Some embodiments of the present invention are directed to a system that enables filtered application-to-application communication in a server farm in a multi-channel reliable hardware environment (e.g. InfiniBand). The system may also improve the performance of application-to-application communication between servers in the farm. The implementation of multi-channel reliable communication hardware may reduce the number of communication software layers above.

High computing capacity is achieved by connecting a few servers with the same or different functionality together to form a server farm. Applications running on these servers need to transfer data to one another. A server farm environment is generally built from servers having different levels of security. In such an environment, the secure servers must protect themselves from attacks originating at the servers having less security.
One of the methods to protect sensitive servers from attacks from less trusted servers is the use of application level firewalls. Application level firewalls generally are hosts running proxy servers, which do not permit direct traffic between segments of the networks, and which perform elaborate logging and auditing of data traffic passing through them. The proxy applications are software components running on the firewall and emulating the real target application. Having a proxy application in the way negatively impacts the performance of the server farm as a whole. It also makes the firewall less transparent, causing compatibility problems.
Since firewalls are a separate unit between segments of the network, and since they contain complex logic, they generate a substantial delay in the application-to-application communications. The more complex and high-level the filtering, the greater the delay. Furthermore, firewalls may cause a communication bottleneck and may add a point of failure between the applications. Moreover, a server farm may have a complex topology with redundant links and parallel configurations. In order to maintain the level of security for such a topology, a new firewall may be added for each new segment that may be created.
Moreover, high-level filtering is almost impossible if the protocol is complex or undocumented, because the network layers under the layer to be inspected need to be emulated. Therefore, application-level filtering is currently performed only on well-documented protocols in environments that are less performance-sensitive. Examples of such well-documented protocols include e-mail protocols, file transfer protocol (FTP) and hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP). Examples of protocols on which high-level filtering is not performed include database transactions, network file system (NFS) transactions and remote procedure call (RPC) transactions.
Currently application-to-application communication over a network involves several layers of protocol, for example the seven layers of the open systems interconnection (OSI) model. Among their many functions, these layers may enable error handling, rearranging packets that arrive in the wrong order, and multiplexing of data from different applications.
In the near future, application-to-application communication may take place over an efficient network having multi-channel communication hardware with communication protocols mostly implemented in hardware. Non-limiting examples of such network include new system area network (SAN), InfiniBand network, Fiber-Channel network and asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) network. Within these networks, it may be almost impossible and generally impractical to provide firewalls able to support the bandwidth and topology of these architectures. It would be advantageous to provide a new efficient method to filter application-to-application traffic.
It will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration, elements shown in the figures have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements may be exaggerated relative to other elements for clarity. Further, where considered appropriate, reference numerals may be repeated among the figures to indicate corresponding or analogous elements.


A hydraulically damping engine mounting for mounting a drive unit. Two fastening parts are connected to one another by way of an elastic element. A decoupling device is integrated with one of the fastening parts. The internal chamber formed by the fastening parts and the elastic element is divided into two chambers. The two chambers are connected to one another by a damping channel. The fastening parts and the elastic element which contains the chambers are located around a center axis which runs at right angles to the vertical axis of the drive unit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a hydraulically damping engine mounting for mounting a drive unit. The hydraulically damping engine mounting has two fastening parts which are connected to one another by means of an elastic element. An internal chamber formed by the fastening parts and the element is divided into two chambers which are connected to one another by means of a damping channel.
2. Background Information
A drive unit for a motor vehicle, as for example an internal combustion engine, can be a source of vibration that can be transmitted to the other parts of the vehicle. Drive unit vibration could include high-frequency vibrations or oscillations, possibly including drive unit vibration from unbalanced rotating members, combustion processes, and drive unit-drive line interactions. Drive unit vibration could also include sources of lower frequency vibrations or oscillations, possibly including pulses of motor torque and drive unit vibration from inertial forces generated by motion of the motor vehicle itself. It is therefore desirable to mount the drive unit to the remainder of the motor vehicle with engine mountings for damping or decoupling the vibration of the drive unit from the body of the motor vehicle to which the drive unit is mounted.
A known device (for example, European Laid Open Patent Application No. 556 704) discloses hydraulically damping engine mountings in which the chambers are located between two fastening parts and are connected to one another by means of a damping channel. At least one of the chambers has an elastic peripheral wall, which is then realized in the form of a pump chamber, whereby the second chamber is provided with bellows and forms the equalization chamber. Between the work chamber and the equalization chamber, a membrane plate is movably clamped to decouple, or isolate, high-frequency oscillations. Each of the fastening parts is provided with at least one fastening hole or fastening bolt which is used to fix the drive unit in position.


An organic/inorganic composite separator includes a porous substrate having a plurality of pores; and a porous coating layer formed on at least one surface of the porous substrate with a plurality of inorganic particles and a binder polymer. The binder polymer is a copolymer including: (a) a first monomer unit having a contact angle to a water drop in the range from 0° to 49°; and (b) a second monomer unit having a contact angle to a water drop in the range from 50° to 130°. This organic/inorganic composite separator has excellent thermal stability, so it may restrain an electric short circuit between a cathode and an anode. In addition, the separator may prevent inorganic particles in the porous coating layer from being extracted during an assembling process of an electrochemical device, thereby improving stability of an electrochemical device.

Recently, there has been an increasing interest in energy storage technology. Batteries have been widely used as energy sources in the fields of cellular phones, camcorders, notebook computers, PCs and electric cars, resulting in intensive research and development into them. In this regard, electrochemical devices are one of the subjects of great interest. Particularly, development of rechargeable secondary batteries has been the focus of attention. Recently, the research and development into a novel electrode and a novel battery that can improve capacity density and specific energy have been made intensively in the field of the secondary batteries.
Among currently used secondary batteries, lithium secondary batteries developed in early 1990's have a higher drive voltage and a much higher energy density than those of conventional batteries using a liquid electrolyte solution such as Ni-MH batteries, Ni—Cd batteries, and H2SO4—Pb batteries. For these reasons, the lithium secondary batteries have been advantageously used. However, such a lithium secondary battery has disadvantages in that organic electrolytes used therein may cause safety-related problems such as ignition and explosion of the batteries and that processes for manufacturing such a battery are complicated. Recently, lithium-ion polymer batteries have been considered as one of the next-generation batteries since the above disadvantages of the lithium ion batteries are solved. However, the lithium-ion polymer batteries have a relatively lower battery capacity than those of the lithium ion batteries and an insufficient discharging capacity in low temperature, and therefore these disadvantages of the lithium-ion polymer batteries remain to be urgently solved.
Such electrochemical devices have been produced from many companies, and the battery stability has different phases in the electrochemical devices. Accordingly, it is important to evaluate and ensure the stability of the electrochemical batteries. First of all, it should be considered that errors in operation of the electrochemical device should not cause damage to users. For this purpose, the Safety Regulation strictly regulates ignition and explosion in the electrochemical devices. In the stability characteristics of the electrochemical device, overheating of the electrochemical device may cause thermal runaway, and explosion may occur when a separator is pierced. In particular, a polyolefin porous substrate commonly used as a separator of an electrochemical device shows extreme thermal shrinking behavior at a temperature of 100° C. or above due to the features of its material and its manufacturing process such as elongation, so there may occur an electric short circuit between cathode and anode.
In order to solve the above safety-related problems of the electrochemical device, Korean Laid-open Patent Publication No. 10-2006-72065 and No. 10-2007-231 disclose an organic/inorganic composite separator 10 having a porous coating layer formed by coating at least one surface of a porous substrate 1 having many pores with a mixture of inorganic particles 3 and a binder polymer 5 (see FIG. 1). In the organic/inorganic composite separator, the inorganic particles 3 in the porous coating layer formed on the porous substrate 1 act as a kind of spacer that keeps a physical shape of the porous coating layer, so the inorganic particles restrain thermal shrinkage of the porous substrate when the electrochemical device is overheated. In addition, interstitial volumes exist among the inorganic particles, thereby forming fine pores.
As mentioned above, at least a certain amount of inorganic particles should be contained such that the porous coating layer formed on the organic/inorganic composite separator may restrain thermal shrinkage of the porous substrate. However, as the content of inorganic particles is increased, a content of binder polymer is relatively decreased, which may cause inorganic particles to be extracted from the porous coating layer due to the stress generated in an assembly process of an electrochemical device such as winding. The extracted inorganic particles act as a local defect of the electrochemical device, thereby giving a bad influence on the stability of the electrochemical device.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Organic/inorganic composite separator and electrochemical device containing the same


A voltage-controlled oscillator includes: a bias voltage generator operating to generate first and second bias voltages in response to a control signal; a voltage-controlled oscillation circuit connected to a control node and configured to generate oscillation signals in response to an input voltage; a selection signal generator operating to generate a selection signal in response each to the oscillation signals; and a selection circuit operating to select one of the first and second bias voltages in response to the selection signal and outputting the selected bias voltage to the control node.

The present disclosure relates to phase-locked loops and, more particularly, to a voltage-controlled oscillator employed in a phase-locked loop.
Phase-locked loops (PLLs) are circuit modules for synchronizing internal clock signals with reference clock signals input from external devices and are used in many electronic circuits.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a typical phase-locked loop.
Referring to FIG, 1, a typical PLL is composed of a phase frequency detector (PFD) 101, a charge pump (CP) 102, a low-pass filter (LPF) 103, a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) 104, and feedback divider 105. The feedback divider 105 operates to divide an output clock (or oscillation) signal by a predetermined constant and transfer the divided clock signal back to the PFD 101. The PFD 101 compares a feedback clock signal FB_CLK from the feedback divider 105 with a reference clock signal RF_CLK input thereto, and generates up and down signals, UP and DOWN, which are different from each other in phase, on the basis of the compared result.
The CP 102 charges up an output node to raise an output voltage thereof in accordance with the up signal UP that is an output signal of the PFD 101, or discharges down the output node to drop the output voltage thereof. The LPF 103 removes a high-frequency component from the output voltage Vc of the CP 102. The VCO 104 receives the output voltage Vc from the CP 102 through the LPF 103. The VCO 104 generates two clock signals, VCO_out_p and VCO_out_n, which have frequencies corresponding to the input voltage Vc and are contrary to each other in phase by 180°, outputs the clock signals VCO_out_p and VCO_out_n to an external device, and supplies them as a feedback clock signal FB_CLK to the PFD 101 through the feedback divider 105.
FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram of a typical VCO 104 as shown in FIG. 1.
The most important building block is the VCO in the PLL circuit. For a stable operation of the VCO, it is required to set a startup gain at least larger than 1. The VCO 104 shown in FIG. 2 is provided to obtain a high startup gain.
Referring to FIG. 2, the VCO 104 includes a VCO circuit 201. The VCO circuit 201 is a circuit for functioning to permit the oscillation frequency to be controlled by a voltage. The VCO circuit 201 is composed of a PMOS transistor MP1, two inductors L1 and L2, two variable capacitors Cv1 and Cv2, and two transistors MN1 and MN2. The transistors denoted by MP and MN in FIG. 2 are kinds of metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFETs).
In the VCO 104, assuming that threshold voltages (Vth) of the transistors are in negative values, a sub-threshold voltage generator 202 is designed to make a voltage at its output node N3 to be slightly higher than Vdd+Vth, where Vth is a threshold voltage and Vdd is a power supply voltage. The sub-threshold voltage generator 202 operates to generate a DC voltage (sub-threshold voltage) to turn off PMOS transistors MP2 and MP3, and outputs the DC voltage to the gates of the transistors MP2 and MP3 respectively through resistors R1 and R2. Thus, the transistors MP2 and MP3 are turned off in response to a DC voltage supplied from the sub-threshold voltage generator 202.
When a control signal En has a low level, for example, 0V, a control signal En_b is set to a high level, for example, Vdd. The control signal En turns off transistor MN5, while the control signal En_b turns on transistor MN4. Because a node N2 is grounded by way of the transistor MN4, a transistor MN3 is turned off. The transistors MP2 and MP3 maintain their turn-off states due to the DC voltage provided from the sub-threshold voltage generator 202. A transistor MP4 is turned on in response to the control signal En having a low level, making a voltage at a node N1 turn to Vdd. Because the present voltage of the node N1 is Vdd, the transistor MP1 is turned off. Thus, there is no current through the transistor MP1 without activation of the VCO 104.
When the control signal En changes from low level, for example, 0V, to high level, for example, Vdd, the transistors MP4 and MN4 are turned off while a transistor MN5 is turned on. During this transition, the transistors MP2 and MP3 still maintain their turn-off states by the DC voltage supplied from the sub-threshold voltage generator 202. According to this condition, a voltage at the node N2 to turn on the transistor MN3 will be determined by a current source Is and a transistor MN6. Once the transistor MN3 is turned on, a voltage of the node N1 becomes 0V causing a large current to flow through the transistor MP1. Therefore, it is possible to increase a startup gain of the VCO 104. Being activated by the current flow through the transistor MP1, the VCO circuit 201 generates the two clock signals VCO_out_p and VCO_out_n, which have frequencies corresponding to the input voltage Vc and are contrary to each other in phase by 180°, by way of resonance with the inductor L1 and the variable capacitor Cv1, and resonance with the inductor L2 and the variable capacitor Cv2.
The two clock signals, VCO_out_p and VCO_out_n, generated from the VCO circuit 201 each contain DC components. Thus, the clock signals, VCO_out_p and VCO_out_n, have any DC components removed therefrom by action of the capacitors C1 and C2, respectively. Then, the clock signals, VCO_out_p and VCO_out_n, without DC components are connected to the gates of the transistors MP2 and MP3 and to the feedback divider 105 of FIG 1. Voltages of the two clock signals VCO_out_p and VCO_out_n are combined with a DC voltage output from the sub-threshold voltage generator 202 and then the combined voltage is applied to gates of the transistors MP2 and MP3. The clock signals, VCO_out_p and VCO_out_n, applied to the gates of the transistors MN2 and MN3 fluctuate up and down on a voltage of the node N3, gradually increasing their amplitude. If the clock signals, VCO_out_p and VCO_out_n, generated from the VCO circuit 201 are increasing in amplitude, the transistors MN2 and MN3 that are turned off would be activated. For instance, the transistors MM2 and MM3 may be turned on when a voltage variation range of the clock signals VCO_out_p and VCO_out_n is lower than Vdd+Vth.
If the transistors MN2 and MN3 are turned on, the voltage of the node N1 gradually increases from its initial voltage 0V, decreasing a current flowing through the transistor MP1. Owing to the reduction of the current flowing through the transistor MP1, the clock signals, VCO_out_p and VCO_out_n, are also reduced in amplitude. As a result, since the VCO 104 forms a negative feedback loop, the amplitude of the clock signals, VCO_out_p and VCO_out_n, is inclined to converge on an adequate value, and will not enlarge indefinitely.
A voltage of the node N1, that adjusts the amount of the current flowing through the transistor MP1, is determined by the currents flowing through the transistors MN3, MP2, and MP3. A gate voltage of the transistor MN3 maintains a constant level, while the gate voltages of the transistors MP2 and MP3 normally fluctuate by the two clock signals VCO_out_p and VCO_put_n output from the VCO circuit 201. Thereby, there would be generated phase noise and jitter. As a result, although the VCO 104 has a high startup gain by a large bias current at an activation time thereof, it effects a large amount of jitter or phase noise.

Voltage controlled oscillator and method capable of reducing phase noise and jitter with startup gain


A control circuit of a surgical device is disclosed. The control circuit includes a first circuit portion coupled to at least one switch operable between an open state and a closed state. The first circuit portion communicates with a surgical generator over a conductor pair to receive a control signal to determine a state of the at least one switch.

Various embodiments are directed to surgical devices, and generators for supplying energy to surgical devices, for use in open or minimally invasive surgical environments.
Ultrasonic surgical devices, such as ultrasonic scalpels, are finding increasingly widespread applications in surgical procedures by virtue of their unique performance characteristics. Depending upon specific device configurations and operational parameters, ultrasonic surgical devices can provide substantially simultaneous transection of tissue and homeostasis by coagulation, desirably minimizing patient trauma. An ultrasonic surgical device may comprise a handpiece containing an ultrasonic transducer, and an instrument coupled to the ultrasonic transducer having a distally-mounted end effector (e.g., a blade tip) to cut and seal tissue. In some cases, the instrument may be permanently affixed to the handpiece. In other cases, the instrument may be detachable from the handpiece, as in the case of a disposable instrument or an instrument that is interchangeable between different. The end effector transmits ultrasonic energy to tissue brought into contact with the end effector to realize cutting and sealing action. Ultrasonic surgical devices of this nature can be configured for open surgical use, laparoscopic, or endoscopic surgical procedures including robotic-assisted procedures.
Ultrasonic energy cuts and coagulates tissue using temperatures lower than those used in electrosurgical procedures and can be transmitted to the end effector by an ultrasonic generator in communication with the handpiece. Vibrating at high frequencies (e.g., 55,500 times per second), the ultrasonic blade denatures protein in the tissue to form a sticky coagulum. Pressure exerted on tissue by the blade surface collapses blood vessels and allows the coagulum to form a haemostatic seal. A surgeon can control the cutting speed and coagulation by the force applied to the tissue by the end effector, the time over which the force is applied and the selected excursion level of the end effector.
The ultrasonic transducer may be modeled as an equivalent circuit comprising first branch having a static capacitance and a second "motional" branch having a serially connected inductance, resistance and capacitance that define the electromechanical properties of a resonator. Known ultrasonic generators may include a tuning inductor for tuning out the static capacitance at a resonant frequency so that substantially all of generator's drive signal current flows into the motional branch. Accordingly, by using a tuning inductor, the generator's drive signal current represents the motional branch current, and the generator is thus able to control its drive signal to maintain the ultrasonic transducer's resonant frequency. The tuning inductor may also transform the phase impedance plot of the ultrasonic transducer to improve the generator's frequency lock capabilities. However, the tuning inductor must be matched with the specific static capacitance of an ultrasonic transducer at the operational resonance frequency. In other words, a different ultrasonic transducer having a different static capacitance requires a different tuning inductor.
Additionally, in some ultrasonic generator architectures, the generator's drive signal exhibits asymmetrical harmonic distortion that complicates impedance magnitude and phase measurements. For example, the accuracy of impedance phase measurements may be reduced due to harmonic distortion in the current and voltage signals.
Moreover, electromagnetic interference in noisy environments decreases the ability of the generator to maintain lock on the ultrasonic transducer's resonant frequency, increasing the likelihood of invalid control algorithm inputs.
Electrosurgical devices for applying electrical energy to tissue in order to treat and/or destroy the tissue are also finding increasingly widespread applications in surgical procedures. An electrosurgical device may comprise a handpiece and an instrument having a distally-mounted end effector (e.g., one or more electrodes). The end effector can be positioned against the tissue such that electrical current is introduced into the tissue. Electrosurgical devices can be configured for bipolar or monopolar operation. During bipolar operation, current is introduced into and returned from the tissue by active and return electrodes, respectively, of the end effector. During monopolar operation, current is introduced into the tissue by an active electrode of the end effector and returned through a return electrode (e.g., a grounding pad) separately located on a patient's body. Heat generated by the current flow through the tissue may form haemostatic seals within the tissue and/or between tissues and thus may be particularly useful for sealing blood vessels, for example. The end effector of an electrosurgical device may also comprise a cutting member that is movable relative to the tissue and the electrodes to transect the tissue.
Electrical energy applied by an electrosurgical device can be transmitted to the instrument by a generator in communication with the handpiece. The electrical energy may be in the form of radio frequency ("RF") energy. RF energy is a form of electrical energy that may be in the frequency range of 300 kHz to 1 MHz. During its operation, an electrosurgical device can transmit low frequency RF energy through tissue, which causes ionic agitation, or friction, in effect resistive heating, thereby increasing the temperature of the tissue. Because a sharp boundary may be created between the affected tissue and the surrounding tissue, surgeons can operate with a high level of precision and control, without sacrificing un-targeted adjacent tissue. The low operating temperatures of RF energy may be useful for removing, shrinking, or sculpting soft tissue while simultaneously sealing blood vessels. RF energy may work particularly well on connective tissue, which is primarily comprised of collagen and shrinks when contacted by heat.
Due to their unique drive signal, sensing and feedback needs, ultrasonic and electrosurgical devices have generally required different generators. Additionally, in cases where the instrument is disposable or interchangeable with a handpiece, ultrasonic and electrosurgical generators are limited in their ability to recognize the particular instrument configuration being used and to optimize control and diagnostic processes accordingly. Moreover, capacitive coupling between the non-isolated and patient-isolated circuits of the generator, especially in cases where higher voltages and frequencies are used, may result in exposure of a patient to unacceptable levels of leakage current.
Furthermore, due to their unique drive signal, sensing and feedback needs, ultrasonic and electrosurgical devices have generally required different user interfaces for the different generators. In such conventional ultrasonic and electrosurgical devices, one user interface is configured for use with an ultrasonic instrument whereas a different user interface may be configured for use with an electrosurgical instrument. Such user interfaces include hand and/or foot activated user interfaces such as hand activated switches and/or foot activated switches. As various embodiments of combined generators for use with both ultrasonic and electrosurgical instruments are contemplated in the subsequent disclosure, additional user interfaces that are configured to operate with both ultrasonic and/or electrosurgical instrument generators also are contemplated.
Additional user interfaces for providing feedback, whether to the user or other machine, are contemplated within the subsequent disclosure to provide feedback indicating an operating mode or status of either an ultrasonic and/or electrosurgical instrument. Providing user and/or machine feedback for operating a combination ultrasonic and/or electrosurgical instrument will require providing sensory feedback to a user and electrical/mechanical/electro-mechanical feedback to a machine. Feedback devices that incorporate visual feedback devices (e.g., an LCD display screen, LED indicators), audio feedback devices (e.g., a speaker, a buzzer) or tactile feedback devices (e.g., haptic actuators) for use in combined ultrasonic and/or electrosurgical instruments are contemplated in the subsequent disclosure.

Surgical generator for ultrasonic and electrosurgical devices


An image forming apparatus which forms toner images of different colors by at least one image forming device with a rotatably driven image bearing member, and forms a picture by transferring the different colored toner images formed by the image forming device onto an image transfer medium supported on a rotatably driven endless bearing member, or directly onto the endless bearing member,. the image forming apparatus wherein a latent image writing position on the image bearing member being angularly spaced by approximately 180.degree. from an image transfer position including: PA1 a drive control mechanism for individually controlling rotation speeds of rotary members, such as the image bearing member and the endless bearing member, so as to suppress a periodical rotation variation by using detecting information of a vibration component on the periodical rotation variation, which is obtained from detecting signals derived from the pattern detecting mechanism.. a pattern detecting mechanism for detecting a color misregistration detecting pattern formed on the endless bearing member; and

The present invention generally relates to a registration control system for detecting and correcting color misregistration of the images of different colors formed by a plural number of image forming means in a multi-image forming apparatus having a plural number of image forming means, such as a tandem color copying machine or a color printer or an image forming apparatus of the type in which a plural number of images of different colors formed by at least one image forming means are transferred onto a transfer belt, a sheet or an intermediate image transfer medium on a transfer belt, to thereby form a color image. Particularly, the invention relates to an image forming apparatus capable of reducing color misregistration caused by such rotary means as photoreceptor drums of the image forming means and a transfer belt. More particularly, the invention relates to an image forming apparatus capable of reducing an image distortion caused by rotary means, such as photoreceptor drums and a transfer belt, in a black/white image forming apparatus.
Recently, conversion of black/white documents used in offices into color documents rapidly progresses. The image forming apparatus, which handles those color documents, for example, copying machines, printers and facsimile machines, have also rapidly increase their number. In recent office work, there is a tendency of high quality and high speed. With this tendency, the performances of high picture quality and high speed are frequently required for those color document processing apparatuses. To satisfy such a requirement, called tandem color image forming apparatuses have been proposed and some of them have come into practical use and marketed as products. In this type of the apparatus, image forming units are respectively used for the colors, for example, black (K), yellow (Y), magenta (M) and cyan (C). Color images formed by these image forming units are superimposedly transferred onto an image transfer medium or an intermediate image transfer medium being transported, to thereby form a color image.
An example of the tandem image forming apparatus will be described. As shown in FIG. 43, the apparatus includes four image forming units, a black (K) image forming unit 200K for forming a black image, a yellow (Y) image forming unit 200Y for forming a yellow image, a magenta (M) image forming unit 200M for forming a magenta image, and a cyan (C) image forming unit 200C for forming a cyan image. These four image forming units 200K, 200Y, 200M and 200C are horizontally arranged at fixed spatial intervals. An endless transfer belt 202 as a transfer-medium bearing means is disposed under and along the linear array of the black, yellow, magenta and cyan image forming units 200K, 200Y, 200M and 200C. The transfer belt 202 transfers a transfer sheet 201 to the image transferring positions of the image forming units 200K, 200Y, 200M and 200C while electrostatically attracting the transfer sheet 201 thereto.
The constructions of the image forming units 200K, 200Y, 200M and 200C are substantially the same. The units 200K, 200Y, 200M and 200C sequentially form toner images of black, yellow, magenta and cyan, The units 200K, 200Y, 200M and 200C have photoreceptor drums 203, respectively. The surface of the photoreceptor drum 203 is uniformly charged by a primary charging scorotron 204, and exposed to and scanned with an image forming laser beam 205 in accordance with image information. As a result, a latent electrostatic image is formed on the surface of the photoreceptor drum. In the image forming units 200K, 200Y, 200M and 200C, developing units 206 included therein develop the latent images into visual color images with color toner particles of black, yellow, magenta and cyan, respectively. Those toner images are charged by pre-transfer chargers 207, and sequentially and superimposedly transferred onto the transfer sheet 201 that is attracted onto the transfer belt 202 by the charging by transfer chargers 208. The transfer sheet 201 bearing the color toner image consisting of color toner images of black, yellow, magenta and cyan is separated from the transfer belt 202, and subjected to a fixing process by a fixing unit, not shown, to thereby form a color image.
In the figure, reference numeral 209 designates a photoreceptor cleaner; 210, a photoreceptor discharging lamp; 213, a transfer belt cleaner; and 214, a pre-cleaning processing corotron.
The thus constructed tandem image forming apparatus can form a color image at very high speed since a plural number of image forming units are used for forming one image. Where images are formed at high speed, the positioning of the images formed by the image forming units, i.e., registration (abbreviated frequently as regi.) of the color images, frequently loses its exactness. The result is deterioration of the image quality. In this respect, it is difficult to satisfy the requirement of obtaining both high image quality and high image forming speed. The color misregistration is due to the fact that when the temperature within the image forming apparatus varies and an external force is applied to the apparatus, the positions and the sizes of the image forming units per se and the component parts of the image forming units minutely vary. The in-machine temperature variation and the external force application are things inevitable. In ordinary work, for example, removal of jamming, parts exchanging in maintenance, and moving of the machine, an external force is inevitably applied to the apparatus.
As disclosed in the Unexamined Japanese Patent Application Publication No. Hei. 1-281468, for example, there is an proposal of an image forming apparatus which includes a plural number of image forming portions each for forming a visual image defined by image information of an original document (referred simply to as an original frequently hereafter) and a position detecting mark or indicia, and mark detecting means for detecting the position detecting mark formed by each image forming portion and transferred onto a moving member, whereby control of the image forming portions is carried out on the basis of a detecting signal output from the mark detecting means so as to correct an offset of the transferred image misregistered.
A case where the misregistration correcting technique is applied to the called tandem color image forming apparatus shown in FIG. 43 will be described. As shown in FIG. 44, by the four image forming units 200K, 200Y, 200M and 200C of black, yellow, magenta and cyan, color misregistration detecting patterns 220K, 220Y, 220M and 220C, are formed on the transfer belt 202 while being arranged at fixed spatial intervals in the advancing direction of the transfer belt, and color misregistration detecting patterns 221K, 221Y, 221M and 221C are further formed on the transfer belt 202 while being arranged at other fixed spatial intervals in the direction orthogonal to the belt advancing direction. The color misregistration detecting patterns 220K, 220Y, 220M and 220C, and 221K, 221Y, 221M and 221C are sampled in such a way that a line photo sensing device 222, for example, a CCD sensor, including a linear array of a number of photo sensing pixels senses transmitting light emitted from a light emitting device 223 and transmitted through those patterns. The spatial intervals of those color misregistration detecting patterns 220K, 220Y, 220M and 220C, and 221K, 221Y, 221M and 221C are calculated using data gathered by the sampling. The positions and the image forming timings of the image forming units 200K, 200Y, 200M and 200C are corrected by making the calculated intervals equal to the predetermined reference values, to thereby realize a high image quality. The color misregistration detecting patterns 220K, 220Y, 220M and 220C, and 221K, 221Y, 221M and 221C formed on the transfer belt 202 are removed by the transfer belt cleaner 213 after the sampling.
In the color image forming apparatus thus constructed and operated, the following problem arises when the color misregistration detecting patterns are formed on the seam 202a of the transfer belt 202, and some amount of toner of the patterns is left there after insufficient removal by the transfer belt cleaner 213. In the next color image forming process, the residual toner attaches to the reverse side of the transfer sheet 201 held on and carried by the transfer belt 202, to stain the reverse side of the transfer sheet. A minute step is present at the seam 202a of the transfer belt 202. Therefore, it frequently happens that a density of the color misregistration detecting patterns 220 and 221 is varied or the patterns are discontinuous at the seam of the belt. The density variation or the discontinuity of the color misregistration detecting pattern leads to an error in the pattern detection by the line photo sensing device 222.
A sampling correcting method is already proposed by the Applicant of the present patent application (the Unexamined Japanese Patent Application Publication No. Hei. 6-253151). In controlling an image sampling correction process by the registration basis control means of the multi-image forming apparatus, a sampling start point of sampling control means and a sampling width are set, a misregistration measuring pattern is generated repeatedly, and sampling data or arithmetic processing data are added up to obtain a pattern position. An accuracy of detecting the misregistration measuring pattern is improved by, for example, setting the sampling start point of the sampling control means and the sampling width.
The sampling correcting method detects and corrects a color misregistration whose the size and orientation are fixed (referred to as a DC color misregistration), which results from minute variations of the positions and the sizes of the image forming units per se and the component parts in the image forming units, which are caused by an in-machine temperature variation and the application of an external force to the machine.
In addition to the DC color misregistration, there is another type of color misregistration (referred to as an AC color misregistration) whose magnitude and orientation periodically vary. The AC color misregistration is caused by rotation variations of the rotary means, such as the photoreceptor drums and the belt drive roll. The sampling correcting method mentioned above cannot handle the AC color misregistration and further cannot detect the AC color misregistration.
Actually, to cope with this problem, the conventional color image forming apparatus detects a variation of rotation of the rotary means, such as the photoreceptor drum and the belt drive roll, by an encoder attached to the rotary shaft of the photoreceptor drum, for example, and applies a detecting variation of rotation to the related drive motor in a feed forward or a feedback manner, to thereby reduce the variation of rotation.
Even if the control to reduce the rotation variation of the photoreceptor drum in accordance with detecting information derived from the encoder is carried out, other factors cause the AC color misregistration, which deteriorates the image quality. Example of those other factors are an eccentricity of the photoreceptor drum surface caused by the drums per se or its mounting portions, and in some constructions, an eccentricity caused by clearance errors of the rotary shafts of some of the photoreceptor drums, the belt drive roll, and the like. Thus, in the conventional art, the AC vibration component is not contained in an object to be controlled.
The applicant of the present patent application already proposes a unique image forming apparatus as a solution to the problem under discussion (the Japanese Patent Application No. Hei. 7-301381). The proposed apparatus succeeds in considerably reducing the image quality deterioration ensuing from the AC color misregistration caused by the above-mentioned factors by adjusting at least one of the rotation phases of each of the rotary means, such as the photoreceptor drum and the belt drive roll.
The inventor in the above-mentioned patent application explicated the fact that, as shown in FIG. 45A, in the conventional color image forming apparatus, the AC vibration component on one turn of the photoreceptor drum of each image forming unit varies over a fixed region (an image transfer region corresponding to the length of one circumference of each color photoreceptor drum) on the transfer belt, and the waveforms of the profiles representative of the variations of the AC vibration components of the photoreceptor drums are not uniform in phase among the photoreceptor drums. Judging from the fact, it is estimated that in the case of the photoreceptor drums of two colors, K color (black) and Y color (yellow), a phase difference between the waveforms of the profiles of the variations of the AC vibration components of those drums, produces color misregistration as shown in FIG. 45B.
In the invention of that patent application, color misregistration detecting patterns are formed on the transfer belt, periodical rotation phases are picked up from the pattern detecting information, and the rotation phases of the photoreceptor drums, for example, are adjusted by rotation phase adjusting means. In this way, the adverse affects by the rotation variations that will appear on the image are considerably reduced. More specifically, the rotation phase of the K photoreceptor drum is used as a reference phase, and the rotation phases of the photoreceptor drums of the remaining three colors are adjusted on the basis of the reference phase. Actually, the variations of the AC vibration components of the photoreceptor drums, which are not uniform in phase among the drums as shown in FIG. 45A, are actually arranged to be uniform through the rotation phase adjustment, as shown in FIG. 46A. Particularly in this case, the AC vibration components of the respective photoreceptor drums are uniform also in amplitude among the drums. Therefore, the AC color misregistration is completely removed. The AC color misregistration of the K and Y photoreceptor drums, which are caused by the eccentricity of the photoreceptor drums, for example, are reduced to 0 as shown in FIG. 46B.
In the image forming apparatus of the patent application, in case where the waveforms representative of the profiles of the variations of the AC vibration components of the circumferences of the photoreceptor drums of the image forming units are not uniform in phase and amplitude among the drums as shown in FIGS. 47A and 47B, when the rotation phases of the photoreceptor drums are adjusted as in the above-mentioned manner, the vibrations of the AC vibration components of the circumferences of the photoreceptor drums over an image transfer region on the transfer belt are arranged to be uniform in phase among the drums as shown in FIG. 48A. In this case, the amplitudes d of the variations of the AC color misregistration of the K and Y photoreceptor drums are equal to each other (d1=d1). Therefore, the sum of those variations of the AC color misregistration is reduced to zero or therearound. The amplitudes of the variations of the AC color misregistration of the K and M or K and C photoreceptor drums are different from each other. Therefore, the sum of those variations of the AC color misregistration is d1-d2. In other words, the AC color misregistration represented by the difference of (d1-d2) is left after the rotation phase adjustment.
The AC color misregistration arising from the difference between the AC vibration components of those two colors appears on the image as a color misregistration of a perceivable level, to thereby deteriorate the image quality.
If a fine line image, which is formed by superimposing a plural number of colors, suffers from such a color misregistration, the fine line blurs. In a character image formed on a colored white (not white of the sheet) ground, voids appear around the contour of a character. The edge of a colored image area is slightly colored with a color (e.g., magenta or cyan) different from the color of the image area. A seam between the colored image areas looks like a stripe of a different color or a void appears at the seam. In a color ground area, a density periodically varies to form a repeat of bands, viz., a called banding phenomenon occurs.
The inventors of the present patent application found that the following factors causes the AC vibration component, and hence color misregistration and magnification error (image distortion). When the belt drive roll is eccentric, a speed of the moving transfer belt (or the intermediate transfer belt) varies at the transfer points confronted with the photoreceptor drum or a magnification of the image varies in the moving direction of the belt. When the thickness of the transfer belt (or the intermediate transfer belt) per se is not uniform over its length, the belt moves at a varying speed. Specifically, when a thick part of the transfer belt reaches the belt drive roll, the speed of the moving belt is increased. When a thin part of the transfer belt reaches there, the belt speed is decreased. The belt speed periodically varies during a time period of one turn of the belt, resulting in an AC like vibration component. This AC vibration component causes color misregistration or image distortion which appears every one-turn period and every time the thick part of the belt passes the drive roll.


A method and apparatus for initializing operation for information security operation for an entity utilizes shared information, such as shared secret information, that may be shared between the entity and other applications or operations within a system to initialize an entity. Prestored shared information that can be used as entity identification data (RV) and authentication data (IAK) that is associated with the entity identification data is encrypted and sent in clear text fashion to an initialization authentication unit, such as a server or other processing unit. The initialization authentication unit requests stored shared data from another processing unit that maintains a database. The other processing system then responds to the request by providing prestored shared data that can be used to, for example, decrypt the encrypted information sent in a clear text fashion to determine whether an entity is a proper user of the information security operation. Accordingly, no secure session is required, and no new generation of identification data or authentication data is required.

With the increased use of telecommunications systems, information security has become an important aspect of promoting communications over various communication links such as over the Internet, wireless links and other communication links. Ensuring that a particular entity, such as a user, software application, network node or other entity, is a proper entity that has proper authorization to use the information security system, has become an important consideration in designing information security systems. Present methods for registering entities for using information security operations, such as public key based information security systems, can involve distributing a reference value (RV) or other identifying information that may uniquely identify the entity, along with an initial authentication key (IAK) or some other authenticating information that is provided to the entity.
For example, when a user first signs onto a public key infrastructure system, out of band information such as the reference value (RV) and the initial authentication key (IAK) may be communicated through the mail, or other out of band mechanism to ensure that the information is not intercepted by an unscrupulous party. Initial authentication keys may be, for example, MAC keys used to authenticate a user that employs a specific reference value. The reference value may be, for example, a random number, employee identification number or any other suitable identifying information. However, with out of band communications of such information, costly initialization procedures result. For example, in a corporation that has 100,000 employees, the out of band communications can require enormous amounts of resources. In addition, personnel typically must be available around the clock if a new user wishes to be initialized on a system at any time of day.
Some conventional systems use in band communications to provide pre-existing secret information that is known, for example, to a registration server. For example, pre-existing secret information may be, for example, an employee identification number stored on a registration server of the corporation. Such initialization methods typically generate an initial authentication key and/or reference value based on the pre-existing information and sends this information back to the client over a secure link. This may require, for example, a secured session to obtain initial authentication keys and reference values for initialization. However, known systems typically then discard the information and require regeneration of new information security authentication information such as random numbers after initial authentication has been granted, to continue use and access to the information security system. Problems can arise with known systems since known systems typically have to return an initial authentication key to an entity by a secured link or through an out of band communication.
Other known conventional systems require new information such as initial authentication keys and other identifying information be created. However, most information communication systems already employ some type of identifying information, such as employee numbers or other information, that is confidential which could be used to authenticate a particular user for access to an information security process. However, the shared information is typically kept in a back end data base and an information security system such as a software application may not use any other pre-existing shared information since the information may relate to other software applications. One solution has been to produce custom software applications for each different environment or to include a list of questions to be asked locally at the remote terminal which can be read by an application. However, the creation of new applications requiring their separate initial authentication keys and new reference values can require a great deal of development costs. Some systems provide a list of questions to request suitable access information. The access information is generated by each application. Also, the distribution of a list of questions does not typically allow different questions for different users unless it is known ahead of time that a particular user will be using a particular terminal. As such, there are environments where distributing reference values and initial authentication keys is not feasible. For example, when attempting to register a large number of geographically distributed users, providing each of them with a reference value and initial authentication key can severely hamper deployment of the application.
Consequently, there exists a need for a system and method for initializing operation of an information security operation for an entity, that leverages pre-existing shared information, such as secret information, to assist in entity registration. In addition, such a system should be relatively automatic to allow secure automatic registration of an entity for use in security operation.

System and method for initializing operation for an information security operation


In one embodiment, a lead strip caster for battery grids includes a ladle, a nozzle, and a pair of rollers. The lead strip caster produces a continuous lead strip for use as battery positive plate grids. The ladle has an inlet to receive molten lead and has an outlet. The nozzle has at least one passage that communicates with the outlet of the ladle in order to receive molten lead from the ladle. The first roller is situated at a first exterior side of the nozzle. The first roller rotates via a first driver. The second roller is situated at a second exterior side of the nozzle. The second roller rotates via a second driver.

Lead-acid batteries are a common energy storage device, and are often used in the automotive industry, marine industry, motive power industry, renewable energy industry, and uninterruptable power supply industry, as well as other applications. Among other components, lead-acid batteries include positive and negative plates that are installed in its interior and are made of lead or lead alloy grids with an electrochemically active battery paste material applied on the grids. The grids are commonly designed to have intersecting wires defining open spaces to receive the battery paste material.
Manufacturing grids for use as positive plates requires a certain amount of care, as the positive plates will ultimately include active material in the form of lead dioxide (PbO2) when charged and lead sulfate (PbSO4) when discharged. Unlike negative plates, the half-cell potential of the positive plates exists within a range where the positive plate grids can become oxidized during normal operation, which can result in corrosion on the grids and ultimate degradation of battery performance and even battery failure. As such, the positive plate grids are manufactured in specific processes that yield a grain structure resistant to corrosion. The positive plate grids are typically produced by gravity casting, which can be a slow and laborious process, or by a continuous casting and rolling process that involves a casting machine that turns molten lead into a hardened elongate continuous strip that is subsequently punched into individual grids connected together.
Conventional casting machines draw molten lead from an open pool that is exposed to one or more casting surfaces of one or more rollers. Lead impurities, along with dross that develops from the oxidation of alloy materials exposed to the atmosphere, residing at a top surface of the molten lead pool can be drawn into the cast strip during the process. The impurities can result in deformations and defects in the hardened strip of grids that are often magnified and intensified amid rolling. The deformations and defects, if present in the grid wires, can ultimately degrade battery performance and shorten the battery's useful life.

Continuous lead strip casting line, caster, and nozzle


An aeromechanical individualizer for individualizing entities within a fiber sample includes a cylindrical rotating beater wheel, having a non-permeable cylindrical surface and having carding elements, such as pins or wire points, on the cylindrical surface. A cylindrical feed roller and feed plate supply the fiber sample to the beater wheel in the form of a beard at a first point along the rotational path thereof. A nozzle directs a gas flow across the feed plate and the beard such that fibers are dragged from the feed plate into engagement with the carding element. At a second point along the rotational path of the beater wheel there is a doffer for removing entities of the beater wheel. An enclosure surrounds the beater wheel and substantially prevents the ingress or egress of the gas except gas flow which enters via the nozzle at the first point and which exits at the second point.

The present invention relates generally to the testing of fiber samples and, more particularly, to apparatus for individualizing single fibers and other entities in textile fiber samples for testing purposes.
Testing of fiber samples, such as, but not limited to, cotton, is important for determining the market value of a particular batch of material, as well as for determining a suitable usage and what processing may be required in gins or spinning mills. Today, nearly 100% of the cotton grown in the United States is classed employing testing instruments. Testing includes determining such characteristics as fiber length, as well as the content of undesired textile entities such as trash and neps.
As a relatively early example, a comb-like device for preparing a sample of ginned cotton for measuring the fiber length thereof is disclosed in Hertel U.S. Pat. No. 2,404,708, which issued in 1946. That same inventor later developed what is now known as a Hertel needle sampler, disclosed in Hertel U.S. Pat. No. 3,057,019. The Hertel needle sampler is a comb-like device arranged for movement past a perforated plate which has a fibrous mass pushed against the opposite side so that portions of the fibrous mass protrude through the perforations and are loaded onto the needles. A screw-thread based locking device then retains the fibers on the needle sampler, forming what is known in the art as a tapered beard because the fibers are of varying lengths. The tapered beard is prepared by combing and brushing to parallelize the fibers, as well as to remove loose fibers. Automated versions of the Hertel needle sampler have been developed.
The tapered beard is then subjected to analysis. For example, an instrument known as a Fibrograph is employed to optically determine various characteristics of the tapered beard, including the profile along its length. In addition, a separate test may be made of the strength of the tapered beard.
In some respects, the sample as taken by a Hertel needle sampler and the measurement of length and strength therefrom, are worldwide standards.
The Hertel needle sampler approach involves collectively testing, essentially simultaneously, all of the fibers of a sample, assumed to be a representative sample.
An alternative approach is to individualize and test single fibers and other textile entities, for example neps and trash. Testing single fiber entities can provide a better analysis.
However, such an approach conventionally requires that entities be individualized and fed one at a time into suitable analysis means for testing. A device for such individualizing is generally termed a "fiber individualizer," and is generally so termed herein, although a more precise term is "entity individualizer" since, for purposes of testing, it is necessary to accurately determine the amount of neps and trash in a particular sample, in addition to characteristics of the fibers themselves.
An example of such single entity testing apparatus is disclosed in Shofner U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,512,060 and 4,686,744, which disclose what is termed in those patents a microdust and trash machine (MTM), and what has since become known as an advanced fiber information system (AFIS), currently manufactured by Zellweger Uster, Inc. in Knoxville, Tennessee.
In one form, the AFIS machine separates fibers and neps into one airstream, and trash into another air stream. Optical-based sensors then measure the individual entitles. Individual entities can be analyzed at rates as high as 1000 per second. An AFIS more particularly includes an aeromechanical separator or fiber individualizer; high speed entity sensors; and a high information rate computer for data collection and analysis.
Improvements to the AFIS, particularly improved sensors where a single sensor analyzes neps, trash and fibers individualized all in one air stream are disclosed in Shofner et al U.S. Pat. No. 5,270,787, titled "Electro-Optical Methods and Apparatus for High Speed, Multivariate Measurement of Individual Entities in Fiber or Other Samples;" in Shofner et al U.S. Pat. No. 5,321,496, titled "Apparatus for Monitoring Trash in a Fiber Sample;" and in Shofner et al U.S. Pat. No. 5,469,253, titled "Apparatus and Method for Testing Multiple Characteristics of Single Textile Sample with Automatic Feed."
The fiber individualizer portion of an AFIS, such as is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,512,060 and 4,686,744, includes a cylindrical rotating beater wheel having projections which engage fibers of fibrous material fed to the beater wheel for testing. The beater wheel rotates at typically 7,500 rpm, which a circumferential velocity of 5,000 FPM, and is similar to the licker-in of a conventional carding machine, or the beater stage of an open-end spinning head, with the exception that the AFIS beater wheel includes perforations which allow radially inward airflow.
The perforations in the prior art beater wheel and, more particularly, the radially inward air flow through the perforations, is significant in that it causes the fibers to engage the pins on the rotating beater wheel. If fiber is merely presented to a rotating beater wheel, the fiber tends to run away and not engage. As a result, the entities are not individualized well, neps are produced, and trash is not removed as efficiently.
While quite effective, a rotating perforated cylinder, normally also requiring a stationary shoe inside connected to a vacuum source for drawing air radially in through the perforations, is a relatively expensive device to manufacture.
Conventional practice, particularly in processing operations, is to simply present fiber to a rotating beater wheel, typically from a feed roller, with no particular air flow introduced at all. This approach suffers the disadvantages that it does not individualize well, neps are produced and trash is not removed effectively.


A method for producing a disposable worn article of the present invention is directed to a method for producing a worn article including a core portion 2 covering the crotch of the wearer, and a torso portion 3 that fits to the torso of the wearer, wherein the torso portion 3 includes a back portion 3L and a front portion 3S. The method includes: a step of carrying a first web W1 including a waist portion 31 of a first back portion 3L1 and a second web W2 including a waist portion 31 of a second back portion 3L2 in the longitudinal direction Y of the webs; a step of forming a combined member by placing the core portion 2 so as to bridge between the first and second webs W1 and W2; and a step of cutting the combined member so as to divide the combined member into a first group G1 and a second group G2.

Typically, disposable diapers and pants are narrower in portions that cover the crotch of the wearer as compared with other portions that are wound around the waist of the wearer. In order to form narrow portions, the whole cloth web needs to be trimmed substantially. The trimmed portions are discarded, thus wasting the material, which increases the cost and is also not desirable in view of the environmental conservation. For example, the production method of the first patent document below is a method for reducing the portion of the web to be discarded.
First Patent Document: Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2003-102777 (ABSTRACT)

Method for producing disposable worn article


Diagnostic apparatus (20) includes an antenna 32, which is configured to direct radio frequency (RF) electromagnetic waves into a living body and to generate signals responsively to the waves that are scattered from within the body. Processing circuitry (36) is configured to process the signals so as to locate a feature in a blood vessel in the body.

Narrowing of the coronary arteries due to atherosclerosis is commonly treated by implantation of a stent, using a catheter, to hold the artery open. In a large fraction of cases, however, the treated artery closes up again due to in-stent restenosis, necessitating further treatment. Accurate assessment of such restenosis generally requires re-catheterization. A number of non-invasive techniques have been proposed, such as in U.S. Pat. No. 6,729,336, in which an electromagnetic wave transmitter is used to excite a stent, and an acoustic sensor detects stent acoustic oscillations.
RF imaging is best known in the context of radar systems, but RF diagnostic imaging systems have also been developed for medical applications. For example, U.S. Patent Application Publication 2008/0169961, whose disclosure is incorporated herein by reference, describes computerized tomography using radar, which may be used for generating an image of living tissue. As another example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,454,242, whose disclosure is incorporated herein by reference, describes tissue-sensing adaptive radar imaging for breast tumor detection.
Various antenna designs have been proposed for RF imaging of body tissues. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,061,589, whose disclosure is incorporated herein by reference, describes a microwave antenna for use in a system for detecting an incipient tumor in living tissue, such as that of a human breast, in accordance with differences in relative dielectric characteristics. A composite Maltese Cross or bow-tie antenna construction is employed to irradiate the living tissue and to collect backscatter or other scatter returns.

Locating features in the heart using radio frequency imaging


A fluid tank for a motor vehicle comprising a housing, wherein the housing has a housing base, a housing cover and at least one side wall. A through-passage is formed inside the side wall, wherein the through-passage extends from a first opening in the housing base in the direction of the housing cover. The through-passage is in fluidic connection with the interior of the fluid tank via a second opening.

This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.
Fluid containers preferably function inside motor vehicles as oil reservoirs from which transmissions and engines, in particular, draw oil for lubrication and cooling. Within these applications, on the one hand, it is important to be able to adjust as accurately as possible the filling level of the oil and, on the other hand, easy drainage of the oil from the container and/or the oil pan is advantageous. In most cases, oil pans generally comprise an oil supply opening at the side or on the upper face and an oil drainage opening on the lower face. However, designs are also known from the prior art which have the oil drainage opening only on the lower face of the oil pan and which also use said oil drainage opening for filling the oil pan with oil.
EP 1 369 556 A1 discloses, for example, a design of a filling device for regulating the oil level in oil pans in engines and transmissions. The solution set forth therein discloses an oil pan with an opening in the base of the oil pan, said opening being able to be closed by an oil drain screw. An oil filling collar which protrudes into the interior of the oil pan is arranged above the opening in the base. A releasable filling pipe is attached to the oil filling collar, wherein the opening of the filling pipe constitutes an overflow opening which determines the defined oil level. By displacing the filling pipe relative to the oil filling collar into a position in which two recesses overlap, one on the filling pipe and one on the oil filling collar, oil is able to be drained out again. A drawback with the solution disclosed in EP 1 369 556 A1 is the costly two-part design.


A technique for forming a film of material (12) from a donor substrate (10). The technique has a step of forming a stressed region in a selected manner at a selected depth (20) underneath the surface. An energy source such as pressurized fluid is directed to a selected region of the donor substrate to initiate a controlled cleaving action of the substrate (10) at the selected depth (20), whereupon the cleaving action provides an expanding cleave front to free the donor material from a remaining portion of the donor substrate.

The present invention relates to the manufacture of substrates. More particularly, the invention provides a technique including a method and device for cleaving a substrate in the fabrication of a silicon-on-insulator substrate for semiconductor integrated circuits using a pressurized fluid, for example. But it will be recognized that the invention has a wider range of applicability; it can also be applied to other substrates for multi-layered integrated circuit devices, three-dimensional packaging of integrated semiconductor devices, photonic devices, piezoelectronic devices, microelectromechanical systems (xe2x80x9cMEMSxe2x80x9d), sensors, actuators, solar cells, flat panel displays (e.g., LCD, AMLCD), biological and biomedical devices, and the like.
Craftsmen or more properly crafts-people have been building useful articles, tools, or devices using less useful materials for numerous years. In some cases, articles are assembled by way of smaller elements or building blocks. Alternatively, less useful articles are separated into smaller pieces to improve their utility. A common example of these articles to be separated include substrate structures such as a glass plate, a diamond, a semiconductor substrate, and others.
These substrate structures are often cleaved or separated using a variety of techniques. In some cases, the substrates can be cleaved using a saw operation. The saw operation generally relies upon a rotating blade or tool, which cuts through the substrate material to separate the substrate material into two pieces. This technique, however, is often extremely xe2x80x9croughxe2x80x9d and cannot generally be used for providing precision separations in the substrate for the manufacture of fine tools and assemblies. Additionally, the saw operation often has difficulty separating or cutting extremely hard and/or brittle materials such as diamond or glass.
Accordingly, techniques have been developed to separate these hard and/or brittle materials using cleaving approaches. In diamond cutting, for example, an intense directional thermal/mechanical impulse is directed preferentially along a crystallographic plane of a diamond material. This thermal/mechanical impulse generally causes a cleave front to propagate along major crystallographic planes, where cleaving occurs when an energy level from the thermal/mechanical impulse exceeds the fracture energy level along the chosen crystallographic plane.
In glass cutting, a scribe line using a tool is often impressed in a preferred direction on the glass material, which is generally amorphous in character. The scribe line causes a higher stress area surrounding the amorphous glass material. Mechanical force is placed on each side of the scribe line, which increases stress along the scribe line until the glass material fractures, preferably along the scribe line. This fracture completes the cleaving process of the glass, which can be used in a variety of applications including households.
Although the techniques described above are satisfactory, for the most part, as applied to cutting diamonds or household glass, they have severe limitations in the fabrication of small complex structures or precision workpieces. For instance, the above techniques are often xe2x80x9croughxe2x80x9d and cannot be used with great precision in fabrication of small and delicate machine tools, electronic devices, or the like. Additionally, the above techniques may be useful for separating one large plane of glass from another, but are often ineffective for splitting off, shaving, or stripping a thin film of material from a larger substrate. Furthermore, the above techniques may often cause more than one cleave front, which join along slightly different planes, which is highly undesirable for precision cutting applications. Other processing techniques such as the use of a release layer have also had limited success. Such release layer techniques often require wet chemical etching, which is often undesirable in many state of art applications.
From the above, it is seen that a technique for separating a thin film of material from a substrate which is cost effective and efficient is often desirable.
According to the present invention, an improved technique for removing a thin film of material from a substrate using a controlled cleaving action is provided. This technique allows an initiation of a cleaving process on a substrate using a single or multiple cleave region(s) through the use of controlled energy (e.g., spatial distribution) and selected conditions to allow an initiation of a cleave front(s) and to allow it to propagate through the substrate to remove a thin film of material from the substrate.
In a specific embodiment, the present invention provides a process for forming a film of material from substrates. The process includes providing a bulk substrate (e.g., silicon) comprising an upper surface. The process also includes forming a compressive layer (e.g., silicon germanium) overlying the upper surface. The method also includes forming a material layer (e.g., epitaxial silicon) overlying the compressive layer. Energy is provided using a fluid to a selected region of the compressive layer to initiate and maintain a controlled cleaving action at the compressive layer, whereupon the cleaving action is made using a propagating cleave front to free the material layer from the bulk substrate. Preferably, the bulk substrate structure is bonded to a handle wafer, where the device layer overlies the handle wafer, before the energy is provided.
In an alternative embodiment, the present invention provides a process for forming a film of material from substrates. The process includes providing a bulk substrate (e.g., silicon) comprising an upper surface. The process also includes forming a cleaving layer overlying the upper surface. The process also includes forming a material layer (e.g., epitaxial silicon) overlying the cleaving layer. Next, particles (e.g., hydrogen, helium, deuterium, or any other light atomic mass particles and the like) are introduced into the cleaving layer. These particles enhance the present cleaving action, which is described below. Energy is provided using a fluid to a selected region of the cleaving layer to initiate and maintain a controlled cleaving action at the cleaving layer, whereupon the cleaving action is made using a propagating cleave front to free the material layer from the bulk substrate. In a specific embodiment, cleaving occurs at or within the cleaving layer.
In most of the embodiments, a cleave is initiated by subjecting the material with sufficient energy to fracture the material in one region or more, causing a cleave front, without uncontrolled shattering or cracking. The cleave front formation energy (Ec) must often be made lower than the bulk material fracture energy (Emat) at each region to avoid shattering or cracking the material. The directional energy impulse vector in diamond cutting or the scribe line in glass cutting are, for example, the means in which the cleave energy is reduced to allow the controlled creation and propagation of a cleave front. The cleave front is in itself a higher stress region and once created, its propagation requires a lower energy to further cleave the material from this initial region of fracture. The energy required to propagate the cleave front is called the cleave front propagation energy (Ep). The relationship can be expressed as:
Ec=Ep+[cleave front stress energy]
A controlled cleaving process is realized by reducing Ep along a favored direction(s) above all others and limiting the available energy to be below the Ep of other undesired directions. In any cleave process, a better cleave surface finish occurs when the cleave process occurs through only one expanding cleave front, although multiple cleave fronts do work.
Numerous benefits are achieved over pre-existing techniques using the present invention. In particular, the present invention uses controlled energy and selected conditions to preferentially cleave a thin film of material from a donor substrate which includes multi-material sandwiched films. This cleaving process selectively removes the thin film of material from the substrate while preventing a possibility of damage to the film or a remaining portion of the substrate. Accordingly, the remaining substrate portion can be re-used repeatedly for other applications.
Additionally, the present invention uses a relatively low temperature during the controlled cleaving process of the thin film to reduce temperature excursions of the separated film, donor substrate, or multi-material films according to other embodiments. In most cases, the controlled cleaving process can occur at, for example, room temperature, as well as others. This lower temperature approach allows for more material and process latitude such as, for example, cleaving and bonding of materials having substantially different thermal expansion coefficients. In other embodiments, the present invention limits energy or stress in the substrate to a value below a cleave initiation energy, which generally removes a possibility of creating random cleave initiation sites or fronts. This reduces cleave damage (e.g., pits, crystalline defects, breakage, cracks, steps, voids, excessive roughness) often caused in pre-existing techniques. Moreover, the present invention reduces damage caused by higher than necessary stress or pressure effects and nucleation sites caused by the energetic particles as compared to pre-existing techniques. Depending upon the embodiment, one or more of these advantages, as well as others, may exist.
The present invention achieves these benefits and others in the context of known process technology. However, a further understanding of the nature and advantages of the present invention may be realized by reference to the latter portions of the specification and attached drawings.

Method and device for controlled cleaving process


A system and method for producing a multiple optical channel source (MOCS). The method includes producing the SC in a medium using at least one femto-second or pico-second optical input pump pulse; splitting input pump pulse or resultant output SC pulse(s) into a plurality of collinear pulses; applying a time delay τ between the least one of input pump pulse or SC pulses; and producing a MOCS by the spectral interference of the plurality of SC pulses. The system includes a laser producing femto-second or pico-second pump pulses, a medium with a high value of the χ(3) nonlinear response to produce spectrally coherent SC, an optical system for delivery of laser pump pulses into the SC producing medium, an optical system for splitting the input pump pulses or output SC pulses into a plurality of collinear pulses, and a means for applying a time delay τ between the plurality of pump or SC pulses.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a supercontinuum generator for producing a multiple optical channel source, and more particularly, to a supercontinuum (SC) generator to provide a multiple optical channel source for a wave division multiplexing (WDM) communication system.
2. Description of the Related Art
SC generation refers to the generation of intense ultra-fast broadband "white light" pulses spanning from the ultraviolet (UV) to the near-infrared (near-IR) wavelength regions. SC generation is one of the key requirements necessary for developing ultra-fast laser and nonlinear optics technologies. One method of generating an SC includes inputting a high-power light pulse into a non-linear optical medium wherein the light pulse undergoes a broadening and emerges as an SC. This broadening is due to non-linear interactions between the light and the medium.
When applied to communication systems, SC wavelength-sliced sources have many advantages, chief of which are being background-noise free and having a high-bit rate capacity. Additionally, SC derived sources can reduce the hardware complexity of optical communication systems by replacing many light sources with a single SC source, which would result in commensurate savings in hardware design and testing, and reduce system maintenance and cost.
For example, in conventional wave division multiplexing (WDM) communication systems, a large number of optical sources such as laser diodes are used as a multiple channel source. Additionally, each laser diode must be independently controlled by a controller. This increases the complexity and cost of the WDM communication system and decreases the system's reliability. Moreover, it is difficult to construct existing WDM sources having more than 50 channels. Additionally, it is difficult to provide uniform channel spacing using the existing WDM sources.
SC's based on self phase modulation (SPM) and cross phase modulation (XPM) in bulk fiber mediums were discovered and pioneered by Dr. R. R. Alfano.
SC generation can be used to obtain multiple wavelength channels, as it can easily produce more than 100 optical longitudinal modes, while maintaining the coherency between the frequency modes. An advantage of using longitudinal (frequency) modes of the SC spectrum is that the resultant fixed channel spacing has the accuracy of a microwave oscillator. This means that entire wavelength channels can be fixed to grid frequencies by adjusting just one wavelength.
Other applications for SC-based sources and systems include WDM/TDM optical communication systems and other types of communications systems, optical frequency comb generators, high-resolution spectroscopy, optical metrology and optical tomography.
The SC arises from the propagation of intense pico-second (ps) or femto-second (fs) pulses through condensed matter, fibers, waveguides, or gaseous media (see, R. R. Alfano and S. L. Shapiro: Phys. Rev. Lett. 24, 584, (1970); Phys. Rev. Lett. 24, 592–594, (1970); Phys. Rev. Lett. 24, 1219, (1970) and U.S. Pat. No. 3,782,828, entitled "Picosecond Spectrometer Using Picosecond Continuum," to Alfano et al.). Various processes are responsible for the generation of SC's, including self-, induced-, and cross-phase modulations and four-photon parametric processes, and soliton generation. When an intense laser pulse propagates through a medium, it changes the refractive index of the medium, which, in turn, changes the phase, amplitude, and frequency of the pulse. However, when two laser pulses having different wavelengths propagate simultaneously through a condensed medium, coupled interactions (i.e., cross-phase modulation) occur through the nonlinear susceptibility coefficients. These coupled interactions of two different wavelengths, can introduce phase modulation, amplitude modulation, and spectral broadening in each of the pulses due to the other pulse using cross-effects (see, U.S. Pat. No. 5,150,248, entitled "Terahertz Repetition Rate Optical Computing Systems, And Communication Systems And Logic Elements Using Cross-Phase Modulation Based Optical Processors," to Alfano et al.). Dispersion plays a critical role in the SC, and in particular, about the zero group velocity dispersion region.
Currently, existing optical multiplexing systems such as wavelength/time division multiplexing (WDM/TDM) have limitations which are caused by the number of optical channels which can be provided by an optical channel source. Moreover, many optical channel generators require an individual laser for each optical channel which increases the complexity of the optical channel generator. Therefore, it is difficult to construct a WDM optical channel source that can provide more than 100 optical communication channels. For this reason, SC optical channel sources are a desirable means for providing multiple optical carriers (see, H. Takara. Optics & Photonics news, p. 48–51, March 2002). The advantages of using an SC source include its super-broadband spectrum to simultaneously generate more than 100 channels with fixed spectral channel spacing.
As a result of space-time self-focusing, multi-photon absorption and self-steeping, an "optical shock" wave forms inside the medium that gives rise to an even broader blue-shifted pedestal in the transmitted pulse spectrum.
There are several important applications of the SC pulse, such as a white-light probe pulse to study the fundamental temporal dynamics of elementary excitations in the fields of chemistry, biology and condensed matter. Additionally SC pulses can be used as a multi-wavelength optical source for optical fiber communication systems, and as an optical source for optical coherence tomography (OCT) to detect cells.
Shaping, signal processing, and time-space conversion of fs pulses can be achieved by linear and nonlinear manipulation of the spatially dispersed optical frequency spectrum within a grating pair and lens pulse shaper. This approach can be used for processing of information in ultra high-speed optical communications networks.
An ultrafast coherence cross-correlation technique can be used for the detection of coherence data streams as well as photon echo signals on an fs time scale.
Throughout this document, the term SC fiber is used to refer to SC fibers or other suitable SC producing mediums.
The high degree of spatial coherence of an SC source is highly desirable for use in wireless communication systems and for a frequency comb generation.

Method and apparatus for producing a multiple optical channel source from a supercontinuum generator for WDM communication

The Research Foundation of the City University of New York


A motor vehicle subassembly including a steering wheel body and an airbag module is provided with the airbag module secured to the steering wheel via latching structure at spaced fastening points that allows removal of the module from the steering wheel body by releasing it at one of the fastening points. In this manner, the latching structureneed not be actuated at the other fastening points as well for airbag module removal. In a preferred form, an actuating element such as a spring member is provided for forming part of the latching connection between the steering wheel body and the airbag module. The latching structure can include latching elements at each fastening point having associated elastic elements such as helical springs for securing the airbag module with a prestress to the steering wheel body.

The invention relates to a motor vehicle subassembly.
A motor vehicle subassembly of this type comprises a steering wheel body of a motor vehicle steering wheel, an airbag module which can be fastened to the steering wheel body by means of a latching connection, and latching means for fastening the airbag module to the steering wheel body at at least two spaced apart fastening points. The airbag module is accordingly secured on the steering wheel body locally at a plurality of separate fastening points.
A motor vehicle subassembly of this type is disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,775,725. A disadvantage of the known motor vehicle subassembly is that, in order to release the latching connection between the airbag module and steering wheel body, the latching connection has to be released at a plurality of fastening points, which requires a corresponding outlay.
The invention is based on the problem of providing a motor vehicle subassembly of the type mentioned at the beginning, in which the latching connection between the airbag module and steering wheel body can be cancelled in a simple manner.


An improved portable fire hydrant that can operate a water main valve disposed within a water main to produce water for fighting a fire by rotating a valve stem coupled to the water main valve includes an extension through which water can flow when the fire hydrant is coupled to the water main. The portable fire hydrant may also include a sealing mechanism disposed on the extension that seals the portable fire hydrant to the water main. A valve operator may also be coupled to the portable fire hydrant and attached to a valve rod that extends down through the extension of the portable fire hydrant. Disposed on the end of the valve rod may be a coupling mechanism for coupling the valve operator to the water main valve. When the portable fire hydrant is attached to the water main, the valve operator of the portable fire hydrant is coupled to the water main valve so that manipulation of the valve operator will cause the water main valve to reposition. This enables fire fighting water to be provided from the water main to the portable fire hydrant. The fire hydrant may also have an aligning mechanism for properly aligning the hydrant with the water main, and an attaching mechanism for rigidly attaching the fire hydrant to the water main.

This invention relates to an improved portable fire hydrant that can be transported by a fire department to a water main and connected to a water main to supply fire fighting water. This invention also relates to a method of coupling an improved portable fire hydrant to a water main and a method of fighting a fire with the improved portable fire hydrant.
Conventional fire hydrants are well known and are disposed above ground level on a water main that is located below ground level. Typically, they include a cast iron or rigid steel structure that is fastened to a water main. A plurality of connectors for connecting the fire hydrant to a fire hose are generally disposed on the fire hydrant. Furthermore, the fire hydrant may have a plurality of connectors for connecting the fire hydrant to a water main. In many instances, these connectors are bolts or other fasteners that rigidly affix the fire hydrant to the water main.
Conventional fire hydrants may also include a valve operator disposed on the fire hydrant. The valve operator is coupled through a valve stem to a water main valve disposed in the water main below ground level. This valve operator may be manipulated by using a wrench or a similar mechanism designed to operate with the valve operator.
While conventional fire hydrants have proven to be satisfactory for some purposes, they have some disadvantages. For instance, since they are constructed from cast iron and are disposed above ground, they present a safety hazard. By way of illustration, automobiles or other vehicles can strike the fire hydrant causing damage to either or both the vehicle and the fire hydrant. If the fire hydrant is damaged, water pressure in the water main may decrease. Potentially, a loss of water for fire fighting or other purposes may occur. Similarly, people can inadvertently come into contact with a fire hydrant and injure themselves.
Because conventional fire hydrants are generally disposed curb side on a side walk, they have several other disadvantages. For instance, the amount of parking space that is available, which is a concern in relatively large cities, is decreased by the presence of conventional fire hydrants. In colder regions, in addition to removing snow from the streets, snow must be removed from the area surrounding these curb side fire hydrants. In some areas, the snow may be significant enough to cover a fire hydrant. Flags or poles have to be attached to the fire hydrants in these regions so that they can be readily located. Furthermore, since conventional fire hydrants are accessible, they are often opened for recreational purposes, especially in higher temperature climates. If the fire hydrants are opened, the water pressure in the attached water main will decrease. This causes several problems. For example, either less water for fire fighting purposes and for normal business and household use may be available or the rate at which this water is supplied may be decreased. This problem is more pronounced in large cities in the hotter periods of the year.
Because of these disadvantages, it has been suggested in the past that a portable fire hydrant be used. Once such fire hydrant is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,752,179 (Atkins). A portable fire hydrant may be carried by a fire department and installed on a water main to provide fire fighting water. Since a portable fire hydrant is not rigidly installed, it can overcome some of the drawbacks of permanently installed conventional fire hydrants. For instance, since it is removable, it will not be contacted accidentally be either people or vehicles. Furthermore, since it is removable, it need not be disposed curb side. For example, it could be attached to a water main located in a variety of places, including the middle of a street. By changing the location of where the fire hydrant attaches to a water main, several advantages are achieved. The amount of parking space is increased. If the water main to which the fire hydrant is to be attached is in the street, snow need only be removed in the street and the need for snow removal around a curb side fire hydrant is eliminated. Moreover, the likelihood of tampering with the water main to supply water for recreational purposes may be reduced if the water main to which the fire hydrant is to be attached is disposed in the street.
This invention relates to an improved portable fire hydrant that can be transported by a fire department and installed relatively easily into a water main and thereby overcome some of the problems presented by conventional fire hydrants. This invention also relates to a method of coupling an improved portable fire hydrant to a water main and a method of using the improved portable fire hydrant.


A memory may be implemented with a stable chalcogenide glass which is defined as a generally amorphous chalcogenide material that does not change to a generally crystalline phase when exposed to 200° C. for 30 minutes or less. Different states may be programmed by changing the threshold voltage of the material. The threshold voltage may be changed with pulses of different amplitude and/or different pulse fall times. Reading may be done using a reference level between the threshold voltages of the two different states. A separate access device is generally not needed.

This invention relates generally to memories using chalcogenide materials.
Chalcogenide materials have been used as semiconductor memories for a number of years. These memories may be traditionally referred to as phase change memories. They typically involve the change from an amorphous to a crystalline phase. Chalcogenide memories to date have used materials that are bi-stable in that they will change from a generally amorphous state to a generally crystalline state when exposed to 200° C. for 30 minutes or less, and back to amorphous state by application of 650° C. for brief time with a rapid quench.
One advantage of chalcogenide materials in semiconductor memory applications is that a relatively modest amount of heat may transition the devices between different detectable phases or states. This heat may be generated by applying a current or voltage to the chalcogenide material.
While phase change materials have many advantages, they may also have some disadvantages in some situations. For example, the "off" state leakage may be high. An ovonic threshold switch has been viewed as a single-state chalcogenide device, but with a high "off" state leakage. When combined in series with a two state chalcogenide material, a high "off" state leakage results and with a two state memory. However, the resulting two layer stack requires multiple depositions.

Programming a normally single phase chalcogenide material for use as a memory or FPLA