Boom for a working machine includes a forked base support pivotally supported by a machine body. A base support of the boom has a hose introduction hole for inserting a hydraulic hose from the machine body into the boom main body. A swelling part extends upward from a fore end side toward a forked side so as to correspond to an inner surface side of an upper wall and skirt parts extend downward from a lateral center of a top part of the swelling part toward upper surfaces of left and right leg parts.

There has been disclosed a backhoe in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication JP-A2004-176312 as a working machine. The boom of the backhoe includes a forked base support of which the base end side is pivotally supported by the revolving base and the fore end side is connected with a boom main body. The base support is configured to include a body part, and a left and right pair of leg parts that are extended from the body part to the revolving base and swingably pivotally supported on the revolving base side. Also, hydraulic hoses on the revolving base side are inserted between the left and right pair of leg parts, extended to the upper surface of the body part, and further extended along the outer surface of the boom main body to the fore end side of the arm. Hydraulic oil is supplied through the hydraulic hoses to hydraulic actuators such as a hydraulic actuator for actuating the arm swingably supported on the fore end side of the boom main body.
Also, in this backhoe, the revolving base is provided with a swing bracket rotatably around a vertical shaft, and the swing bracket vertically movably supports the base part of the boom through a horizontal pivot. The boom is provided with the swingable arm, and the fore end of the arm is provided with the bucket. The arm provided at the fore end of the boom, and the boom are actuated by the hydraulic actuators such as hydraulic cylinders.
In such a backhoe, the multiple hydraulic hoses for supplying the hydraulic oil to the hydraulic actuators for actuating the arm, bucket, and the like are arranged from the revolving base via the boom along the outer surface of the boom.

Boom for working machine with swelling part


An embodiment of a multilayer wafer according to the invention includes a base substrate, a first layer associated with the base substrate, and a second layer on the first layer on side opposite from the base substrate in an axial direction and having a lateral edge. The first layer includes a ridge that protrudes axially and is disposed laterally adjacent the second layer measured in a direction normal to the axial direction for protecting the lateral edge. This ridge can surround portion the lateral edge in an axial cross-section for preventing edge falls. Also, the ridge can have an axial height greater than the axial thickness of the second layer. In one embodiment, the second layer includes an oxydizable semiconductor and the first layer includes an oxidized insulator.

There exists, over a certain depth from the surface of at least one face of substrates that are for the manufacture of components for microelectronics and/or optoelectronics, a layer of material which, at least partially, is a constituent of the components produced on this face. This layer will subsequently be denoted by the expression "working layer".
The quality of this working layer and in particular that of its surface, for example in terms of roughness, conditions that of the components.
Continual research is being carried out to improve the quality of this working layer. U.S. Pat. No. 6,221,774, for example, provides a polishing process by which the surface of the working layer is polished with a roller, the rotational axis of which is parallel to this surface. However, polishing results in defects, such as work hardening defects, in the layer of material underlying the polished surface.

Method for treating substrates for microelectronics and substrates obtained by said method

S.O.I.Tec Silicon on Insulator Technologies


The present invention relates to transgenic guayule plants that produce increased amounts of rubber uses thereof.

Natural rubber, cis-1,4 polyisoprene, a biobased elastomer, is produced primarily in tropical climates by the Brazilian rubber tree, Hevea brasiliensis (Hevea). Natural rubber is essential in many industrial applications and in many of its most significant applications, natural rubber cannot be replaced by synthetic alternatives. Because of its desirable properties and heavy demand, the price of natural rubber is rising, making natural rubber increasingly more precious as an industrial material. Indeed, in 2011, 10 million MT of natural rubber (NR) valued over $10B USD was harvested for use in commerce.
Unfortunately, users of natural rubber not only face rising prices, but also the potential for shortage. Indeed, the demand for Hevea rubber is expected to exceed supply by 25% by 2020.
Natural rubber is unique in that for many applications it has no synthetic equivalent. Indeed, its unique properties of resilience, elasticity, abrasion- and impact-resistance, efficient heat dispersion, and malleability at cold temperatures are unmatched by synthetic alternatives (see e.g., Cornish (2001) Phytochemistry 57, 1123-1134). For example airplanes cannot safely land with tires made from synthetic rubber; and only truck tires made from natural rubber are resilient enough to withstand heavy shear and loads. Thus, potential shortages of natural rubber foretell profound consequences for commerce.
Unfortunately, today, Hevea brasiliensis is essentially the sole commercial source of natural rubber. But, fortunately, there are alternative plant sources for natural rubber. Chief among the alternatives is guayule (Parthenium argentatum Gray). Parthenium argentatum Gray commonly known as guayule, is a shrub in the family Asteraceae, native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico.
On its own, guayule is presently not economical without either greater rubber yields or identification and development of high value coproducts. However, if developed, guayule has great potential as a new or alternative crop for arid and semiarid areas of the southwestern United States, north central Mexico, and regions with similar climates around the world (see e.g., Thompson and Ray 1989; Wright et al. (1991) Guayule economics, p. 351-366. In: J. W. Whitworth and E. E. Whitehead (eds.). Guayule natural rubber. Office of Arid Lands, Univ. of Arizona, Tucson). Thus, development of guayule cultivars capable of producing high yields of natural rubber latex would be invaluable for increasing the quantities of natural latex rubber.
Therefore, what is needed in the art, are methods for improving the quantity and/or quality of natural rubber from guayule, and new guayule cultivars capable of producing high yields of natural rubber latex.
Fortunately, as will be clear from the following disclosure, the present invention provides for these and other needs.

Transgenic guayule for enhanced isoprenoid production

The United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of Agriculture


The present invention relates running webs which have been printed in a high-speed printer. A method and a device are provided for longitudinal cuffing of a running, unseparated web in two web portions, wherein the unseparated web (2) is printed in a high-speed printer (1) and wherein the unseparated web (2) is cut longitudinally in two web portions (2a, 2b). The unseparated web (2) is brought to run between a first and a second edge support (8, 9) such that longitudinal outer edges (2d, 2e), extending in the running direction (T), of the unseparated web (2) can cooperate with the edge supports (8, 9). If the width (B) of the unseparated web (2) varies and/or changes, this is read and the second edge support (9) and the cuffing means (7) are continuously controlled to move in a lateral direction (S) relative to the running direction (T) such that the unseparated web (2) is cut in two web portions (2a, 2b) with widths (B2a, B2b) which are adapted to each other.

A method for manufacturing printed papers which have been printed in a high-speed printer, is known from EP 0 562 443. At this prior art method, an unseparated web is cut longitudinally in two web portions, but the method does not solve the problem that the longitudinal cut will be incorrect if the width of the unseparated web for some reason varies and/or changes.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,260,142 and 3,753,381 describe control devices which control the position of an outer edge of a running web and which move cutting means for dividing the web in lateral direction if said web is moved laterally. These control devices neither solve the problem that the longitudinal cutting of the web will be erroneous if the width of the web varies and/or changes.

Method and device at running webs have been printed in a high-speed printer


The improved sliding bearing provides fitting of a cap into a sleeve with steadily fixation of adhesive, and prevention of the remained adhesive outside of the desired area. The sliding bearing comprises a sleeve, a shaft enclosed in said sleeve, and, a cap fitted into the sleeve, the sleeve having a shouldered hole with a first shoulder on which the cap is held, wherein the internal circumferential surface of the sleeve or the external circumferential surface of the cap includes a second shoulder circumferentially formed thereon. The second shoulder of the sleeve is of an outer diameter larger than the diameter of the cap, and an inner diameter approximately same as or slightly larger than the outer diameter of the cap, while the second shoulder of the cap is of an inner diameter smaller than that of the sleeve, and an outer diameter approximately same as or slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the sleeve.

The present invention relates to a sliding bearing, e.g. a dynamic pressure bearing. More particularly, the present invention relates to a dynamic pressure bearing in which a shaft member is held in its sleeveportion for relative rotation to radial bearing portion.
FIGS. 1 and 2 show a general sliding bearing, e.g., a dynamic pressure bearing. There are, respectively, shown different types of dynamic pressure bearings.
Referring to FIG. 1, the first type of dynamic pressure bearing is shown, as an example. Such the dynamic pressure bearing is provided with a shaft member 1 having a shaft body portion 2a and a flange 2b on one of the end faces of the shaft body portion 2a. The flange 2b has first dynamic pressure grooves 3, 4 respectively formed on its front and back surface to act as a radial bearing portion, while the shaft body portion 2a has the second dynamic pressure grooves 5, 6, respectively, formed on its outer circumferential surface to act as an axial bearing portion.
The shaft member 1 is fitted into a sleeve portion 7, and thus the second dynamic pressure grooves 5,6 may be formed on the inner circumferential surface of the sleeve portion 7. In the dynamic pressure bearing, the fitting of the shaft member 1 into the sleeve portion 7 forms a gap between the external surface of shaft member 1 and the inner circumferential surface of the sleeve portion 7, wherein the gap acts as a flow path to allow flow of lubricating fluid.
The sleeve portion 7 has a stepped hole 8, which is formed by construction of a small diameter hole portion 8a extending toward the interior, a large diameter hole portion 8b extending toward the exterior from the small diameter hole portion 7a through a shoulder portion 8c, and a cap-fitting hole 8d extending to the exterior from the large diameter hole 8c through a first shoulder portion 8e. The shaft member 1 is fitted into the stepped hole 8 until placement of the flange 2b in the large diameter hole portion 8b. After fitting of the shaft member 1 into the stepped hole 8, a cap 9 is fitted in the cap-fitting hole portion 8d and placed on the second shoulder portion 8e for the purpose of closure of the stepped hole 8.
For fitting of the cap 9, a press fitting or adhesive bonding process is performed. The press-fitting fixation process is a simple way of handling and provides a relatively steadily fixed cap, but has problems of which it limits bearing dimensions. Herefrom, the fixation by adhesive bonding process is generally performed, because of no limitation to bearing dimensions.
Referring to FIG. 2, a second type of dynamic pressure bearing is shown. The dynamic pressure bearing is distinguished from the foregoing first type of dynamic pressure bearing body, in construction of the shaft member, protrusion of the shaft body 2a beyond the flange 2b or formation of the flange around the outer circumferential surface of the shaft member 1. In the second type of dynamic pressure bearing, the cover member 9 has an axial center hole 91 into which the shaft member 1 passes. Since other elements are of similar construction to the first type of dynamic pressure bearing as shown in FIG. 1, the descriptions are omitted.
Referring to FIG. 7, a conventional fixation of the cap 9 into the cap-fitting hole portion 8d of the sleeve portion 7 by the adhesive bonding process is shown. According to the figure, the sleeve portion 7 has a peripheral tapered edge 7a at its top, while the cover member has a perimetrical tapered edge 9a at its top. After fitting of the cap 8 into the cap-fitting hole portion 8d, an adhesive glue B is supplied into an area A where is at the peripheral and perimetrical tapered edges 7a and 9a, from above of the cap 9, and thereby penetrates into a gap G between the sleeve portion 7 and the cap 9.
Because of the guiding of the cap 9 fitted into the cap-fitting hole portion 8d, or the prevention of back-lush or play between the tubular member 7 and the cap 9 incorporated thereinto, a gap formed between the inner circumferential surface of the sleeve portion 7 and the outer circumferential surface of the cap 9 is designed for smaller dimensions. This does not accomplish complete penetration of the adhesive glue B which is infused in the area A, into the gap through slopes of the tapered edges of the sleeve portion 7 and the cap 9, and hence causes problems of which the adhesive glue B remains in the area A or on the external surfaces of the sleeve portion 7 and the cap 9, whereby provides reduced fixation of the cap into the sleeve portion 7 by and required works for removal of the adhesive glue B being left.
The present invention is devised to solve the foregoing Problems. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to allow the smooth penetration of the adhesive glue into the gap between the inner circumferential surface of the sleeve portion and the outer circumferential surface of the cap through slopes of the tapered edges.
To attain the object of the invention, an improved sliding bearing (dynamic pressure bearing) has a gap, which is formed in construction of an upper large gap portion which provides the smooth penetration of the adhesive glue thereinto, and a lower small gap portion which provides the prevention of back-lush or play between the sleeve portion and the cap thereof.
The gap with the upper wide gap and the lower narrow gap is defined by the sleeve portion provided with a second internal shoulder at its lower portion near the second shoulder, or a cap provided with a circumferential shoulder at its lower portion near the bottom.
In another embodiment, the inner circumferential surface of the sleeve portion, and the outer circumferential surface of the cap are each provided with a lateral groove in which the adhesive glue anchors thereinto. The lateral grooves have an internal top surface, which is tapered so as to allow the adhesive glue to smoothly penetrate thereinto for more effective fixation of the cap in the sleeve portion.


Described herein are systems, methods, and software to enhance firewall implementation for virtual machines. In one implementation, a method of managing firewall rules for a virtual machine includes identifying, in the virtual machine, an attach process for one or more applications to the virtual machine. The method further includes, identifying one or more firewall rules that correspond to the one or more applications and providing the one or more firewall rules to networking manager for the virtual machine.

In virtual desktop environments, host computers may execute a plurality of virtual machines that can be accessed as a service by end users for traditional desktop computing tasks. These users may login to the service via end user devices and, in response to the login, be provided with a virtual machine to accomplish desired tasks. Once the user logs out of the service or the virtual machine, the service may allocate the same virtual machine to a new requesting user.
Although this service model allows multiple users to access virtual machines and the applications available thereon, each of the users may require a different set of applications. For example, an engineer of an organization may require a different set of applications than a financial officer of the same organization. To provide the required applications, the service may identify applications required for a user, and mount or attach application volumes to the virtual machine allocated to the user to make the applications executable from the storage volumes. An application volume may be considered a containerized, or virtualized, application stored in a virtual disk. When the virtual disk is attached to the virtual machine, a service running on the virtual machine overlays the containerized application on the native file structure so that the containerized application appears to be natively installed onto the disk of the virtual machine. In some implementations, this attachment process may modify any required registry information of the virtual machine to make the applications executable from the application volumes.
Once the application volumes are attached, the user may execute the applications located in the attached volumes as if the applications were locally installed on the virtual machine. However, although applications may be attached via application volumes, it is often difficult to manage the inbound and outbound network traffic associated with the virtual machine. In particular, because different applications may be attached and made available on a virtual machine based the current requirements of the virtual machine, it is often difficult to configure firewall and network management resources for the particular applications.


Disclosed herein is a high-efficiency acoustic wave generator using a pulsed thermal radiation beam. The generator is configured such that when a pulse beam formed by a light interrupter is directly radiated onto a porous material having a woven net or steel scrubber shape, thin wires of the porous material repeatedly rapidly thermally-expand and contract, whereby air in the space between the wires is momentarily heated and cooled, and the expansion and contraction of air is directly transmitted to an air column formed just adjacent to the porous material. By virtue of the above structure, the efficiency of the generator is markedly improved compared to the conventional technique, and the productivity is also greatly enhanced.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to acoustic wave generators and, more particularly, to a high-frequency acoustic wave generator using a pulsed thermal radiation beam that is configured such that when a pulse beam formed by a light interrupter is directly radiated onto a porous material having a woven net or steel scrubber shape, thin wires of the porous material repeatedly rapidly thermally-expand and contract, whereby air in the space between the wires is momentarily heated and cooled, and the expansion and contraction of air is directly transmitted to an air column formed just adjacent to the porous material. By virtue of the above structure, the efficiency of the generator according to the present invention is markedly improved compared to the conventional technique, and the productivity is also greatly enhanced.
The present invention is configured to generate high-frequency (ultrasonic) waves from obtained acoustic waves and provide the acoustic waves to a variety of industrial fields including fields pertaining to sterilization, washing, etc.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, solar energy is used for air-conditioning or heating of buildings, lighting devices or power generation.
With regard to this, over the past half century studies on solar energy have been continuously conducted and many related techniques have already been commercialized. At present, various forms of solar energy conversion systems for improvement in efficiency are under study.
Meanwhile, the conversion of solar energy into acoustic energy, along with a solar tracking system, is opening a new chapter in technology using high-density solar energy. Most of this technology is focused on the development of thermoacoustic refrigerators.
Conventional thermoacoustic wave generators using solar light are configured such that a porous stack (solid block) is disposed in a transparent tube closed on one end thereof and thermoacoustic waves are generated by heating a portion thereof adjacent to the closed end of the transparent tube.
However, in conventional thermoacoustic wave generators, to generate high-frequency thermoacoustic waves, the size of the transparent tube must be reduced inversely proportional to the frequency of thermoacoustic waves, and a high thermal gradient between both ends of the porous stack must be maintained. Therefore, in practice it is very difficult to embody such conventional thermoacoustic wave generators. Referring to the result of research so far, it has been reported that the University of Utah, USA succeeded in producing a maximum acoustic wave of 3 kHz via this conventional technique.
In other words, it is no exaggeration to say that it is almost impossible to produce thermoacoustic waves in an ultrasonic wave range of 18 kHz or more using the above conventional technique.
Furthermore, research on generating thermoacoustic waves has focused on generating compression waves via a process of heating a very small micro-sized structure by momentarily applying Joule's heat resulting from electric energy to the structure and then cooling the structure. This process is repeated so that air surrounding the structure is expanded and cooled.
In an effort to overcome the problems of the conventional techniques pertaining to thermoacoustic wave generators, the applicant of the present invention proposed a thin metal plate membrane structure in Korean Patent Registration No. 10-1207380.
However, the technique of No. 10-1207380 is problematic in that the efficiency in producing high frequency is comparatively low because some solar light transmitted through a hole is lost in the air before it reaches the membrane structure. In addition, the size of a light interrupter must be greatly increased depending on the size of the thin metal plate. Therefore, it is substantially difficult to commercialize the technique.

Effective sound generator using pulsed thermal radiation

Jeju National University Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation


The loop gain of a phase locked loop is made to be controllably responsive to the transition density of an input data signal. In one embodiment a charge pump, positioned between the phase detector and the loop filter, supplies pulse-amplitude-modulated current pulses to the loop filter, the amplitude of pulses being related to the data transition density.

This invention relates to phase locked loop (PLL) systems in which the density of data transitions in the data signal varies.
Monolithic PLL circuits have become the basic building blocks of many consumer and industrial electronic systems. In telecommunication data systems, for example, the PLL is an integral part of the clock recovery subsystem. The PLL may be used to recover the clock signal from the data signal; the recovered clock may then be used, for example, to regenerate the data signal.
The basic PLL system generally comprises three elements; (1) a phase detector, (2) a loop filter, and (3) a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO), which are interconnected in a feedback system as shown in FIG. 12.1 of "Bipolar and MOS Analog Integrated Circuit Design," A. B. Grebene, John Wiley & Sons (1984). The phase detector compares the phase of an input signal V.sub.s with the phase of the VCO and generates a control voltage V.sub.d. This voltage V.sub.d is filtered by the loop filter, the output of which is applied to the control terminal of the VCO to control its frequency of oscillation.
The loop gain, K.sub.L, of the PLL is defined as follows: EQU K.sub.L =K.sub.D K.sub.o ( 1)
where K.sub.D (V/rad) is the phase detector conversion gain, and K.sub.o (Hz/V) is the voltage-to-frequency conversion gain of the VCO.
It is well known that the phase detector gain K.sub.D, and hence the loop gain, of a clock recovery PLL is dependent on the transition density of the data signal. (D. L. Duttweiler, BSTJ, Vol. 55, No. 1 (1976)). That is, when the data signal undergoes few data transitions, the phase detector has periods of time when no data transitions occur to compare with the VCO recovered clock. The effective phase detector gain K.sub.DD is then degraded by a factor D<1 defined as EQU D=f.sub.trans /f.sub.clk ( 2) EQU and EQU K.sub.DD =K.sub.D D (3)
where f.sub.trans is the frequency of the data transitions and f.sub.clk is the frequency of the recovered clock.
Consider two cases illustrated by FIGS. 1 and 2. In both cases the PLL is locked to an input data signal, but the clock signal is lagging the data signal by a phase error .DELTA.. In FIG. 1, there is only one rising clock cycle transition between adjacent data transitions; thus, the degrading factor D=1. But, in FIG. 2, there are three rising clock cycle transitions between adjacent data transitions; thus D=1/3. Therefore, there are three times the number of error corrections in the D=1 case than in the D=1/3 case. This difference effectively makes the phase detector gain of FIG. 2, K.sub.D2 =1/3 K.sub.D1, where K.sub.D1 is the phase detector gain of FIG. 1, even though the phase detectors themselves have physically the same implementation.
This data-dependent variation of the phase detector gain will cause variations in the PLL closed loop dynamics and may be undesirable. For example, in a second order active loop filter PLL (Grebene, supra, FIG. 12.9), the natural frequency, the damping factor and the 3 dB frequency all decrease as K.sub.DD decreases, but the jitter peaking increases. This effect is particularly troublesome in systems in which the PLLs (or repeaters which include the PLLs) are cascaded. For example, in token ring systems data may be inserted/extracted at different nodes such that different repeaters/PLLs see different data streams. With prior art PLLs, the transfer function of the PLL shifts with transition density such that some PLLs may lose lock; others may not.

Phase-locked loop system with compensation for data-transition-dependent variations in loop gain


A digital silicon-on-insulator (SOI) H-transistor layout is disclosed for gate arrays. In the preferred embodiment, the invention basically comprises at least two H-transistors; the ends of each H-transistor terminate in two distinct regions of field oxide; the two sides of the H-transistor abut a body contact region; and each body contact region abuts a strip of field oxide, which has an underlying trench. This pattern is repeated vertically and horizontally, generating a structure compatible for gate array architecture. In a gate array, all transistors in a column are of the same type, such as N type or P type. Within a row, however, the transistors types could alternate.

This invention relates to silicon-on-insulator (SOI) H-transistors for digital technology. More particularly, it relates to a silicon-on-insulator H-transistor layout for gate arrays.
When scaling transistors to smaller geometries, the hot carrier effect becomes a problem. As a result of the electron/hole generation at the drain of an N channel transistor, hole current flows to the substrate contact of the P well. For bulk devices, which do not have a buried oxide layer, the cross-sectional area to the P well contact is large and the resistance is small. On the other hand, thin film SOI devices have a minimal cross-sectional area and a corresponding increase in resistance to the well contact. Further, thin film SOI devices, in which the source and drain junctions terminate on the buried oxide, are such that the only conduction path to the well contact is along the channel, which further reduces the cross-sectional area. Consequently, the same amount of hole current generated in a SOI or silicon on sapphire (SOS) device passes through a much smaller cross-sectional area (when contrasted with a bulk device), which causes a much larger voltage drop in the channel region. This voltage drop lowers the barrier at the source and injects more electrons into the channel region. This increase in current causes a larger amount of hole current to be generated, which results in additional barrier lowering. The cycle continues. The barrier is lowered even more; more electrons are injected into the channel region; more hole current is generated; and the barrier lowers still more. This uncontrolled state, caused by the hot carrier effect, is commonly known as snapback.
When scaling transistors to smaller geometries for mass production, it is also desirable to delay the routing of transistor elements as much as possible, providing maximum flexibility in the assignment of transistors to specific gates. For custom-made orders, it is desirable to produce as much of the order as possible before an order is received, waiting to personalize the transistors until after the request is received. Once the order is received, the specification as to which node of a transistor is to be the drain and which is to be the source can then be made. It is known in the art that gate array architecture provides this flexibility.
One patent which discloses the use of gate arrays is U.S. Pat. No. 4,602,270 to Finegold. Finegold discloses an improved gate array employing long strips of gates instead of current blocks. Isolation of selected adjacent circuits is provided by connecting adjacent transistor gates to opposite power supplies and permanently turning them off.
While Finegold does reveal an improved gate array, this invention also has several drawbacks. One drawback is that the Finegold invention is only useful on bulk devices. It is not compatible, however, with silicon-on-insulator devices which are favored among many persons over bulk devices.
Another drawback of the Finegold invention has been raised by persons in the space community. As previously mentioned, Finegold isolates selected adjacent circuits by connecting adjacent gates to opposite power supplies. The space community has noted that, if a necessary contact is missing, this mistake may not be detectable in the laboratory during routine checking. Unfortunately, it can only be detected after the satellite, or other device, has been launched into space. When orbiting, the satellite is irradiated with cosmic rays and this alters the transistors, causing them to fail. Consequently, because the failed devices are in orbit, they are inaccessible and cannot be repaired.
Accordingly, it is the primary object of the present invention to provide an improved gate array architecture.
It is another object to provide a gate array which can be used with silicon-on-insulator transistors.
It is yet another object to provide a gate array with a plurality of transistors which minimizes the resistive path to substrate node, thus reducing a transistor's tendency to go into an uncontrolled state; therefore, five-volt operation can be more easily obtained.
It is still another object to provide a gate array wherein the personalization of the transistors can be delayed until late in the fabrication process.
It is still a further object to provide a gate array wherein the accuracy of the contacts can be tested in the laboratory.
The above and other objects and advantages of this invention will become more readily apparent when the following description is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Silicon-on-insulator H-transistor layout for gate arrays


There is disclosed a process for reducing the number of gels generated in polyethylene terephthalate (PET) resin. Gels are crosslinked polymers created by thermal and thermo-oxidative degradation induced during polymer production. The instant process comprises the addition of primary and secondary antioxidants prior to the PET polycondensation reaction in order to reduce the amount of thermal degradation which occurs. The polyethylene terephthalate produced by this process formed approximately 25 to 90% fewer gels while maintaining physical properties suitable for use in fiber, film, and molding applications.

This invention relates to an improvement in making polyethylene terephthalate (PET) useful in fiber, film, and molding applications.
PET may be prepared, as is well known, by the ester interchange of dimethyl terephthalate with ethylene glycol or by the direct esterification of ethylene glycol and terephthalic acid, followed by condensation polymerization (hereinafter "polycondensation") in the presence of a catalyst such as antimony trioxide (Sb.sub.2 O.sub.3), e.g., at a temperature of about 275.degree. to 300.degree. C. The PET product may then be extruded and pelletized to produce polymer chip.
Depending on the particular end use intended for the polymer, the polymer chip may then be subjected to a solid state polymerization process in order to increase the polymer's physical properties, i.e. to increase intrinsic viscosity and/or to remove acetaldehyde trapped in the pellets during manufacture. It is widely known in that art that the intrinsic viscosity of PET may be increased by solid state polymerization. In this connection, see e.g. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,223,128 and 4,064,112, respectively.
Gels are three dimensional, networked polymeric structures, formed by crosslinking reactions which occur due to thermal and/or thermo-oxidative degradation. Gel formation is the most severe form of thermally induced degradation, involving the reaction of products produced during earlier stages of the degradation process. It has been postulated that gels are formed via free radical reactions.
Conditions particularly conducive to thermally induced degradation and subsequent gel formation may be present in the polycondensation reactors which produce PET resin on a commercial scale. As discussed above, the polycondensation process involves reacting the PET prepolymer at an elevated temperature, i.e. 275.degree.-300.degree. C. In addition to elevated temperatures conducive to gel formation, massive commercial reactors may also contain "dead spots" due to design imperfections. These "dead spots" are areas near the reactor walls which receive heat, but little or no agitation. PET prepolymer may remain trapped in these "dead spots" for days or even months prior to breaking loose from the reactor wall and passing through the remaining polymer process, giving rise to gels in the final product. Process upsets such as vacuum line air leaks further feed the thermo-oxidative degradation process. In addition, metal catalysts such as those commonly used to increase PET production can decrease the thermal stability of the polymer, thereby forming gels.
The elimination of thermally induced degradation leading to gels in PET resin is important because the presence of gels interferes with the further processing of the polymer chip, as well as the acceptability of the polymer for certain applications. Gels give rise to a variety of difficulties during polymer processing, including high plugging rates in process filters, high yarn break rates, and poor runnability in film manufacturing. In particular, softer gels, which pass through the extrusion process, give rise to broken filaments in fiber production, leading to lower yields. Further, the presence of gels in the extruded product may render PET resin used in film unsuitable for use in high magnification applications, such as microfilm.
Accordingly, a need exists for a commercially acceptable PET resin which generates significantly fewer gels during polymer formation.
In addition to the need for fewer gels, PET resin suitable for use in fiber, film, and molding applications must have adequate IV and color.

Method to reduce gel formation in pet resin


An aerosol-dispensable foodstuffs parting composition for coating cooking surfaces comprising a water-in-oil emulsion containing natural lecithin, refined lecithin or a chemically modified lecithin selected from the group consisting of acylated, preferably acetylated lecithin, hydroxylated lecithin, and acetylated-hydroxylated lecithin, or mixtures thereof; an edible oil; an emulsifying agent; water; and a pressurized, normally gaseous propellant suitable for discharging the composition as an aerosol spray. A procedure for preparing the water-in-oil emulsion comprises mixing together the aforesaid ingredients except the propellant with about 7 to 21% of the total water, to form a concentrate. The remainder of the water and the propellant are added later. The emulsion may also contain one or more of a humectant, a suspending agent, a release agent and a blocking agent.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an aerosol-dispensable parting composition for use in cooking foodstuffs, more especially to an aerosol parting composition of the type applied to cooking utensils, such as baking and frying pans and the like, in order to prevent or inhibit food from sticking to the utensil during cooking and to facilitate cleaning the utensil.
2. Background and Related Art
The prior art has devoted considerable effort to providing lecithin-containing food parting compositions which do not impart undesirable flavors to, or discolor, foodstuffs and which have a minimum calories content and which may be applied to the cooking surfaces of cooking utensils from a conventional pressurized aerosol dispenser in a smooth (i.e., non-foaming) coating. The coating, which may be used in lieu of oils, grease, butter, etc. to lubricate food-contact surfaces of cooking utensils such as frying and baking pans, facilitates the separation of cooked foodstuffs from cooking surfaces. The use of lecithin, a naturally-occurring substance usually derived from soybeans, is known for this purpose and conventional food release compositions comprise a mixture of lecithin, an edible oil and other known additives.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,479,977, issued Oct. 30, 1984 to Dashiell et al discloses various methods of making acetylated lecithin and its use in food release compositions and in Example 9 recites the use of acetylated lecithin in combination with vegetable oil, ethanol at, e.g., 190 proof, and hydrocarbon propellant for use in aerosols.

Aerosol-dispensable foodstuffs parting composition


A lubricant composition is provided for use in lubricating a conveyor track for bottles, cans, kegs and other containers for beverages and foodstuffs. The composition comprises a phosphate ester of the formula R1—(OCH2CH2)n—O—P(O)(OH)2 where n is in the range of from 0 to 10, and R1 is a C9 to C20 saturated or unsaturated alkyl group or a mixture of such alkyl groups; and water. The composition has a pH of from about 1 to about 3.5. The composition optionally further comprises a biocidal agent, an acid, and a synthetic surfactant. Also disclosed is a method for lubricating a conveyor track by applying an effective amount of such a lubricating composition.

Beverages (e.g., beer, soft drinks, juice drinks, water, dairy products) are sold in a variety of containers such as glass bottles, plastic bottles and containers, aluminum cans, and waxed carton packs. These containers are conveyed through a number of stations in a plant where they are filled with the desired beverage, sealed and labeled. The containers are conveyed from one station to another by a track. The conveyor track is usually made of stainless steel or plastic when the containers are glass bottles, aluminum cans, or a plastic material such as polypropylene or an acetal resin. The conveyor track must be lubricated and cleaned so that the track can continue to move even when the containers on the track are temporarily prevented from advancing such as when a container falls over or gets jammed. If the conveyor track is not properly lubricated, containers may fall over and disrupt the efficient operation of the plant. Critical areas of the conveyor track that typically require lubrication are at the in-feed and discharge points of the rinser, filler, seamer, pasteurizer, and labeler.
Lubricant compositions used for lubricating and cleaning conveyor tracks are generally alkaline based on fatty acids, fatty amines, or phosphate esters. Fatty acid soaps are effective lubricants, but can cause excessive foaming when the conveyor track is moving at high speeds. Moreover, such compositions typically have a high pH (e.g., above about 8). When an acidic beverage (e.g., beer, a soft drink, or orange juice) spills or is rinsed off the container onto the conveyor track, it contacts the fatty acid soap and forms a precipitate on the floor or conveyor track. The precipitated soap is slippery, and can be a source of microbial growth and contamination, particularly when beverage spills occur. Some lubricant compositions are also aggressive to the coloring pigments used to label the surfaces of the containers, particularly steel and aluminum cans used in the beverage industry. The printed matter on the surface of the container may leach into the lubricating composition and fade or distort the printing, making the containers unacceptable for use.
Thus, there is a continuing need for an effective, non-soap based lubricant composition for conveyor tracks that has biocidal properties and does not leach the printed matter on containers transmitted on the conveyor track.

Composition and method for lubricating conveyor track


A middlebox includes at least one processor and a memory storing one or more executable instructions that, when executed by the least one processor, cause the at least one processor to receive, from a server, a middlebox key that includes an indication of a lifetime of the middlebox key, receive, from a client device, one or more data packets including encrypted header data and a client device identifier, and determine whether to permit a transmission of the one or more data packets to the server or prevent a transmission of the one or more data packets to the server based on the middlebox key, the encrypted header data, and the client device identifier.

DDOS attacks are cyber-attacks in which an attacker fills all (or nearly all) of a bandwidth of a victim's server, website, or other networked computing device with packet traffic from many different internet protocol (IP) addresses. During a DDOS attack, the flood of traffic from the IP addresses prevents the victim's server, website, or networked computing device from being accessible to legitimate traffic. Since the DDOS attack includes traffic from many different IP addresses, it is difficult to for the victim's server, website, or networked computing device to distinguish between legitimate user traffic and attacking user traffic, identify a source of the attack or block incoming traffic from suspicious IP addresses. Since DDOS attacks block all (or nearly all) of the bandwidth of the victim's server, website, or other networked computing device, it is important to defend against a DDOS attack.

Algorithmic packet-based defense against distributed denial of service


The apparatus includes a series active continuous time voltage regulator operating in conjunction with a alternating current power source and one or more loads. The alternating current power source is a voltage source that induces currents at a first end of the apparatus. At a second end of the apparatus one or more loads consume power from the apparatus. The series buck-boost regulator is composed of a pure monochromatic voltage source of frequency equal to that of the alternating current power source, and of constant phase with respect to the alternating current power source. The regulator is further composed of a sampling network that provides a scaled continuous time sample of the voltage delivered by the power conditioner to the loads. Finally, the regulator is composed of a high gain differential amplifier. The components of the regulator are configured to operate as a continuous time feedback control system that generates an error correction voltage that, when added to the voltage of the alternating current power source, results in an output voltage from the power conditioner that is a scaled replica of the monochromatic reference voltage. As a result, the voltage delivered by the power conditioner to the loads is substantially corrected of spectral impurities and impervious to the specific conditions of the alternating current power source or of the loads.

Power conditioning circuits are used to remove unwanted voltages and currents from alternating current voltage sources intended for supplying operating power to electronic equipment. Power conditioning sometimes refers to surge and spike protection. Another example of power conditioning pertains to removal of unwanted spectral components that may be of small amplitude with respect to the fundamental voltage of the power source. Specifically, power conditioning may refer to removal of spectral components either introduced by the power source or generated by the loads. Finally, power conditioning sometimes refers to regulation of the average amplitude of the power source voltage.
A series regulator is an apparatus that acts to control the voltage at some node in a network by adding a correction voltage to an existing voltage so that the sum of the voltages is controlled. A source of correction (or error correction) voltage is connected in series with an existing source of voltage. The correction voltage either acts to buck or to boost the existing voltage so that the discrepancy between the existing voltage and the desired voltage is removed. Voltage "bucking" is the addition of a opposite polarity voltage to an existing voltage, the result of which is a new voltage that has reduced magnitude with respect to the existing voltage. Voltage "boosting" is the addition of a same polarity voltage to an existing voltage, the result of which is a new voltage that has increased magnitude with respect to the existing voltage.
A feedback control system is a type of system that actively minimizes the error formulated as the difference between its desired behavior and its actual behavior. A feedback control system makes continuous comparison between the actual behavior of a system and a standard of desired behavior. From this comparison, a correction influence is derived that acts on the system to null the error.
An inverter is an apparatus that converts DC voltage into AC voltage. It may also be configured to first convert AC voltage into DC voltage, and second to convert DC voltage back into AC voltage. Inverters are frequently used in power conditioning and power control circuits to perform corrective operations on the incoming AC power.
A growing number of nonlinear loads in the electric utility power network has resulted in increasing waveform distortion of both voltages and currents in ac power distribution systems. Typical nonlinear loads are computer controlled data processing equipment, numerical controlled machines, variable speed motor drives, robotics, medical and communication equipment.
Utilities provide sinusoidal supply voltages. Nonlinear loads draw square wave or pulse-like discontinuous currents instead of the purely sinusoidal currents drawn by conventional linear loads. As a result, nonlinear current flows through the predominantly inductive source impedance of the electric supply network. Consequently, a non-linear load causes load current harmonics and reactive power to flow back into the power source. This results in unacceptable voltage harmonics and supply load interaction in the electric power distribution network.
The degree of current or voltage distortion can be expressed in terms of the magnitudes of harmonics in the waveforms relative to the fundamental magnitude. Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) is one of the accepted standards for measuring voltage or current quality in the electric power industry.
Aside from the waveform distortion, another imperfection common to utility electric power is the presence of spurious and random noise. Various electric appliances such as electric motors, radio and television receivers, and digital electronic computers and related appliances generate noise components that are non-harmonically related to the fundamental power line frequency. Finite isolation between the appliances and the public utility power grid results in spurious and random noise energy components traveling along the power grid. Further, electromagnetic radiation containing a wide variety of spectral components as well as broad spectrum noise couples into the power grid and propagates to the end user load equipment.
A wide variety of electrically powered appliances such as comprises home entertainment audio and video systems, test and measurement systems, hospital monitoring equipment, and computer systems have degraded operating performance when powered by AC power that contains typical levels of harmonic, spurious, and random noise components.
Another problem related to the nature of utility AC power pertains to the finite impedance of the AC power source as it appears at the load. When a number of separate pieces of electrical equipment are connected to the same AC power source there is a finite degree of coupling between the components at the point of common connection to the power source. The noise that each component generates and that leaks over to the AC input is allowed to enter each of the other components in the system. In this way each part of the system operates to degrade the performance of the remaining components. The AC power source offers only partial isolation between components because it has a finite source impedance at the point of common connection to the loads. An example of this is digital clock noise generated by a digital to analog converter in an audio playback system coupling through the power line connections and degrading the performance of a preamplifier in the same system.
Finite source impedance also inhibits the performance of electrical equipment by allowing the AC voltage sinewave to sag during high current transients. This results in higher levels of power supply ripple and compromised performance. An example can be seen in an audio amplifier application, where signal transients require high levels of current with sustained power supply voltage. In this case the finite power line impedance results in temporary collapsing of the AC sinewave voltage and a resulting distortion from the amplifier.
The unbalanced configuration of single phase AC power introduces additional problems for sensitive electronic equipment. There is significant radiation and coupling of AC power energy into downstream circuitry because the fields associated with unbalanced power are far reaching. In addition, the AC return current path utilizes the neutral line, which is eventually tied to earth ground. Since earth ground is the common node for each component in a system a certain degree of AC noise injection into the rest of the system is made possible by terminating the AC current path to this node.
A number of techniques have been used in an attempt to provide power line conditioning to address some of the foregoing problematic conditions. Passive filters, such as LC tuned filters, are often used because they are efficient and inexpensive. There are, however, a number of problems associated with passive filters. Practical constraints of size and cost limit passive filters to relatively simple topologies using relatively few components. The result is only a moderate suppression of AC power imperfections. In addition, the tuned resonators in passive filters have non-ideal behavior at frequencies other than the power line frequency. This manifests itself as undesirably high source impedance and results in poor current on demand characteristics and poor inter-component isolation.
Active power filters have been developed to resolve some of the problems associated with passive filters. Active power filters, or active power line conditioners (APLCs), inject signals into an ac system to cancel harmonics.
Active filters comprise one or two pulse width modulated inverters in a series, parallel, or series-parallel configuration (with respect to the load or supply). The inverters have a dc link, which can be a dc inductor (current link) or a dc capacitor (voltage link). It is necessary to keep the energy stored in the dc link (capacitor voltage or inductor current) at an essentially constant value. The voltage on the dc link capacitor can be regulated by injecting a small amount of real power into the dc link. The injected real power compensates for the switching and conduction losses inside the APLC.
One problem associated with active filters is that it is expensive and complicated to generate a reference signal for the feedback control that is sufficiently monochromatic and free of noise, and also phase locked to the incoming AC power. Customarily the digital clocks and phase detectors used to synchronize a free running oscillator to the AC line voltage generate considerable noise. The low loop bandwidth required for operation at power line frequencies results in inordinately long settling times and poor transient response.
Another problem with active filters is that of stability. The feedback control loop acting to monitor and correct error in the output signal with respect to the reference is typically band limited to prevent oscillation of the loop. The spectral purity and desirably low output impedance of the output power is limited to the bandwidth of the loop.
Alternatively, the AC power can be completely regenerated from a DC power supply operating from the AC power line. In this approach a pure sinewave source is amplified to the line voltage level by class A-B amplifiers. This approach suffers from very low efficiency, theoretically not to exceed 50%, and usually much lower values are realized due to practical circumstances. In addition, the source oscillator is typically derived from a digitally sampled sinewave and is corrupted by quantization impurities when reconstructed.

Series active filtering power line conditioner


In a control system for controlling a very large number of remotely located input and output devices there is provided a novel control system having a single CPU coupled through a host interface module to a data and control transmission line. The host interface module on the transmission line receives information from and transmits information to a plurality of secondary interface modules having node addresses. The information being transmitted on the control and data transmission line is formatted to comprise one or two data bytes, an address and command byte, and an error checking byte to permit operation in a noisy electrical environment. Each said interface modules is further provided with high speed logic and an address counter for identifying node addresses and carrying out the commands and transmission of data without the requirement for software or firmware.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a novel hardware controlled multinode interface module for a control system. more particularly, the present invention relates to a highly distributed and highly modular interface implemented in hardware and employing a plurality of data error checking features which permit hot swapping of the interface modules on the control systems without degrading the system or causing temporary shutdown of the system.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Numerous control systems for controlling factory operations and processes are known. When such prior art control systems employed a large number of input/output controls located remotely from a central processor having racks of control equipment, individual cabling was run from the central processor racks to the input/output controls at the devices being controlled which require a large amount of system cabling. When a plurality of input/output (I/O) boards are employed and each such boards is provided with a plurality of input/output drivers and receivers each of which requires a pair of wires, the cabling for a large number of discrete I/O devices becomes the major limiting factor in a highly centralized I/O control system.
To avoid the above limitations imposed by a centralized I/O architecture, it was known to employ distributed computer architecture having individual computing systems located at remote sites and adapted to cooperate with the central host computing system and control system. Such distributed architecture systems also require an extensive amount of cabling as well as the additional expense of individual computing systems.
It has been suggested that a control system could be centralized and the commands linked to the input/output controls by local area network (LAN) techniques. Most such LAN systems requires smart controllers such as ETHERNET controllers or a smart terminal controller either of which increases the expense of the LAN systems. Most such LAN systems have a limited number of nodes which is a function of the transmission line effect and the speed of signal transmission. Typically such LAN systems have no more than 30 nodes.
Control systems which are designed to control a very large number of input/output devices and which employ a large number of nodes in a distributed system, by definition imply that the input/output devices are spread over a large area and will require large amounts of cabling. When such input/output devices are spread over a large area and include a large amount of cabling, the input/output devices and the transmission equipment are subject to industrial noise and industrial environmental conditions which generate electrical noise that in turn will produce errors and make it impossible to accurately control the input/output devices on a distributed system having a large number of nodes and a large number of input/output devices.
It would be desirable to provided a control system having a novel hardware controlled multinode interface (HCMI) which is capable of controlling more than 65,000 discrete I/O devices through approximately 256 nodes in a highly distributed architecture system such that the data required to accomplish control may be transmitted on a signal pair of conductors with associated control lines.

Modular interface devices for a distributed input/output system


A method and system for forming an image comprising at least one processor for performing the following: initializing an N by P image array IO by setting all values to a large number; inputting at least one image frame; randomly selecting and removing a subset of pixel locations from the total number of available pixel locations to form a preliminary image array IC; for each pixel location comparing the complex magnitude of each pixel in the image array IO with the magnitude of the corresponding pixel in image array IC, and if the pixel value in the image array IC is smaller than the corresponding pixel in the image array IO or if the IC value equals 0, then the current pixel value in image array IO is replaced by the pixel value in the image array IC; and repeating for a number of iterations to form an image.

Detection of targets hidden behind walls remains an important area of research within the radar community, and many researchers have recently reported interesting findings. The need for effective wall penetration has often driven investigators to consider systems utilizing lower frequencies, while the need for high resolution has driven them to consider large-bandwidth systems. One such system—the Army Research Laboratory's ultra-wideband (UWB) synchronous, impulse reconstruction (SIRE) radar—includes both of these characteristics. Not surprisingly, it has shown promise when leveraged for sensing through the wall (STTW) applications.
Much of past moving target indication (MTI) work centered on STTW detection of moving targets using SIRE radar data. This work, however, has not incorporated newly formulated extensions of documented synthetic aperture radar (SAR) techniques, and inclusion of these adapted techniques should produce higher quality MTI imagery. In particular, there exists a need for elimination of artifacts in cross range due to time-domain focusing methodologies such as time-domain back-projection.

Target detection utilizing image array comparison

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


A variable inductor is provided, which includes a first lead having both ends to receive a pair of difference signals, a second lead having both ends to receive a pair of the difference signals, and a switch selectively supplying a pair of the difference signals to the second lead by turning on/off according to a control signal. Accordingly, a variable inductor can be implemented that is compact and maximizes the variation rate of inductance.

1. Field of the invention
Apparatuses consistent with the present invention relate to a variable inductor, and more particularly, to an inductor for varying inductance according to an external control signal.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a communications device such as a mobile phone employs semiconductor chip elements to implement a circuit for radio frequency communications. An inductor element is essential to implement such semiconductor chip elements. In particular, a voltage control oscillator (VCO) including an inductor may be used to configure a radio frequency communications circuit for communication at a desired frequency. In these and other applications, an inductor is needed that is compact in design while also having a high inductance and quality factor.
FIG. 1 is a view showing an example of a general VCO.
Referring to FIG. 1, a VCO 10 includes an LC tank 11 consisting of an inductor L and a capacitor C and a negative resistance part 12 consisting of a pair of cross-coupled transistors M1 and M2. The VCO 10 outputs an oscillation frequency according to a resonance frequency of the LC tank 11. Accordingly, inductance of the inductor L of the LC tank 11 varies so that the oscillation frequency varies.
As wireless communications services develops, different frequency bands are used. Examples of such different frequency bands include 800 MHz for cell phones, 1.9 GHz for Personal Communications Services (PCS), and 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz for wireless Local Area Networks (LAN), and other various frequency bands. Accordingly, a multi-band VCO that is capable of providing at least two radio frequencies (RF) that are used in the different frequency bands is required and a variable inductor providing a varying inductance is also needed.
FIG. 2 is a view showing an example of a related art variable inductor and is disclosed in
U.S. Patent Publication No. 2004/0140528. Referring to FIG. 2, plural inductors 21-28 are stacked in order on a substrate and plural switches 31-33 are on/off controlled according to an external control signal so that inductance varies by the plural inductors 21-28. In the structure of such variable inductors as shown in FIG. 2, the inductors are stacked on the substrate so that additional space is not needed. However, the distance between the substrate and the inductors becomes short. As a result, Q-factor is low and the height of the structure is increased.
FIGS. 3A-3C are views showing another example of a related art variable inductor and is disclosed in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2004/0190217. Referring to FIGS. 3A-3C, the related art variable inductor includes the first inductor 42, which is fixed in position, and the second inductor 44, which is movable in left and right directions. As shown in FIG. 3A-3C, inductance varies according to the movement of the second inductor 44. However, a Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) process is used so that it is difficult for such an implementation be integrated in one chip.
FIGS. 4A and 4B are views showing yet another example of a related art variable inductor and is disclosed in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2005/0068146. Referring to FIG. 4A, the related art variable inductor 50 includes the first inductor 51 which is spiral and the second inductor 52 which is loop-shaped and open and closed by a switch 53. FIG. 4A shows that when the second inductor 52 is open, the electric current does not flow in the second inductor 52 and inductance of the variable inductor 50 depends on the first inductor 51. FIG. 4B shows that when the second inductor 52 is closed by the switch 53, magnetic flux is generated in the direction of canceling magnetic flux by the electric current flowing in the first inductor 51 due to eddy current flowing in the second inductor 52. Accordingly, inductance of the variable inductor 50 in FIG. 4B becomes lower than that in FIG. 4A. In the variable inductor 50 of FIGS. 4A and 4B, the variation rate of inductance is low because inductance variation depends on eddy current flowing in the second inductor 52 according to the on or off state of the switch 53.


A device for adding solvent to a pneumatic system comprises an inlet structure to receive solvent from a supply and a reservoir to hold solvent from the inlet structure. An outlet structure, which is in fluid communication with the reservoir, is designed to connect the reservoir to a pneumatic system. A first stop valve is disposed between the inlet structure and the reservoir, and a second stop valve is disposed between the reservoir and the outlet structure.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system for the injection of solvents into a pneumatic system, particularly for the pneumatic system of a vehicle, for example a tractor-trailer.
2. Summary of Related Art
Large vehicles, particularly tractor-trailers, utilize pneumatic systems for a variety of vehicle functions, for example braking. An ongoing problem with vehicular pneumatic systems is the occurrences of leakage of moisture into the systems, allowing the moisture to accumulate in the pneumatic system. This can cause significant difficulties, particularly if the moisture in the pneumatic system was to freeze during cold temperatures.
One method of dealing with this difficulty is the inclusion of desiccant systems on the vehicles, commonly called air dryers. However, even with these systems installed, moisture can sometimes freeze in the pneumatic system. Additionally, many trucks, particularly older trucks, do not have these air dryers installed.
A known solution to the problem of moisture freezing in the pneumatic system is the addition of a solvent to the pneumatic system. The addition of a solvent, typically a water soluble high vapor pressure solvent, can serve to melt the formed ice and also can help to desiccate the system.
Known processes for the addition of solvent to the systems have several drawbacks. First, it is presently not possible for vehicle driver/operators to make this repair while on the road. Typically, upon freezing, the vehicle must be shut down as the vehicle cannot be safely operated with freezing in the pneumatic system. After vehicle shutdown, steps must be taken to de-ice the vehicle. Often, the vehicle must be towed to a repair facility, for solvent to be added. As an additional complication, the solvent cannot be added while the system is pressurized.
Thus, known processes for the addition of solvents are inefficient and costly for the operators. Costs for towing and labor can significantly affect operating margins. Additionally, as most operators are on relatively tight time schedules, the time for the towing and repair can prevent the cargo from being delivered on a timely basis.

Apparatus for injecting solvents into a pneumatic system


An absorbent sleeve formed to fit over at least the distal portion of a finger to absorb fluids and remove debris from constrained areas of the body such as canals and cavities, or to apply fluid substances is disclosed. The sleeve has an upper and lower portion which may be of equal length. In a preferred embodiment, the upper and lower portion are of differing lengths with the lower portion having an appendage attached thereto to facilitate safe and convenient removal of the sleeve after use. The sleeve also preferably has a fluid impermeable layer between an external surface of the sleeve and an inserted finger to create a fluid barrier. The sleeve may have a friction enhancing member to prevent unintentional removal of the sleeve during use.

It is a fact that more and more attention is being focused on preventative health care and more particularly on preventative dental health care. Recently, consumers have been provided with advanced products such as periodontal tipped tooth brushed, plaque reducing mouth rinses, specially formulated tartar control tooth pastes, and magnetically enhanced oral irrigators. The thrust of these products has been to remove residue from teeth to prevent bacteria build-up that has been linked to tooth decay and tooth loss. Moreover, the subject of gum disease has been receiving more and more attention, and consumer products associated with treating conditions of the gums have also been increasing.
There is, however, a noticeable absence of products directed towards the infant and elderly population. This segment of the population can be characterized as those persons who do not have exposed teeth or have lost a significant portion or all of their teeth. Many of these persons are unable to care for themselves. Consequently, the predominant concern for these individuals relates to gum care, care that must often times be rendered by other persons. In these situations, health and care of the gums and surrounding tissue is primary concern.
Unfortunately for these people, most currently avaiable devices are ill suited for their special needs. For example, persons without teeth have little need for periodontal equipped tooth brushes let alone tooth brushes. Nor do they have a need for plaque reducing mouth rinses, tartar control tooth pastes, oral irrigators, dental floss, etc. The principle concern is the removal of food debris and bacteria from the gum and inner lip areas to prevent undesired bacteria buildup which could lead to an elevated risk of gum and bone damage.
In some situations, simply rinsing the mouth will remove much of the debris and bacteria from a person's mouth. However, very small children or mentally and/or physically challenged persons may be incapable of rinsing and expelling a mouth rinsing fluid. But because many persons, including the very young and the physically disabled, are incapable of rinsing, the predominant form of oral hygiene involves assisted physical removal of debris and bacteria.
In the field of assisted oral hygiene, a preferred method used to remove debris and bacteria from the oral cavity has utilized swab type devices. An example of such a device is a sponge for medical, dental or surgical use as is shown in U.S. Pat. No. D. 206,641. These devices can absorb large quantities of fluid. They also keep the hand distant from the fluid source. While these devices can remove debris and bacteria, they are generally awkward and often bulky when used and wasteful when disposed of. Moreover, such devices have limited articulation, an important consideration in the dental field where proper and efficacious cleaning involves considerable probing into pockets and crevices that are not easily accessible when using a rigid device. And perhaps most importantly, these devices provide minimal tactile feedback. Tactile feed back is extremely important when probing or cleaning sensitive areas in the mouth, such as those of infants, the elderly, or any person having inflamed tissue therein.
As a partial response to this need, some individuals in the health and/or dental care profession have taken gauze pads and loosely wrapped them around their finger. The gauze wrapped finger was then inserted into the mouth to remove debris therefrom. After use, the gauze was conveniently disposed of. This method combined the advantages of using an articulated and touch sensitive implement, with the advantages of using a sterile and absorbent media that could be easily disposed of.
However, the gauze over the finger adaptation was not without limitations. The gauze pads would often come loose from the finger. Moreover, fluids from the mouth would often permeate to the finger. Exposure of skin, possibly having an open cut or the like, with mucous or body fluids is presently of great concern in light of potential viral infections such as those caused by the HIV virus, or the like. In addition, removal of the gauze pads, if they didn't become detached during use, would require grasping them--a practice which again exposed the surface of an otherwise unprotected finger to body fluids.
From the foregoing, it is equally clear that the absorption of fluids and removal of debris is not limited to the field of dentistry and oral hygiene. The medical field also has similar needs and problems. Removal of debris from cuts near a bone is often accomplished by grasping a gauze pad by hand or by instrument and probing the injured area. However, often times debris (and bacteria) are forced into the surrounding tissue. A gauze pad held between a finger and thumb is often too large to probe these areas; a gauze pad held by an instrument lacks tactile sensitivity Therefore, a need exists to have an implement that combines the benefits of a gauze wrapped finger with the benefits of a swab type device.

Absorbent finger sleeve for use in dentistry or medicine

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This paper describes various embodiments that relate to personal computer systems, and accurate initialization of computer hardware of personal computer systems from a low-power and/or power-off state. According to one embodiment of the invention, a computer system includes a device operative to be powered down to the power-off state dependent upon an amount of user activity on the computer system. The computer system also includes a device controller operative to initialize the device from the power-off state to a power-on state responsive to user activity on the computer system. The device controller has at least one sensor device operative to determining a physical variable related to the device, and operating characteristics of the device are related to the physical variable.

Conventionally, to reduce power consumption in personal computer systems including desktops, laptops, and other devices, displays and other hardware are often powered down to a low-power, sleep, and/or power-off state during periods of inactivity or reduced activity. During a power-off state, environmental conditions may cause a temperature and other variables associated with the powered-down hardware to change. For example, as a display is powered-down, its temperature may eventually reach equilibrium with an external environment. Depending upon the temperature of equilibrium, several operating characteristics of the display may be affected.
For example, at differing temperatures backlighting and associated hardware may require more or less voltage for appropriate initialization and intensity level production. Furthermore, liquid-crystal subpixel switching speeds are dependent on diffusion from one state to another, which is also a strong function of temperature. Moreover, contrast ratios, color temperature, color balance, and many other attributes may be affected by temperature.
Generally, if a display is fully initialized, subroutines may function to balance operational characteristics to actual real-time variable values to promote a rich user experience. However, as noted above, temperature may vary during power-off states. Furthermore, a time delay from power-off to full initialization of the display may be significantly larger than a time delay from power-off to initial video output of the display. During initiation or wake-up from a power-off state, actual temperature and other variables may be significantly different than a default state; however initial video output may be based on the default state values due to lack of full initialization of the display. Therefore, a user may experience perceptual differences in display output upon waking up a display from a power-off state until the display is fully initialized and subroutines begin correcting for real-time temperature and other variables associated with the display.
Accordingly, there is a need to stabilize and more accurately initialize displays and other computer hardware from low-power and power-off states.

Systems and methods for accurate initialization from low-power and power-off states


A clutch cooling system for cooling a clutch used in combination with a continuously variable transmission including a pressure controlled spool valve having a housing defining a chamber, a spool movably mounted by a spring within the chamber, and a notch defined by the housing such that as the leading edge of the spool aligns with the notch a variable orifice is formed; a pressure controller means for adjusting the pressure applied to the remote end of the spool such that as the pressure applied to the remote end is reduced the spring decompresses causing the spool to traverse the housing and further causing the leading edge of the spool to pass along the notch thereby increasing the size of the variable orifice; a slot located within the spool that allows for minimum cooling flow when the spool valve variable orifice is closed; a cooling fluid feed line and a clutch cooling line extending from the chamber such that cooling fluid can flow from the cooling fluid feed line, into the chamber, through the orifice and into the clutch cooling line; and a electronic clutch control system for regulating clutch slippage wherein during a given amount of clutch slippage a predetermined electrical signal is sent to the pressure controller resulting in a given pressure being applied to the remote end of the spool.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a system for cooling a starting clutch of a continuously variable transmission, and more particularly to a control system for clutch cooling which allows greater coordination between the amount of clutch cooling and the amount of clutch slippage, thereby enabling greater flexibility in regulating and modifying clutch slippage.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Continuously variable transmissions (CVT's) provide continuously variable drive ratios by using a belt between two variable-diameter pulleys. A detailed discussion of how such systems operate is set forth in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,433,594, 4,522,086 and 4,982,822, each of which is incorporated herein by reference. In general, a belt intercouples two variable-diameter pulleys, an input or primary pulley and an output or secondary pulley. Each pulley includes a fixed sheave and a movable sheave. A hydraulic control system is employed to enable axial movement of both the primary and secondary movable sheaves, thereby changing the effective diameters of the pulleys. When the transmission is in operation the effective diameter of the primary pulley is varied to provide a continuously variable drive ratio, while the effective diameter of the secondary pulley is varied in order to maintain belt tension and avoid belt slippage.
As with conventional transmissions, a automobile having a CVT system also requires a start clutch to permit engagement and disengagement of coupled shafts which transmit torque. The start clutch for a CVT system can be located either upstream or downstream of the belt and sheave system of the CVT. Various types of start clutches can be employed with a CVT, including wet clutches or electromagnetic clutches. With wet start clutches, however, removal of heat generated during engine stall is required. Furthermore, clutches that are designed to provide slippage in order to reduce coupling shock during the engagement period, or when the torque exceeds its maximum rating, produce heat during such slippage which must be dissipated.
One type of start clutch typically used in combination with a CVT is a fluid actuated and fluid cooled start clutch. Such start clutch assemblies commonly include a cup-shaped cover plate, a pressure plate, a reaction plate, a clutch disc assembly, a Belleville spring, and connecting elements. The clutch disc assembly includes a clutch disc having an energy-absorbing layer and a friction material layer mounted on each of its faces. This type of start clutch operates as follows. The pressure plate is biased by the Belleville spring to a disengaged condition. The clutch is engaged by fluid actuating the pressure plate. This is accomplished by increasing fluid pressure in a clutch fluid pressure chamber that is defined by the cover plate and the pressure plate. When the fluid pressure is increased in the fluid pressure chamber, the force of the Belleville spring is overpowered. The pressure plate is thereby thrust into contact with the clutch disc assembly, and into driving communication with the reaction plate through the friction faces of the clutch disc.
The start clutch also includes a cooling fluid cavity chamber. Cooling fluid is circulated through the cooling chamber in order to dissipate heat generated by the friction between the reaction plate and the friction faces during clutch engagement, i.e. during clutch slippage. When minimal or no cooling flow is required (e.g., when the clutch is fully engaged or fully released, and at low relative speed creep) the clutch cooling flow port is closed in order to reduce drag and provide energy savings. In accordance with prior art cooling system designs, however, there was limited coordination between the need for cooling and the circulation of cooling fluid.
Systems have been proposed for cooling a starting clutch in a CVT during the clutch slippage period. Smith et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,458,318 discloses a starting clutch cooling system which includes an FEMA valve, a spool valve and a solenoid valve. The spool valve is responsive to pressure changes in two diametrically opposed chambers contained therein. A spool contained within the valve is movably located between these two chambers. The pressure in one chamber remains fixed, whereas the pressure in the second chamber is varied by the FEMA valve. An electrical signal controls FEMA valve. The electrical signal causes a plunger in the FEMA valve to restrict a bore, thereby restricting fluid flow between the second chamber in the spool valve and the FEMA valve. This causes an increase in the pressure in the spool valve's second chamber. The resulting pressure differential between the two diametrically opposed chambers causes the spool to laterally move permitting fluid to flow to the solenoid valve. The solenoid valve is vacuum operated. When open, the solenoid valve allows fluid flow to a clutch cooling fluid chamber.
Other systems have been employed as well, including non-electronic systems which offer limited control of cooling fluid flow. The present invention, however, provides a better system design which incorporates electronic control means to enable exceptional control of the clutch cooling, while also enabling coordination between the need for clutch cooling and the coolant flow rate.

System for cooling a starting clutch of a continuously variable transmission


A system, method and computer program product for exchanging data between a client and information sources via a server. The invention operates by obtaining data objects from a plurality of sources, wherein the data objects have native data formats specific to the sources. The data objects are converted to a common data format, and are then transmitted to the client. At the client, the data objects are modified. The modified data objects are compliant with the common data format. The modified data objects are transmitted to the server, where they are converted to the native data formats specific to the sources associated therewith. Then, the converted modified data objects are transmitted to the associated sources.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to mobile communications, and more particularly, to technology related to interactive applications while online and offline on mobile devices.
2. Related Art
A variety of mobile devices (such as personal data assistants, or PDAs, handheld computers, cellular phones, pagers, etc.) exist. Such mobile devices include ones based on the Palm operating environment and the Windows CE operating environment.
A variety of software applications for those mobile devices also exist.
The nature of mobility results in the use of these devices when no network is available to connect them to information sources. Also, mobile devices usually have limited user interface capabilities. The data that an individual mobile user may need is likely spread across multiple information sources. Thus, an immediate demand exists for presenting data from multiple information sources in a unified manner on mobile devices.
Also, mobile devices are usually disconnected from a network for long periods of time (perhaps weeks). Changes that a mobile user may make while utilizing data from the various information sources are likely to cause conflicts. Thus, a demand exists for providing updates of the changes made by the mobile user while disconnected from the network to resolve conflicts.
Therefore, what is needed is a system, method, and computer program product for synchronizing loosely connected computing devices with data from a plurality of information services and presenting the data in a single paradigm that enables a user to interact with the data without being connected to a network and update the information services with changes made by the user when the user reconnects to the network.

System, method, and computer program product for online and offline interactive applications on mobile devices


The present invention provides an image forming apparatus including a belt, a cleaning roller opposed to a surface of the belt, a voltage generating circuit generating a voltage applied to the cleaning roller, a voltage value detecting circuit detecting a voltage value applied to the cleaning roller, a control unit controlling the voltage generating circuit by inputting a control signal to the voltage generating circuit such that the voltage value detected by the voltage value detecting circuit is set to the same value as a target voltage value, and a target voltage value setting section setting the target voltage value based on a duty of the control signal input from the control unit to the voltage generating circuit.

Traditionally, in an image forming apparatus such as a laser printer, there are known a type which a toner image formed on a surface of a photosensitive drum is transferred to a sheet transported by a sheet transport belt, and a type which a toner image formed on a surface of a photosensitive drum is transferred once to an intermediate transfer belt and then transferred to a sheet.
A belt such as the sheet transport belt or the intermediate transfer belt is wound between a driving roller input with a driving force and a driven roller spaced away from the driving roller at a predetermined interval, and contacts the surface of the photosensitive drum. Therefore, a toner and a sheet dust adhere to a surface of the belt when the belt contacts the photosensitive drum and a sheet respectively.
Accordingly, in an image forming apparatus having such a belt, a cleaning roller is provided and opposed to the surface of the belt. The belt is cleaned by generating a potential difference between the cleaning roller and the belt and transferring adherents on the surface of the belt to the cleaning roller by static electricity.
In order to preferably transfer the adherents on the surface of the belt to the cleaning roller, an electric current having a proper value is required to run through the cleaning roller. However, when the electric current applied to the cleaning roller is controlled (electric current control) such that a constant electric current runs through the cleaning roller, the potential difference between the belt and the cleaning roller becomes excessively large in case where a resistance value of the cleaning roller increases due to an influence of a use environment or deterioration over time. As a result, the belt may be broken (by surge).
Therefore, an electric voltage applied to the cleaning roller is generally controlled (voltage control) such that a constant potential difference is generated between the belt and the cleaning roller. However, with this voltage control, when the resistance value of the cleaning roller increases due to the influence of a use environment or deterioration over time, an electric current running through the cleaning roller becomes excessively small, so that it is impossible to preferably transport the adherents on the surface of the belt to the cleaning roller.


A method and an apparatus are provided for mitigating spectral lines in a wireless signal. First a code word is generated that is made up of a plurality of binary or ternary encoded pulses. Then a plurality of code-word-modulated wavelets are generated in response to the code word. These wavelets can be Gaussian monopulses, repeated cycles of a sine wave, or other shaped impulse signals. The plurality of code-word-modulated wavelets are then modulated with a bit of transmit data to form a plurality of data-modulated wavelets. This modulation serves to whiten the signals since the transmit data is effectively random. Finally, the plurality of data-modulated wavelets are transmitted to a remote device.

Ultrawide bandwidth (UWB) signals allow large amounts of data to be sent very rapidly at very low power. The UWB signals have their energy spread over a large frequency band, which significantly reduces the interference on any particular lesser frequency band. Nevertheless, it is desirable to keep low both the total power spectral density of a transmitted UWB signal, as well as the highest peak of the UWB signal's power spectral density.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a basic ultrawide bandwidth (UWB) transmitter circuit that can be used in a UWB transceiver. As shown in FIG. 1, the transmitter circuit 100 takes a set of transmit data and provides it to a signal generator 110. The signal generator 110 generates a UWB signal that has the transmit data encoded on it and provides that encoded signal to an antenna 120 for transmission.
In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, a UWB antenna may be used, such as the one disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,590,545 to McCorkle, entitled "Electrically Small Planar UWB Antenna Apparatus and System Thereof." However, alternate embodiments can use different antenna designs.
In order for a UWB transceiver to function, it must generate signals at a very high frequency. In one proposed implementation of a UWB transceiver, signals up to nearly 10 GHz must be generated. However, many ways of generating appropriate UWB signals at such high frequencies introduce undesirable harmonics into the signals, which in turn can cause spikes (referred to as spectral lines) in the power spectral density of the transmitted signal.
One particular cause of undesirable harmonics comes from signal leakage in non-ideal circuit elements. Such leakage currents and voltages can introduce periodic interference or noise into a transmitted signal. And any periodic noise in a transmitted signal can produce undesirable spectral lines in that signal.
This can cause problems in the operation of UWB devices since under current FCC regulations the transmit power for UWB devices is limited by the power spectral density (PSD) of the transmitted signal. FIG. 2 is a graph showing the shape of power spectral density limits currently put in force by the FCC for the operation of UWB devices. They impose a maximum limit in the range of about 3-10 GHz, with increasing drops outside of this range.
The FCC will not allow any portion of the power spectral density of a UWB signal to rise above the limits it imposes. As a result, if a UWB signal includes a spike in its power spectral density, the total transmission power of the UWB signal must be reduced until that spike falls below the FCC's power limits. This can significantly reduce the total signal power of the transmitted signal. Thus, any spectral lines (i.e., spikes in the power spectral density) in a signal transmitted by a UWB device can reduce the effectiveness of that device. It is therefore very important that the power spectral density of the signal output by the signal generator 110 and transmitted by the antenna 120 be strictly controlled, and be as even as possible.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to reduce the magnitude of any spikes in the power spectral density of any UWB signal generated by a UWB transceiver.

System and method for the mitigation of spectral lines in an ultrawide bandwidth transceiver