Viscoelastic surfactant (VES) gelled aqueous fluids containing water, a VES, an internal breaker, a VES stabilizer, a fluid loss control agent and a viscosity enhancer are useful as treating fluids and particularly as fracturing fluids for subterranean formations. These VES-based fluids have faster and more complete clean-up than polymer-based fracturing fluids. The use of an internal breaker permits ready removal of the unique VES micelle based pseudo-filter cake with several advantages including reducing the typical VES loading and total fluid volume since more VES fluid stays within the fracture, generating a more optimum fracture geometry for enhanced reservoir productivity, and treating reservoirs with permeability above the present VES limit of approximately 400 md to at least 2000 md.

Hydrocarbons sometimes exist in a formation but cannot flow readily into the well because the formation has very low permeability. In order for hydrocarbons to travel from the formation to the wellbore there must be a flow path from the formation to the wellbore. This flow path is through the formation rock and has pores of sufficient size and number to allow a conduit for the hydrocarbons to move through the formation. In some subterranean formations containing hydrocarbons, the flow paths are of low incidence or occurrence and/or size that efficient hydrocarbon recovery is hampered.
With respect to wells that previously produced satisfactorily, a common reason for a decline in oil and gas production from a particular formation is damage to the formation that plugs the rock pores and impedes the flow of oil to the wellbore and ultimately to the surface.
Well stimulation refers to the various techniques employed to improve the permeability of a hydrocarbon-bearing formation. One common well stimulation technique is fracturing. Thickened fluids have applications in hydraulic fracturing and in other well stimulation techniques known to one of ordinary skill in the art. Hydraulic fracturing is a method of using pump rate and hydraulic pressure to fracture or crack a subterranean formation thereby creating a relatively large flow channel though which hydrocarbon can more readily move from the formation and into the wellbore. Once the crack or cracks are made, high permeability proppant, relative to the formation permeability, is typically pumped into the fracture to prop open the crack. When the applied pump rates and pressures are reduced or removed from the formation, the crack or fracture cannot close or heal completely because the high permeability proppant keeps the crack open. The propped crack or fracture provides a high permeability path connecting the producing wellbore to a larger formation area to enhance the production of hydrocarbons. When an acid is used in the fracturing fluid to increase or restore permeability to the formation, the treatment is term "acid fracturing" or "acid frac".
Conventionally, aqueous fracturing fluids have had their viscosities increased by incorporating hydratable polymers therein (e.g. polysaccharides), where some polymers may be crosslinked to increase viscosity even further. Recently it has been discovered that aqueous drilling and treating fluids may be gelled or have their viscosity increased by the use of non-polymeric viscoelastic surfactants (VES). These VES materials are in many cases advantageous over the use of polymer gelling agents used in the past in that they are comprised of low molecular weight surfactants rather than high molecular polymers whereby polymer accumulations (e.g. polymeric filter cake) can be avoided. Polymeric filter cakes formed on and within the formation can result in damage to the formation when the polymeric filter cakes are removed prior to hydrocarbon production, and this damage may result in reduced production of hydrocarbons. In contrast, viscoelastic type surfactants generate viscosity in aqueous fluids by forming unique elongated micelle arrangements. These unique arrangements have often been referred to as worm-like or rod-like micelles structures. Additionally, VES gelled aqueous fluids may exhibit very high viscosity at very low shear rates and under static conditions. It has been found that generally VES fluids do not damage formations to the extent that polymer gelled fluids do, although recent investigations have discovered that VES-gelled fluids may also damage formations to some extent upon their removal.
Little progress has been made toward developing internal breaker systems for the non-polymeric VES-based gelled fluids. Conventionally, VES gelled fluids have relied only on "external" or "reservoir" conditions for viscosity reduction (breaking) and VES fluid removal (clean-up) during hydrocarbon production. Additionally, over the past decade it has been found that reservoir brine dilution has only a minor, if any, breaking effect of VES gel within the reservoir.
Instead, only one reservoir condition is primarily and conventionally relied on for VES fluid viscosity reduction (gel breaking or thinning), and that has been the rearranging, disturbing, and/or disbanding of the VES worm-like micelle structure by contacting the hydrocarbons within the reservoir, more specifically contacting and mixing with crude oil and condensate hydrocarbons, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,964,295. In one non-limiting embodiment, it is believed that the gel or increased viscosity is imparted to the aqueous fluid by the worm-like or rod-like micelles becoming entangled with one another.
However, in many gas wells and in cases of excessive displacement of crude oil hydrocarbons from the reservoir pores during a VES gel treatment, results have shown many instances where VES fluid in portions of the reservoir are not broken or are incompletely broken resulting in formation damage (hydrocarbon production impairment). Contacting and breaking the viscous micelle-based fluid by reservoir hydrocarbons in all parts of the reservoir is not always effective. One viable reason is the exceptionally high viscosity that VES fluid can exhibit at very low shear rates and static conditions which makes the fluid difficult to move and remove from porous media (i.e. the pores of the reservoir). Hydrocarbon producing reservoirs typically have heterogeneous permeability, where VES fluid within the less permeable portions of the reservoir may be even more difficult to move and cleanup. The very high viscosity at very low shear rates can prevent uniform contacting and breaking of viscous VES fluid by the reservoir hydrocarbons. Channeling and by-passing of viscous VES fluid often occurs that results in impaired hydrocarbon production. In such cases post-treatment clean-up fluids composed of either aromatic hydrocarbons, alcohols, surfactants, mutual solvents, and/or other VES breaking additives have been pumped within the VES treated reservoir in order to try and break the VES fluid for removal. However, placement of clean-up fluids is problematic and normally only some sections of the reservoir interval are cleaned up, leaving the remaining sections with unbroken or poorly broken VES gelled fluid that impairs hydrocarbon production.
Because of this phenomenon and other occasions where reliance on external factors or mechanisms has failed to clean-up the VES fluid from the reservoir during hydrocarbon production, or in cases where the external conditions are slow acting (instances where VES breaking and clean-up takes a long time, such as several days up to possibly months) to break and then produce the VES treatment fluid from the reservoir, and where post-treatment clean-up fluids (i.e. use of external VES breaking solutions) are inadequate in removing unbroken or poorly broken VES fluid from all sections of the hydrocarbon bearing portion of the reservoir, there has been an increasing and important industry need for VES fluids to have internal breakers. Desirable internal breakers that should be developed include breaker systems that use products that are incorporated within the VES-gelled fluid that are activated by downhole temperature or another mechanism that will allow a controlled rate of gel viscosity reduction over a rather short period of time of about 1 to 16 hours or so, similar to gel break times common for conventional polymeric fluid systems.
A challenge has been that VES-gelled fluids are not comprised of polysaccharide polymers that are easily degraded by use of enzymes or oxidizers, but are comprised of surfactants that associate and form viscous rod- or worm-shaped micelle structures that exhibit very high apparent viscosity at very low fluid shear rates. Conventional enzymes and oxidizers have not been found to act and degrade the surfactant molecules or the viscous micelle structures they form. It is still desirable, however, to provide some mechanism that relies on and uses internal phase breaker components that will help assure complete viscosity break of VES-gelled fluids.
It would be desirable if a viscoelastic surfactant-based system could have the performance properties similar to or better than polymeric fluid for well treatment, particularly fracturing, but still be less damaging to the formation permeability and fracture conductivity common to VES treatment fluids. It would be even more desirable if a VES fluid system could have performance properties of polymeric fluid for well treatment, but additionally have superior clean-up character to conventional VES fluids used for well treatments, particularly fracturing. It would also be advantageous if a composition and method could be devised to overcome some of the problems in the conventional fracturing methods and fluids.

Methods and compositions for fracturing subterranean formations


A circuit for isolating line voltage from a patient in an MRI environment, uses a filter network tuned to line voltage and incorporating blocking capacitors to eliminate the need for bulky air core transformers, complex energy transfer systems, and ferromagnetic components, while providing reduced heating such as might produce patient discomfort.

The present invention relates generally to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) equipment and in particular to a method of providing electrically isolated power to patient monitoring equipment used in conjunction with MRI.
Magnetic resonance imaging can provide sophisticated images of the human body by detecting faint nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) signals primarily from concentrations of hydrogen protons. In MRI, the patient is located in a strong polarizing magnetic field and hydrogen protons of the patient's tissues are excited into precession with a strong radio frequency (RF) pulse. A series of applied gradient magnetic fields are switched on and off to spatially encode the protons by phase and frequency after which sensitive antennas are used to detect the NMR signals which can then be reconstructed into images.
The MRI machine is a difficult environment for other electrical instrumentation. The switched magnetic gradients and the RF pulse create electromagnetic interference and the MRI receiving antenna is sensitive to interference from other devices. Magnetic materials such as those used in transformer and inductor cores must be eliminated from the region of the MRI machine because of the extremely strong polarizing magnetic field.
Often it is necessary to monitor physiological data of the patient in the MRI room before or during scanning. Such monitoring equipment may, for example, include blood pressure meters, anesthetic gas monitors, oximeters and ECG amplifiers requiring a source of electrical power.
If line power is used to power such monitoring equipment, care must be taken to isolate patient contacting portions of the equipment from the source of the line power, typically, 120 to 240 volts and 20 amperes or more. Conventional iron-core transformers can provide such isolation, but are impractical in the MRI environment because of their ferromagnetic cores. Ferrites, in contrast, can become saturated in the magnetic field of the MRI magnet, often 0.5 Tesla or more. Air core transformers, such as provide adjacent windings of copper conductors without a ferromagnetic core, may be used; however, air core transformers are bulky and inefficient, and this latter drawback generates heat that can be a problem in a patient contacting device.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,737,712 describes a method of providing isolated power to a patient contacting instrument by converting electrical power into another form (e.g. optical, mechanical, or acoustic power) and then reconverting those alternative forms of the electrical energy back into electrical energy for use by the device. The conversion process provides inherent limitations in power transfer. This approach requires complex mechanisms and is practically limited to extremely low power transfer.

Tuned frequency portal for power transfer in MRI environment


A method for aligning a feed horn in an antenna system (100) is disclosed. The antenna system (100) includes at least one reflector surface and one or more feed horns (141, 142, . . . 145). The method includes the steps of determining a desired reflection point of the central ray from the feedhorn of the reflector surface, configuring a laser beam source to be mounted on the feed horn to enable a laser beam to travel substantially coincidently along the axis of transmission of the feed horn in a direction towards the reflector surface, and adjusting the azimuth and elevation of the feed horn to align the laser beam with the desired reflection point on the reflector surface. A laser aligning apparatus (200) for practising the above method and an antenna system aligned by means of the laser alignment apparatus (200) and/or method are also disclosed.

The ever increasing density of geostationary satellites demands increasing numbers of antennas for tracking and communication purposes. This situation can be somewhat alleviated by the use of Multibeam Antennas (MBA), whereby one antenna system can be used to receive from, and transmit to, many satellites simultaneously. As satellite antenna systems tend to be large in volumetric size, reduced real estate requirements represent a significant advantage. Each MBA has many feed horns for reception and/or transmission and the number of feed horns determines the number of satellites that can be accessed.
Alignment of a feed horn in single beam axisymmetric antennas can be achieved relatively easily by centralising the feed with respect to the main surface of the antenna and levelling the feed aperture with the antenna pointing to zenith. An example of a single beam antenna is the circularly symmetrical Cassegrain type.
MBAs, like the classical Cassegrain or Gregorian reflectors, typically employ a pair of reflector surfaces, namely a main reflector and a sub-reflector. The shape and size of the reflector surfaces are different, however, and typically a MBA has only one plane of symmetry. Multiple reflections of the beam and the lack of symmetry between the reflecting surfaces demand an alternative and more complex method of aligning the feed horns than is necessary in the case of a single beam axisymmetric antenna. Accurate alignment of each feed horn is necessary to prevent or reduce interference between adjacent beams.
Consequently, a need exists for a method and apparatus for the alignment of one or more feed horns in a multibeam antenna system.

Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation


A switching device of NoC (Networks on Chip) system and a scheduling method thereof. The switching device has a switching part having a plurality of input ports and a plurality of output ports, and a scheduler for setting a transmission route between the input ports and the output ports, determining the length of code based on the number of input ports having the data among the plurality of input ports, and assigning a predetermined code of the determined code length to the input port and the output port corresponding to the set transmission route. Because the code length is adjustably varied according to the number of transmission packets, switch performance improves.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a switching device of networks-on-chip system, and a scheduling method thereof. More specifically, the present invention relates to a switching device of a networks-on-chip system and a scheduling method thereof, which is capable of variably allocating codes in accordance with the number of ports actually possessing data.
2. Description of the Related Art
Following the convergence of the fields of computers, communications and broadcasting, demands are rapidly changing from the ASIC (Application Specific IC) and ASSP (Application Specific Standard Product) to SoC (System on Chip). In addition to this, compactness and simplification and high functionality of IT (Information Technology) devices also stimulate SoC industry.
SoC is a technology-integrated semiconductor technique which realizes complicated systems of different functions into a single chip. Many studies are conducted for realization of SoC, and above all, a way to connect different ID elements built in the chip to each other, has been considered the most important issue.
A bus-based connection is widely used to connect IP elements. However, as the chip density increases and amount of information flow between IP elements surges, bus-based SoC has almost reached its structural limit.
In an attempt to overcome the above-mentioned problems of the bus-based SoC structure, a NoC (networks-on-chip), which incorporates general network technology in chips to connect IPs, has been newly suggested.
Active studies are being conducted by many laboratories around the world, and currently developing NoC architectures include, according to the type of switching, TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access)-based NoC, and CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access)-based NoC.
CDMA-based NoC uses orthogonality of the codes, and thus is capable of using wide bandwidth and robust to noise. However, a scheduling technology to guarantee switch fairness and prevent starvation of the NoC switch, has yet to be developed.
The CDMA switch also has a problem of occupying wide bandwidth even when there is a relatively few number of IPs to send signals from one point, because the fixed code length is used according to the conventional way.
FIG. 1 shows the structure of a conventional CDMA switch.
In CDMA switch, generally at least two IPs share one common switch. The CDMA switch of FIG. 1 illustrates the example where eight IPs A to H share one single switch.
In order to perform switching of eight IPs A to H in a star structure, it is always required to assign eight bits of different Walsh codes to the respective IPs. The following table 1 shows the Walsh Codes which are differently assigned to each of the IPs A to H.
TABLE 1Resource AddressAssigned CodeA00000000B01010101C00110011H01101001
As shown above, different codes are required for each of the ports in order to perform switching of packets at the ports. Accordingly, codes are unnecessarily waste especially when only a few number of IPs intend to transmit and receive data. Additionally, the CDMA switch also requires to longer length of codes as the number of ports increase. Therefore, requirements for computations and power increase in the switch.
Furthermore, in the event of competition in the CDMA switch, there is no specific scheduling method provided to solve such a problem. As mentioned above, the scheduling is very essential for the optimum networking of a single chip such as maintaining fairness of switch and reduction of latency.
However, due to the problems as mentioned above, the CDMA switch, is not widely used despite of its various advantages. As a result, improvement is required.

Switching device of networks-on-chip system and scheduling method thereof


An illumination system for a scanning lithography system used in the manufacture of semiconductor devices having a multiplex array or multi-image array resulting in pattern noise that is reduced by a spatially frequency modulated multiplex array or frequency modulating the pulse rate of a pulsed laser source. A pulsed laser source is used to illuminate a reticle containing a pattern thereon to be reproduced onto a semiconductor. An illumination system using a multiplex array or multi-image array to obtain macro uniformity of an illumination slot or field introduces micro non-uniformity that results in undesirable pattern noise or fixed pattern noise resulting in undesirable imaging properties. The undesirable effects of the pattern noise are eliminated or substantially reduced by spatially modulating the multiplex array in a scanning direction so that the periodic pattern has a linear magnification dependent on position. In another embodiment the pulse rate of the pulsed laser source is frequency modulated. The present invention improves linewidth control, linewidth variation, and edge roughness.

In the manufacture of semiconductor devices photolithographic techniques are used to reproduce the image of a reticle onto a photosensitive resist covered semiconductor wafer. The reticle contains patterns that are imaged onto the photosensitive resist covered wafer. After a series of exposures and subsequent processing, a semiconductor device containing a circuit pattern thereon is manufactured. An illumination system is used to provide a flux of electromagnetic radiation for the projection of the image of the reticle onto a semiconductor wafer. The image of the reticle is formed by an optical projection system that collects the electromagnetic radiation after passing through the reticle and projects the image of the reticle onto the photosensitive resist covered semiconductor wafer. As semiconductor device manufacturing technology advances, there are ever increasing demands on each component of the photolithography system used to manufacture the semiconductor devices. This includes the illumination system used to illuminate the reticle. There are many prior illumination systems that enhance uniformity of illumination and minimize loss of light. One such illumination system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,300,971 entitled "Projection Exposure Apparatus" issuing to Kudo on Apr. 5, 1994, which is herein incorporated by reference. Therein disclosed is an illumination system having a pulsed light source with a rotating deflecting prism used to direct the pulsed light to a fly's eye lens separated from the optical axis. A condenser is then used to condense the light from the fly's eye lens for illuminating a reticle. Another illumination system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,296,892 entitled "Illuminating Apparatus and Projection Exposure Apparatus Provided With Such Illumination Apparatus" issuing to Mori on Mar. 22, 1994, which is herein incorporated by reference. Therein disclosed is an illumination system having an optical integrator or a fly's eye lens positioned before a condenser. The optical integrator or a fly's eye lens is designed to be replaceable so that the numerical aperture on the emission side of the illumination system can be varied. Another illumination system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,245,384 entitled "Illuminating Optical Apparatus and Exposure Apparatus Having The Same" issuing to Mori on Sep. 14, 1993, which is herein incorporated by reference. Therein disclosed is an illumination system having an afocal zoom optical system placed before an optical integrator or fly's eye lens to vary the size of a plurality of secondary light sources. Yet another illumination system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,237,367 entitled "Illuminating Optical System and Exposure Apparatus Utilizing The Same" issuing to Kudo on Aug. 17, 1993, which is herein incorporated by reference. Therein disclosed is an illumination system having a first optical integrator or fly's eye lens and a first condenser followed by a second optical integrator or fly's eye lens and a second condenser. The second condenser then provides illumination to a reticle. Either the first optical integrator or fly's eye lens and the first condenser have a variable focal length. A further illumination system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,939,630 entitled "Illumination Optical Apparatus" issuing to Kikuchi et al on Jul. 3, 1990, which is herein incorporated by reference. Therein disclosed is an illumination system having a first optical integrator or means for forming a plurality of light source images followed by an optical system containing a second optical integrator or tertiary light source forming means followed by a condenser which directs illumination onto a reticle. A further illumination system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,534,970 issuing to Nakashima et al on Jul. 9, 1996, which is herein incorporated by reference. Therein disclosed is an illumination system that uses a scanning pivot mirror to scan interference fringes to obtain desired illumination in a scanning exposure apparatus. Additionally, moving diffusers and other well established techniques have been used in the past in an effort to obtain more desirable illumination properties.
While many of these prior illumination systems have provided improved illumination for their particular application, there is still a need to provide an illumination system that can be easily manufactured and provides uniform illumination and eliminates or reduces pattern noise effects that may occur in these prior illumination systems when illumination sources that have coherence properties, such as a laser, are used in a scanning lithography system.

Reduction of pattern noise in scanning lithographic system illuminators


An image capture device with a reduced number of line buffers. Based on an nth line of image data provided from an image sensor array and buffered data in the line buffers, a logic circuit determines defective candidates in an nth line of image data. When the (n+p)th line of image data is provided from the image sensor array, the logic circuit reexamines the defective candidates in the nth line of image data, for defective-pixel compensation, based on the (n+p)th line of image data and the buffered data in the plurality of line buffers. The buffered data in the line buffers contains the (n−p)th to (n−1)th lines of image data while the nth line of image data is provided from the image sensor array, and contains the nth to (n+p−1)th lines of image data while the (n+p)th line of image data is provided from the image sensor array.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to image capture devices and defective pixel detection and correction methods for image sensor array, particularly for reducing the number of line buffers.
Description of the Related Art
An image sensor array, e.g. an array of CMOS cells, may contain defective pixels like dark-spot defective pixels and bright-spot defective pixels.
The correct detection and proper compensation for defective pixels in an image sensor array is an important issue.

Image capture device, and defective pixel detection and correction method for image sensor array


The SoftRouter architecture separates the implementation of control plane functions from packet forwarding functions. In this architecture, all control plane functions are implemented on general purpose servers called the control elements (CEs) that may be multiple hops away from the forwarding elements (FEs). A network element (NE) or a router is formed using dynamic binding between the CEs and the FEs. The flexibility of the SoftRouter architecture over conventional routers with collocated and tightly integrated control and forwarding functions results in increased reliability, increased scalability, increased security, ease of adding new functionality, and decreased cost.

In conventional router architectures, there is close integration of the forwarding and control plane implementations. In a typical router, a group of forwarding elements and a switch fabric are controlled by control plane software running on a controller card in the same chassis or on a co-located chassis. The forwarding elements are statically associated with the control elements that run the control plane software. The control processors implementing control plane functions are collocated with the line cards that implement forwarding functions and often share the same router backplane. Communication between the control processors and the forwarding line card is not based on any standards-based mechanism, making it impossible to interchange control processors and forwarding elements from different suppliers. This also leads to a static binding between forwarding elements and line cards. A route typically has at most two controllers (live and stand-by) running control plane software. Each line card is statically bound to these two controllers. The two controllers, the line cards to which they are statically bound, and the switch fabric together constitute the router.
There is a need for a new router architecture that disaggregates the forwarding and control planes and dynamically associates forwarding elements and control elements.


Apparatus including a substrate and a mechanical switch, the mechanical switch located over the substrate, the mechanical switch including: a first electrical contact over the substrate; a support over the substrate, the support including a region moveable relative to the first electrical contact, the moveable region having a second electrical contact, the second electrical contact located over the first electrical contact; and a self-assembled molecular layer between the substrate and the second electrical contact. Method including placing into operation an apparatus, and applying a coulomb force causing the second electrical contact to move relative to the first electrical contact such that the switch is opened or closed.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to mechanical switches and to methods for controlling a mechanical switch in an electrical circuit.
2. Related Art
Various types of mechanical switches have been developed. Further, myriad miniaturized electronic components have been developed for integration into an integrated circuit. There is a continuing need for miniaturized mechanical switches and for methods for controlling a mechanical switch in an electrical circuit.


A prosthesis for treating a body passage includes a micro-porous tubular element and a support element. The tubular element is formed from a thin-walled sheet having a wall thickness of 25 micrometers or less, preferably a coiled-sheet exhibiting temperature-activated shape memory properties. The mesh pattern includes a plurality of openings in the sheet having a maximum dimension of not more than about 200 micrometers, thereby acting as a filter trapping embolic material while facilitating endothelial growth therethrough. The support element includes a plurality of struts, preferably having a thickness of 100-150 micrometers. The support element is preferably an independent component from the tubular element. Alternatively, the support element may be attached to or integrally formed as part of the tubular element. The tubular and support elements are placed on a catheter in contracted conditions and advanced endoluminally to a treatment location within a body passage. The tubular element is deployed, and the support element is expanded to an enlarged condition at the treatment location to engage an interior surface of the tubular element, thereby securing the tubular element and holding the lumen of the treatment location open.

Tubular prostheses or "stents" are often implanted within blood vessels, for example, within the coronary and carotid arteries, for treating atherosclerotic disease that may involve one or more stenoses. Stents generally have a tubular shape capable of assuming a radially contracted condition to facilitate introduction into a patient's vasculature, and an enlarged condition for engaging the vessel wall at a treatment location.
Plastically deformable stents have been suggested that are initially provided in their contracted condition, and placed over a balloon on an angioplasty catheter. At the treatment location, the balloon is inflated to plastically deform the stent until it is expanded to its enlarged condition.
Self-expanding stents have also been suggested that are biased to assume an enlarged condition but may be radially compressed to a contracted condition. The stent may be mounted to a delivery device and constrained in the contracted condition during delivery, for example, by an overlying sheath. At the treatment location, the stent may be released, for example, by retracting the sheath, the stent automatically resuming its enlarged condition to engage the vessel wall.
In addition to tubular stents, coiled-sheet stents have been suggested that include a flat sheet rolled into a spiral or helical shape having overlapping inner and outer longitudinal sections. Such stents generally have a lattice-like structure formed in the sheet and a plurality of fingers or teeth along the inner longitudinal section for engaging openings in the lattice. Once deployed at a treatment location, the fingers may engage openings in the lattice to lock the stent in the enlarged condition.
One of the problems with many stent structures, whether balloon-expandable or self-expanding, is that they substantially expose the underlying wall of the treatment location. For example, helical wire stent structures generally have substantial gaps between adjacent turns of the wire. Multi-cellular stent structures, which may include a series of slotted or zig-zag-shaped cells, create large spaces within and/or between the cells, particularly as they expand to their enlarged condition. The lattice structure of coiled-sheet stents generally also includes relatively large openings.
Thus, despite holding the wall of the treatment location generally open, the openings or gaps in these stents may substantially expose the bloodstream to plaque, tissue prolapse, or other embolic material attached to the wall of the vessel. This embolic material may be inadvertently released during or after deployment of the stent, and then travel downstream where it may cause substantial harm, particularly if it reaches a patient's neurovasculature.
One proposed solution to address the issue of embolic containment is to cover a conventional stent with a fabric or polymer-type material. This solution has met with limited success, however, because of the propensity to form false lumens due to poor apposition of the covering and the vessel wall.
Accordingly, it is believed that a stent capable of supporting the wall of a blood vessel being treated, while substantially minimizing exposure of embolic material to the bloodstream, would be considered useful.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Micro-porous mesh stent with hybrid structure


An improved leadframe panel suitable for use in packaging IC dice is described. The described leadframe panel is configured such that the amount of leadframe material that is removed during singulation of the leadframe panel is reduced.

Conventionally, the singulation of leadframe panel device areas is accomplished via known techniques such as sawing. Often gang-cutting saws are used that employ a plurality of saw blades in parallel such that relatively few saw passes are required to singulate the device areas of the leadframe panel. The process of singulation, and more particularly the process of sawing, produces stresses on leadframe components and associated bonds that may damage the components and associated bonds.
Often the tie bars that interconnect the device areas of the leadframe panel are etched or otherwise thinned such that the amount of leadframe material removed during singulation is reduced. This reduces the stresses on the leadframe components and associated bonds and also extends saw blade life. However, there are continuing efforts to develop more efficient methods of singulation and leadframe panel configurations that enable more efficient singulation while still meeting or improving on other packaging requirements.


A single reel with magnetic tape wound thereon is housed in a case. A restraining member, for restricting rotation of the reel by moving toward or away from the reel, is urged in a restraining direction by an urging member. The pushing-up portions of a releasing member are inserted into the through holes bored in the reel gear of the reel 2 so that the lower ends can abut a driving gear. The releasing member moves the restraining member in a releasing direction by moving according to the chucking operation of drive-side rotation drive means. In this manner, reel-rotation restraining means allows rotation of the reel when being used and restricts the rotation when not being used. In this construction, each of the through holes is bored between the tooth edges of the reel gear so that the releasing member can perform a reliable releasing operation.

In conventional tape cartridges used as storage media that are employed in external storage units for computers, etc., there is known a type in which magnetic tape is wound on a single reel and this reel is rotatably housed within a cartridge case. This magnetic tape is employed as a data storing tape for computers, etc., and because important information is stored, reel-rotation restraining means to restrict rotation of the reel is installed so that problems, such as tape jamming, etc., do not occur and so that the magnetic tape is not forwarded unexpectedly when not being used, such as when being archived, etc.
The reel-rotation restraining means is equipped with a restraining member that restricts rotation of the reel by engaging part of the reel, and is provided so that when the cartridge is loaded into a drive unit such as an external storage unit, etc., a restrained state by the restraining member is released according to a reel chucking operation performed by drive-side rotation drive means.
Hence, due to demands for enhancement in the reliability of the aforementioned operation of the reel-rotation restraining means, prevention of dust entry into the cartridge, etc., this reel-rotation restraining means is provided in a structure separated into a restraining member for restricting rotation of the reel, an urging member for urging this restraining member in a restraining direction, and a releasing member for moving the restraining member in a releasing direction by moving in accordance with the chucking operation of the drive-side rotation drive means.
That is, in the non-operative condition, the reel is restricted by the restraining member so that it does not rotate unexpectedly, as a result of which the magnetic tape is not forwarded. However, if the cartridge is loaded into a drive unit and chucking of the reel is performed by rotation drive means, the releasing member moves in interlock with the chucking operation and releases the restraining member. In this state, the reel is rotatable and therefore the magnetic tape can be forwarded and rewound.
In the aforementioned mechanism, it is also preferable to perform the pushing operation, for the releasing movement of the releasing member which results from the chucking operation of the drive-side rotation drive means, at a plurality of positions on the outer peripheral portion rather than at a single position on the center portion, because a stable releasing operation can thus be performed. At this time, it is advantageous in achieving structural simplification, etc., to provide a reel gear, which meshes the driving gear of the drive-side rotation drive means, in the reel, to provide pushing-up portions, formed in part of the releasing member, so that the distal ends abut the driving gear through the through holes provided in the real gear, and to provide the driving gear so that when the drive-side rotation drive means performs the chucking operation, the driving gear pushes the pushing-up portions and releases the releasing member.
However, piercing the reel gear and boring the through holes, as described above, will reduce the mesh between the reel gear and the driving gear and therefore become a problem with respect to driving the reel reliably. If the through hole is reduced from such a respect, the shape of the portion of the releasing member inserted into this through hole will also become smaller and therefore there is a possibility that it will become unstable for the tooth edge of the driving gear to abut the reduced portion accurately and give a reliable pushing operation.
In addition, in the case where the pushing-up portions are formed in part of the releasing member and are inserted into the through holes of the reel and slid, as described above, the releasing member is subjected to the urging force of the urging member and gives rise to bending deformation. As a result, since a tilting force acts on the push-up portion, part of the outside surface is pushed against the inner surface of the through hole and the friction resistance becomes greater, the sliding between the pushing-up portion and the through hole is disturbed, and there is a possibility that the releasing member will not be able to release the restraining member reliably.
The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned points, and accordingly, the object of the invention is to provide a magnetic tape cartridge in which the releasing member of the reel-rotation restraining means is capable of performing a reliable releasing operation.


A door lock/unlock system of a type having an electrically operated door lock/unlock mechanism for holding a door in a locked position and allowing the door to be opened comprises a position sensor for detecting positions of the door lock/unlock mechanism, namely a lock position and an unlock position, when a battery is removed from an electric circuit once and thereafter re-connected again to the same, with or without an intention of committing a theft of the vehicle, and a controller for controlling operation of the door lock/unlock mechanism according to the detected position.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a door lock/unlock system for a vehicle, and, more particularly, to a door lock/unlock system provided with an antitheft feature.
2. Description of Related Art
In recent years, vehicles are typically equipped with a door lock/unlock system having a power lock feature that a door lock/unlock mechanism is actuated by an electric actuator to lock and unlock a vehicle door. With such a door lock/unlock system, when manually locking or unlocking a door beside a driver's seat, other doors are correspondingly locked or unlocked by means of an electric actuator all at once. Even when the lock/unlock mechanism is in a lock state or in an unlock state, each of the doors is unlocked by manually operating a related interior door lock knob. Accordingly, it is possible for burglars or persons other than the owner of the vehicle to unlock a door in an unfair manner, for example by breaking a window glass and operating the interior door lock knob with a hand or by operating the interior door lock knob with a metal wire or a metal stick inserted through a gap between a window frame and a window glass. In order to prevent a vehicle from robbery or theft, there have been proposed restraint door lock system of the type equipped with a power lock mechanism and a restraint door lock mechanism which makes the door lock/unlock mechanism inoperative unless the door key inserted in the key cylinder is operated with intention of opening the door and even, for example, when the interior door lock knob is operated to unlock the door. Such a restraint door lock system is known from, for example, Japanese Patent Application laid-open to the public as Publication No. 2-171485.
It is noted that the term "super lock" as used hereafter in the specification refers to a state that the lock/unlock mechanism is restrained in the lock state and abbreviated "S/L," the term "normal lock" as used hereafter in the specification refers to a state that the lock/unlock mechanism is in an ordinary lock state and abbreviated "N/L," and the term "unlock lock" as used hereafter in the specification refers to a state that the lock/unlock mechanism is in an unlock state and abbreviated "U/L."
Because the super lock system, i.e. the restraint door lock system, is actuated by a power actuator, in the event that persons having an intention of committing a theft of the vehicle cuts off the electric connection between the power source battery and the electric circuit of the vehicle after breaking a window and operating a hood opener to open the hood of the engine compartment, and electrically connects these power source battery and electric circuit of the vehicle again, the power actuator recovers its operation and, however, brings the restraint door lock mechanism into release of the super lock state.
In order to be prevented from a theft, a vehicle of this type is provided with a hood opener lock means for locking a hood opener to prevent the hood of an engine compartment from being opened whenever the door lock/unlock mechanism is in the super lock state, so as thereby to deprive a person having an intention to steal the vehicle of access to the power source battery in the engine compartment. Such a hood opener lock means is known from, for example, Japanese Patent Application laid-open to the public as Publication No. No.7-26821. There has been proposed a door lock/unlock mechanism adapted to restraint release of the super lock state when re-connected to the power source battery.
While the door lock/unlock system adapted to restraint release of the super lock state when re-connected to the power source battery is desirable in light of the antitheft purpose, however, it causes a somewhat troublesome operation imposed on a driver. Specifically, in an event where, after having removed once a battery from the vehicle with the door lock/unlock mechanism of all of the door left in the super lock state, for the purpose of, for example, charging the battery or replacing the battery with a fresh one, the charged battery or a fresh battery is re-connected to the electric circuit of the vehicle with only the driver's side door having been unlocked by a door key, the remaining doors other than the driver's side door remain in the super lock state. Consequently, it is necessary for the driver to release the super lock state of the door lock/unlock mechanisms of the remaining doors before unlocking the remaining doors, which is always troublesome for the driver.

Superlocking vehicle door lock/unlock system


A docking mechanism is disclosed that is used to establish a network connection between a mobile device and an enterprise Private Branch Exchange (PBX). Once docked, a mobile unified communication integrated dialer (MUCID) is able to be used to select between carrying a communications call over a land line (through the PBX system) or a mobile telephone line (through a cellular communication network). User mobility is provided by allowing a docked mobile device to be undocked either using a trigger on the docking station or via a UI interface on the mobile device and transfer an active call being carried over the PBX onto the mobile device.

Many business establishments use a private branch exchange (PBX) system to make connections among their internal telephone lines and connect the internal lines to a public switched telephone network (PSTN). A PBX system often includes extensions to other devices such as fax machines, modems, etc. Further, many PBX systems include extensions to mobile devices (e.g., cellular phones, smart phones, etc.). The PBX extension to mobile allows the users to use their mobile devices as virtual extensions of the PBX and benefit from features of PBX, such as single number reachability (SNR) and simultaneous ringing. For example, using the single number reachability feature of PBX, an office worker using the PBX extension to mobile may use his/her personal cell phone to receive business calls incoming to his/her office phone. Similarly, using the simultaneous ringing feature of PBX, the office worker's business phone and cell phone ring simultaneously so that he/she can receive calls incoming to his/her office phone at his/her cell phone.
Due to the increasing number of individuals that spend time away from their work environments, either by telecommuting, working from client locations, or working while traveling, many business establishments have been moving away from their traditional settings and investing in providing their employees with mobile and remote communications capabilities. Although, features such as the PBX extension to mobile may be used, existing features are costly to set up and do not provide the user with the ability to access their personal number and their business number using their smart phone.

Method and apparatus for transferring a communication call


A radiographic apparatus according to an embodiment includes storage, a shape image capture unit, an image acquiring unit, a position acquiring unit, a conversion unit, and a positional relationship adjusting unit. The shape image capture unit captures the shape image of an examinee. The image acquiring unit acquires a shape image from the storage. The position acquiring unit acquires a position in the acquired shape image which corresponds to a region of interest. The conversion unit converts the position in the acquired shape image into a position in the captured shape image. The positional relationship adjusting unit adjusts the positional relationship between a detector and the examinee on the basis of the conversion result.

In recent years, nuclear medicine imaging apparatuses, such as a gamma camera, a single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) apparatus, and a positron emission tomography (PET) apparatus, have been known. The nuclear medicine imaging apparatus includes a detector that detects radiation. The nuclear medicine imaging apparatus detects radiation emitted from an isotope or a labeled compound which is introduced into body tissues using the detector and forms the image of the dose distribution of the radiation detected by the detector, thereby reconstructing a nuclear medicine image that provides the functional information of the body tissues.
For example, a radioactive drug including a labeled compound that is frequently introduced into tumor tissues is put into the body of the examinee. Then, the nuclear medicine imaging apparatus detects radiation emitted from the labeled compound for a predetermined period of time and reconstructs a nuclear medicine image including the distribution of the tumor tissues of the examinee into which the labeled compound is introduced, thereby providing the functional information of the body tissues of the examinee.
In addition, in recent years, apparatuses have been proposed in which a nuclear medicine imaging apparatus that provides functional information is integrated with an X-ray computed tomography (X-ray CT) apparatus that provides shape information. For example, the following apparatuses have been proposed: a PET-CT apparatus in which a PET apparatus and an X-ray CT apparatus are integrated with each other; and a SPECT-CT apparatus in which a SPECT apparatus and an X-ray CT apparatus are integrated with each other.
However, in the above-mentioned technique, in some cases, the image quality of a region of interest is lower than that of other regions in the PET image.

Radiographic apparatus, control method, and computer program product


Waveguide filters utilizing the TM modes in an evanescent waveguide are provided. The Q of such filters surpasses any evanescent, dual and triple mode filters in propagating or evanescent waveguides. The waveguide filter in accordance with the present invention features a small size, as well as ease and simplicity in its manufacture when compared with conventional filters. Filters of exceptionally high Q and very low loss, when compared to conventional filters, can be obtained by employing TM modes in an evanescent waveguide. The TM mode evanescent filter has a higher Q than either the evanescent TE mode standard filter of a single mode propagating waveguide (TM or TE) or even the dual or triple mode filters in evanescent or propagating waveguides.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to waveguide filters, and more particularly to utilizing electric (E) field or TM modes in evanescent waveguides.
2. Brief Discussion of the Related Art
Radio transmitters and receivers require filters to remove or suppress unwanted frequencies from being transmitting or received. The transmitter portion of a radio may generate frequencies that will interfere with the radio system, or that may be prohibited by a radio frequency spectrum governing body. The receiver may need to suppress unwanted signals at different frequencies generated by the transmitter, or received from an external source, which would adversely affect the performance of the receiver.
At millimeter-wave frequencies sources of unwanted frequencies include the local oscillator frequency, image frequencies from the mixer, and the transmitter frequencies (in the case of the receiver). The frequencies generated by the mixer and the local oscillator are functions of the selected radio architecture. The closer the oscillator frequency (or its harmonics) is to the transmitter frequencies, the more difficult it is to remove the undesired frequency. However, wider spaced frequencies may result in more complex circuitry resulting in a more expensive radio implementation. A small separation between the transmit and receive frequencies can result in unwanted high power transmit frequencies leaking into the receiver. The separation between the transmit and receive frequencies is usually specified by the licensing bodies and the system operators. The radio designer may not have control over this specification.
To suppress unwanted frequencies below an acceptable power level, a filter element is required in the signal path. The filter element discriminates between the desired and undesired frequencies based on the wavelengths of the signals. At millimeter-wave frequencies the difference between the wavelengths is very small, resulting in very high manufacturing tolerances.


A system for locating a fatigue point on a structure (10) employing a smart sensor patch (12) having three triangularly adjacent acoustic sensors (40 a,b,c). The smart sensor patch (12) has a local processor (34) associated therewith, which triangulates the location of the fatigue point.

1. Technical Field
This invention relates to a system and method for determining the distance and direction of an acoustic emission, and more particularly to a system and method for locating fatigue points which minimizes the number of sensors needed to locate a fatigue point on a structure.
2. Discussion
Once a structural device, such as an airplane or a bridge, is put into service, it becomes necessary to detect and pinpoint fatigue points on the structure as they occur in order that they can be repaired. Because visual inspection can be both time consuming as well as inaccurate, acoustic sensors have been employed to detect fatigue points as they occur on the structure. One known application involves deploying a multitude of sensors over the surface of the structure. When a fatigue point occurs, the acoustic wave generated by the fatigue point is sensed by the acoustic sensors. Using the technique of geometric triangulation, the location of the fatigue point can be determined. One disadvantage, however, with this application is that each individual sensor has only a limited area of coverage. Therefore, a great number of individual sensors is required to cover large areas such as an aircraft skin. In this prior system, each sensor operates independently and the task of interpretating the sensor data and triangulating to determine the location of the fatigue point is processed at a central, or host, computer. Thus, a second disadvantage lies in the fact that as the size of the surface area desired to be monitored increases, the number of independent acoustic sensors increase, which results in increased complexity in both the wiring and the triangulation task of the central computer.

System and method for locating material fatigue using multiple sensors


A hanging articulated mat assemblage disposed between pilings or on a support structure using a plurality of elements connected with flexible rope to each other and to a support beam which permits the mat to swing freely while supporting substantial weight, and optionally using a nonabrasive pad disposed on selected faces of the elements to prevent abrasion while swinging of the mat.

Articulated mats are used for offshore coastal and marine applications where separation, stabilization, protection and scour prevention is needed for pipelines and other installations submerged, partially submerged, or where shoreline, stream and river erosion protection is needed. These mats are particularly useful in areas where considerable hydrodynamic forces are generated currents and waves. Traditionally, seabed pipelines were covered with these types of mats for protection and stabilization of the pipeline however it is novel to consider hanging these mats for coastal restoration. Examples of articulated mats, their components, and their uses are given in European patent specification 0152232, and U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,876,628; 2,674,856; 4,370,075; 4,357,928; 4,417,828; 5,052,859; and 5,193,937.
Concrete is the preferred material in these mats because of its high tensile and compressive strength and its almost endless resistance to the action of natural types of water, including slowing water velocity. Unfortunately, concrete is hard and heavy. To help prevent erosion, hanging a concrete mat can be used to retard wave action associated with high tides, high wave action, tide surges and the like. The present invention is directed to hanging the mat between pilings or support structures, such that the mat can easily move with the tidal flows and wave action, yet provide resistance to erosion while simultaneously providing give and take with the water velocity.
There is a need in the art for dissipating wave energy, preventing erosion and restoring coastlines without being on the shoreline or on the embankment. In the instant invention, water can flow through the hanging mat which reduces the amount of force exerted against the mat. The mat elements are cast onto a rope so they cannot slide down the rope during use. Since the elements will not slide, the mat can be vertically hung. Also in the present invention, some elements can be removed to allow more water flow past them at yet, the entire mat will remain intact.
The present invention is related to dampening and flow diversion of water using a mat structure during high tides, high wave action and tide surges, without adding substantial weight to the bank. The present invention is particularly designed to dampen the wave action caused by barge and boat wakes. The improvement of the present invention relates to hanging the mats, while permitting one end of the mat to rest in the water and freely move back and forth with tidal currents or related water flows.


An apparatus for measuring pattern of a grating device is provided. In an embodiment, the apparatus comprises a light source unit, an image unit, a processing unit, and a movement unit. The light source unit irradiates to a surface of the grating device. The image unit acquires a plurality of first digital images including an image on the surface of the grating device and images due to Talbot effect between the surface and a first position with respect to the grating device. The image unit acquires a plurality of second digital images due to Talbot effect at a second position determined based on the first digital images when the movement unit produces a relative movement between the image unit and grating device. Based on the acquired digital images, analysis, inspection on the grating device, or comparison of the grating device with a reference grating scale, can be implemented optionally.

Conventionally, optical grating devices, such as linear scales or encoders, are measured using methods, such as scanning probe method (SPM) and optical diffraction effect (OD) by laser light sources.
The scanning probe methods such as Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) are complex and require specific conditions for operation. For example, SEM can observe and measure the grating pattern in nano-scale but it is destructive test method. In addition, vacuum is required for operation of SEM. This method is not suitable to implement as an online test method and cannot measure a large linear scale. For another example, AFM can measure a small area usually under 100 umλ100 um but cannot measure large linear scale.
For the optical diffraction methods, the pitch of the grating device can be determined by the aid of laser diffraction in Littrow condition. This method can measure pitch of grating scale very precisely. However, this method utilizes laser as its light source and cannot determine exactly which pitch has error.
For the foregoing reasons, there is a need for an apparatus which can measure pattern of grating devices in different sizes or length, effectively, efficiently, and flexibly.

Apparatus and method for measuring pattern of a grating device

NATIONAL TAIWAN UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY


Apparatus, methods, processors and computer readable media for determining the voice and/or data processing performance or capability of a wireless device. Embodiments include a wireless device having a computer platform with a processing engine operable to generate a plurality of performance data during voice and/or data processing activities on the wireless device. The wireless device further includes a voice/data performance module operable to collect selected ones of the plurality of performance data associated with a predetermined voice and/or data processing capability of the wireless device. The embodiments may also include an apparatus operable to receive the collected performance data and to generate a performance report characterizing a voice and/or data processing performance or capability of the wireless device.

The described embodiments generally relate to wireless communications devices and computer networks. More particularly, the described embodiments relate to apparatus and methods for determining voice and/or data processing performance of a wireless device, along with the collection, reporting and analysis of voice/data processing-related data from the wireless device.
Wireless networking connects one or more wireless devices to other computer devices without a direct electrical connection, such as a copper wire or optical cable. Wireless devices communicate data, typically in the form of packets, across a wireless or partially wireless computer network and open a "data" or "communication" channel on the network such that the device can send and receive data packets. The wireless devices often have wireless device resources, such as programs and hardware components, which individually and cooperatively operate to use and generate data in accordance to their design and specific protocol or configuration, such as using open communication connections to transmit and receive data on the network. In order for the wireless devices to operate efficiently and optimally, either alone or on the wireless networks, it would be useful for the data associated with the device, its operation and applications, to be collected and reported, i.e., voice and/or data performance measurement. The set-up or configuration of these devices typically includes installing or adjusting various hardware, software and/or firmware and other associated parameters on the wireless device. Further, the set-up, or configuration is typically analyzed by running the voice and/or data performance tests on the wireless device to measure the performance and/or operability of the wireless device on the wireless network. Each type of wireless device may have its own device-specific set-up, and each wireless network and/or carrier may also have their network-specific and/or carrier-specific set-ups. Thus, the initial set-up and configuration of a wireless device for operation on a given wireless network is typically very complicated and time consuming. However, once the device is in operation, i.e., in use by the commercial/private owner, the actual performance data, such as set-up time, throughput, etc., is largely unknown to the network carrier, regarding that specific device.
Another complicating factor in understanding and tracking of device performance measurement is that typically external testing devices are required. For example, in a wireless device such as a cellular phone, various analyzers are serially connected to the phone and input and/or measure various parameters. In order to maximize throughput, such testing is typically performed in a batch mode on a plurality of wireless devices, resulting in a confusing mass of external testing devices, cables and wireless devices. Further, typically such measurements involve mobile testing, such as driving the cellular phone around a predetermined area to test its receive and transmit capabilities in varying environmental conditions. For example, with a cellular phone, these tests involve an exchange of messaging communications between a base station and the cellular phone. These mobile pre-operation measurements can be very inefficient and may only occur in a testing mode prior to device operation in actual use. Further, the external cabling and testing devices may have electromagnetic interactions with the transmit and receive functions of the wireless device, thereby producing inaccurate results.
Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide an apparatus and method that allows for efficient, comprehensive collection and reporting of wireless device voice and/or data processing performance.

Apparatus and methods for determining voice and/or data processing performance of a wireless device


A method includes receiving an atomic operation for execution, wherein the execution of the atomic operation is to access a data container stored in more than one data store device of a plurality of data store devices in a distributed storage system. The method includes executing, in response to receiving the atomic operation, a write-back cache operation for the data container to preclude access of the data container by a different operation prior to completion of the atomic operation. The method also includes executing the atomic operation, wherein executing the atomic operation comprises accessing the data container stored in the more than one data store device of the distributed storage system.

Features generally relate to the field of data storage, and, more particularly, to atomicity using write-back caching in a distributed storage system.
The creation and storage of data has proliferated in recent years. Accordingly, there are a number of techniques and mechanisms that facilitate efficient and cost effective storage of large amounts of data. For example, a cluster network environment of nodes may be implemented as a data storage system to facilitate the creation, storage, retrieval, and/or processing of data. Such a data storage system may be implemented using a variety of storage environments, such as a network-attached storage (NAS) environment, a storage area network (SAN), a direct-attached storage environment, and combinations thereof. The foregoing data storage systems may comprise one or more data storage devices configured to store data within data volumes or containers.
Each data container can be serviced by a particular computer or node. Each data container can support a defined number of inodes, wherein each inode can represent one file or directory. These separate containers have limits regarding their size (derived from how many disks the computer can support), how much traffic can be served (derived from the processor, memory and network bandwidth available on the computer), how many discrete files can be stored (often limited by choice of storage format, such as using 32-bit quantities for inode numbers), etc. These container-derived limits are often very hard to raise. Raising these container limits can require significant investment in new hardware, for example, or an extensive software redesign that would require substantial investment.

Write-back caching-based atomicity in a distributed storage system


An electroconductive particle having a core particle and a tin oxide-containing coating layer on the core particle. The tin oxide of the coating layer has a crystallite size of 70 to 200 Å. The electroconductive particle preferably has a ratio of R3 to R1 of 1 to 250, wherein R1 and R3 are respective surface resistivities of electroconductive films formed of a coating composition containing the electroconductive particle and prepared by 1-hour dispersing and 3-hour dispersing, respectively. The coating layer preferably comprises dopant element-free, electroconductive tin oxide.

Known techniques relating to electroconductive tin oxide particles include those described in patent Literatures 1 and 2 below. Patent Literature 1 discloses fine particles of oxygen-deficient tin oxide having an oxygen to tin atomic ratio, O/Sn, of 1.75 to 1.95. The tin oxide particles are described as being free from antimony that imparts an undesirable black color to tin oxide and yet equal to antimony-containing tin oxide in electroconductivity. The tin oxide particles are obtained by mixing a tin compound solution with an acid or alkali aqueous solution, adding a phosphorus compound to the resultant reaction mixture to form a precipitate, washing, drying, and grinding the precipitate, and firing the resulting particles in the atmosphere.
Patent Literature 2 discloses white electroconductive powder composed of a particle of a complex oxide comprising Al2O3, TiO2, and SiO2 and an antimony-doped tin oxide layer on the surface of the particle. Patent Literature 2 describes the electroconductive powder as being excellent in electroconductivity and whiteness. The electroconductive powder is obtained by dispersing the complex oxide particles in water, adding dropwise to the resulting aqueous dispersion a mixed aqueous solution containing a tin source and an antimony source along with an alkali aqueous solution to precipitate an antimony-doped tin oxide compound on the surface of the complex oxide particles, and firing the particles in the atmosphere.


Novel packing materials are provided for liquid chromatography and/or solid phase extraction columns which will allow direct injection of biological fluids. These packing materials have a hydrophilic exterior layer and a hydrophobic, charged or otherwise selective portion that forms an underlayer or is embedded in the hydrophilic layer. During a chromatographic process large water soluble biopolymers will be in contact with the hydrophilic outer layer and be shielded from interacting with the underlayer or embedded portion and elute unretained. Small analytes, on the other hand, can be fully partitioned throughout the exterior and interior layers and are retained by hydrophobic or electrostatic interactions. Using such packings the direct analyses of plasma or serum for drug analysis is demonstrated.

It is frequently necessary to confirm the presence of drug substances, their metabolites, etc., in serum or plasma and/or to measure the concentrations of these compounds. In other cases, it is necessary to separate bio-polymers from smaller substances as a step in purifying substances from biological or from biomass mixtures. Such analyses are carried out using liquid chromatographic systems as illustrated in FIG. 1 of the drawings. The invention is compatible with high performance liquid chromatographic systems but is not limited to them.
Most of the published data and methods in this area of research relate to the LC analysis of drugs, metabolites, etc., in serum or plasma. The ways the mixtures are sampled can be classified as indirect and direct sampling. Indirect sampling involves treatment of the sample to remove the proteins, e.g. by precipitation, followed by extraction of the compound(s) of interest into a protein-free solvent system. Although this method involves multi-step preparation before the sample can be analyzed by a particular LC method, it still attracts much of the practical attention. Direct sampling, or direct injection of the untreated sample on an LC analytical column, causes clogging of the column, resulting in increasing pressure drop, peak broadening, variation of retention times, etc., unless special precautions are taken. After each sample injection, or after a few injections, the column must be thoroughly washed to remove precipitated proteins, particularly when larger serum samples (.gtoreq.10 .mu.l) are needed to detect the analytes of interest at their therapeutic or biological levels.
A partial solution to the above problems was found in a combination of an analytical column and a precolumn and two delivery pumps in a column switching system. Usually, the serum sample is loaded onto a short precolumn under mobile phase conditions in which only the drug(s) elute onto the analytical column. When all the components of interest elute from the precolumn to the analytical column, a valve is switched so that one pump continues to deliver mobile phase for elution of the compounds of interest from the analytical column for separation, while the second pump delivers a washing solution to the precolumn for removal of the proteins. To avoid clogging, the precolumn is filled with relatively large particles, usually 20-40 .mu.m, and is replaced frequently to avoid deterioration of the analytical column (W. Rothe, et al., J. Chromatog. 222 (1981) 13). Usually, both columns are filled with reversed phase packing, e.g. C.sub.8 or C.sub.18 bonded to a silica support.
To avoid protein accumulation in the precolumn and to speed up the washing step, a less hydrophobic packing has been used, butyl modified methacrylate, as manufactured by TosoH, Japan, and sold under the tradename TOYOPEARL.TM. BT-650M. In the loading cycle, 10-50% saturated ammonium sulfate (NH.sub.4).sub.2 SO.sub.4 aqueous mobile phase is used. Under such conditions, serum proteins are retained on the precolumn and the drugs elute to load the reversed phase analytical column. Then, by column switching, the analytical column is separately programmed, while the precolumn is cleaned of the retained proteins, using a buffer solution of lower ionic strength (G. Tamai, et al., Chromatographia 21 (1986) 519).
In another study, a polystyrene divinylbenzene resin, manufactured by Rohm and Haas, USA, and sold under the tradename Amberlite.RTM. XAD-2, was used as the packing in the precolumn to retain methaqualone (MTQ), while eluting the plasma proteins. After all the proteins are washed away (with a pH 9.3 buffer solution), the mobile phase is adjusted to elute MTQ (R. A. Hux, et al., Anal. Chem. 34 (1982) 113).
Another example of a two-modal HPLC system combines size exclusion chromatography (SEC) and reversed phase chromatography (RPLC) using two columns in a column switching system. Following exclusion of the biopolymers from the SEC column, the later eluting band of smaller molecular size compounds was backflushed to the RPLC analytical column (S. F. Chang, et al., J. Pharm. Sci. 72 (1983) 236).
All the above examples employ column switching which requires an elaborate chromatographic system, including a second solvent delivery system, a second column and a switching system. Moreover, the operation of the switching system itself requires labor or investment in additional control equipment.
A completely different approach was undertaken by Pinkerton, et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 4,544,485). They redesigned the packing of the analytical column in such a way that the proteins elute in the excluded volume (void volume) and the analytes are retained and separated on the same analytical column. This was accomplished by chemically modifying a hydrophilic diol phase with a hydrophobic oligopeptide, e.g. glycyl-(L-phenylalanine)n, where n=1,2, or 3. It is crucial to their invention that the diol phase is bonded to a porous silica gel having a pore diameter smaller than 80 angstroms. Following this modification, the phenylalanine moiety is enzymatically cleaved from the diol ligand with a protease. The cleavage is restricted to surface areas that are accessible to the protease, resulting in a support for which the diol ligands are only present on the external surface, while L-phenylalanine modified ligands are present in the internal surface, i.e., the pores of the packing material. The ligands that are not accessible to the enzyme are similarly not accessible to the serum proteins. Thus, these proteins are excluded from entering the pores and elute in the void volume, while the smaller molecules (e.g., drugs) can interact with the hydrophobic phenylalanine ligands (U.S. Pat. No. 4,544,485). This support, named internal surface reverse phase liquid chromatographic packing (IS-RP), can be used to analyze many serum sample without the damaging accumulation of proteinaceous precipitate seen on regular RPLC columns.
Conceptually, the study of Yoshida, et al., (Chromatographia 19 (1985) 466) is similar to that of Pinkerton. They adsorbed denatured plasma proteins on C.sub.18 silica supports having small pore diameter. These supports no longer retained plasma proteins, but still showed reversed phase characteristics for smaller analytes. The phenomenon is depicted as similar to that of Pinkerton's model, or as having the proteinaceous precipitation limited to the externally exposed surface, thereby making the external surface hydrophilic, while keeping the non-exposed internal C.sub.18 surface free of such precipitation and accessible for (hydrophobic) interaction with small compounds.
Thus an object of this invention is to provide a novel packing material for liquid chromatography which will allow the direct injection of biological fluids into the column.
Another object of this invention is to provide a packing material for chromatographic columns which has a hydrophilic exterior layer and a hydrophobic underlayer.
Still another object of this invention is to provide a chromatographic column which will shield and exclude large biopolymers but permit the partitioning of and hydrophobic interaction with small analytes.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide a novel shielded hydrophobic phase packing for chromatography adapted to bond to porous and non-porous silica supports.
Another object of this invention is to provide a chromatographic phase having a covalently bonded micellar surface.
Another object of this invention is to provide a packing material for chromatographic columns which has a hydrophilic exterior layer and an anionic underlayer.
Another object of this invention is to provide a packing material for chromatographic columns which has a hydrophilic exterior layer and a cationic underlayer.
Another object of this invention is to provide a packing material for chromatographic columns which has a hydrophilic exterior layer and a chelating underlayer.
These and other objects of this invention may be seen by reference to the present specifications, claims, and drawings.


A vehicle having a chassis (1) and at least two mutually separated wheels arranged on a first side of the chassis and two mutually separated wheels on the opposite, second side of the chassis where the wheels on the first side are rotatable about axes that are substantially fixed in position in a vertical plane relative to the chassis and the wheels (5) on the second side are arranged on a frame part (6) that is pivotably arranged relative to the chassis about a central longitudinal axis (8) running between the first and second sides of the vehicle to create a stability area for the vehicle in the shape of a triangle in the horizontal plane. Means (17) is designed so that when the vehicle's tipping point reaches the boundary area of the stability triangle the means starts to gradually increase the resistance against the tipping of the frame part relative to the chassis about said axis on increasing departure of the tipping point from the triangle's centre and when the tipping point reaches a predetermined boundary to completely fix the frame part relative to the chassis and form a stability area to be defined by said wheels.

The present invention concerns a vehicle and a method for controlling the stability against tipping of the vehicle according to the description herein.
The vehicle can be of any type that is intended for a use in which the risk of the vehicle tipping over exists and therefore an arrangement to determine the position of the vehicle's tipping point is necessary. It will be apparent that the invention is specially intended for vehicles equipped with lifting units to lift loads, which can substantially displace the vehicle's tipping point by having significant weight and/or displacement relative to the vehicle's own centre of gravity. The invention is therefore particularly related to industrial trucks, and such, for lifting and transporting loads, mainly at industrial sites, warehouses or loading yards. It is however even possible that the risk of the vehicle tipping over is dependent on the fact that it driven over uneven ground, which can displace the vehicle's tipping point outside the stability area.
In order to illustrate the invention, but not in any way to limit the invention, a vehicle in the form of an industrial truck will mainly be described hereafter.
The reason why a vehicle is provided with a frame part that is pivotable relative to the chassis in this way around a so-called swing axle is that the vehicle can thereby move over uneven ground in a significantly more comfortable way than if the frame part was locked relative to the chassis since, because of this, the vehicle will not lean as much to the side as would otherwise be the case.
However this means that the vehicle's stability area, i.e. the area, defined in the horizontal plane, within which the vehicle's centre of gravity has to be located so that the vehicle will not tip, more particularly a triangle defined by both of the wheels located on the first side and the swing axis' point on the other side, becomes smaller. In order to prevent the vehicle from overturning in situations which it would have managed in the case of fixing the frame part relative to the chassis it is known to arrange said means for locking the frame part relative to the chassis on the orders of the arrangement. However when this takes place one refrains from the advantages that pivoting possibilities around the swing axle entail. If the vehicle's tipping point is later displaced further towards the stability area's boundary an emergency stop will eventually be required, which prevents the vehicle from carrying out manoeuvres other than those that bring the tipping point nearer to the centre of the stability area.

Vehicle and a method for control thereof


A sequencer chip device, provided for use in a broadband integrated service digital network (B-ISDN), is particularly adapted to control users' traffic at two places in the network: at the user-network interface (UNI) by a traffic enforcer, and at the network-node surface interface (NNI) by a queue manager. The traffic enforcer contains a buffer to delay and reshape violating cells that do not comply with some agreed-upon traffic parameters. The queue manager manages cells in a queue at network nodes in such a way that higher priority cells are always served first, low priority cells are discarded when the queue is full, and any interference between same-priority cells is prevented. Proposed architectures for the traffic enforcer and the queue manager include the chip device. The chip device includes a plurality of modules each of which is divided into three main functional areas: controller, memory and comparator. The chip device is preferably implemented using 1.2 .mu.m CMOS technology.

Broadband integrated service digital networks (B-ISDN) will provide end-to-end transport for a wide range of broadband services in a flexible and efficient manner via the asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) technique. The ATM technique provides a standardized and flexible scheme to transport and switch traffic effectively for different services. Due to the natural burstiness of the broadband traffic (e.g. data file transfer and variable bit-rate video communication), congestion control is required to effectively and fairly allocate the shared network resources (e.g., transmission bandwidth and buffer capacity) so that satisfactory quality of service (QOS) to all network users can be provided. Congestion in the ATM network arises when the offered load exceeds the capacity of the network. A suitable set of congestion controls for ATM networks includes admission control, traffic enforcement, queue management, and reactive flow control.
The function of admission control is to decide whether a new virtual channel connection should be admitted to the network (or rejected) based on the knowledge of the current network status (e.g., loading and available resources), the connection's traffic descriptor (including parameters such as average and peak bit rates, and maximum burst lengths), and performance objectives (such as cell loss probability, cell transfer delay, and cell delay variation). A new connection will be admitted only if the QOS can be met and the service quality of calls in progress will not be affected. Several schemes for the call admission control have been proposed.
Reactive flow control alleviates the instantaneous overload condition in the network so that the cell loss in the network is reduced and the users' QOS is maintained. Two reactive flow control schemes have been suggested: backward congestion notification (BCN) and forward congestion indication (FCI). For both schemes the source terminal is, either directly or indirectly, informed by the network to adjust its data rate when the network is congested. However, because of the large product of the transmission bandwidth and the round-trip delay, many cells will still be in transit between the source terminal and the congested node, and may be lost by the time the source terminal receives the congestion information and starts to regulate its traffic flow.
A traffic enforcer, as shown in FIG. 1, monitors (or polices) each virtual connection to ensure that its traffic flow into the network conforms to the traffic descriptor, which could be specified at call setup. If the user's traffic does not conform to the traffic descriptor, some action has to be taken against the violating traffic. For instance, the violating cells could be dropped, temporarily stored in a reshaping buffer, or transmitted to the network anyway, but with the cells tagged with a lower priority. The last option implies that some sort of priority mechanism has to be implemented within the network.
A traffic enforcement scheme that has a buffer to delay and reshape the violating cells is disclosed in the above-noted U.S. patent application entitled "Method and System for Controlling Packet Access to a Packet Switching System." If the buffer is full, some cells are transmitted to the network but are tagged with a lower priority. A novel architecture to implement the traffic enforcer or a traffic shaper at the customer premises is also disclosed. This architecture is capable of performing the traffic enforcement for a large number of virtual channels (e.g., a few thousand) on each input line.
Since a future network node will have to deal with traffic having different requirements, the use of multiple priorities and switch control functions serves as a possibility for distinguishing among different traffic types. A queue manager as shown in FIG. 1 manages the queued cells in a network node in such a way that higher priority cells are always served first, low priority cells are discarded when the queue is full, and any interference between same-priority cells is prevented. By assigning a departure sequence number to every cell, the effect of long-burst traffic on other cells is avoided. An architecture to implement the queue manager using a mechanism called VirtualClock is disclosed in the above-noted U.S. patent application entitled "Method and System for Managing Queued Cells." The architecture has the capability to support thousands of priority levels.
An object of the present invention is to provide a sequencer chip device for use in a system which performs traffic enforcement for a large number of virtual channels on each input line.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a sequencer chip device for use in a system which manages queued cells in a network node in such a way that higher priority cells are always served first, low priority cells are discarded when the queue is full and any interference between same priority cells is prevented.
In carrying out the above objects and other objects of the present invention, a sequencer chip device for use in a broadband integrated service digital network is provided wherein users' traffic in the form of ATM cells is controlled. The device includes a plurality of modules connected in series for receiving data related to the ATM cells and means for broadcasting new data related to a new ATM cell received by the device to each of the modules in a write-in mode of the chip device. Each of the modules includes memory means for storing prior data related to a previously received ATM cell, and means for comparing the new data with the prior data to obtain a comparison signal. Each of the modules also includes controller means coupled to its respective memory means and means for comparing for alternately retaining the stored prior data or replacing the stored prior data with the new data or with prior data from an immediately adjacent memory means based on the comparison signal of its means for comparing and the comparison signal of the immediately adjacent means for comparing.
Preferably, the device is a single VLSI chip. Also preferably, the chip is a word sorting memory chip.
The above objects and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention are readily apparent from the following detailed description of the best mode for carrying out the invention when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating how users' traffic is controlled at two places in an ATM network;
FIG. 2 is a graph illustrating three different actions to the violated cells: discarding, tagging, and reshaping;
FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a traffic enforcer's architecture;
FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating how a new arrival is inserted into the sequencer chip device of the present invention;
FIGS. 5a, 5b and 5c are schematic block diagrams illustrating how departure sequence numbers (DSs) are assigned to arrival cells;
FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating the queue manager's architecture;
FIG. 7 is a block diagram of the sequencer ship device;
FIG. 8 is a block diagram schematically illustrating the interconnection signals of two cascaded sequencer chip devices;
FIG. 9 are timing diagrams of initialization, write-in, and read-out operations of the device;
FIG. 10 is a circuit diagram of a controller of the device;
FIG. 11 is a circuit diagram of a subtractor of the device;
FIGS. 12a, 12b and 12c illustrate three different circuits for a static, D-type flip-flop of the device; and
FIG. 13 is a test circuit for comparing the three different DFFs' speed.


Illumination of an environment can be selected based on target colors that the illumination would provide for specific samples. One process for synthesizing the illumination includes repeatedly selecting settings for separate light sources in a luminaire system and determining a difference between the target colors of the samples and apparent colors of the samples under illumination that the luminaire system would produce with the settings selected. The differences thus determined can be used to identify a synthesized illumination, for example, the synthesized illumination that provides a smallest difference. A luminaire system can implement such a process in a luminaire or in a control system for luminaires.

Objects often have different apparent colors when illuminated with different light sources. Clothing, for example, may appear to have different colors depending on whether the clothing is seen under LED lights, fluorescent lights, incandescent lights, sunlight, or moonlight. This can cause problems, for example, if a consumer buys clothing in one lighting environment and wishes to wear the clothing in another lighting environment. Advanced lighting systems or luminaires have recently been developed that have a programmable spectral power distribution and can mimic different light sources. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 8,021,021, entitled "Authoring, Recording and Replication of Lighting." Such luminaires may be programmed to produce a spectral power distribution that, within the range of visible light, closely reproduces the spectral power distribution of a target light source. These luminaires may include multiple light channels with each light channel having a separately adjustable intensity or power setting, and each light channel may produce light with a spectral power distribution that differs from the spectral power distributions of the other light channels. The programming or control of the separate intensities of the lighting channels can cause the lighting channels to collectively replicate the spectral power distribution of a target light source. However, the fidelity of the replication will generally depend on factors such as the number of independently controlled light channels and respective frequency or wavelength ranges of the light channels. For example, a light source having three light channels, e.g., red, blue, and green, may be able to produce white light, but the spectral power distribution of the white light may be a grossly inaccurate reproduction of the spectral power distribution of a target white light source. The inaccuracy of the replication of a target light source can result in particular items not having the apparent color that the items would have under the target light source.

Synthesizing lighting to control apparent colors