A speech recognition system that is insensitive to external noise and applicable to actual life includes an A/D converter that converts analog voice signals to digital signals. An FIR filtering section employs powers-of-two conversion to filter the digital signals converted at the A/D converter into numbers of channels. A characteristic extraction section immediately extracts speech characteristics having strong noise-resistance from the output signals of the FIR filtering section without using additional memories. A word boundary detection section discriminates the information of the start-point and the end-point of a voice signal on the basis of the characteristics extracted by the characteristic extraction section. Finally, a normalization/recognition section codes and outputs the final result by carrying out a timing normalization and a classifying process using a radial basis function (RBF) neural network on the basis of the voice characteristics provided by the characteristic extraction section and the information for the start-point and the end-point of the voice signal from the word boundary detection section.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a speech recognition system, and more particularly relates to a speech recognition system that is insensitive to external noise, carries out an efficient calculation, and is applicable to actual life thereby.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, as the technique of speech recognition field is developed, the usage of speech recognition is diversified.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram roughly illustrating the structure of a prior speech recognition system.
As described in FIG. 1, a speech recognition system mainly comprises a characteristic extraction section (2) and a recognizer (4). In other words, a prior characteristic extraction method such as a linear prediction coding analysis (LPC) has been used for an input voice signal characteristic extraction, and a hidden Markov Model (HMM) receiver has been widely used.
In addition, as a speech recognition system applicable to real electronic products, a speech recognition system using an auditory model and a neural network has been developed. One of the prior speech recognition systems having the features described above is disclosed in Korean patent No. 180651 registered on Dec. 2, 1998.
Looking into the patented invention mentioned above, it comprises an A/D converter that converts analog voice signals to digital signals, a filtering section that filters the 12-bit digital signals converted at the A/D converter into prescribed numbers of channels, a characteristic extraction section that extracts voice characteristics having strong noise-resistance from the output signals of the filtering section and outputs the extraction result, a word boundary detection section that discriminates the information of the start-point and the end-point of the voice signal on the basis of the voice signal converted into the digital signal, and an analysis/transaction section that codes and outputs the final result by carrying out a timing normalization and a classifying process using a neural network on the basis of the voice characteristics provided by the characteristic extraction section and the information of the start-point and the end-point of voice signal from the word boundary detection section.
However, since the prior speech recognition system described above employs LPC method or the like as a characteristic extraction method and HMM as a recognizer, it has difficulties in embodying an ASIC. And it is therefore difficult to be applied to actual life because it has to handle software only or construct a complex system using DSP.
Besides, the prior art has more problems that the power consumption is large because digital signals converted at A/D converter are filtered at filtering section into numbers of channels, and the efficiency is low because it detects the word boundary first and extracts voice characteristics thereafter.

Efficient speech recognition system bases on an auditory model

Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology


An attestation protocol between a prover device (P), a verifier device (V), and a trusted third-party device (TTP). P and TTP have a first trust relationship represented by a first cryptographic representation based on a one-or-few-times, hash-based, signature key. V sends an attestation request to P, with the attestation request including a second cryptographic representation of a second trust relationship between V and TTP. In response to the attestation request, P sends a validation request to TTP, with the validation request being based on a cryptographic association of the first trust relationship and the second trust relationship. TTP provides a validation response including a cryptographic representation of verification of validity of the first trust relationship and the second trust relationship. P sends an attestation response to V based on the validation response.

Processor-based computing platforms are employed in a wide variety of applications, from personal computers (PCs), smartphones, and other information-oriented devices, to industrial controls, vehicles, appliances, consumer electronic articles, and wearable devices, just to name a few. In virtually every application, reliable operation and information security are paramount More recently, with the rising popularity of Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices, entities who own, operate, maintain, or support IoT devices are facing increasing challenges associated with exchanging information remotely with those devices. There is a need for computing platforms to attest the integrity of their hardware, firmware or software.
Conventional remote attestation mechanisms are generally based on either symmetric cryptography or asymmetric cryptography. The symmetric solutions are efficient but depend on pre-sharing a common cryptographic key and do not offer non-repudiation. Conventional asymmetric solutions, which may be based on elliptic curve cryptography (ECC) or Rivest-Shamir-Adleman (RSA) cryptosystems, do not have this limitation but tend to be very inefficient in terms of performance/power, to the point of being impracticable for implementation in computing-constrained platforms such as IoT devices. Another disadvantage of conventional cryptography is that it is vulnerable to the potential risk of quantum-computing attacks, which should be taken into consideration by system designers, particularly because many IoT devices are expected to deployed in the field for a long time, possibly extending into the in a post-quantum-computing era.

Remote attestation with hash-based signatures


A keyed filler panel assembly for removable coupling of a filler panel body with respect to a chassis is disclosed. In one embodiment, the present invention is comprised of a filler panel body. The present embodiment is further comprised of a handle element integral with the filler panel body. The handle element is fixedly coupled with the filler panel body, and adapted to provide a grasping surface above the filler panel body such that removably coupling the filler panel body with respect to a chassis is simplified.

Filler panels are conventionally used in conjunction with various computer chassis for electromagnetic interference (EMI) containment as well as for sealing of the computer chassis/card cage for thermal (e.g. forced airflow) cooling purposes. Specifically, in a conventional computer chassis/card cage assembly, multiple slots are available to receive a corresponding printed circuit assembly (PCA). The filler panels are attached to the computer chassis to enclose or seal off regions/slots of the computer chassis which do not have a printed circuit assembly (PCA) disposed therein. Typically, conventional filler panels are attached to the computer chassis using captive screws. The captive screws are disposed on the filler panels at locations corresponding to mounting holes residing within the computer chassis.
The location and the spacing of mounting holes within the computer chassis (and the corresponding location of the captive screws on the filler panels) are often defined by an industry standard. Typical standards include, for example, the compact peripheral component interconnect (CPCI) standard, and the VersaModular Eurocard (VME) standard. For example, the CPCI standard dictates that the gap between adjacent units (e.g. adjacent filler panels, adjacent PCAs, or a PCA and an adjacent filler panel) be nominally set at 0.30 millimeters. Unfortunately, industry standard captive screws allow the filler panel to be mispositioned by more than 1.0 millimeter. For purposes of the present application, this mispositioning with respect to the computer chassis, caused in some cases by the use of captive screws, is referred to as interference generating movement. During use, the interference generating movement of the filler panels can deleteriously prevent insertion of a PCA or a filler panel. That is, interference generating movement of one or more filler panels can result in insufficient space in a neighboring slot such that a filler panel or a PCA will not fit in the compromised gap.
With reference now to Prior Art FIG. 1, an example of a compromised gap produced as a result of interference generating movement of a filler panel is clearly illustrated. As shown in Prior Art FIG. 1, a portion of a computer chassis 100 is depicted having mounting holes, typically shown as 102, therein. A filler panel 104 is shown coupled to computer chassis 100 and, for purposes of illustration, filler panel 104 is depicted as being coupled to computer chassis 100 without any substantial interference generating movement. Another filler panel 106 is also shown coupled to computer chassis 100. In this example, filler panel 106 is depicted as being coupled to computer chassis 100 with substantial interference generating movement due to the use of captive screws 107a and 107b. Specifically, filler panel 106 is depicted as having been mispositioned in a direction towards neighboring gap 108 and filler panel 104. Dotted line 110 illustrates the desired or nominal location of filler panel 106 assuming no interference generating movement. Because of the interference generating movement of filler panel 106, the width, w, of gap 108 is less than the width of a filler panel or a PCA. Hence, it is no longer possible to readily place a filler panel or a PCA into gap 108. Additionally, the width of gap 108 may be even further compromised (i.e. reduced) in the case where filler panel 104 suffers from interference generating movement which mispositions filler panel 104 in a direction towards neighboring gap 108 and filler panel 106.
At present, one approach to fix the problem described above, is to first have all of the necessary filler panels loosely connected to the computer chassis. Once all of the filler panels are in place, the filler panels are then carefully tightened to the computer chassis in order to insure that interference generating movement is reduced as much as possible. However, such a method is time-consuming, cumbersome, and lacks the desired "Design for Manufacturability (DFM)."
The problem described in conjunction with Prior Art FIG. 1 is particularly egregious in light of the increased prevalence of "hot swapping." Hot swapping refers to a process in which a PCA is added to or removed from the computer chassis without powering down the system. With hot swapping, it is imperative that interference generating movement is reduced in order to facilitate rapid and perhaps frequent removal and addition of PCAs and filler panels.
One prior art attempt to resolve the problem of interference generating movement involves customizing a computer chassis with a non-standard sheet metal interface having predefined openings formed therein. Specially designed filler panels are also employed in conjunction with the non-standard customized computer chassis. Such an approach has severe drawbacks associated therewith. For example, a non-standard customized chassis allows DFM tolerancing that makes is very difficult to hold CPCI standard specifications. Furthermore, limiting customers to the use of one particular design/maker of filler panels is not favorable.
A further problem has arisen with regard to the removal of filler panel assemblies. Specifically, as stated above, a filler panel mounted to a chassis is a tight fit. In fact, the EMI gasket causes a friction force which helps hold a filler panel in-place. Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the face of the filler panel is smooth with nothing to grasp. Thus, with a multiplicity of filler panels or complete assemblies mounted on a chassis, removal of a single filler panel is both difficult and time consuming.
Prior art attempts to remove the filler panel include utilizing a prying device, such as a screwdriver, placed between the edges of a filler panel and the chassis. Such prying attempts often result in damage to the filler panel, or to the chassis, or both. In fact, prying of any type often results in damage to both the equipment and whoever is doing the prying.
A second device for removing a filler panel utilizes an aftermarket handle. In general, an aftermarket handle can be attached to a filler panel allowing for easy removal from a chassis. The problems with an aftermarket handle are cost and convenience. Specifically, a filler panel is required for each slot not occupied with any type of complete assembly (i.e. any empty slot). As a result, on any given chassis, the number of empty slots can be extensive. As such, it is in the best interest of both the manufacturer and the consumer that filler panels remain cost effective. Thus, utilizing aftermarket handles on each filler panel results in an unacceptable price increase for both the manufacturer and the consumer. The second problem for the consumer is convenience. In general, a filler panel may need to be, as stated above, rapidly and frequently added or removed from a chassis. Hence, any additional time required for adding aftermarket handles to a filler panel may result in deleterious time delays.

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


A removable bracelet for horology or jewellery, with a bracelet portion arranged to confine a watch or jewellery bar, including, at the end thereof a chamber arranged for housing the bar, the chamber including a lateral opening on a first side of the bracelet portion for the insertion or removal of the bar, the bracelet portion including a pusher controlling a tongue movable in a longitudinal direction against a spring, the pusher is movable in a transverse direction and includes a first profile arranged to cooperate with a second profile of the tongue to transform the transverse motion of the pusher into a longitudinal motion of the tongue, the bracelet includes a closure arranged on the first side for retaining the pusher in the depth of the bracelet portion.

A watch or jewellery bracelet is an important accessory, which must both be comfortable for the user to wear and ensure that the watch or piece of jewellery is securely held, in all circumstances and particularly during professional or sports use, during which the object may be subjected to high accelerations.
The bracelet contributes significantly to the aesthetics of the watch or piece of jewellery, gives it its own distinctive look, and reveals the style of the user or of the clothes he wears, which explains the advantage of removable bracelets, which are designed for customization of the object, and which are intended to be changed by the user himself.
However, it is rare to find bracelets that successfully combine perfect aesthetics, impeccably secure hold, high robustness, and ease of changeability by the user, particularly without requiring a specific tool.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,653,058A in the name of NELSON discloses a bracelet end hook with a closing tongue operable through the side thereof.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,036,353A in the name of MINUTOLI discloses a bracelet end connecting mechanism, similar to a clasp mechanism with spring-loaded pushers.

Removable bracelet for horology or jewellry

The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd


A workpiece clamp for holding a workpiece securely to a fixture block or work table during operations, such as machining and woodworking. The clamp includes a body and an insert, the insert having a contact face for applying force to the workpiece. The body preferably held in a cavity in the fixture block surface and the insert received in an inclined or angled recess in the body. The insert preferably includes a bore therethrough, such that a tension bolt can be inserted through the insert and into the body. Threads in the tension bolt can be engaged with threads in the body, drawing the insert along the inclined recess in the body, thereby applying tension to the tension bolt and applying downward and forward forces to the workpiece at the contact face. In one clamp, the body top is flush with or below the surface of the fixture block. In a preferred clamp, when the insert is fully inserted into the body, a small portion of the insert, including the contact face, extends above the fixture block surface. The clamp provides a strong forward and downward force on the workpiece with very little face deflection. The low profile clamp allows all but a small portion of the workpiece being held to be accessed with the tool being used, including the workpiece sides. One clamp includes flexibility imparted to the body, the insert, or both body and insert. Flexibility can be imparted by a relief cut disposed near the body upper lip or near the insert contact face.

Clamps are commonly used for securing workpieces to machine tables during machining operations such as drilling and milling. Edge clamps and toe clamps are frequently used. Machine operations can apply large vertical, lateral, and torquing forces on the workpiece or part being machined. The large tool forces require large counteracting clamping forces to prevent the part being machined from moving out of tolerance or flying off the machine table entirely. The clamping force requirement is exaggerated in the case of small parts being machined. In the first place, the small part typically has only a small surface area upon which a clamping force can be brought to bear. In the second place, the size of the clamping device may be of large size relative to the part being machined and can obscure tool access to a significant portion of the part, especially the part sides.
In one device, the ADVANT-EDGE.TM. edge clamp, a body having an inclined surface is provided along with means for securing the body to a T-slot. A nominally rectangular clamping element, having a small bore hole therethrough and a larger round surface recess, is disposed on the incline and held in place upon the incline with a bolt extending through the recess and bore hole. The bolt has a round head mounted on the end of the bolt shaft and off center from the shaft. This mounting provides a small distance from shaft center to head outside edge on one side, and a large distance from shaft center to head outside edge on the opposite side. As the head is rotated, the bolt is drawn in at an angle perpendicular to the incline, and the wider portion of the head rotates as a cam down the incline, and toward the workpiece being held. The clamping element is forced slightly downward and toward the workpiece. There are several drawbacks with this design. First, to allow the bolt to rotate, the clamping element must be spaced above the incline surface with a gap therebetween to allow the bolt to turn, otherwise the bolt would be bound. This results in tilting or deflection of the clamping element from vertical as it is advanced into contact with a workpiece, which translates into a less than firm grip on the workpiece. Second, the bolt increases force on the workpiece only through 180.degree.. Further turning of the bolt decreases the applied force over the next 180.degree. and the clamping element cannot be drawn tight to the incline surface.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,049,253 to Mandel, a toe clamp is described including a work-engaging member, a nut, an inclined clamping screw for tightening the work-engaging member to the bolt, and an inclined shoulder bolt having a non-threaded region disposed within the work-engaging member and a threaded region disposed within the nut. The toe clamp described has the work-engaging member apart from, and not received by, the nut. Only the shoulder bolt threaded lower region is received by, and receives any support from, the nut. Finally, the work-engaging member is disposed totally above the table top. The toe clamp work-engaging member described is believed to be prone to some tilting or deflection about the screw and shoulder bolts. The work-engaging member resides totally above the work table surface, blocking machine tool access to a substantial part of the workpiece, as can be seen from inspection of FIG. 4 of the reference.
What would be desirable is a workpiece clamp having improved support for the workpiece engaging member, which eliminated or reduced any deflection of the clamping element from vertical while contacting the workpiece to provide consistent workpiece placement. What would further be desirable is a workpiece clamp having most of the structure disposed below the work table surface, enabling machine tool access to a substantial portion of any parts being machined, while achieving improved support for the workpiece. What would also be desirable is a workpiece clamp having improved workpiece-holding characteristics.


According to a first feature of the present invention, an image reading apparatus is disclosed in which image data read from an image document by an imaging reading device are called into an image memory. An output signal from a character generator for generating a character in the form of an indicator is superimposed on the image data to provide a display signal. Any desired portion of the image data displayed on a display device is indicated by the character in the form of the indicator, that is a so-called pointer. According to a second feature, the display position of the character is moved in synchronism with shifting of the data reading region from the image memory or so-called scrolling to prevent the character display position from being deviated with respect to the contents of the displayed image.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an image reading or scanning apparatus in which image data read by image reading means are displayed on display means such as a cathode ray tube (CRT).
2. Prior Art
As a conventional image reading apparatus, there is known a scanning apparatus whereby digital image data produced upon reading an image document by an image sensor such as a CCD are output by way of a digital interface, such as a GPIB. For outputting the read image in a visible form, such as by printing or a monitor display, it is necessary to provide a computer in the system, thereby increasing the overall system scale. On the other hand, response properties are rather poor because of time-consuming signal processing operations. For this reason, the image reading apparatus, such as the conventional scanner, is not suited to be used for presentation purposes in an exhibition fair or lecture meeting.
In a copending patent application, filed in the name of the present Assignee, there is proposed an image reading apparatus in which an image document is read for storage in an image memory and the stored contents are repeatedly read from the image memory in synchronism with horizontal and vertical scanning signals of video signals so as to be output as video signals for displaying a still image.
Meanwhile, on the occasion of presentations, for example, it is frequently desired that an oral illustration or the like be made while attention is directed to desired portions of the displayed image. However, since verbal explanation is insufficient to make an accurate indication of the desired portion, it has been desired to evolve an image reading apparatus capable of making visual indications of the desired image portions in some form or other.
On the other hand, in the image reading apparatus adapted for directly outputting video signals, it has been envisaged to set the capacity of the image memory so as to be larger than the display range and to shift the reading region from the image memory by way of a so-called scroll display. The scroll display is such a display in which a memory reading region RA corresponding to the display range on a display screen SC of a monitor receiver MD of FIG. 8 is moved vertically for vertically shifting the contents of the image displayed on the display screen SC of the monitor receiver MD, as shown in FIG. 7. In such case, if the memory reading region RA is moved in an upward direction Yu with respect to the image document GD stored in the image memory, the contents of the displayed image on the display screen SC of FIG. 6 are moved in a downward direction Y.sub.D by way of a scrolling down operation.
Assuming that the pointer marks, such as arrows, are displayed for indicating desired portions of the image, and that, to this end, the above mentioned pointer mark display signals are generated by a character generator or the like and superimposed as output display signals on image data read from the image memory, if only the display contents of the image read from the image memory are scrolled, the portion indicated by the pointer mark is undesirably shifted with respect to the contents of the displayed image. It is also not desirable that characters having positional pertinence to the image contents, such as trimming frames, be deviated from the correct relative position at the time of scrolling.


A hand-held vacuum cleaner is disclosed including first and second air intake chambers to accommodate cooling air intake to the vacuum cleaner motor, and an exhaust chamber to accommodate exhausted cooling air from the motor. The motor has a cooling fan which draws cooling air in from both ends of the motor and exhausts it from a middle portion thereof. First and second peripheral baffle walls in a motor mount portion of the vacuum cleaner housing extend towards contiguous engagement with the motor to define air intake and exhaust chambers. A motor mounting plate is fastened to the motor and is secured in the housing by a wedging and binding reception in a slot within the housing.

This invention pertains to the art of vacuum cleaner devices, and more particularly to a hand-held vacuum cleaner.
The invention is particularly applicable as a device for suction cleaning items and places where conventional, larger sized vacuum cleaners are inconvenient and, more particularly, where a hand-held vacuum with a revolving brush that provides a vibrating and sweeping action is useful. U.S. Pat. No. 4,633,543 shows such a hand vac and its disclosure is incorporated herein by reference. The invention is intended for use with a twelve volt motor, such as is typically powered by a conventional automobile battery or generator system.
A principal problem with prior known hand-held vacuums having such a twelve volt motor is the mounting and placement of the motor in the vacuum cleaner housing to accommodate proper cooling of the motor. For example, a conventional twelve volt, nine and one half amp motor which is useful in the subject invention is configured to have the motor commutator at one end of the motor housing and the armature windings at the opposite end of the motor housing. The fan for cooling the motor is typically disposed intermediate of the commutator and armature windings so that the cooling air flow through the motor comprises drawing air in through the opposite ends over the commutator and windings, respectively, and then exhausting it through the middle of the motor housing at the fan location. This differs from a more usual motor configuration in which the cooling exhaust fan is at one end of the cleaner, not in the middle.
A particular problem presented by use of such an electrical motor that can be powered by a car battery is to accommodate the cooling air needs of the motor while maintaining a clear and unobstructed working air channel for the passage of dirt laden working air from the nozzle through to a bag or collector assembly. The problem entails not only maintaining proper separation of the working air from the cooling air, but also ensuring that the cooling air is properly directed so as not to intermix cooling air intake and cooling air exhaust.
Another common problem with hand-held vacuum cleaners is proper mounting of the motor within the vacuum cleaner housing. In particular, since the motor operates a relatively large fan, the fan must be locked against rotation within the housing and positioned in a secure disposition within the housing to properly operate the fan, avoid obstructing the working air channel, avoid electrical short-circuiting or shock to a user of the cleaner and minimize vibrations and noise generated therefrom. Most conventional cleaners simply use fastening devices to fasten the motor housing to the vacuum cleaner housing. However, in a highly automated assembly operation, the use of such fastening devices directly between the motor and the housing is undesirable both from the time efficiency of the assembly operation itself and from the difficulty and cost in using multiple fasteners to secure a motor to the housing.
The present invention contemplates a new and improved hand-held vacuum cleaner which overcomes the above referred to problems and others to provide a new hand-held vacuum which is particularly useful as a car vacuum to be powered by the car battery or generator and which provides improved hand-held vacuum cleaner operation with respect to motor cooling and unit assembly.


The present invention relates to an electronic anti-theft device for computers and other processor-assisted electronics, such as memory components, hard disks, plug-in boards and processors. The anti-theft device comprises a blocking circuit which is integrated with the component to be protected, said circuit comprising a memory for storing a specific identity code (ID-code) for each blocking circuit. In addition, the circuit comprises an input for inputting a key code into the circuit, and a comparator for comparing the introduced key code with the ID-code of the circuit, the circuit being adapted to block the component from further use in case of an incorrect key code.

The present invention relates to an anti-theft device for e.g. computers and/or computer components, such as memory modules, plug-in boards, hard disks etc.
Within the computer business the number of thefts of particularly the internal components of the computers, such as the memory modules, processors, hard disks etc. has risen considerably lately, which naturally poses serious problems for those affected.
It is already known from EP-A2-687 968 to use a circuit in a computer which in connection with start-ups of the computer automatically displays information on personal ownership. The identity data are stored in a non-volatile memory and the identity is checked at each start-up of the system. However, the circuit does not prevent an unauthorised person from direct use of the computer, nor does it prevent computer components from being stolen.
In order to remedy this problem the inventors provide a system making unauthorised use of stolen computer equipment impossible.
Consequently one object of the present invention is to provide an anti-theft device which makes unauthorised use of stolen computers or computer parts substantially more difficult.
This object is obtained by means of a device as defined in claim 1.


In integrated circuit chips that are used for RFID, a method of calibrating an operation frequency that is generated in an operation frequency generator and a semiconductor wafer including a calibration circuit are provided. The method of calibrating an operation frequency of integrated circuit chips includes: supplying DC power to the integrated circuit chips; selecting an integrated circuit chip to perform calibration of an operation frequency; receiving an operation frequency that is generated in the selected integrated circuit chip; calculating a difference between a phase of the operation frequency and a phase of a calibration target frequency; generating a frequency calibration value of the operation frequency using the phase difference; transmitting a control signal including the frequency calibration value to the integrated circuit chip; and releasing a selection of the integrated circuit chip in which calibration of the operation frequency is complete.

(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of auto-calibrating integrated circuit chips at a wafer level. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method of auto-calibrating integrated circuit chips in order to uniformly improve performance of integrated circuit chips that are used for radio frequency identification (referred to as an 'RFID') or an ubiquitous sensor network (referred to as an 'USN') at a wafer level using a phase-locked loop (PLL).
(b) Description of the Related Art
In general, RFID is technology that stores information at a tag that is formed in a form of integrated circuit chips or reads the stored information from the tag using a radio frequency. RFID technology may be used for identification, tracing, and management of vehicles, physical distribution, or animals according to a band of a radio frequency, or may be used for a traffic card. In this way, in order to apply RFID technology to a wide field, mass production technology of super-cheap tag chips is requested. For mass production of super-cheap tag chips, in a process of designing integrated circuit chips, an area of the chips should be minimized, and by decreasing an inferiority rate through performance calibration, a production cost should be lowered and a production time of the integrated circuit chips should be shortened.
In general, a chip that is formed with only a digital logic circuit is less influenced by a process change, but a radio frequency (RF)/analog chip including many passive elements is influenced by a process change and thus the radio frequency (RF)/analog chip does not have completely uniform performance. Particularly, in tag chips that are used for RFID, in an operation frequency generation circuit using a capacitor element or in a bias circuit using a resistor element, a failure occurrence probability is high. This is because many passive elements are included in the circuits, and a characteristic value of a resistor and a capacitor constituting the circuit may be changed by 10% or more according to a wafer.
Conventionally, in order to calibrate a performance change according to such a process change, laser trimming technology has been used, or a separate calibration circuit was added at the inside of integrated circuit chips. However, in laser trimming technology, time is additionally consumed, and when a calibration circuit is added, there is a drawback that an area of a chip increases and thus it is difficult to apply the above technology for mass production of super-cheap tag chips.
Further, at a wafer level, a method of testing an RFID tag chip with an on-wafer or a method of calibrating performance of a tag using a one-time programmable memory was suggested. However, the method of testing an RFID tag chip with an on-wafer is a method of verifying only whether a tag chip is defective, and in the method of calibrating performance of a tag using a one-time programmable memory, a relatively large amount of time is consumed in performance calibration of an individual tag chip and thus there is a problem that the production cost of the tag increases.

Semiconductor wafer and method for auto-calibrating integrated circuit chips using PLL at wafer level

Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute


When a plurality of cards are produced successively, a risk value is calculated in regard to either data deletion or change on the card issue data of each card caused by cancellation of issue or a change of address. The cards are produced in ascending order of the risk value, so that the production of a card having higher occurrence probability of data deletion or change is postponed to the maximum extent. With this, it becomes possible to reduce such work as discarding the card due to the issue cancellation or replacing a pasteboard due to the address change required after the card is produced. Thus, efficient card issue processing can be obtained.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a card issuing system for issuing an updated card such as a credit card having a validity period, and more particularly a card issuing system capable of restraining occurrence of a loss of discarding a card once produced due to issue cancellation, etc.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 12 shows a diagram illustrating a flow of issuing a credit card (which may simply be referred to as card in the following description). As shown in FIG. 12, conventionally, when reissuing the card of which validity period is to expire shortly, a card company prepares card issue data several months before the expiration date, using a card issuing system based on the list of the cards to expire. Each card issue data includes print information to be printed on the card face (with embossed finish), such as name, card number and validity period, mailing address information such as an address of the card owner, and the like. The prepared card issue data is forwarded to a card production factory. Based on the card issue data, the card production factory produces a card, which is then attached to a pasteboard having printed name and address to be mailed to, enclosed into an envelope for mailing, and mailed to the card owner immediately before the expiration date of the original card. Generally, a few months are required from the start of the procedure for issuing a new card until the card owner receives the issued card.
FIG. 13 shows a diagram illustrating card production processing in the card production factory. On receiving the card issue data from the card company for the number of cards to be issued, for example, on a monthly basis, the card production factory produces a predetermined number of cards every day. Thus, the card production factory spends a predetermined number of days (for example a few weeks or the like) on producing the entire cards for the month. Thereafter, the entire cards having been produced are stocked and managed in the card production factory for a certain period of time (from a few days to a week or the like), and then the cards are mailed to the residences of the card owners.
However, there often arise cases that issue of a card has to be canceled during a period from the time the card company started the card issue procedure to the time the card is actually produced (this period of time is hereafter referred to as 'card production process period'), as described above. Such cancellation of card issue is caused by a request from the card owner, a credit problem of the card owner, or the like. In such cases, when the issue of the card once produced is canceled, the card is to be discarded. This produces wasted card issue costs, as well as card discarding costs.
Furthermore, there may be cases that transfer of the card owner or address change is carried out during the card production process period. In such cases, for example when address change occurs in regard to a card already produced, an additional work in the card production factory is necessary, which includes searching the envelope for enclosing the produced card, opening the envelope, inserting a new pasteboard having a new printed address into the envelope again, etc.


An organic electroluminescent display panel and a display device is disclosed. The organic electroluminescent display panel includes: a pixel array; a packaging adhesive surrounding the pixel array; and a laser reflector located between the pixel array and the packaging adhesive. The laser reflector includes a top surface inclined toward the packaging adhesive which reflects the edge portion of the laser to the packaging adhesive.

At present, rigid organic electroluminescent display panels (for example, OLED display panels) generally use glass adhesive as a packaging material, and are effectively packaged by laser sintering. Under the condition that the laser moving speed is constant, the energy absorbed by the package area is related to the laser energy and the laser running trajectory.
In actual production, a laser is used to irradiate the glass adhesive in the package area. At the corner of the OLED display panel, due to the influence of the laser running trajectory, the inner corner is more irradiated by the laser than the outer corner, where the pixels are most susceptible to burns. Under the lighting detection, referring to FIG. 1, the pixels on the corner emit light abnormally. Under a fluorescence microscope, referring to FIG. 2, the R/G/B excitation is weak. Under an ultraviolet microscope, referring to FIG. 3, the R/G/B color is normal, the vapor deposition is normal, but some of the post spacers (also called PS) are abnormal, which affects the quality of light emission. In addition, in actual production, after a large amount of laser energy instantaneously passes through the package area, the temperature gradient of the glass adhesive is large. This results in a large stress that directly affects the mechanical quality of the device.
Therefore, research on organic electroluminescent display panels needs to be further studied.

Organic electroluminescent display panel and display device

ORDOS YUANSHENG OPTOELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.


The invention relates to a three-wheeled transport carriage, in particular for a golf bag, comprising a first elongated frame part and a second elongated frame part which can be pivoted relative to the first frame part and on the front end of which a front wheel is pivotally attached via a wheel holding bracket. The two rear wheels are hinged to a cross-member in the hinge region between the first and second frame parts in a pivotal manner about approximately 90°.

Such a three-wheeled transport carriage is, for instance, known from U.S. Pat. No. 6,863,237 or U.S. Pat. No. 7,000,939. Here, a frame bracket extending obliquely from the handle to the front wheel in the operating position is provided, at the front end of which the front wheel is attached while the two rear wheels are supported via struts on the oblique frame bracket. For collapsing, the struts are folded to the frame bracket and the rear wheels are pivoted in the plane of the frame bracket while the front wheel which lies, in the operating position, with its rotational axis approximately in the plane of the frame bracket is pivoted transversely to the driving direction and then folded in the plane of the frame bracket. This construction is especially suitable as a jogging scooter, but is also intended to be used for transport purposes, for instance, as a transport carriage for golf bags.
It is an object of the invention to develop a transport carriage of the initially-mentioned kind such that it is adapted in particular for the transport of golf bags and has a simple construction easy to collapse.
In accordance with the invention this object is solved by a three-wheeled transport carriage, in particular for a golf bag.
There is provided a three-wheeled transport carriage, in particular for a golf bag, comprising:                a first elongated frame part having at one end thereof,        a second elongated frame part hinged thereto with an end thereof, which second elongated frame part can be pivoted relative to the first frame part,        and at the free end of which a front wheel is pivotally attached via a wheel holding bracket with a pivot axis by which the wheel plane is pivotable about approximately 90°,        wherein the two rear wheels are hinged in a pivotal manner to the end regions of an elongated cross-member, the elongated cross-member being arranged in the hinge region between the first frame part and the second frame part, such that the wheel plane can be pivoted from a position approximately perpendicular to the cross-member to a position approximately parallel to the cross-member, and vice versa.
Due to the fact that only two frame parts which are positioned at an angle relative to each other in the operating position are folded, wherein the rear wheels are folded in the frame plane and the front wheel is only twisted in the plane of the frame parts, there results a simple structure with easy handling during collapsing and unfolding while the weight of the transport carriage can also be kept low.
Advantageously, the rear wheels are hinged by guide rods between the free end of the first or second frame parts and axle beams of the rear wheels such that on pivoting of the frame parts relative to each other the plane of the rear wheels is pivoted about approximately 90° relative to the cross-member. As a result of this, the rear wheels are automatically pivoted to the carrying or operating position when the frame parts are pivoted relative to each other.
The cross-member may be connected rigidly with the first frame part at the lower end thereof, for instance, by welding. The cross-member may be connected rigidly with the second frame part and attached to the lower end of the first frame part in a pivotable manner via a bracket. As a result of this it is possible to position the rear wheels at the same side as the front wheel in the carrying position in that the rear wheels are attached in the operating position at the rear side of the cross-member seen in the driving direction and the cross-member is, when the second frame part is folded up, pivoted such that the rear wheels are positioned by the guide rods on the side of the front wheel therebelow.
Advantageously, the rear wheels are hinged to the cross-member in a pivotal manner about approximately 90° by axle beams, wherein the rear wheels are rotatably mounted on these axle beams.
An electrical drive motor for the rear wheels may be integrated in the axle beams.
For extending the support of the transport carriage by the front wheel, the wheel holding bracket may be designed to be extended and retracted relative to the second frame part along the pivot axis of the wheel holding bracket, so that the front wheel may be extended in the operating position and retracted in the carrying position.
A support device for the operating position which holds the two frame parts at an angle relative to each other may be provided advantageously between the first and second frame parts. This support device may be designed as a toggle lever. The two lever sections thereof are pivotable relative to each other and hinged to the first and second frame parts. However, a different support device, for instance, in the form of a spring may also be provided between the two frame parts.
For comfortably moving the transport carriage in the operating position, a handle may be hinged in a pivotal manner to the free end of the first frame part, said handle being adapted to be pivoted away from the first frame part in the operating position and being pivoted back approximately parallel to the first frame part in the carrying position, wherein in the two end positions a spring-loaded locking device or a locking device provided with a snap device may be provided for fixing the positions.
At the first and second frame parts, a respective holding and/or support device for a golf bag or an elongate good to be transported is expediently attached, wherein, for the transport of a golf bag, a curved plug-in bracket to be plugged into tongues on the golf bag is expediently attached to the first frame part and a holder projecting from the second frame part is attached to the second frame part for supporting the golf bag.


A doorlight shade assembly including a housing, a roller shade within the housing, and a pair of mounting clips. The clips each include a secured leg and a supporting leg perpendicular to each other. The secured leg of each clip fits between the door and a doorlight frame. The supporting leg of the clips receive and support the housing.

The present invention relates to window coverings and more particularly to a window covering for doorlight within a door.
Exterior doors frequently have "doorlights" or windows, giving a feeling of openness by providing an outside view and allowing light in. The benefits of doorlights are offset by a privacy cost, of allowing people to see inside. To achieve privacy, roller shades, pleated shades, venetian blinds, and other window coverings are attached over these doorlights.
The majority of exterior doors containing these doorlights are made of thin sheet metal with a soft core. Prior art window coverings are attached to the door by screwing through the interior metal surface. Over time, the raising and lowering of these window coverings puts stress on the metal surface of the door. This stress can cause the metal to bulge outward or enlarge the screw hole to a point where the screws can no longer hold the window covering in place. If the window covering will not remain attached to the door, the homeowner has the option of replacing the door or drilling new holes in the door to reattach the window covering. Unfortunately, redrilling holes simply starts the process over again. Another drawback is that the two holes remain in the door if the window covering is removed.


An apparatus (100) for use in driving a display, especially a color electrophoretic display comprising frame generating means generating a succession of frame pulses at regular intervals; frame blanking generating means generating a succession of frame blanking pulses at the same intervals; a plurality of input lines each arranged to receive one of a plurality of differing input voltages (Vin1, . . . VinN), all of the same polarity; an output line capable of being connected to a device driver (106); and switching means (102A, . . . 102N) connecting the output line to one of the input lines when no frame blanking pulse is present, the switching means (102A, . . . 102N) being capable of changing the input line to which the output line is connected during successive frame periods, the switching means (102A, . . . 102N) being arranged to drain charge from the output line when a frame blanking pulse is present.

This invention relates to apparatus for driving displays. This apparatus is particularly but not exclusively intended for driving electrophoretic displays, especially colored electrophoretic displays capable of rendering more than two colors using a single layer of electrophoretic material comprising a plurality of colored particles. The term color as used herein includes black and white.
The term gray state is used herein in its conventional meaning in the imaging art to refer to a state intermediate two extreme optical states of a pixel, and does not necessarily imply a black-white transition between these two extreme states. For example, several of the E Ink patents and published applications referred to below describe electrophoretic displays in which the extreme states are white and deep blue, so that an intermediate gray state would actually be pale blue. Indeed, as already mentioned, the change in optical state may not be a color change at all. The terms black and white may be used hereinafter to refer to the two extreme optical states of a display, and should be understood as normally including extreme optical states which are not strictly black and white, for example the aforementioned white and dark blue states.
The terms bistable and bistability are used herein in their conventional meaning in the art to refer to displays comprising display elements having first and second display states differing in at least one optical property, and such that after any given element has been driven, by means of an addressing pulse of finite duration, to assume either its first or second display state, after the addressing pulse has terminated, that state will persist for at least several times, for example at least four times, the minimum duration of the addressing pulse required to change the state of the display element. It is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 7,170,670 that some particle-based electrophoretic displays capable of gray scale are stable not only in their extreme black and white states but also in their intermediate gray states, and the same is true of some other types of electro-optic displays. This type of display is properly called multi-stable rather than bistable, although for convenience the term bistable may be used herein to cover both bistable and multi-stable displays.
The term impulse, when used to refer to driving an electrophoretic display, is used herein to refer to the integral of the applied voltage with respect to time during the period in which the display is driven.
A particle that absorbs, scatters, or reflects light, either in a broad band or at selected wavelengths, is referred to herein as a colored or pigment particle. Various materials other than pigments (in the strict sense of that term as meaning insoluble colored materials) that absorb or reflect light, such as dyes or photonic crystals, etc., may also be used in the electrophoretic media and displays of the present invention.
Most commercial electrophoretic displays are monochrome, typically black and white. However, attempts have recently been made to develop electrophoretic displays which can display more than two colors, and preferably as many as eight colors, at each pixel. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,717,664 and 9,170,468; and US 2014/0313566; US 2014/0340734; US 2014/0340736; and US 2015/0103394; and the aforementioned US 2014/0340430 and US 2016/0085132. Many of these colored electrophoretic displays require the use of more than three voltage levels to drive the display; various displays described in the applications specifically mentioned above require five or seven voltage levels. Some of the aforementioned displays also make use of active matrix displays with front plane switching, in which the voltage on the common front electrode is varied during the driving process. This is in contrast to most prior art monochrome displays which only require the use of three voltage levels, typically −V, 0 and +V, where V is the drive voltage. Because most commercial monochrome displays only require the use of three voltage levels, typically the column (data line) drivers available for use with such displays are only arranged to handle three voltage levels at any one time (i.e., in any one scanning period (frame period) of the display). To avoid the delay and expense of developing custom drivers for colored displays, it is highly desirable to be able the commercial three level drivers to drive colored displays. As described in the aforementioned US 2016/0085132, it is possible to operate a display requiring the use of five, seven or more voltage levels using a driver capable of handling only three voltage levels in any one frame period by careful arrangement of the waveforms to be used in the display, but to do so it is necessary to be able to change the voltages available from the three level driver on a frame-by-frame basis. Although apparatus capable of changing voltages on a frame-by-frame basis can be assembled from conventional electronic control devices, such apparatus would be inconveniently bulky and costly for use with a small electrophoretic display, for example an electronic book (or document) reader, and hence there is a need for compact, inexpensive apparatus for this purpose. The present invention seeks to provide such apparatus.


For an arrangement for illuminating a display device with a dial 1, the rear side of the dial 1 being opaque over its entire surface area with the exception of a transmitted-light region 2 and this transmitted-light region 2 serving for the forming of a scale, there is on the rear side of the dial 1 a reflector shell 3, the shaping of which is such that the light radiated from a light-emitting diode 4 against a reflector wall 5 is diffusely distributed over the transmitted-light region 2 of the dial 1.

The invention concerns an arrangement for illuminating a display device with a dial and relates to display devices as are used in dashboards of motor vehicles.
Display devices of this type usually have a dial, the rear side of which is printed on in such a way as to be opaque over the entire surface area with the exception of a transmitted-light region, this transmitted-light region serving for the forming of a scale. In the case of a dial with a diameter of usually up to 110 mm, the transmitted-light region generally covers an angle of between 90xc2x0 and 220xc2x0. To illuminate evenly a relatively large transmitted-light region of this type, usually a plurality of light sources arranged in an offset manner and radiating their light directly in the direction of the rear side of the dial are used. If only a single light source is used, it is assigned a solid light guide, which is arranged on the rear side of the dial and distributes the light of the light source over the transmitted-light region. Light-emitting diodes are increasingly being used nowadays as light sources.
This prior art has several disadvantages, however. With an increasing number of light sources used, the power loss increases, and consequently so too does the thermal heating. With an increasing number of light sources, the unit price of display devices of this type also increases, because additional electrical and electronic components such as resistors, shift registers etc. are required for the operation and control of each light source. A large number of components is also accompanied moreover by a higher probability of failure for the illuminating system as a whole. Configurations of illuminating arrangements with only one light source and an associated light guide are also relatively expensive, because tool costs, material costs and assembly costs for the light guide are incurred.
In addition, a considerable outlay has to be expended in the development and production process to establish for a conventional dial a half-tone overprint that ensures even illumination of the entire dial, since the printed result of the half-tone overprint is subject to wide variations in mass production, because certain process parameters such as the ink viscosity, soiling of the print screens and the printing tolerances can adversely influence the printed result to a considerable extent. If the process parameters mentioned are not subject to constant quality control, a uniformly high level of illuminating quality cannot be ensured for display devices of this type manufactured in mass production and provided with such dials, which is then directly reflected again in the acceptance of such display devices by customers.
It is thus the object of the present invention to present an arrangement for illuminating a display device with a dial in which the outlay for achieving an evenly illuminated dial is distinctly reduced.
The object is achieved by an for illuminating a display device with a dial having the features of the first claim. The dependent claims show refinements and developments of the solution found.
The solution is distinguished an arrangement for illuminating a display device with a dial, the rear side of the dial being opaque over its entire surface area with the exception of a transmitted-light region and this transmitted-light region serving for the forming of a scale, and wherein on the rear side of the dial there is arranged a reflector shell, the shaping of which is such that the light radiated from a light-emitting diode against a reflector wall is diffusely distributed over the transmitted-light region of the dial.
A structurally very advantageous solution for this arrangement is obtained if the reflector wall is arranged perpendicularly with respect to the dial and is formed by a wall of the reflector shell, the reflector wall being of a curved design in its contour extending in the plane of the dial and said reflector wall reflecting the light radiated from the light-emitting diode against a sector-shaped portion of the bottom of the reflector shell, this portion of the bottom being of a concave design, directed toward the dial, and the light being reflected to the transmitted-light region of the dial.
A particularly inexpensive solution is obtained if the reflector shell is produced in one piece from a light, plastic and the reflective shell is designed in its size and contour such that it essentially covers only the transmitted-light region of the dial.
One particular advantage of the solution found is that, instead of the half-tone overprint that is necessary in the case of conventional arrangements and is complex to achieve, and then only by several iteration steps, the dial need only have on the rear side a white solid-area overprint, which is easy to accomplish in technical printing-process-related terms.
In addition, it is also advantageous for the illuminating system as a whole that only a single light-emitting diode has to be arranged in the reflector shell for illuminating the transmitted-light region covering the entire scale. This measure noticeably simplifies the illuminating system as a whole. At the same time, the outlay for the development of a suitable geometry of the reflector shell used here is only slightly greater than in the case of conventional display devices of the generic type.

Arrangement for illuminating a display device with a dial


Communication source identifier verification system mechanisms are provided. The mechanisms receive communication information for a communication initiated between a source communication system and a destination communication system. The communication information comprises a source identifier and a local device identifier signature specifying zero or more local device identifiers of devices local to the source communication system. The mechanisms retrieve valid device identifier information for an authorized communication source corresponding to the identifier of the source communication system. The mechanisms execute a verification operation that verifies whether the source identifier is validly associated with the source communication system based on the retrieved valid device identifier information and the local device identifier signature. The mechanisms send a verification notification along with the communication information, in response to results of executing the verification operation, to the destination communication system.

The present application relates generally to an improved data processing apparatus and method and more specifically to mechanisms for providing caller identify verification based on unique multi-device signatures.
Unwanted solicitation calls, such as from call centers, automated telephone systems, telemarketers, and the like, whether legitimate or illegitimate, are a major nuisance in modern society. Such solicitation calls may be legitimately from a person, company, or other organization attempting to sell products or services to the called person, solicit information from the called person, such as in the case of voter polling, opinion polls, and the like. Other solicitation calls may be from individuals attempting to use nefarious means to access the called person so that they will relinquish private information, provide access to accounts, simply determine whether the person is present in the home, or any of a number of other reasons.
Whether legitimate or illegitimate, many times recipients of telephone calls are not interested in speaking with the caller. Often, called parties utilize caller-ID services to give them an indication of the source of a telephone call in an effort to screen calls from parties that the called party is not interested in speaking with. If an incoming call is from an unwanted party, then the called party need not answer the telephone. Some mechanisms allow for automated blocking of telephone calls from parties added to a blacklist where the determination may also be based on caller-ID mechanisms.
One tell-tale indicator of a call being originated from an unwanted source is the call originating from a non-local telephone number, toll free number, or the like. Other indicators may include the caller-ID information indicating a caller unknown or caller-ID blocked name.
Recently, unscrupulous entities involved in telemarketing and other types of solicitation calls use caller-ID spoofing to portray themselves as a source of the telephone call that is false. For example, caller-ID spoofing may be used to cause caller-ID mechanisms to show a local phone number, and even phone numbers with which the called party is familiar with, e.g., friends, family, and the like, to fool called parties into accepting the telephone calls. For example, there have been reports that robocall mechanisms may make millions of calls spoofing local telephone numbers in a relatively short period of time in order to trick called parties into buying goods or services.

Caller identity verification based on unique multi-device signatures

International Business Machines Corporation


Library apparatus for holding a plurality of disk cartridges wherein the library housing contains a slot for alignment with the entry slot of a disk drive. The cartridges are stacked upon an inner case within the housing and the case is driven vertically to align individual disk cartridges with the slot. A push/pull mechanism within the housing pushes the selected cartridge through the slot into the disk drive and pulls it back into the library when finished. A specially designed cartridge has a handle for interaction with the push/pull mechanism. A pseudo-spindle device is attached to the drive to enable the use of minimal-dimension cartridges in order to increase the number of disks that can be stacked within a given space in the library.

Optical disk devices are used for the storage of computer prepared data and have value in their ability to store large quantities of data. The media for use in such devices is reactive to the intensity modulation of light such as may be produced by the rapid switching of a semi-conductor laser. In order to write data on optical media the laser power must be controlled at a relatively high power level in order that the media can be altered in accordance with the input data stream. In reading the data back the laser power level is controlled to a lower level so that the media is not altered by the laser beam, but the reflected light indicates the presence or absence of media alterations, i.e., digits of data corresponding to the input data stream.
Writable optical media is of two general types. Media which can be written only once and media which can be written, erased and written again. Write once media is permanently altered when write power levels are produced by the laser beam. Erasable media such as magneto-optic (MO) media is not permanently altered when data is written. In the MO media the magnetic orientation of the reactive material is selectively altered in the writing process and in the erasing process the magnetic orientation is reordered.
The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) has developed cartridges with standard dimensions for holding recording media. In that manner, the manufacturers of cartridges and the manufacturers of recording/play-back apparatus (drives) have the capability of developing their respective products for use with a variety of other manufacturer's products. A standard cartridge includes datum features, for example, locating holes that are designed to mate with datum features in a drive. For example, locating pins to accurately position the cartridge within the drive. Holding features in the cartridge such as notches and recesses are dimensioned relative to the datum features. After insertion of a cartridge into a drive the notches are typically used to hold the cartridge while it is loaded onto the locating pins and simultaneously loaded onto the drive spindle.
Optical media is placed within the standard cartridge and contains a standard media hub with a centering hole for accepting the spindle of a standard disk drive. The media hub also contains magnetic material for mating with a magnet located on the spindle of the disk drive. In that manner when the cartridge is inserted into the disk drive the optical media is placed on the spindle and located properly through the centering hole while the media hub is held to the drive spindle through magnetic action. When the spindle is caused to rotate the media rotates with the spindle.
In the standard design the media hub extends significantly below the surface of the optical media so that it may mate properly with the spindle of the disk drive. The inventors herein have noted that such a design limits the number of optical media which can be located within a given space. It is therefore, an object of the invention to design a media hub which is commensurate with the thickness of the media, that is not extending significantly below or above the surface of the optical disk and preferably of a dimension which is equal to or less than the dimension of the thickness of the optical disk.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a mini-library for use with a single optical disk drive. It is a still further object to provide such a mini-library with a maximum number of optical disks located within said library.

Optical disk library including optical disk media with non-standard thin hubs and disk drive spindle adaptor

International Business Machines Corporation


The invention contemplates an automobile seat and storage construction wherein the seat back is forwardly tilted to a down position to expose access to a rear storage space. A horizontally guided tray, which may be specifically adapted to accommodate one or more removable "hard-top" panels has an actuating connection to the rear of the tiltable seat back, whereby in folding the seat back to its down position, the tray and its load are guided forwardly to provide easy access to the tray load without disturbing baggage or other loading within the storage compartment of the vehicle. Upon raising the seat back to its normal upright position, the tray and its load are stowed out of sight within the storage compartment.

The invention relates to a vehicle-body construction of the type wherein a folding seat-back element affords access to storage space rearward of the seat.
As far as I am aware, it is a frequent practice in small-vehicle body design to provide a hinged seat back as the means of access to rear storage space, but to gain access to such space requires a most awkward and inconvenient posture and reach over the folded seat back. Of course, the awkwardness is avoided if the vehicle body includes an exterior hinged lid for outside access, but in larger vehicles it is still awkward to reach distant inner recesses even via an opened exterior lid.
Moreover, so-called "hard-top" convertibles are sometimes equipped with one or more removable top panels which are awkward if not impossible to stow in the vehicle's storage space without imposing major restrictions and burdens on the handling of baggage and/or other articles to be accommodated in the storage space.

Convertible seat and storage device for automobiles


A monolithic ceramic capacitor includes an element body having therein a multilayer portion formed of a plurality of conductor layers and a plurality of ceramic dielectric layers alternately stacked in a thickness direction; and a first outer electrode and a second outer electrode provided on an outer portion of the element body. The element body is divided in the thickness direction into a thickness-direction first outer layer portion, a thickness-direction second outer layer portion, and a thickness-direction inner layer portion located between the thickness-direction first outer layer portion and the thickness-direction second outer layer portion and including the multilayer portion. A first conductor layer and a second conductor layer, which are outermost layers among the plurality of conductor layers, have lower conductor densities than any of conductor densities of the other conductor layers.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a monolithic ceramic capacitor, which is a type of capacitor element, and which includes a dielectric layer made of a ceramic dielectric material.
2. Description of the Related Art
A capacitor element generally includes an element body, in which conductor layers and dielectric layers are alternately stacked, and an outer electrode provided on an outer surface of the element body. A monolithic ceramic capacitor is a type of capacitor element, in which the dielectric layers are made of a ceramic dielectric material.
The monolithic ceramic capacitor typically includes therein a substantially rectangular-parallelepiped-shaped multilayer portion, in which a plurality of conductor layers defining inner electrode layers and a plurality of ceramic dielectric layers are alternately densely stacked. The multilayer portion is covered with an outer layer portion made of ceramic dielectric layers, and an outer layer portion, in which a relatively small number of conductor layers defining a wiring portion are included in the ceramic dielectric layers. Thus, the above-described element body is formed.
To increase the capacity of the monolithic ceramic capacitor, it is required to increase the facing area between adjacent conductor layers included in the multilayer portion. To increase the facing area, it is effective to increase the density of the conductor material of the portion in which the conductor layers are arranged, that is, the conductor density (also called inner electrode density). Accordingly, continuity of the conductor layers is increased, the above-described facing area is increased, and the capacity of the monolithic ceramic capacitor is increased.
For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2013-12418 discloses a monolithic ceramic capacitor with an increased continuity of the conductor layers.
However, when the continuity of the conductor layers is increased, delamination is likely to occur. The delamination is a separation phenomenon occurring because of a large difference between contraction of the conductor layer and contraction of the ceramic dielectric layer. When thermal history is added, the thermal history acts as a shear force at a boundary portion between the ceramic dielectric layer and the conductor layer.
In particular, the delamination more likely occurs between the multilayer portion, in which the conductor layers and the ceramic dielectric layers are densely stacked, and the above-described outer layer portions. The delamination may cause a decrease in reliability of the product and a decrease in yield in a manufacturing process.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Monolithic ceramic capacitor with varying conductor density


An ejecting device can eject a cover element movably mounted on a piece of furniture, in particular a folding door or folding/sliding door, from a closed position into an open position. The cover element can be moved at least in a first direction perpendicular to the closing plane, on which the cover element is arranged in the closed position, and in a second direction parallel to the closing plane. The ejecting device includes an energy accumulator, which is to be charged manually by a user, and an ejecting element, on which the energy accumulator acts. The energy accumulator can be charged by moving the cover element substantially in a direction parallel to the closing plane, preferably during an ongoing cover element opening process following the ejection process, particularly preferably immediately following the ejection process.

The invention concerns an ejection device for ejecting a folding-sliding door mounted movably to an article of furniture from a closed position into an open position, and the folding-sliding door is movable at least in a direction perpendicular to the closing plane in which the folding-sliding door is arranged in its closed position and in a direction parallel to the closing plane. The invention also concerns an arrangement comprising an article of furniture, a folding-sliding door mounted movably to the article of furniture, and an ejection device according to the invention.
Ejection devices are known from DE 91 05 187 U1. A disadvantage in that respect is that this involves technically complicated and expensive solutions which are thus susceptible to trouble and costly and which for example require the provision of an electric motor.

Ejecting device and arrangement consisting of a piece of furniture and an ejecting device


A remote control car deadbolt lock includes a lock housing (14) mountable between a car door and car door facing which includes a locking mechanism (24). Receiver assembly (12) mounts within the car door or door facing opposite the lock housing. Locking mechanism (24) includes deadbolt (26) which mounts to reciprocate between a locked position (34) and unlocked position (106). Locking mechanism (24) also includes solenoid (60) and spring actuator comprising spring (44), cam (46) and select mechanism (52). Solenoid (60) causes deadbolt (26) to reciprocate in response to an electrical signal. Spring actuator (25) controls the locked and unlocked position of deadbolt (26). Receiver assembly (12) receives deadbolt (26) when deadbolt (26) is in locked position (34), thereby causing deadbolt (26) to lock car door to car door facing. A remote actuator, in the preferred embodiment, includes a transmitter (108) and receiver (112) for remote control of locking mechanism (24).

Over the years, incidents of car theft have grown. Although most car manufacturers have made some strides in making cars more "thief proof," current locking mechanisms suffer from several limitations. In particular, known locking mechanisms are mechanically linked to the portion of the car door that operates when the door is opened without being locked. Current car door locks operate by turning a key which mechanically actuates the locking mechanism. The locking mechanism is linked to the door opening mechanism so that the door lock prevents operation of the opening mechanism. Unlocking the door allows the opening mechanism to operate. By using a bent coat hanger or a "slim jim", which is a flat piece of metal with a notch in the bottom, a thief can override the known types of car door locks to open a car door as quickly as can be done using a key. Because known car door locks are tied to the door operating means, the way to unlock a car door to steal the car are always accessible, at least to some degree, to a potential thief.
One way to overcome at least a portion of the above problem has been to remove from the car door the key mechanism for operating the door lock. A popular way to do this has been to provide to the user a remote control car door key. With such a device, the user retains in his possession the linkage that usually exists between the key and the locking mechanism. After-market vehicle security devices are available that allow the owner to remotely open or close the lock, but these may still be overridden by using a "slim jim" or other means to actuate the locking mechanism. This is due to the fact that even with the remote control devices, the mechanical linkage between the door key and lock mechanism and the operating mechanism still exists.
Thus, there is a need for an effective convenient door lock that does not use a mechanical mechanism or linkage between the door key and the door opening mechanism.
There is a need for a car door lock that removes any linkage between the locking mechanism and the door opening mechanism.
There is the need for a car door lock that cannot be overridden by a "slim jim" or other device.
Moreover, there is a need for a device that a car owner can use to lock his car door so that only the user has the ability to open the car door and for which the means to open the car door are not easily accessible on the door.


A capillary for introduction of whole blood into an analysis device. The capillary has a variable volume along its length, which allows the liquid sample to be drawn into the interior of the cartridge, away from the inlet, reducing the risk of contamination of the sample from the outside.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to microscale devices for performing analytical testing, and, in particular, to channels for introducing whole blood samples or the like into microfluidic circuits while reducing the risk of contamination from outside sources.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Microfluidic devices have recently become popular for performing analytical testing. Using tools developed by the semiconductor industry to miniaturize electronics, it has become possible to fabricate intricate fluid systems which can be inexpensively mass produced. Systems have been developed to perform a variety of analytical techniques for the acquisition of information for the medical field.
Microfluidic devices may be constructed in a multi-layer laminated structure where each layer has channels and structures fabricated from a laminate material to form microscale voids or channels where fluids flow. A microscale channel is generally defined as a fluid passage which has at least one internal cross-sectional dimension that is less than 1 mm and typically between about 0.1 xcexcm and about 500 xcexcm. The control and pumping of fluids through these channels is affected by either external pressurized fluid forced into the laminate, or by structures located within the laminate.
Capillary action is well known in the prior art for moving liquids through microchannels. This movement is defined as the movement of a liquid within the spaces of a porous material due to the forces of adhesion, cohesion, and surface tension. Microfluidic devices typically call for the use of capillary force to draw a sample into the internal chambers of the device. Such capillary flow devices, particularly capillary flow devices designed for a constant flow rate, typically include at least one capillary acting as a pump, usually for controlling the volume of a sample and the time period for reaction. U.S. Pat. No. 5,204,525, which issued Apr. 20, 1993, describes such a device. The capillaries of this device are generally of a smaller cross section or diameter in the direction transverse to the direction of flow than the chambers contained in the structure. The cross section or length in the direction of flow may be similar or may differ by a factor of ten or more, depending on the function of the capillary or chamber. Capillaries generally will have diameters in the range of about 0.01 mm, and may be 1 cm or more. Subsequent capillaries may be as long as 10 cm. The first capillary will initially control the rate of flow into the chamber.
Often, capillaries provide the sole driving source for the movement of liquid through the device. Accordingly, careful fabrication of the capillary to exact dimensions is required, and the composition of the walls is selected so as to provide the desired degree of wetting and surface tension, as the device is used without ancillary motive force.
Standard capillaries used for moving liquids in devices as described have a constant diameter which move the fluid along within the capillary to fill the channel from the opening where the fluid was applied to an area within the capillary channel. However, variable depth capillaries have been used in some instances with respect to heat transfer applications. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,989,319; 5,010,951; and 5,051,146, which are assigned to Lockheed Missiles and Space Company, all discuss the advantages to using capillary grooves of variable cross sections on the interior surfaces of heat pipe.
A fluid plug can travel in a capillary if the surface tension at the two ends of the capillary is different. This can be achieved through conical capillaries, or by different surface treatments at different points in the capillary.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a device which allows the introduction of a sample into a microfluidic analysis cartridge while reducing the risk of contamination of the sample.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method for completely drawing a sample into a microfluidic channel such that the fluid is no longer in contact with the entrance to the channel.
These and other objects of the present invention will be more readily apparent from the description and drawings that follow.

Capillaries for fluid movement within microfluidic channels


An optical device comprises a single lens of a meniscus-type lens whose index of refraction is distributed in a radial direction perpendicular to the optical axis thereof, and a diaphragm having an aperture and provided at the concave side of the meniscus-type lens, wherein the optical device satisfies following formulas, EQU 7.ltoreq.F.ltoreq.16 EQU 20.degree..ltoreq.2.omega..ltoreq.90.degree. .

The present invention relates to a single lens having a refractive index distribution in its radial directions, and especially to the single lens, the chromatic aberration of which is corrected.
Conventionally, the single lens having a homogeneous refractive index is used for a single use camera in which a film is accommodated, and the case of which is disassembled so that the exposed film is taken out after exposure. For the lens having this homogeneous refractive index, a plastic molded lens is used which is made by a process of injection molding to reduce the cost of the lens. Further, acrylic resin material, in which the refractive index of a d, line is approximately 1.49 and an Abbe number is approximately 57, is used for this lens in many cases.
Conventionally, a photographic lens which is a single lens and which has a refractive index distribution has been studied, and the following research papers are disclosed: for example, a study by L. G. Atkinson and et al. ("Applied Optics" Vol. 21 No. 6 p. 993-998), and a study by E. W. Marchand ("Applied Optics" Vol. 19 No. 7 p. 1044-1051).
Further, concerning a lens for an optical disc, which is a single lens and has a refractive index distribution, various patent applications, such as Japanese Patent Publication Open to Public Inspection Nos. 163312/1986, 116613/1989, and the like, have been disclosed and are widely known.
In the foregoing conventional engineering, initially, when the lens having the homogeneous refractive index was used, axial chromatic aberration and transverse chromatic aberration remained in the single lens. These residual chromatic aberrations can not be removed even when an aspherical surface is used for the lens, which is different from other aberrations in monochrome. Further, because parameters of the photographic lens for a camera which is of the single lens type having a homogeneous refractive index are limited in lens design work, it is difficult to balance the spherical aberration and the curvature of the field.
On the other hand, in the photographic lens for a camera, the lens of which is the single lens having a refractive index and was studied by L. G. Atkinson and et al, and E. W. Marchand, lens specifications in which the lens has a relatively smaller F number, that is, an F number of approximately 2 to 6.3, are studied, and a problem remains in which, mainly, astigmatism can not be corrected in the lens.
Further, inventions which have been disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication Open to Public Inspection Nos. 101415/1990, and 176905/1986 are limited to a lens, which has a refractive index distribution in the direction of an optical axis, which is called an axial distribution, and as clearly understandable from the specifications, a radial distribution is basically more effective for aberration correction than the axial distribution.
Further, in many patents with respect to a lens for an optical disc, which is a single lens and has a refractive index distribution, it is not intrinsic characteristic of the lens to correct the chromatic aberration, and an angle of view in the lens specification is approximately satisfied by .omega.=1.degree. , which are basically different from the present invention.


Two embodiments of a wordline boost clock circuit that can be used in high speed DRAM circuits are disclosed. The clock circuits require only one boost capacitor and discharge the wordlines faster, improving the DRAM access time. The basic feature of the clock circuit is in the floating gate structure of the nmos device which drives the load to negative during the boosting. In the first embodiment of the clock, the gate of a first device is connected to a first node through a second device. A second node, connected to a wordline, is discharged through the first and a third device when a third node is high with a fourth node low. After a sufficient discharge of the second node, the fourth node is pulled to VDD turning the second device on and a fourth device off. The first (NMOS) transistor has its gate and drain connected together and forms a diode. When a boost capacitor pulls the first node down to negative, the first device stays completely off because of its diode configuration and the second node is pulled to negative through the third device. In the second embodiment, a first device is connected between a boost capacitor and a second node. The load is discharged through a third device with a fourth device on but a first and second device off. After a sufficient discharge of the load, a fourth device is turned off but a second device is turned on, making the third device a diode. When a fifth node is pulled to ground, the second node is pulled down to negative with the first device on. In the second embodiment circuit, the load discharges through only one nmos device and consequently discharges faster than the circuit of the first embodiment.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to voltage boosting circuits, and more particularly to a boosting circuit for a wordline clock circuit in a semiconductor memory.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Voltage boosting circuits are described in the prior art in various configurations for a variety of purposes.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,061,929, issued Dec. 6, 1977 to Asano entitled CIRCUIT FOR OBTAINING DC VOLTAGE HIGHER THAN POWER SOURCE VOLTAGE describes a voltage boosting circuit which comprises a plurality of units connected in sequence and each composed of a condenser and a plurality of MOSFETs without any transformer or diode.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,029,973 issued June 14, 1977 to Kobayashi et al entitled VOLTAGE BOOSTER CIRCUIT USING LEVEL SHIFTER COMPOSED OF TWO COMPLEMENTARY MIS CIRCUITS discloses an improvement for a voltage booster circuit. The improvement lies in the use of MISFETs as a switching means in a level converting circuit constructed in a complementary MIS semiconductor integrated circuit and therefore the voltage loss due to the conventional switching means can be prevented.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,216,390 issued Aug. 5, 1980 to Stewart entitled LEVEL SHIFT CIRCUIT, a gating means, biased to pass current only during signal transitions, transfers binary signals from an input signal source to a latch circuit when the signal source and the latch are operated at similar voltages. Following data transfer, the operating voltage across the latch is increased. The voltage levels of the latch output signals are correspondingly increased but the state to which the latch was set is maintained and there is no steady state current conduction through the gating means.
In U.S. Pat. 4,045,691, issued Aug. 30, 1977 to Asano, also entitled LEVEL SHIFT CIRCUIT, a level shift circuit is disclosed including an inverter connected to a first voltage supply source and supplied with an input pulse. A condenser and a directional switching element are connected in series between the output point of the inverter and one potential point of the first voltage supply source. The input of a first MOS-FET is connected to the output of the inverter while the input of a second MOS-FET is connected to a connection point between the condenser and the directional switching element. The source of the first MOS-FET is connected to a common terminal of first and second voltage supply sources while the source of the second MOS-FET is connected to the other terminal of the second voltage supply source. An output voltage is generated between a common connecting point of the drains of the first and second MOS-FETs and one potential point of the second voltage supply source.
Circuits for generating pulsating potentials and voltage levels outside the range of, and/or of greater magnitude than the operating potential applied to the circuits are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,000,412, issued Dec. 28, 1976 to Rosenthal et al entitled VOLTAGE AMPLITUDE MULTIPLYING CIRCUITS. Each circuit includes first and second transistors for applying a first voltage to one plate of a capacitor and a second voltage to the other plate of the capacitor, during one time interval. During a subsequent time interval, the first and second transistors are turned off and a third transistor applies the second potential to the one plate of the capacitor. The change in the potential at the one plate of the capacitor is coupled to the other plate of the capacitor at which is produced an output potential outside the range of the first and second voltages. The potential difference between the first voltage and the output potential difference is greater in amplitude than the potential difference between the first and second voltages. The circuit may also include means alternately applying the first voltage and then the output potential to an output point for generating pulsating signals of greater amplitude than the magnitude of the applied potential. The outputs of two or more circuits may be combined to produce direct current (d.c.) levels. Also included are circuits which operate from a pulsating source of operating potential.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,520,463, issued May 28, 1985 to Okumura, describes a memory circuit having an improved address decoder which is operable with a low power consumption and comprises a logic means for decoding a part of address signals provided for a plurality of address lines of a memory cell array, and a plurality of transfer gates provided between the logic means and the address lines, in which one of those transfer gates is made enabled in response to a different part of the address signals thereby to transmit the output signal of the logic means to a selected row line through the enabled transfer gate.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,574,203, issued Mar. 4, 1986 to Baba, a clock generating circuit is described which includes a switch control circuit controlling a C-MOS circuit including first and second transistors having first and second conductivity types, respectively. Also included in the clock generating circuit is a bootstrap capacitor having a first end connected to the junction between the first and second transistors. The switch circuit includes a third transistor, having the first conductivity type, connected between the gate of the first transistor and the junction between the first and second transistors, and a fourth transistor, having the second conductivity type, connected between the gates of the first and second transistors. The gate of the second transistor is connected to receive an input clock signal and the gates of the third and fourth transistors are connected together to receive a delayed clock signal produced by delaying the input clock signal. The second end of the bootstrap capacitor is connected to receive a further delayed and inverted clock signal. When the delayed clock signal has a first value, the switching circuit connects the gates of the first and second transistors together and an output signal with a first level is produced at the junction of the first and second transistors. When the delayed clock signal reaches a second level, the switching circuit connects the gate of the first transistor to the junction of the first and second transistors and the bootstrap capacitor boosts the output signal to a second level.
Other references in the general field of voltage or level boosting include the following U.S. patents.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,999,081 by T. Nakajima entitled CLOCK-CONTROLLED GATE CIRCUIT issued Dec. 21, 1976.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,982,138 by Luisi et al entitled HIGH SPEED-LOW COST, CLOCK CONTROLLED CMOS LOGIC IMPLEMENTATION issued Sept. 21, 1976.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,947,829 by Y. Suzuki entitled LOGICAL CIRCUIT APPARATUS issued Mar. 30, 1976.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,943,377 by Y. Suzuki entitled LOGICAL CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENT EMPLOYING INSULATED GATE FIELD EFFECT TRANSISTORS issued Mar. 9, 1976.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,852,625 by M. Kubo entitled SEMICONDUCTOR CIRCUIT issued Dec. 3, 1974.
U.S. Pat. 3,801,831 by J. S. Dame entitled VOLTAGE LEVEL SHIFTING CIRCUIT issued Apr. 2, 1974.
U.S. Pat. 4,129,794 entitled ELECTRICAL INTEGRATED CIRCUIT CHIPS issued Dec. 12, 1978.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,398,100 entitled BOOSTER CIRCUIT issued Aug. 9, 1983.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,639,622 entitled BOOSTING WORD-LINE CLOCK CIRCUIT FOR SEMICONDUCTOR MEMORY issued Jan. 27, 1987.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,707,625 entitled SEMICONDUCTOR INTEGRATED CIRCUIT DEVICE FORMED WITH A CMOS CIRCUIT AND A BOOTSTRAP CAPACITOR issued Nov. 17, 1987.

Wordline voltage boosting circuits for complementary MOSFET dynamic memories