The present invention provides a superplastic alloy-containing conductive plastic article for shielding electromagnetic interference. The conductive plastic article is a three-layer structure, in which the outer layers are plastic material, and the inner layer is a superplastic alloy. The requirements for the raw materials are that the melting point of the superplastic alloy is higher than the softening point of the plastic, and the superplastic alloy has superplasticity at a temperature higher than the softening point of the plastic. The conductive plastic article can be manufactured in one processing stage, has the same shielding effectiveness as that of a conventional metal plate article, and can take a delicate and complicated form as that of a conventional plastic article. Moreover, the superplastic alloy contained therein has a uniform thickness and good adherence to plastic.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a superplastic alloy-containing conductive plastic article for shielding against electromagnetic interference (EMI), and more particularly relates to a process for manufacturing a conductive plastic article containing one continuous superplastic alloy layer in one processing stage.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In recent years, progress in technology has led to an extensive increase in the amount of sophisticated electronic equipment. However, the high-density electromagnetic waves produced from electronic equipment have the potential to damage or adversely affect the performance of other equipment or components. Also, exposure to electromagnetic waves is harmful to the human body. Therefore, an electrically conductive outer shell is needed to shield electromagnetic interference (EMI) produced from electronic equipment.
Heretofore, various methods have been used to shield electronic equipment. Metallic boxes and cans fabricated from steel, copper, aluminum, etc., were used to surround high EMI emitters as shielding. However, metallic shields with intricate shapes were difficult to be fabricated by the conventional metalworking methods. Moreover, metallic shields were cumbersome, heavy and costly. Therefore, the electronic industry has resorted to metallized plating on plastics. Unfortunately, the results obtained with metallic coatings were not always satisfactory. In addition to being relatively non-economical, once such metallic coatings were scratched through, they would lose part of their shielding efficiency. Unless such conductive coatings are continuous and free of voids, electromagnetic waves will be free to pass through. Frequently, it was difficult to obtain a dependable, 100% effective coating which was also resistant to peeling.
Further efforts by the electronics industry to develop more dependable light-weight materials for EMI shielding have led to a third approach, namely electrically conductive component-filled plastic composites. It was anticipated that intricate shapes could be molded from the composite materials by conventional means, yielding a finished part that promised to be more economic and dependable than metal or metal-coated plastics.
The principle factor influencing the performance of conductive component-filled plastic composites is the aspect ratio of the conductive fillers. The aspect ratio is defined as the ratio of the maximum dimension to the minimum dimension of the filler. For example, the aspect ratio of a fiber is the ratio of the length to the diameter of the fiber. According to the electromagnetic wave percolation theory, if the conductive filler in the plastic retains a higher aspect ratio, the filler easily forms a conductive network, thus, the critical concentration of the conductive filler required to achieve the electromagnetic shielding effect (that is, the threshold percolation concentration) is lower.
The methods for preparing conductive component-filled plastic composites can be classified into four types. The first type involves compounding the conductive fillers in the form of powders, short fibers or flakes with the plastic matrix, and then having the mixture hot-press molded or injection molded into various kinds of plastic products for shielding EMI.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,474,685 discloses a process for fabricating electromagnetic shielding products by first compounding and then molding a composition including a thermosetting resin binder and an electrically conductive filler (including carbon black, graphite and conductive metal powders). However, during the compounding with the resin matrix, the conductive powders may easily cluster, and thus are not capable of dispersing in the resin matrix. Consequently, the electromagnetic shielding efficiency of the molded products can not be effectively improved. Furthermore, since the powder filler has a lower aspect ratio, according to the electromagnetic wave percolation theory as mentioned above, the amount (i.e., threshold percolation concentration) of the powder filler added must be relatively high to achieve electrical conductivity. Consequently, the mechanical properties, color and other physical and chemical properties of the molded products are adversely affected.
On the other hand, if the conductive filler is in a higher aspect ratio form such as fibers or flakes, the filler can be loaded to a lower level. However, the cluster phenomenon is still difficult to prevent. In addition, during the compounding process, in order to maintain the original aspect ratio, the conductive filler should be strong enough to prevent breakage due to compounding. However, such a strong conductive filler is very expensive, and is thus not suitable for ordinary low cost electronic equipment.
The second type of method for preparing conductive component-filled plastic composites involves binding a plastic layer to enclose the conductive continuous filler by immersion or extrusion, and then cutting the conductive long fiber-filled plastic stick to a predetermined length. For example, Japanese Patent No. 60-112854 discloses a process including continuous extruding thermoplastic plastic to enclose a copper fiber to form a copper fiber-filled plastic round stick, and then cutting the plastic round stick into pellets of a predetermined size. In order to increase the aspect ratio of the filler, the diameter of the conductive long fiber should be as small as possible. The fibrous filler must be strong enough to prevent breakage, but suitable fillers, such as stainless steel fiber, copper fiber or metal-coated carbon fiber, are very expensive.
To decrease the total cost of the production of conductive component-filled plastic composites, aluminum filler, which has the advantages of low price, low density, excellent electromagnetic shielding efficiency, and easy of color matching, has already been used. However, since aluminum has low strength, when aluminum material is utilized in the first method for preparing aluminum-filled plastic composites, the process involves compounding aluminum flakes with plastic. However, since aluminum has low strength, many aluminum flakes or fibers break during processing, resulting in a rapid decrease of the aspect ratio. Therefore, the incorporation amount (threshold percolation concentration) should be increased to a very high level (generally, as high as 30 to 40%) to achieve an acceptable electromagnetic shielding efficiency. The consequence is that the total cost is increased, and more seriously, the electromagnetic shielding plastic products obtained have poor mechanical properties. For example, elongation, tensile strength, bending strength and impact strength are all adversely affected. Also for the second method, the low strength of aluminum causes the rupture of continuous long fibers, which results in an interruption of the binding process.
In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the inventor of the present invention with his coworker have disclosed a third type of process making metallized plastic pellets in U.S. Pat. No. 5,531,851, in which radially arrangedmetal is filled. The process involves sandwiching an electrically conductive metal foil in between two plastic films to form a metallized laminated plastic sheet; slicing the plastic sheet into plastic strips; radially arranging the metallized plastic strips into a die of an extruder to be wetted and bound by molten plastic into a metallized plastic bar; and finally cutting the plastic bar into metallized plastic pellets of a predetermined size.
In the third method, aluminum can be successfully filled in the plastic. In addition, since no conventional compounding step is needed, the breakage of aluminum can be prevented and a higher aspect ratio can be maintained. Also due to the employment of a wider material (aluminum foil) with is further reinforced with plastic, the interruption of binding process in the second method will not occur. However, the procedures and apparatus for manufacturing such radially arranged metal filled pellets are very complicated, and the resulting pellets must be subjected to hot-press molding or injection molding to obtain the final plastic product for shielding electromagnetic interference. The total apparatuses required are very expensive.
The above three methods involve subjecting the conductive pellets to hot-pressing or injection molding to obtain the final plastic article for shielding EMI. When injection molding is employed, in order to prevent lag and orientional phenomena from occurring to the metallic filler in the mold, the design of the mold is very critical and complicated, thus increasing costs. Moreover, if a very thin product is desired, such as the outer shell of a notebook computer, the design of the mold is difficult, or even impossible to achieve.
In addition, floating phenomenon in the final conductive plastic article can not be prevented. Therefore, surface coating on the final conductive plastic article is required, thereby increasing cost. Most importantly, according to the above three methods, the conductive filler in the plastic is not continuous. Therefore, the resulting electromagnetic shielding effectiveness is limited, and is far less than that of a conventional metal plate or a plastic plate coated with conductive metal.
Generally speaking, the shielding effectiveness of a conventional metal plate or a plastic plate coated with metal can reach 60 dB or more, which meets the requirement for various electric equipment in various countries (FCC for U.S.A. , VDE for Germany, VCCI for Japan, CSA for Canada, CISPR for Russia) . However, a plastic article containing discontinuous conductive filler obtained from the above three methods has a shielding effectiveness of only about 40 dB, which can meet the requirements of general personal computer or other simple electric equipment.
Nowadays, personal computers are usually equipped with CD-ROM, LSI, or other circuits of high density and high frequency. Therefore, in the future, it is anticipated that personal computers will require a higher shielding effectiveness, for example, 50 dB or more. Obviously, the plastic articles obtained from the above three methods will not meet the future needs.
The fourth type of method for preparing conductive component-filled plastic composites applies vacuum molding technique. Japanese Patent No. 61-293827 discloses such method, which involves introducing the molten lead/tin alloy having a low melting point into the space between two molten plastic layers; rolling it to form a plastic/metal/plastic laminated plate; and subjecting the plate to vacuum molding at a temperature higher than the melting point of the metal and the softening point of the plastic to form a predetermined shape. By employing this method, hot-pressed molding and injection molding can be omitted, and production costs can be reduced. The conductive filler inside the plastic is in a continuous form.
However, during the process for manufacturing the plastic/metal/plastic laminated plate in the fourth method, the molten metal and the plastic have different viscosity and strength. Therefore, the thickness ratio of the metal to plastic in the laminated plate is very difficult to control. More seriously, during the vacuum molding process, the metal is in the molten state. Thus it has no bonding to the two plastic plates, and thereby, separation of the laminated plate very easily occurs. Even if the separation does not occur, when the laminated plate is attached to the wall of the mold, the metal is in the molten state and is flowing. Thus, the metal liquid will accumulate at slots, holes or other concave sites of the mold, and the resulting product for shielding EMI will have defects and is even strongly distorted.
In addition, the metal used in the fourth method has a melting point lower than the softening point of the plastic. This indicates that the final product can only be applied to a temperature lower than the melting point of the metal. Therefore, when the electronic elements including the product obtained from the fourth method are operated and generate heat at some points, the plastic outer shell and the electronic elements will be destroyed in those areas, causing very severe adverse results.

Superplastic alloy-containing conductive plastic article for shielding electromagnetic interference and process for manufacturing the same


In a transmitting device, a receiving device, and an operation method thereof according to the present invention, in relation to a simultaneous link transmission of divided data through a plurality of heterogeneous networks for one session, particular partial data to be transmitted or received through a network vulnerable to a security problem among divided partial data is forcedly divided and is then transmitted through two or more networks or a partial data packet included in particular partial data is forcedly re-divided and is then transmitted through two or more networks, so as to effectively conceal the service and thereby prevent other people or another party from recognizing the service through copying or intercepting of data packets.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to simultaneous data transmission system and method thereof based on heterogeneous network, and more particularly to a transmitting device, a receiving device, and an operation method thereof, which can guarantee the security of data transmitted or received through heterogeneous networks in simultaneous data transmission environment where data can be transmitted or received through multi-link on heterogeneous networks simultaneously.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, it is common that communication service providers provide various services based on various wireless communication technologies. The service providers have provided services based on WLAN (ex. WiFi) related a short range wireless network, as well as the WCDMA, CDMA, and WiBro. Moreover, they employ a Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology, positively.
In a heterogeneous networks environment including various networks mixed therein as described above, it is conventional scheme for providing data service with a terminal device that the terminal device selects access network for data service among heterogeneous networks. Therefore it can be said that the conventional scheme is not preferable for the service provider because the service provider has limitation on the controllability of the selection of access network.
Meanwhile, these days, various wireless devices, such as a smart phone and a tablet PC, has been developed. In addition, a charge for data service decreased, and simultaneously data service using a large amount of data traffic increased. In such circumstances, the load on the networks of the service providers rapidly increases, thereby requiring excessive expense for network investment and threatening the service stability.
Accordingly, there is a need for a new service scheme for actively selecting an access network in a heterogeneous network environment according to the network state and achieving an efficient data transmission using the selected network.

Transmitting device, receiving device, and operation method thereof


A forging method and a full-enclosed forging die contribute to the alleviation of an enclosing force applied to dies and in which a relatively small enclosing apparatus can be used even with respect to larger-sized products. A tripod type constant velocity universal joint is formed with a tripod member molded with the full-enclosed forging die. The full-enclosed forging die includes openable/closable dies and punches for pressing a material between the dies. From the forging die, the tripod member including a boss portion and shaft portions protruded radially from the boss portion is molded.

In order to form, through full-enclosed forging, a product including a boss portion radially provided with shaft portions, such as a trunnion (tripod member) for constant velocity universal joints and a cross spider for universal joints, a full-enclosed forging die is used.
The full-enclosed forging die is described in Patent Literature 1 or the like, and as illustrated in FIG. 7, includes openable/closable dies 1 and 2 and punches 4 and 5 arranged so as to be operable on a central axis of the dies 1 and 2. Specifically, through pressing with the punches 4 and 5 under a state in which the dies 1 and 2 are closed, a cavity 9 is formed, which corresponds to shapes of shaft portions 7 and a boss portion 8 of a product 6. Thus, a billet (material) is put into the dies, and then clamping is performed. After that, the billet is pressed with the punches 4 and 5 so as to be plastically deformed. As a result, as illustrated in FIG. 8, the product 6 can be formed, which is provided with the boss portion 8 and the shaft portions 7.
Citation List
Patent Literature
    [PTL 1] JP 2003-343592 A

Forging method, closed forging mold and tripod uniform motion universal joint


A reclining table comprising a stationary reclining plate and a back rest pivotally connected to it. A supporting member pivotally connected to said reclining plate near its free end serves for supporting said back rest in various angular positions. Said supporting member has a number of lateral slots for receiving lips of a supporting plate being pivotally connected to said back rest and in that case engaging said back rest. The supporting member is able to support the back rest at an angle of 15° at the most, for example. Beyond that, said supporting plate can be used, which will then cooperate with grooves provided on the reclining plate for supporting the back rest at angles larger than the maximum angle first mentioned. Supporting member and supporting plate are collapsed onto the reclining plate when said back rest is to be brought to the horizontal position.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a reclining table comprising a stationary reclining plate and a back rest pivotally connected to it, with means being provided for supporting the back rest in a number of angular positions in relation to the reclining plate.
2. Description of Related Art
Such a reclining table is known from U.S. Pat. No. 6,003,174. This concerns a reclining table for a patient whose head is to be examined in a scanning device. There, the back rest is connected to a pivot shaft, which is rotatably supported by the reclining plate. With this reclining plate gear wheels are connected having their axes coinciding with the axis of the pivot shaft. The back rest is provided with spring-biased pins, each being pushed into one of the teeth of the accompanying gear wheel in order to support the pivot shaft and with it, the back rest, in a certain position.
For adjusting the back rest, the pins must be pulled out of the teeth of the gear wheels, which is effected by a rod extending parallel to the pivot shaft being connected to the back rest.
It is obvious, that considerable forces are exerted on the pivot shaft, and thus on the pins as well. The structure must be designed for this and is therefore relatively heavy and complicated. Nevertheless it is suited for the intended purpose, since the patient's head must be brought into a relatively small opening of the device concerned.

Reclining table with an adjustable back rest


A system and method for encoding and decoding information by use of radio frequency antennas. The system includes one or more interrogator devices and RFID data tags. The RFID data tags include a plurality of antenna elements which are formed on a substrate or directly on an object. The antenna elements are oriented and have dimensions to provide polarization and phase information, whereby this information represents the encoded information on the RFID tag. The interrogator device scans an area and uses radar imaging technology to create an image of a scanned area. The device receives re-radiated RF signals from the antenna elements on the data tags, whereby the data tags are preferably represented on the image. The re-radiated RF signals preferably include polarization and phase information of each antenna element, whereby the information is utilized using radar signal imaging algorithms to decode the information on the RF data tag.

There are many existing technologies in current development and deployment that implement the desired function of identifying articles, objects, vehicles and personnel. Bar codes and magnetic strips are traditionally familiar as short range devices. More recently, techniques for increasing the read reliability are being used in the general area of radio frequency identification or RFID.
RFID technology utilizes a tag transponder, which is placed on an object, and a reader, also referred to herein as an interrogator, to read and identify the tag. RFID technologies are broadly categorized using "active" tags with the longest range, and "passive tags" with a much shorter range (typically less than 20 feet). The industry categorizes active tags as having a local power source (such as a battery) so that the active tag sends a signal to be read by the interrogator. The industry categorizes passive tags as those whose power is derived from the reader, whereby the passive tag re-transmits or transponds information upon receiving the signal from the reader.
In both of these categories of tags, there is an electronic circuit that is typically in the form of an integrated circuit or silicon chip, whereby the circuit stores and communicates identification data to the reader. In addition to the chip, the tag includes some form of antenna that is electrically connected to the chip. Active tags incorporate an antenna which communicates with the reader from the tag's own power source. For passive tags, the antenna acts as a transducer to convert radio frequency (RF) energy originating from the reader to electrical power, whereby the chip becomes energized and performs the communication function with the reader.
Considering that active and passive tags have electronic circuitry in the form of a chip, the manufacturing costs for each tag is significant. Not only is there a cost associated with the chip itself, but there are also numerous processing steps required in order to place the chip onto the tag. In addition, existing tags require a method of mechanically and electrically connecting the antenna to the chip, which adds to manufacturing costs.
It should also be noted that active and passive RFID tag technologies are fundamentally based on an interrogate-and-then-communicate sequence of operations. Therefore there is an amount of time for the interrogator to read the tag which is dependent on the RF bandwidth and the data rate of the communications channel between the interrogator and the tag. If more than one tag is within range of the interrogator, multiple interfering transmissions can result from the interrogator attempting to read a single tag. Also of note, in the types of RFID systems thus described, there are no straightforward methods to accurately locate and track a tag. The technologies described above provide only a method of identification.
What is needed is a chipless RFID system and method that would provide greater range between the interrogator and the tags, lower manufacturing costs of the tags, and less aggregate read time for multiple tags in proximity to each other. What is also needed is a system which accurately locates and tracks a tag.

RFID system utilizing parametric reradiated technology


Provided are an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and a computer program each processing an application or a program included in an application. The information processing apparatus includes: a starting section that starts a second container separated from a first container where a first node operates to start a second node in the second container; and a proxy managing section that starts a proxy node performing data communication with the first node in the first container on the basis of a predetermined communication model, and performing data communication with the second node in the second container on the basis of the predetermined communication model.

Artificial intelligence (AI) and automation technologies have made remarkable progress in recent years, and are widely spreading in workplaces of various industrial fields. For example, a robot includes a plurality of links, joints connecting the links, and operates by driving of the respective joints using a joint driving actuator such as a motor. In addition, an autonomous vehicle detects information around the vehicle using sensors, so that it is possible to avoid collisions and the like in accordance with autonomous determination.
A system called autonomous type or adaptive control type, such as a robot, autonomously or adaptively performs behavior control without waiting for instructions from an operator or a master apparatus. More specifically, the system constantly verifies (or evaluates or monitors) an outside environment or an inside condition of a robot or the like, and sequentially starts an operation which produces a result suitable for a predetermined transition condition concerning recognition of the outside environment or the inside condition to achieve an action suitable for a current situation (e.g., see PTL 1). Meanwhile, development and manufacture of a system by a single developer become more difficult as complexity of the system increases. Accordingly, a system is generally developed by a plurality of developers. Following several problems may arise when one system is developed by a plurality of developers.
(1) In the case of a system which receives input from sensors or the like having various functions and manages operation of the system used in various modes, a pre-test considering any events has become more difficult to conduct for the system.
(2) A part of the plurality of developers may incorporate a library or the like developed in open sources for a long period of time, such as Linux (registered trademark) operating system (OS) which is a typical example. In this case, management of software quality has become more difficult.
(3) A part of the system may be developed by developers having different management, references or the like of development steps and product operation checking tests. Accordingly, since a manner of checking the product operation or the like differs among developers, in a case where operation failure, malfunction, or a security problem is found at the time of operating the product, rapid and appropriate solutions for such problems have been more demanded than before.
Meanwhile, when a computer system executes an application program, a computer process operating on a processor (hereinafter also abbreviated as a "process") is generated, and managed by an OS. A real-time OS (RTOS) designed to execute respective processes in a scheduled time may be used for a purpose of development of a complex system which places importance on reaction speed performance during real-time processing, such as a robot. For example, a recent RTOS is allowed to use a publisher/subscriber type communication model for communication between individual processes generated and managed by the OS in accordance with a plurality of application programs operating on a system (e.g., see PTL 2).
In the OS using the communication model described above, it is possible to establish communication in a condition in which a process generated for each application program does not recognize beforehand a process generated for a specific application program of a communication partner. Accordingly, addition of a new application program to a system, or change of a part of an application program during execution is achievable relatively easily. However, there also arises such a problem that execution performance or a security problem of the application program newly added or changed during execution is difficult to test beforehand.

Information processing apparatus, information processing method, and computer program


An apparatus for the sanitary collection of dog waste using an extendable pole with a teardrop shaped loop supporting a plastic bag and a method of collecting dog waste by extending the pole and positioning the loop with the plastic bag under the butt of a dog while pooping to collect the dog's waste.

In many cities, there are laws requiring that dog waste be cleaned from city streets and parks and failure to do so may result in fines for the dog owner. Commonly, dog owners use plastic shopping bags and by placing a hand over one side of the bag and scoop around the excrement or poop with their hand. The bag must then be tied around the poop to be disposed of. This practice is unsanitary and at times difficult where all of the poop from the dog must at times be gathered within a single bag. What is not known is a method of catching the waste from the dog while the dog is pooping and a tool to easily clean up the dog waste from the ground once the dog has pooped. The dog waste catcher of the present invention provides a method and a versatile easy to use and carry apparatus for this task.

Apparatus and method for the sanitary collection of dog waste


A method, computer readable medium, and system for providing a mobile communication network includes dynamically forming a plurality of mobile communication devices into one or more clusters based on one or more parameters, each of the one or more clusters having a tree structure. Each of the one or more clusters are at least partially meshed together. At least one virtual identifier is dynamically assigned to each of the plurality of mobile communication devices based on the tree structure of each of the one or more clusters. The virtual identifier provides address information for routing communications between two or more of the plurality of mobile communication devices.

Mobile ad hoc networks are self-configuring networks of mobile communication devices coupled together by wireless links. In these networks, the mobile communication devices are independent devices which can move in any direction with respect to each other. As a result of these independent movements, each of these mobile communication devices often change their links to other mobile communication devices. Additionally, each of these mobile communication devices not only handle their own communications, but must act as routers and forward traffic for other mobile communication devices unrelated to their own use.
Existing mobile ad hoc networks often utilize the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) seven layer network protocol model. The seven layers of this protocol model comprise: Application; Presentation; Session; Transport; Network; Data-Link; and Physical. These layers are established to provide services to layers which are above and below each layer. In particular, the Network layer or layer 3 performs network routing functions and routers operate at this layer.
Although operational, these existing mobile ad hoc networks face ongoing challenges which restrict their effectiveness and efficiency. For example, these networks often have issues in establishing and maintaining uninterrupted communications between mobile communication devices. Additionally, the established links or connection between mobile communication devices often are not the most effective and efficient methods for communications. Further, these networks often require the mobile communication devices to carry predetermined routing tables for routing traffic.

Methods for providing an ad hoc mobile communication network and systems thereof


A method, an apparatus, and a device are provided for information transmission. In the method, the apparatus determines an initial OFDM symbol in OFDM symbols used to transmit load information. The apparatus determines, starting from the initial OFDM symbol, a phase deviation difference between two adjacent OFDM symbols according to first information to be transmitted. The apparatus performs phase deviation on at least one of the OFDM symbols according to the phase deviation difference. The apparatus then sends the OFDM symbols obtained after the phase deviation to a receiving end.

At present, in a wireless network based on orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM), load information is transmitted by using OFDM symbols. For example, in the 802.11a protocol standard, 12 OFDM symbols sent in the beginning are used as a preamble signal, and OFDM symbols following the 12 OFDM symbols are used to transmit load information. The load information is generally a data part of a physical layer, and may include a protocol unit, a data unit, and the like at a media access control (MAC) layer and an upper layer.
However, according to such a method in which load information is transmitted by using OFDM symbols, only the load information can be transmitted by using the OFDM symbols, and other information except the load information cannot be transmitted at the same time when the load information is being transmitted. Consequently, information transmission efficiency and transmission resource utilization are low.

Information transmission method, apparatus, and device


A carpet remover is provided for quickly removing glued-down carpets. The carpet remover includes a rotary power source, particularly a power drive, a take-up shaft, and a coupling mechanism for rotatively connecting the shaft to the power source. The shaft has a means for securing an edge of the carpeting to the shaft. Thus, when the shaft is rotated by the power drive, the carpet is pulled from the floor and rolled up on the shaft. In a preferred embodiment, the shaft is sectional so that the overall shaft length can be changed in response to how firmly the carpet is adhered to the floor. In another preferred embodiment, the shaft can be broken down into arcuate segments and removed while the stripped carpet is still rolled up.

This invention relates generally to devices for removing floor coverings and more particularly to a power-driven device for stripping carpets adhesively attached to a floor.
The use of adhesives to secure floor coverings such as carpet and linoleum to the underlying floor is common. Adhesives are used extensively to install carpet in office buildings and other commercial areas. However, carpeting installed with adhesive is typically very difficult to remove when the time comes for replacement. Manual removal of such carpeting is slow, labor-intensive and expensive. As a result, a number of mechanical and power-driven devices have been proposed for removing glued-down carpets more quickly. Many of these devices comprise large, complex systems that are difficult to transport and set up. Such large devices also require plenty of open space to operate and consequently do not work well in relatively confined spaces where carpeting is often found.
Accordingly, there is a need for a carpet-removing device that removes floor coverings quickly and efficiently, while still being easy to transport and use.


A substrate connection structure includes: a first substrate having stiffness with a first connector mounted on a front face; a second substrate having stiffness with a second connector detachably attached to the first connector mounted on a front face facing the front face of the first substrate; and a restricting member including a projection portion, the restricting member including a plate-like member and being detachably attachable to the first substrate by being moved along a planar surface of the first substrate, the projection portion projecting from the front face of the first substrate and regulating a position of the second substrate relative to the first substrate in a state in which the restricting member is attached to the first substrate, and limiting a direction in which the second substrate is detached when the second connector mounted on the second substrate is detached from the first connector on the first substrate.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a substrate connection structure in which a second connector mounted on a second substrate is detachably attachable to a first connector mounted on a first substrate.
2. Description of the Related Art
Endoscopes are used in, e.g., medical fields and industrial fields. Examples of the endoscopes include what are called electronic endoscopes with an image pickup apparatus incorporated in a distal end portion of an insertion portion thereof. For the electronic endoscopes, there is a demand for image quality enhancement, and thus, e.g., an increase in number of pixels in image pickup devices is being pursued.
In the endoscopes, there is a long transmission passage connecting the image pickup apparatus incorporated in the distal end portion of the insertion portion and, for example, a video processor, which is an external apparatus. Therefore, a relay substrate that amplifies a drive signal for an image pickup device is provided inside the endoscope operation portion to enhance the image quality and reduce a diameter of a signal cable inserted inside the insertion portion.
Inside the endoscope operation portion, many incorporated endoscope components are inserted in addition to the signal cable. Examples of the incorporated endoscope components include, e.g., a light guide fiber bundle for supplying illuminating light, an air feeding tube included in an air feeding conduit, a water feeding tube included in a water feeding conduit, a dual-purpose tube that serves as a suction conduit and a treatment instrument conduit, and bending wires that make a bending portion perform a bending operation.
Thus, the relay substrate is configured to have a small size and is provided in the endoscope operation portion in consideration of assembly and repair workability.
For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2009-277534 indicates a fill-like connector structure that enables reduction in height and space of a connection portion, the connector structure preventing a female connector and a male connector from being separated even when the connector structure is subject to impact or vibration.


There is provided a video recording apparatus including a content accumulation part accumulating video content, a feature extraction processing part extracting an image or voice as a feature from the video content accumulated by the content accumulation part, and obtaining word information from the extracted image or the extracted voice, a word information acquisition part acquiring sorted word information obtained using clustering processing on word information identified from an image captured by a camera, and a content retrieval part retrieving relevant video content from the video content accumulated by the content accumulation part based on the sorted word information acquired by the word information acquisition part and the word information acquired by the feature extraction processing part.

The present disclosure relates to a video recording apparatus, an information processing system, an information processing method, and a recording medium for performing processing utilizing accumulated video content.
Video recording apparatuses accumulating video content such as broadcasting programs are being developed and supplied for practical applications. For example, various kinds of video recording apparatuses using a hard disk drive as a recording medium are being in production. This type of video recording apparatuses tend to have an increasing capacity in which video content can be accumulated along with a larger capacity of the hard disk drive in recent years. For example, a video recording apparatus including a hard disk drive with a capacity of 2 TBytes can accumulate video content with duration of over a thousand hours.
This type of video recording apparatuses have functions of holding information such as titles and dates and times of recording of recorded video content and displaying a title list. Then, the user looks through the title list and picks up content to view from the title list, the content, which is accumulated by the video recording apparatus, played back.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2008-219342 (hereinafter referred to as Patent Literature 1) discloses a technique of extracting text information such as telops in content accumulated by a video recording apparatus, and in addition, acquiring keywords externally distributed. Moreover, Patent Literature 1 discloses a technique of calculating importance of the keywords thus acquired and searching for content in whose text information a keyword of importance is contained from the content accumulated by the video recording apparatus.
As disclosed in this Patent Literature 1, a video recording apparatus acquiring keywords externally distributed enables, for example, to automatically search for content involving recent topics to present it to the user using the video recording apparatus.

Video recording apparatus, information processing system, information processing method, and recording medium


The present invention generally relates to methods for treating the sequela of laminitis in hoofed animals. Benefits are obtained by administering to the animals to be treated injections of Botulinum Toxin in the limb to be treated. In one embodiment, about 100 Units to 600 Units of Type A Botulinum Toxin is injected in multiple injections into the flexor digitorum profundus muscle of an animal's affected limb.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to laminitis in animals. More specifically, the invention comprises a method of treating the sequela of laminitis in animals, particularly horses.
2. Description of the Related Art
Laminitis is a serious medical condition in horses and other hoofed animals, and despite significant advances in veterinarian medicine, remains a major reason for euthanasia of such animals. Laminitis is an inflammation of the lamina (the lamellar attachment between the distal phalanx (coffin bone) and the inner hoof wall. Laminitis is characterized by separation of the hoof wall from the distal phalanx due to the deterioration and detachment of the lamina, which holds the two together. Failure of the laminar attachments, in a majority of cases is limited to the toe region (commonly called rotation). It is hypothesized that without the distal phalanx properly attached to the inside of the hoof wall, the weight of the horse and the forces of locomotion by the deep digital flexor tendon cause the distal phalanx to rotate away from the hoof capsule. This process shears the vasculature and crushes the corium (dermis) of the sole, causing unrelenting pain and a characteristic lameness. Radiographic and necropsy examination of the feet of affected horses show a characteristic rotation of the dorsal border of the distal phalanx away from the dorsum of the hoof wall.
In more rare and significantly more severe cases the failure of attachment can extend around the perimeter of the hoof. This allows the entire bony column to drop within the hoof capsule.
Laminitis can occur secondary to many diseases of the horse, but is common following overeating, colic, fever, shock, pneumonia, injury and obesity.
All hoofed animals, and particularly horses, are susceptible to laminitis and significant economic loss occurs due to severe pain and debilitation of these animals. Due to the insidious nature of the disease process, damage to the laminae often occurs prior to clinical evidence of abnormality.
There is no cure for laminitis. Current medical therapies include identification and treatment of the underlying disease, systemic anti-inflammatory medications and rest. A more aggressive treatment of the sequela of laminitis involves severing the deep digital flexor tendon. Additionally, support of the sole has met with some success utilizing deep sand flooring, peat moss and foam sole pads.
One example of treatment is the application of wedge shoes. Elevation of the heels with wedge shoes reduces the pull of the deep digital flexor tendon on the coffin bone and therefore decreases the stress on the dorsal laminar attachment. However, there are several disadvantages to the wedge shoe therapy. First, the wedge shoe creates additional stresses on other regions of the foot and may cause compression of the hoof capsule during the acute phase. The second disadvantage to wedge shoes involves the method of attaching the wedge shoe to the hoof. If wedge shoes are nailed onto the hoof, the hoof capsule may be compressed, due to the nailing force, potentially leading to further damage. If wedge shoes are glued onto the hoof the horse may be forced to hold one foot up for an extended period of time thereby harming the opposite foot. To reduce risk of further damage it is recommended that wedge shoes are bandaged to the foot during the acute phase. However, if the bandaged shoe slips from the hoof it could cause an abrupt strain on the deep digital flexor tendon and potential further damage to the dorsal laminar attachment. Another disadvantage to wedge shoes is the risk of increased damage if the angle of the wedge does not correspond to each horse's particular condition. Wedge shoes must be designed for each horse on a case by case basis based on the severity of the condition or based on the hoof's adaptation to the condition before any treatment was given. In order to properly treat the condition different horses may require the wedge shoes to be adjusted to different angles. If the angle of the wedge is improper the condition may become more severe.
Surgical transection of the deep digital flexor tendon (DDFT) has also been used to reduce the shearing forces during the acute phase of laminitis. One study reported a 60% survival rate at 2 years after the procedure. Those animals who do recover from the severing of the deep digital flexor tendon are usually not comfortable enough to ride. Even with these issues in mind, current veterinary practices suggest that a deep digital flexor tenotomy is the fastest way to counteract the rotational forces and restore the perfusion and tissue mass to the dorsal regions of the foot.
Accordingly, there is a need for a proactive treatment that effectively treats and/or prevents the laminitis and its sequela. This treatment would effectively treat these conditions without requiring invasive surgery and all the risks and side effects associated with such invasive surgery.

Method for treatment of laminitis in animals


An example operation includes one or more of detecting a fork in a supply-chain by a modeling node, resolving, by the modeling node, a branch prediction to determine a likely access control, generating, by the modeling node, a range of information based on a branch confidence level, and responsive to the resolution of the branch prediction, revoking access from a document or granting a greater access to the document based on the range.

A centralized database stores and maintains data in a single database (e.g., a database server) at one location. This location is often a central computer, for example, a desktop central processing unit (CPU), a server CPU, or a mainframe computer. Information stored on a centralized database is typically accessible from multiple different points. Multiple users or client workstations can work simultaneously on the centralized database, for example, based on a client/server configuration. A centralized database is easy to manage, maintain, and control, especially for purposes of security because of its single location. Within a centralized database, data redundancy is minimized as a single storing place of all data also implies that a given set of data only has one primary record.

Computation and prediction of linked access

International Business Machines Corporation


A basic cell of a gate array device comprises a substrate, a plurality of source/drain diffusion regions being formed in the substrate, at least one gate electrode being located between the adjacent source/drain diffusion regions, a substrate contact region being formed in the substrate and being located in the vicinity of the source/drain diffusion regions, and an insulation film being provided on the source/drain regions and the gate electrode and being provided with contact hole forming regions at which contact holes are to be formed so as to form a plurality of interconnecting channels for making an electric connection between desired regions. Each of the source/drain diffusion regions adjacent to the substrate contact region has a narrower portion located under one interconnecting channel specifically for making one substrate contact and a wider portion located under the other interconnecting channels.

The present invention generally relates to basic cells of gate array devices, and in particular to improvements in a relationship between source/drain diffusion regions and electrode contact holes formed in insulating films formed on the diffusion regions.
A gate array device is an integrated circuit device formed on a a semiconductor chip on which a plurality of basic cells, which are formed by a production process common to all gate array devices, are arranged in the form of matrix. Each basic cell is configured by transistors, diodes, resistors and so on. An interconnecting (or wiring) process is carried out for the basic cells to build desired logic elements and circuits in accordance with designers, specifications.
Most conventional gate array devices are configured by complementary metal oxide semiconductor (hereafter simply referred to as CMOS) transistors. The gate array device of this type is known as a CMOS gate array device. Each of the basic cells contains an n-channel element region and a p-channel element region. For example, the n-channel element region has a p-type well region formed in an n-type silicon substrate. In the p-type well region, there are formed n.sup.+ -type diffusion regions which are source/drain (hereafter simply referred to as S/D) regions. The n.sup.+ -type diffusion regions related to one basic cell are located between adjacent p.sup.+ -type substrate contact regions formed in the p-type well region. One or more gate electrodes are arranged on a gate insulating film and between the adjacent S/D diffusion regions. On the other hand, p.sup.+ -type diffusion regions related to one basic cell are formed in the n-type silicon substrate, and are located between adjacent n.sup.+ -type substrate contact regions formed in the n-type substrate. The gate electrodes are provided on the gate insulating film and between the adjacent S/D diffusion regions.
The S/D regions and the substrate contact regions may be coupled with each other to form desired elements such as CMOS inverters and to make a substrate contact for coupling the S/D regions with the substrate. Conventionally, a plurality of interconnecting (wiring) channels on which interconnecting lines are arranged, are provided for each basic cell. These interconnecting channels extend in a direction of a column composed of basic cells. Actually, the interconnecting lines are laid on an insulating film deposited on the S/D diffusion regions and the gate electrodes. The interconnecting lines mutually connect the S/D regions and substrate contact regions through contact holes formed in the insulating film deposited thereon. The contact holes are filled with material forming the interconnecting lines. The contact holes are formed at predetermined positions on the S/D regions and the substrate contact regions.
However, the conventional basic cells of the gate array device of the above structure have the following disadvantages. As is known, it is very difficult to accurately form the contact holes at predetermined positions. In other words, it is frequently observed that the contact holes are formed in a state where they deviate from the predetermined positions. For example, when contact holes for making the electric contact with the S/D diffusion regions adjacent to the substrate contact regions are formed partially beyond the S/D diffusion regions, a surface portion of the substrate becomes exposed through the contact holes. In this case, when an interconnecting line which is not designed to be coupled with the substrate contact region is provided over the above contact holes, a short circuit occurs between the exposed substrate surface portion and the above S/D diffusion region via the interconnecting line. This problem becomes greater as the integration density increases. In order to prevent the short circuit, a compensated impurity diffusing process must be carried out for the exposed surface portion of the substrate. However, the compensated impurity diffusing process is complex and cumbersome, and takes a long time, because it consists of steps for masking, ion implantation, removal of the resist film, and annealing.
In addition, the conventional basic cell is designed so that the substrate contact can be built by using any one of the plurality of interconnecting channels. For this purpose, the substrate contact regions are formed so as to have the width sufficient to form contact holes at any positions thereof. This prevents an increased integration density from being obtained.


A fluid collection container (100) includes a vessel (101) and a lid (102). A mesh conduit layer (201) is coupled to the vessel so as to span an opening (110) of the vessel and enclose an interior (111) of the vessel. The mesh conduit layer is liquid permeable and serves as a splash retarding mechanism that prevents liquids being transferred through the mesh conduit layer from splashing back. An optional cache (603) of coagulant material can be disposed within an interior of the vessel as well.

1. Technical Field
This invention relates generally to collection devices, and more particularly to fluid collection devices.
2. Background Art
Collection and disposal of fluids can be a complex process. While water can merely be poured down a drain, if the fluid is a toxic, hazardous, or environmentally unfriendly substance, such as a petroleum product or biological waste, care must be taken when collecting, containing, and disposing of such materials. For example, medical professionals, such as those working in a catheter or blood laboratory, must take care to properly dispose of fluids so as to avoid contaminating themselves or the environment with harmful materials.
It would be advantageous to have an improved container suitable for collection and disposal of fluids and other materials.
Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of embodiments of the present invention.

Splash-retarding fluid collection system


The technical solution relates to a mattress for a hospital bed, e.g.: to a therapeutic inflatable mattress and to the improvement of the control system with the help of a detection system comprising a contact member and a valve for optimizing the air pressure in response to the weight distribution and position of the patient on the mattress.

Various types of therapeutic mattresses placed on the loading area of the bed are used for hospital beds. Air mattresses are a known type of therapeutic mattress, for example: active and reactive mattresses. Active mattresses can be further classified into alternating mattresses and non-alternating, or constant, mattresses. Alternating mattresses are characterized in that the pressure in individual air chambers changes, and they are mostly used for the treatment of decubitus that has already formed.
The second type of active mattress is the non-alternating mattress, which is characterized in that it typically constantly has a low pressure. In these mattresses, the pressure between the patient and the mattress is as low as possible, but it is not at the point where the patient's body is touching the loading area of the bed. The advantage of a low pressure is the reduced risk of developing decubitus. However, the process of setting the pressure in active non-alternating mattresses is manual, which is time-consuming and inconvenient for both the patient and the staff. Ideally, the air pressure in the mattress should be set so as to prevent the sensitive parts of the body that are susceptible to the formation of decubitus from touching the fixed section of the bed's loading area. When the air pressure is being set, the weight of the patient and the patient's weight distribution on the mattress must be taken into account. However, it is difficult to the set the pressure optimally, and it can also be time-consuming due to the conditions and positions of the patient. The air pressure is often set to a higher pressure then is necessary in order to ensure the patient's safety, which is detrimental to the patient. A preset higher pressure can also cause the development of decubitus if the mattress does not alternate.
Other problems arise when the loading area of the bed is divided to allow the tilting of the backrest into the raised position and the patient is sitting. In this position, there is a greater load on the air chambers in the section where the patient is sitting. If the compressor for adding air is not activated, an active mattress may sink under the patient's weight and the patient is at risk of developing decubitus, depending on his/her weight and the time for which the patient's body is in contact with the fixed section of the loading area.
There is a wide variety of therapeutic mattresses which try to solve the drop in the preset low pressure in various ways and to prevent the sinkage of the mattress under the patient's weight. For example, some mattresses have a preset higher pressure in the lower air chambers, and in the upper air chambers, the lower pressure is regulated with one-way valves that release pressure in relation to the patient's weight. The control device of these mattresses coordinates the inflation of the upper and lower chamber layers separately, so that the lower layer has a higher pressure than the upper layer. An example of such a solution is the U.S. Pat. No. 6,148,461.
Another technical solution is patent application no.: US2014059781 A1, in this technical solution, sensors for detecting the sinkage depth are used to determine the optimum pressure in the mattress. The sensors are located in the mattress chambers, and they generate a signal that indicates the depth of sinkage into the mattress. Furthermore, the mattress includes air pressure sensors that measure the pressure inside the cells. The appropriate inflation level of the mattress is determined by monitoring the rate of change in the sinkage depth with regard to the air pressure in the chambers, the depth at which the patient is positioned on the support surface and the degree of sinkage there will be. The evaluation of the statuses from the sensors is controlled by the control unit, which then determines the amount of pressure to be added to/released from the chambers. Although this technical solution is very sophisticated, it is also very expensive. If the control unit does not have a backup power source, this type of mattress is non-functional and the patient is at risk of developing decubitus. If the evaluation is erroneous or the equipment is faulty, there can be frequent pressure changes in the chambers, which may be uncomfortable for the patient. Patients may feel like they are on a swing or on waves, which may cause some patients to suffer from nausea.
The third well-known technical solution is U.S. Pat. No. 8,844,079B2, which uses data entered by the user to set the optimal pressure, even data based on bottoming-out. Bottoming-out denotes the pressure value of complete sinkage to which a certain constant is then added so that the sinkage is not a target state. This solution uses sensors and control electronics for the evaluation of data, which they use to set the inflation or deflation of the mattress. The disadvantage of this solution is, once again, its dependence on electronics that can fail. The fact that the user may choose the wrong setting to optimize the pressure may be another drawback. Moreover, this solution is very expensive.

Mattress with automatic pressure optimization


An agricultural apparatus (1) that provides a system of vessels (2) arranged vertically for growing plants that allows crops to be grown in confined areas and in geographic areas where crops cannot normally be grown on various planet surfaces.

Farmland is becoming scarce due to over-development, contamination and environmental issues. Meanwhile, the demand for food is becoming greater every year due to an increasing population.
This has resulted in higher food prices and food shortages, especially in areas where land is at a premium and/or available land is not usable for crop production.
Therefore, a need exists for an agricultural apparatus that provides a system of vessels arranged vertically for growing plants that allows crops to be grown in confined areas and in geographic areas where crops cannot normally be grown on various planet surfaces.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


Exemplary embodiments are generally directed to beverage chillers for chilling a hot beverage so that the hot beverage can be served as a chilled beverage in real time on demand fashion. The beverage chillers include a beverage collection section, a heat exchanger section, and a dispensing section fluidically connected relative to each other. The beverage collection section receives a beverage in a hot state. The heat exchanger section chills the beverage from the hot state to a predetermined chilled temperature. The dispensing section dispenses the beverage at or near the predetermined chilled temperature. Exemplary embodiments are also directed to methods and systems for chilling a hot beverage in real time on demand fashion.

The chilled beverage market, such as iced coffee or iced tea, has evolved into a large and dynamic market where a consumer generally desires a large selection of choice and variety in their chilled beverage. For example, iced coffee beverages have become an integral part of the coffee experience. However, the methods for creating chilled beverages have not evolved beyond the simplistic techniques initially used in the industry.
Some conventional methods for creating a chilled beverage involve placing the hot beverage in a refrigerator or freezer after brewing. Other conventional methods for creating a chilled beverage involve allowing the hot beverage to sit for a period of time at room temperature until the temperature of the beverage has dropped. Some conventional methods involve adding ice directly into the beverage. Some conventional methods involve adding ice formed from the beverage, e.g., ice formed from freezing previously brewed coffee, to the hot beverage. Some conventional methods include cold brewing the beverage and serving the beverage over ice.
However, the conventional methods often used in the industry have several drawbacks. For example, the first two conventional methods discussed above require that the beverage remains in the refrigerator, freezer or at room temperature while the ambient temperature surrounding the beverage causes an overall reduction in the temperature of the beverage. Thus, the beverage is brewed in advance of the time of serving, yielding a stale product that has oxidized and developed off, bitter or sour flavor characteristics. These conventional methods also require storage space for each type or variety of beverage to be served.
With respect to the third conventional method, adding regular ice to the beverage can cause the beverage to become diluted, yielding a weak product if a normal strength beverage has been used. Therefore, in the case of a coffee beverage, additional coffee grounds are used in the brewing process to compensate for the dilution that occurs when regular ice is added, increasing costs for the provider of the beverage.
With respect to the fourth conventional method, adding ice formed from the beverage to the hot beverage requires the advanced preparation of the ice. Since the beverage ice is not fresh, the result is a stale product. The fourth conventional method may also require the creation of beverage ice for each type or variety of beverage to be served in order to avoid inadvertently mixing beverage types or varieties. Adequate storage space, additional labor for production, and additional labor for sorting of the multiple beverage ice types and varieties can therefore be necessitated.
With respect to the fifth conventional method, cold brewing involves soaking, in this example, coffee grinds in cold water for an extended period of time, e.g., approximately ten to twelve hours. In addition to preparing an individual bath for each type or variety of beverage to be served, a cold brewed beverage cannot be quickly replenished if a low inventory occurs. Advanced preparation and coordination is therefore required to have a steady supply of cold brewed coffee on hand.
Thus, the conventional methods used in the preparation of a chilled beverage from a hot beverage result in a limited number of chilled beverage types or varieties, none of which can be served freshly brewed.

Beverage chiller and associated systems and methods


A steam-generative warming device 10 having a steam generating element 30 that releases steam in association with heat generation accompanying the oxidation of an oxidizable metal. The steam generative warming device 10 contains a capsaicin analog and a menthol in a capsaicin analog/menthol mass ratio of 1/300 to 1/20000. It is preferred that the capsaicin analog be present in an element adapted to be brought into direct contact with the user's skin and the menthol be present in an element adapted not to be brought into contact with the user's skin.

In the field of warming devices utilizing heat generation by oxidation of iron powder, incorporation of capsaicin or menthol into warming devices is known. For example, patent literature 1 below describes a warming device including an air permeable bag containing a heat generative material capable of heat generation on contact with air and a plaster layer on the skin contact side of the bag, the plaster layer containing an effective ingredient of plaster, such as a capsicum extract or l-menthol.
Patent literature 2 below discloses a warming sheet including a pressure sensitive adhesive layer and a heat generating layer containing a heat generating substance, the pressure sensitive adhesive layer containing heat generative gel comprising a polyhydric alcohol and a polymer soluble or swellable in the polyhydric alcohol. The literature mentions that the heat generative gel may contain capsicum and l-menthol.
Apart from warming devices, it is known that a medicated composition for external use, such as an external preparation or a patch, may contain a warming sensate component having a 4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl group and a warming sensate component having a vanillylamide group, such as capsaicin (see patent literature 3 below).


A package includes a master chip including a storage circuit configured to store an impedance setting of the master chip and an impedance setting of a slave chip, and a termination circuit for an impedance matching with an outside of the package, and the slave chip connected to the master chip, wherein if a termination operation for the slave chip is activated, the termination circuit of the master chip performs an impedance matching operation using the impedance setting for the slave chip.

1. Field
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention relate to a semiconductor package, and more particularly, to a semiconductor package including multiple chips.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, the necessity of semiconductor devices capable of storing a large amount of data or processing a large amount of data in a short time. In addition, semiconductor devices that are capable of performing various functions have gradually increased. Accordingly, semiconductor devices are fabricated according to a method of stacking a plurality of chips performing the same function or different functions in one semiconductor package.
FIG. 1 is a diagram explaining an impedance matching operation in a package including a plurality of chips.
Referring to FIG. 1, an integrated circuit system includes a controller chip 110 and a semiconductor package 120 including a plurality of chips 121 to 124.
The controller chip 110 serves as a controller to control the plurality of chips 121 to 124 provided in the package 120. The plurality of chips 121 to 124 refer to chips, which perform specific operations based on the control of the controller chip 110. For example, the controller chip 110 may include a memory controller, and each of the chips 121 to 124 may include a memory.
Between the controller chip 110 and the package 120, an I/O channel I/O CHANNEL is provided to transmit and receive signals (data). The I/O channel I/O CHANNEL is connected to all of the chips 121 to 124, and each of the chips 121 to 124 exchanges signals with the controller chip 110 through the I/O channel I/O CHANNEL. FIG. 1 illustrates that the I/O channel I/O CHANNEL consists of N lines.
Chip select signals CS0 to CS3 are allocated to the plurality of chips 121 to 124 in the package 120, respectively. Each of the chip select signals CS0 to CS3 decides which chip is to exchange signals with the controller chip 110 among the plurality of chips 121 and 124. For example, while the chip select signal CS2 is activated, the chip 123 transmits and receives signals through the I/O channel I/O CHANNEL based on the control of the controller chip 110.
The respective chips 121 and 124 store their impedance settings therein, and include termination circuits 141 to 144 provided therein, respectively. The termination circuits 141 to 144 are configured to terminate the I/O channel I/O CHANNEL to the stored impedance settings to have an impedance matching. The termination operations of the termination circuits 141 to 144 are performed when the termination signals ODT0 to ODT3 allocated to the respective chips 121 to 124 are activated. The plurality of chips 121 to 124 may have different impedance settings, and the termination operations of the respective chips 121 to 124 may be performed at the same time. For example, the impedance setting of the chip 121 may be set to 60Ω, and the impedance setting of the chip 122 may be set to 120Ω. When the termination signal ODT0 is activated, the termination circuit 141 of the chip 121 terminates the I/O channel I/O CHANNEL to 60Ω, and when the termination signal ODT1 is activated, the termination circuit 142 of the chip 122 terminates the I/O channel I/O CHANNEL to 120Ω. Furthermore, when the termination signal ODT0 and the termination signal ODT1 are activated at the same time, the termination circuits 141 and 142 of the chips 121 and 122 terminate the I/O channel I/O CHANNEL at the same time. Therefore, the I/O channel I/O CHANNEL is terminated to 40Ω, which is a parallel impedance value of 60Ω and 120Ω.
That is, when the I/O channel I/O CHANNEL is connected to the respective chips 121 to 124 in the package 120 and the termination circuits 141 to 144 are provided in the respective chips 121 to 124 as illustrated in FIG. 1, the controller chip 110 may set different impedance values for the respective chips 121 to 124, and the number of chips whose termination operations are enabled may be controlled by selecting chips whose termination operations are enabled among the plurality of chips. Accordingly, it is possible to freely control the impedance value to which the I/O channel I/O CHANNEL is terminated.

Semiconductor package including multiple chips and memory system having the same


The present invention relates to methods and compositions comprising compounds that treat pathophysiological conditions arising from inflammatory responses. In particular, the present invention is directed to compounds that inhibit or block glycated protein produced induction of the signaling-associated inflammatory response in endothelial cells. The present invention relates to compounds that inhibit smooth muscle proliferation. In particular, the present invention is directed to compounds that inhibit smooth muscle cell proliferation by modulating HSPGs such as Perlecan. The present invention further relates to the use of compounds to treat vascular occlusive conditions characterized by smooth muscle proliferation such as restenosis and atherosclerosis.

Synthesis of novel compounds leads to new possibilities for discovery of novel therapeutic interventions. By using structure and activity relationship investigations, compounds can be tailored so that the compounds have at least one activity that can be predicted from its structure. Using high-throughput assays allows for the rapid determination of the activity of the newly synthesized compounds.
Novel compounds for new therapeutic interventions are needed for many areas of medicine and disease treatment. For example, chronic and acute inflammatory conditions form the basis for diseases affecting all organ systems including, but not limited to, asthma, acute inflammatory diseases, vascular inflammatory disease, chronic inflammation, atherosclerosis, angiopathy, myocarditis, nephritis, Crohn's disease, arthritis, type I and II diabetes and associated vascular pathologies. The incidence of these inflammatory conditions is on the rise in the population as a whole, with diabetes alone affecting 16 million people.
While inflammation in and of itself is a normal immune response, chronic inflammation leads to complications and ongoing system damage due to the interactions of unknown cellular factors. In particular, chronic inflammation can cause endothelial damage resulting in vascular complications. Coronary artery, cerbrovascular and peripheral vascular disease resulting from atherosclerotic and thromboembolic macroangiopathy are the primary causes of mortality in chronic inflammatory diseases.
Many humans and animals have limited lifespans and lifestyles because of conditions relating to lifestyle choices, such as diet and exercise, or because of genetic predispositions to develop a disease. For example, vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation is a common consequence of endothelial injury and is believed to be an early pathogenetic event in the formation of atherosclerotic plaques or complications related to vascular injury or as a result surgical interventions. Abnormal vascular smooth muscle cell (SMC) proliferation is thought to contribute to the pathogenesis of vascular occlusive lesions, including arteriosclerosis, atherosclerosis, restenosis, and graft atherosclerosis after organ transplantation.
Percutaneous coronary artery intervention (PTCA) procedures are the most common in-patient hospital procedure in the United States. According to the American Heart Association, about one-third of the patients that undergo balloon angioplasty have restenosis of the widened segment of the vessel within approximately 6 months. It may be necessary to perform another angioplasty or coronary artery bypass surgery on restenosed arteries. A key feature of restenosis is an injury response that results in activation of an inflammatory cascade and remodeling of the cells both inside and outside the carotid artery wall. This includes excessive growth of connective tissue and smooth muscle into the lumen of the artery known as neointimal hyperplasia. Currently there are no effective pharmacological treatments available that control the pathogenesis of vascular occlusive lesions, such as, but not limited to, arteriosclerosis, atherosclerosis, restenosis, and graft atherosclerosis after organ transplantation. Identification of effective therapeutics with minimal side effects will restore quality of life without requiring additional surgical procedures such as coronary artery bypass surgery.
Control or modulation of factors produced by the body in response to injury, surgery, metabolic factors or loss of control of in feedback mechanisms, leading to too much or too little of a factor has long been the goal of administering pharmacological agents. One disease that rapidly growing in the industrialized countries is the occurrence of diabetes and all of its attendant sequellae. One of the factors important in the damage associated with diabetes is the presence of glycated proteins.
Glycated proteins and advanced glycation end products (AGE) contribute to cellular damage, particularly, diabetic tissue injury, by at least by two major mechanisms; modulation of cellular functions through interactions with specific cell surface receptors, and alteration of the extracellular matrix leading to the formation of protein cross-links. Studies suggest that glycated protein and AGE interactions with cells may promote inflammatory processes and oxidative cellular injury. AGE increases lipoprotein oxidisability and atherogenicity. Its binding to matrix proteins induces synthesis of cytokines and activates cellular messangers. Diseases where glycated protein and AGE accumulation is a suspected etiological factor include vascular complications of diabetes, microangiopathies, renal insufficiency and Alzheimer's disease.
The exact mechanisms by which high plasma glucose, as seen in diabetes, causes microvascular damage are not completely understood. One potential mechanism by which hyperglycemia can be linked to microangiopathies is through the process of non-enzymatic glycation of critical proteins. Non-enzymatic glycation, i.e. the linking of proteins with glucose, leads to the formation of glycated proteins. The first step in this glycation pathway involves the non-enzymatic condensation of glucose with free amino groups in the protein, primarily the epsilon-amino groups of lysine residues, forming the Amadori adducts. These early glycation products can undergo further reactions such as rearrangements, dehydration and condensations to form irreversible advanced glycation end products (AGE). These are a highly reactive group of molecules whose interaction with specific receptors on the cell-surface which are thought to lead to pathogenic outcomes.
Other major area of disease of where treatments are needed and for which adequate and effective therapies do not exist are cellular proliferative disorders, or disorders caused by unwanted or unintended cellular growth. As mentioned, smooth muscle cell (SMC) hyperplasia is a major event in the development of atherosclerosis and is also responsible for the significant number of failure rates following vascular procedures such as angioplasty, stent implantation and coronary artery bypass surgery. In the normal vessel, SMC are quiescent, but they proliferate when damage to the endothelium occurs. Naturally occurring growth modulators, many of which are derived from the endothelium, tightly control SMC proliferation in vivo. When the control becomes unregulated, a pathological state is induced in the subject.
Another major area of unwanted cellular growth, that is unchecked by the body's regulatory systems, is cancer or oncological conditions. Many therapies have been used and are being used in an effort to restore health or at least stop the unwanted cell growth. Many times, therapeutic agents can have an effect individually, but often, therapeutic regimes require combinations of different pharmacological agents with treatments such as surgery or radiation.
There is a present need for treatments of chronic or acute diseases, such as atherosclerosis, unwanted cellular growth or cellular proliferation, diabetes, inflammatory conditions and vascular occlusive pathologic conditions, because occurrence is frequent, the currently available treatments are costly and the conditions are refractory to many pharmacological therapies. The mechanisms involved in the control or prevention of such diseases are not clear and there exists a need for preventive and therapeutic treatments of these and other diseases Thus, what is presently needed are novel compounds that find utility in methods and compositions for treatment and prevention of chronic and acute diseases.

Methods and compositions of novel triazine compounds


A method of automating a build verification procedure for panels executable in a Multiple Virtual Storage (MVS) environment which contains fast path commands. Fast path commands are commands that are entered by a user to go directly to panels/options they want. Ideally, a test of the commands should occur in the environment for which they were created. A terminal network simulation tool is used to create a model of the panels/options to be verified. The network simulation tool is used to automatically establish a multiple virtual storage terminal session linked to the model. The sequential application of a plurality of fast path commands is automatically applied against the model and the results recorded.

The automation of repetitive human tasks in a build verification process leads to increased productivity and improved quality. Build verification consists of determining whether proper functional operation is maintained after modules are linked together to create a product. The build verification process must be repeated following any change to any one of the individual modules comprising the product, thereby resulting in a large number of build verifications for even the simplest products.
The problem is further exacerbated when National Language Support (NLS) is required. Each English language panel must be translated to its foreign equivalent. For a product like OfficeVision/Multiple Virtual Support (OV/MVS), marketed by the International Business Machines Corporation (IBM Corp.), NLS required translations into over 19 foreign languages. OfficeVision/Multiple Virtual Support required many builds during the NLS translation task with build verification conducted by a tester manually stepping through the verification procedures. It should be recognized that build verification varies with the product under test thereby making the automation process even more difficult. For example, OfficeVision/Multiple Virtual Support is composed of Application System (AS), Personal Service (PS), and Calendar functions. Proper build verification, for NLS translation purposes, required the product be loaded into its working environment and the user displays checked using fast path commands. Fast path commands are commands that are entered by a user to go directly to panels/options they want, instead of going serially through all the panels/options available. It is in effect, a "short cut", permitting a user to directly access the final panel/option in a chain. OV/MVS required a tester check over 91 fast path commands for proper operation during the build verification process while the product was resident in its operating environment. Human errors often resulted when a tester failed to check one of these fast path commands. For OV/MVS, build verification required a tester spend at least fifteen minutes per language checking the fast path commands for approximately 10-25 builds per week with the resultant build verification consuming over three hours of a tester time.
Consequently, what is needed is a technique for automating the build verification procedure to insure that a complete and accurate check has been conducted in the shortest possible time.

Method of automating a build verification process


A vehicle computing system with a monitor (24) that displays selection menus (40), information with hypertext-linked words (50) (Hyperlinks) and a selection market (47) (Cursor), a rotary-/push button (26,27), and a cursor control device (18) which moves the cursor (47) per the control signals of the rotary-/push buttons (26,27). The cursor control device (18) includes a hyperlink detection unit (20), which in a first operating mode (Link-Mode) recognizes the displayed hyperlinks (50) on the monitor and moves the cursor (47) via operation of the rotary-/push buttons (26,27) from one hyperlink (50) to the next. The hyperlink detection unit (20) generates an additional hyperlink (52) that is independent of the displayed information, the selection of which enables a switch to a second operating mode. A method of controlling a selection marker in the above-described vehicle computing system is also disclosed.

The present invention relates to an in-car computing system comprising a display screen for displaying selection menus, information containing hyperlinks and a selection mark (cursor), a rotary-/push button switch, and a cursor control device adapted to move the cursor on the display screen in response to control signals from the rotary-/push button switch. The invention further relates to a method for controlling a selection mark in an in-car computing system.
In-car computing systems are employed in vehicles to an increasing extent. The applicant offers for example such an in-car computing system under the name xe2x80x9cCarPCxe2x80x9d. Several systems which have been realized separately in the past, for example navigation system, radio, etc., will be bundled up by using the in-car computing system. To operate the in-car computing system, so-called rotary-/push button switches are used, wherein the rotary switch serves to select a function and the push button switch serves to activate it.
Presently, also a so-called browser is integrated in an in-car computing system for displaying Internet and/or WAP contents. An advantageous specific feature of Internet contents is the possibility to reach fastly other related contents by using so-called hyperlinks. In a stationary PC the selection and activation of these hyperlinks is readily possible by moving a PC mouse and, hence, the cursor two-dimensionally in. An implementation of this concept in a vehicle would require a respective operating device which allows a two-dimensional movement of the cursor.
Due to ergonomic reasons, such a two-dimensional operating device, for example a crossed four-way switch, is not advantageous. Particularly, positioning the cursor on a hyperlink is hardly possible during a drive due to vibrations. Moreover, existing systems with rotary-/push button switches may not be upgraded with the browser function.
From DE 199 44 324 A1, a multifunction operating device for installation in a vehicle is known. It comprises a rotary switch for selecting functions, which will be displayed within a display area on a display screen, the multifunction operating device comprising a combination of a rotary switch and several push button switches. The push button switches are arranged around the rotary switch and are designed such that they may be distinguished haptically. The arrangement of the display fields associated with the push button switches on the display screen corresponds at least to the arrangement of the push button switches.
The disadvantage of this multifunction operating device is that a plurality of push button switches are required in addition to the classical rotary switch.
From U.S. Pat. No. 6,023,701, a method for a computing system is known which allows to extract hyperlinks from an Internet page without displaying these Internet pages on the computer screen.
In view of the above, the object of the present invention is to provide an in-car computing system which allows the integration of a browser function despite the use of a rotary-/push button switch and without the necessity of additional push button switches.
In the in-car computing system of the afore-mentioned kind, this object is solved such that the cursor control device comprises a hyperlink detection unit which in a first operation mode (link mode) detects the hyperlinks displayed on the display screen and moves the cursor from one hyperlink to the next when operating the rotary-/push button switch, and the hyperlink detecting unit generates a hyperlink (xe2x80x9cmenuxe2x80x9d) independent of the information displayed, the selection of the hyperlink allows switching in a second operation mode (menu-mode).
I.e. with other words, that the in-car computing system scans the browser contents on the display screen for hyperlinks and detects their position on the screen. The in-car computing system extracts with other words the hyperlinks from the displayed Internet contents and creates a list containing the associated screen coordinates. Operation of the rotary switch causes the cursor to move from one hyperlink position to the next, regardless where the hyperlink is displayed on the screen. As soon as the user reaches the desired hyperlink, he may request the respective contents by pushing the push button switch. By creating an additional hyperlink, it is allowed to switch to another operation mode by selecting this hyperlink without the necessity of providing a further operating device.
Hence, the afore-mentioned measures result in the advantage that the user may use a simple one-dimensional rotary switch for navigation, although the cursor itself is actually moved two-dimensionally. A significantly simplified operation may be achieved compared with two-dimensional operating devices, like crossed four-way switches, etc. Moreover, a hard key which was necessary to switch in the menu mode, may be abandoned. The hyperlink generated by the hyperlink detecting unit and not being part of the displayed Internet page may be selected and activated by rotating the rotary-/push button switch.
A further advantage is that existing in-car computing systems employing the mentioned rotary-/push button switch may be upgraded with a browser function.
In a preferred embodiment, the in-car computing system is arranged such that when switching from the menu mode to the link mode, a selection menu displayed on the display screen drives out of the screen, and when switching from the link mode to the menu mode, it drives into the screen.
This has the advantage that the selection menu does not obstruct the display of information on the screen. However, in order to inform the user in the link mode about those selection items which are contained in the selection menu, it is preferred to display a symbol, particularly a letter or a picture, for each menu item of the selection menu. This display requires significantly less space and, hence, obstructs the display of information slightly. Nevertheless, the user has always the possibility by means of the displayed symbols to inform himself about the existing menu items.
The object underlying the present invention is also solved by a method for controlling a selection mark in an in-car computing system such that in a first operation mode (link mode) the hyperlinks displayed on the screen are detected and the cursor is moved from one hyperlink to the next when actuating the rotary-/push button switch to allow the selection of one of the hyperlinks, wherein in the link mode an additional hyperlink is displayed on the display screen, which is selectable by actuating the rotary-/push button switch and allows switching from the link mode into the menu mode.
As already set forth in connection with the in-car computing system according to the present invention, the advantage of the method according to the present invention is that by using a simple rotary-/push button switch, a navigation within an Internet or WAP page is possible. Further, the advantages mentioned above are also achieved by this method.
It is preferred that the selection menu drives out of the display screen when switching to the link mode and drives into the screen when switching to the other mode. It is further preferred to display a symbol at the screen margin for each menu item of the selection menu, the activated menu item being highlighted, preferably by color.
This measure results in an improved ergonomic operation of the in-car computing system. Further advantages and embodiments of the present invention will be apparent from the description and the enclosed drawings.
It is to be understood that the features mentioned above and those yet to be explained below can be used not only in the respective combinations indicated, but also in other combinations or in isolation, without leaving the scope of the present invention.

In-car computing system and method for controlling a selection mark in an in-car computing system


The device includes elements of a processing unit which determine a limit trajectory representing a flight trajectory which is compatible with the aircraft performance during the approach and which shows the limits for the flight of the aircraft. For example, a vertical profile and a horizontal trajectory are determined, with the horizontal trajectory being non-linear so that the energy of the aircraft can be sufficiently dissipated before final approach along an approach axis, while also avoiding obstacles. Thus, a flight trajectory is determined even when the aircraft has deviated from a flight plan and approach axis.

As known, commercial aircrafts and from now on a lot of aircrafts belonging to the general aviation, are provided with on-board avionics systems allowing to define and memorize a full flight plan as well as to calculate the current position of the aircraft and to guide it according to a programmed trajectory. The latter is generally previously discussed with the authorities in charge of managing the air traffic.
As long as the aircraft follows the programmed trajectory, the avionics system has available all the information needed for managing the evolution of the speed vector of the aircraft, including in this process optimization objectives, possible constraints on the trajectory and the respect of the aircraft performance. On the other hand, when the aircraft deviates from the original flight plan, the on-board systems do not have available all the information needed for predicting and fully managing the evolution of the future trajectory. The latter could be the result of a sequence of instructions from the air traffic control, and most often of a discussion between the pilots and the ground control in the case of a radar guidance, or it could be completely managed by the pilots, for instance upon a sight approach phase. Whatever the situation being considered, humans actors should therefore each time determine, evaluate and implement the trajectory.
The present invention aims at solving these drawbacks and at aiding pilots during the approach phase.
A common radar guidance by the air traffic control is a relatively simple approach method for the pilots. On the other hand, when the external situation becomes complicated, for instance because of bad weather conditions or a very large number of airplanes converging to the runway, it could happen that the interception heading of the approach axis proposed by the air traffic control, or a delayed descent authorization, results in the aircraft following a trajectory that does not allow to dissipate all the energy. There is then a risk of over-speed, or in general of the usual conditions referred to as "stabilized approach" not being met.
The same risks could occur when pilots are authorized to carry out a sight approach phase. In such a situation, tiredness, operational pressure, lack of reference points on the ground (for instance upon a night approach phase on the sea) and/or lack of training are all factors able to result in a bad evaluation of the trajectory to be followed.
The present invention aims at solving these drawbacks. It relates to a method for aiding the crew of an aircraft, in particular of a transport airplane, upon an approach phase for the purpose of landing on a landing runway of an airport.

Method and device for aiding the approach of an aircraft during an approach phase for the purpose of landing