The present invention provides a technique for retrieving pictures from a large database that is less complex and uses significantly less memory and computational resources than current techniques. This is accomplished by determining representative data vectors based on a tolerance distance that represents data vectors in a given vector space that defines the picture to extract features of the picture that facilitates in retrieving pictures.

Picture database systems are used to store and manage large amounts of picture data. Picture data can include data such as still pictures (picture data) and motion pictures (video data). Such large picture databases are difficult to browse using text search if the user wants to search for pictures having similar color content. In such large databases, picture features are added to each picture to facilitate faster retrieval of pictures of interest. Users can query such databases based on these added features to retrieve an pictures of interest. One such feature is dominant colors in a picture.
Dominant colors of a picture are defined as the colors that are perceptually dominant in the picture. For example, dominant colors of a picture of a rose plant can be the colors of the rose and the plant. Dominant colors are one of the key features the human mind generally remembers about a picture. In a large picture database, a particular picture of interest can be retrieved efficiently, by specifying one or more dominant colors. Therefore, efficient algorithms are crucial for automatic extraction of dominant colors in stored pictures.
In the past, dominant colors were determined manually by evaluation, one picture at a time, by a trained person. A manual process has two drawbacks, first the number of pictures in modern picture databases can be extremely large and the work involved in manual evaluation can be very tedious. Second in the manual process, the subjective judgment of the evaluator plays a major role in deciding the dominant colors. To overcome theses problems, automatic methods including algorithms have evolved, such as, color group methods and iterative methods for finding dominant colors in a picture stored in large databases.
Color group methods use a set of representative colors. Representative colors are decided manually or derived by quantizing the color space. The colors of each of the pixels in a picture are mapped to the representative colors. The representative colors having the most mappings are considered to be the dominant colors of the picture. However, these methods suffer from quantization effects. For example, pixels in a boundary of a dominant color can be counted in two different representative colors and not as a dominant color.
Iterative methods are automatic solutions to the problem. Here the mathematical models are designed to find representative vectors in the three-dimensional color space. In these methods, the color values of pixels are clustered to get a representative color value for each cluster. These representative colors are used as dominant colors. These methods are iterative and can result in an unknown number of clusters. Clusters that are too close to each other can end up representing visually the same colors. Clusters that are too far from each other can end up encompassing visually different colors into one color.
In a digital video sequence, flow fields of still pictures (pictures) are calculated to represent motion, edge, texture and so on. The flow fields are in two-dimensional vector space having magnitude and direction. Finding the representative vectors in these vector flow fields is a basic problem in analyzing or representing them. The mathematical formulation of this problem is also the problem of finding the representative vectors in 2D vector space. In this method, the vectors are clustered to get representative vectors. Again, this method is very iterative and can result in an unknown number of clusters. Clusters that are too close to each other represent visually the same flow vectors; and clusters that are too far from each other can end up encompassing visually different flow vectors into one representative flow vector.
Due to the above-described problems and restrictions, current algorithms to extract dominant colors from picture in large databases are generally very complex and computationally very intensive. Further, current methods measure the distance between color vectors using Euclidean in CIE-LUV color space. This requires a conversion of RGB to CIE-LUV color space. The conversion of RGB to CIE-LUV color space is very iterative, computationally intensive, and complex. Therefore, such methods generally require a lot of memory and computational resources.
Therefore, there is a need for an algorithm that can automatically extract dominant colors from pictures stored in large databases without requiring a lot of memory and computational resources. There is also a need for an algorithm that is less complex and does not require conversion of RGB to CIE-LUV color space when extracting dominant colors in stored pictures.

Method for finding representative vectors in a class of vector spaces

Sasken Communication Technologies Limited


A fire-extinguishing, material-containing, launching apparatus has a bore in which a projecting or launching wall releasably seats a canister of fire-extinguishing material. The apparatus includes a hollow tube which is disposed the launching wall and biasing member such as a spring, which normally urges the wall toward an open end of the tube. The wall is restrained from movement through an actuator rod, the forward end of which defines a retention member. Guide slots provided in the tube limit the movement of the launching wall.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to apparatus for assisting in putting out fires and, more particularly, to a mechanical, spring loaded gun having a barrel for launching a fire-extinguishing canister.
2. The Prior Art
Mechanical apparatus for launching objects are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,777,436 to Renner; and 5,690,089 to Ward. Further, apparatus for remote fire fighting and extinguishing fires is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,696,347 to Stolov; 5,507,350 to Primlani; and 5,778,984 to Suwa.
There is always on ongoing need for improvements in fire fighting techniques and apparatus therefor.
Accordingly, the primary object of this invention is the provision of a simple yet efficient apparatus for easily loading, aiming, and launching a canister or like object for extinguishing a fire.
According to a preferred embodiment of this invention, there is provided a fire out launcher apparatus for launching a fire extinguishing canister, the launcher apparatus comprising:
an elongated substantially cylindrical launch tube with a hollow interior and an open end for receiving and inserting the canister into the interior of the tube,
first and second walls, said first wall being fixedly disposed in said interior remote to the open end, and said second wall being disposed for movement within said tube between a first position proximate to said first wall and a second position proximate to the open end of said tube, said second wall being generally planar and having a first face facing inwardly towards said first wall and a second face facing outwardly towards said open end,
means disposed between said walls for forcing the second wall towards the open end of the tube, and
means for releasably restraining the second wall in said first position, said means for releasably restraining including a retention member adapted to seat against the second face and restrain the second wall in the first position and be released from seated engagement and release the second wall for movement to said second position.
Preferably and according to this invention, the means for releasably restraining comprises an axially elongated actuator rod, and means for mounting the actuator rod for movement between a wall engaging position, corresponding to the first position wherein the retention member engages the second wall, and a wall releasing position. The actuator rod has a forward end portion in the form of said retention member and a rearward end portion in the form of an actuator trigger. The forward end portion of the actuator rod passes though the bore whereby the retention member may engage the second wall when the second wall is in the first position.
The means for mounting the actuator rod includes a pivot pin, the pivot pin mounting the actuator rod for rotation about its axis, a stop member which positions the actuator rod such that the axis of the actuator rod and the tube are substantially aligned and the retention member is in the wall engaging position, and means for biasing the retention member into the wall engaging position.
The means for biasing is a spring member that is connected to the medial portion of the actuator rod and to the tube structure. The spring member is disposed in the tube at a location between the pin and the retention member and could be a coil spring under compression, acting to push the actuator rod, or a coil spring under tension, acting to pull the actuator rod.
The actuator trigger is adapted to overcome the force provided by the spring member and pivot the forward end portion of the actuator rod downwardly and the retention member thereof from engagement with the second surface. This rotation moves the retention member centrally of the bore, thereby allowing the second wall to be forced towards the open end by the coil spring.
Preferably and according to this invention the launch tube includes a pair of axially extending guide slots, and an elongated handle having opposite hand gripping portions. The handle is connected to the second wall and the gripping portions extend through a respective guide slot to guide the forward motion of the second wall and to manually retract the second wall from the second position. The guide slots limit the forward travel of the second wall.
Further and according to this invention there is provided means gripped by one hand for positioning and aiming the forward end portion of the launch tube when the trigger is gripped by the second hand. The means for positioning and aiming comprises a handle grip foldably connected to the lower forward end portion of the tube and a sighting element foldably connected to the upper forward end portion of the tube. In operation the handle grip and sight element are rotated by the user from a first storage position in snug folded relation against the tube and into a second use position projecting outwardly out the tube.
Further and according to this invention, the means for forcing comprises a coil spring the opposite axial ends of which engage the first and second walls and normally biases the second wall forwardly towards the open end of the tube, and the second wall is provided with a bore that passes between the first and second faces.


A process for the destruction of microorganisms on a product using ultrasonic energy is disclosed. The process comprises contacting a product with an ultrasonic horn assembly and generating ultrasonic energy sufficient to result in a microorganism destruction rate of at least a 1-log kill.

Wherever there is a source of nutrition and moisture, microorganisms will grow. This is often the case even in extreme environmental conditions. These microorganisms may spoil food, interfere with manufacturing processes, decay consumer products, or affect human health. Consumer products require the substantial elimination of these unwanted microorganisms, since these products are frequently the delivery means for bringing the microorganisms into or onto the human body. Consumer products that can carry microorganisms include paper products, foodstuffs, clothing, medical devices, cosmetics, and a multitude of other consumer health and hygiene products.
In addition to the need for reducing the number of microorganisms on consumer products, recent bioterror attacks have prompted the need for the decontamination of products that have been purposefully tainted with microorganisms. Aerosolized anthrax spores (Bacillus anthracis) have been inserted in and upon articles of mail, resulting in infection and death. Thus, there is a need to protect postal employees and potential recipients of microorganism-tainted letters and packages sent through the mail.
Control of microbial growth can be achieved by inhibition of growth, killing, or removing the microorganisms from the environment. Pasteurization and sterilization are common means to control microbial growth. Pasteurization is the process of removing or reducing the level of harmful bacteria from a product. Sterilization is the process of killing or removing all living organisms and viruses from a product. Microorganism death is an exponential function; therefore it is linear when plotted on a log scale. The rate of microbial destruction is termed an "x-log reduction" or "x-log kill," which corresponds to the percentage of microorganisms killed or inactivated. For example, if 99% of all microorganisms in or on a given product have been killed or inactivated, this is equivalent to a 2-log kill. If 99.9% of all microorganisms in or on a given product have been killed or inactivated, this is equivalent to a 3-log kill; and so on. A 6-log kill, wherein 99.9999% of all microorganisms have been killed or inactivated, is the destruction rate at which a product is considered "sterilized."
Several methods exist to assist in the decontamination of microorganisms from products. For example, many manufacturing processes employ biocides in process streams and/or post-process treatment of the finished product. However, process stream biocide treatments can be ineffective and harmful to the environment. Other methods include autoclave sterilization, which involves using steam under pressure. The high heat and pressure of autoclave sterilization destroys many pathogenic bacteria. However, steam heat cannot be used in many applications because the elevated temperatures and wet environment would destroy the aesthetic and functional properties of the product.
Electromagnetic irradiation is another method for removing or reducing the amount of microorganisms in or on products. Microwaves, ultraviolet (UV) radiation, X-rays, and gamma rays from sources such as Cobalt 60 are commonly used to reduce the number of pathogens in or on products. UV irradiation, which does not penetrate solid, opaque, or light absorbing materials, can be useful for decontaminating ambient air, surfaces, and liquids that do not absorb the UV waves. Gamma rays and X-rays are more penetrating, and can be used to decontaminate a wider range of products. However, these decontamination methods are relatively more expensive, difficult to use, and require a substantial amount of shielding between the workers and the radiation source. Another significant disadvantage of gamma irradiation is the relatively long exposure time required to effectively decontaminate the product. This, coupled with the high cost, makes irradiation an impractical method in many high-throughput manufacturing and process streams where rapid decontamination is desired.
Yet another method for inactivation or elimination of microorganisms in or on products is through the use of sonication. Sonication is the use of high power, low frequency ultrasound with a liquid medium as the ultrasonic wave carrier. The liquid medium acts as a physical coupling device that transmits the ultrasonic energy through the medium and onto the product to be decontaminated. Similar to autoclave sterilization, however, immersing the product into a liquid medium may destroy its aesthetic and functional properties.
The use of ultrasonic energy for microbial decontamination without the use of a physical coupling device is also known. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,576,188, Rose et al. describe the simultaneous exposure of an item to ultraviolet light and ultrasonic wave energy in a non-aqueous environment, such as air, to eliminate microbial contamination. By way of further example, U.S. Patent Application 2004/0028552 describes the use of ultrasonic energy for microbial decontamination using a "non-contact" ultrasonic apparatus in ambient air. However, due to the significant attenuation of the ultrasound energy when transmitted through a compressible medium, such as gas or ambient air, in addition to being an ineffective method of applying ultrasound, the process is sensitive to the physical distance between the acoustic source and the treated materials as well as the materials' orientation to the acoustic waves.
These examples, however, do not achieve a significant rate of killing at a rapid enough pace for many manufacturing and process streams. Moreover, destroying microorganisms on products using these processes may harm the aesthetic and functional properties of the product.
Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a process for the destruction of microorganisms on a product in a relatively short period of time and with a relatively high microorganism destruction rate. It would also be desirable to provide a process for the destruction of microorganisms on a product in a relatively short period of time and with a relatively high microorganism destruction rate, without damaging the aesthetic and functional properties of the product.

Process for the destruction of microorganisms on a product


Disclosed herein are methods, compositions and systems that facilitate accurate phasing of sequence data such as genomic sequence data through the segmentation and rearrangement of nucleic acid molecules in such a way as to preserve individual molecules phase or physical linkage information. This is variously accomplished by binding molecules independent of their phosphodiester backbones, cleaving the molecules, ligating, and sequencing the molecules through long-read sequencing technology to recover segment sequence information spanning at least more than one segment.

It remains difficult in theory and in practice to determine haplotype phase information of complex DNA samples, such as those having diploid or polyploid genomes, or those comprising substantial amounts of repetitive or identical sequence. Difficulties arise from loci of interest being separated by highly repetitive regions or by long stretches of identical sequence, such that standard assembly of read information is insufficient to assign phase information to alleles at a locus.

Generation of phased read-sets for genome assembly and haplotype phasing


Device including a tubular element (1), with a flexible printed circuit (3) of conducting tracks (32) on which are a number of LED diodes (31) and contact ports (33) for supply thereof; a flexible cover (2), formed by a coextruded profile with a diffuser back (21), configured in a flexible material and a base (22) made of a material of greater rigidity; said base includes a longitudinal aperture (23) and a set (25) of male and female configurations connectable by pressure for opening and closing the inner recess (24) for reception of the printed circuit (3); and an external connector (4), comprising two sets of electrically conducting connection pins (41a, 41b), or a holder (42c) with contacts (40) for the electric contact of the ports (33) and tracks (32), to terminals (45) for connection to the external supply.

At present, the use of linear lighting elements has become extended to multiple uses. For example, we are aware of the use of neon tubes formed by a transparent glass tube housing a neon gas and mixture of noble gases in its interior, for ionisation to be produced by means of an electric discharge system, emitting a very striking coloured light. The aforementioned glass tubes many be formed into curves and angles with relative ease by an expert installer, due to which they are widely used to outline buildings and in luminous marquees. However, their energy consumption and the fragility of said tubes in the environment makes their use require considerable maintenance.
Lighting installations have also been carried out using optical fibre, which may be used on floors and walls, faintly diffusing the light from a light source disposed at one end; however, it cannot be of great length, given that the optical fibre alone does not project the light, but rather transmits that produced by the light source, disposed at one end and with limited power output.
Utility Model U200402192 by Ben Fan is known, which discloses a luminous cord formed by a flexible inner core having two embedded conduction wires to which a plurality of LED diodes disposed in recesses or housings for such purpose are connected. This flexible core is disposed next to an upper diffusing element within an extruded synthetic casing, in such a manner as to create a flexible monoblock unit which, by means of an adequate connector, allows its use in interior or exterior decoration. However, this device poses several problems. Firstly, the distributor or marketer of this element requires considerable storage capacity in order to have a variety of LED colour combinations and exterior casing colours. Additionally, in the event that a specific casing colour is requested, the factory order must be placed for manufacture thereof with the cost and delivery delay that this implies. Additionally, during wiring, the connectors may have contact problems, as the connection with the wires embedded in the cord is made by pinching from one end, due to which the contact is not ensured if the luminous cord is bent to one side or the other.
Application PCT WO2005/106320 of the firm Sloanled Inc. is also known, wherein a perimeter flexible lighting device formed by a tubular element with a flexible printed circuit of conducting tracks on which light-emitting LED diodes are disposed. The tubular element also comprises a flexible cover for housing and protecting the flexible printed circuit. This cover includes diffusion and/or colouring properties of the emitted light based on combinations with the LED diodes that may be very varied. However, the sale and distribution of these lighting devices continue requiring the use of large storage spaces in order to have the widest possible variety of products.
Spanish Utility Model ES1057349 of this same applicant is also known as "Modular Lighting Device", which discloses a type of lighting module composed of an integrated circuit carrying a plurality of lighting elements and conducting tracks for selective electrical supply thereof, said components being embedded in an extruded profile made of resin or electrically insulating material. The integrated circuit includes conducting tracks with metal inserts having ports for the external connection thereof by means of intermediate spacers and tie plates, which are fixed by means of passage screws. This construction is bulky and has a delicate structure, as the tie plates may be of considerable length and rigid, hampering folding and curving of the module. Additionally, given the cross-sectional size of the extruded resin profile and secondary tracks, the screws are small in size and difficult to handle.


A semiconductor device which stores data, and in which refresh operation is not needed, is described. The semiconductor device comprises at least a transistor and a capacitor. A first electrode of the capacitor is connected to a reference voltage terminal and a second electrode of the capacitor is connected to one of a source and a drain of the transistor. The semiconductor device is configured to put, when necessary, the other of the source and the drain of the transistor to the same potential as the one of the source and the drain, so that charge accumulated in the capacitor, which is connected to the one of the source and the drain of the transistor, does not leak through the transistor.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to semiconductor devices. Alternatively, the present invention relates to wireless tags (also referred to as RFID tags, IC tags, or ID tags) utilizing a radio frequency identification (RFID) technology.
2. Description of the Related Art
RFID is widely used as an automatic identification technology by which data can be transmitted and received wirelessly. RFID includes an RFID tag which can store data and a reader/writer which performs reading of data stored in the RFID and writing of data to the RFID tag. An RFID tag includes, for example, a semiconductor device including an antenna and the like.
An RFID tag is provided with a session flag (Patent document 1). The session flag prevents additional reading of data after the data is read from the RFID tag. For example, the session flag has two kinds of states of "A" and "B" and the state is set from "A" to "B" when data is read out.
After data is read and the state of a session flag is set from "A" to "B", a memory provided in the RFID tag holds the state of the session flag even when an electric wave is temporarily interrupted. Even if the RFID tag receives an electric wave, the RFID tag is "already read out" because the session flag is in the state "B." Therefore, additional reading of the data stored in the RFID tag, which has already been read out is prevented.
Usually, a memory includes a transistor and a capacitor, and charge is accumulated in the capacitor to store data. However, charge accumulated in a capacitor leaks due to various causes. A major cause of leakage current is quantum tunneling. Accordingly, refresh operation is needed. Note that refresh operation is operation in which data is rewritten to a memory by accumulating charge on the basis of data which is stored in the memory and read out from the memory before charge is completely lost.

Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.


An antenna, suitable for battlefield identification use, employs a multifunctional design. A closed-end coaxial line structure with center conductor has slanted slot radiators provided in its outer conductor. The slot radiators excite a pattern between upper and lower disks of a radial waveguide radiator configuration so that horizontal and vertical components reach the disk circumference with a 90 degree phase differential to provide an omnidirectional antenna pattern of circular polarization. Antennas and methods are described.

This invention relates to communication antennas and methods and, more specifically, to antennas and methods suitable for omnididrectional reception and transmission of circularly polarized signals.
Many forms of antennas capable of omnidirectional operation with circular polarization have previously been described. However, for applications such as battlefield discrimination between friendly and unfriendly vehicles and other platforms there is a need for small, economical and efficient antennas capable of reliably receiving and transmitting information suitable for platform identification purposes and additional communication purposes as may be appropriate.
Objects of the present invention are, therefore, to provide new and improved antennas and methods suitable for reception and transmission via onmidirectional circularly polarized antenna patterns.

Circularly polarized omnidirectional antennas and methods

BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Inc.


Feed line for at least one local coil in a magnetic resonance tomography apparatus, comprising at least one coil plug as well as at least one standing wave barrier for suppression of unwanted radio-frequency currents on a conductor cable of the feed line, with the standing wave barrier integrated into the coil plug.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns a feed line for at least one local coil of a magnetic resonance tomography apparatus, of the type having at least one coil plug as well as at least one standing wave barrier to suppress unwanted radio-frequency currents on the conductor cable of the feed line.
2. Description of the Prior Art
For the implementation of measurements in the field of nuclear magnetic resonance tomography, radio-frequency coils in the form of local coils are used for the acquisition of alternating electromagnetic fields. To fulfill the need to optimize the signal-to-noise ratio, radio-frequency coils for different body regions of the patient to be examined are optimized with regard to geometry and their acquisition profile. An optimally close positioning of the local coils on the body of the patient enables a high value to be attained for the signal-to-noise ratio.
The local coils used in magnetic resonance tomography normally are designed as pure acquisition coils, with the spin excitation that causes emission of the magnetic resonance signals to be detected, ensuring with a whole-body resonator. A radio-frequency cable is necessary for transfer of the signal from coils to the acquisition system of the associated magnetic resonance system.
In the transmission mode of a measurement, the electromagnetic fields induce radio-frequency currents on the conductor shields of the cables of the feed lines for the local coils. These radio-frequency currents, known as standing waves can lead to image distortions or even to an injury to the patient. Standing wave barriers for suppression of these radio-frequency currents on the outer conductor of the cable accordingly are inserted into the feed lines of the local coils. The standing wave barriers (representing high-ohmic impedances) suppress the unwanted radio-frequency currents on the lines.
During data acquisition with the magnetic resonance system, the standing wave barriers rest on the patient. They must be maintained at a safe distance from the patient, which is why they are surrounded with a plastic housing. This leads to the situation that the standing wave barriers of the feed lines for the local coils exhibit a certain size and thus appear unwieldy and reduce the examination comfort for the patient.

Feed line for a local coil for magnetic resonance imaging with standing wave barrier integrated into the plug thereof


The invention is a method for retreading a tire comprising the step of using a supercritical fluid as a carrier to spray a gum cushion layer on the outer surface (radially outermost) of the carcass of a tire. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the supercritical fluid is carbon dioxide. In one embodiment of the invention, the supercritical fluid is a mixture of a rubber product, a solvent, and a supercritical fluid carrier. In another embodiment of the invention, the gum cushion rubber delivered by the supercritical fluid forms a layer less than 300 microns thick between the new tread and the upper surface of the carcass of the tire after curing. In another embodiment of the invention, the gum cushion layer is delivered to the carcass by means of a supercritical fluid as a dual solution system, composed of one solution without sulfur, and one solution without accelerator.

The market for retreaded pneumatic tires is almost entirely a trucking market. In the trucking market, the carcass of a tire is expected to last several hundred thousand miles, and be amenable to having a new tread adhered to it several times. New truck tires are quite expensive, and are therefore bought with the expectation that their high initial costs are offset by the long service life of the carcass, and the low comparative cost of retreading.
A variety of procedures and different types of equipment are available for use in recapping or retreading pneumatic tires. One of the first steps in retreading a worn tire is to remove existing tread material from the tire carcass by a sanding procedure known as buffing. Next a layer of what is known as "cushion gum" is applied to the carcass. This layer of extruded uncured rubber may be stitched or adhesively bonded to the carcass. Next, a tread layer is applied atop the layer of cushion gum. In the cold recapping process, the tread is cured rubber, and has a tread pattern already impressed in its outer surface. The tire is then placed in an autoclave, and heated under pressure for an appropriate time to induce curing of the gum layer, and binding of the gum layer to the tread and the carcass. In the hot recapping process, the tread is uncured rubber, and has no tread pattern. The tire is then placed in a tire mold and heated under pressure for an appropriate time to cure the gum layer and the tread, and to cause the gum layer to bind with the tread and the carcass. [The term "cure" refers to the formation of cross-links between the elastomer molecules in the rubber compound].
The "cushion gum" layer binding the new tread to the old carcass can be relatively expensive. With present tire retreading techniques, this layer is typically 1 millimeter to about 1.5 millimeters thick. It would be an a great advantage to a retreading operation to reduce the thickness of this layer while preserving the strength and durability of the bonds between the tread, gum layer, and carcass.


A bus arbitration method for use in a multiprocessor system having a plurality of agents and a system bus, for determining a sampling point at which bus arbitration-related signals on the system bus are latched and arbitration-related signals on the system bus based on the latched arbitration-related signals, each of the bus arbitration-related signals representing a bus request signal asserted on the system bus by one of the agents for gaining an access to the system bus, wherein the system bus is arbitrated during an arbitration period in synchronization with a bus clock signal formed by a train of clock pulses generated at each clock period, the arbitration period being greater than N but not greater than (N+1) clock periods with N being a positive integer. At a first step, an initial sampling point is set at a predetermined point on a clock pulse. At a second step, the bus arbitration-related signals are latched at the initial sampling point to thereby select, as a subsequent sampling point, the predetermined point on an (N+1)st clock pulse generated after the clock pulse on which the initial sampling point is set, if one or more bus request signals are asserted, and the predetermined point on a next clock pulse, if no bus request signal is asserted.

The use of an assembly of electrical conductors known as "bus" is common in electrical circuit designs. As shown in FIG. 1, a bus 1, which may be referred to as a system bus, is an electrical, mechanical and functional unit widely used in a multiprocessor system including a plurality of agents, such as main processor units (MPU) 2, shared memory units (SMU) 3, input/output processor units (IOU) 4 and system control units (SCU) 5, for connecting signal lines among the agents, each agent being coupled to the system bus 1.
Using a shared approach, signal lines of the system bus are used, when available, by various agents in the multiprocessor system. To avoid bus contention, which arises when two or more agents request access to a same signal line simultaneously, a bus arbiter is provided typically for determining which one of the agents will be allowed to have the access to the signal line, according to some specified access criteria. Then, the agent gaining the access to the system bus transfers address and/or data according to a predetermined transfer protocol.
Both the bus arbitration and the data transfer of all of the agents may be synchronized with a system bus clock signal. The system bus clock signal may be transmitted from a backboard to each agent through a separate signal line. In order to obtain a high data transfer rate, it may be desirable to use a high frequency bus clock, since the system performance depends on the data transfer rate, which, in turn, depends on the frequency of the system bus clock with which the bus operation, including the bus arbitration and data transfer, is synchronized.
However, the frequency of the system bus clock is restricted by the so-called bus arbitration period. The bus arbitration period, as used herein, represents a period between a time for detecting one or more bus request signals each of which is asserted by an agent requesting an access to the system bus and a time at which the winning agent assumes bus mastership. Consequently, in order to increase the bus clock frequency, it is often necessary to arbitrate the system bus for multiple periods of the bus clock in the multiprocessor system.

Bus arbitration method and appparatus for use in a multiprocessor system


A semiconductor device having increased reliability includes a fuse region and a monitoring region. Fuses are located on an insulation film in the fuse region and are exposed through fuse windows. A monitoring pattern is located on the insulation film in the monitoring region. The monitoring pattern includes sub-patterns that are exposed through a monitoring window.

1. Field of Invention
Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to semiconductor devices and methods of fabricating the same. More particularly, embodiments of the present invention relate to a semiconductor device and a method of fabricating the same having increased reliability.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a semiconductor device can be fabricated through a fabrication process of forming cells having integrated circuits by repeatedly forming a circuit pattern on a substrate, and an assembly process of packaging the substrate, on which the cells are formed, into chips.
Further, an Electrical Die Sorting (EDS) process of testing the electrical properties of the cells formed on the substrate can be performed between the fabrication process and the assembly process. Bad cells on the substrate are sorted through the EDS process. Here, the sorted bad cells are replaced with previously fabricated redundant cells in a repair process, thereby increasing the yield of the semiconductor device because operation is normal at the time of actual chip operation.
The repair process can be performed by applying a laser beam to wires connected to the bad cells and cutting the wires. In this case, the wires to be cut by the laser beam are referred to as fuses, and the region in which the fuses are clustered close together is referred to as a fuse region. A fuse window for opening fuses is formed under insulation films in the fuse region. When the fuse window is formed, a predetermined number of the fuses located under interlayer dielectric film are also etched, thus determining the thickness of the fuses.
However, as the amount of etching of fuses increases when the fuse window is formed, the thickness of the fuses decreases. As a result, neighboring fuses can be damaged during the repair process. In contrast, when the amount of etching of fuses decreases, the thickness of the fuses increases. As a result, the fuses cannot be completely cut during the repair process. Accordingly, a method of forming a monitoring pattern for monitoring the thickness of the fuses is being sought.
However, if a monitoring pattern is formed in a shape resembling a flat plate, the insulation film cannot be formed to a substantially uniform thickness when the insulation film is deposited on the fuses and the monitoring pattern. For example, the insulation film might be more thickly formed at the center of the monitoring pattern than at peripheral regions thereof. If the thickness of the insulation film on the fuses and the monitoring pattern is not substantially uniform, then the degree to which the insulation film is etched is different at the time of formation of the fuse window and the monitoring window. As a result, the residual thicknesses of the fuses and the monitoring pattern are also different. Accordingly, the thickness of the fuses cannot be accurately monitored.

Semiconductor device and method of fabricating the same


An article of headwear is made of stretchable porous fabric and is configured to fit snugly over a woman's head to conceal hair loss or baldness of the user. A gathering band is stitched inside the headwear along the back portion in the area of the natural hairline to create an illusion of fullness by the folds of the fabric. A neck ruffle is created below the inner band to cover the natural hairline. An outer band is attached at two points to the outer surface to fit outside of the area where the inner band is located. The outer band has longitudinal dimensions at least slightly greater than the stretchable inner band.

This invention relates generally to head covers and more particularly to a headwear for women to be worn either for reasons of fashion, tradition or while they are recovering from a partial or total hair loss.
It is known that women often wear a closely fitted head cover such as a turban or cap for reason of "fashion" and/or in adherence to observant belief systems. Another reason for wearing a head cover could be to conceal hair loss and baldness. Androgenetic alopecia or baldness in women may be caused by such factors as for instance aging and changes in the levels of androgens. Another cause for female hair loss may be a side effect of chemotherapy, which results in a substantial or total loss of hair. The hair loss due to chemotherapy treatment may last for several weeks or months during the treatment and afterward while new hair is growing.
Another side effect of the cancer treatment is that the scalp is extremely tender and overly sensitive to wigs and conventional hairpieces which may be hot, scratchy or cumbersome and require considerable care and attention. Conventional bandanas, scarves, kerchiefs, turbans, and terry cloth head covers have been tried but they are often not very attractive and require constant attention to keep them from slipping over the ears or down the forehead.
The present invention contemplates elimination of drawbacks associated with conventional head coverings and provision of a head cover that is designed to remain in a desired position on the wearer's head during use.


A method and system for load balancing. The method includes discovering each of a plurality of hosts in a cluster, wherein the plurality of hosts is configured for accessing a LUN of a storage system through a storage network fabric. Global input/output (I/O) load characteristics are collected for each of the plurality of hosts at the device and/or volume level. A selected host is determined for processing an I/O originating at the local host, wherein the host is selected based on a current set of the global I/O load characteristics.

Near continuous access to data files on enterprise storage arrays is always desired. In a cluster environment, one or more nodes is capable of accessing a storage array through one or more paths. Load balancing of input/output messages (I/Os) across local paths is performed at each node. That is, traditionally, multi-pathing operations are performed at a node to perform load balancing across local paths providing connectivity between the individual node and the storage system.
Load balancing across all nodes opens up more options for delivering I/Os throughout a cluster, but it offers more challenges. For instance, cluster wide load balancing may be performed at the storage array itself. That is, the load is balanced across the array controllers used for accessing the storage array, such as, when the array is in an active/active configuration. However, this may not serve as the best place to perform cluster-wide load balancing as the storage array does not serve as application host, and as such, it is difficult to solve the affinity/configuration asymmetry between different application at the storage array layer.
Performing load balancing only at a local node level of a cluster leads to an underperforming cluster used for accessing a storage system.

Method and system for multi-layer differential load balancing in tightly coupled clusters


In case of manufacturing a disk having a two-layer structure, a glass substrate 13 is bonded to a cover layer 11 through an adhesive layer 12, and a mount hole 14a is formed in a center thereof to form a bonded substrate 14 having a three-layer structure (a). In a state where a stamper 15 formed a predetermined pit pattern is set to a center boss 16, the bonded substrate 14 is pressed downward in a vertical direction while the mount hole 14a of the bonded substrate 14 is aligned with the center boss 16(b). Whereby an information recording surface 11a is transferred onto the cover layer 11(c). Subsequently, after the bonded substrate 14 has been bonded to another layer substrate of the disk, the adhesive layer 12 is removed to separate the glass substrate 13. Finally, there is manufactured the disk having the two-layer structure.

1. Filed of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a disk, such as a DVD, and more particularly, to a technical field pertaining to a method of manufacturing a disk by means of bonding together substrates, each having formed therein pits and grooves carrying recorded information.
2. Description of the Related Art
Demand for a further improvement in recording density has recently existed for disks such as DVDs, and attention has been paid to a multilayer disk having a bonded structure of information recording surfaces of disks. For example, in case of a two-layer disk, two substrates for bonding purpose, each having an information recording surface, are manufactured separately. An intermediate bonding layer made of an adhesive is provided on one of the substrates which remains stationary. The other substrate is aligned and stacked onto the intermediate bonding layer, thereby constituting a two-layer disk. In connection with such a two-layer disk, information can be recorded on either layer of a single disk, and the thus-recorded information can be read selectively, as required. Hence, the recording capacity of a disk can be increased.
An increase in the numerical aperture of an optical system for further improving recording density has been under review. In this case, a focal length to a recording layer in the two-layer disk becomes smaller, and hence the substrates to be bonded assume an ultra-small thickness on the order of 100 xcexcm. When such thin substrates are bonded together, accurate alignment of the substrates is not easy. Since substrates are thin and have insufficient rigidity, the substrates become prone to nonuniform deformation or warpage during alignment. Thus, sustaining bonded surfaces flat becomes difficult, thereby posing a higher risk of the substrates being bonded together with eccentricity or positional misalignment arising in a part of the substrates.
The present invention has been conceived to solve the problem and is aimed at providing a disk manufacturing method which enables manufacture of a multilayer disk with superior positional accuracy while preventing occurrence of deformation or warpage, maintaining flat bonded surfaces, and preventing occurrence of eccentricity or positional misalignment even when very thin substrates of insufficient rigidity are bonded together.
In order to solve the problem, according to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a disk manufacturing method for manufacturing a disk having a laminated structure, comprising the steps of:
fixing a reinforcement substrate for reinforcing a first substrate onto the first substrate acting as one layer of the disk;
aligning the first substrate fixed to the reinforcement substrate to a second substrate serving as another layer of the disk;
bonding the first substrate fixed to the reinforcement substrate to the second substrate through an intermediate adhesive layer; and
separating the reinforcement substrate from the first substrate.
According to the invention, when there is manufactured the disk having the laminated structure, since the reinforcement substrate is integrally fixed to the first substrate in the fixing step, even if the first substrate has a small thickness, stiffness is ensured to prevent occurrence of deformation or warpage. In the aligning step and the bonding step, the reinforced first substrate is aligned with the second substrate to bond them together through the intermediate adhesive layer. In the separating step, the reinforcement substrate is separated from the first substrate after the first substrate and the second substrate have been bonded together. Accordingly, a bonded surface is maintained to be smooth by the reinforcement substrate, thereby ensuring a high degree of positional accuracy. Occurrence of positional misalignment and eccentricity is prevented, thereby enabling accurate bonding of disks.
According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided the disk manufacturing method according to the first aspect of the invention, further comprising the steps of:
aligning the first substrate to a stamper having a pit pattern; and
transferring the pit pattern onto the first surface.
According to the invention, when the disk having the laminated structure is manufactured, in the fixing step, the stiffness of the first substrate is ensured to prevent occurrence of deformation or warpage and in the aligning and bonding steps, occurrence of positional displacement and eccentricity can be prevented as well as the first aspect of the invention. In addition, in the transferring step, the pit pattern is transferred to the reinforced first substrate by using the stamper. Accordingly, the pit pattern formed on the first substrate in the transferring step is accurately aligned by the reinforcement substrate. Hence, positional accuracy of an information recording surface on another layer of the disk having the laminated structure can be ensured.
According to a third aspect of the invention, there is provided the disk manufacturing method according to the second aspect of the invention, wherein the aligning step of aligning the first substrate to the stamper, the transferring step, and the other steps are performed in this order.
According to the invention, when the disk having the laminated structure is manufactured, the pit pattern is transferred onto the first substrate by using the stamper before the first substrate is reinforced. Subsequently, the fixing step, the aligning step, and the bonding step are performed as well as the first and second aspects of the invention to ensure the stiffness of the first substrate and preventing occurrence of positional misalignment and eccentricity of disks. Accordingly, even when an information recording surface (the pit pattern) has already been transferred onto the first substrate at manufacturing the disk, the first substrate is reinforced by using the reinforcement substrate to bond disks. Hence, there can be ensured positional accuracy of a disk having a laminated structure as well as the first and second aspects of the invention.
According to a fourth aspect of the invention, there is provided the disk manufacturing method according to any one of the first to third aspects of the invention,
wherein the fixing step fixes the reinforcement substrate to the first substrate through an adhesive layer; and
the separating step separates the reinforcement substrate from the first substrate by reducing adhesive strength of the adhesive layer.
According to the invention, in the fixing step, the reinforcement substrate is integrally bonded to the first substrate through the adhesive layer. In the separating step, the adhesive strength of an adhesive layer is reduced to separate the reinforcement substrate from the first substrate. Hence, use of an adhesive sheet whose adhesive strength reduces at temperature or upon exposure to UV rays or use of electrostatic electricity enables easy fixing and separation of the first substrate to and from a substrate having high stiffness.
According to a fifth aspect of the invention, there is provided the disk manufacturing method according to any one of the first to third aspects of the invention,
wherein the fixing step uses a fixing member to fix the reinforcement substrate to the first substrate; and
the separating step removes the fixing member to separate the reinforcement substrate from the first substrate.
According to the invention, in the fixing step, the first substrate is integrally bonded to the reinforcement substrate by the fixing member. In the separating step, the fixing member is removed to separate the reinforcement substrate from the first substrate. Accordingly, a fixing member having a structure for pressing the first substrate to a substrate having high rigidity in a state where the substrate closely contact with the first substrate, the fixing member is attached, and whereby it can be easily performed to fix and separate the first substrate to and from the substrate having high rigidity.
According to a sixth aspect of the invention, there is provided the disk manufacturing method according to any one of the first to third aspects of the invention, wherein the reinforcement substrate has higher rigidity than the first substrate.
According to the invention, in the fixing step, a substrate having high rigidity is integrally fixed to the first substrate. Hence, the first substrate can be sufficiently reinforced by, for example, glass substrate which is thicker than the first substrate and sufficiently assure rigidity, and positional accuracy in the bonding and transferring steps can be improved further.
According to a seventh aspect of the invention, there is provided the disk manufacturing method according to any one of the first to third aspects of the invention, wherein the alignment step aligns the first substrate fixed to the reinforcement substrate to the second substrate in relation to a peripheral direction of the first substrate fixed to the reinforcement substrate.
According to the invention, in the bonding step, the first and second substrates are aligned with each other in relation to the peripheral direction of the first substrate fixed to the reinforcement substrate. Hence, two layers of disks in which conditions of recording areas depending on peripheral directions of the disks are different from each other can be accurately aligned with each other.
According to a eighth aspect of the invention, there is provided the disk manufacturing method according to the second aspect of the invention, wherein the alignment step uses a center and peripheral portion of the first substrate fixed to the reinforcement substrate as reference positions to align the first substrate fixed to the reinforcement substrate to the second substrate.
According to the invention, since a center of a disk and a peripheral portion of a disk are used as the reference positions for alignment, positions of the centers of the disks and positions in peripheral directions of the disks in a two-layer disk can be accurately aligned respectively.
According to a ninth aspect of the invention, there is provided the disk manufacturing method according to the seventh aspect of the invention, wherein the alignment step uses a plurality of peripheral portions of the reinforcement substrate as reference positions to align the first substrate fixed to the reinforcement substrate to the second substrate.
According to the invention, the plurality of the peripheral portions of the disk are used as the reference positions when aligning in relation to the peripheral direction of the disk. Hence, each of positions of overall areas on the two-layer disk can be accurately aligned.
According to a tenth aspect of the invention, there is provided a disk transfer method comprising the steps of:
fixing a reinforcement substrate for reinforcing a first substrate onto the first substrate acting as one layer of the disk;
aligning the first substrate to a stamper having a pit pattern;
transferring the pit pattern onto the first substrate; and
separating the reinforcement substrate from the first substrate.
According to the invention, in case that the pit pattern is transferred onto a disk having laminated structure, in the fixing step, the stiffness of the first embodiment can be ensured as well as the invention on the disk manufacturing method. In the transferring step, the pit pattern is transferred onto the reinforced first substrate by using the stamper. Hence, a high degree of positional accuracy of a pit pattern or the like formed on the first substrate in the transferring step can maintained.

Method of manufacturing a disk and transfer method for the disk


The present disclosure relates to novel crystalline forms of a bromodomain protein inhibitor 2-[4-(2-hydroxyethoxy)-3,5-dimethylphenyl]-5,7-dimethoxyquinazolin-4(3H)-one and processes for preparation and use thereof, relating to pharmaceutical industry. Form CS2, Form CS8, Form CS13, Form CS20, Form CS1, Form CS7, Form CS9, Form CS11 and Form CS4 of the present disclosure can be used for preparing drugs treating cardiovascular, cholesterol or lipid-related disorders.

2-[4-(2-hydroxyethoxy)-3,5-dimethylphenyl]-5,7-dimethoxyquinazolin-4(3H)-one, also known as apabetalone, is a bromodomain and extraterminal (BET) protein inhibitor developed by Resverlogix in Canada. Apabetalone can be used in the treatment of cardiovascular, cholesterol or lipid-related disorders. Especially in the treatment of atherosclerosis, acute coronary syndrome and predecessor diabetes, apabetalone has shown significant curative effect. The structure of apabetalone is shown as follows:

Cardiovascular diseases, also known as circulatory system diseases, can be subdivided into acute diseases and chronic diseases and generally relate to atherosclerosis. Cardiovascular disease is one of the most serious diseases threatening human life worldwide. Its morbidity and mortality rate have surpassed that of tumour diseases and ranked first. In China, there are about 290 million patients suffering from cardiovascular diseases, and the number of patients is increasing year by year. However, people's need for drugs of cardiovascular diseases have not been fulfilled, and new drugs still need to be developed continuously. Studies have shown that apabetalone can inhibit BRD4 of BET family, thereby regulating the expression of apolipoprotein A-1 (ApoA-1) and the synthesis of high density lipoprotein cholesterol, and realizing the treatment of cardiovascular related diseases. No patent or literature about apabetalone crystalline forms is found after searching patents and literatures published locally and abroad.
Different crystalline forms of solid chemical drugs have different solubility and stability, and can affect drug's in vivo dissolution and absorption, which will further affect drug's clinical efficacy. The inventors of the present disclosure surprisingly discovered crystalline form CS2, form CS8, form CS13, form CS20, form CS1, form CS7, form CS9, form CS11 and form CS4 after conducting a large number of experiments, which provides a new and better choice for the preparation of pharmaceutical preparations containing apabetalone and is of great significance for drug development.

Crystalline forms of a bromodomain and extraterminal protein inhibitor drug, processes for preparation thereof, and use thereof

CRYSTAL PHARMACEUTICAL (SUZHOU) CO., LTD.


A motorcycle helmet for permitting a user to listen to a compact disk while wearing a helmet. The motorcycle helmet includes a helmet being designed for protecting a head of a user from impact. The helmet has a perimeter wall defining an interior space. A playing assembly is positioned in the perimeter wall of the helmet. The playing assembly is designed for reading audio information from a compact disc. Each of a plurality of speakers is positioned in the perimeter wall of the helmet. Each of the speakers is operationally coupled to the playing assembly. Each of the speakers is designed for audibly playing the audio information read by the playing assembly.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to sound devices mounted in a helmet and more particularly pertains to a new motorcycle helmet for permitting a user to listen to a compact disk while wearing a helmet.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of sound devices mounted in a helmet is known in the prior art. U.S. Pat. No. 5,136,657 describes a device for being mounted in a helmet for allowing a user to listen to pre-recorded material while wearing the helmet. Another type of sound device mounted in a helmet is U.S. Pat. No. 4,077,007 having a radio and antennae mounted in a helmet for picking up radio broadcasts and playing for the wearer to hear. U.S. Pat. No. 4,524,461 has a radio system for receiving for the user of the helmet to hear and transmitting radio signals for the user. U.S. Pat. No. 5,280,651 having a portable sound system for generating audio signals for a user to hear while wearing headphones. U.S. Pat. No. 5,462,421 has a helmet having a plurality of speakers coupled to a jack for being plugged into a portable audio device to allow a user to listen to music while wearing the helmet.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the need remains for a device that has certain improved features that allows a user to wear a protective helmet and listen audio compact disks.


A hanging assembly is disclosed for use with a flow generating device that produces a current in a pool. The hanging assembly includes a back supporting plate coupled to a side supporting plate where a plate angle is formed between the back supporting plate and the side supporting plate. The plate angle is adjustable such that a current angle of the current relative to a sidewall of the pool can be varied based on user preferences.

Swimming pools may be equipped with a flow generating device to generate a current in the pool. In some applications, booster pumps positioned in the pool wall are used to generate flow in the pool. In household above ground pools, flow generating devices are used and generally hang from the sidewall of the pool. In this configuration, the water outlet and subsequent current generated by the flow generating device is generally limited to a single direction that is perpendicular to the sidewall of the pool. Improvements in the foregoing are desired to provide greater variability in the current direction.

Adjustable hanging assembly for flow generating device


A valve train including a cylinder having a cylinder axis and a cylinder head, the valve train has a first operating mechanism including a cam follower driven by a first valve train cam provided on a cam shaft so as to open and close the first engine valve and a drive mechanism having a drive shaft for moving a supporting position of the cam follower to thereby change a valve operation characteristic of the first engine valve, and a second operating mechanism including a second cam follower driven by a second valve train cam so as to open and close the second engine valve, wherein the drive shaft of the drive mechanism is arranged at a position lower than the cam shaft and between the first and the second engine valve in a reference direction.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a valve train for an internal combustion engine in which an opening and closing timing and a maximum lift amount of an engine valve, which is a inlet valve or an exhaust valve, can be changed.
2. Description of the Related Art
For an example, Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication JP-A-7-63023 shows a valve train. The valve train includes: a transmission member having a supporting point moved by a rotatable eccentric body so that a reciprocating motion of a reciprocating valve on the suction side provided in the cylinder head can be adjusted, the transmission member opening and closing the reciprocating valve being driven by a cam of a cam shaft; and a swing lever for opening and closing a reciprocating valve on the exhaust side. An eccentric shaft on which the eccentric body is formed is arranged in an upper portion of the swing lever provided for the reciprocating valves on the suction and the exhaust side.
In this connection, in the valve train of the JP-A-7-63023, the eccentric shaft is arranged far from the reference plane, which is a plane including the cylinder axis and arranged in parallel with the rotational center axis of the cam, relative to the suction side reciprocating valve. Therefore, in the reference direction, which is a direction perpendicular to the reference plane, the valve train is made larger. Since the eccentric shaft is arranged in an upper portion of the exhaust side reciprocating valve, the valve train is made larger in the vertical direction.

Valve train for internal combustion engine


For an audio coding, noise suppression is applied to an original audio signal to obtain an audio signal with reduced noise. A coding mode is selected based on the audio signal with reduced noise. The original audio signal is then encoded using this selected coding mode.

Audio signals, like speech, are encoded for example for enabling an efficient transmission or storage of the audio signals.
Speech encoders and decoders (codecs) are usually optimized for speech signals, and quite often, they operate with a fixed bit rate.
An audio codec can also be configured to operate with varying bit rates, though. At the lowest bit rates, such an audio codec may work with speech signals as well as a pure speech codec at similar rates. At the highest bit rates, the performance may be good with any signal, including music and background noises, which may be considered as a part of the audio signal instead of just noise.
A further audio coding option is an embedded variable rate speech coding, which is also referred to as a layered coding. Embedded variable rate speech coding denotes a speech coding, in which a bit stream is produced, which comprises primary coded data generated by a core encoder and additional enhancement data, which refines the primary coded data generated by the core encoder. A subset or subsets of the bit stream can then be decoded with good quality. ITU-T standardization aims at a wideband codec of 50 to 7000 Hz with bit rates from 8 to 32 kbps. The codec core will work with 8 kbps and additional layers with quite small granularity will increase the observed speech and audio quality. Minimum target is to have at least five bit rates of 8, 12, 16, 24 and 32 kbps available from the same embedded bit stream.
When encoding audio signals, noise suppression may be used in some cases as a processing step preceding the actual encoding in order to improve the sound quality. Especially lower bit rates may benefit from noise suppression, as it may allow obtaining reasonably good output quality in a noisy environment.
The low bit rate performance of a codec operating without noise suppression suffers, because the codec tries to reproduce the whole signal, which includes the noise component. As a result, there are not enough bits to preserve the waveform and key speech characteristics. This problem decreases with an increasing bit rate.
Higher bit rates may thus result in a high audio quality without any pre-processing. In the case of music signals, noise suppression may even add additional distortions to the signal. In order to achieve a high quality coding with variable bit rates, it is thus possible to use more noise suppression in low bit rate speech encoding, but no noise suppression in higher bit rate audio/speech encoding.
Also with embedded variable bit rate coding, the lower bit rates, in this case mainly 8 and 12 kbps, would benefit from noise suppression, while higher bit rates would result in the highest speech and audio quality without any pre-processing. In this case, it would be possible to employ an adaptive noise suppression approach. That is, a first amount of noise suppression could be applied to an audio signal and the resulting signal could be encoded with a core encoder. In addition, a second amount of noise suppression or no noise suppression could be applied to the same audio signal, and the resulting signal could be used for generating enhancement data.
In addition to different bit rates, an audio coder may also select between different coding modes for encoding an audio signal. A first coding mode may be optimized for instance for speech, a second for music and a third for mixed signals, etc. A respective coding mode may be selected for example based on determined parameters of a signal that is to be encoded.


A retainable access tab for a laminate for a carton blank is disclosed. The retainable access tab may have a predetermined configuration such as keyhole configuration or a hourglass configuration. The retainable access tab extends the length of a roof panel of a carton which is formed from the carton blank. In this manner, a shortened straw may be utilized to access the entire contents of the carton. The retainable access tab provides a hygienic environment for accessing the contents of the carton by revealing a previously untarnished surface for penetration of the straw. The retainable access tab has a hinge which allows it to be retained to the carton after insertion of a straw, In this manner, the potential for littering is decreased and the potential for greater recycling is increased by the present invention.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to openings for access to containers for flowable materials. Specifically, the present invention relates to a retainable tab for providing access to a container for flowable material through use of a straw.
2. Description of the Related Art
In designing beverage containers for the general consuming public, there are two major design factors: (1) providing easy access to the contents of the container; and (2) maintaining the integrity of the container during transport from the form, fill and seal machine to the retail outlet. As is obvious to those skilled in the pertinent art, these two major factors are at odds with each other which creates problems for those designing beverage containers.
Reflecting on the not too distant past, consumers had to either tear open the top of the container or cut the container with scissors or another cutting instrument to access the contents. Progress led to containers designed with weakened portions or portions with minimal material which provide for access to the contents of the container using a straw. An example of such a patent is Wise, U.S. Pat. No. 4,591,091 for a Aseptic Container With Tamper-Resistant Spout And Blank Therefor. It is obvious that such containers with weakened portions allow for easy access to the contents, however, the integrity of the container is sacrificed for this easy access.
The introduction of new materials for containers has enabled the containers to maintain integrity with the use of less material. This has provided opportunities for new designs to access the contents of the container. An example is Bettle, Jr. et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,201,459, for a Beverage Container With Novel Dispensing Means. The foregoing patents, although efficacious in providing access to the contents of a container, are not the denouement of the problems of accessing the contents of containers. There are still unresolved problems which compel the enlargement of inventions in the field of accessing the contents of containers.

Retainable access tab for a flowable material container


A high quality and performance 3D graphics architecture suitable for portable handheld devices is provided. The 3D graphics architecture incorporates a module to classify polygons by size and other characteristics. In general, small and well-behaved triangles can be processed using “lower-precision” units with power efficient circuitry without any quality and performance sacrifice (e.g., realism, resolution, etc.). By classifying the primitives and selecting the more power-efficient processing unit to process the primitive, power consumption can be reduced without quality and performance sacrifice.

Battery-operated and portable handheld devices that perform real-time Three-Dimensional (3D) imaging such as Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), cellular phones, and handheld electronic games have become enormously popular. Their popularity is fueled in part by the available network connectivity options. Wireless data services now enable a new generation of high-performance, low-power-consumption handheld devices to access network-centric applications and content anywhere, anytime. As a result, these handheld devices, in addition to having the capability to provide mobile phone services, are capable of supporting 2-way video, sharing pictures and video clips, providing a rich web experience, and more.
As mobile applications become richer and more complex, the ability to optimally process multimedia becomes a necessity on handheld devices such as PDAs and smart phones. Applications such as video mail, mapping services, reading PDF files, and 3D graphics-rich games all require high quality and performance graphics and multimedia capabilities. These capabilities enable new applications that benefit from rich images and system performance in ways that were previously unavailable to most handheld users. These portable handheld devices face the challenge of providing a compelling user experience while reducing overall system energy consumption and cost. Traditionally, portable handheld devices have lower-performance components than desktop Personal Computers (PCs) primarily because of the power limitations inherent in battery-operated handheld devices.
In general, the rendering of 3D objects can be extremely computation and power intensive and therefore is not conducive to battery-operated handheld devices. 3D objects and surfaces are approximated as connected polygons, usually triangles. Greater realism can be obtained by using a larger number of smaller triangles to approximate the object as well as by using texture maps to more accurately render the surface material features. The rendering of each triangle requires the execution of multiple complex calculations. As the number of triangles increases, the complexity and power consumption of the logic that performs these calculations also increases. 3D graphics applications continue to gain popularity as higher quality and performance applications emerge.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,473,089 entitled "Method and Apparatus For A Video Graphics Circuit Having Parallel Pixel Processing" (hereinafter the '089 patent) teaches a video graphics circuit for parallel processing of 3D graphics pixel information. The video graphics circuit of the '089 patent includes a set-up engine, an edge-walker circuit, a span-processing circuit, and a plurality of pixel-processing circuits. The plurality of pixel-processing circuits allows the parallel processing of pixel parameters. While the '089 patent may teach a video graphics circuit with improved performance, it does not address the issue of power conservation. As a result, the graphics circuit of the '089 patent is not suitable for use in battery-operated portable handheld devices where power conservation is a crucial consideration.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,222,550 entitled "Multiple Triangle Pixel-Pipelines With Span-Range Pixel Interlock For Processing Separate Non-Overlapping Triangles for Superscalar 3D Graphics Engine" (hereinafter the '550 patent) teaches a 3D graphics processor with parallel triangle pixel pipelines to allow entire triangles to be processed in parallel. Also, the triangle pixel pipeline can process adjacent pixels in the triangle at the same time. Like the '089 patent, the '550 patent teaches a video graphics circuit with improved performance, it does not address the issue of power conservation. As a result, the graphics circuit of the '550 patent is also not suitable for use in battery-operated portable handheld devices where power conservation is a crucial consideration.
Thus, a need exists for a high quality and high performance 3D graphics architecture suitable for portable handheld devices where power consumption is a crucial consideration.

High quality and high performance three-dimensional graphics architecture for portable handheld devices


The present invention provides a method for altering the light traveling distance in an optical scanning module using transparent glass. The optical scanning module comprises a transparent glass module that refracts light to alter the traveling distance of the light as it passes from the document to the optical sensing device. The proper thickness of this transparent glass module is specifically chosen to correctly calibrate the error of the traveling distance of the light created during the manufacturing of the scanner.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for calibrating a light traveling distance in a scanning module and, more particularly, to a method using transparent glass to increase or decrease the light traveling distance in a scanning module.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Platform scanners are commonly used in offices for converting paper documents into image data. The optical scanning module is the main scanning component within a platform scanner. A scanning module usually comprises a casing having an opening for receiving light transmitted from a scanned document, an optical sensing device installed in the casing for transforming the light transmitted from the scanned document into corresponding image signals, a plurality of mirrors for passing the light to the optical sensing device, and a lens for converging the light to the optical sensing device.
The resolution of a typical scanning module is constant and determined by the magnifying power of the scanning module as well as the resolution of the optical sensing device in the scanning module. The magnifying power of the scanning module is determined by the lens, by the distance from the scanned document to the lens, and by the distance from the lens to the optical sensing device. Therefore, if errors occur in the positioning or the angles of the lens or mirrors during the assembly process, the distance between the scanned document and the lens or the distance between the lens and the optical sensing device is altered thus biasing the magnifying power of the scanning module. Also, components in the scanning module such as the lens and optical sensing device have their own tolerances which may also affect the resolution of the scanning module.
When reduction of the allowable error tolerance range of the magnifying power, lens or the optical sensing device is required, the yield rate of scanners drops sharply and the number of calibrations increase dramatically. Thus the cost of the product increases.

Method for calibrating a light traveling distance in a scanning module


Disclosed is a method and apparatus for VoIP call recording. A call control network element monitors an existing telephone call for a call recording request from one of the parties. Upon receipt of the request, a determination is made as to whether recording is authorized. This determination may be made, for example, by sending a permission request message to the non-requesting party and waiting for receipt of a permission message from the non-requesting party. Alternatively, the authorization determination may be made by accessing a database storing call recording authorization information whereby subscribers can pre-authorize certain types of recording in order to expedite the authorization determination during an actual call. If authorized, the data packets implementing the voice data stream between the parties are duplicated, and the duplicate data packets are sent to a media server to record the call.

The present invention relates generally to telephone call recording, and more particularly to call recording in a voice over internet protocol network.
One or more parties to a telephone call often desire to record all, or a portion, of the call. One simple technique for such recording is for one of the parties to the call to record the conversation at a recording device located at the customer premises. However, there are certain problems with this technique. First, there are privacy considerations that must be taken into account prior to one party to a call unilaterally recording the conversation. In many instances, it is desirable and/or required to have all parties to a call consent to recording before recording commences. As such, it is undesirable to record without verifiable proof of consent from all parties. Another problem with unilateral recording is that the recording is not secure, and may be tampered with by the recording party. Thus, a recording made using equipment at a customer premises may not be reliable as an accurate documentation of the actual conversation between the parties.
Attempts have been made at solving some of these problems. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,529,602 discloses in-network call recording at a public switched telephone network (PSTN) node. That system utilizes a network node within a circuit switched telephone network in order to provide a secure location for stored recorded conversations. That system also provides for requesting recording permission from the call participants. The system described in the aforementioned '602 patent, however, is disadvantageous in that the parties to the call are connected to the recording node via two separate telephone connections. Thus, the parties must each establish a separate connection with the node, and then the node bridges the separate connections together in order connect the parties and record the conversation. One problem with this system is that the parties must know before the call is initiated that they want the call to be recorded. Such a system cannot be used to record a call if the participants decide to record the call after a normal telephone call is setup.
While the PSTN has been in existence for many years, more recently, data packet networks, such as local area networks (LAN) and wide area networks (WAN) have become more prevalent. These data networks operate in accordance with the internet protocol (IP) and such networks are referred to as IP networks. The popularity of IP networks has created an interest in providing voice and related services over IP networks. The provisioning of voice and related services over an IP network is referred to as voice over IP (VoIP).
Conventional PSTN voice services dedicate a circuit connection between a calling and called party. IP networks, on the other hand, are shared networks in which the network resources are shared between users. The notion of a connection in a data packet network is very different from the notion of a connection in a circuit network. In a circuit network, the connection is a dedicated circuit which is used only by the calling and called parties and is used for the duration of the call. In a data network, the connection between two parties is not dedicated, and traffic between the parties is transmitted via the data packet network along with the data packets of other users. There is no dedicated path between the parties, and data packets may be transmitted between the parties via different paths, depending upon network traffic.

Voice over internet protocol call recording


A water appliance detection and cut off apparatus is provided including a water entry conduit for receiving water from a water source. A pan is provided having a bottom face and a lip coupled thereto and extending upwardly therefrom for defining an open top and an interior space into which the water appliance is stored. A water ball valve is connected to the water entry conduit. In use, the ball valve has a closed orientation upon at least the instantaneous receipt of an activation signal wherein water is prevented from flowing to the water appliance and an open orientation upon at least the instantaneous receipt of a deactivation signal wherein water is allowed to flow to the water appliance. At least one water sensor is situated within the interior space of the pan and is adapted to generate the activation signal upon the detection of water within the pan, wherein the water sensor is connected to the water ball valve for transmitting the activation signal thereto upon the detection of water thereby precluding water from flowing to the water appliance. A D-flip flop having an input is connected to the water sensors for continuously transmitting the activation signal at an output thereof upon at least the instantaneous receipt thereof until the receipt of the deactivation signal at a clear input thereof. Next provided is an audio alarm connected to the output of the D-flip flop for emitting an audible noise only during the receipt of the activation signal. Finally, a reset switch is connected to the clear input of the D-flip flop and the water ball valve for transmitting a deactivation signal thereto upon the depression thereof for resuming the flow of water to the water appliance.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to water leak detectors and more particularly pertains to a new LEAK DETECTOR for providing a unique means for indicating and preventing a leak associated with a water appliance.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of water leak detectors is known in the prior art. More specifically, water leak detectors heretofore devised and utilized are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
Known prior art water leak detectors include U.S. Pat. No. 5,334,973; U.S. Pat. No. 5,345,224; U.S. Patent Des. 255,102; U.S. Pat. No. 5,357,241; U.S. Pat. No. 5,153,564; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,896,052.
In these respects, the LEAK DETECTOR according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of providing a unique means for indicating and preventing a leak associated with a water appliance.


An invention is described, which uses terahertz radiation for chemical sensing and gas analysis. Relatively narrow-band THz radiation is generated by impinging an optical pulse train from a short-pulse laser source on a THz emitter. Coherent detection of the resulting THz radiation is accomplished by using a similar optical pulse train to activate the THz sensor. The invention is shown to detect and indicate various concentrations of water vapor in air. Optimal phase biasing conditions give maximum sensitivity to variations in concentration of the species under investigation.

Systems are known in which ultrashort laser pulses are used to generate and coherently detect terahertz (THz) radiation. Most types of THz systems use single laser pulses to generate broad-band THz radiation. Time-domain, terahertz spectroscopy has been shown to provide a useful analytical tool for measuring properties of molecular vapors, both pure and in mixture with other gases, such as air (see M. van Exter, et al., Optics Letters, Vol 14, p. 1128 (1989)). The use of THz radiation reveals certain features which are not afforded by the use of laser radiation lying in the xe2x80x9cusualxe2x80x9d range of 200 nm to 10 microns.
X. -C. Zhang et al., teach a THz sensing system which employs electro-optic crystals, such as ZnTe, to serve as THz receivers, these having the advantage of higher detection bandwidth (see Q. Wu and(X. -C. Zhang, Appl. Phys. Lett, Vol 67, p. 2523 (1995)). The generation of narrow-band THz radiation can give significant advantages over broadband THz generation in certain spectroscopic applications. Continuous wave narrow-band THz radiation can be generated and detected by photomixing two CW lasers in a THz transceiver, such as a photoconductive antenna, as demonstrated by Verghese et al. (see S. Verghese, et al., Appl. Phys. Lett, Vol. 73, p. 3824 (1998)). Moderately narrow-band THz bursts can be generated by exciting a THz emitter with a train of optical pulses spaced to the desired THz frequency as taught by Siders et al. (see C. W. Siders, et al., Opt. Lett., Vol 24, p. 241 (1999)), and Weling et al. who excites a semiconductor surface (see A. S. Weling, et al., Appl. Phys. Lett, Vol. 64, p. 137 (1994)). Alternatively, Norris demonstrates a method in which a single laser pulse can be used to generate narrow-band THz radiation directly by optical rectification in a periodically poled nonlinear crystal such as PPLN (periodically poled lithium niobate), by exploiting the group-velocity walkoff between the optical pulse and the THz radiation in the crystal (see T. -S. Lee, T. Meade, V. Perlin, H. Winful, T. B. Norris, A. Galvanauskas, xe2x80x9cGeneration of narrow-band terahertz radiation via optical rectification of femtosecond pulses in periodically poled lithium niobate,xe2x80x9d Appl. Phys. Lett., Vol. 76, p. 2505 (2000)). In another method which does not employ ultrafast lasers, T. Heinz et al. teach a THz generation/detection system employing two detuned CW lasers to generate THz radiation at the beat frequency between the two lasers (see A. Nahatha, James T. Yardley, Tony, F. Heinz, xe2x80x9cFree-space electro-optic detection of continuous-wave terahertz radiation,xe2x80x9d Appl. Phys. Lett., Vol. 75, p. 2524 (1999)). The same two lasers activate the THz receiver, providing narrow-band coherent detection. This system provides very narrow-band THz radiation with xcx9cMHz linewidths, limited only by the absolute frequency stability of the two CW lasers, and have potential for linewidths less than 1 kHz.
CW heterodyne methods provide superior frequency resolution in the THz measurement system, however suffer the drawbacks of very low efficiency, as well as fringe ambiguity. While these systems can give sub-wavelength resolution, the larger scale TOF (time-of-flight) information is lost. The use of ultrashort pulses to generate and detect THz radiation provides useful TOF information. Furthermore, the use of ultrashort pulses can ultimately result in greater efficiency of THz emission, especially in cases such as that demonstrated by Norris, where the optical pulse is re-used many times in the generation process. As extensions of the THz sensing technology, various systems have been devised which combine THz generation/detection with imaging to give imaging in the THz frequency range. B. Hu et al. teach a THz imaging system which uses single, broad-band THz pulses repetitively while the sample under test is raster scanned through the THz beam (see B. B. Hu and M. C. Nuss, Appl. Phys. Lett, Vol. 20, p. 1716 (1995); see U.S. Pat. No. 5,623,145; and see U.S. Pat. No. 5,710,430). Because this system relies on THz waveform measurement, time delay scanning was required in addition to the raster scanning, both techniques, in turn, requiring the use of a large number of laser shots to complete the measurement even if no signal averaging was used. This type of system generally requires at least several minutes to complete an imaging measurement. Additionally, if spectral information about the image is desired, then complex signal analysis such as Fourier or wavelet transforms are required. A system for performing THz imaging with a single laser shot was first demonstrated by Q. Wu et al. This system works by using an EO field sensor crystal to impart THz image information on an optical beam (an ultrashort laser pulse), and then imaging the optical beam with an optical imaging device such as a CCD camera (see Q. Wu, T. D. Hewitt, and X. -C. Zhang, Appl. Phys. Lett., Vol. 69, 1026 (1996)).
The current invention combines advantages of tunable narrow-band THz generation and coherent detection, with the unique properties of ultrashort pulses, those being single-shot capability, TOF information, high pulse intensity, and greater efficiency of THz generation. The current invention provides the additional advantage of using two THz frequencies to give a differential measurement providing greatly enhanced sensitivity and immunity to laser fluctuations. Additionally, the narrowband THz emission can be adapted to single-shot THz imaging systems, which commonly use only a single, broadband THz pulse.

Single-shot differential spectroscopy and spectral-imaging at submillimeter wavelengths


An enclosure for a pressure relief device, particularly pressure relief devices mounted on electrical equipment housings, is pre-assembled together with the pressure relief device. The enclosure, which provides for temporarily confining and directing fluids discharged from the pressure relief device, is pre-assembled leaving a clearance space so that the pressure relief device can be mounted on the housing with the enclosure system in place. A peripheral shield with an opening for attaching the enclosure to a discharge pipe or other duct work remains rotatable until deliberately secured in place. Components can be shared between the enclosure and the pressure relief device to provide a more efficient and cost effective design.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to enclosures for pressure relief devices, which are also referred to as directional shields. The enclosures temporarily confine fluids discharged through the pressure relief devices and direct the discharged fluids through a relief duct or other conduit. The invention relates particularly to such enclosures that are mounted on electrical equipment housings to control discharges of hot oil/air and protect the surrounding environment.
2. Background Art
Large pressure relief devices on medium to large power transformers (either nitrogen blanket or conservator style), load tap changers, and other electrical equipment protect the equipment from over-pressure conditions. The pressure relief devices, which are commonly referred to as PRD's, must quickly relieve increased pressure that can accumulate in the housings containing such electrical equipment by allowing large quantities of potentially very hot fluids (oil and gas) to escape from the housings in a short time. The devices must respond before the housings in which the electrical equipment is contained rupture and, in so responding, allow a sufficient amount of fluid to be discharged in a sufficiently short amount of time to prevent damage, all while, preferably, discharging fluid in a manner where it will not cause injury or damage to persons or equipment located close by.
Large quantities of hot oil and gas discharged from the pressure relief devices tend to spray out over wide areas unless confined. Such sprays are dangerous and unsafe for the environment. Accordingly, it is becoming an increasingly common practice to enclose the pressure relief devices for temporarily containing and directing the fluids to where the fluids can be more safely recovered or disposed. Generally, the enclosures fit over the top of the pressure relief devices temporarily trapping the fluid discharges between the enclosures and the electrical equipment housings. Duct work is connected to the enclosures for directing the temporarily trapped fluids beyond the pressure relief devices.
The known enclosures are assembled in place over the top of the pressure relief devices. Even in new applications, the pressure relief devices are first mounted on the electrical equipment housings and the conventional enclosures are assembled around the mounted pressure relief devices. Some disassembly of the pressure relief devices is sometimes required to attach the enclosures to the mounted pressure relief devices. Other requirements include the adaptation of indicator or alarm systems, which further complicates the assembly requirements of the enclosure. A number of examples of conventional enclosure systems for a pressure relief valves are disclosed in my co-assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,937,893, entitled Shield for Pressure Relief Device, which patent is hereby incorporated by reference.
Although the known enclosure designs for pressure relief devices are effective for containing and directing flows of fluid discharged through the pressure relief devices, the assembly of such enclosures in place over pressure relief devices can be quite time consuming and can involve a number of steps made more difficult by other circumstances and requirements of individual electrical equipment housings. Care must be taken that the assembly is done correctly for each different application to safely accommodate the sudden discharge of large quantities of fluid.

Enclosure system for pressure relief device