A battery pack detachably mounted in a device for supplying power to the device to operate the device includes at least one rechargeable secondary battery (1), a battery case (31) housing the rechargeable secondary battery (1), a mounting mechanism for mechanically mounting the battery case (31) in the device, an electrical connection connected electrically to the device for supplying power to the device, and a pack circuit board (74) securing the electrical connection. The battery case (31) is divided into a first casing and a second casing, the pack circuit board (74) is secured to the inside surface of the first casing, and the mounting mechanism is installed so the mounting mechanism is at least partially exposed on the surface of the first casing.

A battery-powered device such as a power tool can be used cordlessly, for example, at a construction site, when a detachable battery pack containing rechargeable batteries is provided. When the battery pack in the battery-powered device is removable, the removable battery pack can be repeatedly recharged and reused. When the remaining capacity of a battery pack is low, the battery pack can be placed in a battery pack charger and recharged.
An example of such a battery pack is shown in FIG. 31 through FIG. 33. FIG. 31 is a perspective view showing a battery pack 30X of the prior art installed in a battery pack charger. FIG. 32 is a perspective view showing a battery pack 30X of the prior art installed in a power tool PT. FIG. 33 is a perspective view of the battery pack 30X in FIG. 31. A battery pack 30X with very little remaining capacity is placed in a battery pack charger 100 as shown in FIG. 31 and then recharged. When the charging has been completed, the battery pack is removed from the battery pack charger 100 and placed in a power tool PT as shown in FIG. 32 to provide power. Here, the battery pack 30X is detachably mounted in the battery pack charger 100 and the power tool PT. For this, as shown in the perspective view of FIG. 33, the battery pack 30X has an engaging hook 54X and a detachment unit 52X. The engaging hook 54X keeps the battery pack 30X from detaching when it has been attached to a battery pack charger or power tool PT. In the battery pack charger 100 in FIG. 31 and the power tool PT in FIG. 32, an engaging recess 17X is formed to engage the engaging hook 54X in a position corresponding to the engaging hook 54X in the attached battery pack 30X. In the example shown in FIG. 33, the engaging hook 54X is biased so as to protrude downward from the battery pack 30X. In this way, the engaging hook 54X on a battery pack 30X set in the battery pack charger 100 in FIG. 31 or the power tool PT in FIG. 32 is engaged in the engaging recess 17X and secured.
The engaging hook 54X is linked to the detachment unit 52X, and the user manually lifts up the detachment unit 52X to retract the detachment unit 52X into the battery pack 30X in the housing direction. A recess is provided in the detachment unit 52X to make it easier for the user to operate. When the user manually operates the detachment unit 52X, the biased engaging hook 54X is pushed out in the protruding direction from the battery pack 30X. In this way, the engaging hook 54X keeps the battery pack 30X from coming out when attached to a battery pack charger 100 or power tool PT.
It also establishes an electrical connection to supply power from the battery pack to a battery-operated device and exchange various types of signals when the battery pack is mounted in a battery-operated device. An electrical connection is usually achieved by inserting and clamping an electrical contact such as a connector or external connection terminal to maintain a connection.
In a structure for mounting a battery pack in a battery-powered device, an electrical connection has to be established when the battery pack is physically and mechanically mounted in the battery-operated device. The mechanical connection structure can be an engaging hook provided in a latching unit, and the electrical connection can be performed via a connector or external connection terminal. Separating the mechanical connection structure from the electrical connection structure can improve the mechanical connection strength while also improving the stability and reliability of the electrical connection.
For example, see Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. 2008-236882; and Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. 2004-236450.


A method of assembling a gas turbine assembly includes providing a core gas turbine engine including a high-pressure compressor, a combustor, and a turbine, coupling a low-pressure turbine axially aft from the core gas turbine engine, coupling a fan assembly axially forward from the core gas turbine engine, and coupling a booster compressor to the low-pressure turbine such that the booster compressor and the low-pressure turbine rotate at a first rotational speed.

This invention relates generally to gas turbine engines, and more specifically to gas turbine engine assemblies and methods of assembling the same.
At least some known gas turbine engines include a fan assembly, a core engine, and a low-pressure or power turbine. The core engine includes at least one compressor, a combustor, and a high-pressure turbine that are coupled together in a serial flow relationship. Air entering the core engine is mixed with fuel and ignited to form a high energy gas stream. The high energy gas stream flows through the high-pressure turbine to rotatably drive the high-pressure turbine and thus the compressor via a first drive shaft. The gas stream expands as it flows through the high-pressure turbine to facilitate driving the low-pressure turbine which rotatably drives the fan assembly through a second drive shaft.
To improve engine efficiency, it is desirable to operate the fan assembly at a relatively low speed to improve fan efficiency and to operate the high-pressure turbine at a relatively high speed to improve turbine efficiency. Accordingly, neither the fan speed nor the high-pressure turbine speed may be totally optimized to improve overall engine efficiency.
As such, at least one known gas turbine engine includes a gearbox coupled between the low-pressure turbine and the fan assembly to facilitate reducing the operational speed of the fan assembly. However, utilizing a gearbox to reduce the speed of the fan assembly and thus increase the efficiency of the fan assembly reduces the quantity of airflow channeled to the booster compressor. As a result, additional stages may be added to the booster compressor to achieve proper pressure, thus increasing the overall weight, design complexity and/or manufacturing costs of such an engine.

Gas turbine engine assembly and method of assembling same


A test system for a plurality of transmissions is disclosed. Each of the plurality of transmissions may have a transmission input member and a transmission output member. The test system may have a prime mover. The prime mover may have a prime mover output member configured to connect to the transmission input member of each of the plurality of transmissions. Additionally, the test system may have a plurality of inertia devices. Each of the inertia devices may be configured to connect to the transmission output member of one of the plurality of transmissions via a drive shaft. The test system may also have a controller. The controller may be configured to communicate with the prime mover and the plurality of transmissions to control a transfer of power between the plurality of transmissions.

Many machines include a propulsion system with a multiple-ratio transmission operable to transmit power in a forward direction from a prime mover (such as an engine) to propulsion devices (such as wheels) at any of a plurality of optional drive ratios. Some multiple-ratio transmissions have a step-change configuration, meaning that the transmission has a finite set of discrete drive ratios at which it can transmit power. Other multiple-ratio transmissions, known as continuously variable transmissions, have a configuration allowing adjustment of the transmission's drive ratio through a continuous range. The advantages associated with continuously variable transmissions include the decoupling of the transmission input speed from the transmission output speed and the ability to rapidly adjust the drive ratio, the output speed, and the amount of torque output by the transmission. These advantages may help the propulsion system meet operator requests for abrupt changes in the travel speed of the machine. Furthermore, continuously variable transmissions can be used to regenerate power during machine braking. This regenerating of power includes transmitting power in a reverse direction from the propulsion devices through the continuously variable transmission to the prime mover. The regenerating of power may help reduce the emissions and the fuel consumption of the propulsion system.
Unfortunately, testing continuously variable transmissions is costly. Specifically, it is costly to test transmissions of power in the reverse direction. This is because existing test systems that transmit power in the reverse direction require at least one universal dynamometer (dynamometers capable of both providing and absorbing power) for each transmission simultaneously tested. Purchasing, leasing, and/or otherwise obtaining access to universal dynamometers requires significant capital investment. Moreover, operational and environmental costs of the universal dynamometers are high due to their large power consumption. In particular, the universal dynamometer either provides or absorbs a maximum testing power of the continuously variable transmissions.
One way to reduce the costs of testing transmissions is to reduce the capital investment in the test systems. An example of this strategy is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,520,659 (the '659 patent) issued to Lucia et al. on Jun. 4, 1985. The '659 patent describes a transmission testing apparatus having at least one inertia flywheel with a shaft capable of being coupled to an output shaft of a transmission being tested. The transmission is mounted on a removable plate on an adjustable bulkhead supporting a prime mover, such as an internal combustion engine, that has an output shaft coupled to the input shaft of the transmission. The bulkhead is adjustably positionable such as to align the transmission output shaft with the inertia flywheel shaft. Alternatively, the apparatus comprises two upright members each provided with a shaft driven inertia flywheel, such that each of the output shafts of a transaxle transmission may be coupled to one of the two inertia flywheels. The transmission testing apparatus of the '659 patent may help reduce the capital investment in test systems by allowing for testing of multiple types of transmissions. Specifically, the transmission testing apparatus of the '659 patent can be configured to test straight through transmissions (transmissions with one input shaft and one output shaft) and transaxle transmissions (transmissions with one input shaft and two output shafts).
Although the testing apparatus of the '659 patent may allow for testing of multiple types of transmissions, the testing apparatus of the '659 patent may do little to allow for testing of multiple transmissions simultaneously. Additionally, though energy stored in the flywheels of the '659 patent may be used to drive the prime mover of the '659 patent via a transmission, this driving of the prime mover of the '659 patent may do little to reduce a maximum power consumption of the prime mover of the '659 patent.
The disclosed system and method are directed to overcoming one or more of the problems set forth above.

Multiple transmission test system and method


A cellular phone is connected to a portable printer which uses an instant print film through connectors, and the printer prints an image according to image data stored in the cellular phone. The cellular phone can display the image to be printed on its LCD. The user can input information for the printing with push buttons of the cellular phone, and display the information on the LCD. Thus, the portable printer does not need an LCD and push buttons, and therefore the printer is small, light and inexpensive.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a printing method, a portable communication terminal and a portable printer. The present invention relates more particularly to a portable communication terminal such as a cellular phone, a portable printer connected to the portable communication terminal, and a printing method in which image data stored in the portable communication terminal is outputted to the portable printer and the printer prints an image according to the image data.
2. Description of Related Art
Recently, mobile communication technology using cellular phones, etc. has been developed, and the cellular phones have had multiple functions. They have been capable of inputting and outputting image data.
However, a cellular phone can not display an image of high quality since its liquid crystal display is small and the number of pixels are small, and it can not store the image data due to its small storage capacity and poor performance. In addition, when the liquid crystal display is displaying an image, the other functions can not be used.
If a portable printer can print the image when the cellular phone receives the image data, the printed image of high quality can be looked at soon and the image data can be stored. It is convenient for the user.
If the portable printer has a liquid crystal display that displays print information at color adjustment, editing, etc., the portable printer can not be small, light and inexpensive.
If the portable printer has push buttons and the user operates push buttons of the cellular phone and the push buttons of the printer, the operation is troublesome and the printer can not be small, light and inexpensive.

Printing method, portable communication terminal and portable printer


A down hole air diverter having a first opening in communication with the central passageway of a drillstring; a second opening in communication with the well bore annulus; and a means to control the flow of pneumatic fluid between the first opening and the second opening. The means to control the flow further includes a first sealing means and a first biasing means to control the first sealing means. The first sealing means allows communication with the well bore annulus when the well bore annulus pressure exceeds the first biasing means pressure and prevents communication when the bias pressure exceeds the bore annulus pressure. A second sealing means prevents communication with the drillstring when the pressure from the second sealing means chamber exceeds the first opening pressure and allowing communication when the first opening pressure exceeds the chamber pressure.

Typically, a liquid called drilling mud is used to drill well bores. Under certain conditions, a pneumatic fluid, such as air, may be used instead of drilling mud to drill well bores. At first, drilling with a pneumatic fluid initially appears to be less complicated than drilling with a liquid drilling mud. Drilling mud, however, is relatively incompressible when compared to the compressible gases of a pneumatic fluid. Where a particular volume of drilling mud at the surface will effectively have the same volume and other properties at depth, a pneumatic fluid will have a volume that is dependent on pressure, temperature, and flow rate. Conceptual estimates of the action of drilling mud during drilling do not apply when a pneumatic fluid is used. Many drillers in the field either do not fully appreciate these differences, or are not fully able to adapt to these differences in their drilling procedures. Thus, many of the drilling procedures and standards-of-practice used for drilling with drilling-mud are loosely adapted and used when drilling with pneumatic fluid.
Owing to the compressibility of pneumatic fluid, a great amount of control of distribution of energy, pressures, and lift may be obtained in a well bore. The complexity, and the incorrect application of drilling-mud techniques to pneumatic drilling, has generally prevented the industry from taking advantage of this additional level of control provided by pneumatic drilling.
One of the problems of drilling with pneumatic fluid is that all of the pneumatic fluid flows down the drill string, through the drill bit, and up the well bore. Frictional losses are significant. Also, there is no control of the velocity of the pneumatic fluid along the well bore, as changes in the well bore volume will directly affect the compression of the pneumatic fluid. Approximately ten years ago, tools were introduced to the Arkoma Basin which diverted some of the pneumatic fluid out of the drill string into the well bore at various locations, such that not all pneumatic fluid flowed through the drill bit. This short-cut path of pneumatic flow brought several theoretical advantages. First, additional lift was provided in the well bore at the point of diversion. Since this pneumatic fluid did not experience the frictional losses of traveling down to the drill bit and back up to the point of diversion, more energy could be available from the pneumatic fluid to provide lift in the well bore. Second, excess pneumatic fluid flow at the bit can cause excessive erosion of the well bore. Diverting this excess pneumatic fluid flow prior to reaching the bit could decrease damage to the well bore. The diverter could also help dislodge blockages in the well bore, by providing additional lift underneath the blockage. A diverter could also be useful when using a flat bottom bit. Such a bit usually has a percussion or hammer tool connected to the top of the bit. Only a small amount of set-down weight is necessary to operate the hammer tool, which generally reduces well bore drift. A diverter, in theory, helps reduce the amount of pneumatic fluid reaching the hammer tool to the optimal amount needed to drill without waste or hole damage. Unfortunately, many of these promised advantages met with limited success, owing to limitations of the diverters and their method of application.
The significance of the technology and how it could impact air-drilled holes was not fully understood. Setting depths, nozzle sizes and air volumes were not precisely calculated. Without a computer model to augment the diverter tool, it was impractical to select the optimum volume of air to divert, locate where to place the diverter tool, select what nozzle size to use for the valves, and estimate savings from the reduced down hole friction. Many of the promised advantages of using a diverter tool were not realized. The complexities of modeling a compressible pneumatic drilling fluid over a relatively incompressible drilling-mud limited the usefulness of diverter technology.
Therefore, the diverter tool was almost exclusively used to increase penetration rates and stay-on-air while producing large amounts of water. It was very successful in this application. As an example, in West Texas the diverter tools were used to drill at rates of more than one hundred feet per hour, producing 600 barrels of water per hour with a hammer tool and flat bottom bit. Previously, this was not possible without a diverter.
The diverter tools used in the past typically required more pneumatic flow over standard drilling. Hence, little energy savings was realized. Required opening and closing pressure differentials were generally high. These diverter tools operated in a normally closed position, meaning that no pneumatic flow was diverted unless a substantial pressure differential existed between the pneumatic flow in the drill pipe and the well bore. Valve operation of the diverter was completely controlled by the drill pipe and well bore pressure differential. Hence, these diverter valves typically fluttered, causing an unpredictable and erratic amount of diversion. As the pressure in the well bore increased, more pneumatic pressure would have to be pumped into the drill pipe to keep the velocities high enough to balance the higher pressures and keep the valve open. The diverter tool could not be used to selectively control the lift gradient in the well bore, due to its normally closed position and inability to be independently opened by the drill pipe pressure alone.


A resistive memory structure including at least one reactive layer, at least one electrode, and at least one resistance-changing material is provided. The reactive layer extends along a first direction and a second direction. The electrode extends at least along a third direction, wherein the first direction, the second direction, and the third direction are different from each other. At least part of the resistance-changing material is disposed between the reactive layer and the electrode. When ions diffuse from the resistance-changing material to the reactive layer or from the reactive layer to the resistance-changing material, resistance of the resistance-changing material changes.

Memory devices developed based on semiconductor techniques, such as dynamic random access memory (DRAM), static random access memory (SRAM), and non-volatile memory, have taken a major part in today's semiconductor industry. These memories have been broadly applied to personal computers, mobile phones, and networks and have become one of the most indispensable electronic products in our daily life.
The demand to memories having low power consumption, low cost, high access speed, small volume, and high capacity has been increasing drastically along with the widespread of consumable electronic products and system products. Among existing memories, the memory which records data by changing the resistance of a variable-resistance layer is one of the most focused memory devices.
In a resistive random access memory (RRAM), the state of a variable resistance layer is changed by applying a current pulse and a conversion voltage, so as to switch between a set state and a reset state according to different resistances. The digital data "0" and "1" is recorded in the memory according to the set and reset states corresponding to different resistances.

Industrial Technology Research Institute


An apparatus and method for automatic translation of patent documents are provided. Translation knowledge customized for the patent domain is extracted and used. The method includes the steps of: extracting a number of technical terms from a patent document and assigning translated terms for the extracted technical terms; extracting expressions frequently used in patent documents, not in a document in a general domain, and constructing translated expressions; using the translation knowledge constructed in this way, applying a sentence pattern to extraordinarily long sentences in a patent document, dividing the sentence by recognition of parallel structure and syntax clues; and extracting translation units available for parsing and performing structure analysis.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an automatic translation system, and more particularly, to an apparatus and method for automatic translation customized for documents in a restrictive domain.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Machine translation or automatic translation systems have been studied since the invention of the computer. However, in spite of its long development history, considering the current market, etc., it can hardly be said that there is an automatic translation system that provides satisfactory output quality to users in general domains.
This is because, with development of a web environment, conventional automatic translation systems like a web document translation system were developed for documents having various expressions and words. For this reason, the most basic elements of automatic translation, such as vocabularies and rules or patterns for transformation have been difficult to perfectly construct due to linguistic characteristics.
Accordingly, serious errors such as words not found in the dictionary, exceeding the coverage of analysis rules, and non-existing transformation data occurred. Consequently, actual output quality is not even close to being on a commercial level, thus blocking commercialization of such automatic translation systems.
Various problems occurring in unrestricted domains naturally attracted attempts to reduce the scope of automatic translation to a restrictive domain. For the purpose of commercialization, this was a very reasonable target considering the state of automatic translation technology at the time.
Particularly, in the case of a patent domain, which is an example of a restrictive domain, the number of patent applications filed and registered all over the world in one year has been rapidly increasing. And, interest in foreign patents as well as domestic patents has been increasing in the global era. Currently, most patent documents are translated by professional translators. Accordingly, individuals not belonging to a company have difficulty in searching for and producing patent documents in a foreign language. Companies also have difficulty due to increase in the cost and time required for patent document translation.
Meanwhile, the problems described below appear in translating a document in a restrictive domain, such as a patent document, using knowledge for a general domain.
First, the most important knowledge for automatic translation generally includes a word, analysis rules/patterns, and transformation rules/patterns. When a document corresponding to the patent domain is translated using this conventional knowledge, the first problem which comes up is unknown words. That is, in the domain of patents, extensive technical terminology of various fields such as electric science, electronics, chemistry, physics, computers, etc. is used. And, even common terms tend to take on a different meaning in a patent document.
Second, patent documents frequently contain certain expressions that are rarely used in other domains. Thus, application of conventional syntax rules or patterns used in the general domain results in a coverage problem.
Third, in automatic translation, the longer a sentence, the more ambiguous its structure. Thus, analysis time goes up significantly and structure analysis performance goes down. Accordingly, it is not easy to analyze and translate a patent document without an appropriate process for long sentences, because long sentences having hundreds of words are often found in patent documents.

Apparatus and method for automatic translation customized for documents in restrictive domain

Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute


A method for controlling a power system of a hybrid vehicle includes determining, during a motoring mode of operation, a desired operating voltage of a direct current (DC) bus included in the power system at a given speed. The desired operating voltage is based on a minimum operating voltage at the given speed and a maximum operating voltage at the given speed, wherein an energy storage element parameter is used establishing the minimum operating voltage.

The present disclosure relates generally to hybrid vehicles such as off-highway vehicles (OHV), locomotives, trolley systems, and the like, and, more particularly, to hybrid vehicle power control systems and methods.
Off-highway (OHV) vehicles, including trolley connected OHVs and other large traction vehicles, are commonly powered by electric traction motors coupled in driving relationship to one or more axles or motor-wheel sets of the vehicle. In the motoring or traction mode of operation, the traction motors are supplied with electric current from a controllable source of electric power (e.g., an engine-driven traction alternator/rectifier/inverter combination or, alternatively, a direct current drive source including a dc motor without an inverter) and apply torque to the vehicle wheels which exert tangential force or tractive effort on the surface on which the vehicle is traveling (e.g., a haulage track or road), thereby propelling the vehicle in a desired direction along the right of way.
Conversely, in an electrical (i.e., dynamic) braking mode of operation, the same motors serve as axle-driven electrical generators. Torque is applied to the motor shafts by their respectively associated axle-wheel sets which then exert braking effort on the surface, thereby retarding or slowing the vehicle's progress. Because there is no suitable storage medium for the resulting generated electrical energy in a conventional off-highway vehicle or trolley, an electrically resistive grid (known as a dynamic braking grid or load box) is used to convert the electrical energy into heat energy, which is then vented to the atmosphere.
In contrast, hybrid OHVs and hybrid trolley OHVs have the capability of storing the generated dynamic braking energy in a suitable storage element(s) such as batteries, flywheels, ultracapacitors and the like. This stored energy may then be used for traction and/or auxiliary systems in the OHV, thereby improving fuel efficiency. Because these associated power storage elements are now added to the power system in an OHV, it would be desirable to obtain further secondary benefits therefrom such as, for example, reducing the stress on power components, improving the fuel efficiency by optimizing the system operating voltages, and attaining better dynamic operation of the vehicle, among other aspects.

Hybrid vehicle power control systems and methods


A refrigeration apparatus (air conditioner (1A)) includes: a vapor channel (2A) that directs a refrigerant vapor from an evaporator (25) to a condenser (23); a liquid channel (2B) that directs a refrigerant liquid from the condenser (23) to the evaporator (25); a first circulation path (4) that allows the refrigerant liquid retained in the evaporator (25) to circulate via a first heat exchanger (indoor heat exchanger (31)); and a second circulation path (5) that allows the refrigerant liquid retained in the condenser (23) to circulate via a second heat exchanger (outdoor heat exchanger (33)). A first switching means and a second switching means are provided on the first circulation path (4) and the second circulation path (5). The first switching means and the second switching means are, for example, four-way valves 61 and 62.

Conventionally, refrigeration apparatuses such as air conditioners, in which chlorofluorocarbon or an alternative for chlorofluorocarbon is used as a refrigerant, are widely used. However, when such refrigerants are released into the atmosphere, they cause direct ozone depletion and have high global warming potentials. In view of these, air conditioners have been proposed in which a natural refrigerant such as water, carbon dioxide, or hydrocarbon is used as a refrigerant having a very low impact on the global environment. For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses an air conditioner 100 as shown in FIG. 3, in which water is used as a refrigerant.
When water is used as a refrigerant for an air conditioner, the refrigerant in a low pressure and low density state flows in the system due to the physical properties of water. Therefore, the volumetric flow rate of the refrigerant to be compressed and the pressure ratio in a compressor need to be significantly increased. In the air conditioner 100 disclosed in Patent Literature 1, a Roots-type positive displacement compressor 110 is used as the compressor. Cooling operation and heating operation can be switched by switching the rotational direction of the Roots-type rotary compression means between the forward direction and the reverse direction.
Specifically, the air conditioner 100 includes a first casing 101 and a second casing 102 that retain water. The air conditioner 100 further includes an indoor-side circulation path 120 that allows the water in the first casing 101 to circulate via an indoor heat exchanger 121 and an outdoor-side circulation path 130 that allows the water in the second casing 102 to circulate via an outdoor heat exchanger 131. The upper part of the first casing 101 and the upper part of the second casing 102 are connected by a first communication path 103, and a compressor 110 is provided on this first communication path 103. The lower part of the first casing 101 and the lower part of the second casing 102 are connected by a second communication path 104.
In the cooling operation, the compressor 110 rotates in the forward direction so as to allow water vapor to flow in a direction indicated by solid arrows, and the first casing 101 functions as an evaporator and the second casing 102 functions as a condenser. Cold water is produced in the first casing 101, and this cold water is supplied to the indoor heat exchanger 121. Thus, the cooling operation is performed. On the other hand, in the heating operation, the compressor 110 rotates in the reverse direction so as to allow water vapor to flow in a direction indicated by dashed arrows, and the second casing 102 functions as an evaporator and the first casing 101 functions as a condenser. Hot water is produced in the first casing 101, and this hot water is supplied to the indoor heat exchanger 121. Thus, the heating operation is performed.

Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.


A storage device enabling realization of a new storage configuration enabling apparent elimination of the overhead and enabling high speed access all the time particularly when constructing a high parallel configured high speed flash memory system, that is, a storage device having a flash memory as a main storage and having the function of rewriting at least a partial region of the flash memory by additional writing update data in an empty region and invalidating original data and, at the time of standby of the device where there is no access from the outside, performing processing for automatically restoring the invalidated region to an empty region, and a computer system and a storage system using the same.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a storage device including a nonvolatile memory and a computer system and a storage system provided with same, more particularly relates to an increase of speed of data transfer in a storage device including a flash memory.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, flash memories are coming into attention as storage media of digital still cameras and portable computer devices.
A flash memory is a semiconductor memory using tunneling or hot electron acceleration to cause electrons to pass through a gate insulation film and inject them into a floating gate or trap layer to change a threshold value of a cell transistor and thereby to store data. A single transistor using a multilayer gate structure, an MNOS structure, etc. is sufficient for configuring a memory cell, therefore an inexpensive and large capacity memory can be realized. As a typical example of this, a NAND type flash memory can be explained.
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of a NAND type flash memory. In the NAND type flash memory of FIG. 1, a plurality of memory units 1-1 to 1-n connected to bit lines BL1 to BLn are arranged in an array state (vertically and horizontally). For example, a gate of a selection transistor 2 is connected to a selection gate line SL1, and a gate of a selection transistor 3 is connected to a selection gate line SL2. Further, gates of memory cells N0 to N15 are connected to word lines WL0 to WL15.
The memory cells N0 to N15 have multilayer gate structures and store data according to amounts of charges stored in the floating gates. Namely, when many electrons are stored in a floating gate, the threshold value of the transistor rises, therefore current penetration from any of the charged bit lines BL1 to BLn to the memory units 1 (-1 to -n) is detected at an access circuit 4 including a sense amplifier etc. to enable data judgment.
Such NAND type flash memory does not require provision of a contact region to the bit line for each memory cell, therefore is particularly suitable as a medium of a large capacity, inexpensive storage device.
In general, a flash memory has a very slow programming speed. Several hundred microseconds are taken per cell. Further, data cannot be overwritten, therefore it is necessary to erase data preceding programming. A long time up to a few milli (m) seconds is taken for this. This problem is handled by parallel processing of many memory cells.
Namely, for example, by simultaneously writing data in a block into a group of memory cells 5 connected to the same word line WL0 forming a page unit and erasing in a block all cell blocks 6 configured by a group of pages sharing memory units, the transfer speed of a program is improved.
Specifically, for example ISSCC 2002 Preprints, p. 106, session 6.4, discloses a 1 Gb NAND type flash memory. The page size here is 2 k bytes, and the erasure block size is 128 kB. Namely, by parallel erasing a group of memory cell of 128 k bytes in one memory array and programming the memory cells in parallel for each 2 k bytes, a program transfer speed of 10 MB/s is realized.
Further, in recent years, flash memories have been made multi-valued and have been further miniaturized. Along with this, the amounts of the signals have fallen. To deal with this, writing techniques with less of an adverse influence upon the non-selected cells have been studied and put into use.
For example in NAND type flash memories, ones limiting the write order of pages in an erasure block are becoming the mainstream. Japanese Patent Publication (A) No. 2002-260390 etc. disclose a write routine using the technique called "Local Self-Boost". An example of such a write operation in the NAND type flash memory of FIG. 1 will be explained below.
For example, when writing data into the memory cell N1 and injecting electrons into the floating gate thereof, first, the front and rear word lines WL0 and WL2 sandwiching the memory cell N1 therebetween are set to 0V, the selection transistor 2 is turned on, and the selection transistor 3 is turned off. Here, the bit line BL1 is set to 0V, the adjacent bit line BL2 for which no write operation is desired is set to 3V, the selected word line WL1 is boosted up to 20V, and all word lines WL3 to WL15 other than that are boosted up to 10V. When using such a write routine, any node sandwiched between the word lines WL0 and WL2 of 0V and linked with a non-selected bit line is disconnected from the other nodes, receives a coupling from the word line WL1, and rises in potential up to about 10V.
On the other hand, for the selected memory cell N1, 0V applied to the bit line BL1 is transferred to a channel of the cell transistor N1 for writing just while the adjacent cell transistor N0 is in a depression state. Namely, when using the above write technique, the adjacent cell on the bit line side of a cell to be written in is erased and becomes a depression state. For this reason, it is an indispensable to erasing the entire block, then write data in the order of the memory cells N15, N14, N13, . . . , and N0.
In this way, recent large capacity flash memories tend not to allow random write operations even in page write operations and to require sequential writing from the higher address to the lower address in a block.

Storage device, computer system, and storage system


A local processor is connected to one port of a dual port memory controller. A bus having a BURST signal line is connected to the other port. The memory controller controls access to a local memory. A remote processor can perform a semaphore operation on a semaphore stored in the local memory by translating a LOCK signal from the remote processor into a bus BURST signal that is activated for a period allowing the remote processor to read and modify the semaphore. While the semaphore operation is being performed, the local processor can access the local memory.

Multiprocessor systems commonly share resources such as a memory, by using a semaphore stored in either a designated memory location or a register, to establish reliable communications. A semaphore locking operation protocol is used to access the shared resource. Such protocol may involve the use of a lock prefix instruction followed by a bit test and change instruction such as a Bit Test and Set instruction. Such a sequence of instructions causes an active LOCK signal to be generated which signal is then used to block access to the shared resource by another processor or bus master. While the LOCK is active, the subsequent Bit Test and Set instruction accesses the semaphore and allows such bit to be set from a non-busy state to a busy state. The processor can then access the shared resource. If the semaphore bit is busy, the requesting processor must wait until the bit is set to a non-busy state before accessing the shared resource. The locking of the bus prevents more than one requestor from interfering with use of the semaphore.
Currently, some models of the well known, commercially available IBM PS/2 personal computers use a dual port memory that is connected at one port to a processor and at its other port to an expansion bus designed in accordance with the well known Micro Channel architecture. (IBM, PS/2, and Micro Channel are trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation). Under such architecture, the bus (also referred to herein as he MC bus) has no lock line dedicated to transmitting a processor LOCK signal. However, such bus does have a BURST signal line which allows the bus to perform a burst transfer in which a subsequent bus cycle will be granted a bus user so long as the BURST signal is active. The invention deals with improvements to such a system whereby the BURST signal can be used for both burst transfers and lock semaphore operations.
The closest patented art of which we are aware is believed to be U.S. Pat. No. 4,805,106--Pfeifer for METHOD OF AND ARRANGEMENT FOR ORDERING OF MULTIPROCESSOR OPERATIONS IN A MULTIPROCESSOR SYSTEM WITH REDUNDANT RESOURCES, which discloses using a dedicated bus read/write/modify signal line for semaphore operations. In contrast, the invention does not require a dedicated bus lock line but uses a bus BURST signal line to perform a semaphore operation in addition to I/O burst transfers. Further, the invention allows a local processor to access a memory controlled by a semaphore while the semaphore is being accessed.

Data processing system and memory controller for lock semaphore operations


In a ventilator system and a method for controlling the ventilator system, a hand ventilator is connectable to a patient to impose a manually generated breathing pattern on the patient. A measurement unit is arranged by the hand ventilator to measure at least one of the parameters pressure and flow of the manually generated breathing pattern. The measured parameters are supplied to a memory unit in a regulatory unit, which operates a control unit so as to regulate a valve unit for imposing a mechanically generated breathing pattern, corresponding to the manually generated breathing pattern, on the patient. The measured parameters can be re-scaled in a calculation unit before the control unit controls the valve unit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a method for controlling a valve unit in a ventilator system and to a ventilator system for implementing the method.
As used herein, "ventilator system" refers to all types of systems capable of delivering a gas to a patient for the purpose of supporting or controlling the patient's breathing.
2. Description of the Prior Art
European Application 570 015 describes a system capable of recording a patient's spontaneous breathing pattern and copying the recorded spontaneous breathing pattern into a ventilator system in order to mechanically reproduce this breathing pattern for ventilating the patient.
Thus, this known system is restricted to spontaneously breathing patients whose pulmonary function is relatively intact. The advantage of recreating the patient's spontaneous breathing pattern is to minimize the patient's discomfort when a breathing gas must be imposed on the patient, e.g, in anesthesia.
In many instances, however, the patient is not breathing spontaneously or the patient's condition is such that the patient requires breathing support to get enough breathing gas. The options usually available are mechanical ventilation (imposed or supportive) by a ventilator system or a breathing pattern manually imposed by a doctor with a hand ventilator. With a hand ventilator, the doctor is able to feel the lung's response and regulate the patient's breathing. Manual ventilation of this kind, however, requires the constant presence of a doctor.

Ventilator and method for controlling same to reproduce a manually generated breathing pattern


The present invention provides novel cell lines that may have improved adhesive qualities, transgene expression level, growth rate, and/or growth rate in serum free medium or even chemically defined compared to cells of the prior art.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to cell lines suitable for use in viral growth, identification, titering or manipulation; vaccine growth or manipulation; viral transduction of cells; or recombinant production, screening, or measurement of protein or protein interactions in vitro.
2. Related Art
Mammalian cell lines are used as a model system for study of mammalian metabolism, physiology and disease. Mammalian cell lines are also used for the production or growth of virus and vaccines, antibodies and other therapeutic proteins, and other products used as therapeutics or reagents. In addition mammalian cell lines are used to identify or characterize virus, vaccines, proteins and other normal or modified cellular products. Common mammalian cell lines include those from human, ovine, porcine, bovine, rat, mouse, rabbit, raccoon, monkey, ape, etc. See for example the ATCC catalogue that specifically lists mammalian, amphibian, fish, reptile, arthropod, etc. cell lines. Each specific entry is hereby incorporated herein by reference. Other eukaryotic cells such as fish, e.g., SaBE-1c, EPC, RTG-2, IZSBS BS CL41, ECACC 93120820, WC 1 (IZSBS BS TCL65), etc. or insect cells, e.g., D2, KC. Dh 14, Dh 33, 79f7Dv3g, Ea.4, IPLB-Ld-65z, mosquito (such as: Aedes albopictus (larvae)—ECACC Aedes albopictus (larvae)—IZSBS Clone C6/36 Aedes aegypti ECACC 87091801, and TRA-171), Antheraea cells ECACC 90111908, other arthopods such as tick are important models, especially for genetics, viral studies, baculovirus infection, recombinant glycoprotein production, endocrinology, comparison studies, ecological monitoring and toxicology.
Other eukaryotic cell lines are also useful in accordance with the present invention. For example insect cells, such as mosquito, moth, armyworm, fruit fly, silkworm, etc. are also applied in culture. Plant cells, in part because they are totally animal free and are relatively easy to culture are also used extensively.
HEK 293 cells are and have been readily and freely available, for example, from commercial sources, such as the American Type Culture Collection, have been used extensively in in vitro assays, and for the production of recombinant proteins, vaccines and viruses. Because of the popularity of HEK 293 cells and their availability to the research community these cells are exemplified as one specific example of cells types to which the present invention is generally applicable. The present invention applies to all cell types, lines, or strains whose attachment properties might be beneficially altered either by increasing or decreasing attachment adherence, either permanently or transiently primarily for in vitro uses such as production or assays.
Properties including more rapid growth, more facile transfection, more efficient production, harvesting and/or purification of biochemicals (for example, proteins (including enzymes), hormones, peptide factors, lymphokines, growth factors, differentiation factors, lipids, including sterols, glycolipids, amine lipids, modified nucleic or amino acids etc.), engineered characteristics (including indicators, synthesis pathways for example for toxicity testing or bioproduction, etc.), might be advantageously inserted or selected for to achieve more useful cell lines as compared to the "wild-type" or standard type cell. This sentence has no verb for "Many cells" the assumed subject. Many cells are useful in the context of the present invention, for example, 293 cell lines and derivative cell lines publicly available either commercially or from depositories such as those listed by the USPTO of which the ATCC is one. Other well known depositories include DSMZi, ECACC, IZSBS and GEIMM. Various cell types are also available from many commercial or non-commercial distribution channels.
"Wild-type" HEK293 cells adhere only weakly to standard tissue culture supports making them difficult to use in automated formats and requiring special care in normal cell culture procedures and assay systems. In washing steps conventionally and repeatedly employed in such in vitro assays and other manipulations of cells, the cells readily detach from or are washed away from solid supports such as the plates or dishes in which the studies are performed. This problem typically results in inaccurate, unreliably low measurement or collection, or possibly selective or non-random sampling of the cells, product, protein, peptide or interaction to which the assay is directed. Because of this difficulty, HEK293 cells were engineered by Lysko at SmithKline Beecham Pharmaceuticals to constitutively express the Macrophage Scavenger Receptor (MSR), conferring a phenotype of increased adherence and allowing the use of these cells, 293 MSR, in previously technologically challenging applications.
Examples of desirability and utility of cells with improved attachment can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,683,903, 5,919,636 and 5,863,798 to Lysko teach an HEK293 cell engineered for enhanced attachment. The Lysko cells require serum for adherence. Furthermore the only improvement to the cell for adherence was the addition of the MSR gene. It is possible that further advantages might be achieved by inserting the MSR gene into cells already demonstrating improved adherence or other desirable characteristics. In addition to improved adherence, other capabilities or qualities are frequently desired in a cell.
The 293-H strain (Invitrogen, Carlsbad, Calif.) is a variant of the HEK293 cell line that was developed for better adherence than "wild-type" 293 cells in monolayer culture and is preferred for its ease of use for plaque assays and other anchorage dependent applications. This variant was selected based on increased adherence, transgene expression and permissiveness to transfection. A similar line 293 DSMZ ACC 305 is described as an adherent fibroblastoid cell line growing as monolayer. These cell lines, as examples of cells already demonstrating better adherence, could be engineered to further improve adherence to solid support matrices and other desired characteristics. CHO cells, a fibroblast-like and epithelial-like Chinese hamster ovary cell line, constitute another common cell line used in studies of genetics, toxicity screening, nutrition, and gene expression. These cells are typically grown in either monolayer or suspension. Improved adherence as described herein can especially be advantageously engineered into one or more CHO lines to improve utility. P1, a drosophila melanogaster embryo cell line that is semi-adherent, is known for use in virus studies especially with picomaviruses and rhabdoviruses. Similarly, COS-7 a green monkey fibroblast-like cell line grown in monolayer culture has been used for biological screening and viral replication. Cells such as these can also be engineered as described herein to extend or expand their utility.
The cell lines listed above as well as other known cells could more advantageously be used for many of their applications if adherence could be improved. Such improved adherence would retain more cells on the solid surface while permitting more rigorous processing steps such as automated washing in high throughput screening, efficient processing and assaying of cells would be enhanced.
In other applications, those using cells way wish to change a cells adherence for different phases of a project. For example, it may be desirable to grow or transfect cells attached or in suspension and subsequently render the cells more or less adherent, e.g., for analysis or harvesting of cells or cell product.
For some desired functions, such as bioproduction, there is a desire to expand and grow the cells in culture media free of animal derived components such as serum. Media can be formulated and cells can be adapted or modified so that existing cells can survive and indeed thrive in the absence of animal derived components. Alternatively, cells can be adapted to culture in a medium free of animal derived components.
Research and production activities in proteomics, vaccine production, protein folding, glycosylation, chaperoning and many other research areas requires or leads to significant quantities of biologically derived biochemicals. Some of these biochemicals are expected to be useful therapeutic agents.
In order to obtain the biologically active recombinant biochemicals in their most native and most likely active glycosylated form, mammalian cell-based expression systems should be, or are, utilized. Especially for therapeutic uses, serum free and more preferably animal component free culture conditions are desired.
The 293-F strain (Invitrogen, Carlsbad, Calif.) is a variant of the HEK293 cell line that was developed for growth in animal derived component free suspension media. Unlike "wild-type" 293 cells these cells can be grown either in monolayer culture in the presence of serum or in suspension culture in the absence of any animal derived component. This cell line is preferred for its ease of use for biochemical production and other suspension applications. This variant was selected based on increased transgene expression and permissiveness to transfection. A similar cell line, 293 ECACC 92052131 was adapted for growth in suspension by passaging HEK293 cells (ECACC No. 85120602) in nude mice.
CHO cells, a fibroblast-like and epithelial-like Chinese hamster ovary cell line, constitute another common cell line used in biochemical production and other suspension applications. These cells are grown in suspension for stable biochemical production. Improved growth in suspension, increased transgene expression, more human glycosylation patterns and permissiveness to transfection, as described herein, can especially be advantageously engineered into one or more CHO lines to improve utility.
Sf9, a spodoptera frugiperda cell line derived from IPLB-Sf-21-AE that can grow in both adherent serum supplemented or serum free suspension, is known for use biochemical production. Similarly, BHK-21 a hamster fibroblast-like cell line grown in monolayer culture has been used for biological screening and biochemical production. Cells such as these can also be engineered as described herein to extend or expand their utility.
The cell lines listed above as well as other known cells could more advantageously be used for many of their applications if their transfection, expression properties and/or effect from transfected biomolecules of the cells in suspension culture could be improved. Such improvements in cell systems would allow improvements in biochemical production systems reducing the time to product and increasing product yield and quality.
Another desired characteristic of cell lines for use in biochemical production is the ability to amplify the gene of interest within the target cell. The expression of the simian virus SV40 large T antigen is known to enable amplification of plasmid vectors containing the SV40 origin of replication. This is a common sequence found on many commercially available expression plasmid vectors. The amplification of an expression plasmid vector allows significantly greater expression of genes of interest. This increase in expression allows otherwise improbable or impossible products to be created such as a completely replication deficient recombinant lentivirus. Cells with characteristics of both vector amplification and improved adherence or suspension growth and improved expression would be especially useful. Adherence and suspnsion growth are not mutually exclusive since the time dimension allows cells to demonstrate improved adherence at one stage or under one set of conditions, and to demonstrate improved suspension growth at another time, earlier or later.
The 293-FT strain (Invitrogen, Carlsbad, Calif.) is a variant of the HEK293 cell line that was engineered to express the simian virus SV40 large T antigen. Unlike "wild-type" 293 cells, but like the 293-F strain, these cells can be grown either in monolayer culture in the presence of serum or in suspension culture in the absence of any animal derived component. This cell line is preferred for its ease of use for recombinant lentivirus production, biochemical production and suspension applications. This variant was selected based on amplification of SV40 origin of replication containing plasmid vectors, increased transgene expression, and permissiveness to transfection. A similar cell line, 293T/17 CRL-11268 was engineered to express a temperature sensitive mutant of the large T antigen for use in making recombinant retrovirus.
Chasin describes a CHO cell line DG44 that is deficient in the dihydrofolate reductase gene. See Chasin, L., et. al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 77:4216–4220 (1980). Treatment of these cells with methotrexate after incorporation of both the dihydrofolate reductase gene and the gene of interest results in amplification of both genes leading to an increase in transgene expression.
There remains a need in the art for cell based tools useful in in vitro manipulations in genetic engineering and other applications that offer rapid growth capabilities; relative ease of transfection; are adherent and thus compatible with high throughput screening and automated testing; and permit obtaining of desired products and/or more clear and accurate results, either in the presence or absence of animal derived components. There is also a need for characterized cell lines that have rapid growth capabilities; relative ease of transfection; and grow in suspension in the absence of a solid support and in the absence of animal derived components for use in production of biochemicals. There is also a need for cell lines capable of amplification of plasmid vectors or genomic sequences that have rapid growth capabilities and relative ease of transfection.


The present invention provides a system and method for timelapse capture in an image capture unit. A system and method for timelapse capture according to the present invention comprises capturing a first image automatically; initiating a sleep mode after capturing the first image; and transitioning from the sleep mode into a wake mode prior to capturing a second image. According to the present invention, a system and method is provided which provides a digital camera with the ability to automatically place the digital camera in a sleep mode during the interval when the camera is inactive. The sleep mode minimizes power consumption during inactive periods of a timelapse capture sequence, thus allowing automation of timelapse sequences. The sleep mode can be initiated if a predetermined time interval is greater than a setup time required prior to initiating the next image capture. The predetermined time interval can be an interval such as a time interval which starts after the end of the processing time required for a first capture and continuing until the second image capture.

Most digital cameras today are similar in size to and behave like conventional point-and-shoot cameras. Unlike conventional cameras, however, most digital cameras store digital images in an internal flash memory or on external memory cards, and some are equipped with a liquid-crystal display (LCD) screen on the back of the camera. Through the use of the LCD, most digital cameras operate in two modes, record and play, although some only have a record mode. In record mode, the LCD is used as a viewfinder in which the user may view an object or scene before taking a picture. In play mode, the LCD is used as a playback screen for allowing the user to review previously captured images either individually or in arrays of four, nine, or sixteen images.
One option for which a digital camera can be used is for capturing timelapse images. Timelapse images typically capture a series of images over a period of time. For example, a digital camera can capture various stages of a rose as it blooms. The user can estimate how long it might take the rose to bloom, and capture the image of the rose at periodic intervals during that time. Another example of timelapse image capture is timelapse captures of the growth of a stalk of corn. In this instance, the user may choose to capture one or two images per day over several days.
Conventional digital cameras typically have no automatic features for timelapse due to the short life of the battery which is commonly used in the digital cameras. In live view mode, battery life typically only lasts 15 to 20 minutes. Thus, the short battery life limits a timelapse series of image captures to only 15 to 20 minutes, a time which is far too short for most timelapse captures.
What is needed is an automatic timelapse capture in an image capture unit, such as a digital camera. The present invention addresses such a need.

Method and system for auto wake-up for time lapse image capture in an image capture unit


A non-contact method and apparatus for continuously monitoring a physiological event in a human or animal, such as blood pressure, which involves utilizing a laser-based interferometer system to produce a waveform that is representative of continuous blood pressure in a subject. The invention may preferably utilize a laser Doppler vibrometer which is oriented to produce a laser beam directed toward the subject substantially perpendicular to a skin surface of the subject wherein the skin surface is moveable in response to blood pressure. The vibrometer is sensitive to motion of the skin surface in a direction parallel to the laser beam and produces a signal representative of this motion. By plotting the velocity of the skin surface movement in the direction parallel to the laser beam with respect to time, a waveform is produced that has been found to be representative of the blood pressure waveform and highly defined to thereby permit accurate timing analysis thereof relating to cardiac cycles.

(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a method and apparatus for measuring and monitoring physiological events in humans and animals, and more particularly to a non-contact method and apparatus for continuously measuring and monitoring physiological events in humans or animals using a laser Doppler vibrometer to create waveforms which are directly related to the physiological events.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
For decades, there has been a long felt but unsolved need to continuously and accurately measure physiological events such as blood pressure without making contact with the patient. For many patients, such as burn victims, neonates, and for patients who need to be monitored without disturbing sleep or rest, the ability to accurately monitor blood pressure waveforms without contact has long been desired, but never accomplished.
Invasive monitoring systems, using intra-arterial catheters containing miniature pressure transducers are implemented for continuous monitoring of arterial pressure waveforms, as well as determining blood pressure values throughout the cardiac cycle. However, due to the requirement of inserting these sensors into the arterial system, the patient may be placed in distress.
An extremely well known non-invasive, contact method of measuring blood pressure uses a sphygmomanometer cuff wrapped around the subject's arm above the elbow. As the cuff is being inflated, a stethoscope is utilized to hear the sounds that correspond to the systolic and diastolic end-points. These end-points assist in determining the corresponding blood pressure values. This method provides only systolic and diastolic pressure values for a moment in time and does not provide time-continuous pressure measurements.
Methods for continuously monitoring blood pressure that do not require insertion of sensors into an artery, i.e., non-invasive methods, have been developed within the last decade. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 5,363,855, which is discussed below, discloses a non-invasive means for continuously monitoring blood pressure. However, contact must be made with the subject and so a non-contact method for measuring blood pressure is not disclosed. Other prior art teachings as listed below, disclose various means for measuring blood flow velocity, blood oxygen saturation, and the like, by non-contact means. However, such techniques are complicated to set up and have not been able to provide sufficient accuracy or definition of the timing of the blood pressure waveform so as to be of any significant benefit in analysis of the cardiac cycle beyond very roughly indicating basic features such as the heart rate. For instance, such techniques have never been utilized to accurately detect the timing of the dicrotic notch within the arterial blood pressure waveform, and may be incapable of doing so.
Continuous recording of an accurate blood pressure waveform permits time series data analysis of the cardiac cycle. Analysis of the arterial pressure waveform identifies important events in the cardiac cycle, e.g., the timing of peak systole, the dicrotic notch, the pre-ejection period (PEP), the left ventricular ejection time (LVET), pulse rate, etc. Information about the systolic time intervals is useful in assessing cardiac condition and various disease states, including left ventricular failure, myocardial infarction, coronary artery disease, and valve disorders.
The time intervals of the various stages of the cardiac cycle are also observed for changes under cardiac disease conditions and pharmacological influence. For example, continuous monitoring of pre-ejection period and left ventricular ejection time ratios may be utilized to test the effects of drugs, exercise, or other stimuli, whereby an increase or decrease in the ratio may indicate an improvement or worsening of systolic efficiency.
The three basic systolic time intervals are the pre-ejection period (PEP), left ventricular ejection time (LVET) and total electromechanical systole (QS2). Linear relationships between heart rate (HR) and the duration of the systolic phases of the left ventricle (LV) have been derived by observation. These following equations have been utilized in the prior art to predict the durations of the systolic time intervals for normal patient observations based on the heart rate alone:PEP=−0.0004*HR+0.126  (1)LVET=−0.0016*HR+0.394  (2)QS2=−0.020*HR+0.522  (3)
The dicrotic notch as observed on a blood pressure waveform indicates the occurrence of the closure of the aortic valve and marks the end of left ventricular ejection. This event represents the end of the systolic phase and the start of diastole and left ventricular relaxation. The location of the dicrotic notch on a blood pressure waveform can be used for evaluating the above listed linear regression equations that may be utilized to predict the systolic time interval as a function of heart rate. The regression equations are expected to deviate for patients with cardiac dysfunction.
The following U.S. patents describe various prior art systems related to the above discussed problems but do not satisfy the long felt but unsolved need for non-contact blood pressure waveform monitoring.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,778,878, issued Jul. 14, 1998, to K. Kellam, discloses a laser Doppler technique to determine the velocity of blood cells in skin or other tissue capillaries. A laser beam is focused on to a capillary by means of a lens, mirror and beam splitter system. Measurement of the velocity of the blood cells in a direction substantially perpendicular to the surface of the tissue is effected by detecting directly back-scattered radiation.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,363,855, issued Nov. 15, 1994, to Drzewiecki et al., discloses a pressure waveform monitor that noninvasively monitors the pressure waveform in an underlying vessel such as an artery. The apparatus comprises at least one continuous, relatively thin and narrow diaphragm mounted in a housing to be placed on the tissue overlying the vessel of interest. The diaphragm is longer than the diameter of the vessel for purposely monitoring pressure in the tissue adjacent to the vessel of interest. The device also comprises deformation sensor means for measuring deformation of the diaphragm both over the vessel and adjacent to the vessel, and signal processing means for combining the waveform of the vessel as monitored by the part of the diaphragm over the vessel with the waveforms of adjacent tissue to accurately determine the actual pressure waveform in the vessel.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,361,769, issued Nov. 8, 1994, to G. Nilsson discloses a method and a system for reducing the distance-dependent amplification factor when measuring fluid flow movements with the aid of an image-producing laser-Doppler technique, in particular when measuring blood perfusion through tissue. A laser beam source directs a laser beam onto a measurement object, which scatters and reflects the beam. The reflected light is received by a detector that senses the broadening in frequency caused by the Doppler effect. One or more lenses are placed in the path of the beam and are intended to maintain constant the number of coherence areas on the detecting surface of the detector and independent of the distance between detector and measurement object.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,280,789, issued Jan. 25, 1994, to R. A. Potts, discloses an apparatus for vertically aligning a given point on a pressure transducer unit with a desired point on a patient comprising a light source, a housing adapted to contain the light source, and at least one leveling tube having a leveling axis that is substantially parallel to the light beam. The leveling tube comprises a closed transparent envelope containing a liquid and a bubble of gas, and lines formed on the envelope, where the leveling axis is substantially horizontally aligned when the bubble of gas is located between the two lines. The apparatus includes an indicating mark formed on the housing means where the beam of light is vertically aligned with the given point on the transducer. A locking system selectively locks the housing means to prevent movement thereof relative to the transducer unit when the beam of light is both horizontally aligned and vertically aligned with the given point on the transducer unit. To vertically align the given point with the desired point, one of the transducer units and the patient are vertically displaced relative to the other until the light source causes light to reflect off of the patient at the desired point.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,166,695, issued Sep. 4, 1979, to Hill et al., discloses a means for measuring blood flow in retinal blood vessels by directing laser radiation along an optical path into the eye and onto a blood vessel. Laser radiation reflected off moving blood corpuscles is directed back along the optical path and into a detector. This reflected laser radiation is mixed with a proportion of the original laser signal to determine the Doppler shift produced by the moving blood corpuscles and hence blood velocity.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,995,856, issued Nov. 30, 1999, to Mannheimer et al., discloses monitoring of physiological parameters of a patient through the use of optical systems that do not require direct physical contact with the patient. The method and apparatus relate primarily to pulse oximetry for monitoring pulse rate and arterial blood oxygen saturation. However, the apparatus and method of this invention are applicable to any form of optical detection of the physiological parameters in which light of any wavelength, visible or invisible, is directed from a remote instrument into a patient at a first imaging site, and subsequently collected at a second site spaced from the first site.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,007,494, issued Dec. 28, 1999, to Zenner et al., discloses a device for determining data on auditory capacity wherein the device preferably has non-contact means for measuring vibrations of the middle-ear ossicles and/or the tympanic membrane by means of electromagnetic waves. The electromagnetic waves used for the measurement are input by means of a microscope, in particular an optical microscope. This microscope can be modular in design, and a module can be provided for the input of a laser beam. The invention also concerns a method of determining data on auditory capacity wherein the method calls for the vibration of the middle ear and/or the eardrum to be measured by means of electromagnetic waves and, from the measurement signals thus obtained, the contributions to the total signal by the middle ear and/or the eardrum determined in at least one processing step.
The Journal of Biomedical Engineering, 4(2): 142–8, 1982, by Brown et al. teaches that a rather complex light emitting diode sensor (LED) has sufficient resolution to detect an arterial pulse.
The above-discussed systems do not disclose a convenient and completely non-contact means for accurately and continuously monitoring blood pressure or creating blood pressure waveforms. Consequently, those skilled in the art will appreciate the present invention that addresses the above and other problems.

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy


A circuit board including a base member, an interconnect layer formed on a part of the base member, an electrically-floating conductive layer formed on a substantially remaining part of the base member and having an edge adjacent to an edge of the interconnect layer, and a dielectric layer covering a part of the interconnect layer and an entire surface of the electrically-floating conductive layer and filling a gap between the edge of the interconnect layer and the edge of the electrically-floating conductive layer. In accordance with the present invention, almost all the surface of the base member is covered with the interconnect layer and the floating conductive layer disposed parallel to each other on a substantially single plane. In the circuit board, the moisture does not enter into the rear surface of the dielectric layer through the externally exposed portion to improve the packaging rank.

(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a circuit board preferably used in a semiconductor device such as having a land grid array (LGA) and a ball grid array (BGA).
(b) Description of the Related Art
Recently, a multi-layered circuit board of higher integration is required for fabricating a semiconductor device package with smaller dimensions.
The circuit board for meeting the above requirement generally includes a base member mounting thereon a plurality of interconnect layers which sandwich dielectric layers therebetween. The base member includes a first and a second interconnect layers on the respective surfaces thereof, and the interconnect layers are connected with each other through a via-hole formed in the base member.
In such a circuit board, a relatively large part of the dielectric layer is externally exposed. When the circuit board is exposed to a higher humidity atmosphere, moisture enters into the rear surface of the dielectric layer through the externally exposed portion.
When the first and the second interconnect layers are formed by conductive materials having different coefficients of thermal expansion, a crack may be generated in the circuit board by the warp in case of a rapid temperature change.
The above problem incurs lower reliability of such as having a lower packaging rank and failing in the temperature cycle test. In order to suppress the above problem, it is proposed that the interconnect layers and the dielectric layers be formed by materials having substantially same coefficients of thermal expansion or the thicknesses of the respective interconnect layers be increased.
However, the selection of the specific materials at the time of fabricating the circuit boars is burdensome and raises the cost. Further, the increased thickness makes the entire circuit board larger not to meet the recent demand of the miniaturization.
JP-A-6(1994)-69212 describes a circuit board including a dummy conductive film covering an interconnect conductive film with an intervention of a dielectric film. JP-A-7(1995)-154039 describes a circuit board including a dummy conductive pattern formed in a dielectric region having a specific area larger than a circle having a radius of 1 mm. JP-A-10(1998)-341077 describe a circuit board including a dummy conductive layer covering an opening of a via-hole with an intervention of a dielectric film. Although each of the above publications describes suppression (prevention) of the crack generation, none of them describes a method for overcoming the ingress of the moisture into the rear surface of the dielectric layer.
JP-A-11(1999)-154679 describes a circuit board including a dummy via-hole in the vicinity of a via-hole. JP-A-11(1999)-260962 describes a circuit board including a dummy interconnect projected from a conductive interconnect. Although each of these publications describes the prevention of the film peeling-off at the bottom surface of the via hole by dispersing a stress, and the suppression of the increase of the thermal distortion by elevating the rigidity of the dielectric film, none of them describes a method for overcoming the ingress of the moisture into the rear surface of the dielectric layer, similarly to the above publications.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A power circuit including a current-limiting semi-conductor switch and a control system connected to the current-limiting semi-conductor switch and configured to bias the semi-conductor switch into conduction and into cut-off. The control system further comprises a short-circuit protection circuit configured to detect and evaluate the voltage drop via the current-limiting semi-conductor switch.

Power semi-conductor switches which are able to switch electric currents of more than 1 A are characterized by having a simple control system and a high service life since they do not comprise parts tending toward wearing. Such power semi-conductors are in particular applied for switching supply voltages and as dimmers in order to continuously adjust the power of electric lamps, light fixtures or motors.
Apart from thyristors and bipolar transistors, field-effect transistors, which are characterized by a rapid switching behavior, are increasingly used as power semi-conductors. Furthermore, the positive temperature coefficient is advantageous in field-effect transistors, the positive temperature coefficient allowing for the implementation of a simple parallel circuit. Above all, n-channel field-effect transistors with a drift range in the area of the drain electrode are applied as power field-effect transistors.
Field-effect transistors may be operated as forward phase control dimmers and as well as reverse phase control dimmers for controlling the power emitted from an AC voltage source to a consumer. In forward phase controlling, the power emitted to the consumer by the AC voltage source is reduced by the fact that the beginning of the positive or the negative half-wave, respectively, is cut off according to the power to be controlled. In reverse phase controlling, in contrast, the power is reduced in the consumer in that the AC voltage is, beginning at the voltage pass through zero, switched through to the consumer delayed according to the power to be controlled or interrupted ahead of time, respectively. The reverse phase controlling is of the advantage, compared to the forward phase control, that no steep voltage edges occur when switched on.
Power circuits for switching and dimming AC voltages with field-effect transistors, as semi-conductor switches typically comprise two n-channel field-effect transistors connected in series with a drift range in the area of the drain electrode, the source electrodes of the two field-effected transistors being connected to each other. The drain electrode of the one field-effect transistor is then connected to the AC voltage source, and the drain electrode of the other field-effect transistor is connected to the consumer. The gate electrodes of the two field-effect transistors are connected to a control system controlling the gate voltage in order to bias into conduction and bias into cut-off the field-effect transistors and to thus adjust the power emitted from the AC voltage to the consumer.
In order to render the power circuit with the field-effect transistors arranged in series short-circuit proof, i.e. to prevent, on occurrence of a short-circuit in the consumer, that the power indicated by the AC voltage source damages or destroys the field-effect transistors by overheating, the power circuits normally comprise an additional short-circuit protection circuit.
According to the circuit configuration as commonly used, an additional ohmic resistor is connected in the current path for achieving the short circuit strength between the two source electrodes of the field-effect transistors. The control system connected to the gate electrodes of the field-effect transistors scans the voltage drop via this ohmic resistor. When the voltage drop increases considerably due to a short-circuit in the down-stream consumer, this voltage drop is registered by the control system and thereupon, the two field-effect transistors are switched off. This conventional short-circuit protection circuit leads to an undesired power loss due to the ohmic resistor additionally connected to the current path.
In order to prevent such a power loss, a short-circuit protection circuit for a forward phase control mode of a power circuit with two field-effect transistors being connected in series via the source electrodes is provided. In this short-circuit protection circuit, additional components for measuring the variation of the gate electrode potential in relation to the voltages applied between the source electrodes and the drain electrodes are provided. On the basis of the measuring results, the switching of the field-effect transistors into the conducting state is either allowed or prevented. This known short-circuit protection circuit is, however, complex and only applicable in the context of forward phase controlling.

Power circuit with short-circuit protection circuit


A security system and service, which improves the performance of SECaaS services, is described. A security server system tracks the content that has successfully passed through its security modules and distributes this information to the end user client devices as hashlist information. The remote client devices can then safely bypass the cloud for a significant fraction of Web object requests by using information on a locally stored hashlist to validate Web objects.

§1.1 Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns computer and/or network security.
In particular, the present invention concerns Security as a Service ("SECaaS").
§1.2 Background Information
End user devices are frequently targets of malware, which allow an attacker to gain access to the user's device, stealing the user's private information or taking control of the device as part of a botnet. As end user devices are increasingly gateways for financial services (e.g., GOOGLE WALLET™ (See, e.g., "Google wallet," at google.com/wallet/how-it-works-security.html (incorporated herein by reference).), CHASE QUICK DEPOSIT™ (See, e.g., "Chase quick deposit: Deposit checks with your ipad, iphone, android or blackberry smartphone," at chase.com/online/services/check-deposit.htm (incorporated herein by reference).), etc.), maintaining personal data (e.g., INSTAGRAM™ (See, e.g., "Instagram: Fast beautiful photo sharing," at instagr.am/ (incorporated herein by reference).), iCalendar (See, e.g., "Calendar on iphone," at apple.com/iphone/built-in-apps/calendar.html (incorporated herein by reference).), etc.), and authentication (e.g., Viper Smart Start™ (See, e.g., "Viper smart start: Start, control or locate your car from virtually anywhere with your smartphone," at viper.com/smartstart/(incorporated herein by reference).), GOOGLE AUTHENTICATOR™ (See, e.g., "Google authenticator," at play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.apps.authenticator2 (incorporated herein by reference).), etc.), it is critical that these end user devices be secured.
User devices are generally protected by, at most, one antivirus application or utility running on the device. However, a considerable amount of malware is undetected with any single modern antivirus system, as the best detection rates are reportedly ˜78%. (See, e.g., the reference J. Oberheide, E. Cooke, and F. Jahanian, "CloudAV: N-Version Antivirus in the Network Cloud," Proceedings of the 17th conference on Security symposium, pp. 91-106 (Berkeley, Calif., USA: USENIX Association, 2008) Available online at dl.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=1496711.1496718 (incorporated herein by reference).) Although it has been reported that simultaneously using multiple independent antivirus engines can boost the malware detection rates to ˜98% (See, e.g., the Oberheide et al article.), thereby providing much better protection, such deployments on a single device have been shown to impact system performance and user experience negatively.
With the rising use of cloud computing, computing resources have become inexpensive and available on demand. This has led to a new paradigm of Security as a Service ("SECaaS") (See, e.g., CloudSecurityAlliance, "SecaaS Security as a Service Working Group: Defined Categories of Service 2011," Available at: cloudsecurityalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/SecaaSV1 0.pdf (incorporated herein by reference).), offering security services remotely (from the cloud). With SECaaS, all of the user's inbound and outbound traffic passes through a security service on the cloud, which provides advanced security mechanisms including multiple intrusion detection systems, firewalls, and antivirus engines, all of which are typically managed by experts. Many companies are currently providing SECaaS services for devices in enterprise networks (See, e.g., McAfee, "Cloud Security: Exploit the Cloud without Exposing Your Data," at: mcafee.com/us/solutions/cloud-security/cloud-security.aspx (incorporated herein by reference), and Symantec, "Symantec Cloud: Making the Complex Simple," at: symantec.com/theme.jsp?themeid=symantec-cloud (incorporated herein by reference).), where the enterprises simply route their traffic through a nearby SECaaS provider. Given the close proximity of the cloud security service provider to the enterprise location, such rerouting typically does not negatively impact the enterprise user experience. Also, the enterprise might amortize the costs associated with SECaaS over a large number of devices and/or over long periods.
Such SECaaS services can potentially offer enhanced security to ordinary (e.g., non-enterprise) users and remote enterprise users. Such users can route their device traffic through a SECaaS service, thereby obtaining advanced security services in addition to their on device/host protections. Relaying traffic through a secure cloud also reduces the effectiveness of many attacks by ISPs (See, e.g., C. Zhang, C. Huang, K. Ross, D. Maltz, and J. Li, "Inflight Modifications of Content: Who are the Culprits?" Workshop of Large-Scale Exploits and Emerging Threats (LEET '11) 2011 (incorporated herein by reference).), and K. Bode, "ISPs Injecting their Content into Websites: Rogers Tests New Cap Warning System, Raises Neutrality Alarms" at dslreports.com/shownews/90134 (incorporated herein by reference).), rogue access points (See, e.g., P. Moceri and T. Ruths, "Cafe Cracks: Attacks on Unsecured Wireless Networks," at cse.wustl.edu/_jain/cse571-07/ftp/cafecrack/index.html (incorporated herein by reference).), and other malicious parties (DNS hijacking (See, e.g., V. Ramasubramanian and E. G. Sirer, "Perils of Transitive Trust in the Domain Name System," Proceedings of the 5th ACM SIGCOMM conference on Internet Measurement. pp. 35-35 (ser. IMC '05 Berkeley, Calif., USA: USENIX Association, 2005), [Online] Available at: dl.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=1251086.1251121 (incorporated herein by reference).). However, there are challenges to providing SECaaS services to ordinary users and/or remote enterprise users. More specifically, although SECaaS can provide better security, manageability, and scalability than host and enterprise security deployments, it increases Webpage load times significantly. Studies indicate that even a few hundreds of milliseconds of delay in Webpage load times can adversely effect user browsing. (See, e.g., J. Brutlag, "Speed Matters for Google Web Search," at services.google.com/fh/files/blogs/google delayexp.pdf (incorporated herein by reference), NYTimes, "For Impatient Web Users, an Eye Blink is Just Too Long to Wait," at nytimes.com/2012/03/01/technology/impatient-web-users-flee-slow-loading-sites.html?_r=0 (incorporated herein by reference), K. Eaton, "How One Second could Cost Amazon $1.6 Billion in Sales," at fastcompany.com/1825005/how-one-second-could-cost-amazon-16-billion-sales (incorporated herein by reference), E. Schurman and J. Brutlag, "The User and Business Impact of Server Delays, Additional Bytes, and HTTP Chunking in Web Search," at velocityconf.com/velocity2009/public/schedule/detail/8523, 2009 (incorporated herein by reference), and C. Erickson, "Americans don't have Time for Slow Websites [infographic]," at mashable.com/2012/03/14/slow-website-stats-infographic/(incorporated herein by reference).) For example, a Webpage that loads 250 milliseconds slower might cause people to switch to a competitor (Recall, e.g. NYTimes, "For Impatient Web Users, an Eye Blink is Just Too Long to Wait," at nytimes.com/2012/03/01/technology/impatient-web-users-flee-slow-loading-sites.html?_r=0.). An increase in the web search latency of few 100 milliseconds might reduce the number of searches performed. (Recall, e.g., J. Brutlag, "Speed Matters for Google Web Search," at services.google.com/fh/files/blogs/google delayexp.pdf.) Furthermore, it has been reported that one in four Internet users abandon a page if it takes more than four seconds to load. (Recall, e.g., C. Erickson, "Americans don't Have Time for Slow Websites [infographic]," at mashable.com/2012/03/14/slow-website-stats-infographic/ (incorporated herein by reference).) Thus, the present inventors believe that user-perceived latencies pose a significant barrier for the adoption of SECaaS by ordinary end users and remote enterprise users.
As should be appreciated from the foregoing, it would be useful to provide end users with better security than a single antivirus application or utility, while avoiding latencies (such as latencies for Webpage loading) that might annoy such end users. The present inventors believe that an end user will not use the cloud security service if the latency overhead due to the cloud detour is too high. Ideally, security should be provided such that latencies are very close to those when directly requesting the content from the Internet. Also, it would be useful to the provider of the security service to reduce or minimize his or her costs. For example, large cloud providers typically do not have data centers close to all potential end users (including mobile users), to guarantee low latencies. Indeed, currently, Amazon EC2 only has three (3) data centers in the U.S. and it has been reported that even users in the continental U.S. can experience latencies of over 50 ms. (See, e.g., A. Vulimiri, O. Michel, P. B. Godfrey, and S. Shenker, "More is Less: Reducing Latency via Redundancy," Proceedings of the 11th ACM Workshop on Hot Topics in Networks. pp. 13-18 (ser. HotNets-XI. New York, N.Y., USA: ACM, 2012). [Online]. Available at: doi.acm.org/10.1145/2390231.2390234 (incorporated herein by reference).) Since a cloud data center can cost more than half a billion dollars (See, e.g., A. Greenberg, J. Hamilton, D. A. Maltz, and P. Patel, "The Cost of a Cloud: Research Problems in Data Center Networks," SIGCOMM Comput. Commun. Rev., vol. 39, no. 1, pp. 68-73, December 2008. [Online]. Available at: doi.acm.org/10.1145/1496091.1496103 (incorporated herein by reference).), simply building more data centers near all end users might not be feasible.

Providing a fast, remote security service using hashlists of approved web objects

Polytechnic Institute of New York University


An OLED display includes: a substrate; a thin film transistor on the substrate; a first insulation layer on the thin film transistor; a second insulation layer on the first insulation layer, the second insulation layer having a first opening exposing a portion of the first insulation layer; a first electrode electrically connected with the thin film transistor and contacting the second insulation and contacting the first insulation layer through the first opening; a pixel defining layer disposed on the first electrode and having a second opening exposing a portion of the first electrode in a region corresponding to the first opening, the second opening being smaller than the first opening; an organic emission layer on the first electrode in a region corresponding to the second opening; and a second electrode on the organic emission layer in a region corresponding to the second opening.

1. Field
Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to organic light emitting diode (OLED) displays. More particularly, embodiments of the present invention generally relate to an OLED display in which an organic emission layer is provided in an opening at a location where a pixel defining layer has been partitioned.
2. Description of the Related Art
A display device is a device that can display an image, and currently, organic light emitting diode (OLED) displays are receiving attention.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the described technology and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.


The invention relates to a gas-tight electroluminescent device (100) with an electroluminescent part (104) and a sealing part (102). The electroluminescent part comprises an electroluminescent layer (114), a first electrode layer (112), and a second electrode layer (116). The sealing part comprises a substrate (106), a cover plate (110) for gas-tight sealing the electroluminescent device, and at least one receiver winding (105; 206; 208; 406) for receiving electromagnetic radiation.

Gas-tight electroluminescent devices are advantageous for lighting wet environments such as swimming pools or bathrooms.
US Patent Application US 2009/0159677 A1 discloses a contactless power and data transfer system. The system includes an encapsulated optoelectronic semiconductor device at least partially disposed within a barrier encapsulation, and a contactless power transfer system configured to transfer at least one of power and data across the barrier encapsulation. A method for manufacturing a contactless power and data transfer system is also disclosed.


A connector (C1) includes a housing (10) and a pair of terminals (T1) adapted to interconnect to a pair of wires (W1, W2) to electrically connect with terminals (33, 35) of a connector (R1); wherein the connector has a key (20) that is movably latchable in the housing in one of two positions in accordance with the orientation of the wires as terminated to terminals (T1) to form an appropriate connector orientation relative to a keyway and the mating connector and assure proper mating of connectors and wires, despite random orientation of wires as terminated.

Electrical connectors may be terminated to the ends of electrical wires or in between the ends to form tap connections. When this is done with respect to cables having pairs, or multiples of pairs of wires, and particularly with respect to twisted pairs of wires, care must be taken to properly orient the wires relative to the connectors and the terminals thereof to assure that the appropriate wires relative to voltages, signal, and grounding pathways are maintained.
A conventional example of a tap connector utilized with multiple wires is disclosed in Japanese Patent Number 128460/1987. In a use of such connectors, the wires are typically numbered or colored to identify the appropriate wire relative to the terminals of the connector. One problem with such use, particularly experienced with automatic termination through machines arises by virtue of the fact that the wires must be identified in some way prior to termination. This results in either an opportunity for error, or a requirement that the wires be fed in a precise way with some means of detecting the color or identification of the wire in order to assure proper termination. If errors are made and the wire is improperly terminated, the wiring harness resulting therefrom is typically scrapped as it cannot be repaired economically.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel connector capable of being randomly terminated to electrical conductor wires, such as twisted pair wires. It is a further object to provide a tap connector capable of being interconnected to a pair of wires at the ends or intermediate the ends of a cable without the need to initially identify the orientation of the wires. It is still a further object to provide an improved method for terminating multiple conductor wires, and particularly twisted pair wires, to electrical connectors for use in a harness.

Connector and method for variable polarization