A camshaft phaser, including: a drive sprocket; a phaser section including a rotor with a first radially aligned channels, first axially aligned channels connected to the first radially aligned channels, and chambers formed by the rotor and a stator; and a rotor nose separately formed from the phaser section and non-rotatably connected to the phaser section, extending past a front side of the phaser section in an axial direction, and including second radially aligned channels and second axially aligned channels connected to the second radially aligned channels and the first axially aligned channels. The second radially aligned channels are arranged to receive fluid for the plurality of chambers to phase the phaser. The first radially aligned channels and the first and second axially aligned channels form respective flow paths for the fluid from the second radially aligned channels to the plurality of chambers.

It is known to receive oil for chambers in a camshaft phaser, formed by a rotor and a stator for the phaser and used to control phasing of the phaser, in radially aligned channels opening to a radially central space. However, the requirement for a radially central space increases both the radial extent of the phaser and limits the spaces into which the phaser can be installed as well as the options for supplying oil to the chambers.

Camshaft phaser with a rotor nose oil feed adapter


Automated communication channel selection is provided. A method, system, and computer readable storage device automatically perform a discovery process of a MoCA® network, to determine a topology of the network, perform a spectrum analysis of a DOCSIS® network of which a portion of the frequency range may be shared, apply one or more business rules to the collected network and spectrum usage data, and determine an optimized channel configuration for transmitting data to end devices in a local network. For example, the channel configuration may be configured for optimal bandwidth allocation, transmission speeds, signal quality, etc., without interferences within the shared frequency spectrum range. A gateway device may include a filter that can be reconfigured as an all-pass filter or as a variable low-pass filter based on the channel configuration determination. The MoCA® network may be reconfigured to operate within a defined frequency range based on the determined channel configuration.

As communications technologies continue to advance, coexistence of various communications channels operating within a shared spectrum may cause bit errors or other performance issues due to interferences. For example, Data over Cable Service Interface Specification (DOCSIS®) is an international telecommunications standard that allows for the addition of high-bandwidth data transfer to an existing coaxial cable TV system. New versions of DOCSIS® may provide increased capacity and more robust modulation for supporting increasing speed and latency requirements. In one example, DOCSIS® 4.0 introduced new spectrum allocations for upstream and downstream channels that enable support of applications that may have high downstream and/or upstream traffic demands, such as sensor networks, virtual/augmented reality, smart cars, etc. While such advancements are advantageous as user demand and emerging technologies require more bandwidth, some spectrum allocations may overlap with frequencies currently used in other applications. For example, Multimedia over Coax Alliance (MoCA®) technology leverages an existing coaxial wiring system inside a premises and previously-unused frequency spectrums to transport high quality, consistent signals for providing increased speed and throughput to connected devices (i.e., MoCA® nodes). However, at least a portion of the previously-unused frequency spectrums used by legacy MoCA® channels may overlap with newly-extended DOCSIS® spectrum allocations. These overlaps may cause interferences, wherein bit errors may occur on a DOCSIS® channel and a MoCA® channel if they transmit concurrently.
Due to the above-described deficiencies and limitations of coexisting communications channels, an alternative technical solution is needed to provide automated communications channel selection for enabling optimized bandwidth allocations, network efficiency, and faster transmission speeds without interferences.


The present invention discloses a soft knee exoskeleton driven by a negative-pressure linear actuator, including: an exoskeleton controller, a left leg knee joint soft actuator, a right leg knee joint soft actuator and the like. The soft knee exoskeleton mainly uses a miniature vacuum negative pressure pump as an air pressure power source. A DSP embedded control system performs real-time processing on the data, such as a muscle force, a knee joint angle and a human-machine interaction force, detected by a sensing system, estimates a human-machine cooperation state, and performs real-time control on the switching of the negative pressure flow and an air channel of the miniature vacuum negative pressure pump.

In 1992, the World Health Organization stated that walking is the best exercise in the world and has special benefits for health. Since people spent 6 million years to evolve from apes to men, and the entire human body structure is the result of walking evolution, the human body structure is most suitable for walking from the perspective of human anatomy and physiological structure. When people walk, the weight born by the hip joint, the knee joint and the ankle joint is 3 to 5 times the total weight of the body; and the hip joint and the knee joint are two joints that are easily injured. According to a survey of 2500 persons by the Peking University Health Science Center, the prevalence of knee arthritis in the elderly over the age of 60 is 27.6%, while the prevalence of hip arthritis in the elderly is 0.8%. Obviously, the knee arthritis and injury rates are higher. According to incomplete statistics, there are more than 500 million people with knee joint injuries in the world. Daily walking will increase the stress on the knee joint of people with knee joint injuries and accelerate knee joint injuries. Without daily walking exercises, muscles will atrophy due to disuse. People with knee joint injuries have certain walking ability. Appropriate walking assistance can reduce the stress on the knee joint, strengthen leg muscle strength, maintain mobility of the knee joint, protect the knee joint, and help to improve the living quality of the people.

Soft knee exoskeleton driven by negative-pressure linear actuator


A skimmer used to remove both heavy and light oil from a body of water or for the removal of either light or heavy oil and a method of operation of the skimmer. The heavier oil is removed from a first location on a rotating member and the lighter oil is removed from a second location on the rotating member. The oil removed at both locations is collected at a single location and a pump removes the oil from the skimmer.

Oil originating from pipelines, ships, wells, railroads, trucks and the like often is spilled due to accidents and is introduced into the environment. Such spills may occur in or adjacent to bodies of water such as lakes, oceans, streams and rivers. The potential for environmental damage is great and it is advantageous to remove the spilled oil from the water as soon as possible to prevent its dispersion to greater areas and to minimize the damage to life forms which depend on uncontaminated water.
Typically, oil skimmers are used to remove the oil in bodies of water caused by contamination. Such skimmers are usually maintained in storage locations where they can quickly be deployed to the accident area and introduced into the water so as to quickly remove the oil from the contaminated water.
The oil which is accidentally introduced to bodies of water may be oil of a single or uniform consistency or it may comprise relatively lighter and relatively heavier consistencies. The oil of lighter consistency generally flows well and the removal of such oil from the water proceeds without undue difficulty using presently available technology. Typically, such light oil is removed by a revolving brush or other rotating member which comes into contact with the light oil and to which the light oil adheres. The member is rotated past a scraper or other oil removal device which contacts the member and thereby mechanically removes the adhered oil. The oil removed falls into a collecting trough where it is subsequently pumped to a storage location.
Where oil of relatively heavier consistency is also introduced to the water, problems arise in removing both the heavier oil and the light oil. The heavier oil does not flow well and although it does adhere to the rotating member, such as to the bristles of a rotating brush, if it is removed with the light oil into a collection trough, the heavier oil tends to clog the trough and to resist flow to the pump removal area. The clogging of the collection trough by the heavier oil also prevents the flow of lighter oil from smoothly proceeding to the pump removal area. This is not satisfactory and, heretofore, a single skimmer could not satisfactorily remove both oils of light and heavier consistencies.
Generally, when the oil introduced into the environment contains oil of lighter and heavier consistencies, two skimmers are used. The first skimmer is used to remove the light oil and the second skimmer is used to remove the heavy oil. The use of two skimmers is expensive and increases the time necessary to deploy the skimmers and remove the oil when time is very important in expediently removing the contaminating oil from the environment.
While it has been proposed to apply steam or other heat to the heavier oil collected in order to improve its flow characteristics and to allow it to be removed with the light oil, the application of steam or other heat requires a steam or heat generator of one type or another located near the area of skimmer deployment. This is expensive and complicated.

Oil skimmer and method of operating same


A substrate inspection apparatus includes a recipe preparation unit that batch-allocates a plurality of slots containing substrates of each type with a corresponding one of a plurality of original recipes to the each type, the plurality of original recipes corresponding to different types of substrates respectively, so as to prepare an actual recipe based on the plurality of original recipes, and to inspect the different types of substrates according to the actual recipe.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a method and an apparatus for inspecting semiconductor wafers or substrates. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for inspecting semiconductor wafers or substrates based on a recipe that defines a process for inspecting the wafers or substrates.
Priority is claimed on Japanese Patent Application No. 2004-379694, filed Dec. 28, 2004, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of the Related Art
All patents, patent applications, patent publications, scientific articles, and the like, which will hereinafter be cited or identified in the present application, will hereby be incorporated by reference in their entirety in order to describe more fully the state of the art to which the present invention pertains.
A semiconductor wafer inspection apparatus inspects a semiconductor wafer based on a recipe that defines what is to be inspected of the wafer, defines whether or not the inspection is made, and/or defines the conditions for inspecting the wafer. This recipe is previously determined before the wafer is processed. The predetermined recipe is allocated to a process unit such as a single cassette, a single wafer or other process unit. The term "cassette" generally means a case for storing and holding wafers. Notwithstanding, in the present application, the meaning of the term "cassette" includes not only the above-mentioned general meaning but also a unit for batch-processing of wafers. A single cassette may include a plurality of slots, each of which contains a single wafer. The single cassette may, for example, include 25 slots, each containing a single wafer.
The wafer inspection apparatus processes a cassette or a wafer, based on a recipe which has previously been allocated to this cassette or this wafer prior to commencement of the inspection process. A single recipe may, if any, be allocated commonly to all the wafers included in the single process unit such as a single cassette in order to perform a batch processing, in which all the wafers in the unit are processed in accordance with the common recipe. Alternatively, the single recipe may be allocated to a single wafer or a single slot that contains the single wafer in order to perform a single wafer processing, in which each wafer is processed in accordance with each allocated recipe.
In accordance with the batch processing, all the wafers belonging to the single process unit are subjected to the same process according to the common recipe. It is difficult for the batch processing to realize a wafer-sampling process, in which some of the wafers are extracted from the single cassette and subjected to the predetermined process, while the remainder of the wafers is not processed.
Limited production of a wide variety of products may be required, wherein different varieties of cassettes are used for manufacturing the products of different types. For example, a wide variety of cassettes are used for manufacturing a wide variety of products, provided that each cassette contains a small number of wafers. This increases the cost of wafer processing and the cost of the facility. In order to solve these disadvantages, the single wafer processing may be used. This processing allows some of the wafers contained in the single cassette to be processed in a recipe, and the remainder to be processed in a different recipe.
FIG. 8A is a view illustrating an example of a conventional allocation of a recipe to all slots belonging to a process unit in accordance with the conventional batch processing. A recipe "A" defines that processes 1 and 3 are carried out and a process 2 is not carried out. Another recipe "B" defines that the processes 1 and 2 are carried out, and the process 3 is not carried out. In accordance with one example of the conventional allocation of the recipe in the conventional batch processing, the recipe "B" is allocated to all the slots 1, 2, 3, 4, - - - n, so that all the slots 1, 2, 3, 4, - - - n are subjected to a batch processing based on the same recipe "B".
FIG. 8B is a view illustrating an example of the conventional allocation of different recipes to slots belonging to a process unit in accordance with the conventional single wafer processing. The recipe "A" defines that the processes 1 and 3 are carried out and the process 2 is not carried out. The recipe "B" defines that the processes 1 and 2 are carried out, and the process 3 is not carried out. In accordance with one example of the conventional allocation of the recipes in the conventional single wafer processing, the recipe "A" may be allocated to the slots 3 and n, and the recipe "B" may be allocated to the slots 1, 2 and 4, so that the slots 3 and "n" are subjected to the single wafer processing based on the recipe "A", and the slots 1, 2 and 4 are subjected to the single wafer processing based on the recipe "B".
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 11-186366 discloses a conventional wafer processing apparatus that performs the single wafer processing.

Method and apparatus for inspecting semiconductor wafer


There are provided: a solid polymer power generation or electrolysis method that does not require injection of energy from the outside and maintenance of a high temperature, and is capable of converting carbon dioxide to a useful hydrocarbon while producing energy, controlling the production amounts of the hydrocarbons or the like and a ratio sorted by kind of the hydrocarbons, improving utilization efficiency of a product, and simplifying equipment for separation and recovery; and a system for implementing the solid polymer power generation or electrolysis method. Carbon dioxide is supplied to the side of one electrode 111 of a reactor 110 having a membrane electrode assembly 113, hydrogen is supplied to the side of the other electrode 112, and the amounts of the hydrocarbons produced per unit time and the ratio sorted by kind of the hydrocarbons are changed by controlling a power generation voltage of the reactor 110.

In recent years, since carbon dioxide emission to the atmosphere resulting from combustion of fossil fuels may significantly affect an ecosystem and the global environment, a reduction in the emission of carbon dioxide is desired globally.
Accordingly, a technique for eliminating the emission of carbon dioxide or reducing the emission amount of carbon dioxide is developed and, as part of the development, a technique for fixing carbon dioxide and a technique for converting carbon dioxide to other compounds are also developed.
In addition, in a completely closed environment such as a space station or a rocket, it is not easy to supply substances, and it is necessary to minimize the supply or emission at an element level.
Accordingly, it is desired to convert produced carbon dioxide to another substance to increase a substance that can be recovered and reduce a supplied or emitted substance as much as possible at the element level.
As a method for alleviating the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, a method for capturing carbon dioxide and burying it in the ground is specifically promoted.
In addition, there is an attempt to cause carbon dioxide to react with hydrogen by the Sabatier reaction at a high temperature in the vicinity of 300° C. to produce methane, recover the methane, and use the methane as energy that can be readily transferred.
However, each of these methods is a method that injects a large amount of energy for the burial or a method that requires energy for maintaining the high temperature.
As a method and system that suppresses the injection of energy and fixes carbon dioxide, there are proposed a solid polymer power generation method and system that, while generating electricity by a fuel cell reaction with carbon dioxide used as an oxidizing agent by supplying carbon dioxide to the cathode side of a reactor having a membrane electrode assembly provided with a catalyst layer and supplying hydrogen to the anode side thereof, produces an available compound other than carbon monoxide or the like by reducing carbon dioxide during the reaction, and allows recycling of carbon resources (see, e.g., PTL 1 or the like), and a solid polymer electrolysis method and system that supplies water vapor or liquid water, produces a hydrogen ion by electrolyzing the water vapor or liquid water, and uses the hydrogen ion in the reduction reaction of a carbon dioxide gas (see, e.g., PTL 2 or the like).

Solid polymer power generation or electrolysis method and system


Provided are three-dimensional semiconductor memory devices and methods of forming the same. The device includes a substrate, conductive patterns stacked on the substrate, and an active pattern penetrating the conductive patterns to be connected to the substrate. The active pattern may include a first doped region provided in an upper portion of the active pattern, and a diffusion-resistant doped region overlapped with at least a portion of the first doped region. The diffusion-resistant doped region may be a region doped with carbon.

A 3D-IC (integrated circuit) memory technique may be used to increase a memory capacity. The 3D-IC memory technique generally refers to technology related to arranging memory cells three-dimensionally.
One 3D-IC technique is a "punch-and-plug" technique. The punch-and-plug technique includes sequentially forming multi-layered thin layers on a substrate and then forming plugs to penetrate the thin layers. Through this technique, without a drastic increase in manufacturing costs, a three-dimensional memory device may be made having an increased memory capacity.

Three dimensional semiconductor memory devices and methods of forming the same


A pixel readout circuit and a technique for imaging are disclosed. The circuit includes: an array of pixel integration circuits, each adapted for receiving an electric signal indicative of photocurrent of light sensitive pixel of a pixel matrix, integrate the electric signal over a frame period, and output the integrated signal at an imaging frame rate being one over the period; and an array of pixel derivation circuits, each includes a signal preprocessing channel for receiving a total electric signal indicative of at least a component of the photocurrent(s) of a cluster of respective light sensitive pixel(s); and a comparison unit adapted to analyze the total electric signal to determine digital data indicative of a change in the total electric signal relative to one or more thresholds; and a digital output utility adapted to readout of the digital data at a second rate different than the frame rate.

Conventional video imaging techniques are based generally on integration of photocurrents of the photodetectors of an image sensor (pixel matrix) over an integration frame period, which is typically performed by a readout circuit of the image sensor), and output of the integrated values at a frame rate being one over the frame period.
Typically, the output is performed via an analog output circuitry (analog column and raw wires and respective pixel select switches capable of outputting the integrated analog signals from the respective individual pixels' readout circuits.
Alternatively, currently developed digital readout circuits, as for example described in the article "Digital-Pixel Focal Plane Array Technology" by Schultz et al, Lincoln Laboratory Journal, volume 20, number 2, 2014 (herein after Shultz), propose utilizing in-pixel signal digitization (within the individual pixel readout circuit) and digitally outputting from each pixel, digital data with relatively high bit depth (e.g., 16 bit digital data) from which an image/video can be constructed.

Pixel readout circuit and a method for imaging


A TAB tape (100) packaging structure in which (i) the TAB tape (100) including a plurality of semiconductor chips (103) which are fixed, on a film (101) on which wiring patterns are repeatedly provided and (ii) an embossed tape (200) which is electroconductive and has embossed parts (202) which are sequentially provided on a first surface of and in a longitudinal direction of a film (201) are wound on a reel which is electroconductive is arranged such that the TAB tape (100) and the embossed tape (200) are wound on the reel, while (i) a first surface of the film (101) on which surface the plurality of semiconductor chips (103) are fixed and (ii) the first surface of the film (201) on which surface the embossed parts (202) protrude are overlapping and facing each other, and the embossed tape (200) has a total thickness of not less than (t+0.4) mm and not more than 1.1 mm in a case where each of the plurality of semiconductor chips (103) has a thickness of t (0.2≦t≦0.625) mm and the film (201) has a substantial thickness of 0.125 mm. This realizes packaging of a TAB tape in a desired winding length while sufficiently securing protection of the TAB tape during shipping and transportation.

Drivers ICs or drivers LSI for a liquid crystal display are mounted in a structure of TCP (Tape Carrier Package) or COF (Chip on Film). Such a structure is referred to as a TAB (Tape Automated Bonding) tape. A film mounting IC or LSI is used as a semiconductor chip mounted on the TAP tape.
According to such a TAB tape, a circuit is provided on a tape-like film on which the semiconductor chips are mounted and wiring patterns are provided. The TAB tape is therefore entirely thin and can be bent freely to some extent in any place. Therefore, the TAB tape is contributory in making the liquid crystal display smaller and thinner. Against a backdrop of this, in order to win a recent price competition for a television set in which the liquid crystal display is mounted, the TAB tape is required to be produced at higher productivity. In order to achieve such higher productivity, for example, the TAB tape is required to be longer.
Conventionally, in view of workability and easiness of storage and transportation, the TAB tape which has been subjected to the mounting of the semiconductor chips is packaged while being wound on a reel and is then shipped and transported. In this case, the TAB tape has been wound concurrently with a tape on which protruding parts serving as cushioning are provided (this tape is referred to as a so-called spacer tape or an embossed tape). This is intended to (i) protect a surface of the TAB tape wound on the reel on which surface the circuit is provided and (ii) mechanically protect the semiconductor chips from an external force.
FIG. 23 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state where a TAB tape 550 has been wound on a reel by use of a conventional spacer tape 500.
According to the conventional spacer tape 500 embossed parts 502 are provided on one surface of a tape 501 and embossed parts 503 are provided on the other surface of the tape 501. The embossed parts 502 and the embossed parts 503 are alternately provided at regular intervals at opposite ends of the tape 501. The embossed parts 502 and the embossed parts 503 have a substantially identical height, which has been sufficiently secured so that a surface of the TAB tape 550 on which surface a circuit is provided is protected.
However, a length of the TAB tape 550 for which length the TAB tape 550 can be wound on one (1) reel depends on a total thickness of the spacer tape 500 which total thickness includes the heights of the embossed parts 502 and the embossed parts 503. As the spacer tape 500 has a larger total thickness, a winding outline becomes larger even in a case where the TAB tape 550 which has an identical length is wound on the reel. In view of this, it is necessary to replace the reel with a larger reel.
However, a reel for shipping and transportation has a substantially standardized size. A small-sized reel has a size of Φ 405 mm and a next-larger reel has a size of Φ 530 mm. In view of this, an increase in size of the reel from Φ 405 mm to Φ 530 mm or merely a longer TAB tape causes the reel to be larger. This causes an increase in capital investment in replacing the small-sized reel with the next-larger reel which is expensive and improving in structural strength. Further, a larger reel causes problems of (i) an increase in necessary storage space, (ii) a decrease in productivity per floor area, and (iii) an increase in transportation cost. Hence, the larger reel causes no improvement in productivity due to these problems. It is therefore difficult in the conventional spacer tape 500 to cause the TAB tape 550 to be longer.
In contrast, Patent Literatures 1 and 2 disclose spacer tapes in each of which a TAB tape is larger.
FIG. 24 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state where a TAB tape 550 has been wound on a reel by use of a spacer tape 600 disclosed in Patent Literature 1.
According to the spacer tape 600, protruding parts 602 are provided on one surface of a tape 601 and protruding parts 603 are provided on the other surface of the tape 601. The protruding parts 602 and the protruding parts 603 are alternately provided at regular intervals at opposite ends of the tape 601. The protruding parts 603 have a lower height than the protruding parts 602. This prevents damage to both the first and second surfaces of the TAB tape 550 and causes an increase in amount of winding of the TAB tape 550.
FIG. 25 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state where a TAB tape 750 has been wound on a reel by use of a spacer tape 700 disclosed in Patent Literature 2.
The spacer tape 700 has protruding parts 702 provided only on a single surface of a tape 701. The protruding parts 702 are provided at regular intervals at opposite ends of the tape 701. The spacer tape 700 is effectively used in a case where it is only necessary to protect only a single surface of the TAB tape 750 on which semiconductor chips have not yet been mounted. According to the spacer tape 700, the protruding parts 702 are provided only on its single surface. This causes an increase in amount of winding of the TAB tape 750.
Patent Literature 1
Japanese Patent Application Publication, Tokukai, No. 2004-327550 A (Publication Date: Nov. 18, 2004)
Patent Literature 2
Japanese Patent Application Publication, Tokukaihei, No. 6-80177 A (Publication Date: Mar. 22, 1994)
Patent Literature 3
Japanese Patent Application Publication, Tokukai, No. 2006-310476 A (Publication Date: Nov. 9, 2006)

Semiconductor apparatus packaging structure having embossed tape over tab tape, the embossed tape and method of forming the semiconductor apparatus packaging structure


Apparatus for mounting optical and electro-optical components and the like to a substrate to obtain physical mounting and electrical connections, along with heat dissipation. A relief pattern of precisely dimensioned grooves is formed on a substrate surface and the components are mounted in those grooves. The grooves may be partially lined with electrode material to facilitate electrical interconnection between the components and the substrate. The invention also relates to the method of mounting and interconnection.

Micro devices, either active or passive components, such as light emitting diodes (LED's), laser diodes, phototransistors, photodiode detectors, fiber optic connectors, fiber optic multiplexers, fiber optic couplers and other individual elements or arrays of such optical or electro-optical components have been available and have certain precision physical requirements for enabling their use in a convenient way. Prior devices have addressed themselves primarily to the solution of the problems of electrical connection or of thermal conductivity to prevent excessive temperature rise in the component, or to other particular purposes. Many devices have been put forth which offer solutions to some or all of these problems, often in a relatively expensive or complex manner.
The basic requirements for use of many such micro electro-optical or optical devices are that the device be positioned accurately on a substrate, that it be mechanically secured to the substrate, it may require electrical connections for forward biasing and, if required, for modulation, and that it be in thermal contact with an appropriate heat sink to prevent undesired and excessive temperature rise in the component during use.

Mounting structure for optical and electro-optical components and method of making same


A computerized database system and method are disclosed. In one aspect of the invention, database records are associated with respective unique identification keys. Each key specifies values that specify both a logical location and a physical server assigned to that location where the respective record associated with that key is located.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a computerized database system and method, and more specifically, to a distributed computerized database system and method. As used herein, a database xe2x80x9cdata recordxe2x80x9d comprises objects and other data items in a distributed computer database that may be accessed and/or modified by a database management or client process. Also as used herein, the xe2x80x9cmodificationxe2x80x9d of such a data record may comprise the creation of the data record.
2. Brief Description of Related Prior Art
Data communication in a computer network involves data exchange between two or more entities interconnected by communication links. These entities are typically software program processes executing on computer nodes, such as endstations and intermediate stations. Examples of an intermediate station may be a router or switch which interconnects the communication links and subnetworks to enable transmission of data between the endstations. A local area network (LAN) is an example of a subnetwork that provides relatively short distance communication among the interconnected stations, whereas a wide area network enables long distance communication over links provided by public or private telecommunications facilities.
Communication software executing on the endstations correlate and manage data communication with other endstations. The stations typically communicate by exchanging discrete packets or frames of data according to predefined protocols. In this context, a protocol consists of a set of rules defining how the stations interact with each other. In addition, network routing software executing on the routers allow expansion of communication to other endstations. Collectively, these hardware and software components comprise a communications network and their interconnections are defined by an underlying architecture.
Modern communications network architectures are typically organized as a series of hardware and software levels or xe2x80x9clayersxe2x80x9d within each station. These layers interact to format data for transfer between, e.g., a source station and a destination station communicating over the network. Predetermined services are performed on the data as it passes through each layer and the layers communicate with each other by means of the predefined protocols. The lower layers of these architectures are generally standardized and are typically implemented in the form of software running on the stations attached to the network. In one example of such a communications architecture there are five layers which are termed, in ascending interfacing order, physical interface, data link, network, transport and application layers. These layers are arranged to form a protocol stack in each communicating station of the network. FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic block diagram of prior art protocol stacks 125 and 175 used to transmit data between a source station 110 and a destination station 150, respectively, of a network 100. As can be seen, the stacks 125 and 175 are physically connected through a communications medium 180 at the interface layers 120 and 160. For ease of description, the protocol stack 125 will be described.
In general, the lower layers of the communications stack provide inter networking services and the upper layers, which are the users of these services, collectively provide common network application services. The application layer 112 provides services suitable for the different types of applications using the network, while the lower interface layer 120 accepts industry standards defining a flexible network architecture oriented to the implementation of LANs.
Specifically, the interface layer 120 comprises the physical interface layer 126, which is concerned with the actual transmission of signals across the physical communications medium and defines the types of cabling, plugs and connectors used in connection with the channel or medium. The data link layer (i.e., xe2x80x9clayer 2xe2x80x9d) 121 is responsible for transmission of data from one station to another and may be further divided into two sublayers: Logical Link Control (LLC 122) and Medium Access Control (MAC 124).
The MAC sublayer 124 is primarily concerned with controlling access to the transmission medium in an orderly manner and, to that end, defines procedures by which the stations must abide in order to share the medium. In order for multiple stations to share the same medium and still uniquely identify each other, the MAC sublayer defines a hardware or data link address called a MAC address. This MAC address is unique for each station interfacing to a LAN. The LLC sublayer 122 manages communications between devices over a single link of the network.
The network layer 116 (i.e., xe2x80x9clayer 3xe2x80x9d) provides network routing and that relies on transport protocols for end-to-end reliability. An example of a network layer protocol is the Internet Protocol (xe2x80x9cIPxe2x80x9d). An example of such a transport protocol is the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) contained within the transport layer 114. The term TCP/IP is commonly used to refer to the Internet architecture.
Data transmission over the network 100 therefore consists of generating data in, e.g., sending process 104 executing on the source station 110, passing that data to the application layer 112 and down through the layers of the protocol stack 125, where the data are sequentially formatted as a frame for delivery onto the network communications medium 180 as bits. Those frame bits are then transmitted over an established connection of medium 180 to the protocol stack 175 of the destination station 150 where they are passed up the layers 166, 160, 164, 162, 156, 154, and 152 of that stack 175 to a receiving process 174. Data flow is schematically illustrated by solid arrows.
Although actual data transmission occurs vertically through the stacks, each layer is programmed as though such transmission were horizontal. That is, each layer in the source station 110 is programmed to transmit data to its corresponding layer in the destination station 150, as schematically shown by dotted arrows. To achieve this effect, each layer of the protocol stack 125 in the source station 110 typically adds information (in the form of a header) to the data generated by the sending process as the data descends the stack.
For example, the network layer encapsulates data presented to it by the transport layer within a packet having a network layer header. The network layer header contains, among other information, source and destination (logical) network addresses needed to complete the data transfer. The data link layer, in turn, encapsulates the packet in a frame that includes a data link layer header containing information required to complete the data link functions, such as (physical) MAC addresses. At the destination station 150, these encapsulated headers are stripped off one-by-one as the frame propagates up the layers of the stack 175 until it arrives at the receiving process.
A xe2x80x9cclient/server networkxe2x80x9d is one conventional type of computer network architecture wherein data files stored or residing in one or more computer nodes (commonly termed xe2x80x9cserverxe2x80x9d computer nodes or xe2x80x9cserversxe2x80x9d) in the network are shared, using a distributed computer file system, by multiple processes (commonly termed xe2x80x9cclient processesxe2x80x9d) executing/residing in other computer nodes (commonly termed xe2x80x9cclientxe2x80x9d computer nodes) in the network. That is, data files and their characteristics stored or residing in the one or more server computer nodes may be accessed and modified via the distributed file system, by multiple client processes executing/residing in the client computer nodes.
The client/server network architecture offers advantages over other types of network architectures. For example, since in a client/server network, data files residing in a server computer node may be accessed by client processes residing in the client computer nodes, copies of these files need not also reside in the client nodes. This increases the amount of client computers"" resources that may be made available for other purposes, and eliminates the cost and time necessary to support and maintain separate copies of these files in the client computers.
A distributed computerized database system may be implemented using a client/server network architecture. In such a distributed database system, database management functions may be implemented by management processes executing on geographically distributed nodes; likewise, the database records may be distributed among the distributed nodes. For example, a distributed database may comprise multiple server nodes, and database management processes and records may be executed by and stored in, respectively, the server nodes. Respective client nodes may be associated with respective server nodes, and the respective client nodes may access the database records via interaction with the respective server nodes with which they are associated.
In conventional distributed database systems, complex mechanisms typically are used to determine the location of a database record requested by a client process. Disadvantageously, such complex mechanisms typically are implemented by complex software program code that is difficult to document, modify, and use with other database management-related programs.
Additionally, in conventional distributed databases, a further problem can arise when a particular data record (e.g., a master data record) is relocated from one server node to another server node (i.e., the master record stored in one server is no longer to be considered authoritative, and instead, another data record stored in a different server is to be considered authoritative). That is, the database must include a mechanism that ensures that the relocation of the master data record is made known to the processes (e.g., client node processes) that may desire to access the master data record (e.g., for purposes of replicating the record or data synchronization).
In accordance with the present invention, a computerized database system and method are provided that are able to overcome the aforesaid and other disadvantages and drawbacks of the prior art. More specifically, in one aspect of the present invention, a relatively simple mechanism is provided by which data records in the database may be identified and accessed. The mechanism uses specialized data structures, termed xe2x80x9cunique identification keys,xe2x80x9d that are associated with the data records. Each respective key specifies a respective location where a respective data record resides in a database. Each respective key specifies the respective location using a logical location value and a server identification value (e.g., the key may contain these values). The logical location value indicates a respective logical location where the respective data record, associated with the respective key, resides in the database. The server identification value indicates a respective physical server, assigned to the logical location, in which the respective record is stored. Each respective key may also specify a client identification number that identifies a client computer node, process, and/or user that was responsible for the creation of the respective data record, the time of creation of the respective data record, a key generation sequence number, and/or a key checksum value for use in determining whether errors exist in the respective key.
The server identification value may comprise a physical (e.g., MAC) address of a physical server in which the respective record resides. Also, in one embodiment of this aspect of the present invention, the database may include a plurality of geographically-distributed servers that are logically organized into server groups according to, inter alia respective functions performed by the respective server groups. In order to provide fault-tolerance, each of these server groups may include an active server and at least one backup server.
In another aspect of the present invention, a mechanism is provided that efficiently informs processes (e.g., client node processes) seeking to access or modify a database master record of relocating of that master data record. In one embodiment of this aspect of the present invention, a first version of a master record is stored in a first server node, and a second version of the master record is stored in a second server node, respectively. Each of the versions of the master record is associated with a respective unique identification key. The first server, in response to a master record relocation command modifies the first version of the master data record to include a reference to the respective identification key of the second version of the data record and changes the read/write status or attribute of the first record to read-only. In response to the master record transfer command, the second server node modifies the second version of the master record to include a reference to the respective key of the first version of the master record. The respective identification keys associated with the first and second versions of the master record each may be of the type used in the first aspect of the present invention.
Advantageously, the relatively simple data record identification and accessing mechanism, provided in the first aspect of the present invention, may be implemented by software program code that is more easily documented, modified, and used with other database management-related programs than the relatively complex data record identification and accessing mechanisms of the prior art. Also advantageously, in the second aspect of the present invention, a relatively simple and efficient mechanism is provided that ensures that a relocation of a master record in the database is made known to processes (e.g., client node processes) that may desire to access or modify the master record.
These and other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent as the following Detailed Description proceeds and upon reference to the Drawings wherein like numerals depict like parts, and wherein:


According to one embodiment, an electronic apparatus includes a housing, a circuit board in the housing, a heat sink, and a fixing portion. The circuit board includes a heating component. The heat sink has a plate shape and faces the heating component. The fixing portion is attached to the heat sink and fixed to the circuit board at least at two points.

A general heat sink comprises plural fins.
Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2003-51573 discloses a heat sink without any fin. The heat sink faces plural heating components. A hardened composition that deforms following the shape of the heating component or a variation in the height of heating component is interposed between the heat sink and the heating component.


The apparatus the present invention provides the ability to take an x-ray image of an entire mouth in one exposure while significantly reducing the amount of escaped x-ray energy. This is accomplished by using a full mouth insert that has slots for two strips of film, one for the upper set of teeth and one for the lower set of teeth, or an embedded imaging sensor.

The need for the medical/dental practitioners to take x-ray images of the human mouth remains as necessary modernly as it has historiocally. Over time the technology has remained the same, but the equipment used to implement the technology has continued to advance.
Contemporarily, if an x-ray image of patient's full mouth is needed, it is done in segments. That is, a film card or image sensor is placed in one quadrant or another of the patient's mouth, the image is taken and the film card removed or the image reviewed on a computer system. A new film card or image sensor is placed in a different quadrant of the mouth and another image taken. This process is repeated until all areas of the mouth have been imaged.
While functional, this method has several serious drawbacks. First, the patient is exposed to multiple x-ray bursts. While the dosages are low, they nonetheless must be repeated in order to make a complete set of images for analysis. Second, the x-ray transmitter is oriented from the outside in. This means that each burst of x-ray energy passes through the patient's cheek, through the teeth and then on to the inner mouth. From there the x-ray energy continues to pass through to the thyroid, and in general is not recommended for women who are pregnant, even if a lead shield is used. This means that for a full set of images, the inner mouth may see as many as eighteen to thirty-six bursts of x-ray energy. According to the American Dental Association, the dosage of x-ray energy received by a dental patient is around 0.150 mSv for a full mouth series.
A third drawback of contemporary methods is that the operator of the apparatus must exit the room while the x-ray burst is applied. This is done to prevent the operator from being exposed to an objectionable accumulation of x-ray energy. A fourth drawback of current methods is the need for the operator to focus the equipment in the blind. That is, the film is placed in the patient's mouth, the operator manipulates the horn of the transmitter, leaves the room and then shoots the image. On many occasions the horn is misaligned, for example, a child moves prior to the burst of energy, thus the shot has to be repeated in order to garner a usable image.
A more advanced technique uses an imaging sensor in the patient's mouth rather than a film card. The imaging sensor is wired to a computer system that receives the x-ray data from the digital image sensor, processes it and then displays it on a screen. While this method improves the time required to take and analyze x-ray images, it still requires the four separate exposures to the x-rays and has the same excess radiation problem.
While these contemporary methods work well enough, what would be desirable would be an apparatus that allows the full mouth to be imaged in one exposure. Moreover, it would be even more desirable if this could be accomplished by an apparatus that prevented the escape of excess x-ray energy to the interior of the patient's mouth.


A vehicle, such as a hybrid vehicle, according to one aspect of the present invention is configured such that: a propeller shaft rotated by an engine is arranged so as to extend in a vehicle body front-rear direction; a drive gear provided at a rear end portion of the propeller shaft and a driven gear configured to rotate together with a differential case of a differential device mesh with each other; a motor or a generator is connected to the differential case so as to transmit power to the differential case; the motor or the generator is arranged at one of vehicle width direction right and left sides of an axis of the propeller shaft; and the differential case is arranged at the other of the vehicle width direction right and left sides of the axis of the propeller shaft.

As a hybrid vehicle including an engine and a motor as driving sources, various vehicles are proposed and put into practical use in recent years. For example, PTL 1 discloses that in a front engine-rear drive (FR) hybrid vehicle, motors configured to transmit power to a differential case of a differential device are arranged at respective left and right axles.
In the hybrid vehicle of PTL 1, when the motor drives while the engine is driving, power transmitted from the motor is integrated in the differential case with power transmitted from the engine through a transmission and a propeller shaft. With this, torque assist is performed by the motor, and the power integrated in the differential case is transmitted through the axles to driving wheels. Further, when the motor drives while the engine is in a stop state, the power of the motor is transmitted through the differential device and the axles to the driving wheels. Thus, motor traveling is performed.


A limited access closure cover for an opening in a top of a disposable sharps container comprises a frame for securing to the periphery of an open top of a container, an opening in the cover, the opening having the configuration of a cross section axial view of the syringe body, and finger flanges on the syringe body for receiving the axial passage of the body of a hypodermic syringe when angularly oriented to conform thereto.

The present invention relates to disposable sharps containers and pertains particularly to an improved restricted access opening for disposable sharps containers.
Disposable containers have been developed in recent years which provide a reasonably high degree of security for disposable articles and materials from hospitals and clinics. Many of these articles, such as needles and surgical blades known as sharps, and other similar articles and materials, must be disposed of in a manner to keep them out of the hands of unauthorized persons and to keep them from being reused. These containers are designed with access openings and closures to prevent the removal of materials from the container under ordinary circumstances.
One such container of the aforementioned type is that of our prior U.S. Pat. No. 4,502,606, issued Mar. 5, 1985, and directed to a locking closure for disposable containers. These containers are also provided with needle removal tools in the form of one or more slots which act as a wrench for removal of the needles from syringes and the like. These needle removal tools are not only convenient, but also provide a safe means for removal of the needle. The safe removal of the needle is essential to protect hospital personnel from certain highly contagious diseases.
Many prior disposable containers have had needle removal tools built into the top thereof adjacent the disposal opening. This is a convenient and desirable arrangement. However, The prior tools, while normally suitable for most needles, are not normally adequate for all existing needles. Due to the variations in sizes of the needle hubs, many needles do not fit the prior art devices with suitable accuracy. This results in wear of the removal slot due to the loose fit, frequently resulting in failure of the removal slot prior to filling of the container.
It is, therefore, desirable that a disposable container be available which has a limited access opening, and includes a reliable needle removal device as well as reliable closure security.

Restricted access opening for disposable sharps containers


Contoured sandwich radomes and other composite structures having a core consisting of a series of flexible foam mandrels laid side-by-side, with inner and outer facings made up of a fabric impregnated with a resin system, capable of providing superior breakdown voltage characteristics when cured in one stage. Such structures are obtained by a process comprising laying a plurality of first plies of resin impregnated fabric in a contoured mold to form an outer facing, providing a plurality of narrow straight but flexible mandrels of plastic foam, laving individual groups of such foam mandrels in side-by-side relation onto the outer facing, one series of the foam mandrel groups positioned in a substantially transverse direction in the mold and another series of the foam mandrel groups positioned in a substantially longitudinal direction in the mold. The inner ends of the mandrel groups abut the sides of adjacent mandrel groups, to form a foam core. The mandrels which are essentially straight before being installed in the mold are kept from springing up from the mold contour by a restraining collar which the outer ends of the mandrels abut, the collar being removed after the mandrels have been pressured under vacuum. A plurality of second plies of resin impregnated fabric are laid over the foam core, and the plies of resin impregnated fabric are cured to form the inner and outer facings.

This invention relates to composite sandwich structures, and particularly concerns the production of contoured sandwich radomes.
Enclosures for radiant electrical energy transmitting and receiving apparatus such as radar equipment are commonly referred to as radomes.
Nose radomes for transport jet aircraft are normally of sandwich construction. Most of these radomes incorporate a honeycomb core which is susceptible to impact damage and moisture ingestion. Moisture can enter the honeycomb through the damaged area or through pinholes created by electrostatic discharges or through the inherently porous facings associated with this construction. Water building up in the honeycomb cells will freeze and expand causing the damage to migrate. A layer of adhesive film is required for the honeycomb core radomes which increases cost of labor and material, and there is an inability to squeeze excess resin from the inside facing and precuring outside facing increases cost.
In U.S. Pat. No. 2,755,216 is disclosed the fluted core process for making radomes which utilizes wrapped wax mandrels, the wax being melted and drained from the radome after partial cure. The open flutes thus created allow any moisture that enters the core to be easily drained. These radomes have the disadvantages that they are contaminated with wax, are difficult to repair and do not have isotropic electrical and structural properties. Further, transmission performance does not meet new airline guidelines, dielectric breakdown voltage is poor and the cost is high.
With respect to existing foam core radomes, large sections of the foam are heat formed to shape in a tool prior to installing them in the mold against the outside facing, thus requiring extra tooling. Air and excess resin cannot be bled effectively from the outer facing through or around the large preformed foam sections. Heat forming the foam can cause thickness variations that are unacceptable electrically. Further, such radomes are difficult to repair in that each repair section must be heat formed, resulting in increased cost.
There is thus a need for a low cost light weight radome that will solve the above problems associated with honeycomb core, wax fluted core, and existing foam core radomes.

Production of composite sandwich structures


A method, system, and computer program product for validating database table partitioning from partition advisors. The method commences by receiving a workload comprising a plurality of queries, then analyzes the queries to determine stratification buckets based on the usage of tables in the queries. Further analysis of the queries results in assigning the queries into one or more of the stratification buckets from which buckets a number n of queries (n being smaller than the total number of queries in the received workload) are drawn from the stratification buckets to form a representative workload having a confidence interval C and a margin of error M. Now, having a representative workload that is smaller, yet statistically representative of the received workload, a computer evaluates each of a plurality of partition schemes using the representative workload to determine an optimal partitioning scheme. The confidence interval C can be increased or decreased.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to an improved approach for implementing validating database table partitioning schemes using stratified random sampling. For example, some commercial deployments have approached the task of validating database table partitioning schemes using specialized tools or modules, sometime referred to as "partition advisers".
Earlier attempts at database table partitioning relied on exhaustively enumerating candidate partitioning schemes, and then evaluating possible candidate partition schemes using a query workload. A candidate partition was evaluated with respect to a different partition scheme based on the cost (e.g., empirical runtime cost or estimated runtime cost) of running a complete workload on the candidate partitioning schemes, and then comparing the costs to find the lowest cost partition for the given workload. Thus, identifying an optimal partitioning scheme can often become very time- and resource-consuming as the number of candidate partition schemes grows, and as the number of queries in the workload grows. In modern practice, the overall resource costs to find an optimal solution has become prohibitively high.
What is needed is a way for evaluating partitioning schemes to dramatically improve performance while concurrently:
Improving manageability.
Improving availability.
Performing partitioning in a manner that is transparent to the applications.
By validating candidate partition schemes against much smaller—and yet statistically representative—set of samples from the workload (e.g., using stratified random sampling), it is possible to significantly reduce the resource-intensity of evaluating partitioning schemes in order to make a partitioning scheme recommendation—and yet without compromising the quality of the recommendation. As aforementioned, legacy technologies, especially those technologies involving exhaustive enumeration for evaluation under large workloads, becomes impractical as the enumeration grows. Reliance on such technologies involving exhaustive enumeration can lead to incorrect partitioning recommendations. An improved approach is needed.

Validating database table partitioning schemes using stratified random sampling


A flexible sheet turning arrangement located in a thread path upstream of the guides in a warp knitting machine that has a machine frame and at least one plurality of guides. The arrangement has a set of springs with proximal ends supported on the machine frame, and free distal ends. Also included is a turning element running the full width of the machine and attached to the free distal ends of the set of springs. The set of springs may include a package having at least two leaf springs placed on top of each other and joined at their ends. At least one of the springs may be made of a material having a greater internal coefficient of friction than steel. The springs may be laid to provide such a level of damping that the damping coefficient .delta. satisfies a relationship involving T.sub.d the period of oscillation, and y.sub.i, y.sub.i+1 the neighboring amplitudes of damped oscillations.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a warp knitting machine having a flexible thread sheet turning arrangement upstream of the guides in which a turning element stretching across the entire working width is carried by springs, one end of which is attached to the machine frame.
2. Description of Related Art
The purpose of the springs holding the turning element is to maintain the tension of the threads in the thread sheet during stitch formation notwithstanding changes in the thread input speed. In particular, in the knockover of stitches, a sudden freeing of a thread segment occurs. This leads, in particular at higher input speeds and/or under higher operating speeds, a marking in the finished goods known as "water spots". The known springs are made of steel. They are made as leaf springs or as leg springs with many windings between the legs.
An object of the present invention is to provide a warp knitting machine of the known art, which can operate at high operating speeds and/or higher thread input speeds to produce goods without errors. This task is solved by the present invention in that the springs are formed as leaf, packages comprising at least two super-imposed leaf springs affixed at one end thereof.

Warp knitting machine with thread sheet turning arrangement


A first communication device generates a frame that includes i) requested values of parameters of a target wake time (TWT) schedule in a wireless local area network (WLAN), and ii) information regarding traffic characteristics of data units that will be communicated during the TWT schedule. As part of negotiating the TWT schedule, the first communication device transmits the frame to a second communication device that will participate in the TWT schedule.

Wireless local area networks (WLANs) have evolved rapidly over the past two decades, and development of WLAN standards such as the Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 Standard family has improved single-user peak data rates. Work has now begun on a new iteration of the IEEE 802.11 Standard, which is referred to as the IEEE 802.11be Standard, or Extremely High Throughput (EHT) WLAN. The IEEE 802.11be Standard promises to provide greater throughput by permitting communication channels having frequency bandwidths of up to 320 MHz (or perhaps even more) and/or allowing the formation of separate communication links in different frequency segments.
The current draft of the IEEE 802.11ax Standard (referred to herein as "the IEEE 802.11ax Standard" for simplicity) provides mechanisms for a client station in a WLAN to negotiate with an access point (AP) a schedule for the client station to transition between a wake state and a doze state. The schedule is sometimes referred to as an "individual target wake time agreement", or "individual TWT agreement". The individual TWT agreement includes a designated time period (sometimes referred to as an "individual TWT service period" or "individual TWT SP") at which the client station typically transitions to the wake state and remains in the wake state for a duration of the individual TWT SP. The client station then returns to the doze state at an end of the individual TWT SP. The client station and the AP exchange packets while the client station is in the wake state, and the AP buffers frames intended for the client station while the client station is in the doze state.
The AP may also set up broadcast TWT schedules that specifies respective broadcast TWT SPs. The AP may advertise, in beacon frames, the broadcast TWT schedules and a client station may join a particular broadcast TWT SP. During a broadcast TWT SP, client stations that have joined the broadcast TWT SP transition to the wake state and remain in the wake state for a duration of the broadcast TWT SP. The client stations then return to the doze state at an end of the broadcast TWT SP. The client stations that have joined the broadcast TWT schedule and the AP exchange multi-user (MU) packets during the broadcast TWT SP. While client stations are in the doze state, the AP buffers frames intended or the client stations.
The use of TWT agreements by an AP is useful for minimizing contention between client stations in a WLAN and/or reducing power consumption by client stations.

Traffic characteristics for target wake time (TWT) negotiation


The present invention encompasses a system and method for automatically replacing vehicle fluid, such as engine oil, with a robotic serving unit or robotic machine. The robotic machine comprises a motorized, autonomously maneuverable unit that has on its top a drainage arm to connect with an oil drain plug of a vehicle. In a preferred embodiment, the oil drain plug comprises a hollow interior for the drainage arm to connect with and drain the oil, and can also comprise a sealable element to retain the oil.

The invention relates to an automated system or apparatus for changing fluid in a vehicle, especially the engine oil in a vehicle. In one aspect, the vehicle is parked in a parking lot and identified by a robotic system either at the request of the vehicle owner, a timing or calendar device, or a remote sensor signal of the condition of the existing engine oil. Once identified, a robotic device moves into position near the vehicle, inserts a tube into an existing valve in the oil pan drain plug, removes the oil, and then replaces the oil. The robotic device contains reservoirs for used oil and one or more types of clean engine oil. A payment system and account database monitors the oil change activity and charges the vehicle owner or customer for the service through the use of a host computer. The system conveniently changes the engine oil while the customer is away from the vehicle. In another aspect, the invention relates to an oil drain plug that can be used in conjunction with the automated system or apparatus. This oil drain plug is used to put the oil in the vehicle in fluid communication with a robotic or other system for automating the removal of spent or used oil and/or its replacement with fresh oil. The oil drain plug can include a hollow internal conduit that is controlled by insertion of a drain arm on the robotic system once correctly positioned near the vehicle.
Routine vehicle maintenance, such as an oil change, requires taking time to visit an establishment and then waiting. For most individuals, this is not considered an entertaining or desirable aspect of using a motor vehicle. Systems that can perform the maintenance automatically and while the vehicle owner is not operating the vehicle would be advantageous in relieving the owner of both visiting an establishment and waiting for the service to be completed.

Automated engine oil change system and method


A switched loop/180.degree. phase shift device is disclosed, having the additional capability of an aperture shutter that can be selected to produce either a noncorrelated reflection in one mode of operation, or to absorb RF energy that enters the radiating aperture port in the other mode.

The present invention relates to microwave phase shifter devices, and more particularly to 180.degree. phase shift devices having the further capability of a solid-state aperture shutter that can be selected to produce either a reflection of uniform amplitude and phase in one mode of operation, or to absorb RF energy that enters the radiating aperture in the other mode.
Devices are known in the art which provide the function of a selectable 180.degree. phase shift transition. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,070,639 describes a 180.degree. microwave phase-bit device implemented in a stripline medium with integral coupling into a waveguide by means of an H plane loop within the waveguide. PIN-diode switches are employed to reverse the direction of current in the loop.
Another microwave phase shifter device is described in "Integrated Diode Phase-Shifter Elements for an X-Band Phased-Array Antenna," Mark E. Davis, IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques, December, 1975, pages 1080-1084. A 180.degree. phase bit device is described which employs PIN diodes to selectively reverse the direction of current flow in a ring hybrid to achieve reversal of the RF phase.
Radar systems engineers are paying increased attention to aperture designs that allow substantial reductions in the radar cross section (RCS) of airborne platforms. Another concern is potential damage to delicate electronics in or immediately behind the radiating elements due to directed or stray high-level RF radiation as, for example, on the flight deck of an aircraft carrier.
A major disadvantage of the prior art devices is that it does not incorporate the significant features of protection from high-level RF energy and low reflected signal levels at a uniform phase angle.

Switched-loop/180 degree phase bit with aperture shutter capabilities


A transmission apparatus and method for implementing frequency selectivity in a multi-beam satellite system that transmits a signal to user equipment through one or more antenna feed groups. The transmission apparatus includes: an antenna feed group selecting unit configured to select one or more antenna feed groups from the one or more antenna feed groups; a cyclic delay offset determining unit configured to determine a cyclic delay offset according to a determination result of the antenna feed group selecting unit; and a transmitting unit configured to apply the cyclic delay offset determined by the cyclic delay offset determining unit to a signal to be transmitted through the one or more antenna feed groups selected by the antenna feed group selecting unit, and to transmit a resultant signal.

1. Field
The following description relates to a satellite communication system, and more particularly, to a multi-beam based transmission apparatus and method using multi-carrier.
2. Description of the Related Art
As a satellite communication system in use of complementary terrestrial components (CTC), such as repeaters, complementary ground components (CGC), and ancillary terrestrial components (ATC), currently a satellite digital multimedia broadcasting (DMB) service is being provided in South Korea. In European countries, since around 2010 researches on Digital Video Broadcasting-Satellite services to Handhelds (DVB-SH) systems have been actively carried out. In addition, some of U.S. companies, such as MSV and Terrestar, have developed an integrated satellite-terrestrial system to provide voice and data communications in urban and rural areas using ATC.
The DMB system in South Korea has been designed to use a terrestrial network that uses the same channel gap filler with a satellite to thereby enable vehicles and fixed and mobile terminals to receive high-quality audio signals and multimedia signals. The DMB system is optimized to a frequency bandwidth in the range of 2630 to 2655 MHz of both satellite and terrestrial parts. The DMB system includes a feeder link earth station, a broadcasting satellite, two types of terrestrial repeaters, and a receiver, for example, a receiver for a vehicle, a fixed terminal, or a mobile terminal. At this time, for an uplink, a band (e.g., 14 GHz) for a fixed satellite service (FSS) is used. The satellite converts the received signal into a 2.6 GHz band signal, and the converted signal is amplified to have a predetermined magnitude by an amplifier in the repeater of the satellite and is broadcast to a terminal that is located in a service area.
It is required for the terminal to receive a signal transmitted from the satellite through a small antenna having low directivity. For this purpose, the terminal needs to have sufficient effective isotropic radiated power (EIRP). Thus, the satellite needs to have a large transmitting antenna and a high-power repeater. When the satellite transmits a 2.6 GHz band signal, a shadow problem occurs due to obstacles on a path from the satellite. In order to overcome this problem, at the time of designing a system, it is required to additionally provide a repeater that retransmits a satellite signal. The repeater allows the signal transmitted from the satellite to be transmitted to places where the signal cannot reach due to band obstacles, such as buildings. The repeater is divided into a direct amplification repeater and a frequency conversion repeater.
The direct amplification repeater only amplifies a 2.6 GHz band signal that is received from the satellite. The direct amplification repeater uses a low gain amplifier to prevent an unnecessary divergence from occurring due to signal interference between a receiving antenna and a transmitting antenna. The direct amplifier covers a small area at a distance of 500 m from the repeater on the basis of a line of sight (LoS). Meanwhile, the frequency conversion repeater covers a large area at a distance of 3 km from the repeater, and converts a 2.6 GHz band signal transmitted from the satellite into another frequency band (e.g., 11 GHz) signal and transmits the converted signal to the terminal. In an environment where the two types of repeaters are needed, multipath fading occurs when two or more signals are received by the terminal, and a rake receiver with CDM technology adopted is used to stably receive multipath fading signals.
As another example of the mobile satellite communication system, the DVB-SH system provides services to a terminal using a satellite for nationwide coverage, and services to the terminal using the CGC for an indoor environment and terrestrial coverage. The DVB-SH system provides a mobile TV service at a 15 MHz bandwidth of an S band on the basis of a DVB-H. In to this case, the DVB-SH system uses a band near to a band used for terrestrial international mobile telecommunication (IMT) of an S band. Accordingly, integration with the terrestrial IMT and network reuse with a terrestrial system is easy, which results in decreasing installation costs.
The DVB-SH system in European countries considers a hybrid broadcasting structure with the terrestrial system. In order to resolve a signal interference problem between the satellite and the CGC and efficiently use a frequency, the DVB-SH system considers a structure in which a reuse factor is set to 1 with respect to a CGC cell in one satellite spot beam and to 3 with respect to the satellite spot beam.
For example, in France, by using the satellite spot beam, 9 TV channels can be broadcast in nationwide coverage, and 27 channels can be broadcast through the terrestrial repeater in a downtown area or an indoor environment.
Finally, a geostationary orbit (GEO)-based mobile satellite communication system has been developed in Mobile Satellite Ventures (MSV) and Terrestar in U.S. in order to provide to a PCS/cellular-type terminal a ubiquitous wireless broadband communication service such as an Internet access service and a voice conversation service in L and S bands. The GEO-based mobile satellite communication system uses a hybrid wireless network structure where the satellite and the ATC are coupled to each other and provides voice or high-speed packet services through the ATC, that is, a terrestrial system in a downtown area or congested area, and services through the satellite in the country or areas outside the downtown that are not covered by the ATC in U.S. or Canada. Since the ATC uses a wireless interface such as the satellite, the GEO-based mobile satellite communication system has been developed such that satellite services can be provided without increasing complexity of the terminal.
All personal portable mobile satellite communication systems that will be developed use a satellite in the country or areas outside the downtown where a line of sight is secured are scheduled to provide services using a complementary terrestrial component, and using the complementary terrestrial component in the downtown area or an indoor environment where satellite signals are not secured.
Recently, orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) and orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) technologies have been researched as an effective method of is high-speed data transmission over wired/wireless channels in the 4th generation terrestrial mobile communication system. The OFDM technology uses multi-carriers to transmit data. In the OFDM technology, a serially input symbol row is converted into a parallel data streams. Then, each of the parallel data streams is modulated with multiple orthogonal sub-carriers, that is, with multiple sub-carrier channels, and then transmitted. OFDM is similar to conventional frequency-division multiplexing. However, OFDM is characterized in transmitting data while maintaining orthogonality between multiple sub-carriers, and thereby achieving optimal transfer efficiency in high-speed data transmission. In addition, OFDM has enhanced frequency utilization efficiency and is robust against multipath fading, and thus can realize optimal transfer efficiency in high-speed data transmission. Furthermore, since frequency spectrum can be used in an overlapping manner, more efficient frequency utilization can be achieved and OFDM can be robust against frequency-selective fading and multipath fading, as well as impulsive noise. Also, it is possible to reduce interference between symbols using a guard interval, and to achieve an equalizer with a simple hardware design. Due to the above characteristics, OFDM has been actively utilized in a terrestrial communication system. OFDMA is an OFDM-based multiple access scheme. OFDMA enables a plurality of users, that is, a plurality of terminals, to divide and use sub-carriers in one OFDM symbol, and divides frequency and time and allocates the divided frequency and time to each user.
OFDMA is advantageous in that it can provide frequency and time in various ways according to user's demand. Thus, OFDMA can provide a variety of quality of service. In addition, OFDMA adaptively allocates sub-channels of OFDM according to user's channel environment, and thus can maximize capacity and can be used simultaneously with TDMA.
To reduce chipset cost of a terminal, it is important for a satellite interface and a terrestrial interface to have commonality. However, long propagation delay and large spot beam coverage which are characteristics of the satellite require a wireless interface on the earth to be modified for the satellite to reuse. Thus, a technology for overcoming long propagation delay and a method for reusing a frequency to maximize frequency efficiency have been introduced to apply OFDM or OFDMA in the satellite environment.
However, the suggested technologies and methods are characterized in that, unlike a terrestrial system, a satellite channel of LOS does not experience multipath fading and channels for different users have similar characteristics. Hence, the satellite environment cannot fully utilize the advantages of OFDM or OFDMA scheme of the terrestrial system.

Apparatus and method for providing frequency selectively in satellite communication system

ELECTRONICS AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS RESEARCH INSTITUTE


An article of footwear includes a sole and an upper attached to the sole. The sole includes a hard sole base forming an outline of the footwear and a mid sole resting on the sole base, the mid sole made of a softer material than the sole base to provide comfort to a wearer. The upper has sock like construction using stretchable materials to conform to shapes of the foot. The upper is attached to the sole by straps passing through the upper allowing a degree of independent motion of the upper to conform to a foot.

The invention relates to an article of footwear and in particular to a method for attachment and detachment of a footwear upper to a lower outsole.
Known footwear constructions methods, in particular leisure footwear, include two main components: 1) a formed outsole design with a generalized foot print shape to protect the bottom of a foot; and 2) an upper made with flexible material to cover, protect and secure the foot to the outsole. The outsole is typically made from a molded construction using urethane rubber and elastic polymers alike to serve as ground engaging surface for the footwear. The outsole can also provide cushioning, support while insulating the foot from impacts during a gait cycle. The outsole can be flexible and bendable but generally are not stretchable. The footwear upper is constructed out of layered materials such as leather, canvas, suede, fabric or combinations of natural and synthetic materials. These materials are utilized primarily for style while maintaining protection of the foot. Often the materials used are less flexible, breathable and can be hard and none pliable. In construction, the two main components are permanently bonded together in creating the footwear. A mid sole and sock liner are often used on top of the outsole to provide additional cushioning and support needs of the foot.
In a typical footwear construction, the footwear's shape or footprint is determined by the outsole design. In most instances general assumptions are made in creating an outline perimeter shape to accommodate all foot shapes. This shape also determines the fit of the fore foot and mid foot as the footwear upper is bound to the entire perimeters of the outsole. Since most footwear upper construction utilizes non-stretchable materials, lacing and/or elastic material is used to achieve proper fit in securing the footwear to the foot. The foot is first strapped in, then presses down into the sole as lacing is tightened to secure the foot. This method of adjustment no doubt creates uneven pressure points along the entire fore and mid foot region while in static or in motion. The conventional method of constructing footwear may lead to discomfort and fit issues due to the unique shapes and sizes of everyone's foot. A generalized footwear shape can fit differently on each wearer's foot having an equal overall shoe size. It can be difficult to create footwear to fit every foot shape the same way. The inflexibility of the footwear due to construction and use of materials can further attribute to the problem of fit and discomfort.
During a gait cycle, the biomechanical movements changes the external shapes of the foot as weight is being applied. This effects in particular, forefoot and mid foot region as it pronates to distribute body weight. In the push off stage of the gait cycle, the forefoot region bends in dorsiflexion and creates a folding compression tension onto the upper's forefoot areas. The binding compression effects are then transferred onto the top of the forefoot's toe area causing discomfort with each step. This binding effect is due to overly ridged upper material used on the upper and the bonding of upper to the perimeters of the outsole. The pronatory forefoot flexing movement can further compound the footwear discomfort level as the foot's natural motions are met with resistance within the footwear. This resistance also comes from the upper bound to the outsole's perimeter shapes restricting the forefoot's flexion and expansion movements.
Due to each wearer's unique foot shape, a better way of securing the upper to the lower is needed to address fit, comfort, and minimize pressure points to our feet.
Further, the upper's purpose is to cover and protect a wearer's foot. But more importantly in the eyes of the consumer, it is the style, color and design that matters most over the purchase decision. With the outsole bonded to the upper, the footwear is limited to just one style.
Numerous attempts have been made in the past to provide footwear having detachable upper construction, however, these detachable footwear systems reflect the typical footwear construction method described above, as the upper are still bound to the perimeter shape of the outsole. The prior inventions achieve detachability of the upper to the outsole by adding features where the upper and the outsole meets. The examples can be seen in US Patent Publication No. US2010/0024251A1 where loops are added along the upper's perimeter to capture the lower. Zipper systems are also used to combine the upper to the outsole in U.S. Pat. No. 4,103,440 and US Patent Publication No. 2008/0235992. Attachment elements are used in US Patent Publication No. 2005/0097781, U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,230,621B2 and 6,349,486B1 to secure the upper to the outsole. A complete upper footwear assembly with formed locking features along its mid sole perimeters to interlock with the outsole is shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,083,385, 4,267,650, and 3,878,626. An outer sole with straps to stretch over the inner sole is described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,591,084. One of the earlier inventions pertaining to a detachable upper can be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 2,438,711A as the upper and lower are combined by lace looping through its perimeter base.
Thus, many novel ways of combining the upper to the lower outsole have been discloses. However, the prior art does not address the limiting effects on the foot's natural movements with an upper bound to the perimeter of the outsole shape. Furthermore, the prior art does not acknowledge a way of securing the footwear to the foot without causing uneven pressure points or binding as the foot moves through the biomechanical movements of a gait cycle.
In typical construction, the outsoles and mid soles more often are made flat, overly ridged and less flexible. The overall focus is on manufacturing process and style rather than comfort or function. The flat layers of mid soles and outsoles are easy to produce but offers inadequate cushion for many regions of the foot. These soles provides a flat cushioning bed on which the foot's contour will rest on. The inability for the sole to emulate foot's bottom contours hinders its natural biomechanical movement in a gait cycle. During a gait cycle the foot performs a trilateral movement known as pronation and supenation. Pronation is a compression state when weight is being transferred to the foot. Supenation is a rebound state for the foot to decompress and return to its natural state. Current production footwear outsole serves only as a stationary platform for the these movements and not as a system to enhance the movements of the foot. To require the outsole to flex and bend with the foot a thinner and more ergonomically designed outsole and mid-sole system is needed to hug the bottom contours of the foot.
The mid sole are typically made flat and of single density polyurethane foam such as Ethylene-Vinyl Acetate (EVA) and the like along the entire bottom sole surface. Such mid sole serves as the main cushioning and support mechanism for the footwear. While this is an economical and practical way of constructing a mid sole, it often overlooks the functional and longevity needs of a mid sole design. EVA foam deteriorates quickly with wear over time, with a designed life span lasting less than 6 months.
Different parts of the foot have unique cushioning and support needs driven by the bone structures and biomechanical motion of the foot. The rear of the foot, known as the heel, contains the Calcaneus bone structure which serves as the main load bearing base of the foot when in motion or at rest. The heel also provides the initial landing or strike during a gait cycle as part of our bi-pedal movement. As the heel strikes the ground, the heels may be subjected to the entire weight of our body. During running, jumping and other athletic sports activities, the heel strike may far exceeds one's own body weight. Thus a resilient, more energy absorbent and elastic material may be needed at the heel area.
The mid foot consists of a key-stone like structure with the Navicular, Cuboids, and Cuneiform bones. The mid foot also houses the Tarsometatarsal joint which serves as a connection to the first though fifth Metatarsal bones. The mid foot is also known as the medial and lateral arches of the foot. The mid foot joint structure serves as a compressible arch to allow flexibility. Flexing of the arch serves as a suspension system to absorb the load of the foot in compression and rebound. This trilateral motion is described as pronation and supenation during a gait cycle. Due to the biomechanical nature of mid foot, support is a much needed element to incorporate into the mid-sole's medial and lateral arch design.
The forefoot is located at the ends of the metatarsal bone as it connects to the phalanges also known as toes. At the joints of the phalanges and the first Metatarsal joint lies the Sesamoid bone. The Sesamoid bone with the ends of the first Metatarsal are also know as the ball of the foot. The ball of the foot serves as another load bearing zone as weight of the body is distributed onto the fore foot and the rear foot. The forefoot is also responsible for landing, weight distribution, and propulsion as the foot rolls forward to begin the pushing off the stage of the gait cycle. This unique fore foot zone may also require materials to be resilient, more energy absorbent and elastic that are unique from the needs of mid foot.
The outsole design in most footwear serves as one semi ridged flat platform to support the entire foot. In particular the rear heel area of the outsole is typically made flat with squared off edges different from the natural round shape of our heel. These edges or pads extend outward adding to the overall rear foot footprint area for balance, stability and weight distribution. This method of expanding heel support can be seen from the rear and the bottom of most sneakers and leisure footwear. While this design approach is warranted in some applications, not all footwear benefits from such a design. In some instances it may cause more injuries for the user. Injuries may result as the expanded heel support unknowingly lands or catches on an uneven or offset surfaces such as a steps or the sidewalk. By landing on an uneven surface, this causes the extended flat heel section to tilt as the foot tries to compensate and find its level. This translates into lost of balance or a quick twisting motion as our ankle is forced to move with the footwear. When twisting of the ankle joint exceeds the limitation of the ankle, flex injury may result in forms of a sprained ankle. A thinner and flexible rounded shape to closely mimic and surrounds our heel contours may be needed for the outsole design. This type of outsole design will allow the forefoot and mid foot to move and flex as it adapts to the uneven surface. The external round heel section allows the heel to slide down from the uneven surface rather then forcing the entire foot and ankle to twist as whole.
Current indoor footwear market consists mainly of foam padded slippers, moccasins, and loafers. Known padded slippers generally utilize low density foam for cushioning and padding. The foam used is often of low density and offers only short term general cushioning as it loses its deflection and rebound quickly. The slipper are made to loosely fit the foot as they are made oversized to accommodate many different foot shapes. This causes the user to constantly maneuver one's foot in trying to keep their slippers on their feet while sitting or walking. Indoor footwear often does not provide contours formed into the soles to properly support and cushion the foot. The padded slippers, moccasins and loafers can be overly insulated without proper ventilation causing overheating and foot sweat. While some indoor footwear are made to be washable, they are difficult to dry due to the thick foam padding bound to the rubber outsole. Sanitary odor of these footwear may also be of concern.
Socks are often a preferred choice for indoor use due to the light and comfortable natures of its construction, as they are easy to wash and dried. Some socks are marketed for indoor use by adding molded rubber textures on the sole for traction against smooth slippery floor surfaces. Socks are comfortable to wear as they generally do not have pressure points exerted onto the foot. The stretchable body of the socks easily conforms to the wearer's unique foot shapes and stay on the foot without adjustment. The light and breathable nature of the materials offer just enough protection and insulation for indoors use, while offering a variety of styles and designs to suit the taste of the wearer. However, known socks provide almost no cushioning and support for the foot. The foot can still be subjected to shocks and impacts forces from walking on hard ground surfaces. Wear and tear is also major issue for socks as woven material being subject to high pressure and friction. The wear is compounded when used over more abrasive floor surfaces like concrete, tile and wood. Typically the life cycle of an indoor sock can be short as the heel and forefoot wears at a quicker pace. Although inexpensive to produce and purchase, overtime the cost may compound.

Article of footwear with detachable upper and lower designs


A data storage system that protects privacy and ensures security includes a plurality of nodes in a networked architecture, the nodes being adapted to securely communicate and co-operate with one another to allow storage and retrieval of data. A single piece of biometric data is associated only with a blinded identifier and securely divided across one or more nodes, adapted for data storage. The data itself and the link to the original individual, from whom the biometric was acquired, cannot be obtained without the co-operation of two or more nodes.

Systems for authenticating the identity of an individual are now becoming widely deployed. Such systems may be used to enhance security at a border crossing, to identify individuals in a citizen ID scheme, to allow physical access to a building, to provide logical access to networks and computer applications, to prove identity during retail transactions, amongst many other possible applications.
Known techniques used within such authentication systems for validating the identity of an individual include the use of passwords, tokens, biometrics, or any combination of these. Within a biometric-based system, biometric samples are captured from an individual and enrolled, or stored, within the system for use in later authentications. Examples include fingerprint, iris, or face images, or a recorded sample of a voice.
Features may be extracted from the image to generate biometric templates. These are usually a smaller compact representation of the biometric features present in the image. Typically, the templates are used in the day-to-day operations of the system to authenticate individuals whereas the original biometric data or images is stored or archived. There are many valid reasons for storing this data. Some examples include:                Re-generating templates from the data if the original templates are no longer available, such as in a system where templates are stored on a portable card and the card is misplaced or stolen        Generating templates using an enhanced version of the algorithm        Allowing algorithm migration by generating new templates using different algorithms, without having to re-enroll the user        Processing the data within biometric experiments including algorithm and sensor benchmarking        Using the data as part of a forensic examination
Ensuring the security and privacy of stored personal data in today's electronic environment is important. Attempts to gain access to such personal data, such as that against ChoicePoint™, are becoming more and more common. With biometric data, in particular biometric images, these security issues are of a paramount importance. The biometric data must be protected, not only to ensure the security of the authentication scheme, but also to maintain the privacy and rights of its users. If an attacker were able to obtain a biometric image and the identity of the person to whom that image belonged, then there would be no privacy present. Therefore, in the storage of biometric images it is important to note that the biometric in itself provides no indication as to who the person who provided the biometric is, it is the association of that image with an identifier for that person and that couplet or pair that provides the real threat.
As such, even if an attacker is able to gain access, in an unauthorized manner, to the stored biometric images, it should be impossible for that attacker to determine from which individual the biometric data was acquired. The logical link between a user's personal data and the biometric images needs to be protected. Current state-of-the-art biometric storage systems do not provide this capability, as they typically store the user identifier along with the corresponding biometric image in the same database, often using the identifier to index the image for later retrieval.
There is therefore a need to provide a method and system for protecting the privacy of stored biometric data, and in particular ensuring that the link between the biometric data and the user from whom those images were acquired is strongly safeguarded.

System and method for protecting the privacy and security of stored biometric data