one tab extends over and at least in part facing the external surface of the first strip, from a weld line freely without being attached moreover to the first step, so as to be able to be raised from the first strip by bending along said weld line serving as a bend line.
Conventionally, in all the text, the term xe2x80x9cself-adhesivexe2x80x9d and its derivatives indicate a cold pressure sensitive adhesive.
The second strip is separate from the first strip (it does not constitute a prolongation of it), and is assembled permanently to the first strip in the sense that the two strips cannot normally be separated from each other under the influence of strong force and/or aging without undergoing deterioration. In particular, there are associated with each other without gluing, particularly without gluing with a self-adhesive material.
Preferably, and according to the invention, the second strip is superposed on the first strip and assembled with the first by hot welding without the addition of material, along at least one weld line. It is to be noted in particular that, contrary to gluing, an assembly by welding, particularly hot welding without the addition of material, does not cause any phenomenon of aging.
In a first modification of the invention, the second strip is welded to the first strip along a straight weld line from one end, extending along a straight end edge of the first strip, so as to define a tab forming a suspension loop which, before use, extends above the first strip, and, during use, is unfolded relative to the end weld line.
According to a second modification of the invention, the second strip is welded to the first strip by at least one straight weld line at least substantially medially and forms two tabs extending opposite each other relative to the weld line or lines, at least one of these tabs forming a hanging loop, the first strip extending from each side of the weld line or lines. In a first submodification, each of the two tabs of the second strip forms a hanging loop. In a second submodification, one of the tabs forms a hanging loop, whilst the other tab is free from a cutout and carries the mentioned printing. Moreover, preferably, and according to the invention, particularly in the first submodification, there are provided two straight weld lines at least substantially parallel and medially positioned one relative to the other, adjacent each other. Also as a modification, there can be provided a single straight weld line of a sufficiently great width.
It is to be noted that in the solutions of the prior art described above, in which a hanging member is assembled to an adhesive label, this hanging member is always provided in synthetic material of a rigid type. Thus, it can be considered that such a rigid material permits ensuring better resistance and better holding at the level of the hanging member which coacts with hooking means or gripping means and which is supposed to be subjected to the most force. Conversely, according to the invention, the hanging member formed by the second strip, although connected and assembled to the first strip, is of flexible material, which gives strong advantages and permits not only the ultimate positioning with the help of an automatic labeler and obtaining a low cost, but also equivalent strength and superior durability over time. Thus, the flexible tab forming the hanging loop can deform without stress, particularly under the influence of the weight of the suspended object, without generating stresses in the assembly of the strips between themselves nor on the welding of the device on the suspended object. Contrary to the cutout hanging tabs in the adhesive portions (U.S. Pat. No. 4,832,301) the hanging tab of a hanging device according to the invention is connected by a weld line serving as a bend line of high strength and not subject to untimely tearing.
The flexible synthetic materials and the rigid synthetic materials are of course well known. By way of flexible synthetic material, there can be used in a device according to the invention, any material sufficiently flexible to permit the positioning of the device on the object with a traditional label.
Preferably and according to the invention, the first strip and the second strip are formed of a same flexible synthetic materialxe2x80x94particularly low density polyethylenexe2x80x94. In particular, it is possible to use standard low density polyethylene of low price, for example from recycling.
The first strip and the second strip can have at least substantially the same thickness, or on the contrary have very different thicknesses, according to the mechanical stresses which each strip must resist. Preferably, and according to the invention, they have a thickness comprised between 20 xcexcm and 500 xcexcmxe2x80x94particularly of the order of 30 xcexcm to 150 xcexcmxe2x80x94.
Moreover, preferably, and according to the invention, the first strip and the second strip have the same format and are superposed on each other. Preferably, and according to the invention, the first strip is carried by a removable non-stick supportxe2x80x94particularly a siliconed paperxe2x80x94receiving the adhesive service of the hanging device in the manner of a label.
A device according to the invention can thus be produced and used as a simple self-stick label, and particularly several devices according to the invention can be grouped on a common support.
The invention also relates to a group of devices according to the invention carried by a same common non-stick support. Preferably, and according to the invention, such a group of devices is present in the form of a spool, and thus can be used as a spool of labels with a conventional label applicator for positioning the devices I series on the objects to be hung. As a modification, a group of devices according to the invention can be present on a sheet.
The invention also relates to a process for the production of a group of devices according to the invention. A process according to the invention is characterized in that:
there is applied a first film of flexible synthetic material onto the non-stick support with the interposition of a layer of self-adhesive material, this first film having an external surface free from adhesive material,
there is connected a second film of flexible synthetic material that is assembled rigidly in an unremovable manner by welding onto the external surface of the first film along at least one weld line,
the hanging devices are then cut out by producing a halfway cutout passing through the thickness of the two films to delimit the contour of each hangar, and a halfway cutout passing through the thickness of the second film to produce cutouts defining the openings forming the hanging loops.
Preferably, and according to the invention, the different steps are continuously performed from spools of anti-stick support and films, to form at least one spool of hangars available like labels.
The invention also relates to a device, a group, and a process characterized in combination for all or a portion of the characteristics mentioned above and hereafter.

Self-adhesive hanger device, assembly of same and method for making same


A first clock signal of frequency F is used to couple data to an off-chip driver (OCD) using a master/slave flip flop (FF), wherein the master latch is clocked with the first clock signal and the slave latch is clocked with the complement of the first clock signal. A second clock signal of frequency F/2 is generated from the first clock signal. The second clock signal is shifted a time equal to substantially one-half the cycle of the first clock signal. In one embodiment, the second clock is shifted using a delay line circuit. In another embodiment, the second clock is shifted using a master/slave FF, wherein the master latch is clocked with the complement of the first clock signal and the slave latch is clocked with the first clock signal. The logic state transitions of the data between edges of the propagating clock thereby reducing coupling to the clock transitions and thus reducing edge jitter.

Digital computer systems have a history of continually increasing the speed of the processors used in the system. As computer systems have migrated towards multiprocessor systems, sharing information between processors and memory systems has also generated a requirement for increased speed for the off-chip communication networks. Designers usually have more control over on-chip communication paths than for off-chip communication paths. Off-chip communication paths are longer, have higher noise, impedance mismatches, and have more discontinuities than on-chip communication paths. Since off-chip communication paths are of lower impedance, they require more current and thus more power to drive.
When using inter-chip high-speed signaling, noise and coupling between signal lines (crosstalk) affects signal quality. One way to alleviate the detrimental effects of noise and coupling is through the use of differential signaling. Differential signaling comprises sending a signal and its complement to a differential receiver. In this manner, noise and coupling affect both the signal and the complement equally. The differential receiver only senses the difference between the signal and its complement as the noise and coupling represent common mode signals. Therefore, differential signaling is resistant to the effects that noise and crosstalk have on signal quality. On the negative side, differential signaling increases pin count by a factor of two for each data line. The next best thing to differential signaling is pseudo-differential signaling. Pseudo-differential signaling comprises comparing a data signal to a reference voltage using a differential receiver or comparator.
When high speed data is transmitted between chips, the signal lines are characterized by their transmission line parameters. High speed signals are subject to reflections if the transmission lines are not terminated in an impedance that matches the transmission line characteristic impedance. Reflections may propagate back and forth between driver and receiver and reduce the margins when detecting signals at the receiver. Some form of termination is therefore usually required for all high-speed signals to control overshoot, undershoot, and increase signal quality. Typically, a Thevenins resistance (equivalent resistance of the Thevenins network equals characteristic impedance of transmission line) is used to terminate data lines allowing the use of higher valued resistors. Additionally, the Thevenins network is used to establish a bias voltage between the power supply rails. In this configuration, the data signals will then swing around this Thevenins equivalent bias voltage. When this method is used to terminate data signal lines, a reference voltage is necessary to bias a differential receiver that operates as a pseudo-differential receiver to detect data signals in the presence of noise and crosstalk.
The logic levels of driver side signals are determined by the positive and ground voltage potentials of the driver power supply. If the driver power supply has voltage variations that are unregulated, then the logic one and logic zero levels of the driver side signals will undergo similar variations. If the receiver is substantially remote from the driver such that its power supply voltage may undergo different variations from the driver side power supply, then additional variations will be added to any signal received in a receiver side terminator (e.g., Thevenins network). These power supply variations will reduce noise margins if the reference has variations different from those on the received signals caused by the driver and receiver side power supply variations.
The popular technique of source-synchronous clocking is often used for high speed interface systems. With this technique, the transmitting device sends a clock with the data. The advantage of this approach is that the maximum performance is no longer computed from the clock-to-output delay, propagation delay, and set up times of the devices and the circuit board. Instead, the maximum performance is related to the maximum edge rate of the driver and the skew between the data signals and the clock signals. Using this technique, data may be transferred at a 1 Gbps rate (1-nsec bit period) even though the propagation delay from transmitter to receiver may exceed one nanosecond. If standard double-data rate (DDR) driving is utilized, data is launched on both the rising and falling edges of the clock. In this case, duty cycle symmetry of the clock as detected at the receiver becomes important since each edge of the clock is also used to recover the data at the receiving end of the data path. If the clock is asymmetrical, then it will affect the eye pattern of the data signals that the clock is used to detect.
In high speed data transmission across a densely routed multi-chip module (MCM) package, the clock and data signals may be experience considerable coupling between parallel lines. This noise coupling reduces the fidelity of the data signals and adds edge jitter to the clock signals. These factors may limit the data rate of the chip to chip interfaces. In order to transmit error-free data across the chip to chip interface, either the signaling rate or the amount of coupling between signaling lines must be reduced. Reducing data rate is usually not desirable since it reduces the ability of the system to meet performance targets. Therefore, to maintain an acceptable data rate the coupled noise must be reduced for error-free operation.
Typical methods of cross-talk reduction including introducing "shield" traces between signals in the package or adding more space between the signal lines. This approach are less than optimal because it forces the reduction in the number of usable signals that may be routed between chips thereby again compromising the ability of the system to meet bandwidth targets. These methods fail in part because the decrease in coupled noise does not warrant the increase in expensive MCM area required.
Of particular concern, is noise coupled to the clock edges when a source synchronous clock is launched in phase with its associated data. In this case, there is opportunity for data transitions to interact with clock edge transitions over the interface path resulting in clock edge jitter. Clock edge jitter will adversely affect the eye pattern for all data signals clocked with the received source clock. The received source clock and data signals will be aligned at the receiving chip but the clock edge jitter will remain causing a degradation in margins affecting error rates.
There is, therefore, a need for a method of reducing coupling between the edge transitions of a source clock signal and adjacent synchronous data signals.

System for reducing cross-talk induced source synchronous bus clock jitter

International Business Machines Corporation


In response to a property of a conditional branch instruction associated with a loop, such as a property indicating that the branch is a loop-ending branch, a count of the number of iterations of the loop is maintained, and a multi-bit value indicative of the loop iteration count is stored in a Branch History Register (BHR). In one embodiment, the multi-bit value may comprise the actual loop count, in which case the number of bits is variable. In another embodiment, the number of bits is fixed (e.g., two) and loop iteration counts are mapped to one of a fixed number of multi-bit values (e.g., four) by comparison to thresholds. Separate iteration counts may be maintained for nested loops, and a multi-bit value stored in the BHR may indicate a loop iteration count of only an inner loop, only the outer loop, or both.

Microprocessors perform computational tasks in a wide variety of applications. Improved processor performance is almost always desirable, to allow for faster operation and/or increased functionality through software changes. In common embedded applications, such as portable electronic devices, conserving power is also desirable.
Common modern processors employ a pipelined architecture, where sequential instructions, each having multiple execution steps, are overlapped in execution. For maximum performance, the instructions should flow continuously through the pipeline. Any situation that causes instructions to stall in the pipeline detrimentally affects performance. If instructions must be flushed from the pipeline and subsequently re-fetched, both performance and power consumption may suffer.
Commonly all real-world programs include conditional branch instructions, the actual branching behavior of which is commonly not known until the instruction is evaluated deep in the pipeline. To avoid a stall that may result from waiting for actual evaluation of the branch instruction, common modern processors employ some form of branch prediction, whereby the branching behavior of conditional branch instructions is predicted early in the pipeline. Based on the predicted branch evaluation, the processor speculatively fetches (prefetches) and executes instructions from a predicted address—either the branch target address (if the branch is predicted taken) or the next sequential address after the branch instruction (if the branch is predicted not taken). When the actual branch behavior is determined, if the branch was mispredicted, the speculatively fetched instructions must be flushed from the pipeline, and new instructions fetched from the correct next address. Prefeteching instructions in response to an erroneous branch prediction adversely impacts processor performance and power consumption. Consequently, improving the accuracy of branch prediction is desirable.
Known branch prediction techniques include both static and dynamic predictions. The likely behavior of some branch instructions can be statically predicted by a programmer and/or compiler. One example is an error checking routine. Common code executes properly, and errors are rare. Hence, the branch instruction implementing a "branch on error" function will evaluate "not taken" a very high percentage of the time. Such an instruction may include a static branch prediction bit in the op code, set by a programmer or compiler with knowledge of the common likely outcome of the branch condition.
Dynamic prediction is generally based on the branch evaluation history (and in some cases the branch prediction accuracy history) of the branch instruction being predicted and/or other branch instructions in the same code. Extensive analysis of actual code indicates that recent past branch evaluation patterns may be a good indicator of the evaluation of future branch instructions.
One known form of dynamic branch prediction, depicted in FIG. 1, utilizes a Branch History Register (BHR) 100 to store the past n branch evaluations. In a simple implementation, the BHR 30 comprises a shift register. The most recent branch evaluation result is shifted in (for example, a 1 indicating taken and a 0 indicating not taken), with the oldest past evaluation in the register being displaced. A processor may maintain a local BHR 100 for each branch instruction. Alternatively (or additionally), a BHR 100 may contain the recent past evaluations of all conditional branch instructions, sometimes known in the art as a global BHR, or GHR. As used herein, BHR refers to both local and global Branch History Registers.
As depicted in FIG. 1, the BHR 100 may index a Branch Predictor Table (BPT) 102, which again may be local or global. The BHR 100 may index the BPT 102 directly, or may be combined with other information, such as the Program Counter (PC) of the branch instruction in BPT index logic 104. Other inputs to the BPT index logic 104 may additionally be utilized. The BPT index logic 104 may concatenate the inputs (known in the art as gselect), XOR the inputs (gshare), perform a hash function, or combine or transform the inputs in a variety of ways.
As one example, the BPT 102 may comprise a plurality of saturation counters, the MSBs of which serve as bimodal branch predictors. For example, each table entry may comprise a 2-bit counter that assumes one of four states, each assigned a weighted prediction value, such as:
11—Strongly predicted taken
10—Weakly predicted taken
01—Weakly predicted not taken
00—Strongly predicted not taken
The counter increments each time a corresponding branch instruction evaluates "taken" and decrements each time the instruction evaluates "not taken." The MSB of the counter is a bimodal branch predictor; it will predict a branch to be either taken or not taken, regardless of the strength or weight of the underlying prediction. A saturation counter reduces the prediction error of an infrequent branch evaluation direction. A branch that consistently evaluates one way will saturate the counter. An infrequent evaluation the other way will alter the counter value (and the strength of the prediction), but not the bimodal prediction value. Thus, an infrequent evaluation will only mispredict once, not twice. The table of saturation counters is an illustrative example only; in general, a BHT may index a table containing a variety of branch prediction mechanisms.
Regardless of the branch prediction mechanism employed in the BPT 102, the BHR 100—either alone or in combination with other information such as the branch instruction PC—indexes the BPT 102 to obtain branch predictions. By storing prior branch evaluations in the BHR 100 and using the evaluations in branch prediction, the branch instruction being predicted is correlated to past branch behavior—its own past behavior in the case of a local BHR 100 and the behavior of other branch instructions in the case of a global BHR 100. This correlation is the key to accurate branch predictions, at least in the case of highly repetitive code.
Note that FIG. 1 depicts branch evaluations being stored in the BHR 100—that is, the actual evaluation of a conditional branch instruction, which may only be known deep in the pipeline, such as in an execute pipe stage. While this is the ultimate result, in practice, common high performance processors store the predicted branch evaluation from the BPT 102 in the BHR 100, and correct the BHR 100 later as part of a misprediction recovery operation if the prediction turns out to be erroneous. The drawing figures do not reflect this implementation feature, for clarity.
A common code structure that may reduce the efficacy a branch predictor employing a BHR 100 is the loop. A loop ends with a conditional branch instruction that tests a loop-ending condition, such as whether an index variable that is incremented each time through the loop has reached a loop-ending value. If not, execution branches back to the beginning of the loop for another iteration, and another loop-ending conditional branch evaluation.
If the loop executes through a large number of iterations, the "taken" backwards branches of the loop-ending branch instruction partially or fully saturate the BHR 100. Where the number of loop iterations equals or exceeds the BHR 100 width, at the end of the loop an n-bit BHR will contain precisely n−1 ones (taken) followed by a single zero (not taken), corresponding to a long series of branch taken evaluations resulting from the loop iterations, and ending with a single not-taken branch evaluation when the loop terminates. This effectively destroys the efficacy of the BHR 100, as all correlations with prior branch evaluations (for either a local or global BHR 100) are lost. In this case, the BHR 100 will likely map to the same BPT 102 entry for a given branch instruction (depending on the other inputs to the BPT index logic 104), rather than to an entry containing a branch prediction that reflects the correlation of the branch instruction to prior branch evaluations.
Additionally, the saturated BHR 100 may increase aliasing in the BPT 102. That is, all branch instructions following loops with common iterations will map to the same BPT 102 entry, if the BHR 100 directly indexes the BPT 102. Even where the BHR 100 is combined with other information, the chance of aliasing is increased. This adversely impacts prediction accuracy not only for the branch instruction following the loop, but also for all of the branch instructions that alias to its entry in the BPT 102.
If the loop executes through fewer iterations than the width of the BHR 100, the BHR 100 is not saturated and some prior branch evaluation history is retained. However, the bits representing the prior branch evaluation history are displaced in the BHR 100 by numerous "taken" results of the loop-ending branch instruction. Particularly where the number of loop iterations varies, this has two deleterious effects on branch prediction. First, the branch instruction will map to a much larger number of entries in the BPT 102 to capture the same correlation with prior branch evaluations, requiring a larger BPT 102 to support the same accuracy for the same number of branch instructions than would be required without the loop-ending branch affecting the BHR 30. Second, the branch predictors in the BPT 102 will take longer to "train," increasing the amount of code that must execute before the BPT 102 begins to provide accurate branch predictions.
Patent application Ser. No. 11/066,508, assigned to the assignee of the present application and incorporated herein by reference, proposes to suppress updating the BHR 100 for loop-ending branch instructions. This resolves most of the deleterious effects of BHR 100 saturation or partial saturation on branch prediction accuracy. However, it fails to capture and exploit correlations that may exist between loop behavior and subsequent branch evaluation.
In common applications, the evaluation of a branch instruction may be correlated to the number of iterations of a preceding loop. For example, a scientific program may capture data points in a loop and, following the loop, branch to a statistical analysis subroutine where the captured data is analyzed. However, if the loop iterates relatively few times, capturing few data points and yielding a small sample, statistical analysis may be unreliable, and may be skipped. In this case, the evaluation of the conditional instruction branching to the statistical analysis subroutine is strongly correlated to the number of iterations of the data acquisition loop.
In another example, an application may use a loop structure to search through a list, transaction log, history file, or similar data structure. If an item matching the search parameters appears frequently in the list, relatively few loop iterations will be required to locate the item. Consequently, an item appearing infrequently may require a large number of iterations through the search loop. The evaluation of a subsequent branch instruction may be correlated to the frequency with which a particular item appears in the list, and hence correlated to the number of loop iterations required to locate the item.
Suppressing the update of the BHR 100 in response to loop-ending branch instruction evaluations fails to capture any correlation between the number of loop iterations and the branch behavior of a subsequent branch instruction. On the other hand, maintaining a full history of the evaluations of the loop-ending branch instruction fully or partially saturates the BHR 100, losing the correlation to branch instruction evaluations prior to the loop.

Representing loop branches in a branch history register with multiple bits


A division and assignment section of a radio equipment control divides an information region of a frame used for exchanging information with radio equipments connected thereto in a daisy-chain fashion, and assigns the information region after the division to the radio equipments. A transmission section transmits address information for the information region assigned to the radio equipments to the radio equipments. A receiving section of the radio equipment receives a frame from the radio equipment control or the radio equipment. A position recognition section recognizes a connection position of the radio equipment connected in the daisy-chain fashion on the basis of positional information included in the frame received. An acquisition section refers to the frame on the basis of the recognized connection position of the radio equipment, and acquires address information for the information region of the frame used for exchanging information with the radio equipment control.

A base station included in a radio communication system such as a mobile phone system can be divided into radio equipments (REs) which process a radio signal and a radio equipment control (REC) which controls the REs. A common public radio interface (CPRI) is known as an interface between the REC and the REs (see, for example, Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2007-312185). With the CPRI an interface between REs and an REC into which a base station is divided is made open. By doing so, many vendors can use each section in a base station.
An REC and REs share slow C&M regions prescribed by the CPRI and exchange monitoring and control information. Accordingly, if one, for example, of REs connected in a daisy-chain fashion occupies slow C&M regions of a monitoring and control signal transmitted or received via the CPRI and transmits monitoring and control information, the other REs cannot insert monitoring and control information in the slow C&M regions. As a result, communication of monitoring and control information is not ensured between the REC and RE.
FIG. 19 is a view for describing occupancy of slow C&M regions of a monitoring and control signal. As illustrated in FIG. 19, REs 111 through 113 are connected to an REC 101 in the daisy-chain fashion. The REC 101 and the REs 111 through 113 transmit or receive monitoring and control information via the CPRI.
The REC 101 includes a monitoring and control processing section 101a. The monitoring and control processing section 101a uses slow C&M regions of a monitoring and control signal transmitted or received via a CPRI link for transmitting monitoring and control information to the REs 111 through 113. In addition, the monitoring and control processing section 101a extracts monitoring and control information transmitted from the REs 111 through 113 from slow C&M regions of a received monitoring and control signal.
Each of the REs 111 through 113 extracts monitoring and control information from slow C&M regions of a monitoring and control signal received via a CPRI link. In addition, each of the REs 111 through 113 inserts monitoring and control information regarding it in slow C&M regions of a monitoring and control signal and transmits the monitoring and control signal via a CPRI link.
It is assumed that the RE 113 inserts a large amount of monitoring and control information in slow C&M regions of a monitoring and control signal. The REC 101 exchanges monitoring and control information with the REs 111 through 113 by sharing slow C&M regions of the monitoring and control signal. Accordingly, the RE 111 or 112 cannot insert monitoring and control information regarding it in slow C&M regions of the monitoring and control signal. As a result, communication of monitoring and control information is not ensured between the REC 101 and the REs 111 through 113.

Radio equipment controller, radio equipment, and communication method


A current limiting and averaging circuit for driving a peripheral core circuit with a lower limit current value in response to a supply signal, includes a current limiting module, an energy storage module, and a converter module. The current limiting module provides a limited supply signal whose current value is smaller than or equal to an upper limit value according to the supply signal. The energy storage module stores a storage signal according to the limited supply signal when the upper limit value is higher than the lower limit current value and provides a discharge signal according to the storage signal when the upper limit value is lower than the lower limit current value. The converter module provides a driving signal for driving the peripheral core circuit in response to the limited supply signal or the limited supply signal and the discharge signal.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates in general to a current limiting and averaging circuit, and more particularly to a current limiting and averaging circuit for the peripheral device of computer system.
2. Description of the Related Art
With the rapid advance in technology, wireless communication transmission has become an indispensable means of communication for people in their everydayness and business as well. In general, the wireless communication module used for performing wireless communication transmission normally operates in the manner of Time Division Duplex (TDD) to perform the operations of signal reception and signal transmission in a reception period and a transmission period respectively. In the transmission period, the wireless communication module is driven by instantaneous high current with high power driving force for supporting the operation of signal transmission. In the reception period, the wireless communication module requires a lower level of power driving force. In other words, the wireless communication module requires different levels of power driving forces in different operation periods. Thus, how to design a driving circuit which provides suitable driving force according to the requirements of the wireless communication module has become an imminent task for the industries.

Current limiting and averaging circuit and peripheral device and computer system using the same


An article, such as a filter or film, has a treated laminate with an expanded PTFE membrane and a porous support scrim. The treated laminate is formed by contacting a laminate having an expanded PTFE membrane and a porous support scrim with an oleophobic treatment agent dissolved in an organic solvent. The oleophobic treatment agent is deposited onto the expanded PTFE membrane and porous support scrim as the organic solvent is removed. The oleophobic treatment agent is typically a fluoropolymer. The article can be used, for example, as a filter over a port in a housing of an electronics or other device.

Laminated articles have many uses, including, for example, as filters and films. The laminated articles can be formed with a variety of different properties which are often a result of the construction of the laminated articles. For example, appropriate materials and layers can be used in forming the laminated articles to provide the desired properties. Properties of the laminated articles can also be modified by treatments including, for example, chemical treatments. In a number of applications, laminated articles are useful as filters or protective films that allow the flow of air into or through the laminated article while preventing or restricting the flow of particulate matter, water, oil, other organic compounds, and/or other contaminants.
One example of a laminated article is a breather filter that permits the flow of a fluid, such as air, through the filter, but prevents or restricts the flow of particles and other contaminants (e.g., water and/or organic compounds). The filter typically includes one or more porous layers. The average pore size of the porous layer or layers of the filter influences the size of particles that can flow through the filter.
In addition, one or more layers of the filter may be treated with or formed using a material to prevent or resist the flow of selected compounds or contaminants through or into the layer. For example, a layer may be treated with or formed using a hydrophobic material to resist the passage of water through or into that layer. Conversely, the layer may be treated with or formed using a hydrophilic material. Other circumstances call for a layer or layers that are oleophobic or oleophilic.
In some circumstances, there is a need to prevent or restrict the flow of a variety of particles and fluids. For example, filters and films are often used in environments that are sensitive to contaminants with disparate properties, such as particulate matter, water, and oily materials. Such environments may include, for example, storage containers for oily materials and articles used near an engine. The disparate nature of the contaminants often requires the use of a combination of approaches to prevent or restrict the flow of these materials, including, for example, the choice of an appropriate average pore size, the choice of materials for the layers of the laminate article, and the treatment of one or more layers of the laminated article.

Oleophobic laminated articles, assemblies of use, and methods


A reel brake of a magnetic tape single-reel cartridge is released by a contact member positioned in non-rotational contact with the reel brake release button to prevent wear, vibration and noise in the mechanism. One embodiment places a spindle in a centering cone of a hub which operatively engages the tape reel. The centering cone rotates relative to the spindle which is in stationary contact with the release button. A second embodiment involves use of a non-rotating center shaft of a motor which has a rotor that rotates about the shaft. The stationary shaft contacts the release button. A third embodiment extends a stationary post through a hollow rotating motor shaft to contact the release button.

The present invention relates to new and improved apparatus and method for releasing a reel brake in a magnetic-tape, single-reel cartridge, and more particularly, to releasing the reel brake by non-rotational contact with the reel brake to prevent wear, vibration and noise when the tape reel is rotated by a tape drive mechanism.
An industry standard magnetic-tape, single-reel cartridge, such as a 3480 tape cartridge, employs an internal reel brake mechanism to prevent the tape reel within the cartridge from rotating when the cartridge is not operatively engaged by a tape drive mechanism. The reel brake thereby prevents the tape from unwinding or prevents unintended slack in the tape on the reel from occurring, either of which situations could cause problems in use.
When the tape cartridge is operatively engaged by the tape drive mechanism, a drive hub and centering cone contact a release button formed on the reel brake, disengaging the reel brake and permitting the reel to rotate. At the same time, teeth on the drive hub engage teeth on the reel, preventing the reel from turning except as controllably moved by a motor of the tape drive mechanism.
As the tape drive mechanism turns the reel, the brake is held stationary by its connection to the cartridge housing. However, the drive hub and centering cone make rotational frictional contact with brake release button due to rotation of the centering cone and hub while in contact with the stationary brake release button. The friction and dynamic effects caused by contact between rotating centering cone and hub and non-rotating brake release button lead to wear, vibration and audible noise. The wear, vibration and friction may lead to early deterioration of the cartridge and degradation in performance, particularly under the influence of tape speeds exceeding two meters per second, for example.

Tape cartridge reel brake release technique


The present disclosure provides an DNS server and configuration loading method, an DNS network system, and a domain name resolution method and system. The present disclosure relates to the field of network communication technologies. The DNS server configuration loading method includes: dividing at least two NS partitions according to network carriers and/or regions; based on an IP address of an DNS server, obtaining an NS partition on which the DNS server has a traffic; from local records or database, filtering out domain name configuration information belonging to the NS partition corresponding to the DNS server; and loading the filtered-out domain name configuration information into a memory of the DNS server. The present disclosure significantly reduces the amount of DNS configuration; increases the efficiency for the DNS server to load the domain name configuration information; reduces the loading time; and reduces the memory resource consumption of the DNS server.

The response time of a Domain Name System (DNS) is often in the millisecond level. Thus, the regular DNS software, such as bind, may load the DNS configuration into the memory to respond to requests faster.
Currently, the entry DNS of the Content Delivery Network (CDN) returns the nearest server to the visitor according to the Internet Protocol (IP) of the visitor or the client IP carried by the ends-client-subnet (ECS). Thus, each domain name has a configuration in each view (or region).
However, during performing the embodiments of the present invention, the inventor finds that the existing technologies at least have the following issues.
Currently, the amount of domain configuration of the DNS server of the CDN needs to reach a product of domain number and view number (i.e., domain number*view number), and the configuration amount is significantly large. Loading all the DNS configurations of the CDN, on one hand, consumes a large quantity of memory resource. On the other hand, CND nodes are switched frequently, loading is frequent, the configuration amount is large, and the loading time is long.

DNS server and configuration loading method, DNS network system, and domain name resolution method and system


An open mold system provides various unique molds which are released from a plurality of staging queues and loaded onto a mold transportation circuit in relation to a particular customer order and transportation vehicle. A batch of molds are sequenced in an order in which a particular transportation vehicle is to be loaded. After each part is demolded, the molds are returned to their appropriate staging queues or storage areas. The parts are inspected and are sent to either a minor repair area, a major repair area, or directly to a trimming and packaging area. From the packaging area, the parts are moved to a relatively small shipping area where the batch of parts are already ordered to be effectively loaded directly onto the transportation vehicle. As the finished parts come off line in the batch particular to the transportation vehicle, a large shipping area and inventory area is avoided.

The present invention relates to an open mold manufacturing process, and more particularly to a manufacturing schedule system in which molds are produced in a sequence exactly to a desired outbound shipping sequence.
Open mold fiberglass reinforced plastic molding systems are well known. Molds typically travel along an assembly line. A plurality of operations are performed at stations along the assembly line until a finished part is removed from the mold at the end of the assembly line. Once demolded, the parts are typically stored in a shipping area such as a loading dock to await loading upon outbound transportation such as a truck. Extra capacity is stored in an inventory. As production often may not exactly meet demand, the inventory may grow rather large requiring a relatively large storage space.
Each unique part requires a particular unique mold. Multiple copies of molds for high demand parts are required to meet particular demands in a given time period. As only a certain number of parts can be produced in a given time period, inventory organization of finished parts and the corresponding molds is paramount. Organization is especially important in a high volume manufacturing environment producing large numbers of unique parts which must be shipped to numerous customers in a "just in time" shipping manner. Typically, a rather large inventory is maintained as a buffer against the potential inability of producing the desired part at the right time and in the right sequence. Inventory is also required as conventional molding facilities may have a rather high scrap rate which effects production of finished parts. Delay in producing a particular part may delay an entire shipment.
Particular customers order particular parts and the parts must be sorted and loaded upon the proper truck. Moreover, to optimize shipping the combination of parts must be arranged in the truck to optimize the "cubing" of the load. That is, proper organization of the parts assures that the truck is fully loaded. Inventory is further maintained as a buffer to assure that the proper parts are always available to properly fill customer requirements in response to truck scheduling and loading.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide an open mold manufacturing process which meets stringent scheduling requirements without increasing inventory requirements.

Method of scheduling the open molding of an article


Data from applications is published using a web feed document such as according to the Really Simple Syndication (RSS) protocol. The applications can be information technology (IT) services, such as an Application Performance Management program and a Service Desk program, which are used by an organization. The data is received at an Application Programming Interface (API) and stored in a database in a format which is usable by the web feed document. For example, the data can provide a parameter name, parameter label, severity and user type which are associated with placeholder elements in the web feed document. The user type may be used to restrict the publishing of certain parameters to certain users based on their business roles in an organization. The feed server may provide additional details in response to the user selecting a hyperlink in the web feed document.

The growing presence of the Internet as well as other computer networks such as intranets and extranets has brought many new applications in e-commerce, education and other areas. Information Technology (IT) services are used to support the delivery of such applications to end users. Organizations increasingly rely on such applications and services to carry out their business or other objectives. Data regarding the status of such applications and services is useful for various personnel in the organization.

Generic cloud service for publishing data to be consumed by RSS readers


A phosphor composition is disclosed comprised of phosphor crystals which consist essentially of oxygen and a combination of metals satisfying the relationship: EQU Li.sub.2 Hf.sub.1-x-y-z Zr.sub.z Sn.sub.y Ti.sub.x L.sub.w. where. L is at least one rare earth; PA0 w+x+y collectively are 0 to 0.2; and PA0 z is up to 0.2.. The composition has utility in an intensifying screen for producing a latent image in a silver halide radiographic element when imagewise exposed to X-radiation.

A developable latent image is formed in a silver halide emulsion layer of a radiographic element when it is imagewise exposed to X-radiation. Silver halide emulsions, however, more efficiently absorb and consequently are more responsive to longer (300 to 1500 nm) wavelength electromagnetic radiation than to X-radiation. Silver halide possesses native sensitivity to both the near ultraviolet and blue regions of the spectrum and can be sensitized readily to the green, red, and infrared portions of the electromagnetic spectrum.
Consequently it is an accepted practice to employ intensifying screens in combination with silver halide emulsion layers. An intensifying screen contains on a support a fluorescent phosphor layer that absorbs the X-radiation more efficiently than silver halide and emits to the adjacent silver halide emulsion layer longer wavelength electromagnetic radiation in an image pattern corresponding to that of the X-radiation received.
While the phosphor layer and emulsion layer can be integrated into one element, in most instances the adjacent silver halide emulsion layer is coated on a separate support to form a separate radiographic element. In this way, the intensifying screen, which is not permanently altered by exposure, can be reused. The most common arrangement for X-radiation exposure is to employ a dual coated radiographic element (an element with silver halide emulsion layers on opposite sides of a support), each emulsion layer being mounted adjacent a separate intensifying screen.
Phosphors employed in intensifying screens consist of particulate crystalline phosphors, typically oxides of a combination of metals. Often an oxide of one or two of the metals forms what is referred to as the phosphor host while oxides of one or more metals, often referred to as activators, are incorporated in the host in relatively low concentrations to change the hue and/or improve the efficiency of fluorescence. Lanthanides have been frequently employed as activators.
It has been recognized that the phosphors of highest absorption efficiencies are those in which the host compound contains at least one element from Period 6 of the Periodic Table of Elements. For example, barium sulfate, lanthanide oxyhalides and oxysulfides, yttrium tantalate, and calcium tungstate, are widely employed phosphor host compounds.
One family of phosphor host compounds that have shown promise in terms of performance, but have been little used are rare earth hafnates. L. H. Brixner, "Structural and Luminescent Properties of the Ln.sub.2 Hf.sub.2 O.sub.7 -type Rare Earth Hafnates", Mat. Res. Bull., Vol. 19, pp. 143-149, 1984, describes investigations of such phosphor host compounds. Ln is defined to include not only lanthanides, but also scandium and yttrium.
Another hafnium containing phosphor host compound that has been recognized to possess high efficiency in its absorption of X-radiation, but has enjoyed no practical use is optical grade hafnia--that is, hafnia that contains less than 3.times.10.sup.-4 mole zirconia. Kelsey U.S. Pat. No. 4,006,097, issued May 5, 1975, discloses to be useful in the absorption of X-radiation a phosphor satisfying the formula: EQU HfO.sub.2 :Yb
with Yb being present in a concentration of 5.times.10.sup.-3 to 1.times.10.sup.-1. Brixner, cited above, also investigated optical grade hafnia.
Lithium hafnate is a known compound. The following report investigations of lithium hafnate, but report no observations of luminescence:
R. Scholder, D. Rade, and H. Schwarz, Z. Anorg. Allg. Chem., 362, 149 (1968);
G. Dittrich and R. Hoppe, Z. Anorg. Allg. Chem., 371, 306 (1969);
J. L. Hodeau, M. Marezio, A. Santoro, and R. S. Roth, J. Solid State Chem., 45, 170 (1982); and
N. V. Porotnikov, V. V. Ganin, N. M. Gerardi, L. V. Golubeva, and K. I. Petrove., J. Russ. Inorg. Chem., 32, 764 (1987).
Chenot et al U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,068,128 and 4,112,194 disclose a variety of phosphors formed of varied ratios of phosphorus, hafnium, oxygen, and, optionally, zirconium. The various phosphor hosts produced by phosphorus in combination with hafnium are, of course, crystallographically dissimilar from hafnia host phosphors and offer no reliable indication of the effect of zirconium on the luminescence of monoclinic hafnia crystals.
Kroger et al U.S. Pat. No. 2,542,336 discloses a phosphor containing titanium as an activator and having a matrix composed of one or more of the oxides of zirconium, hafnium, thorium, germanium, or tin, to which may be added either acid or basic oxides or both. Suitable basic oxides are the oxides of sodium, potassium, rubidium, cesium, lithium, barium, calcium, strontium, magnesium, beryllium, and zinc. The acid oxides are those of the group SO.sub.3, B.sub.2 O.sub.3, P.sub.2 O.sub.3, and SiO.sub.2.

Tin-activated lithium hafnate phosphor composition and X-ray intensifying screen


A modular mast for an earth-drilling machine includes a base module, a crown module, and a fastener. The crown module is coupled with the base module via the fastener. The base module and the crown module each have a surface lying in a common plane. The fastener does not extend beyond the common plane.

Surface drill mining machines are often equipped with masts. Such machines may be used to drill into the ground during the construction or maintenance of roads, railways, building sites, landscapes, wells, mines, or other areas. For example, a surface drill mining machine may be used to drill holes to access subterranean minerals, liquids, or gases or to place explosives in preparation for blasting. Typically, such machines include a chassis which supports an engine, an operator cab, and a mast. The mast may support and include a drill head, a carousel, and pipe segments which transmit torque from the drill head to a drill bit. The mast may guide the drill head. The carousel may carry a supply of the pipe segments. As the hole is drilled and pipe segments descend below ground, the carousel may successively load additional pipe segments into the drill head to extend the reach of the drill bit. Pipe segments and masts may be available in different fixed lengths.
Depending on the drilling application, one particular pipe segment length may be preferable over another depending on the drilling application, the substrate being drilled, regional standard pipe segment lengths, or other economic or availability factors. As the mast supports and includes the pipe segments and the carousel, it must in turn have a length that accommodates the particular pipe segment used in the drilling application. While a long mast may accommodate shorter pipe segment lengths, the extra length of the mast is unnecessarily costly and adds unnecessary weight to the surface drilling machine. Therefore, shorter and therefore lighter and less costly masts are often used in drilling applications which call for shorter pipe segment lengths. Such tailoring of the mast to the drilling application may, however, make the surface drill machine unsuited to a subsequent drilling application once the initial drilling application is complete. Therefore, depending on the subsequent drilling application, a surface drill machine may need to be retrofit with a new appropriate length mast, which may be a costly and time-consuming process. Furthermore, if roadways and/or railways between the surface drilling machine supplier and the worksite have overpasses, tunnels, or other obstructions, a surface drilling machine with a long mast installed may not be able to travel to the worksite. Thus, long masts may need to be installed onto the surface drilling machine chassis at the worksite as opposed to the controlled environment of the supplier, which may also be a time-consuming and costly process. Additionally, the tailoring of mast length to drilling applications increases surface drilling machine manufacturing complexity, dealer inventory, and ordering lead time.
Surface drilling machines with some degree of mast length flexibility are available. Such flexible masts are often arranged with mast sections stacked on top of a foundational mast and fastened together. More specifically, mast sections may have protruding interlocking upper and lower members through which the fasteners are placed and additional rails to guide the drill head. However, these efforts to provide mast length flexibility have been found largely lacking as the additional rails hinder the use of a pipe-loading carousel. One example of an existing strategy for attempting to provide a surface drilling machine with a flexible length mast is shown by Chang in Chinese Patent No. CN202249794U.
It can therefore be seen that improvements in the arrangement of the surface drilling machine mast and associated structures are desired to increase surface drilling machine drilling application flexibility. Furthermore, improvements to the arrangement of the surface drilling machine mast may increase work efficiency and also reduce cost, manufacturing complexity, and manufacturing time.


A data processing apparatus includes a first circuit unit operating with first clocks of a predetermined cycle, a second circuit unit operating with second clocks of a predetermined cycle different from the first clock cycle, and a first circuit block which generates and outputs a train of pulses in accordance with the first clock cycle. The second circuit unit includes a second circuit block which receives the train of pulses output from the first circuit block, and samples the train of pulses using the second clock as a sampling signal, to thereby output the sampled train of pulses; a third circuit block which receives the train of pulses output from the second circuit block, and delays the train of pulses by a predetermined number of clocks in response to the second clock, to thereby output the delayed train of pulses; and a fourth circuit block which receives the train of pulses output from the second circuit block and the train of pulses output from the third circuit block, and effects a predetermined processing with respect to both trains of pulses, to thereby generate and output a train of pulses with a cycle approximately equal to the first clock cycle. efficiently realizes data transfer processings between circuit units operating with different clock cycles.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a data processing apparatus including a plurality of circuit units operating with different clock cycles. More particularly, it relates to a technique of efficiently carrying out a data transfer between each circuit unit.
In a data processing apparatus having a plurality of circuit units operating with different clock cycles, each circuit unit carries out a processing of monitoring respective operations of other circuit units. In this case, it is necessary to establish a system by which it is possible to realize an effective and precise processing of monitoring.
2. Description of the Related Art
For example, in a data processing apparatus including a first circuit unit operating with clocks of a first predetermined cycle and a second circuit unit operating with clocks of a second predetermined cycle different from the first clock cycle, where a data transfer is carried out from the first circuit unit to the second circuit unit, the second circuit unit needs to have a function of judging whether or not the data transfer processing has been normally carried out.
Such a function is generally realized by providing a timer in the second circuit unit which is a receiver of data, by counting a lapse of time from the start of the data transfer by means of the timer, and by judging whether or not the data transfer is completed within a predetermined lapse of time.
Such a counting processing is needed for monitoring the time required for the data transfer. Thus it should be essentially carried out by counting the number of clocks in the first circuit unit which is a transmitter of data. In the prior art, however, a timer for the counting processing has been provided in the second circuit unit which is a receiver of data, and the counting processing has been carried out by counting the number of clocks in the second circuit unit.
Namely, the prior art has adopted a method of taking into consideration the clock cycle used in the first circuit unit which is a transmitter of data, and the clock cycle used in the second circuit unit which is a receiver of data, then setting the number of clocks in the second circuit unit corresponding to the normal data transfer time, and using the set number of clocks as a reference value to thereby estimate the data transfer time.
According to the above prior art, however, where the ratio of the clock cycle in the first circuit unit to that in the second circuit unit is changed to one different from the initially expected (for example, where the clock cycle in the first circuit unit is reduced for a high speed operation in a change of design at a later stage), a problem occurs in that it is impossible to realize an accurate monitoring processing. Namely, a drawback arises in that time is over in a shorter time than the normal data transfer time initially expected, and thus it is impossible to realize an accurate monitoring processing.
To cope with the problem, another prior art has adopted a method of setting the number of clocks in the second circuit unit corresponding to the normal data transfer time, with an ample time margin. According to the method, however, a problem occurs in that, since a counting processing is carried out uselessly by time corresponding to the time margin, it is impossible to efficiently carry out the data transfer processing.

Data processing apparatus adapted for data transfer between circuit units operating with different clock cycles


A mechanical switch in the form of a bypass switch assembly is arranged between two electrical conductors (busbars) and stays open during normal operation. When a cell fault happens, the fault and bypass information is transmitted to an actuator (acting as a trigger circuit) which activates inter alia a gas generator producing huge volume of gas in a very short time. The gas pressure pushes a movable member to bridge the two electrical conductors with ultrafast speed.

In high-voltage, direct current (HVDC) electric power transmission systems direct current (DC) is used for the bulk transmission of electrical power, in contrast with the more common alternating current systems. A flexible alternating current transmission system (FACTS) is a system composed of static equipment used for alternating current (AC) transmission of electrical energy. FACTS is meant to enhance controllability and increase power transfer capability of the network. It is generally a power electronics-based system.
An arc fault may generally be described as a high power discharge of electricity between two or more conductors. This discharge usually translates into heat, which can break down the conducting wire's insulation and possibly trigger an electrical fire. These arc faults can range in current from a few amps up to hundreds of thousands of amps high and are highly variable in terms of strength and duration. Common causes of arc faults include faulty connections due to corrosion faulty initial installation, and semiconductor failures in the converter. In the improbable case of an internal fault (fault arc or arc fault) in any of the above described systems, installation safety and personal safety must be ensured.
In the context of power electronics converter systems used in motor drive industries, HVDC and FACTS, modular converter cells are applied as building blocks of power converter systems. Modular converter systems usually have multiple redundant power cells for a reliable operation of the system. Therefore, when one cell fails during fault, the entire converter system should be able to continue operating until the next scheduled maintenance. To ensure the continued converter operation without breakdown, the faulty cells should be bypassed inter alia by means of electrically connecting two busbars with very fast speed. During healthy condition, the two busbar terminals should be properly insulated to avoid any accidental short-circuit fault.
In the present design of semiconductor modules for HVDC electric power transmission systems and FACTS, failures are handled by an internal short circuit mode. Future constructions may need external ("bypass") short-circuit modes to handle certain failure situations.
In some arc-quenching bypass switches, additional insulation layers or membranes are used to provide extra separation between two busbar contacts. The insulation layers are typically made of ceramics or general-purpose thermal plastics.


An OLED display according to an exemplary embodiment includes: a first substrate; a second substrate facing the first substrate; an organic light emitting element on the first substrate; a liquid crystal driving electrode facing the organic light emitting diode at a lower portion of the second substrate; and a plurality of liquid crystals between the organic light emitting element and the liquid crystal driving electrode. In this case, the plurality of liquid crystals has optical isotropy when an electric field is not applied and has optical anisotropy when the electric field is applied.

1. Field
Embodiments relate to an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display.
More particularly, embodiments relate to an OLED display that can control a viewing angle.
2. Description of the Related Art
An organic light emitting diode (OLED) display is a flat display device that has a self emissive characteristic and does not require a separate light source. The OLED display has characteristics of low power consumption, high luminance, and high response speed. The OLED display can be made lightweight and thin so that it can be used in portable electronic devices. Portable electronic devices may include a portable phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), and a portable multimedia player (PMP).
The above disclosed information in the Background is only for enhancing an understanding of the described technology. Therefore, the Background may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known to a person of ordinary skill in the art in this country.

Organic light emitting diode display with liquid crystal layer


An oriole jelly birdfeeder is provided that includes a jelly holding container, a base having a feeding platform and a connecting element for connecting the base to the container, and a mixing mechanism. The mixing mechanism includes a mixer element and a mixer handle which are coupled to one another and rotatable together. The mixer element includes a paddle positioned within the connecting element to enable the user to mix and distribute the jelly, which is held within the container, onto the feeding platform as needed by rotating the mixer handle.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to the field of birdfeeders and, more particularly, to a birdfeeder for dispensing jelly as a bird feed.
2. Description of the Related Art
Current jelly feeders require the user to manually scoop jelly onto the feeder platform of the feeder, with the jelly being stored in a container separate from the feeder. Whenever the user notes that the supply of jelly in the feeder platform is low, the user must bring the jelly container to the feeder and manually scoop some additional jelly into the feeding platform. This can be inconvenient if the jelly storage container is misplaced, and also can be potentially messy as jelly may be inadvertently spilled while the jelly is being scooped out and spread onto the feeding platform of the feeder.
Accordingly, a need exists for a jelly feeder that is configured to both store the jelly and to enable the user to dispense the jelly in controlled amounts.


A method is provided for securing telecommunications traffic data that are incurred with the telecommunications service provider of the telecommunications service when at least one telecommunications service is used by a number of subscribers is provided, wherein the telecommunications service is performed in a secure environment, the telecommunications service receives a message from at least one first subscriber of the telecommunications service, the message being intended for at least one second subscriber of the telecommunications service, and the telecommunications service, in response to the receipt of the message, sends a notification to the at least one second subscriber, wherein between the receipt of the message and the sending of the notification, a predetermined time delay is provided. Further, a system is provided for securing telecommunications traffic data is provided being adapted to execute the method according to the invention.

In some countries, for example, the Federal Republic of Germany, for data retention, personal data or individual-related data are stored by or for all locations, without the data currently being required. The purpose of such data retention is an improved prevention and prosecution of criminal offences. For this, the data has to be stored over a certain period of time, so as to be available, for example, for purposes of criminal prosecution. Usually, the data retention is performed by the service provider or service company of a telecommunications service.
In order to ensure that the provider of a telecommunications service has no unauthorized access to the traffic data of its customers, in order to, for example, generate personality profiles, it is known to store the connection data in a secured environment and to encrypt it prior to storage. The secured environment is also referred to as sealed infrastructure. The secured environment or the sealed infrastructure prevents this data to be accessed by neither one of the provider of the infrastructure nor the telecommunications service provider offering the telecommunications service, or other third parties. Further, it is known to encrypt the telecommunications data or connection data by means of two different encryption keys, wherein either one of the two keys is deposited with a trustworthy authority, for example, a notary. Thereby, an unauthorized access to the connection or traffic data is prevented efficiently, because in any case, the key deposited with the trustworthy authority is necessary for the access.
In order to also prevent data exchanged between the subscribers of telecommunications service, for example, electronic messages or electronic documents, from unauthorized access of the telecommunications service provider or other third parties, it is known to encrypt the data received from a subscriber such that only those subscribers may access the data, for which this data is intended. Both, the encrypting as well as the decrypting keys may be stored in the secured environment mentioned above. Thereby, it is ensured that neither the telecommunications service provider nor other third parties neither have access to the traffic data nor to the user data. An unauthorized evaluation of, for example, the traffic data within the scope of a grid investigation, thereby, is efficiently prevented, as far as, for example, no judicial order exists, which permits the use of the key deposited with a trustworthy authority, for example, a notary.
This method known from prior art for securing traffic data and user data, however, has the disadvantage that, even if the subscribers of a telecommunications service exchange data via a safe, for example, encrypted communications connection, the telecommunications service provider on the basis of the data traffic, is able to deduce information on who communicates with whom. The communications service provider may obtain this information even if the communication between the subscribers and the telecommunications service has been carried out encrypted, because for this information on who communicates with whom, the content of the data exchanged between the subscribers is not required.
This problem, in particular, arises if a telecommunications service, after the receipt of a message, for example, an electronic document, from a subscriber, signalizes to the subscriber, for whom the message is intended, by means of a further message, the presence of a message intended for him. Since the data exchange between the subscribers and the telecommunications service itself always is "visible" for the telecommunications service provider, the telecommunications service provider may obtain from the fact that a message has been deposited by a subscriber for a certain subscriber, and the subscriber, to whom the message is intended has been signalized on the presence of the message, the information that the two subscribers communicate with each other, even if the data exchange itself is performed encrypted, and if the subscriber, for whom the message was intended, does not request the latter from the telecommunications service.
Since also the information, who communicates with whom is rated as telecommunications traffic data, which can be used for a grid investigation or for the generation of personality profiles, the methods for data retention known from prior art although meeting high security standards, are not sufficiently protected or secured, in order to efficiently prevent the possibility of an unauthorized evaluation of telecommunications traffic data.

Method for securing telecommunications traffic data


A sealing sleeve seals joints in household appliances, especially the joints between the suds container and the front wall of the housing or the upper part of the suds container and the top frame in washing machines, and can be secured to the appliance by a substantially annular clamping element. The clamping element can be molded into the interior of the section (which can be a beading) of the sealing sleeve to be secured.

The present invention relates to a sealing sleeve for sealing joints in household appliances, especially, the joints between the outer drum and the front wall of the housing or the upper part of the suds container and the top frame in washing machines, which sealing sleeve can be secured by a substantially annular clamping element.
In washing machines or laundry dryers, it is important to ensure a suitable seal between the outer drum and the front wall of the housing in front-loading machines and between the upper part of the suds container and the top frame in top-loading appliances. Customarily, sealing sleeves are used for such a purpose and can be secured by conventional clamping elements or clamp/screw elements placed around the sleeve. German Published, Non-Prosecuted Patent Application DE 2 403 705 discloses a sealing sleeve that forms a sealing joint between the suds container of a washing machine, in which the laundry drum is mounted, and the housing wall or the loading door. In this configuration, the sealing sleeve is secured on the suds container pressed against the outer surface of the wall of the suds container by an annular retaining or securing spring.
A disadvantage of this conventional sealing sleeve is that a high degree of effort must be expended to secure the sealing sleeve and due to the fact that the clamping elements have to be attached from the outside and are visible means that no freedom of design is possible with respect to the connection geometry.
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a sealing sleeve for sealing joints in a household appliance that overcomes the hereinafore-mentioned disadvantages of the heretofore-known devices of this general type and that avoids the above disadvantages, so that, in addition to an improved visual appearance, the assembly effort is reduced and the shape of the sections of sealing sleeve to be secured is capable of extremely wide variations in design.
With the foregoing and other objects in view, in a household appliance having an outer drum, a housing with a front wall, joints between the outer drum and the front wall, a suds container with an upper part, a top frame, and joints between the upper part and the top frame, there is provided, in accordance with the invention, a sealing sleeve for sealing at least one of the joints including a section to be secured in the appliance, the section having an interior and a substantially annular clamping element being molded into the interior, securing the section in the appliance, and sealing at least one of the joints.
According to the invention, the clamping element is molded into the interior of the section of the sleeve to be secured. As a result, the on-site assembly effort is substantially reduced and the shape of the sealing sleeve is capable of extremely wide variations in design. Advantageously, moreover, the clamping element is not visible from the outside.
In accordance with another feature of the invention, the section has an outer surface and an annular channel with at least one groove and the channel is connected by the at least one groove to the outer surface of the sealing sleeve and receives the clamping element. Advantageously, the sealing sleeve includes, in its interior, an annular channel, which is connected by at least one groove to the outer surface of the sealing sleeve. Such a configuration ensures that the clamping element is retained firmly and securely in the sealing sleeve but, nevertheless, external access to the clamping element is possible at all times.
Particularly advantageously, in accordance with a further feature of the invention, the clamping element can be pre-mounted in the sealing sleeve before the sealing sleeve is mounted in the household appliance. As a result, the assembly effort when the sealing sleeve is inserted can be still further reduced.
To simplify the production operation, in accordance with an added feature of the invention, it is additionally advantageous to form the sealing sleeve by injection molding.
In accordance with an additional feature of the invention, the clamping element is elastic.
In accordance with yet another feature of the invention, the clamping element is automatically capable of elastic further tensioning.
In accordance with yet a further feature of the invention, the clamping element is a helical spring.
In accordance with yet an added feature of the invention, the clamping element is a helical spring.
The effort of pre-mounting the clamping element in the sealing sleeve is advantageously eliminated if the sleeve already contains the clamping element during injection molding.
In accordance with yet an additional feature of the invention, the clamping element is jointly injected around the sleeve when the sleeve is injection-molded.
In accordance with again another feature of the invention, the clamping element is jointly injected molded with the section.
In accordance with again a further feature of the invention, a front housing wall of the appliance limits a door aperture and has an edge with a curved, substantially annular collar and the section is a beading and, with the clamping element, is adapted to engage with the annular collar.
If a beading of the sealing sleeve is so configured that it comes into engagement with a curved, substantially annular edge region of the end of the front housing wall limiting the door aperture, then a sealing sleeve excellently matched to the washing machine components used hitherto is, advantageously, provided.
With the objects of the invention in view, there is also provided a sealing section for a household appliance, including a body having an interior and a substantially annular clamping element being molded into the interior, the clamping element adapted to secure the section in the appliance and to seal at least one of a joint between an outer drum and a front wall of a housing of the appliance and a joint between an upper part of a suds container and a top frame of the appliance.
With the objects of the invention in view, in a washing machine having an outer drum, a housing with a front wall, joints between the outer drum and the front wall, a suds container with an upper part, a top frame, and joints between the upper part and the top frame, there is also provided a sealing sleeve for sealing at least one of the joints including a section to be secured in the washing machine, the section having an interior and a substantially annular clamping element being molded into the interior, securing the section in the appliance, and sealing at least one of the joints.
With the objects of the invention in view, there is also provided a washing machine, including an outer drum, a housing with a front wall, joints between the outer drum and the front wall, a suds container with an upper part, a top frame, joints between the upper part and the top frame, and a sealing sleeve for sealing at least one of the joints, the sealing sleeve having a section having an interior and a substantially annular clamping element being molded into the interior, securing the section in the appliance, and sealing at least one of the joints.
Other features that are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims.
Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in a sealing sleeve for sealing joints in a household appliance, it is, nevertheless, not intended to be limited to the details shown because various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.
The construction and method of operation of the invention, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.


The invention provides methods of targeting tumor stem cells that comprise inhibiting the level and/or activity of HDAC1, HDAC7 and phosphorylated HDAC7. The invention further provides methods for identifying tumor stem cells comprising detecting increased levels and/or activity of HDAC1, HDAC7 and phosphorylated HDAC7. Further provided are kits and articles of manufacture comprising inhibitors of the level and/or activity of HDAC1, HDAC7 and phosphorylated HDAC7. Methods for screening for inhibitors of the level and/or activity of HDAC1, HDAC7 and phosphorylated HDAC7 are also provided.

Tumor stem cells (TSCs) are the only subpopulation of a heterogeneous mixture of tumor cells that have the capacity to regenerate tumors in vivo. Tumor stem cells are also are characterized by their capacity for self-renewal, and differentiation into the myriad other types of cells typically found in malignant tumors. Like ordinary cells, the TSC phenotype is controlled by a unique gene expression program. However, the regulatory mechanisms that control TSC gene expression leading to malignant tumor initiation and proliferation are unclear. A better understanding of the regulatory mechanisms that govern TSC gene expression and contribute to the TSC identity would be of considerable scientific and practical interest.

Markers for and methods of targeting tumor stem cells

Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research


A method and system to improve the operations of an integrated non-transparent bridge device (NTB) that is coupled to another NTB device or Root Port device. The integrated NTB device has logic to maintain ordering of interrupts to be sent to the remote Root Port or NTB device. The integrated NTB device allocates a contiguous portion of the memory for both the primary Base Address Register 0 associated with the integrated NTB device and the secondary BAR0 associated with the remote NTB device. The integrated NTB device has logic to report the size of the primary BAR0 as the combined size of the primary BAR0 and the size of the secondary BAR0. The integrated NTB device facilitates the dynamic modification of a mapping of each bit of a doorbell register with a respective one of a plurality of interrupt vectors based on a mapping register.

A non-transparent bridge enables two hosts or memory domains to be electrically isolated. The devices on either side of the non-transparent bridge are not visible from the other side, but the non-transparent bridge allows a path for data transfer and status exchange between the processor domains of the devices.
FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram 100 of a prior art doorbell register 105. A device on the primary side of the non-transparent bridge can write or program the prior art doorbell register 105 to send interrupts upstream to another device on the secondary side of the non-transparent bridge ending up at the attached Root Port.
The prior art doorbell register 105 has fixed or hard-coded bits that are mapped to specific eXtended Message Signaled Interrupts (MSI-X) vectors. For example, the bits 0 to 3 of the prior art doorbell register 105 are mapped to the MSI-X vector 0 110 and so on. A user of the non-transparent bridge device may be restricted by the pre-defined mapping of the doorbell register bits to the MSI-X vectors.

Method and system to improve the operations of an integrated non-transparent bridge device