Methods and apparatus for efficiently enabling routing states to be recovered after a failover or during a software upgrade in a system which supports graceful restart and stateful switchover are disclosed. According to one aspect of the present invention, a method for restarting a network device which has a plurality of routers and is in communication with a first peer being arranged to support graceful restart and a second peer includes performing a graceful restart with respect to the first peer. A peer transparent failover is performed with respect to the second peer. The graceful restart and the peer transparent failover are performed in response to a failure associated with the network device.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates generally to network systems. More particularly, the present invention relates to enabling routers which do not support graceful restart to substantially transparently have their associated states recovered on a router which is being restarted and also performs graceful restart.
2. Description of the Related Art
The demand for data communication services is growing at an explosive rate. Much of the increased demand is due to the fact that more residential and business computer users are becoming connected to the Internet. Furthermore, the types of traffic being carried by the Internet are shifting from lower bandwidth applications towards high bandwidth applications which include voice traffic and video traffic.
As the demand for data communication services grows, the use of high availability networks is increasing. To this end, many networks are being built such that the components of the networks, e.g., routers, may continue to provide service even when the components must be reset or restarted. A component may generally be restarted when it has suffered a failure, e.g., a control module failure, or when a software upgrade is in process. In some cases, a graceful restart may be used to restart a component substantially while enabling the component to continue to function.
Networks generally include a plurality of components or peers which are in communication. FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic representation of a network. A network 100 includes peers 104, e.g., routers or hosts, which are in communication across connections 108 using a Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) over a Transmission Control Protocol (TCP). Typically, sessions may be established using connections 108 such that one peer 104 may exchange routing information packets with another peer 104, e.g., peer 104a may establish a session with peer 104b. When peer 104a suffers a failure, connections 108a, 108c, 108d effectively go down, and peers 104b, 104d, 104e may no longer completely trust information that was received from peer 104a.
When all peers 104 support a BGP Graceful Restart, a graceful restart may be accomplished to enable traffic to continue to be routed through peer 104a even when peer 104a has suffered a BGP failure and is in the process of restarting. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, a graceful restart enables data-forwarding to continue such that packets may be processed and forwarded through peer 104a when BGP on peer 104a is being restarted, i.e., even when a portion of peer 104a which is responsible for identifying best paths has failed. By way of example, when peer 104a fails, graceful restart enables peers 104b, 104d, 104e to wait for peer 104a to come back online, since although peer 104a has gone down, after a certain amount of time, peer 104a will be back online. Peer 104a effectively requests that peers 104b, 104d, 104e not remove any information from peer 104a.
During a graceful restart, a restarting peer, e.g., peer 104a, may set a restart bit to indicate that it has restarted, and may set a forwarding state bit to indicate that it has preserved or otherwise maintain its forwarding state. The preservation of the forwarding state allows peer 104a to restart while peers 104b, 104d, 104e may maintain their routes through peer 104a. In other words, a graceful restart is a substantially transparent process that allows peers 104b, 104d, 104e to effectively hide the restart of peer 104a from the rest of network 100 in terms of packet forwarding only.
As previously mentioned, peers 104 may be routers. With reference to FIG. 2, the configuration of routers will be described. A first router 202 may be in communication with a second router 206 over an interface 210, e.g., a connection. Router 202 has an active route processor 214, and a standby route processor 218. Active route processor 214, or an active route switch processor, controls and runs routing protocols. Standby route processor 218, or a standby route switch processor, is arranged to take over the functions of active route processor 214 when active route processor 214 experiences downtime.
Both active route processor 214 and standby route processor 218 include a BGP speaker 222 and a TCP speaker 226, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art. Active route processor 214 and standby route processor 218 are substantially connected to linecards 232 through a bus 230. Linecards 232 are arranged to allow interfaces such as interface 210 to enable communication between router 202 and other routers, as for example router 206, which may include the same internal components as router 202, as shown.
As will be understood by those skilled in the art, while the above description of a typical router 202 mentions a separate active route processor and a standby route processor, router 202 may instead include an active stack of BGP and TCP, and a standby stack of TCP and BGP on the same physical route processor.
If router 202 needs to be restarted and both routers 202, 206 have the capability to support a graceful restart, then a graceful restart may occur such that packet forwarding between router 202 and router 206 may essentially remain unaffected while the graceful restart occurs. During a graceful restart of router 202, router 202 will inform router 206 to wait for a certain period of time before removing its associated routes from router 202 and allowing packet forwarding to continue. If router 202 comes back on line within the certain period of time and if a route associated with router 206 is received again, then forwarding for that associated prefix is effectively unaffected.
In order for both router 202 and router 206 to support a graceful restart, both router 202 and router 206 must support the protocol extensions required by a graceful restart. That is, both router 202 and router 206 must both be upgraded to have the software that supports a graceful restart. When router 202 and router 206 are both owned by a common service provider, then ensuring that the relevant software is of the same version on both routers 202, 206 may be relatively easy. Even in such a case, an upgrade may occur at different times. However, when router 202 is owned by a service provider and router 206 is owned by a customer, for instance, it may be difficult to ensure that both routers 202, 206 have the relevant version of the software. In some situations, the relevant software in router 206 may not be upgradeable in the same time frame as the relevant software in router 202. Further, in other situations, it may not be possible to upgrade the relevant software in router 206. There may also be situations where a service provider does not wish to provide any information about internal failures at all.
Some networks use a full stateful switchover solution in which all TCP and BGP states are substantially synchronized on an active route processor and a standby route processor of a router at all times. Stateful switchover generally allows for a standby route processor to take control of a failed active route processor while maintaining connections which were established by the active route processor, and is one example of a failover method. A failover is generally an operational mode in which the functions of a component are assumed by standby subcomponents when active subcomponents become unavailable. Typically, maintaining the connections established by an active route processor is achieved at least in part by checkpointing data needed to maintain connections and functionality from the active route processor to the standby route processor. Although the use of a stateful switchover solution with all peers or routers associated with a router which has suffered a failure may be useful when graceful restart is not supported by all peers associated with the failed router, such a solution is not very scalable, and the cost and performance characteristics associated with the solution are often unacceptable.
Therefore, what is needed is a method and an apparatus which allows a failed router to efficiently maintain its functionality during a restart within a network when not all peers associated with the failed router support graceful restart. That is, what is desired is a system which allows for a failover to occur with a relatively high level of performance within a network that includes peers which do not necessarily support graceful restart.

Routing system and method for transparently rocovering routing states after a failover or during a software upgrade


Systems for facilitating wireless communication and related methods are provided. In this regard, a representative system includes: an electronic device operative to communicate using Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, the device having a Wi-Fi monitoring system operative to: monitor Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) advertising channels; receive information corresponding to a Wi-Fi-capable device via BLE Advertisement packets communicated on at least one of the BLE advertising channels; and establish communication with the Wi-Fi-capable device using the information provided by the BLE Advertisement packets.

An electronic device, such as mobile phone or tablet computer, may be configured to scan for a Wi-Fi-capable device, such as a Wi-Fi access point (AP) or a peer device (e.g., Wi-Fi speakers, Wi-Fi dongles, Wi-Fi printers, etc.) with Wi-Fi capability. Scanning for a Wi-Fi-capable device may be performed by the electronic device in a passive manner. For instance, in the U.S., there are currently 12 and 23 operating channels in the 2.4 and 5 GHz bands, respectively. For each scan cycle, the device typically scans for all 35 channels and monitors for beacon transmission on each of the channels for up to the duration of the beacon interval, which is typically 100 ms. Assuming Wi-Fi passive scanning is performed every 5 minutes, this translates to a 3500 ms passive scanning time every 5 minutes, which corresponds to a duty cycle of 1.167%. Assuming 70 mA power consumption for the Wi-Fi receiver of the device, this corresponds to power consumption of over 0.8 mAh for each scan cycle.


A method and apparatus are provided for providing access to a remotely located nested object in a distributed database system. For example, a first server receives a request to access a complex database object that is not situated at the first server. When this occurs, the first server sends a second request to a second server. When the first server receives data in response to the second request, it detects whether the received data includes a reference to a nested object. If the first server detects a reference to a nested object, the first server modifies the received data by replacing the reference with a virtual reference to the nested object. The first server stores mapping data that associates the virtual reference with the reference and with an associated server, wherein the associated server is capable of resolving the reference. The first server forwards the modified data to the requestor.

Database systems consist of objects that store information or data, referred to as database objects. One type of database object is a database table, which is logically represented by information arranged in rows and columns. Data stored in a particular row is referred to as a record, and each record is organized into one or more fields of data. The type of information stored in a particular field is determined by the data type of the column in which that field is located. FIG. 2 depicts an employee table 200 to provide an example of a database table. As shown in FIG. 2, row 202 of employee table 200 stores a record of information about employee Bob Smith 212. Each row in employee table 200 comprises three fields of data. One field stores employee name 210, which is Bob Smith 212 for row 202. Another field stores education 220, which is High School 222 for row 202. Yet another field stores employment history 230, which for row 202 is represented by a nested table 204.
A database object is managed by one or more database servers. A database server that manages a database object is considered to be a "managing database server" relative to the database object. A managing database server is capable of providing indirect access to the database object to other entities. Therefore, any entity, other than a managing database server, that wishes to access a database object must access the database object indirectly by submitting a request to a managing database server for that database object. An entity that submits a request to a database server to access a database object is referred to herein as a "client". There are many forms of clients. For example, a client may be a database application, or another database server that is not managing the database object to which access is sought.
A database server is "local" with respect to a client if the server is in direct communication with the client. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, server 120 is in direct communication with client 110, so server 120 is a local server relative to client 110. A database server that is not in direct communication with a client is referred to as a remote database server. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, server 130 communicates with client 110 indirectly, through local server 120, so server 130 is a remote server relative to client 110.

Accessing a remotely located nested object


Novel nitric-oxide releasing lipid molecules are provided which comprise a lipid molecule selected from (a) phosphoglycerides, (b) lipids having a sphingosine base as a backbone, (c) monoacylglyerols, (d) diacylglycerols, (e) glycosylacylglycerols, and (f) sterol compounds of the formula:

Nitric oxide can be used therapeutically in a number of ways. At high concentrations, nitric oxide is cytotoxic and may be used to reduce the numbers of undesirable cells, such as cancer cells, bacterial cells and cells present in atherosclerotic lesions. At lower concentrations, nitric oxide may promote the health of certain cells and tissue.
Compounds that contain S-nitroso groups, O-nitroso-groups, and N-nitroso groups are all known to release nitric oxide.
O-nitroso compounds are compounds having one or more —O—NO groups, and are also referred to as O-nitrosylated compounds and nitrite compounds.
S-nitroso compounds are compounds with one or more —S—NO groups and are also referred to as nitrosothiols and S-nitrosylated compounds. An —S—NO group is also referred to in the art as a sulfonyl nitrite, a thionitrous acid ester, an S-nitrosothiol or a thionitrite.
Compounds having an ═N—NO group are referred to herein as N-nitroso compounds. Common examples are compounds having —N—N2O2− groups (see structure below), which are known in the art as nonoate compounds, and more specifically as N-nonoate compounds.
Examples of the above three classes of compounds can be found, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,583,101 and 5,814,666, the entire disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,824,669 and WO 00/49993, which are herein incorporated by reference, describe nitrosated and nitrosylated steroids. Further information can be found within these documents.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,767,089 (the '089 patent), the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference, discloses among other things nitroxide-labeled macromolecules, including hemoglobin, albumin, immunoglobulins and liposomes. See, e.g., Abstract and Col. 1, lines 13 et seq. For further information, see the disclosure of the '089 patent (see, also, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,824,781 and 5,741,893).

Abstract: where R is a branched aliphatic chain of eight or more carbon atoms, wherein the lipid molecule is provided with a nitric-oxide containing group which comprises (a) a —S—N═O moiety, (b) a —O—N═O moiety, or (c) a

Abstract: a moiety. Also provided are methods of forming such nitric oxide releasing lipid molecules.

Abstract: Various pharmaceutical compositions, topical liquids and drug delivery systems comprising the nitric-oxide releasing lipid molecules are also described. Further provided are methods for therapeutically administering nitric oxide to patients, methods of treating or preventing various conditions, methods for promoting wound healing and methods of reducing the cells present in an atherosclerotic lesion, which methods utilize the nitric-oxide releasing lipid molecules.


In the refining of crude oil, hydroprocessing units such as hydrotreaters and hydrocrackers are used to remove impurities such as sulfur, nitrogen, and metals from the crude oil. They are also used to convert the feed into valuable products such as naphtha, jet fuel, kerosene and diesel. The current invention provides very high to total conversion of heavy oils to products in a single high-pressure loop, using multiple reaction stages. The second stage or subsequent stages may be a combination of co-current and counter-current operation. The benefits of this invention include conversion of feed to useful products at reduced operating pressures using lower catalyst volumes. Lower hydrogen consumption also results. A minimal amount of equipment is employed. Utility consumption is also minimized.

In the refining of crude oil, vacuum gas oil hydrotreaters and hydrocrackers are employed to remove impurities such as sulfur, nitrogen and metals from the feed. Typically, the middle distillate boiling material (boiling in the range from 250° F.-735° F.) from VGO hydrotreating or moderate severity hydrocrackers does not meet the smoke point, the cetane number or the aromatic specification required.
Removal of these impurities in subsequent hydroprocessing stages (often known as upgrading), creates more valuable middle distillate products. Hydroprocessing technology (which encompasses hydrotreating, hydrocracking and hydrodewaxing processes) aims to increase the value of the crude oil by fundamentally rearranging molecules. The end products are also made more environmentally friendly.
In most cases, this middle distillate is separately upgraded by a middle distillate hydrotreater or, alternatively, the middle distillate is blended into the general fuel oil pool or used as home heating oil. Recently hydroprocessing schemes have been developed which permit the middle distillate to be hydrotreated in the same high pressure loop as the vacuum gas oil hydrotreating reactor or the moderate severity hydrocracking reactor. The investment cost saving and/or utilities saving are significant since a separate middle distillate hydrotreater is not required.
There are U.S. patents which are directed to multistage hydroprocessing within a single high pressure hydrogen loop. In U.S. Pat. No. 6,797,154, high conversion of heavy gas oils and the production of high quality middle distillate products are possible in a single high-pressure loop with reaction stages operating at different pressure and conversion levels. The flexibility offered is great and allows the refiner to avoid decrease in product quality while at the same time minimizing capital cost. Feeds with varying boiling ranges are introduced at different sections of the process, thereby minimizing the consumption of hydrogen and reducing capital investment.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,787,025 also discloses multi-stage hydroprocessing for the production of middle distillates. A major benefit of this invention is the potential for simultaneously upgrading difficult cracked stocks such as Light Cycle Oil, Light Coker Gas Oil and Visbroken Gas Oil or Straight-Run Atmospheric Gas Oils utilizing the high-pressure environment required for mild hydrocracking.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,980,729 discloses multistage hydrocracking, with a hot hydrogen stripper located between the hydrotreating and hydrocracking zones.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,241,876 teaches the use of countercurrent flow in hydrocrackers to maximize diesel production.


A method for providing automatic restatement of a data environment includes receiving a request for restatement of a first dataset, accessing dependency data that describes a set of dependencies between the first dataset and one or more other datasets in the computer data environment, examining the dependency data to automatically identify one or more second dataset from among the one or more other datasets, the second datasets being datasets from which the first dataset depends, examining a first timing data related to the restatement of the first dataset and a second timing data related to the restatement of the identified second datasets to identify one or more third datasets from among the second datasets that require restatement as a result of the restatement of the first dataset, generating a restatement plan based on the identified third datasets, and initiating automatic execution of the restatement plan.

In recent years, data has become an important aspect of various software programs' feature development, reliability, tracking, product production and many more fields. The amount of data collected, stored, utilized and/or analyzed in these fields is often significantly large and may include many different datasets. To create a dataset, a variety of complex transformations and validations of incoming raw data streams may be performed. The data streams are often provided by other datasets. As such, a dataset may depend on multiple other datasets. As the number of datasets and dependencies between them increases, management of data becomes more complex.
One of the complexities of managing a large data storage environment is handling data restatements. Restatement of data occurs, when one or more data streams or datasets are reprocessed (e.g., reproduced) for a given time period of data. Restatement may be needed when data is updated, a failure occurs, and/or data inaccuracies are detected. When datasets depend on one another, however, a restatement in one dataset may affect its dependent datasets. In a large and complex data environment, this may result in numerous other restatements being needed. However, it is not easy for engineering teams to determine which datasets require restatement, as determining dependencies in a complicated data environment is a complex, time consuming and error prone task. The process often involves making inquiries to multiple different engineering teams (e.g., teams responsible for different datasets), collecting information from the various teams and attempting to determine dependencies for numerous datasets based on the information provided. This may become inefficient and time consuming and often beyond the ability of a human being. As a result, required restatements may be overlooked, some datasets may be restated multiple times and the process make take a significant amount of time and computing resources.
Hence, there is a need for improved systems and methods for automatic data restatement based on dataset dependencies.

Dependency-based automated data restatement


The array comprises an insulating substrate with diode-capacitor pixels disposed over conductors on the substrate. A single mask is used to etch the pixel stacks, and each pixel stack is wider than the conductor beneath. As a result, the mask alignment does not influence the pixel characteristics.

This invention relates to arrays of photosensitive pixels, for example for use in image sensors. The invention is particularly concerned with array configurations which enable a reduction in the size of image sensor pixels, so that an image sensor having an increased resolution may be produced.
Various pixel configurations are known which may be used to form a large area photosensitive array. Generally, the photosensitive pixel of a large area array comprises a light-collecting device, such as a photodiode, and a switching device such as a light-shielded diode. In this arrangement, the charge stored on the capacitance of the photodiode is used to provide an indication of the level of light previously incident on the photosensitive pixel.
A known alternative pixel configuration is one in which the photodiode acts as the switching device, and a separate capacitor is required for charge storage. U.S. Pat. No. 4,797,560 discloses an array of photosensitive pixels in which each pixel comprises a photodiode and a capacitor in series, disposed one above the other over a common substrate. The capacitor and photodiode of each pixel comprise thin film layers disposed over the common substrate. Each pixel in U.S. Pat. No. 4,797,560 comprises a single stack of thin film layers, and this enables the stack to occupy a small area (because the photodiode can occupy almost the full area of the pixel) enabling an increased resolution of an image sensor using the pixel configuration. However, the alignment of the pixel stack over previously formed conductors is critical, and the capacitance of each pixel is dependent on this alignment.


An illumination device arrangeable on a front part of a vehicle has a tubular receptacle formed on the front part, a light-permeable cover member covering a light outlet opening, a cup-shaped housing, at least one reflector provided with at least one light source and supported on the housing, the housing being mountable on the receptacle, the cover member being mountable on the front part, the housing having a front edge region facing a light outlet direction and being mountable with the front edge region on a rear-side edge region of the receptacle--facing opposite to the light outlet direction, the cover member, the receptacle and the housing together limiting a closed inner chamber in which the at least one reflector with the at least one light source is arranged.

The present invention relates to an illumination device which is arranged on a front part of a vehicle.
Illumination devices of the above-mentioned general type are known in the art. One of such illumination devices is disclosed for example in the German patent document DE 30 30 427 A1. The front part of the vehicle has a tubus-shaped receptacle for the illumination device. The illumination device has a wide outlet opening which is covered by a light permeable cover member. The illumination device further has a cup-shaped housing which accommodates a reflector with a light source and is mountable in the receptacle of the front part. The cover member is mounted on the housing of the illumination device. The cover member with the housing limit a closed inner chamber in which the reflector with the light source is arranged. The illumination device therefore forms a complete sealed unit which is mounted in the receptacle. This leads to a high weight of the front part with the illumination device mounted in it and a great material use both for the receptacle as well as for the housing of the illumination device, since the receptacle additionally surrounds the housing.

Illumination device arranged on front part of vehicle


A method, module, device, and computer program product for digital imaging. Providing an image within an image sensor, selecting at least one first region within image for scaling with a first scaling rate, selecting at least one second region within the image for scaling with a second scaling rate, and providing the first and the second regions for further processing allows improved autofocusing.

In the past years, digital imaging devices, such as digital cameras have taken a remarkable role in imaging technology. Traditional cameras rely entirely on chemical and mechanical processes, and there is generally no need for electricity to operate with one. However, digital cameras have one or more built-in processors and these cameras record images in an entirely digital form. Because of their electronic nature, digital cameras (or digital camera modules) can be readily integrated to other electronic devices, of which mobile telecommunication devices (mobile terminals) are nowadays the most common examples. Depending on the master device, (i.e. the device the camera module is integrated with) the camera module can communicate with several other components and systems of said device. E.g. in a camera phone, the camera module is typically operatively communicating with one or more processors, and in the case of a digital camera, the device can comprise some other type of dedicated signal processing components.
A digital camera has a series of lenses, a lens system that focuses light to create an image of a scene. But instead of focusing this light onto a piece of film, it focuses it onto a semiconductor device that records light electronically. This semiconductor device can be e.g. a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) or CCD (Charge-Coupled Device) sensor. The sensor is mainly composed of a collection of light-sensitive pixels, which convert light into electrical charge and this electronic charge is further converted into digital image data. Typically, digital image data is mainly processed outside the sensor component itself, but nowadays it is also possible to integrate logic and memory into the CMOS sensors. U.S. Pat. No. 6,570,617 B2 discloses a single chip camera, where certain signal and control electronics have been integrated on the same substrate with the photosensitive element.
Deviating significantly from the conventional film type cameras, the modern digital cameras usually have integrated color displays that provide a preview of the frame that the user is capturing. This display can be used as a digital viewfinder instead of a traditional optical viewfinder. The image that is seen on the display is typically taken directly from the image sensor and after scaling down from its original resolution displayed on the viewfinder display. This procedure ensures rapidly updating live display during such preview mode. The preview image is also used for image based autofocusing purposes in the manner described below.
Typically, in the digital camera the image sensor outputs data in lower resolution QVGA (Quarter Video Graphic Array) for the display because of the aforementioned requirement to have rapidly updating preview display and because of the limited pixel resolution of the display. During preview mode image based autofocusing can be performed by analyzing the low-resolution image and by adjusting the lens system accordingly to improve the focusing. The user can check the image displayed on the viewfinder display to see if the autofocusing has been successfully applied. Also non-image based focusing can be applied here by using, for example, various distance measuring methods known in the art. This lowered image resolution intended for viewfinder preview is, however, not high enough to perform accurate image based focusing in the modern multimegapixel, e.g. 3 megapixel cameras. In other words, the scaled down image resolution is not high enough to provide the basis for accurate image analysis to fine tune autofocusing. Therefore, before the image is captured, in addition to the aforementioned prefocusing measures, the camera needs to typically perform some final focusing steps based on higher resolution image data.
The operation of the autofocusing and previewing functions of the prior art digital cameras may deviate in their details somewhat from the description given above, but it can be realized that the prior art systems have certain severe limitations especially with respect to providing exact focus data from megapixel images continuously and without unnecessary delays. It can be realized that in prior art systems exact focus data is not available all the time, because at certain times only a scaled down low resolution image intended for the viewfinder might be available. Also, in some cases when the high-resolution images are captured for final focusing, the viewfinder images might not be updated properly.
It can be seen that even though digital cameras provide new and interesting ways for imaging, there still is a need for improved focusing methods, which are more accurate and faster than the ones in current technology, and that can cope with the ever-increasing sensor resolutions. In addition, such methods should also work in situations where the image needs to be scaled down for generating a higher picture frequency, for example, for preview purposes. Automatic image processing, e.g. automatic white balancing should be possible with best results even with cropped images. The following description discloses a solution that addresses these needs.

Method and apparatus for digital image processing of an image having different scaling rates


A method for in vitro predicting of the outcome of an individual having a multiple myeloma, including the steps of: a) measuring the expression level of at least 5 genes and/or proteins encoded by the 5 genes, the genes being selected in a group including NRP2, REEP1, SV2B, ARRB1, CACNA1G, FBLIM1, FGFR1, IRF6, ITGA9, NOVA2, PPP2R2C, SLC5A1, SORL1, SYT7 and THY1, in a biological sample obtained from the individual; b) calculating a score value from the expression level obtained at step a); c) classifying the individual as having a good prognosis status or a bad prognosis status, by comparing the score value obtained at step b) with a reference score value.

Multiple myeloma (MM) is the second most common blood cancer, and is affecting the plasma cells. In individuals having multiple myeloma, malignant clonal plasma cells accumulate within the bone marrow. These aberrant cells are 'diluting' the normal plasma cells that are devoted to fight infections. The malignant plasma cells also produce abnormal proteins, such as M protein, which may cause solid tumors, damage the kidneys, and impair immune system function. In some cases, the malignant cells may cause a single tumor, called a solitary plasmacytoma, but if multiple tumors are formed, and then the disease is called multiple myeloma.
MM affects approximately 25,000 new individuals per year in the EU, accounts for 10% of hematological malignancies and 1.6% of all cancer deaths in the US.
MM is a very heterogeneous disease, at the molecular as well as the clinical level. At diagnosis, patients are classified into different subgroups depending on the MMCs molecular discrepancies and on different transcriptome/biomarkers-based scores, each associated to a given outcome.
Genome sequencing studies have recently revealed considerable heterogeneity and genomic instability, a complex mutational landscape and a branching pattern of clonal evolution. Epigenetic markers, such as DNA methylation or histone posttranslational modifications, could also be involved in MM pathophysiology and drug resistance.
Although it was considered incurable for a long time, recent developments in cancer research have provided treatment strategies leading to an overall survival of intensively-treated patients of 6-7 years and an event-free survival of 3-4 years. However, patients invariably relapse after multiple lines of treatment, with shortened intervals in between relapses, and finally become resistant to any treatment, resulting in loss of clinical control over the disease and death within weeks.
Despite these recent advances in cancer research, the proposed therapeutic approaches often depend on the patient's age only, and thus are not adapted to an individual patient or even a subgroup of patients.
Taken into account the current growing tendency for therapy providers in developing personalized diagnostic and therapeutic approaches, there is therefore an urgent need to provide individuals having MM with an accurate diagnosis of the disease intended to lead to the most adapted treatment.

Method for the in vitro prognosis of individuals having multiple myeloma and method for the treatment thereof

CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE


An improved electrophotographic (EP) printer is provided having a detachable process cartridge that contains a non-volatile memory device, which is an EPROM that cannot be erased after a bit is burned. A "toner wheel" mounted to the exterior of the toner reservoir of the process cartridge provides, in conjunction with an optoelectronic sensor, an electrical signal that the printer receives and uses to determine toner usage. A toner "gas-gauge" is created which uses "bucket levels" as discrete steps to indicate how much of the measured physical toner material actually remains within the toner reservoir. After a given amount of toner material has been dispensed through the developer unit, one of the bits of the EPROM memory device is irreversibly burned, thereby providing a permanent record on the process cartridge of a certain amount of toner usage. As with a normal automobile gas gauge, the toner gas-gauge reading should never increase unless the amount of toner material inside the toner reservoir has increased. Once the bucket level transitions begin to occur for the toner gas-gauge, the printer becomes aware that a majority of the toner material has been expended from inside the toner reservoir. If the number of bucket gradation levels then increases by more than the hysteresis amount, then the printer will "lock out" the operation of a non-reusable process cartridge. When the lock-out mode occurs, a particular bit is burned on the EPROM mounted to the cleaner housing of the process cartridge. This ensures that this particular process cartridge cannot be removed, then simply placed back into the same (or a different) printer, and then begin supplying toner to a printer. Certain important "machine data" also can be stored in the EPROM memory device on the process cartridge of the present invention. The present invention is also able to declare the "end-of-life" of a process cartridge when the gas-gauge toner sensor is not functional (such as when it has been tampered with).

The use of a detachable "process cartridge" on an image forming apparatus such as an electrophotographic (EP) printer is fairly old, having been introduced by Canon in U.S. Pat. No. 4,500,195. This process cartridge included the major components of an EP printer that, during use, become worn or are consumed, such as toner material in a reservoir, a developer unit, a cleaner unit, and a photoconductive (PC) drum.
Another Canon patent, U.S. Pat. No. 4,551,000, discloses a removable "process kit" for an image forming apparatus, in which this process kit contains "consumable members," such as a photoconductive drum, developer unit, cleaner unit, and toner reservoir. The process kit also includes an apparatus "for indicating when the useful life of the process kit is about to expire and when it has expired," which comprises an electronic counter circuit that includes a memory to store the number of operations of the PC drum. The process kit can also contain an LED to act as a warning indicator that the service life has expired, or is about to expire. The counter/memory circuit is provided as part of the process kit. An electrical power source is provided to the counter circuit at all times, whether or not the process kit is attached to the main body of the printer or copier. In this manner, the content of the counter is not erased, but is kept in memory.
The above Canon '000 patent is probably the first patent disclosure to provide a non-volatile memory circuit on a replaceable process cartridge used with a printer or copier. Many other patents or other publications have since added to the list of technical disclosures providing a memory circuit on a replaceable process cartridge, typically to store some type of information, usually in a non-volatile memory device. For example, a method of storing (in a counter variable in a memory device on a process cartridge) the number of prints or copies that have been made is disclosed not only in Canon '000, but also in Japanese patent disclosure document JP 05210304(A), owned by Fujitsu. In JP 05210304(A), the types of information being stored include values of a sheet counter before and after use of the cartridge, number of rotations and time for rotation of a developing roll, and number of rotations and time for rotation of a photosensitive drum.
Another type of information stored in a conventional process cartridge memory device is a cartridge identification number that can be detected by the printer/copier main body when the cartridge is attached. U.S. Pat. No. 5,132,729 (owned by Minolta) discloses an image-forming apparatus having a removable and replaceable having a memory device that stores a recognition number (i.e. a "unit number") of the image-forming unit, and a separate memory unit on board the printer that contains ROM and RAM to test whether or not the unit number is proper with respect to a manufacturer's code. If the process unit is not authentic, the printer or copier can be disabled. Moreover, JP 08069213(A) (owned by Canon) not only stores the serial number, but also stores a counter value, and two different processing conditions. Copying is inhibited if the most significant byte of the serial number is not equal to zero (0) and if the unused areas of addresses 5-63 are not FF (in hexadecimal).
A concept found in some conventional printer/copiers is the ability to limit the service life of a process cartridge based on information being stored in the process cartridge. An example of this is U.S. Pat. No. 5,276,461 (owned by Tokyo Electric) which discloses a laser printer having a replaceable photosensitive cartridge and also having a non-volatile memory mounted to a card base plate. The non-volatile memory comprises an EEPROM integrated circuit, which has a new count value incremented every time the printer produces a new printed sheet of print media. When the photosensitive drum nearly reaches the end of its service life (with regard to the number of copies it has produced), then a message is placed on a display of the printer (and also can be sent to a host computer) to indicate the photosensitive drum must be replaced soon. When the photosensitive drum reaches its maximum number of copies, a new message is displayed saying that the drum has expired, and, in addition, a solenoid ejects the card base plate from its plug-in socket in the microprocessor of the printer, thereby disabling the printer. JP 63212956(A) (owned by Bando Chemical) also determines the remaining service life of a cartridge, primarily based on the remaining quantity of toner, and stores that information in a memory device provided on the cartridge. The remaining quantity of toner or the remaining service life of the photosensitive body are used to calculate the remaining service life of the cartridge, and this information is stored in the memory.
Another concept found in some conventional printer/copiers is the ability to store operating parameters information and to adjust the copier's operating conditions accordingly. This concept is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,272,503, and also in JP 58132758(A) and JP 08069212(A). U.S. Pat. No. 5,272,503 (owned by Xerox) discloses a printer having an operator replaceable cassette that includes a non-volatile memory device (i.e. an EEPROM). The EEPROM stores a value that varies as a function of the usage of the replaceable cassette. For example, the EEPROM can store the number of prints that have been made using that cassette. This information is later used to adjust certain operating parameters of the printer, including the photoreceptor charge level, exposure level, developer bias level, and the response level of the automatic density control system. The printer also contains a non-volatile memory which is updated by the accumulated print count that is stored in the cassette EEPROM. If the printer determines that an update is due, a new value is written into the cassette's EEPROM memory, where it is retained even if the cassette is later removed from the printer.
JP 58132758(A) (owned by Canon) discloses a process kit used in an image formation device in which a PROM is built on the process unit. Certain information is stored in the PROM, including information to determine exposure, quantity of electrostatic charging, developing bias value, and destaticizing exposure. JP 08069212(A) (owned by Canon) discloses an image forming device that has an exchangeable drum unit, which incorporates a non-volatile memory device. The memory device stores a serial number, counter value, and processing conditions. The processing conditions represent a correction value for the dispersion of the sensitivity of the drum.
Some of the conventional printers/copiers use process cartridges that can have more than one load of toner run through their developer. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,548,374 (owned by Toshiba) discloses a printer with two counters which count the total rotations of the photoconductive drum and the total number of toner additions. In one embodiment, the counters are mounted on the printer; in a second embodiment, the counters are mounted in the process unit that contains the toner hopper. A further example is JP 06067484(A) (owned by Ricoh), which discloses an image forming device having a toner supply cartridge that is detachable from a developer unit. The developer unit is provided with an EEPROM, which stores the number of times that toner cartridge attachment is carried out. When the number of times cartridge attachment occurs reaches a reference value, the output of the image forming device is inhibited to prevent an inferior image from being made due to the end of the service life of the developer unit.
Some of the conventional printers/copiers provide process cartridges having memory devices that blow fuses or set memory locations in one direction only (i.e., a "one-way memory" device). For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,021,828 (owned by Fuji Xerox) discloses a copy machine that includes a "process kit" that has a mechanical counter to count the number of rotations of the photosensitive drum. The process kit also contains at least two fuses, which are blown after a certain number of copies have been made. In the illustrated embodiment, two fuses are included on the process kit, and the first one is blown after 99 sheets have been copied, and the second fuse is blown after 16,000 sheets have been copied. After the second fuse is blown, the consumable items (i.e., toner, etc.) have been expended, and the process kit has come to the end of its life; however, the copier will allow another given number of copies to be made as "grace" copies after the second fuse has blown. The fuses can comprise semiconductors, including diodes or transistors.
Another example of a "one-way memory" device in disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,491,540 (owned by Hewlett-Packard), in which a printer/copier changes a memory location in a memory chip after a certain amount of use. The printer/copier can receive replacement parts, such as a developer cartridge. A memory chip is mounted to the cartridge and is connected to a control computer on the printer side via a single electrical wire. The memory chip can store serial number information for the replacement part, and can also store operational data such as the amount of previous use of the replacement part and how its physical characteristics may have changed over use. The single wire configuration is used so that this new cartridge can replace existing replacement cartridges that use a fuse that can be blown after a certain amount of use.
A further example of a "one-way memory" device in disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,283,613 (owned by Xerox), in which an electrophotographic printer/copier irreversibly sets individual bits in a "flag memory" after a certain multiple of prints have been made by a copy machine. Replaceable cartridges are provided with the copy machine, and the cartridges include a non-volatile memory that is divided into two sections: an electronic "count" memory and an electronic "flag" memory. The count memory maintains a one-by-one count of prints made using the cartridge, while the flag memory sets individual bits upon a certain multiple of prints being made. The count memory can be both read from and written to, however, the flag memory can have its bits alterable from a first state to a second state, but not alterable from the second state back to the first state. The flag memory can be inspected as a tamper-proof check of the actual count value of the pages that have been printed. Once one of the flag bits is set, this lowers the limit of possible allowable remaining count values in the count memory, which in the preferred embodiment uses a counter that counts down from 20,000 to zero copies that are yet available from this cartridge. The type of memory device is disclosed as being a PROM, or an EEPROM which has its charge pump disabled or omitted. Because of this hardware structure, each flag bit can be altered only "downward." The flag bits are set strictly upon a multiple of the prints that have been produced, not upon toner depletion or any other parameter.
Yet another example of a "one-way memory" device in disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,365,312 (owned by Mannesmann AG) which uses a "telephone card" as a memory that can have its contents erased on a bit-by-bit basis. The memory is located on a reservoir, and the memory stores information about the current fill status of the reservoir and the expiration date of the printing medium, relevant for this particular printer. The inventor prefers that the memory on the reservoir be non-volatile, and this memory can be in the form of an integrated circuit, or as a "telephone card" in which a memory strip is contained on the telephone card and can have its contents erased bit-by-bit. In one example, a single memory strip bit is erased for each 10,000 ink droplets printed. Once one of these bit is erased, the bit's modification is irreversible. A timer can also be included that will contain information about the expiration date of the ink fluid. Another read-only memory can be used to store an ID code to identify the ink reservoir. Finally, the counter can be used to activate an alarm when the count value reaches a minimum supply level of the toner.
The conventional image forming printers and copiers could be improved by measuring the actual quantity of remaining toner material in their toner reservoir to enable the image forming apparatus to make more intelligent decisions as to how the apparatus should function with a particular process cartridge. Another improvement would be to store machine operating data in an image forming apparatus, including in a non-volatile memory device mounting on the process cartridge, including data that is stored in an irreversible manner. A further improvement would be to provide alternative means to disable or enable certain functions in an image forming apparatus, including functions that are unrelated to one another.

Method and apparatus for storing data in a non-volatile memory circuit mounted on a printer's process cartridge


A fixing mechanism includes a base, a substrate and a latch. The base includes a constraining component and a contacting component. The substrate is slidably disposed on the base. The substrate includes a body, a fixing hole structure and a connecting portion. The base and the body respectively hold circuit boards. The fixing hole structure is disposed on the body for sheathing the constraining component. The fixing hole structure includes a first opening and a second opening, the second opening is connected to the first opening in a linearly stretching manner. The latch is rotatably disposed on the substrate. The latch includes a bar and a driving portion. The driving portion is disposed on an end of the bar and movably contacts against the contacting component. The driving portion slides relative to the contacting component with rotation of the bar to connect the connectors of the circuit boards.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fixing mechanism and an electronic device thereof, and more particularly, to a fixing mechanism with easy operational property and preferred assembly/disassembly convenience and an electronic device thereof.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In a conventional server host, the expand card is electrically connected to the built-in circuit board of the server host detachably for functional expansion and efficiency enhancement. Generally, the expand card is installed inside the casing of the server host by a fixing device for easy repair, and the fixing device can be a screw or a bolt. However, an auxiliary tool, such as the screw driver, is utilized to assemble and disassemble the conventional fixing device, which results in inconvenience. Thus, design of a tooless fixing device with easy operational property and preferred assembly/disassembly convenience is an important issue in the related mechanical design industry.

Fixing mechanism and electronic device thereof


The invention relates to a method of and an apparatus for fluidised bed regeneration of a catalyst containing coke.. The catalyst and some of the regeneration fumes are drawn off from the dense bed of a regenerator (1) and are introduced by gravity into an external exchanger at a junction point below the level of the dense bed of the regenerator. Heat exchange is carried out in the lower part of the exchanger (7) below the junction point. From the bottom end of the exchanger up to above the junction point a dense bed zone is created the level of which is established substantially at the height of the dense bed in the regenerator and a zone (15) of suitable size for the escape of regeneration gases and fluidisation gas. The gases and fumes are drawn off into the dilute fluidised phase (18) of the regenerator through a duct (17) while the catalyst is recycled to the dense bed of the regenerator through a different duct (25) from that in which the fluidisation air is circulating.. Application to the regeneration of fluid bed cracking catalysts.

The invention relates to a method of regenerating a used catalyst with fluidized bed heat exchange and an apparatus for carrying out the method. More particularly, the method can be applied to the regeneration of catalysts contaminated with coke residues after reaction with a hydrocarbon batch. It may relate to hydroprocessing, hydrocracking or catalytic cracking, reforming catalysts or even any contact mass used for example in thermal cracking processes.
Purely by way of illustration, the process can be applied to the regeneration of used catalyst resulting from a catalytic cracking process conducted in a fluidized bed and involving heavy oil batches having a high Conradson carbon level, such as an atmospheric residue, a vacuum residue, a deasphalted residue, such residues being capable of being hydroprocessed.
The method of the invention is particularly applicable to the monitoring of temperature.
Catalytic cracking processes convert the hydrocarbon carbon charges to lighter products such as fuels. Initially, the charges were relatively light, diesel fuel for example, and in order to obtain maximum conversion efficiency with highly active zeolitic catalysts, it was necessary to remove the maximum of the coke which had become deposited on these catalysts, reducing their effectiveness, during a regeneration stage at a temperature of between 520.degree. and 800.degree. C.
The urgent demand for fuels is motivating refiners to turn their attention to increasingly heavier charges, containing hydrocarbons with a high boiling point, for example with a boiling point above 550.degree. C. and having a high Conradson carbon level or a substantial concentration of metals. Heavy hydrocarbons and coke can then become deposited on the catalyst in a substantial quantity during the catalytic cracking phase and regeneration by combustion may result in a considerable release of heat which may damage the apparatus and deactivate the catalyst, particularly in the event of prolonged exposure to temperatures higher than 800.degree. C. It then becomes vital to monitor catalyst regeneration. This problem occurs particularly when it is desired to apply to a long-standing, technology dealing essentially with conventional hydrocarbon charges to a method which involves much heavier charges.
One of the objects of the invention therefore is to propose a regeneration process and an apparatus comprising the monitoring of cooling of the catalyst in a catalytic cracking unit with a view to processing heavy charges.
Another object of the invention is to provide for much greater flexibility of use of the apparatus.
The prior art is illustrated by the following patents:
U.S. Pat. No. 4,614,724 discloses an apparatus embodying a regenerator, the regeneration temperature of which is controlled by an external heat exchanger in which the flow passes downwardly through a nest of tubes.
The cooled catalyst is recycled to the generator via a duct through which catalyst ascends in a fluidized state into the dense bed of the regenerator. The catalyst in the exchanger is maintained in dense bed by a fluidizing gas flowing counter-current to the direction of flow of the catalyst and the fluidizing gas is either entrained with it when the rate of flow is very low or is discharged through the catalyst line. This counter-current circulation of the gas disturbs the flow of catalyst in the inlet connector and in the exchanger and the heat exchange efficiency is therefore not at its maximum.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,434,245 describes a two-level regenerator comprising an external exchanger with lateral intake of hot catalyst emanating from the upper level which is a storage zone.
The cooled catalyst is recycled via a duct receiving the regenerating air and the used catalyst, into a zone corresponding to the lower level where combustion takes place. Therefore, operation of the regenerator and of the exchanger is closely linked since the return of cooled catalyst to the regenerator is a function of the rate of flow of fluidization of the air used for regeneration and which circulates within the said duct. Furthermore, this patent discloses a connector above the exchanger and which discharges into the dense bed of the exchanger so that the release of gas and fumes can only take place partially, taking into account the presence of the catalyst in this connector. There may then be a phenomenon of circulation of catalyst with a return flow through the top (backmixing). Clearance of gas is all the poorer since the nest of exchange tubes reaches as far as the top end of the exchanger. Mixing is not necessarily homogeneous and there is therefore an upper zone where the catalyst stagnates and where it is only poorly renewed, so that heat exchange is diminished.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,923,834 describes a "backmixing" process in which an upper connector discharging into the inlet duct of the exchanger containing catalyst which circulates in a dense bed, makes it possible for catalyst to return from the exchanger into the storage chamber of the regenerator. Here, therefore, there is cooling by "backmixing" and not a solution to a problem of evacuation from a heat exchanger of fumes and fluidizing air which would make it possible to maximise heart exchange.

Method of heat exchange of solid particles for regeneration in catalytic cracking


A method and a system (30) for inspecting and/or mapping a railway track (18). The method comprises: acquiring geo-referenced rail geometry data associated with geometries of two rails (20) of the track along the section; acquiring geo-referenced 3D point cloud data, which includes point data corresponding to the two rails and surroundings of the track along the section; deriving track profiles of the track from the geo-referenced 3D point cloud data and the geo-referenced rail geometry data; and comparing the track profiles and generating enhanced geo-referenced rail geometry data and/or enhanced geo-referenced 3D point cloud data based on the comparison.

Railway tracks require regular inspection to allow timely detection of problems relating to impending track failure. Failure or misalignment of the track may be caused by wear of the rails, deterioration of the sleepers, damaged or disconnected rail fasteners, or by displacement (e.g. subsidence) of the track bed or underlying soil and support structures.
Systems and methods for automated inspection of railway tracks and analyzing inspection data are known. One goal of such automated systems is non-destructive and high-speed assessment of railway tracks. Inspection systems typically use sources of coherent light to illuminate regions of the railway track during inspection runs.
Patent document WO2009/064177A1 describes an appliance for measuring rail geometry, which can be quickly attached to an automatic coupling of a standard train wagon in such a way that it is completely carried by the automatic coupling. The known appliance comprises a laser measuring system for measuring a location of the rail relative to the appliance, and an inertial measuring system for determining the geographic location of the appliance. Combination of the geographic location of the appliance and position of the rail relative to the appliance allows determination of the geographic position of the rail. WO2009/064177A1 provides little information in relation to the imaging and mapping of the railway track.
It would be desirable to provide a system and a method that allow mapping of a railway track with high accuracy.

System and method for mapping a railway track


The present (or current) nuclear shielding is bulky and difficult to handle due to the reduced stopping power of the neutral radiations (X, gamma, n) in materials. It is proven that these radiations are reflecting at grazing incidence angles on special substrates called super-mirrors that contain nano-layers of various materials. The usage of nano-structures in an ordered manner or of nano-tubes may create inside the nano-structure the super-mirror reflection conditions and makes these nano-structures act like wave-guide for this neutral radiation driving it and turning at angles greater than 90 degrees requiring a total thickness a few microns only. The usage of ferro or piezo electric nano-structures generates a “shield” structure that has the wave-guides inside with the path dependent on a control voltage. The resultant device is a kind of shield that can be applied inside the core for nuclear reactor criticality control, making an electric control of the power level by adjusting the shielding transmission or outside for minimizing the nuclear reactor shielding. Other devices such as X, n imaging device, or radiation funneling to increase the efficiency of thin absorbents use are some of the potential applications.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention refers to structured materials used to trap and guide inside nuclear radiation or particles such as X- and gamma-rays, neutrons, charged particles, and their potential applications in nuclear power, imaging and shielding.
2. Description of the Related Art
Channeling experiments proved that radiation may be trapped inside atomic lattices and steered in a similar manner with that the microwave and optical radiation is driven through wave-guides and, respectively, optical fiber. Charged particles and X-ray channeling has already reached the applications stage in accelerator and space technology.
The new development based on nano-structures pushes the limits of channeling towards the high-energy radiation domain.
The present solution of using complex nano-structures that can be electrically controlled opens the way to a new revolution in nuclear energy.

Nano-structured nuclear radiation shielding


A method and apparatus for determining a setting specified from a plurality of the settings for a function provided in an integrated circuit, wherein the setting is specified by connecting an external measurement resistor to a measurement terminal of the integrated circuit, comprises applying a direct current to the measurement terminal of the integrated circuit, thereby producing a measurement voltage at the measurement terminal; applying the direct current to a reference terminal of the integrated circuit, wherein the reference terminal has an external reference resistor connected thereto, thereby producing a reference voltage at the reference terminal; quantizing a voltage level of a difference voltage representing a voltage difference between the reference voltage and the measurement voltage, thereby producing a quantized voltage; and providing control signals to a functional module within the integrated circuit, the control signals representing the one of the settings corresponding to the quantized voltage, wherein each of the settings is represented by a different quantized voltage; wherein the functional module implements the one of the settings represented by the control signals.

The present invention relates generally to integrated circuits, and particularly to selecting the settings in an integrated circuit by connecting external devices, such as resistors, capacitors, and the like, to terminals of the integrated circuit.
It is common for an integrated circuit to provide a function having multiple settings that can be selected during the manufacture of a device that incorporates the integrated circuit, such as a printed circuit board. A setting is selected by applying digital inputs to terminals reserved for that purpose, for example by connecting each terminal to a high voltage, such as the power supply, or to a low voltage, such as ground. Thus for an integrated circuit using binary digital logic, a function having three possible settings requires that two terminals be dedicated to detecting the digital inputs that select one of the three settings. The number of functions and settings that an integrated circuit can provide is generally limited by the number of available terminals.
However, the terminals of an integrated circuit are a scarce resource. In relative terms, the designers of an integrated circuit are often limited less by the number of devices a package for an integrated circuit can contain than by the number of terminals the package can accommodate. For example, design and cost goals such as minimizing pin count (that is, the number of terminals of an integrated circuit) and real estate (that is, the area occupied by an integrated circuit) require that the number of terminals be minimized. Thus the number of functions and settings is often constrained by the number of available terminals.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method and apparatus for selecting multiple settings for an integrated circuit function


A method and apparatus for packaging semiconductor devices using patterned laminate films to reduce stress buffering. The method includes fabricating a semiconductor die having thin film resistors and bond pads formed on an active surface. A film layer is formed onto the active surface of the die, covering the thin film resistors and bond pads. The film layer is then patterned to create recesses in the film layer in the vicinity of the bond pads on the active surface of the die. The die then undergoes wire bonding and is next encapsulated in a molding compound. The film layer between the film resister and the molding compound reduces stress buffering created by the molding compound.

Semiconductor devices are widely used in a host of applications, ranging from computers, micro-controllers, cell phones and communication devices, wired and wireless data networking, consumer electronics, and many other applications. Semiconductor devices are typically fabricated in wafer form. After fabrication, the wafer is "diced" to signulate the individual die along the scribe lines on the wafer. The individual die are then packaged and tested before being sent to customers or end users.
Semiconductor devices can be encapsulated in a number of different types of packages, such as ball grid arrays, quad flat packs, etc. Many of these packaging types require the die to be encapsulated in a molding compound such as epoxy B. With certain types of die, the use of molding material is problematic because it creates stress on the die. This stress, sometimes referred to as "stress buffering", is caused by physical changes to the compound during the molding and curing process. This phenomena is particularly troublesome with high precision semiconductor devices that are required to sense very low voltages. These devices typically have thin film resistors (TFRs) fabricated thereon and that are used in the sensing of the very low voltages on the die surface. Changes in the resistivity of the thin film resistor caused by the molding process may cause the regulated voltage outputs on the device to vary and not meet device specifications. More specifically, the stress may impact the electrical performance of the device, causing parametric drift and hampering its high precision performance.
A so called "Glob" top packaging technique is one known way of potentially reducing or eliminating the stress buffering situation. With glob top packaging, a ball or glob of stress-free material, such as QI-4939 (silicon gel), is dispensed onto the surface of the die. This material acts as a physical buffer between the thin film resistor and the molding compound. The glob process, however, has a number of drawbacks. Foremost, it is expensive. The glob has to be placed on each individual die, as opposed to applying the material on the wafer level. Thus the process is both time consuming and requires specific or dedicated equipment. It is also difficult to control the height of the glob since it is dispensed onto the die surface. Finally, the glob top packaging technique does not work with all types of package configurations. In some circumstances, the glob interferes with the wire bonding process.
An apparatus and method for packaging semiconductor devices using patterned laminate films to reduce stress buffering is therefore needed.

Apparatus and method for packaging semiconductor devices using a patterned photo sensitive film to reduce stress buffering


Universal plasma spray extension gun systems and devices for thermal spraying of machine components are disclosed. In one embodiment, a plasma gun extension system includes: a plasma extension arm; an arm connector disposed on the plasma extension arm and configured to connect to an adjustable plasma spray gun apparatus; an arm coupler disposed on the plasma extension arm and configured to connect the plasma extension arm to a robotic arm; and a set of feed conduits disposed on the plasma extension arm between the arm coupler and the arm connector, the set of feed conduits configured to supply a flow to the adjustable plasma spray gun apparatus.

The subject matter disclosed herein relates to plasma spray guns. Specifically, the subject matter disclosed herein relates to a universal plasma extension gun including at least one extension arm.
Thermal spraying is a coating method wherein powder or other feedstock material (e.g., metals, ceramics, etc.) is fed into a stream of heated gas produced by a plasmatron or by the combustion of fuel gasses, for application on a surface/machine component. The hot gas stream entrains the feedstock to which it transfers heat and momentum. The heated feedstock is further impacted onto the surface, where it adheres and solidifies, forming a thermally sprayed coating composed of thin layers or lamellae.
One common method of thermal spraying is plasma spraying. Plasma spraying is typically performed by a plasma torch or gun, which uses a plasma jet to heat or melt the feedstock before propelling it toward a desired surface. Current plasma spray guns are commonly configured to operate in a single set position with respect to a component (e.g., at a single contact distance) at one power mode (e.g., 75 kW). As a result, application of thermal spray coatings to components which include a variety of surfaces, configurations and/or different shapes (e.g., interior diameter features, outer diameter features, a plurality of varied components, etc.), may require the use of a plurality of plasma spray guns, arranged in different positions. This multitude of plasma spray guns and need for repeated spray gun substitution, configuration and calibration throughout application processes may greatly increase part production time, component expense, and maintenance equipment inventory. Additionally, some of these features (e.g., cavities, interior diameters, etc.) may be difficult to access and/or coat for technicians and robotic arms which may not be able to extend within these features. As a result, designs may be limited and/or production time may be greatly increased.


A process for spinning high molecular weight poly (alpha-olefin) filament, particularly ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene filament, from solution in a volatile spinning solvent with recovery and recycling of the solvent.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a process for spinning high molecular weight poly (alpha-olefin) (UHMW PO) filament from solution in a volatile solvent with recovery and recycling of the solvent. More particularly, the invention relates to a process for spinning high molecular weight polyethylene homopolymer or copolymer filament from solution in a volatile solvent with recovery and recycling of the solvent.
2. Description of the Related Art
High strength, high modulus polyethylene and polypropylene filaments have been prepared from ultrahigh molecular weight polymers by solution spinning and drawing. Such filaments have proven extremely useful in ballistic protection, penetration- and cut-resistant applications, composites, ropes and netting among other applications. The first description of solution spinning of strong polyethylene filaments, was by P. Smith, P. J. Lemstra, B. Kalb and A. J. Pennings, Poly. Bull., 1, 731 (1979). Single filaments were spun from 2 wt. % solution in decalin(decahydronaphthalene) at 130° C., quenched to a gel state, and then stretched while evaporating the decalin in a hot air oven at 100 to 140° C.
In the intervening decades since this first description, two principal solution spinning processes have been developed differing in part by whether the spinning solvent is volatile or non-volatile at the spinning temperature. In one solution spinning process, a solution of ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMW PE) is prepared at elevated temperature in a first solvent such as a heavy mineral oil that is essentially non-volatile at the spinning temperature. The polymer solution is spun and quenched to a gel state essentially without evaporation of the spinning solvent. The non-volatile spinning solvent is removed from the gel fibers by extraction with a second solvent having a normal boiling point less than 100° C. such as trichlorotrifluoroethane. The gel filaments containing the second solvent are dried to form xerogel filaments. Stretching of the filaments occurs in the gel state containing the first solvent, in the gel state containing the second solvent and in the dry xerogel filament state. Variations of this basic process are described for example in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,413,110; 4,455,273; 4,536,536; 4,551,296; 4,584,347; 4,663,101; 5,736,244; 5,972,498; and 6,448,359B1.
In this process both the non-volatile spinning solvent and the low boiling second solvent are recovered and recycled, e.g., through sequence tub washing or counter-current flow. Exiting the extraction device are a mixed solvent stream and the gel filament. The gel filament exiting the extraction device is composed of the UHMW PE swollen with the second solvent.
The gel filament containing the low boiling second solvent is passed into one or more drying chambers where the second solvent is evaporated into an air or inert gas stream. Upon leaving the drying chambers, the gas stream containing the second solvent is passed into a solvent recovery unit, e.g., a chemical adsorption, or condensation unit or for non-recovery processes, catalytic oxidation or burning.
The other stream leaving the extraction device consisting of the mixed solvents, i.e., the non-volatile spinning solvent and the low boiling extraction solvent, is passed into a one-stage still where a major portion of the low boiling second solvent is evaporated. The overhead product from the still, consisting of essentially pure second solvent is condensed and recycled to the extraction device. The bottoms product is separated by conventional means into the low boiling second solvent and the non-volatile spinning solvent. The low boiling solvent is then recycled to the extraction device. The non-volatile spinning solvent is recycled to the device in which the UHMW PE solution is formed.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,741,451 describes a method for drawing UHMW PE filaments such as have been prepared by this process. US 2004/0040176 A1 describes an oven and process suitable for simultaneously drawing and drying "lowly oriented polyethylene" filaments containing a solvent, apparently describing the gel filaments containing the extraction solvent. Paragraph [0013] of that application refers to a "gas purification installation" without further description.
The second principal UHMW PE solution spinning process closely follows the disclosure of Smith, Lemstra, Kalb and Pennings cited above. In this process, a solution of UHMW PE is prepared in a solvent, typically decalin, that is volatile at the spinning temperature. The UHMW PE solution is spun at elevated temperature, cooled to form gel filaments, and the spinning solvent is evaporated during cooling and while the filaments are stretched. Variations on this basic process are described, for example, in GB 2,042,414, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,411,854; 4,422,993; 4,430,383; 4,436,689; 5,443,904; 5,547,626; 6,605,348 B1 and JP-A-60/5264. However, none of the patents or publications related to this process discusses recovery or recycling of the spinning solvent.
An article titled, "Organische Dämpfe in Luft und Stickstoff-Enstsorrgen oder Wertstoffe zurückgewinnen?" (translated as "Organic Vapors in Air and Nitrogen—Disposal or Recovery of Potentially Valuable Recyclables?"), by H. Forster, Erdöl Erdgas Kohle, 114(No. 4), 211-214, 1995, discusses methods for disposal or recovery of solvent vapors in general, without specific reference to filament spinning processes. The methods of choice are differentiated by the concentration of solvent in the gas stream. Disposal by combustion is indicated for solvent contents less than 60 g/m3. Recovery by condensation or membrane concentration followed by condensation is indicated for solvent contents in the range of 100-1500 g/m3. Adsorption is indicated at both low (<20 g/m3) and high (>30 g/m3) solvent contents.
It will be recognized that a process of spinning UHMW PO from a volatile spinning solvent avoids the need for an extraction solvent and the several separation steps that its use entails. However, a need exists for a solution spinning process for UHMW PO using a volatile spinning solvent that recovers and recycles the spinning solvent by simple, economical means.

Solution spinning of UHMW poly (alpha-olefin) with recovery and recycling of volatile spinning solvent


A foam-dispensing device includes a main tubular housing which houses a material cartridge. Several chambers are formed within the material cartridge with each chamber containing a separate material. A motionless mixer is attached to the dispensing end of the cartridge. The motionless mixer includes a tapered rear end into which the materials flow exposing the materials to one another, and a front end containing a helical mixing element. A hole is formed transversely in the motionless mixer between the rear end of the mixer and the helical mixing element for receiving a supply of pressurized gas therethrough. The materials flow out of the cartridge and into the rear end of the motionless mixer. After the materials have been exposed to one another, the materials pass by the hole and are injected with the supply of pressurized gas. The pressurized gas is injected into all of the materials after the materials have contacted one another but before the materials are mixed together by the helical mixing element. The aerated materials flow through the helical mixing element and are mixed into a foam compound before being dispensed from the foam-dispensing device.

Technical Field
The invention relates to a dispensing device and more particularly to a foam dispensing device having a motionless mixer tube for mounting on the end of the dispensing device which mixes pressurized air with at least two materials creating an aerated foam compound. More particularly, the invention relates to such a foam dispensing device whereby the pressurized air is injected into the motionless mixer tube for aerating both of the materials after the materials have been exposed to one another but before the materials are thoroughly mixed together by the motionless mixer tube.


A misfire-detecting system for an internal combustion engine in which a value of sparking voltage is detected, which is generated across a spare plug when high voltage is generated by an ignition device in response to generation of an ignition command signal. When a time period over which the detected value of sparking voltage exceeds a predetermined reference voltage value exceeds a predetermined time period value, the system determines that a misfire has occurred in the engine. A recharging command signal is generated for applying high voltage to the spark plug, after generation of the ignition command signal. As a result, a misfire can be accurately detected.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a misfire-detecting system for internal combustion engines, and more particularly to a misfire-detecting system of this kind, which is adapted to detect a misfire attributable to the fuel supply system.
2. Prior Art
In an internal combustion engine having spark plugs, a misfire can occur, in which normal ignition does not take place at one or more of the spark plugs. Misfires are largely classified into ones attributable to the fuel supply system and ones attributable to the ignition system. Misfires attributable to the fuel supply system are caused by the supply of a lean mixture or a rich mixture to the engine, while misfires attributable to the ignition system are caused by failure to spark (so-called mis-sparking), i.e. normal spark discharge does not take place at the spark plug, for example, due to smoking or wetting of the spark plug with fuel, particularly adhesion of carbon in the fuel or unburnt fuel to the spark plug, or abnormality in the sparking voltage supply system.
The present assignee has already proposed a misfire-detecting system for detecting misfires attributable to the fuel supply system, which comprises sparking voltage detecting means which detects sparking voltage, i.e. voltage across electrodes of the spark plug, and misfire-determining means which determines that a misfire has occurred when a time period over which the detected value of the sparking voltage exceeds a predetermined reference value (Japanese Patent Application No. 3(1991)-326507 and corresponding U.S. Ser. No. 07/846,238 filed Mar. 5, 1992).
In the above proposed system, the time period over which the detected value of sparking voltage exceeds the predetermined reference value corresponds to a time period over which a predetermined amount of electric charge or more is stored in floating capacitance in the vicinity of the spark plug. Depending upon the behavior of discharge caused by sparking of the spark plug, the charge can be discharged within a short time period even if a misfire has occurred. This phenomenon can take place when the sparking voltage assumes a considerably high voltage value at the end of an inductive discharge caused by sparking, due to occurrence of a misfire. In such an event, discharge again takes place between the electrodes of the spark plug and terminates within a short time period so that the misfire is not detected to have occurred.
Further, even in the case where the spark plug has just started smoking due to adhesion of carbon, etc. to the electrodes of the spark plug and hence has decreased insulation resistance between the electrodes, or in the case where the spark plug has just started recovering from its smoking state due to its own purifying action, dielectric breakdown is likely to occur so that there is no significant difference in the time period over which the sparking voltage exceeds the predetermined reference value between when normal firing has occurred and when a misfire has occurred.

Misfire-detecting system for internal combustion engines


A light detection device comprises: a flow path section in which a plurality of lines of flow of a plurality of droplets 4 dispersed in oil and moving along a linear line of flow is retained on an array plane; a laser beam irradiation section which introduces a laser beam 3 in a direction in which the plurality of lines of flow are arrayed in the flow path section to irradiate the plurality of lines of flow; and a light detection section which detects emitted light generated from the plurality of lines of flow by the irradiation of the laser beam, from a vertical direction with respect to the array plane. A refractive index of the oil no and a refractive index of the droplets nd have a difference such that −0.02≤nd−no≤0.05.

In recent years, a droplet digital analysis method has gained much attention which involves dividing a sample solution into 10 thousand to 10 million droplets with a volume of picoliter to nanoliter levels in oil, causing a reaction inside the droplets based on the components of the sample, and detecting a reaction result with respect to each droplet to thereby perform sample analysis with high accuracy and high sensitivity. The analysis method, which may be used for various analytes including nucleic acids and proteins, has the advantage that, by implementing a control such that zero or one analyte is included in most of the droplets, a reaction result derived from a single analyte can be obtained, or the absolute number of analytes contained in a sample can be quantitatively determined. For example, by implementing a control such that each droplet contains zero or one cell of a sample, an average or a dispersion of a specific antigen level derived from a single cell can be quantitatively determined, or the ratio of genetic mutation derived from a single cell can be quantitatively determined. Among others, an application to PCR called droplet digital PCR (hereafter referred to as ddPCR®) has made significant progress, and it holds the promise of being used in the field of diagnosis as well as research.
A real-time PCR, which is a major technique for conventional quantitative PCR, successively measures the degree of progression of amplification reaction for each thermal cycle, thereby determining the quantity of an analyte gene that is originally present in the sample. However, in order to perform this technique, it is necessary to measure the degree of progression of amplification reaction of each dilution series of the analyte gene with respect to the number of times of thermal cycles in advance, and to use the progression degree as a standard curve. Accordingly, if the amplification efficiency for an analyte gene in the sample differs from that when the standard curve is acquired, the quantitation result may differ from the reality. On the other hand, ddPCR performs quantitation through digital counting of the analyte gene that is originally present in the sample. Accordingly, ddPCR does not require a standard curve, and is not susceptible to the influence of a change in the analyte gene amplification efficiency. Thus, ddPCR is a simple and highly accurate quantitative PCR. For example, after genome is extracted from a specimen, the genome-extracted solution is mixed with PCR reagent and divided into a number of droplets, and then a digitalized PCR amplification reaction is performed. By utilizing a TaqMan probe, for example, that emits fluorescence in accordance with amount of the presence or absence of mutation, fluorescence intensity of individual droplets is measured, and number of droplets with fluorescence intensity of a threshold value or more is digitally counted. The adoption of a number of droplets provides the advantage of being able to detect low-frequency genetic mutation at relatively low cost.
Currently commercially available ddPCR devices include QX200 from Bio-Rad Laboratories and RainDrop from RainDance Technologies. These ddPCR devices are based on similar mechanisms. The mechanism of the Bio-Rad ddPCR device is illustrated in FIG. 1 of Non Patent Literature 1. First, into a resin-made droplet generator cartridge installed on the ddPCR device, 20 microliters of sample including PCR reagent and oil are loaded, and, by means of vacuum aspiration and a flow focusing nozzle mechanism, approximately 20,000 l nL-volume droplets are formed in the oil. The droplets are stabilized in the oil by the addition of surfactant. A number of droplets in the oil are then pipette-transferred to a well on a conventional microtiter plate, and end-point PCR is performed using a conventional thermal cycler. Then, again in the ddPCR device, a number of droplets in the oil are vacuum-aspirated and caused to flow single-file in a channel formed in a resin microchip, and, by further adding oil to the channel, the droplets are caused to flow with an increased interval. The channel is irradiated with a laser beam to thereby irradiate the individual droplets in sequence, and emitted fluorescence from the individual droplets is measured in sequence. In this case, while the droplets that included an analyte gene prior to PCR are amplified and emit strong fluorescence after PCR, the droplets that did not include the analyte gene prior to PCR are not amplified and only emit weak fluorescence after PCR. That is, the absolute amount of an analyte gene included in the sample is highly accurately determined by setting an appropriate threshold value with respect to fluorescence intensity, and digitally counting the number of droplets having a fluorescence intensity of more than the threshold value, and the number of droplets having a fluorescence intensity of less than the threshold value.
In ddPCR, various kinds of oil may be used, such as mineral oil, silicon-based oil, and fluorine oil. Generally, oil and the droplets have different refractive indexes. Accordingly, when the droplets are irradiated with a laser beam, interfacial scattering is caused. In order to avoid or reduce the scattering at the droplet interface, Patent Literature 1 proposes matching or approximating the refractive indexes of the oil and droplets. In this way, it is made possible to detect the scattered light derived from cells present in the droplets with high sensitivity.


Aspects of a method and system for a low power fully differential noise canceling low noise amplifier (NC LNA) are provided. The NC LNA may receive signals via a single ended input and may generate an amplified symmetric differential output from the received signals. The NC LNA may utilize capacitor dividers, such as a capacitor bank, in the single ended input in order to provide impedance transformation that enables low power operation and matching to an input port. The NC LNA may generate one portion of the amplified symmetric differential output via a voltage divider, which may comprise a plurality of capacitors, such as a capacitor bank. The NC LNA may be implemented utilizing one or more circuits.

As mobile, wireless, and/or handheld portable devices increasingly become multifunctional, "all-in-one," communication devices, these handheld portable devices integrate an increasingly wide range of functions for handling a plurality of wireless communication services. For example, a single handheld portable device may enable Bluetooth communications and wireless local area network (WLAN) communications.
Much of the front end processing for wireless communications services is performed in analog circuitry. Front end processing within a portable device may comprise a range of operations that involve the reception of radio frequency (RF) signals, typically received via an antenna that is communicatively coupled to the portable device. Receiver tasks performed on an RF signal may include low noise amplification, demodulation, filtering, and analog to digital conversion (ADC), for example. Noise considerations may be important since the strength of the received RF signal may be low. The resulting front-end processed signal may be referred to as a baseband signal. The baseband signal typically contains digital data, which may be subsequently processed in digital circuitry within the portable device.
The operation of low noise amplifiers and other components of the receiver may have to be very linear, that is, the output has to have a linear relationship with the input, to maintain the performance of the receiver. This may cause increased power consumption by the receiver due to the highly linear characteristics of various components in the receiver. Blocker signals are unwanted signals in frequency channels outside the wanted channel that disturb the reception of the wanted signals. This happens due to the fact that the blockers generate large signals within the receiver path. These large signals may introduce harmonics and intermodulation products or unwanted mixing products that crosstalk with the wanted signals. Similarly, when the required RF signal is weak, there is an increase in the power consumption of the receiver to achieve a good noise factor (NF) and a good phase noise. In handheld communication devices such as cell phones, and smart phones, the increased power consumption may significantly drain the battery that powers these devices.
For high performance receivers it is therefore important that the low noise amplifier is able to operate at low power, to perform low noise amplification, to provide reasonably high voltage gain, and to provide good input impedance matching. In this regard, novel low noise amplifier designs may need to achieve all these benefits while being able to generate output signals that may be easily utilized by subsequent processing portions of the receiver.
Further limitations and disadvantages of conventional and traditional approaches will become apparent to one of skill in the art, through comparison of such systems with some aspects of the present invention as set forth in the remainder of the present application with reference to the drawings.

Method and system for a low power fully differential noise cancelling low noise amplifier


A method for training an electronic memory may include receiving a first delay value and a second delay value. The first delay value and the second delay value may be associated with a first data strobe indicating when to sample data on a first memory lane of the electronic memory. The method may also include determining a difference between the first delay value and the second delay value. The method may further include receiving a third delay value associated with a second data strobe indicating when to sample data on a second memory lane of the electronic memory. The method may also include determining a fourth delay value for the second memory lane of the electronic memory utilizing the third delay value and the determined difference between the first delay value and the second delay value.

Double Data Rate (DDR) Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) generally needs to be trained before it may be utilized. For example, hardware registers are typically programmed with values to cause delays so that commands and data may be sent and received when expected. In DDR3 memory, this calibration may be performed on a per lane basis, because the commands and data may propagate to each DRAM component in a memory module at a different time. For instance, a DDR DRAM interface may include two signal classes, DQ for data and a DQS data strobe. During a read operation, the DDR DRAM may issue these two signal classes at the same time, e.g., as edge aligned signals. Then, to correctly acquire data sent from the DDR DRAM, a DRAM controller may utilize a Delay-Locked Loop (DLL) circuit to delay the DQS signal so that it may correctly latch the DQ signals. Similarly, the DRAM controller may also utilize DLL circuits to support writing data to the DDR DRAM. However, topological and electrical differences between DQ and DQS interconnections can make it difficult to determine appropriate delays for the DLL.
Timing delays provided by DLL circuits may often be customized for a particular design configuration, such as by utilizing a training program stored in a Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) memory device and/or implemented within device hardware/firmware. The training program may execute an algorithm to determine appropriate timing delays associated with various memory interface signals. An algorithm for training a DDR3 memory may often be required to execute on a variety of circuit boards and memory combinations. Variances may be present in these different configurations that are difficult for a single set of algorithms to account for. For example, an algorithm may be required to find a certain point of a DQS strobe signal and indicate a hardware delay to inform a training entity (e.g., firmware) of a characteristic of the DQS signal at that point. If the algorithm fails to find the necessary delay, the DDR training may not be able to continue, and the DDR memory may be unusable. Complications in finding the desired point of the DQS signal may include jitter, the signal being tri-stated at times, and other factors that may cause the strobe signal to look different than expected.

Utilizing two algorithms to determine a delay value for training DDR3 memory