A micropore filter of discrete flow-through pores of highly controlled pore configuration and dimensions is formed by bonding platelets into a laminate, each platelet having been etched, preferably by a combination of electropolishing and photoetching techniques, to form depth-etched passages and through-etched passages, respectively. The filter is housed in a module which contains wiper blades for periodically removing deposited debris from the filter surface.

Liquid or gas filtration in the 1 to 20 micron range is currently performed primarily by using disposable filter media. While filter media of this type provides acceptable filtration performance, it does so at high cost. The filter media itself is costly, due in part to the need for frequent replacement of the media. Disposal of spent media also presents a problem, since federal authorities consider most of the spent media to be hazardous waste and therefore subject to regulations for hazardous waste disposal.
Regenerable filter media in the form of metallic wire filters and sintered powder filters are also used. These are random pore filters, however, and regeneration is never complete since backflushing invariably leaves a certain amount of trapped contaminant within the media.

Discrete pore platelet filter manufactured by electropolishing


A multi-parameter catheter comprising sensors enveloped in a sheath made from a biphasic material comprising a layer of microporous hydrophobic substance having micropores which are filled with a hydrophilic substance which when hydrated forms a gel and allows the passage of water-bound ions, and an apparatus for introducing the catheter into a patient's blood vessel.

Invasive sensors for determining the concentration of various analytes in body fluids, particularly the concentration of gasses such as oxygen and carbon dioxide in blood, have been proposed in the art.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,905,888 discloses an electrochemical sensor for determining the oxygen partial pressure in a biological medium comprising a flexible plastic tube which is permeable to oxygen and houses a pair of electrodes surrounded by an electrolyte.
Sensors for the determination of pH and pCO.sub.2 normally comprise one or more optical fibers in association with a suitable indicator for the parameter under investigation.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,200,110 discloses a fiber optic probe which includes an ion permeable membrane envelope which encloses the end of a pair of optical fibers. The operation of the probe depends upon the optical detection of a change in color of a pH sensitive dye. U.S. Pat. No. 4,943,364 discloses a fiber-optic probe for measuring the partial pressure of carbon dioxide in a medium comprising a hydrolyzed dye/gel polymer in contact with a bicarbonate solution enveloped in a membrane covering the distal end of the fiber.
U.S. Reissue Pat. No. Re 31,879 discloses a method for measuring the concentration of an analyte in a sample which involves measuring a change in the color characterization of a fluorescent indicator attached to an optical fiber, without or with a gas-permeable membrane.
Commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 4,889,407 discloses an optical waveguide sensor for determining an analyte in a medium, which sensor comprises an optical waveguide having a plurality of cells arranged in an array which substantially covers the cross-sectional area of the waveguide, each of said cells containing an indicator sensitive to said analyte.
When a probe, such as one of those disclosed in the above prior art, is used invasively, it is usually introduced into a body lumen, for example a blood vessel, with the aid of an introducer and, to protect the probe itself, avoid contamination, maintain sterility and also facilitate introduction, the probe is usually accommodated within an elongated tubular catheter.
The prior art patents mentioned above disclose sensors adapted to determine a single analyte. However, there is a need in the art for a single device which is capable of determining and monitoring a number of blood parameters, for example, pH, pO.sub.2, pCO.sub.2 and temperature, and which has a small enough diameter to be inserted into a blood vessel.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,727,730 discloses a blood pressure monitoring apparatus comprising a single fiber probe that interrogates three dye wells each using a fluorescent dye. Blood pressure is monitored with the aid of a diffraction grating.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,854,321 discloses a single probe having multiple dye wells for monitoring blood gases.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,279,795 discloses a hydrophilic-hydrophobic graft copolymer formed by the copolymerization of a free radical polymerizable vinyl monomer capable of forming a hydrophilic polymer and a hydrophobic macromolecular compound.
By using a biphasic membrane as described and claimed herein, it is possible to incorporate sensors for the determination and monitoring of pH, pO.sub.2, pCO.sub.2 and temperature in a single multi parameter catheter which is narrow enough to be inserted safely into a patient's blood vessel.
Since it is important to avoid contamination and direct operator contact when introducing the catheter into a patient's blood vessel, the invention also provides a device, or introducer, for said introduction.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,906,232 discloses an intravascular delivery device comprising seal means, a delivery assembly having an inner sleeve and stop means.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,960,412 discloses a valve assembly for a catheter introducer.
It has now been found that optimum results are obtained from a multi-parameter catheter if at least part of the tubular wall or outer sheath of the catheter is made from a biphasic membrane as disclosed herein.


Techniques for transmit power control for multiple antenna transmissions in an uplink are disclosed. A wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) generates at least one input stream for transmission and applies a gain factor to each channel. The gain factor is determined based on a reference channel power estimate. The WTRU generates at least two data streams from the input stream for transmission via a plurality of antennas and applies weights to the data streams. The gain factor and/or the weights are controlled such that a transmit power on each antenna is within a maximum allowed value. The WTRU may perform power scaling on a condition that a transmit power on any antenna exceeds the maximum allowed value. The WTRU may scale down an enhanced dedicated channel (E-DCH) dedicated physical data channel (E-DPDCH) first before other channels. For multiple E-DCH streams, the WTRU may calculate an E-DPDCH power offset based on an additional power offset factor due to multiple stream transmission.

The demand for wireless communications services has increased significantly, both for voice and data services. To meet the increased demands, new wireless technologies have been developed. For example, in the third generation partnership project (3GPP) wideband code division multiple access (WCDMA), high speed downlink packet access (HSDPA) and high speed uplink packet access (HSUPA) in Release 5 and 6, respectively, have been introduced to achieve a significant increase in spectrum efficiency and peak data rates.
The wireless signal propagated over the air is subject to various signal impairments, including propagation losses, shadowing, multipath fading, Doppler shifts, etc. The multipath fading or fast fading is caused by the combination of the replicas of the transmitted signal with varying phase and amplitude due to reflections on objects encountered in the propagation paths. Multipath fading results in undesirable fluctuations of the received signal power.
A transmit diversity scheme has been developed to cope with the negative effects of fading. A transmit diversity is a scheme of transmitting the same signal over multiple independent paths. The transmit diversity is implemented by sending the same signal at different instants in time (time diversity), over different frequency carriers or subcarriers (frequency diversity), or over different antennas (space diversity). Downlink transmit diversity, both closed loop and open loop, are part of the WCDMA specifications.
Multiple antenna techniques, such as transmit diversity/beamforming or multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO), have not been adopted into the HSUPA. Enhanced uplink performance is important for reducing the WTRU transmission power requirements, especially for high data rate applications. In addition to reduced WTRU battery consumption, an improved UL performance translates into better coverage area for the high data rate services.
A power control is an important factor for interference management in the interference-limited multiuser communication systems, particularly for code division multiple access (CDMA)-based HSUPA system. In such systems, performance of each user depends not only on its own transmission, but also on the transmissions of other users. Conventional power control mechanisms for HSUPA and WCDMA uplink are based on single-input single-output (SISO) system, where only one antenna is used at both the transmitter and receiver ends.

Method and apparatus for transmit power control for multiple antenna transmissions in the uplink


A clip composed of two similar hooks, pivoting around a common axis, and facing each other. Hooks are biased toward each other around the common pivot by a torsion spring. The two hooks form a loop that retains a dog collar D ring. The tips of the hooks overlap each other, allowing each hook to carry half the load. Finger pads are positioned opposite the hooks, such that when pressure is applied to the finger pads, the hooks are separated, and an ejector tab forces the dog collar D ring into the opening between the hooks, releasing the dog collar D ring. This clip is cold temperature tolerant.

Prior art dog leash clip patents go as far back as year 1895, when Isaac Joyner of Anderson Ind. was granted a U.S. Pat. No. 548,062 that pictured a snap hook very similar to the dog leach clips used today. The clip was not precisely described, but the drawing is very similar to today's production clip. U.S. Pat. No. 5,462,019 by Hong-Rong, in 1995 had a clear description of the prior art clip, line 53 through line 61, column 2.
There are two features of the prior art clip that cause a problem. The position of your fingers for opening the clip creates excessive friction on the plunger, making the overall required force excessive. With continued use, the friction increases, resulting in even higher resistance to opening the clip.
A second problem occurs in cold climates. Water can collect inside the clip and freeze. Ice inside the clip prevents opening the clip and releasing the dog collar, until the ice has melted.


A tapered, hollow bowl of a well spider fitted to an elongated base member and supporting a circumferential array of well casing gripping slips mounted within the bowl for vertical movement to radially enlarge and contract a circular hole within the center of the slip receiving the well casing is segmented to include a pivotable door which carries at least one of the slips, the door being locked in closed position, but pivoted to open the side of the bowl to permit lateral entry of the well casing through the open door.

To effect the lowering and raising of long strings of oil well casing, it is conventional to employ an elongated spider which is open at the center to permit the well casing to be moved rapidly through the central opening of the spider, while operations are proceeding normally but which will permit the firm grasp of the casing when required as during an emergency. Conventionally, a plurality of arcuate wedge shaped sector like elements or slips formed of cast metal such as steel are borne by a spider bowl which is hollow and whose interior surface tapers upwardly and outwardly, upon which are carried the slips. The slips ride on the tapered surface of the spider bowl, being normally keyed thereto and means are provided for simultaneously raising and lowering the slips in contact with the tapered surface of the hollow spider bowl such that, when the slips are raised, they also move radially away from each other to increase the size of the opening defined by the slips through which passes the well casing.
One such type of well spider is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,274,273 issuing Feb. 24, 1972, to Earl J. Miller.
While the well spider of that construction functions adequately to perform its given task, it is necessary to physically shift the spider between extreme vertical heights with respect to the well casing, normally requiring the unit to be raised above the upper end of the well casing or well casing section to be grasped, prior to lowering the spider into a position where, when needed, the slips may be shifted on their keyways relative to the bowl and the spider base member to frictionally grasp the periphery of the well casing projecting therethrough. Further, the mechanical actuating and slip interior section mechanism is generally out of direct access.
It is, therefore, a primary object of the present invention to provide an improved oil well casing spider which can be quickly positioned with respect to the oil casing without the necessity of vertically raising the spider above the casing and which can be moved into casing encompassing position at any desired vertical level with respect to the casing in question.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved well spider of this type in which the spider may be moved laterally relative to the well casing to effect the surrounding of the well casing by the slips carried by the well spider without the necessity of modifying or removing the mechanism carried by the spider base member for achieving relative movement between the slips and the hollow bowl supporting the same.


A plated film having a uniform film thickness is formed on a surface of a substrate. A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus includes: a holding mechanism for holding a substrate rotatably; a nozzle for supplying a processing solution for performing a plating process on a processing target surface of the substrate; a substrate rotating mechanism for rotating the substrate held by the holding mechanism in a direction along the processing target surface; a nozzle driving mechanism for moving the nozzle in a direction along the processing target surface at a position facing the processing target surface of the substrate held by the holding mechanism; and a control unit for controlling the supply of the processing solution by the nozzle and the movement of the nozzle by the nozzle driving mechanism.

In the design and manufacture of a semiconductor device, there has been an increasing demand for a higher operating speed and a higher level of integration. Meanwhile, it has been pointed out that electro-migration (EM) easily occurs due to a current density increase caused by a high-speed operation and wiring miniaturization, whereby wiring disconnection may be caused. This results in deterioration of reliability. For this reason, Cu (copper), Ag (silver) or the like having a low resistivity has been used as a wiring material formed on a substrate of the semiconductor device. Especially, since the copper has a resistivity of about 1.8 μΩ·cm and is expected to exhibit high EM tolerance, it is regarded as a material suitable for achieving the high speed of the semiconductor device.
In general, a damascene method has been utilized to form a copper wiring on the substrate, and this method involves forming a via and a trench on an insulating film by etching, and then filling them with a Cu wiring. Further, there has been made an attempt to enhance the EM tolerance of the semiconductor device by coating a metal film called a cap metal on the Cu wiring by electroless plating by means of supplying a plating solution containing CoWB (cobalt•tungsten•boron), CoWP (cobalt•tungsten•phosphorus), or the like on the surface of the substrate having the Cu wiring (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
The cap metal is formed by supplying the electroless plating solution on the surface of the substrate having the Cu wiring. For example, the substrate may be fixed on a rotary support, and by supplying the electroless plating solution while rotating the rotary support, a uniform liquid flow is generated on the substrate surface, whereby a uniform cap metal can be formed over the entire substrate surface (see, for example, Patent Document 2).
As for the electroless plating, however, it is known that a precipitation ratio of metal is largely affected by reaction conditions such as the composition and the temperature of the plating solution, and the like. Moreover, there has occurred a problem that by-products (residues) due to the plating reaction are generated in the form of slurry and remain on the substrate surface, impeding the uniform flow of the plating solution and making it impossible to replace the deteriorated electroless plating solution with new one. As a result, the reaction conditions on the substrate become locally different, making it difficult to form a cap metal having a uniform film thickness over the entire surface of the substrate. In addition, the substrate surface on which the cap metal is to be formed becomes to have a locally hydrophilic region or a locally hydrophobic region due to a difference in the surface material or sparseness or denseness of wiring. As a result, the electroless plating solution cannot be supplied onto the entire region of the substrate in a uniform manner, resulting in a failure of forming the cap metal having a uniform film thickness over the entire surface of the substrate.    Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. 2006-111938    Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. 2001-073157

Semiconductor manufacturing apparatus and semiconductor manufacturing method


A composition comprising an extract from damaged plant parts from the Moringaceae genus, at least one oligopeptide, at least one extract from the Laminaria genus, and whey protein and a method for stimulating collagen synthesis in skin cells.

Collagen is one of the main structural proteins in skin. It can be found in the fibrillar or non-fibrillar form. The fibrillar form is most common and includes collagen subtypes I, II, III, V, and XI. Types I, IV, and V are most often associated with skin and dermal tissue. Collagen found in the skin typically diminishes with age and causes laxity, lines, and wrinkles on skin. Any active ingredient that induces skin cells to increase collagen synthesis is desirable because it ameliorates the adverse effects of collagen deficiency in skin cells which causes lines, wrinkles, and skin laxity.
It has been discovered that an extract obtained from damaged plant parts from Moringaceae genus in combination with a complex of actives exhibits dramatically improved stimulation of collagen synthesis in skin cells that is dose/response sensitive. This is most unexpected because the Moringaceae extract alone exhibits no, or even decreased, activity in stimulating collagen synthesis in skin cells.

Methods and compositions for treating aged skin


The present disclosure discloses a method, server, and system for automatically rating the reputation of a web site, wherein the method comprises: when a web address of the web site is triggered and intercepted, detecting whether the web address of the web site is a malicious web address or a non-malicious web address; making statistics of the number of malicious and non-malicious visits to the web addresses under the web site during a predefined time period and saving the statistics to a database; and reading records from the database and calculating an average reputation of the web site by weighting the statistics of visiting the web site during the predefined time period and history statistics. The present disclosure is able to mark the reputation of a web site in time and efficiently, thus improving the security of using the network.

Currently, emphasis of the criteria for rating a web site is on the metrics of the popularity of the web site, e.g., PageRank ranking of Google, web site ranking of Alexa, etc.
The basic idea of the PageRank ranking of Google is that the popularity of a web site is proportional to the number of web sites that link to the web site and the popularity of the web sites that link to the web site. The specific calculation formula thereof is as follows:
                              PR                                (            u            )                          =                              d            ·                                          ∑                                  v                  ∈                                      L                                                              (                      u                      )                                                                                PR                                                        (                    v                    )                                                  /                                  N                                                        (                    v                    )                                                                                +                      (                          1              -              d                        )                                              (        1        )            where PR(u) denotes the PageRank value of a web site u, L(u) denotes a set of web pages that point to the web site u, N(v) denotes the number of outbound links from a web page v, and d denotes an attenuation factor, the value of which is between 0 and 1, and typically is 0.85.
The web site ranking of Alexa determines the popularity of a web site by calculating the accumulated number of reaches to the web site and average page views of the users in recent three months.
However, with the popularity of the network, network security problems also become increasingly severe, and malicious accidents of phishing, fraud, and propagation of Trojan viruses emerge one after another, while the above criteria of evaluating the popularity of a web site are not efficient enough to mark the security degree of a web site. Even a web site with high popularity may also be a web site hung up with Trojans or a phishing web site after it is hacked by a hacker, thus threatening the security of the users.
Currently, there have been some third parties who mark the security degree for web sites, wherein a famous one is such like the "credible web site" validation released by the company knet.cn, it marks the reputation of web sites by manual checking and charges a certain amount of annuity fees for web sites that have passed the validation. However, there are a lot of limitations in marking web sites by using such a kind of black-and-white list:
firstly, the application range thereof is relatively small, and mainly aims to profitable enterprises' web sites, while there is not enough motivation for personal web sites and non-profitable enterprises' web sites to pay for this kind of validation;
secondly, for web sites whose security information is under unknown status, it cannot help the user to efficiently distinguish malicious web sites from safe web sites; and
furthermore, even if a web site has passed the validation, it may also issue falsity information after it is frequently hacked by hackers as to being hung up with Trojans or the web pages thereof are changed, and thus simple manual authorization cannot respond to dynamic changes of the content of the web sites on time.

Method, server, and system for automatically rating reputation of a web site

Tencent Technology (Shenzhen) Company Limited


Each time a programmable read only memory is written, the memory device of the programmable read only memory is degraded a certain extent.. This invention relates to a microcomputer having a programmable read only memory. The programmable read only memory includes a special area for recording the number of writes to a user operating area and for monitoring the life of the programmable read only memory.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a microcomputer having a programmable read only memory, and more particularly to a microcomputer for checking a number of writes to the programmable read only memory (PROM).
2. Description of the Prior Art
For example, it will be observed from FIG. 3 that a conventional microcomputer has a programmable read only memory.
Referring to the drawings, PROM(2), RAM(3), PIO(4) and SIO(5) are interconnected to a central processing unit (CPU)(1) by a control bus A, an address bus B and a data bus C, then all of them are integrated in a package.
As to the above-mentioned one chip microcomputer, a user is able to write into the PROM and use it as suits its own purpose.
Generally speaking, in the case of writing into a PROM, the PROM is provided with a high voltage, higher than the usual operating voltage, and the PROM is broken down after a number of writes to a memory location. It is therefore necessary for a broken down PROM to be exchanged for a new one if the number of writing times in the PROM exceeds the limit.
However, with respect to a conventional microcomputer, the number of writes to the PROM is not recognized by any user as a significant event, malfunctioning of the microcomputer is caused by being overworked after the PROM is broken down.

Apparatus and method for monitoring PROM access in a microcomputer


In the case of a small-sized motor of the present invention, a printed board to which an electric circuit including an electric element is attached is mounted on a case cover. The printed board has a soldering part to be connected to a member attached to an interior of the case cover for being connected to an electric power source supplied from an outside and a soldering part to be connected to a projection in a notch provided on an opening part side of the metal case to body-earth the electric circuit. In the soldering part for the body-earthing, at the time of assembling the motor, after fitting the case cover to the metal case opening part, a pair of electrodes are brought into contact from an outside of the metal case near the soldering part, to weld the soldering part by a principle of the electric resistance welding. Consequently, it is possible to easily and surely body-earth the earth of the electric circuit to the metal case, and to reduce the number of the motor assembling steps so that the assembling can be performed with a good working property.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a small-sized motor, and more particularly relates to a small-sized motor wherein an electric element such as a capacitor is attached to a case cover for being used for the driving of electrical equipment or the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
A small-sized motor is widely used in a vehicle electrical apparatus such as a vehicle door lock opening and closing device, an electrically powered mirror mirror-surface driving and containing device, or an air conditioner. In the case of the small-sized motor and the peripheral equipment like this, the reduction of electric noise caused at the time of operation is required, and regulations are laid down all over the world. CISPR25 as an international standard, GMW3100/3097 as a carmaker standard, or the like can be mentioned.
In order to reduce the electric noise, in the case of a small-sized motor, it is necessary to directly attach the electric element such as a capacitor or a choke coil to the motor. Therefore, conventionally, it has been performed that the electric element is arranged and wired on a printed board, and that this printed board is mounted on the motor. However, in the case of a mounting method like this, such a work is necessary, where a special earth lead wire for earthing the electric circuit is connected to the printed board in advance, and furthermore, this printed board is mounted on a metal case of the motor, and after that, the above described earth lead wire is connected, for example, by soldering.
In order to reduce the man-hour of such a troublesome work, a printed board mounting method as shown in FIG. 6 is conventionally well known (refer to Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 63-127254). In FIG. 6, a printed board 25 to which an electric element (omitted in the drawing) is attached is structured such that it is mounted to a metal case 1 where the motor main body (omitted in the drawing) is contained, and after that, furthermore, it is covered by a case cover (omitted in the drawing).
As shown in the drawing, to the metal case 1, a projecting needle part 26 projected from an opening end edge is provided, and in the meantime, corresponding to this projecting needle part 26, to the printed board 25, an engaging part 28 which makes the projecting needle part 26 pass to an earth electrode part 27 is provided. As shown in the drawing by an alternate long and short dash line and an arrow, in order to make the state where the projecting needle part 26 is inserted into the engaging part 28, the printed board 25 is mounted on the metal case 1, and after that, by performing the soldering of the projecting needle part 26 and the earth electrode part 27, the earth electrode part 27 of the printed board 25 and the metal case 1 are electrically connected through the solder.
Thus, it is enough for the purpose only to perform the soldering on the way of the motor assembling step, and therefore, it becomes possible to largely reduce the working man-hour in the earth executing step. However, in the case of such a prior art, the soldering is still needed as another step different from the motor assembling, and therefore, the reduction of the working man-hour is furthermore required. Furthermore, it is required to attach the electric element to the synthetic resin case cover with a good workability to efficiently attach it in a narrow space.

Small-sized motor and manufacturing method thereof


A prosthetic implant cement deflector for use in prosthetic surgery used when employing a cannulated phantom prosthesis and/or prosthesis having a bore for utilizing a guide wire and provided with an insert portion. The cement deflector element is adapted to slide on a guide wire and has an external profile large enough to seal the interface distal tip between the guide wire and the surface of the distal end of the bore.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a prosthetic implant cement deflector for use in prosthetic surgery when employing a cannulated phantom prosthesis and/or surgical prosthesis utilising a guide wire and provided with an insert portion.
2. Description of the Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 5,788,704 shows a method and apparatus for implanting a prosthesis. The invention relates to a method of guaranteeing the position and thickness of an adequate cement mantle around a cemented implant and shows the use of a phantom or trial component having a tapered insert portion. The phantom component is first inserted into a cavity which has been filled with bone chips which are compressed. A lining of cement is now applied to the cavity and a cannulated phantom is introduced into the opening.
The phantom is subsequently withdrawn from the cavity, the cement cavity inspected and the surgical prosthesis is finally implanted.
It has been found that using this technique there can sometimes be difficulties with the passage of cement into the bore of the phantom within the gap between the phantom and the guide wire. The present invention is intended to provide means for preventing this happening.

Prosthetic implant cement deflector system


It is postulated that a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device of the present invention includes a charge pump. The nonvolatile semiconductor memory device includes a memory cell array unit having a plurality of memory transistors formed therein to store data. Each memory transistor has a drain region connected to a predetermined bit line BL which is connected to a write circuit. A charge pump is connected to the write circuit. A predetermined potential is applied to a memory transistor via the write circuit by this charge pump in a writing mode. A charge pump load control means for suppressing variation in the charge pump load is connected to a memory transistor or a well region in which the memory transistor is formed. Thus, the charge pump load can be stabilized to allow improvement of the writing or erasing characteristics of the nonvolatile semiconductor memory device.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to nonvolatile semiconductor memory devices having charge pumps, and more particularly to a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device including means to suppress variation in the load of the charge pump.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A flash memory is conventionally known as an example of a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device. A DINOR (DIvided bit-Line NOR) type flash memory which is one of such flash memories is disclosed in TECHNICAL REPORT OF IEICE, SDM93-24, ICD93-26, pp. 15-20.
In such a DINOR type flash memory, an erased state is where electrons are stored in a floating gate (charge storage electrode). A write (program) state is where electrons are drawn from the floating gate. In other words, an operation opposite to that of the generally known NOR type flash memory is carried out. The time required for an erase operation in an NOR type flash memory is approximately 100 msec.-1 sec., whereas the time required for a write operation in a DINOR type flash memory is as short as approximately 100 .mu.sec.
FIG. 12 is a block diagram showing a structure of such a DINOR type flash memory. The structure and operation of a DINOR type flash memory will be described hereinafter.
Referring to FIG. 12, a memory cell array unit 15 is divided into sectors SE1 and SE2. Memory cell array unit 15 includes select gates SG1 and SG2 corresponding to sectors SE1 and SE2, respectively. Memory cell array unit 15 is formed in a p well region 16.
Two main bit lines MB0 and MB1 are arranged in memory cell array unit 15. Main bit lines MB0 and MB1 are connected to a sense amplifier 3 and a write circuit 4 via Y gate transistors YG0 and YG1 within each Y gate 17.
Two sub bit lines SB01 and SB02 are provided corresponding to main bit line MB0. Two sub bit lines SB11 and SB12 are provided corresponding to main bit line MB1. Word lines WL0 and WL1 are arranged so as to cross sub bit lines SB01 and SB11. Word lines WL2 and WL3 are arranged so as to cross sub bit lines SB02 and SB12.
Memory cells (memory transistors) M00-M03 and M10-M13 are provided at the crossings between sub bit lines SB01, SB02, SB11, and SB12 and word lines WL0-WL3. Memory cells M00, M01, M10, and M11 are included in sector SE1. Memory cells M02, M03, M12, and M13 are included in sectors SE2.
Each memory cell has its gate connected to a corresponding sub bit line, its control gate connected to a corresponding word line, and its source connected to a source line SL.
Select gate SG1 includes select gate transistors SG01 and SG11. Select gate SG2 includes select gate transistors SG02 and SG12. Sub bit lines SB01 and SB02 are connected to main bit line MB0 via select gate transistors SG01 and SG02, respectively. Sub bit lines SB11 and SB12 are connected to main bit line MB1 via select gate transistors SGll and SG12, respectively.
An address buffer 9 receives an externally applied address signal to provide an X address signal to an X decoder 10 and an Y address signal to a Y decoder 8. X decoder 10 responds to an X address signal to select any of the plurality of word lines WL0-WL3. Y decoder 8 responds to a Y address signal to generate a select signal that selects any of the plurality of main bit lines MB0 and MB1.
The Y gate transistors in Y gate 17 respond to respective select signals to connect main bit lines MB0 and MB1 to sense amplifier 3 and write circuit 4. In a readout mode, sense amplifier 3 detects data read out on main bit line MB0 or main bit line MB1 to output the same via data input buffer 2. In a write mode, an externally applied data is provided to write circuit 4 via data input/output buffer 2. Write circuit 4 responds to the data to provide a program voltage to main bit lines MB0 and MB1.
High voltage generation circuits 5 and 6 receive externally applied power supply voltage Vcc (for example 5 V) to generate a high voltage. A negative voltage generation circuit 7 receives externally applied power supply voltage Vcc to generate a negative voltage. A verify voltage generation circuit 11 receives externally applied power supply voltage Vcc to provide a predetermined verify voltage to a selected word line in a verify mode. A well potential generation circuit 12 applies a negative voltage to p well region 16 in an erase mode. A source control circuit 13 provides a negative voltage to source line SL in an erase mode. Select gate decoder 14 responds to a portion of the address signal from address buffer 9 to selectively activate select gates SG1 and SG2.
A write/erase control circuit 1 responds to an externally applied control signal to control the operation of each circuit.
The operation of the DINOR type flash memory of the above-structure will be described hereinafter with reference to Table
TABLE 1 ______________________________________ <1> Applied Voltage in Erase Mode Selected De-selected Sector Applied Voltage Sector Applied Voltage Vd Vcg Vs Vbb Vd Vcg Vs Vbb ______________________________________ OPEN 10 V -8 V -8 V OPEN 0 V -8 V -8 V ______________________________________ Selected De-selected Bit Applied Voltage Bit Applied Voltage Vd Vcg Vs Vbb Vd Vcg Vs Vbb ______________________________________ <2> Applied Voltage in Writing Mode 5 V -8 V OPEN 0 V OPEN 0 V 0 V 0 V <3> Applied Voltage in Readout Mode 1 V 3 V 0 V 0 V OPEN 0 V 0 V 0 V ______________________________________

Nonvolatile semiconductor memory device having controlled charge pump load


A heavy duty, mobile drilling machine is disclosed based on a track type vehicle having a rotatable turntable, an operator station and other vehicle machinery being arranged along opposite sides of the turntable to form a central open channel, a boom being pivotably connected to the turntable and arranged in the channel, the boom being of a telescoping type having an extendable and retractable portion forming a chamber for receiving water or other ballast, a drill implement being mounted on a forward end of the extendable boom portion by relative transverse pivots with respective motors or jacks providing for 360.degree. adjustment of the drill implement, the telescoping nature of the boom and the other controls for the drilling implement, boom and turntable permitting use of the drilling implement in a wide variety of operating positions. The drilling implement is also movable into a position parallel with the boom, the central channel in the turntable being adapted for receiving the boom and mast so that the overall dimensions of the mobile drilling machine permit transport to different operating sites without requiring disassembly.

The present invention relates to a material handling machine and more particularly to a heavy duty, mobile drilling machine or the like adapted to facilitate operation in a variety of conditions.
Many material handling implements of the type contemplated by the present invention have been disclosed in the prior art for use in a wide variety of applications. In order to adapt the implements for use in a variety of conditions and on different types of terrain, they are commonly mounted on vehicles and very often upon track laying vehicles of a type particularly suited for maneuvering in relatively inaccessible sites such as are commonly encountered in construction.
In order to better adapt such vehicles for maneuvering or positioning their implements in a wide variety of operating positions, the implements are commonly mounted on turntables permitting the implement to be positioned at any point along a 180.degree. arc or even with a full 360.degree. of travel about the entire circumference of the vehicle.
In addition to the variety of positions permitted by such turntables and the like, the implement may also be movably mounted upon the vehicle by means of a boom or the like with hydraulic jacks or other types of motor means being employed for adjusting the position or angular alignment of the implement.
Accordingly, it is to be understood that a mobile drilling machine or material handling implement of the type contemplated by the present invention includes many individual components common to material handling machinery in the prior art. However, it is also to be understood that with the continued use of such machinery in construction or other types of applications, further improvement in the design of the machinery is continually being sought in order to make the machinery more competitive or efficient or versatile for example.
As examples of versatility and efficiency of the type sought in connection with material handling machinery such as that contemplated by the present invention, it is noted that a vehicular mounted implement may be positioned in a construction site or the like and adapted for movement of the implement upon the vehicle to reach a number of locations without repositioning the vehicle each time. As noted above, the present invention particularly contemplates a material handling implement in the form of a mobile drilling rig adapted for drilling foundation holes or the like in construction sites and other applications. It will be immediately apparent that the efficiency and versatility of such a mobile drilling machine is greatly enhanced if the drill can be properly positioned and angularly aligned for drilling a number of such holes with the vehicle in a single position. The efficiency and versatility of the machine is even further enhanced by such maneuverability where it is necessary for the vehicle to be located in relatively cramped quarters making movement of the vehicle difficult between the drilling of the different foundation holes or the like.
It will be further apparent that, in connection with mobile drilling machines and other material handling implements having similar characteristics, operation of the implement is enhanced if additional downward force can be applied during operation. The selective application of such force necessarily facilitates and makes more efficient certain operations such as the drilling of holes and other similar material handling applications.
Accordingly, there has been found to remain a need for improvements in material handling machinery of the type contemplated by the invention for overcoming one or more problems of the type referred to above and for making such machinery even more efficient, versatile and competitive in order to enhance its value in various applications.


A printing apparatus includes a first receiving unit, an obtaining unit, a sending unit, a second receiving unit, and a setting unit. The first receiving unit receives, from a printing control apparatus, an instruction to obtain first attribute information of a sheet held in a sheet holding unit. The obtaining unit obtains the first attribute information in accordance with the instruction received by the first receiving unit. The sending unit sends the first attribute information obtained by the obtaining unit to the printing control apparatus. The second receiving unit receives, from the printing control apparatus, second attribute information based on the first attribute information sent from the sending unit. The setting unit sets the second attribute information, received by the second receiving unit, as attribute information of a sheet held in the sheet holding unit.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printing apparatus, a printing control apparatus, a printing system, a control method of the printing apparatus, and a storage medium.
Description of the Related Art
There is known a technology in printing apparatuses in which the size of a sheet held in a sheet holding unit is detected by a sensor, and automatically registered as a setting value of the sheet holding unit. For example, the size of a sheet is detected using a sensor which detects the positions of guides placed against the sides of a sheet.
Adding sensors for detecting non-standard sizes in addition to sensors for detecting standard sizes leads to increased costs. Such cost-related constraints may result in a printing apparatus having sensors for detecting standard sizes by not having sensor for detecting non-standard sizes. Accordingly, when loading sheets of a non-standard size in a sheet holding unit, the user registers the width and height of the non-standard sheets from an operation unit. If the printing apparatus has been set to detect the size of sheets by the sensors, the user registering the non-standard size as a setting value for the sheet holding unit will overwrite the standard size detected by the sensors. Accordingly, there are printing apparatuses which can be set to where the size of a sheet held in a sheet holding unit is not detected by the sensors.
Further, it is common to register sheet attribute information such as the name of a sheet, the size of the sheet, the grammage of the sheet, the surface nature of the sheet, the color of the sheet, and so on, as setting values for the sheet holding unit. The printing apparatus controls the temperature of the fixing unit and the conveyance speed sheet based on the grammage of the sheet. However, it is troublesome to input sheet attribute information every time for each sheet holding unit in order to register sheet attribute information as setting values for the sheet holding unit.
Accordingly, there is known a technology where this attribute information for each sheet is stored in a sheet management database beforehand, with the user selecting the sheet attribute information of a desired sheet therefrom and registering this as the setting values of the sheet holding unit (see Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2007-241425).
There also is known a technology where sensors detect the size of a sheet held in a sheet holding unit, and sheets matching the detected size are displayed as candidates. The user selects the desired sheet attribute information from the candidates, and register as the setting values of the sheet holding unit (see Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2007-324983).
However, in a case where the printing apparatus has been set to not detect the size of sheets held in the sheet holding unit using sensors, registering sheet attribute information stored beforehand as attribute information of sheets stored in the sheet holding unit has not been easy.

Printing apparatus, printing control apparatus, printing system, control method of printing apparatus, and storage medium


A planar optical crossbar switch comprising two thin planar substrates, on each of which are recorded or attached two holographic lenses between which light propagates by means of total internal reflection. The first lens is a negative cylindrical lens, used to input the incident light signal to the substrate, and the second lens is a positive cylindrical lens. The two substrates are disposed at right angles to each other in such a way that the positive lenses are positioned one on top of the other with a spatial light modulator sandwiched between them or beneath them. A linear array of detectors collects the output signal from the negative lens on the second substrate. Light from an element in the linear array of sources is spread out, by means of the negative cylindrical holographic lens on the first substrate, across a row of the SLM, and light from a column of the SLM is focused by means of the cylindrical holographic lenses on the second substrate, onto a particular element of the linear array of output detectors. To connect a signal form the ith source in the input array to the jth detector in the output array, the value of the {i,j} pixel of the SLM matrix should be in the ON state.

Crossbar interconnection networks are essential components in a variety of optical signal processing applications, such as communication signal switching and parallel computation. Such applications are described in articles such as that by M. Fukui entitled "Optoelectronic parallel computing system with optical image crossbar switch", in Applied Optics, Vol. 32, pp 6475-6481 (1993), and that by Y. Wu, L. Liu, and Z. Wang, entitled "Optical crossbar elements used for switching networks", published in Applied Optics, Vol. 33, pp. 175-178 (1994). The disclosures of these publications, and of those mentioned in any other part of the specification, and the disclosures of all documents cited in any of the publications, are hereby incorporated by reference.
Such crossbar interconnection networks have been incorporated into optical configurations for performing dynamic vector matrix multiplication and arbitrary interconnection between N inputs and N outputs. They take advantage of the speed and the parallelism of optical signal transmission to provide performance levels significantly better than those attainable using microelectronic devices.
Several such systems, using discrete components and free space propagation, have been described in the literature, such as by J. W. Goodman, A. R. Dias, and L. M. Woody in "Fully parallel, high-speed incoherent optical method for performing discrete Fourier Transforms", published in Optics Letter, Vol. 2, pp. 1-3 (1978); by M. Fukui and K. Kitayama in "High-throughput image crossbar switch that uses a point light source array", published in Optics Letters, Vol. 18, pp. 376-378 (1993); by P. C. Huang, W. E. Stephens, T. C. Banwell and L. A. Reith in "Performance of 4.times.4 optical crossbar switch utilizing acousto-optic deflector" published in Electronics Letters, Vol. 25, pp. 252-253 (1989); by K. H. Brenner and T. M. Merklein in "Implementation of an optical crossbar network based on directional switches", published in Applied Optics, Vol. 31, pp. 2446-2451 (1992); and by R. W. Cohn in "Link analysis of deformable mirror device based optical crossbar switch", published in Optical Engineering, Vol. 31, pp. 134-140 (1992).
Such configurations typically consist of a number of conventional lenses and a dynamic spatial light modulator (SLM). The use of discrete optical components, and the relatively large number thereof required, results in a switch with comparatively high weight and volume. Furthermore, the individual components have to be mounted and aligned mechanically. The alignment accuracy required between individual components is extremely difficult to achieve and often impractical for the high density of channels to be switched. As a result, free space propagation optical crossbar switching systems are very sensitive and unruggedised, have relatively low positioning accuracy and are subject to thermal instability, thus making them unsuitable for general industrial use.
All of these factors combine to make such free space switches incompatible with the small size and circuit construction techniques used in the integrated optoelectronic technology used in modern signal processing and communications system. There is, therefore, need for an optical crossbar switch which combines the speed of optical processing techniques with the small dimensions typical of microelectronic technology.
The problems associated with discrete elements and free space configurations can be alleviated by using planar optics configurations, in which several optical elements (lenses, filters, beam splitters, polarisers, etc.), can be integrated onto a single substrate. The light propagates between the different optical elements, inside the substrate, either by total internal reflection or with the aid of reflective coatings on the substrate surfaces. The alignment of several optical elements integrated onto one substrate can be done with relatively high accuracy during the recording of the elements in the laboratory. Planar optical technology is fully compatible with microelectronic detectors, devices and production technology, with the element patterns being generated by standard microelectronic production techniques such as photolithography and etching.
Such planar optical systems have been developed to perform basic imaging functions, as described by J. Jahns and S. Walker in the article "Imaging with planar optical systems" in Optics Communications, Vol. 76, No. 5-6, May 1990, pp. 313-317. Specific interconnect designs for use in planar optical systems are described by Y. Amitai and J. Goodman in "Design of substrate-mode holographic interconnects with different recording and readout wavelengths", as published in Applied Optics, Vol. 30, pp. 2376-2381 (1991), and by S. H. Song, et al in "Planar optical implementation of crossover interconnects", in Optics Letters, Vol. 17, pp. 1253-1255 (1992). However, no method has been described heretowith whereby an optical crossbar switch can be implemented in planar technology.

Yeda Research & Development Co. Ltd. of Weizmann Institute of Science


A hand-held power tool, has a housing, at least one partially hollow U-shaped C-shaped handle with a yoke part and two parallel leg parts and supported in a resilient manner such that the handle is movable relative to the housing in order to dampen vibrations, at least one coupling element accommodated at least partially inside the C-shaped handle to synchronize motion between the two leg parts and having a recess, and a switch arranged in a vicinity of the coupling element and having a switch housing extending in an interior of the handle and accommodated in the recess of the coupling element.

The present invention relates to a hand-held power tool, in particular a rotary hammer and/or a percussion hammer, with a housing and a vibration-damped, U-shaped handle that is resiliently supported and is movable relative to the housing.
With hand-held power tools with an impact drive in particular, such as rotary hammers, chisel hammers, and the like, the hand-held power tool may be subjected to considerable vibrations. When these vibrations are transferred to a handle that is used to press the hand-held power tool against a work piece, the operator perceives the vibrations to be uncomfortable, and long-term exposure thereto may even result in injury. For this reason, double-shelled housings, with which the entire hammer is suspended in an outer shell such that it is resilient in its working direction, have usually been used to provide linear vibration damping of rotary hammers. This design is relatively complex and expensive, however.
Publication EP 1 529 603 makes known a hand-held power tool that includes a vibration-damped C-shaped handle that is supported against the housing via springs. With this hand-held power tool, extensions of two leg parts of the C-shaped handle extend into a cavity in the housing, where they act via connecting elements on swivel arms, the motion of which is damped via springs. To synchronize the motion of the swivel arms and, therefore, the two leg parts, the two swivel arms are connected via a coupling element designed as an axle. A switch for switching the hand-held power tool on and off is located inside the hollow handle.
Publication DE 101 38 123 A1 makes known a hand-held power tool of the type described initially with a vibration-damped C-shaped handle, with which one of the leg parts is supported against the housing via a spring, and with which the motion of the two leg parts is synchronized via two coupling elements, which are hingedly connected with the handle and the housing, one of which is accommodated in the interior of the hollow yoke part in a space-saving manner.
In addition, a hand-held power tool of the type described initially was proposed in the two unpublished German patent applications that belong to this applicant, with which two coupling elements are located inside the yoke part of a hollow C-shaped handle.
By accommodating one or more coupling elements in the interior of the hollow C-shaped handle, the amount of space required inside the housing of the hand-held power tool and, therefore, their overall length, may be reduced, which, in turn, enables the amount of force required to handle the hand-held power tool to be reduced. Previously, however, a design of this type was only possible with those hand-held power tools with which a switch was not provided on the C-shaped handle, since the space available inside of it was not sufficient to accommodate an inwardly extending housing of the switch or one or more coupling elements.

Hand-held power tool with a vibration-damped handle with a switch


A filter element for a filter device for gas filtration has at least two individual filters which are disposed adjacent to each other and through which the gas to be purified can flow orthogonally to the filter plane. On at least two sides, the individual filters delimit a gas collection chamber that is open on the edge side and that is fluidically connected to the clean sides of the individual filters and used to accommodate the purified gas.

EP 1 447 250 A2 describes a filter system comprising a filter insert that is accommodated in a filter housing and comprises two plate-shaped individual filters, which are designed separately from each other and positioned adjacent to each other. The individual filters each have a rectangular shape; however, they have differing sizes and are accommodated in the filter housing with a vertical offset. The fluid to be purified flows through the filter elements orthogonally to the respective filter plane of the same.
DE 198 16 431 A1 describes a filter element for an air filter which is designed as a filter bellows having zigzag pleating, wherein the filter bellows has various pleat regions in which the pleat heights and/or the direction of the pleats differ from each other. The air to be purified flows through the filter bellows orthogonally to the filter plane of the same, wherein the incident flow side has a stepped design due to the differing heights of the various regions, while the clean sides of all filter regions are located in a common plane.

Filter element for a filter device for gas filtration


A solderless pin connection for a printed circuit board wherein a substrate is printed with polymer thick film. The substrate includes an inner surface defining a hole. The polymer thick film is applied along a top surface of the substrate and along the inner surface. The polymer thick film may additionally be applied along a bottom surface of the substrate with an additional layer along the inner surface. A pin, having a diameter less than a diameter of the hole, is press fit within the polymer thick film along the inner surface the pin. The pin is staked with respect to the substrate using a mechanical connection such as barbs or a folded portion on a staked end of the pin.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a solderless pin connection utilizing a press fit pin staked within a hole printed with polymer thick film.
2. Description of Related Art
Traditional printed circuit boards are manufactured by applying a layer of copper to a substrate and then etching the desired circuit into the layer of copper. This subtractive manufacturing process is step intensive and results in wasted materials. A perceived advantage of copper is its ability to maintain a soldered connection for electrical and mechanical connections. Staking a pin into a multi-processed copper plated through hole may result in a solder-free joint.
Soldered connections require additional complex and costly manufacturing steps and may result in unreliable connections. Waste from the soldering and plating processes is hazardous to the environment and expensive to dispose of safely. Further, manufacture of the plated through hole requires a lengthy process with many steps, including a drilled hole, that are critical to achieving a sound electrical connection. This lengthy plating process, combined with the assembly of the pin, may jeopardize the integrity of the plated through hole.


A fiber optic cable sheath includes a predetermined number of fiber optic cables, with each of the cables arranged such that a first end of each fiber optic cable is received within a display panel within a passenger compartment of the associated vehicle, wherein a second end of each cable is arranged in a facing confronting relationship relative to each light member of a predetermined number of lights of the vehicle such that extinguishing of any of the light members is immediately illustrated in the panel upon failure of light to be transmitted through that individual fiber optic cable.

1. Field of the Invention
The field of invention relates to vehicular illumination structure, and more particularly pertains to a new and improved vehicular light monitoring apparatus wherein the same is arranged to monitor the functioning of individual light members relative to an associated vehicle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Vehicles, and particularly truck members, are required to maintain operation of exterior lighting structure. The lighting structure is directed along the vehicular cab as well as a tailoring organization. The instant invention provides for monitoring structure for indicating the effective operation of such lights during use. Prior art light monitoring structure is indicated in the U.S. Pat. No. 3,588,816 for checking of filaments within individual illumination bulbs.
The instant invention attempts to overcome deficiencies of the prior art by providing for a retrofit structure arranged for ease of monitoring of illumination members of an associated vehicle and in this respect, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.
In addition, a variation of this system replaces much of a vehicle's electrical lighting circuits with optical circuits. In this system an optical fibre would transmit light from a single bulb in a driving compartment to the respective exterior lenses such as cab and clearance lights. Benefits of this variation are as follows:
1. The optical circuit would be immensely more reliable and more durable than an electrical system. PA1 2. One light bulb, accessible from the driver's seat, and visible from the driver's seat, would replace as many as twenty exterior light bulbs presently required on tractor, semi-trailer and busses. PA1 3. Use of this system on flammable bulk tanks and explosive transport vehicles would vastly reduce the risk of electrical sparks and heat from bulbs and filaments from causing explosion and fire hazards. PA1 4. Personnel safety would be enhanced by reducing the need or eliminating the need for climbing ladders to replace trailer lights. PA1 5. Fleet safety and repair efficiency would be enhanced because the driver would immediately detect a defective light and be able to change it within minutes instead of running several hundred miles without lights to a repair shop. PA1 6. The optical circuits would be impervious to the weather. This benefit alone would make this idea perfect for boat trailer lights since submergence during loading and unloading would be absolutely harmless to the optical filaments.


The present invention relates to the field of roof coverings, specifically laminated roof shingles formed of mineral granule covered, asphalt saturated felt material. The disclosed shingle when combined with other shingles on a roof deck simulates a tile covered roof. This simulation is accomplished by making a generally rectangular laminated shingle having a headlap portion and an exposed butt portion made up of a regular uniform series of substantially identically shaped tabs with spaces therebetween defining exposed portions of an underlay member attached to the lower surface of the tabs. The lower edges of these tabs and spaces define a butt edge having a generally continuously curving sinuous contour. The tabs have generally straight sides which taper from this butt edge to the lower edge of the headlap portion. A plurality of such shingles are placed on a roof deck such that the tabs are aligned vertically up the roof deck and the spaces between these tabs are also vertically aligned. This simulation is emphasized by random color shading provided by the mineral granule covering. The disclosed shingle is used to cover roof decks where aesthetic decisions dictate the desirability of having a tile covered roof.

In the past roofing shingles of the type disclosed have had to satisfy two main functions when applied to a roof deck. The first of these functions has been to provide a durable, weatherproof covering for the roof deck. Roof shingles, whatever their form, are intended to provide a means of sheltering the structure below the shingles from precipitation and the deleterious affects of sun and wind. The roof shingles installed on the roof deck must perform these protecting functions for a reasonable period of time. The second main function has been that of presenting an aesthetically pleasing architectural feature which enhances the overall appeal of the structure to which the shingles have been applied. This aesthetic function has been satisfied by providing asphalt shingles with various butt edge contours and surface treatments which operate to simulate more traditional, and in most cases more expensive, forms of roof coverings such as for example, thatch, wooden shakes, slates, and even tiles of various forms.
Clearly, this aesthetic function is best satisfied with aesthetic features which are effective, that is, successfully simulate the overall visual impression of such other more traditional, and arguable more expensive roof coverings. An example of a successful simulation is illustrated by a product marketed under the Trademark WOODLANDS by the Johns-Manville Corporation. This asphalt shingle is of the laminated type. That is, it is composed of an overlay member having a headlap portion and a butt portion. The butt portion of the overlay member has a series of tabs having varying widths. These tabs have spaces therebetween which vary in width also. There is an underlay member positioned below these tabs and spaces which together therewith defines the exposed or butt portion of the shingle. The tab and the portion of the underlay member positioned thereunder form a double thick portion of the butt portion. The portion of the underlay member positionally corresponding to the space between tabs forms a single thick portion of the butt portion. When combined with a series of substantially identical shingles, these random double thick portions cooperate to simulate quite successfully a cedar shingle shake covered roof. The random widths of the tabs form courses of what appear to be traditional cedar shingles. These shakes appear to have random variations in thickness, which appearance is brought on by the butt edge of the single thick and double thick portions of the butt portions of the shingles in a course positionally corresponding to the upper edges of the spaces between the tabs of the shingles in the course of shingles immediately therebelow. This overall rustic, cedar shake appearance is further enhanced by the use of substantially random changes in color or the mineral granules covering the weather surface of the WOODLANDS shingle.
Another example of a laminated type asphalt shingle having irregular butt edges simulating a shake shingle is that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,921,358. Of particular interest is the system of forming the random tabs in which pairs of overlay members are constructed with interleaving tabs, the tab of one of the pairs of overlay members defining the space in the other one of said pairs of overlay members as shown in FIGS. 5a and 5b. Also, FIG. 4 shows how the single thick and double thick portions of the butt portion of one shingle cooperate with the upper edge of the spaces of the shingle immediately therebelow so as to form a butt edge having what appears to be three different thicknesses. Other examples of asphalt shingles having features to simulate a wood or shake shingle are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,927,501 and 1,495,070.
Not all asphalt shingles are intended to simulate a shake or wood shingle. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 891,501 discloses a strip shingle having identically shaped tabs along its butt edge, these tabs being separated by spaces also having identical shapes. These strip shingles are laid on the roof in one of two configurations. The aesthetic effect in both configurations is to simulate panels or columns at right angles to the length of the strip shingles, these panels or columns being of such form to give a checkered effect to the roof or to the side of a building. These effects should be contrasted to the random irregular effect as achieved in the embodiments of the patents listed above.
A strip shingle indicated as being useful in simulating the appearance of a tile roof or other ornamental form is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 1,295,360. The shingle disclosed therein has a butt edge consisting of a regular series of negatively curved portions between pointed tabs. Each tab has a deep slot or cutout extending vertically therethrough. These strip shingles are intended to be laid in overlapping relationship with the slots or cutouts of one course in vertical registry with the corresponding feature of the adjacent courses in order to give the alleged appearance of a roof covered with curved tiles, and with battens between these tiles. It is stated that the effect desired can be heightened by forming strips of darker colored mineral aggregate on what would correspond to the shaded side of the upwardly curving tiles on the simulated tiled roof. Another example of a tile simulating roofing shingle is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 966,178.
A similar concept is disclosed in a publication by the Roofing Granule Division of the 3-M Company (Minnesota Mining & Manufacturing Co., 2501 Hudson Road, St. Paul, Minnesota 55101) wherein a display panel apparently carrrying an experimental shingle design shows a cartoon-like simulation of a series of vertically aligned cylindrical tiles in shades of terra-cota red. What would be the equivalent to the shaded side of these cylindrical tiles are shown by a vertically defined darker portion demarcated at an edge (which would correspond to the intersection of one cylindrical tile with another) by a very dark black line.
However, none of these prior tile simulating asphalt shingles have been able to combine, in a practical and commercially successful way, the aesthetic and protective functions to the extent that the shake simulating shingles have. While a tile roof can be optically mimicked by providing mineral granules having a darker color to those portions of the butt portion of the shingle which would, when the desirably shaped butt edge is taken into account, correspond to the shaded portion of a three dimensionally curving tile member, such application of mineral granules has not been successfully accomplished on a practical production scale.

Asphalt shingle for simulating a tiled roof


The sensitivity of XRD-XRF apparatus for elements having atomic no. below 16 can be substantially increased by use of an environmentally controllable three-cylinder x-ray path chamber in combination with such apparatus. Use of the chamber has surprisingly been found to sufficiently increase the sensitivity so that element-identifying or characteristic lines of elements having atomic numbers at least as low as 10 can be measured by the improved XRD-XRF apparatus of this invention.

This invention relates to improvements in scanning x-ray apparatus capable of performing both x-ray diffraction and x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy.
Numerous x-ray apparatuses capable of performing both x-ray diffraction (XRD) and x-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectroscopy are well known in the x-ray art. For simplicity, apparatus of this type is referred to herein as "XRD-XRF" apparatus.
In general, XRD-XRF apparatus comprises (A) a gonimeter having a first rotatable platform and (B) means supported by the platform for holding the specimen in a position intersected by the axis of rotation of said first rotatable platform. Also included are (C) means for generating X-rays, (D) a source collimator for collimating the generated X-rays and beig so disposed that the collimated X-rays are incident on the specimen in the direction of the axis of said collimator, and (E) detecting means for detecting X-rays reflected from said specimen in response to incidence thereon of said collimated rays, said detecting means terminating at one end thereof in a snout for introducing the reflected X-rays into the detecting means.
Also included is (F) a wave-dispersive or energy-dispersive analyzer disposed near the entry end of said snout and operably associated with said detecting means for analyzing both X-ray fluorescent emission and absorption spectra and X-ray diffraction patterns generated by incidence of said collimated rays on said specimen.
Further included are, (G) first rotating means for rotating said specimen holder such that the specimen rotates relative to the incident X-rays (collimator axis) to a variable angular displacement in the plane containing the collimator axis and perpendicular to said axis of rotation, and (H) means operable in conjunction with such rotation of said specimen holder for concurrently rotating said detector such that said snout rotates relative to said collimator axis to a variable angular displacement 2.theta. in said plane such that for each value of displacement .theta. the value of 2.theta. displacement is substantially double that of displacement .theta..
An example of a well known x-ray apparatus encompassed by the above description is the XRD-6 Diffractometer introduced commercially by General Electric Company and now commercially available from the Diana Corporation (West Haven, Connecticut and Woburn, Massachusetts). The sales and technical brochures for the XRD-6 Diffractometer are incorporated herein by reference.
It has been heretofore known, in principle, that x-ray analysis and especially x-ray fluorescent spectrometry can be enhanced by employing a vacuum chamber for the x-ray path. See generally Kirk-Othmer, Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology, 2nd ed. (1968), vol. 22, pages 438-467 and the Jenkins article "Interdependence of X-Ray Diffraction and X-Ray Fluorescence Data" in Advances in X-Ray Analysis, edited by Barrett et al., vol. 21, pages 7-21. In FIG. 6 at page 20 of the referenced article, Jenkins shows a diagram of an energy dispersive spectrometer/diffractometer combination and states a disadvantage of that apparatus as "A disadvantage with this configuration is the difficulty in completely removing air from the path of the fluorescence emission and, as a result, only characteristic lines down to S(Z=16) can be measured."
The prior art attempts to enhance the quality of x-ray analysis by incorporating x-ray path vacuum chambers into XRD-XRF apparatus of the Jenkins and other configurations have not been entirely satisfactory from the standpoint of measurability of characteristic lines of light elements, i.e. elements having atomic numbers (Z) below 16.
Briefly stated, it has unexpectedly now been found, by practice of the present invention, that the sensitivity of XRD-XRF apparatus for elements having atomic no. below 16 can be substantially increased by use of an environmentally controllable three-cylinder x-ray path chamber in combination with such apparatus. Use of the chamber (described in greater detail below) has surprisingly been found to sufficiently increase the sensitivity so that element-identifying or characteristic lines of elements having atomic numbers at lest as low as 10 can be measured by the improved XRD-XRF apparatus of this invention.

Combined x-ray diffraction and fluorescence spectroscopy apparatus with environmentally controllable chamber


A method of detecting a servo error, an apparatus therefor, a disk which maintains quantity of a servo error signal, a method of controlling a servo of an apparatus for recording data on and reproducing data from a disk, a method of detecting the tracking error, and a method of detecting tilt error of the apparatus. The apparatus for recording data on and reproducing data from the disk in which a recording area is divided into sectors, each sector has a header for indicating an address, each header has a first header and a second header which are recorded to deviate from the center of the track in opposite directions, and the first header and the second header have address areas in which the addresses of sectors are recorded and synchronous signal areas in which synchronous signals for detecting the address signals recorded in the address area are recorded, includes a reproducing signal generator, a sum signal RF_sum, and a push-pull signal RF_pp from an optical signal reflected from the disk, a header area detector, a first synchronous signal level detector, a second synchronous signal level detector, and a balance calculator for calculating the balance of the magnitude Ivfo1 of the first synchronous signal detected by the first synchronous signal level detector and the magnitude Ivfo3 of the second synchronous signal detected by the second synchronous signal level detector.

This application claims the benefit of Korean Application Nos. 98-35421, filed Aug. 29, 1998, 98-35422, filed Aug. 29, 1998, and 99-8482, filed Mar. 13, 1999, in the Korean Patent Office, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical recording/reproducing apparatus for recording digital data on a disk and reproducing digital data from a disk, and more particularly, to a method for detecting servo error by comparing the levels of synchronous signals recorded on the header area of a disk, an apparatus suitable for the method, a disk which guarantees the quality of a push-pull signal which is the basis of optimally controlling the servo, a method for controlling the servo of the recording/reproducing apparatus, a method for detecting a tracking error, and a method for detecting a tilt error.
2. Description of the Related Art
The quality of a signal remarkably deteriorates due to a servo error such as the tilt and detrack of a disk as recording density becomes higher not only in a disk only for reproduction such as a DVD-ROM but also in a recordable disk such as a DVD-RAM. In particular, in the recordable disk, the recording quality deteriorates due to the influence of the servo error when the servo error exists during recording and the deterioration of the quality of the signal becomes severe due to the servo error during the reproduction of a concerned part.
In a DVD-RAM disk, information is recorded on a track. The track is comprised of a land track and a groove track. The land track and the groove track alternate when the disk rotates once. The land track and the groove track are alternated in the DVD-RAM disk in order to provide a tracking guide in an initial stage and to reduce crosstalk between adjacent tracks in high density narrow tracks.
Each track is comprised of sectors having a uniform length. A pre-embossed header area is provided during the manufacturing of the disk as a means of physically dividing the sectors. The physical addresses of the sectors are recorded in the pre-embossed header area.
Each sector is comprised of a header area in which physical identification data (PID) is recorded and a data area.
FIG. 1A shows the physical shape of the land track in a DVD-RAM disk. FIG. 1B shows the waveform of a push-pull signal in the land track.
The header area is repeatedly arranged in every sector of the track. Four PIDs (PID1 through PID4) having the same value are recorded in one header area. The PID1 and the PID2 are arranged to deviate from the center of the track by a certain amount and the PID3 and the PID4 are arranged to deviate from the center of the track in a direction opposite to that of the PID1 and PID2 so that the PIDs can be correctly read even if a laser spot 25 deviates from the center of the track. Also, the arrangements of the PID1 and PID2 and the PID3 and PID4 in the land track are opposite to those in the groove track. The push-pull signal shown in FIG. 1B can be obtained in the land track.
FIG. 2A shows the physical shape of the groove track in a DVD-RAM disk. FIG. 2B shows the waveform of the push-pull signal in the groove track.
FIG. 3 shows the enlarged header area shown in FIGS. 1A and 2A. In the structure of the header area, the PID1 and PID2 and the PID3 and PID4 are arranged to deviate from the center of the track in opposite directions by a uniform amount. A vfo signal having a specified frequency for synchronizing and detecting ID and an ID signal showing the physical addresses of the sectors are recorded in the respective PIDs. The vfo signal has a recording pattern of 4T (T is a period of the clock signal).
As shown in FIG. 3, the header area is comprised of vfo133 and ID1 (PID1) 34, vfo235 and ID2 (PID2) 36, vfo337 and ID3 (PID3) 38, and vfo439 and ID4 (PID4) 40.
In FIG. 3, when the laser spot passes through the header area of the groove track, a push-pull signal RF_pp shown in FIG. 4A and a sum signal RF_sum shown in FIG. 4B are obtained. In FIG. 4A, a vfo1 signal 42 corresponds to the vfo1 signal area 33 of FIG. 3. A vfo3 signal 43 corresponds to the vfo3 signal area 37.
FIG. 5 shows the structure of an apparatus for obtaining the push-pull signal shown in FIG. 4A and the sum signal shown in FIG. 4B. In FIG. 5, reference numeral 50 denotes a photodetector divided into four sections. Reference numerals 52 and 54 denote adders. Reference numeral 56 denotes a calculator.
The apparatus shown in FIG. 5 outputs the sum signal RF_sum of signals detected by light receiving elements A through D of the photodetector divided into four, sum signals V1 and V2 of radial pairs B and C, and A and D of respective light receiving elements, and the push-pull signal RF_pp which is a subtraction signal V2xe2x88x92V1 of V1 and V2.
FIG. 10 shows a conventional technology for compensating for tilt and a method for detecting the amount of tilt by a specific pattern recorded on the track of a disk. The specific pattern coincides with the proceeding direction of the track and the center of the track and is realized in the form of a reference pit A and/or a reference pit B.
It is possible to obtain tilt information by comparing signals reproduced from the reference patterns shown in FIG. 10 with each other and to thus operate tilt compensating equipment according to the obtained tilt information or to compensate for the signals by changing the equalizer coefficient of the reproducing signal.
The reference patterns shown in FIG. 10 are located in an arbitrary position in the disk and are useful for detecting tangential tilt (tilt in a track direction).
However, in the conventional technology shown in FIG. 10, the length of the reference pattern for detecting the tilt is too short. Another pattern is necessary in order to detect the correct position of the tilt pattern. Also, radial tilt (tilt in a radial direction) cannot be detected. Since the radial tilt is larger than the tangential tilt in practice, the reference patterns are not so useful.
Since it is necessary to precisely manage the servo for the recording/reproducing apparatus to maintain an optimal recording/reproducing state, it is necessary to manage the servo error signal in high resolution.
However, the precision of the servo error signal varies depending on the disk or the reproducing apparatus. Accordingly, it is difficult to precisely manage the servo.
To solve the above problem, it is a first object of the present invention to provide an improved method of detecting a servo error.
It is a second object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for detecting a servo error suitable for the above method.
It is a third object of the present invention to provide a disk having an improved specification for maintaining the quality of a reproducing signal which is the basis of optimally controlling a servo.
It is a fourth object of the present invention to provide a method of controlling the servo of a recording/reproducing apparatus.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention.
Accordingly, to achieve the first and other objects of the present invention, there is provided a method of detecting servo error of an apparatus for recording data on and reproducing data from a disk in a data area of which reference patterns having a uniform size are recorded, wherein the servo error of the recording/reproducing apparatus is detected by the ratio of the magnitude of the reference patterns recorded on at least two positions separated from each other to the magnitude of the reproducing signal corresponding to the reference patterns.
To achieve the second and other objects of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for recording data on and reproducing data from a disk in which a recording area is divided into sectors, each sector has a header for notifying an address, each header has a first header and a second header which are recorded to deviat from the center of a track in opposite directions, and the first header and the second header each have address areas in which the addresses of sectors are recorded and synchronous signal areas in which synchronous signals for detecting the address signals recorded in the address area are recorded, the apparatus comprising a reproducing signal generator for generating a reproducing signal including sum signals V1 and V2 of radial pairs, a sum signal RF_sum, and a push-pull signal RF_pp from an optical signal reflected from the disk, a header area detector for generating a header area signal comprising a header area from the reproducing signal received from the reproducing signal generator, a first synchronous signal level detector for receiving the output of the reproducing signal generator and detecting a magnitude Ivfo1 of a synchronous signal in the first header by being synchronized with the header area signal received from the header area detector, a second synchronous signal level detector for receiving the output of the reproducing signal generator and detecting a magnitude Ivfo3 of a synchronous signal in the second header by being synchronized with the header area signal received from the header area detector, and a balance calculator for calculating the balance of the magnitude Ivfo1 of the first synchronous signal detected by the first synchronous signal level detector and the magnitude Ivfo3 of the second synchronous signal detected by the second synchronous signal level detector.
To achieve the third and other objects of the present invention, there is provided a disk in which, when the magnitude of a synchronous clock signal in a peak header is Ivfo1 and the magnitude of the synchronous clock signal in a bottom header is Ivfo3, the ratio of the magnitude of Ivfo1 to the magnitude of Ivfo3 has a predetermined restricted value.
To achieve the fourth and other objects of the present invention, there is provided a method of controlling a servo in which, when the magnitude of the synchronous clock signal in the peak header is Ivfo1 and the magnitude of the synchronous clock signal in a bottom header is Ivfo3, tilt is controlled so that the ratio of the magnitude of Ivfo1 to the magnitude of the Ivfo3 satisfies a predetermined restricted value.

METHOD FOR DETECTING SERVO ERROR, APPARATUS THEREFOR, DISK WHICH MAINTAINS QUALITY OF SERVO ERROR SIGNAL, METHOD OF CONTROLLING SERVO OF DISK RECORDING/REPRODUCING APPARATUS, METHOD OF DETECTING TRACKING ERROR, AND METHOD OF DETECTING TILT ERROR


An elastic scaling cloud-hosted batch application system and method that performs automated elastic scaling of the number of compute instances used to process batch applications in a cloud computing environment. The system and method use automated elastic scaling to minimize job completion time and monetary cost of resources. Embodiments of the system and method use a workload-driven approach to estimate a work volume to be performed. This is based on task arrivals and job execution times. Given the work volume estimate, an adaptive controller dynamically adapts the number of compute instances to minimize the cost and completion time. Embodiments of the system and method also mitigate startup delays by computing a work volume in the near future and gradually starting up additional compute instances before they are needed. Embodiments of the system and method also ensure fairness among batch applications and concurrently executing jobs.

Cloud computing includes an attractive feature of elasticity. Elasticity is the ability to dynamically acquire or release resources based on demand. In other words, applications are allowed to pay only for the resources they use and to make scaling decisions without human intervention.
However, achieving efficient auto-scaling poses three key challenges. First, cloud systems find it difficult to quickly respond to increased demand as they incur significant start-up delay (on the order of tens of minutes) to launch new instances. Second, many applications exhibit bursty arrivals and non-uniform task execution times. Third, unexpected delays and provisioning failures due to the distributed execution environment in the cloud can reduce the efficiency of auto-scaling operations.

Elastic scaling for cloud-hosted batch applications


Medical systems and instruments which utilize microwave energy to provide heat treatment and diagnostic imaging of tissue are provided. One medical treatment system for treating tissue includes an antenna having a radiating element configured to transmit electromagnetic energy toward a desired area of the tissue and having an interior volume for receiving a heat exchange fluid, thereby changing the temperature proximal to the desired area of the tissue.

The present invention relates to microwave devices used in medical hyperthermia and thermotherapy (referred to collectively herein as "heat therapies"), and diagnostics, and to methods of using such devices.
Localized heat therapies, i.e., hyperthermia (heating to temperatures below 45.degree. C.) and thermotherapy (heating to temperatures above 45.degree. C.), have been intensively investigated for the last two decades for many disease processes including benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and neoplasms.
However, methods of delivering heat including warm fluid, focused ultrasound, radio frequency, and microwave approaches have been applied to abnormal tissue with only limited success. The prostate gland is one organ targeted as a candidate for applying heat delivery techniques. Because microwave energy can be applied without incision, this approach is one being evaluated. Furthermore, this technique advantageously can be applied in an outpatient setting.
For heat therapy to be applied safely, it is very important that the applied heat be confined to the target area (e.g., BPH tumor) alone, to avoid damaging nearby healthy tissue or organs.
Some devices for heat therapy have utilized microwave heating, for example those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,700,716 and 4,776,086, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. Microwave energy elevates temperature by increasing the molecular motion within cell structures. As the frequency decreases, tissue penetration increases. Small diameter microwave antenna probes have been inserted into the body through normal body passages or, on occasion, directly into diseased tissue, using hollow plastic catheters.

Microwave devices for medical hyperthermia, thermotherapy and diagnosis


A water-soluble dietary fiber comprising as a main component a partially hydrolyzed product of a hemicellulose extracted from a vegetable fiber material by an alkali treatment and subjected to enzymolysis. Various kinds of food and drink can be prepared by mixture of this dietary fiber. Also disclosed is a method of preparing a water-soluble dietary fiber, comprising the steps of subjecting a vegetable fiber material to extraction by an alkali treatment, and treating an extract therefrom with a xylanase to give a partially hydrolyzed product of hemicellulose.

In recent years, dietary fibers have attracted notice as health foods. The dietary fibers are mainly composed of cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, pectin and so forth. They are distinguished from so-called crude fibers conventionally available, and regarded as hardly digestible vegetable components contained in vegetable cell walls and inclusions contained in grains or the like. Hulls of grains or beans, including corn bran, wheat bran and rice bran, have attracted notice as sources of such dietary fibers. These are progressively acknowledged to have a correlation to an increase or decrease in serum cholesterol, prevention of corpulence and diabetes, appendicitis, and promotion of the elimination of poisonous substances in food. The hulls of grains or beans, however, have the disadvantages that they are not soluble in water unless treatment is applied and, when eaten, also give an unpleasant feeling even if they are finely powdered.
For these reasons, it has been attempted to extract hemicellulose from the hulls of grains or beans to obtain water-soluble dietary fibers. Hemicellulose can be extracted by subjecting the hulls of grains or beans to an alkali treatment. The hemicellulose thus extracted is found to exhibit inhibitory action against an increase in serum cholesterol (Japanese Patent Publication No. 1689/1984).
The hemicellulose obtained by alkali extraction, however, gives a considerably high viscosity when it is dissolved in water even in a small amount, and hence it has been disadvantageous in that when used, for example, in drink preparations it tends to give an unpleasant sensation when swallowing, and some difficulties are brought about also in preparation steps including filtration.
It was also attempted to obtain water-soluble dietary fibers by subjecting hulls of grains or beans to acid treatment or explosive crushing. These methods, however, result in hydrolysis of the hemicellulose to a monosaccharide or an oligosaccharide, and thus have the problem that the resulting products can no longer be said to be dietary fibers.

Method of preparing water-soluble dietary fiber


Corrosion, cracking and blistering of steels in contact with water containing refinery streams contaminated with cyanide is inhibited or prevented by treating the streams with a cyanide reactive scavenger comprising at least one amine-aldehyde reaction product.

Intergranular cracking and failure of carbon steel and/or piping and vessels occurs in certain refinery streams, especially refinery streams containing water. The metal vessels and piping in contact with these streams are subject to blistering and stress corrosion cracking due to certain chemical contaminants in the streams such as hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, carbon dioxide, hydrogen cyanide, and the like. The presence of these chemicals contributes to corrosion cracking and blistering of iron and steel vessels in contact with these refinery streams, particularly when these refinery streams contain water, hydrogen cyanide and hydrogen sulfide.
It would, therefore, be an advancement in the art if one could derive a composition which would react both with hydrogen sulfide and particularly with any source of cyanide, be it hydrogen cyanide or salts of cyanide. Even phenomena such as hydrogen blistering and hydrogen induced cracking appear to be dependent on the presence of cyanide. Therefore, the removal of cyanide from refinery streams in contact with these steel refinery vessels and piping should be beneficial in minimizing hydrogen blistering or hydrogen induced cracking.

Prevention of cracking and blistering of refinery steels by cyanide scavenging in petroleum refining processes