The invention comprises a hands-free, adjustable telescoping magnifying mirror. The mirror may have a first reflective surface and a second reflective surface and can be secured to a horizontal or vertical surface using a suction cup base or can be hung over a door or ledge using a retractable hanger bracket. A multi-stage telescoping rod is attached to the suction cup base and a swivel joint may be used to connect the telescoping rod to the mirror housing. The mirror may be extended from the base by extending the telescoping rod and the mirror assembly can stand freely without falling over, whether the suction cup base is engaged or not. Additionally, one or more light sources with diffuser screen may be disposed at a periphery of the first reflective surface or second reflective surface.

Vanity mirrors are reflective devices that are typically used for personal grooming, shaving, applying makeup, or the like.
Vanity mirrors are available in various configurations, including wall-mounted, free-standing, and hand-held. A common problem, however, with each of these configurations is that users of the mirror must reposition themselves to obtain the desired distance from the reflective surface and the requisite height for the reflective surface to be viewable. This repositioning is particularly undesirable when the user is required to bend over to reach the desired height and distance, which may cause back and neck pain. In the case of a hand-held mirror, the user may be able to reposition the mirror but must hold the mirror at the desired location, thereby reducing their ability to perform the required grooming tasks.
The present invention solves these problems by providing a hands-free, adjustable mirror assembly with a suction cup base, hanger bracket, swivel joint, telescoping rod, and light source with diffuser screen. The suction cup base allows the user to position the mirror assembly at the desired distance, height, and angle from the user while maintaining the stability of the mirror assembly. Advantageously, the swivel joint allows the user to rotate the mirror about the axis of the swivel joint, thereby allowing a user of the mirror to achieve the desired mirror position in relation to the position of the user. For example, if the user is seated while using the mirror, the swivel joint allows the user to rotate the mirror to a height that permits the user to more comfortably view the mirror at the angle desired by the user. The swivel joint may be operated by, for example, rotating the mirror about the axis of the swivel joint. The swivel joint also permits a user to adjust the position of the mirror in a one-step process that does not require the user to fold the mirror such that the light source no longer faces the user. The swivel joint may include a spring-loaded pin mechanism that permits the user to lock the mirror in the desired position. The swivel joint also permits a user to rotate the mirror housing for more compact storage and transport of the mirror assembly, thereby increasing portability and convenience. The light source may include a diffuser screen to diffuse light emitted by the light source thereby providing a uniform light glow. Additionally, the light source may automatically deactivate after a certain period of time, for example, 20 minutes, thereby conserving battery power when the mirror assembly is not plugged in to an electrical outlet. Moreover, when the light source is set to the user's desired dimmer setting and the light source is deactivated and later reactivated, the light source will return to the previous dimmer setting. Additionally, the hanger bracket permits the user to hang the mirror assembly at the desired height and position over a door or ledge while maintaining the stability of the mirror assembly. These features permit the user of the present invention to stand or sit, as desired, and permit the user to move the mirror assembly disclosed herein to the desired location rather than bending over to reach the desired distance from the reflective surface, thereby potentially avoiding causing back and neck pain. The ability to hang the present mirror assembly over a door or ledge also provides the user with the ability to utilize the mirror assembly in a variety of locations.

Adjustable vanity mirror with hanger bracket and suction cup


Laser diodes have a driver current which is dependent on aging and temperature. Emitted optical power is detected and adjusted through the use of a monitor element. However, previous transmit modules are suitable only for semiconductor lasers which emit multi-directionally. The inventive optoelectronic transmit module includes a semiconductor laser which emits unidirectionally and a monitor element. Active areas of both components point toward a coupling device. Optical coupling elements in the form of lenses and reflective elements in the form of reflective surfaces are integrated into the coupling device. The configuration of the coupling device is selected to be such that at least part of emitted radiation is passed to the monitor element, but a remaining portion penetrates the coupling device to the coupling element and is injected into or coupled-in by the latter, for example to an optical waveguide. The transmit module is particularly suitable for Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser Diodes.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an optoelectronic transmit module including at least one transmit element, at least one monitor element and a coupling device having at least one optical coupling element and at least one reflective element, both the reflective element and the coupling element of the coupling device being disposed opposite a radiation-sensitive surface of the monitor element and a section of an active surface of the transmit element, the section being located on only one component side of the transmit element.
Optoelectronic transmit modules with active components, in particular semiconductor lasers, frequently have a feedback circuit for regulating a temperature-dependent and aging-dependent driver current for the semiconductor laser. A part of the radiation emitted by the laser is detected by a photodiode which is used as a monitor diode. A diode current is available as a regulating signal for the feedback circuit. Fluctuations in the intensity of the emitted radiation can thus be compensated.
A transmit module for semiconductor lasers is described in Published UK Patent Application GB 2 276 493 A, corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 5,500,869. A monitor diode, a semiconductor laser and a lens system are disposed in series on a silicon carrier. Optical axes of the three modules are aligned coaxially with respect to one another and run parallel to the surface of the silicon carrier. The semiconductor laser has two emission directions. On one hand, a main emission direction faces the lens system. On the other hand, a smaller part is emitted in an opposed direction and is detected by the monitor diode in order to regulate the driver current. The previously known optical transmit module requires two emission directions and a precise adjustment of the individual modules with respect to one another.
An optical transmit module of the type mentioned at the outset above can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,733,094. The known transmit module is accommodated in a transistor housing and has, inter alia, a support plate which rests on a base component of the transistor housing. On the support plate there is a base plate on which a transmit element in the form of a luminescent diode and a photodiode are disposed one next to the other. Above the transmit element in the direction of radiation there is a semitransparent mirror after which, in the direction of radiation, a coupling element in the form of a microlens is disposed. The microlens is held in the upper part of a pot-like cover of the transistor housing. A part of the light which is output by the transmit element is reflected by the semitransparent mirror to a further mirror and directed by the latter onto the photodiode.


An Internet refrigerator with a Web pad and a method for operating the same. The Web pad is detachably mounted on the Internet refrigerator, and transmits and receives data to/from the Internet refrigerator on the basis of a remote display protocol (RDP). The Web pad is a client Web pad detachably mounted on an outer surface of the Internet refrigerator. The client Web pad is adapted to receive a display signal transmitted from the Internet refrigerator and output the received display signal externally. A server control unit is provided to transmit the display signal to the client Web pad on the basis of the remote display protocol such that data processed in the Internet refrigerator is displayed through the client Web pad. Application programs and multimedia data are driven on the basis of the server control unit, resulting in a reduction in work-load on the client Web pad.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an Internet refrigerator with a Web pad and a method for operating the same. More particularly, the present invention relates to an Internet refrigerator with a Web pad and a method for operating the same, wherein the Web pad is a client Web pad which is detachably mounted on the Internet refrigerator and connected thereto in a wired/wireless manner. Further, according to the present invention, a server control unit is provided in the Internet refrigerator to drive an application program and multimedia resources for rapid transmission and reception of signals between the Internet refrigerator and the client Web pad and to output a display signal based on a remote display protocol to the client Web pad to display the multimedia resources through the Web pad.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional Internet refrigerator will hereinafter be described with reference to FIG. 1 which shows the outer appearance thereof.
Generally, refrigerators are home appliances that have inner compartments for storage of food and in which a refrigerant circulates while being maintained at a low temperature to preserve the food from spoilage or decay so as to keep it in a fresh state or condition for a long time.
Recently, a refrigerator has been developed which has a display unit, a key input unit, a processor for signal processing, and etc. to perform a general computer function in a kitchen, in addition to the above-mentioned basic refrigeration function. In particular, this refrigerator additionally has a capability of obtaining access to an external Internet network. As a result, a user can not only upload/download data to/from a Web page connected to the Internet network, but can also search the connected Web page for desired data. Such a refrigerator with the Internet access function is typically called an Internet refrigerator, which is denoted by the reference character R in FIG. 1.
In the case where a home network is provided in a building and a plurality of home appliances are connected to the home network, the Internet refrigerator R can be used as a home server for centrally controlling the plurality of home appliances. The reason for using the Internet refrigerator as the home server is that the Internet refrigerator R is generally always in its driven state (i.e., in an in ON condition), so that it is capable of monitoring, in real time, variations in states of the home appliances connected to the home network.
To this end, the Internet refrigerator R includes, as shown in FIG. 1, an input/display unit 1, such as a touch pad, mounted on its outer surface. The user can readily monitor Internet data or home appliance state data displayed through the display unit 1.
In order to replace the existing display unit 1 of the Internet refrigerator R, there has recently been proposed a portable device such as a Web pad equipped with a wireless communication module based on a wireless local area network (LAN) protocol, which is a wireless communication protocol developed to enable wireless communication within a predetermined distance. The Web pad is detachably mounted on the Internet refrigerator R to replace the display unit 1.
In other words, the Web pad, detachably mounted on the Internet refrigerator R, is utilized as the display unit 1 of the refrigerator R when it is mounted on the refrigerator R, and wirelessly transmits and receives data to/from the refrigerator R when detached from the refrigerator R. As a result, the Web pad receives a control command input by a remote user within a predetermined distance and displays a controlled result based on the control command.
The Web pad is adapted to process a control command wirelessly transmitted in its detached state and output a display signal to display a controlled result based on the control command. To this end, the Web pad has a microcomputer for independently processing data transmitted and received to/from the refrigerator.
For example, when the user intends to execute an application program 'A' stored in the Internet refrigerator by operating the Web pad, the Web pad drives (i.e., runs or executes) the application program 'A' stored therein because the same application programs 'A' are stored in both the refrigerator and in the Web pad. This application program 'A' may be, for example, a housekeeping log, telephone directory or refrigerator manager, although it is not limited to these examples.
The user can create, edit and delete data by operating the application program driven or running in the Web pad when the driven state of the application program is displayed through the Web pad. The Web pad transmits data changed by the operation of the application program to the Internet refrigerator, which then updates data stored therein with the transmitted data.
To this end, the Web pad must further have a proper level of hardware to manage resources for the driving of the application program and to process the data.
A server control unit 2 is typically mounted on the top surface of the Internet refrigerator R in the form of a chip set to perform a home server function of the refrigerator R and to process data at a high speed. When the Web pad is detached from the Internet refrigerator R, the server control unit 2 manages data wirelessly transmitted and received to/from the Web pad, and wirelessly receives new data created or generated by the operation of the Web pad and updates the existing data with the newly received data.
Accordingly, a work-load for the application program driving and data processing is mostly applied to the Web pad, thereby causing congestion in signal traffic between the Web pad and the Internet refrigerator R and making it impossible to rapidly conduct the command input and processing using the Web pad. In particular, provided that an application program that requires a considerable amount of resources to run and a large amount of data are transmitted and received, the signal traffic will suffer severe congestion, resulting in data damage or loss and, thus, instability.
Furthermore, because duplicates of the same application programs are installed in the Web pad and in the Internet refrigerator, a considerable amount of time and cost are required in installing, maintaining and updating the application programs, which causes inconvenience to the user.

Internet refrigerator with web pad and method for operating the same


Physically and chemically stable pharmaceutical compositions useful for administering naloxone by injection are described. These compositions are essentially aqueous solutions having a pH between 3.0-3.5, and containing naloxone, an acidic or buffer component, a tonicity-adjusting agent, and a stabilizing agent, said composition being optionally sterilized by autoclaving.

Formulations of pharmaceutical compositions and processes for preparing them depend upon the properties of the active ingredient, the desired route of administration and the end use to be obtained.
Naloxone is a narcotic antagonist that prevents or reverses the effects of opioids. The compound and methods for its synthesis are described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,254,088. Its use as a narcotic antagonist is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,267,182. A preferred route of administration of a narcotic antagonist is by the parenteral route (i.e. intravenous injection or infusion). The parenteral route of administration affords rapid delivery of the drug, complete bioavailability, and is more predictable and controllable than other routes. Solution formulations for parenteral administration must be essentially free of particulate matter, and they must be sterile. They must be physically and chemically stable, so that efficacy and safety are predictable.
Formulations for parenteral administration can be prepared as solutions that are ready to inject or ready to dilute with an infusion solution, or they can be prepared as dry powders that must be dissolved before use. Solution formulations are preferred over dry powders, when feasible, because of ease of use, ease of manufacture, and reduced cost.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,576,930 describes the stabilization of glucose solutions for intravenous infusion during autoclaving by addition of chelating agents, such as sodium edetate, to suppress thermal discoloration and decomposition of the glucose.
Instability of naloxone solution has been observed in the manufactured product. Autoclaving of currently available formulations of naloxone caused significant degradation of naloxone and formation of noroxymorphone. The degradation rates depended on headspace oxygen content. When non-autoclaved samples were sparged/flushed with nitrogen, no significant changes were observed in naloxone and bisnaloxone levels. However, noroxymorphone level increased from 0.08% to 0.4% over a six-week period at 60.degree. C. It has now been found that addition of a chelating agent, such as sodium edetate, to the commercial formulation prevents naloxone degradation, even in the presence of oxygen and after autoclaving.


An actuator arm assembly for a disk drive includes first and second stamped actuator arms including first and second arm portions, first and second body portions defining first and second body surfaces, and first and second coil-supporting arm portions defining first and second pairs of coil supporting arms for supporting a coil portion of a voice coil motor. When the first and second stamped actuator arms are attached to one another, the first pair of coil supporting arms faces and is in contact with the second pair of coil supporting arms to define first and second coil attachment surfaces, and the first body surface faces and is in contact with the second body surface to define a third coil attachment surface.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to disk drives. More particularly, the present invention relates to actuator arm assemblies, constituent parts thereof and methods of making such actuator arm assemblies.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A typical hard disk drive includes a head disk assembly ("HDA") and a printed circuit board assembly ("PCBA"). The HDA includes at least one magnetic disk ("disk"), a spindle motor for rotating the disk, and a head stack assembly ("HSA") that includes a slider with at least one transducer or read/write element for reading and writing data. The HSA is controllably positioned by a servo system in order to read or write information from or to particular tracks on the disk. The typical HSA has three primary portions: (1) an actuator arm assembly that moves in response to the servo control system; (2) a head gimbal assembly ("HGA") that extends from the actuator arm assembly and biases the slider toward the disk; and (3) a flex cable assembly that provides an electrical interconnect with minimal constraint on movement. Coupled to the actuator arm assembly is a coil portion of a voice coil motor (VCM).
A typical HGA includes a load beam, a gimbal attached to an end of the load beam, and a slider attached to the gimbal. The load beam has a spring function that provides a "gram load" biasing force and a hinge function that permits the slider to follow the surface contour of the spinning disk. The load beam has an actuator end that connects to the actuator arm and a gimbal end that connects to the gimbal that supports the slider and transmits the gram load biasing force to the slider to "load" the slider against the disk. A rapidly spinning disk develops a laminar airflow above its surface that lifts the slider away from the disk in opposition to the gram load biasing force. The slider is said to be "flying" over the disk when in this state.
FIG. 1A shows an exploded view of portions of a conventional actuator arm assembly that includes two stamped actuator arms. FIG. 1B shows the portions of the conventional actuator arm assembly of FIG. 1A, with the collar fitted to the two stamped actuator arms. Considering now FIGS. 1A and 1B collectively, the portions of the conventional actuator arm assembly shown include a first actuator arm 102, a second actuator arm 104 and an actuator assembly collar 106. A chemical polishing step may be carried out to polish the surfaces of the actuator arms and to remove any unwanted artifacts of the stamping process. The collar 106 may then be fitted to both actuator arms 102, 104, which stiffens the resultant actuator arm assembly 100. Part FIG. 1C shows a portion of a conventional actuator arm assembly. The arm assembly shown in FIG. 1C is fitted with the collar 106 and with the coil portion 121 coupled to the arm assembly by means of a plastic overmold 120. Even though the actuator arms 102, 104 are mechanically coupled to one another by the collar 106, and the coil portion 121 is fitted to the arm assembly by means of a plastic overmold 120, the resultant aggregate structure nevertheless still suffers from unwanted resonance modes, which detrimentally affect the performance of the disk drive in which such a conventional actuator arm assembly is utilized.
From the foregoing, it may be appreciated that less costly and higher performing actuator arm assemblies are desirable.

Disk drives and actuator assemblies having a pair of bonded voice coil supporting arms


A humidifier/dehumidifier device is disclosed herein. The humidifier and dehumidifier both, respectively, evaporate water from and condense water into a shared (same) water storage container. The device is fitted with an air intake and at least one air outtake. In embodiments of the technology, one or more of the air intakes receives air from outdoors. One or both of an indoor and/or the outdoor intake is used to receive air based on a determination that an indoor and outdoor humidity and temperature is most efficient to achieve a desired indoor humidity or temperature.

Coronavirus, which has rocked the world, is known to spread in the air. Air purification is needed more than ever at this time. Thus, new, cost-effective and improved methods of air purification and filtration are necessary.
Additionally, there are several well-known advantages to having spaces kept within a certain range of air humidity levels. This maintenance can be expensive and difficult, since it typically requires the separate purchase of a humidifier and dehumidifier. The owner must remember to make sure that both are set to run when needed, and that other necessary actions, such as providing a water supply for the humidifier, are performed.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for a single device which streamlines all three of these air-regulation mechanisms (filtration, humidification, and dehumidification) in a convenient and cost-effective way.

Combination humidifier / dehumidifier with common water containment and outdoor air intake


A start signal output circuit having an RF/DC conversion circuit to which radio frequency power (RF) of specified frequency is inputted and from which a direct current potential (DC) is outputted, comprises a detection/amplification circuit 210 which includes a voltage doubler wave-detector circuit 10 configured including a sensing diode Q1 (Tr34) for sensing the RF power, a differential amplifier including differential pair transistors Tr31 and Tr32, and a current mirror circuit. A base current of one Tr31 of the differential pair transistors is brought into substantial agreement with a DC component of a current flowing through the sensing diode Q1 (Tr34). A total of currents flowing through the differential pair transistors Tr31 and Tr32 is regulated to a substantially constant value by the current mirror circuit. Thus, the start signal output circuit which is small in size, high in sensitivity and low in power consumption can be realized.

Inventions described in Japanese Patent No. 2,561,023, Japanese Patent No. 2,605,827, and JP-A-4-291167 relate to radio-frequency detection techniques based on diode wave detection. FIGS. 36 and 37 are circuit diagrams exemplifying radio-frequency detection circuits in the prior art. In order to convert radio frequency power into a direct current, a half-wave rectification operation achieved by a diode D in FIG. 36 or FIG. 37 is utilized by way of example. On this occasion, in order to limit a DC bias to, for example, about 1 μA in consideration of low power consumption, a resistor in the order of several MΩ is required as a resistor for use in the detection circuit, in either of the cases of FIGS. 36 and 37 when a supply voltage of 3 V is employed.
FIG. 38 is a circuit diagram exemplifying the arrangement of a general or typical start signal output circuit in the prior art, and the circuit arrangement is such that the wave-detector circuit in FIG. 37 and a general differential amplifier are combined. Regarding such a prior art device, applications are also found in, for example, Japanese Patent No. 3,202,624 and JP-A-10-56333. In the circuit arrangement in FIG. 38, a capacitor C00 in FIG. 37 is arranged in series on a signal transfer line within a matching circuit (MC).
Meanwhile, as a prior art determination circuit which determines the level of an input potential, there has been generally and widely known, for example, a circuit which is described in "Guide to Electronic circuit Work for Learning by Fabrication" (authored by Seiichi Inoue and published by Sougou-Denshi Shuppan). Shown in FIGS. 39A and 39B is a prior art determination circuit (a wave-detector and detection circuit). Further, FIG. 39C is a waveform diagram showing the situation of the change of the output of the detection circuit shown in the circuit diagram of FIG. 39B. This circuit diagram shows the detection circuit of an ultrasonic distance measurement apparatus. As shown in FIG. 39B by way of example, a determination process in the prior art is executed by a comparator which is configured using an operational amplifier that requires a current of mA order.
Under the premise of a battery operation or the like, however, lowering power consumption as desired is difficult when the operational amplifier requiring the current of mA order is adopted. Further, when well-known heterodyne wave detection, for example, is performed, radio wave power at a low level of about −60 dBm can be detected. In such an apparatus, however, a signal generator, a LNA, a mixer, etc. must be always operated, and power consumption during a standby time period is therefore difficult to be suppressed. Thus, the target lower power consumption is not attained, either. On the other hand, the prior art sensing scheme based on the diode is difficult to enhance a sensing sensitivity. These circumstances will be major causes for making difficult the compatibility between the higher sensitivity and lower power consumption of the wave-detector circuit.
Moreover, in order to manufacture and put into practical use a start signal output circuit of wider applications, the following two problems will need be solved in addition to the above various problems:
(1) Problem of Adaptability to Temperature Environment
In a case where the start signal output circuit is to be utilized for, for example, an ETC or a "smart plate," it should desirably be applicable within a temperature range of about −30° C. to +60° C.
(a) Immunity Against Lowering of Supply Voltage
FIG. 40 is a graph exemplifying the discharge-temperature characteristics of a lithium battery which is commercially available. The battery is a cylindrical manganese-dioxide lithium battery. Its nominal voltage is 3 V, supposed continuous standard load is 20 mA, and service temperature range is −40° C. to +70° C. Shown in the graph are results obtained when, with a discharge load set at 60ω, output potentials were measured over about 30 hours. As seen from FIG. 40, the output voltage of the dry cell depends greatly upon the temperature, and it becomes drastically lower than the initial voltage of the battery at normal temperatures, in some situations of use thereof.
It is accordingly understood that, in a case where the battery operation is intended, especially in a case where the use of the battery in a cold district, for example, is also supposed for the desired start signal output circuit, an intense immunity against the lowering of the supply voltage is required.
Meanwhile, when a circuit operation is considered, the DC component of the sensing diode need be amplified in the start signal output circuit. Therefore, the output point P1 of the diode detection circuit and the input point P2 of the amplifier in the prior art example (FIG. 38) need be directly connected. As a result, the biases of the sensing diode and amplifier cannot be made independent. Accordingly, in order to hold a sensed output constant even when the supply voltage Vcc fed by the battery has lowered, the potential of the output point P1 of the diode detection circuit, the potential of the input point P2 on the amplifier side and the bias voltage Vbb for use in the amplifier need be lowered with the lowering of the supply voltage versus time, while they are always kept in balanced fashion.
In, for example, the start signal output circuit 900 shown in FIG. 38, even in a case where the resistances of resistors R1 and R2 are properly set so that the diode detection circuit and the amplifier may appropriately operate at a certain value of the supply voltage Vcc, a biased state changes when the supply voltage Vcc lowers.
On this occasion, however, unless the bias of the amplifier properly lowers in balanced fashion likewise to the bias of the diode detection circuit, the start signal output circuit 900 does not appropriately operate as a whole when the supply voltage Vcc lowers greatly. That is, the circuit of the prior art arrangement (example: start signal output circuit 900 in FIG. 38), which does not have a flexible corresponding mechanism (balancing function) capable of coping with such a problem relevant to the lowering of the output voltage of the power supply, is apprehended to erroneously operate in some cases.
Even if a precise operation is possible, the appropriate range of the supply voltage on that occasion narrows, and hence, a serviceable time period shortens in the case of using the battery as the power supply.
(b) Immunity Against Noise
Further, in a high-temperature environment, thermal noise, flicker noise, etc. are liable to develop within a circuit as is often observed in case of using, for example, MOSFETs for the circuit. Therefore, the start signal output circuit needs to have a predetermined immunity against the noises which develop within the circuit. That is, in order to realize the start signal output circuit whose sensitivity is high even in the environment of, for example, the wide range of temperatures as described above, a high S/N ratio need be secured in relation to the internal noises.
(2) Problem of Power Consumption of Determination Circuit
The determination circuit is required to determine ON/OFF (whether or not a signal has arrived) after the conversion from the RF into the DC. As also seen from the foregoing circuit arrangement in FIG. 39B, the addition of such a determination circuit leads to increase of power consumption. That is, it is not easy to operate the desired start signal output circuit as a whole, always at a low voltage and at a low current.
Considered as peripheral devices which require currents of mA order as can be supposed in the case of fabricating the RF/DC converter are, for example, a DC—DC converter or a regulator for ensuring a bias voltage, and an operational amplifier or a voltage comparator for amplifying and binarizing a result outputted from the RF/DC converter. However, when an apparatus configuration in which also the peripheral devices must be always operated is adopted, the start signal output circuit of very low power consumption cannot be eventually constructed as the whole apparatus.
Moreover, such a problem becomes an issue or is actualized especially in cases of battery drive, etc. In order to suppress the power consumption of the whole circuit to a low level, accordingly, the start signal output circuit will need to include a special determination circuit of low power consumption by itself.
Further, the problem of a high resistance need be taken into consideration. When the high resistance of about several MΩ is formed on an IC chip as shown in FIG. 37 by way of example, the resistance element becomes long, and hence, a large space is necessitated. As a result, the area of the resistance element facing the ground enlarges. Thus, a parasitic capacitance and a parasitic resistance appear between the resistance on the chip and the ground within a substrate, and radio frequency power leaks to the substrate. With such a simple configuration, therefore, radio frequency power at, for example, a frequency of 5.8 GHz and a low level of −60 dBm cannot be converted into a direct current by the diode.
Further, as other problems concerning the diode wave detection, it is pointed out that, in a case where the load resistance becomes high, the applied voltage between the anode and cathode of the diode becomes small, so radio frequency power cannot be converted into a direct current, and that, even in a case where the radio frequency power is successfully converted into the direct current, it is indistinguishable whether the output potential fluctuation of the diode is ascribable to the fluctuation of a bias or the DC conversion of the RF power.
The present invention is made in order to solve the above problems, and has an object to realize a start signal output circuit which is small in size, high in sensitivity and low in power consumption.
A further object of the invention is to realize a start signal output circuit whose serviceable temperature range is wide even in case of battery drive.
However, each object mentioned above may be individually accomplished by any and at least one of inventions to be described later, and the individual inventions of the present application shall not necessarily guarantee that means capable of simultaneously solving all the above problems be existent.

Activation signal output circuit and determination circuit


A method of providing wiring efficiency in a permute unit. Multiple selectors receive input data and shared control signals from multiple register files. The permute unit includes multiple multiplexors (MUXs) coupled to multiple logical AND gates. The multiple logical AND gates are coupled to multiple logical OR gates. The logical AND gates are physically separated from the logical OR gates. The logical AND gates receive input from one or more output data signals from the selectors. The logical OR gates combine the one or more output signals from the logical AND gates and provide output data from the permute unit.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates in general to electronic multiplexer (MUX) circuits. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to an improved method and system for wiring efficiency in a permute unit.
2. Description of the Related Art
Permute units are electronic circuits that use multiplexer (MUX) circuits to shuffle one or more data signals (e.g., vectors) between multiple register files in a computer processor, such as a single instruction multiple data (SIMD) "VMX" processor. VMX SIMD processors may include 256-bit vector registers and may be tuned for floating-point and integer instruction sets.
With reference now to FIG. 1, there is depicted a schematic diagram of a permute unit, as utilized in the prior art. Permute unit 2 includes multiplexer (MUX) 0 4, MUX1 5, MUX2 6 and MUX3 7. Each MUX may receive a control signal and one or more data input signals from register file (RF) 0 105, RF1 110, RF2 115, and/or RF3 120. Conventional permute units, such as permute unit 2 which is a 4-way double-precision floating-point SIMD unit, may include more than 512 horizontal wiring tracks or more than 1024 horizontal wiring tracks if inputs come from register bypass busses in addition to the register files. The horizontal wiring tracks function as interconnects between the MUX circuits and also provide control signals to the MUX circuits. However, large numbers of horizontal wiring tracks and long interconnect lengths can impair the overall performance of a permute unit by reducing operating speed and increasing power consumption. Permute units that include large numbers of horizontal wiring tracks also occupy large amounts of physical space, thereby limiting the flexibility of circuit designs by increasing the size of the physical footprint required for the permute unit.

Method and system for a wiring-efficient permute unit

International Business Machines Corporation


An assembly of light emitting diodes for a streetlight or the likes comprises a first board having a first matrix of light emitting diodes (LEDs) mounted thereon defining a first light projection plane and at least another board having a second matrix of LEDs mounted thereon defining a second light projection plane. The other boards are mounted to the first board so as to define an angle therebetween. The LEDs can be mounted to the boards so as to independently define and angle therewith. They can also be oriented towards privileged directions. The present assembly allows providing a more uniform light distribution.

Conventional streetlights include a metal halide, mercury or sodium light bulb. Even though such conventional streetlights light usually include a reflector to project the light towards an area to illuminate, a first drawback of conventional streetlights is that they waste energy since the light bulb illuminates in all direction, even though illumination is only required towards the street. Another drawback of streetlights provided with a light bulb is that they generate a high luminosity right below the bulb which diminishes quickly as the distance from the bulb increases.
A partial solution to these drawbacks has been proposed with the introduction of streetlights 10 provided with a light emitting diode (LEDs) assembly 12. Examples of such streetlights are shown in FIG. 1 of the appended drawings.
The streetlights 10 share the second drawback of the bulb light-based streetlight in that they generate a high luminosity right below the bulb which diminishes quickly as the distance from the bulb increases. Also, with such a light assembly, a high percentage of light is still lost.
Finally, a common drawback of both bulb-based light assemblies and of current LEDs assemblies is that they cause light pollution by providing light where it is not desired.
A streetlight providing a more uniform light distribution is thus desirable.

Assembly of light emitting diodes for lighting applications


The invention relates to a process for the continuous production of methylmercaptan by reacting a starting gas mixture of methanol and hydrogen sulphide in the gas phase at a reaction temperature between 200 and 600° C. and an operating pressure of 1.5 to 40 bar on a catalyst in a multi-bed reactor.

The invention relates to a process for the continuous production of methylmercaptan by reacting a starting gas mixture of methanol and hydrogen sulphide in the gas phase at a reaction temperature of between 200 and 600° C. and an operating pressure of 1.5 to 40 bar on a catalyst in a multi-bed reactor.
Methylmercaptan is an industrially important intermediate for the synthesis of methionine and for the production of dimethyl sulphoxide and dimethyl sulphone. Methylmercaptan is mainly produced from methanol and hydrogen sulphide by reaction on a catalyst consisting of an alumina support and transition metal oxides and basic promoters. The synthesis of the mercaptan is usually carried out in the gas phase at temperatures between 300 and 500° C. and at pressures between 1 and 25 bar. The reaction of hydrogen sulphide and methanol to give methylmercaptan is an exothermic process. DE-C 196 54 515 describes, for example, a process for the production of methylmercaptan in a tube bundle reactor, in which the liberated heat of reaction is dissipated by means of a salt melt and is then utilized indirectly by means of heat exchangers for the evaporation of methanol.
In addition to the methylmercaptan formed and water, the product gas mixture contains the unreacted starting substances methanol and hydrogen sulphide and, as by-products, dimethyl sulphide and dimethyl ether, and in small amounts also polysulphides (dimethyl disulphide). In accordance with the reaction, inert gases such as, for example, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen and hydrogen are also present in the product gas.
The methylmercaptan formed, as explained in DE 17 68 826, is separated off from the product gas mixture in a number of distillation and scrubbing columns at temperatures between 10 and 140° C.
The reaction according to GB 14 17 532 can be carried out in a fixed bed reactor containing a number of catalyst beds or in a number of consecutive reactors. Methylmercaptan is prepared here by the reaction of a mixture of methanol with hydrogen sulphide in a molar ratio of 1.10:1 and 2.5:1, both reaction components being fed to the reactor separately. According to FR 24 77 538, for the production of methylmercaptan fresh hydrogen sulphide gas is compressed to 11 bar in a compressor. Afterwards, cycle gas led back from the process, which contains hydrogen sulphide, dimethyl sulphide, methanol and small amounts of methylmercaptan, is mixed with the compressed hydrogen sulphide for the formation of the starting gas mixture and this is heated to 510° C. Before entry into the first of up to 10 reactors connected in series, the washing agent cycle stream, which contains methanol and dimethyl sulphide, is admixed to the starting gas mixture, whereby the reaction entry temperature falls to 450° C. Before the second and the following reactors, further methanol, partly as a liquid and partly as a gas, is injected into the gas stream.
DE-C 11 34 368 relates to the use of a tube bundle reactor for the production of methylmercaptan. The reactor consists of a cylindrical container, in which the catalyst tubes are arranged parallel to one another. The catalyst tubes are welded below and above with tube cover plates, as in tube bundle heat exchangers, the intermediate spaces between the tubes being filled with heat-conducting fluid. Each catalyst tubes is provided at its lower end with a screen, which carries the particulate catalyst.
DE 196 54 515 relates to a process for the production of methylmercaptan, in which the energy needed for the evaporation of the methanol is partly introduced by utilization of the heat of compression of the hydrogen sulphide gas and by the heat content of the product gas leaving the reactor. The heat of reaction is utilized here in order to heat the starting gas mixture to the reaction temperature with the aid of an external gas heater.
The economy of the overall process depends crucially on the reaction of the starting gas mixture in a suitable pressure reactor and the preparation of this gas mixture. For example, large electrical powers are needed for the operation of the compressors and of the heating and cooling circuits. Further, expensive changes of catalyst in tube bundle reactors on account of long stoppage times represent a time and cost factor which is not to be neglected.
The object of the invention is the provision of an economic process for the production of methylmercaptan.

Process for the continuous production of methylmercaptan


In order to be able to produce packages economically and when the package design results in undercuts being provided in a deep-drawing tool for its manufacture, a simple and practical solution for the movement of the lower parts in each of the required work stations is advantageous. These lower parts are generally vertically movable in order to be able to easily open the mold. An inclined opening of the mold or rather removal of the lower part is achieved according to the invention in such a manner that between the lower part of the tool and the lifting device for facilitating its vertical movement there is provided a carriage guide which enables also an easy horizontal movement. A guide pin fastened on the carriage guide is part of a guide system which controls a desired forced inclined guided opening of the mold. The guide system can be used in deep-drawing tools, sealing tools and similar ones.

Particularly in the case of packages, the height of which exceeds their depth, base surfaces are needed in order to be able to sturdily stand up each package on the base surface. The base surface, including a protuberance thereon, can thereby be designed such that, even though the base surface extends approximately at a right angle with respect to the closing part, it is constructed so that the closing part, with the package standing erect, stands approximately vertically; this is the case when the point of the lowermost undercut and an other side spaced from the base surface are parallel and lie in planes which extend perpendicular relative to the plane of the closing part.
However, such a package of this type creates difficulties during its removal from the lower parts of the deep-drawing station and the sealing station, because they are moved only vertically downwardly when the respectively associated upper part is stationary. In the case of an undercut base surface on the package, which is hereby vertically oriented, the receiving part can therefore not be removed. A complicated system of lateral slide members is not possible in a high performance system.
The purpose of the invention is therefore to provide an apparatus of the type described in detail above in such a manner that, while keeping the advantages of an undercut base surface, such a package can be manufactured most importantly in a packaging line, so that the package can be easily removed. Each upper part is thereby to continue to be stationary.

Apparatus for the manufacture of a package

Kraemer & Grebe GmbH & Co. KG Meschinenfabrik


An electronic device is provided. The electronic device includes a main body including a first main body and a second main body, and a connecting device connected to a first side of the first main body and a second side of the second main body such that the first main body and the second main body are movable relative to each other. The main body includes a first portion adjacent to the connecting device and a second portion away from the connecting device. A thickness of the first portion is greater than a thickness of the second portion.

With development of electronic technologies, notebook computers have become an indispensable tool because of their portability. FIG. 1 illustrates a notebook computer. As shown in FIG. 1, the notebook computer includes four surfaces A, B, C and D. The surface A and the surface D are outer surfaces of the notebook computer, the surface B is a display screen, and the surface C is an input keyboard. Each of two parts (including a structure including surfaces A and B and a structure including surfaces C and D) of the notebook computer may have a consistent thickness, and the notebook computer may thus have a monotonous external appearance.
The disclosed devices are directed to solve one or more problems set forth above and other problems in the art.


The invention concerns a pig scraper for cleaning the inside wall of a coating agent conduit. The pig scraper includes a body insertable in the conduit and at least one sealing lip that seals against the inside wall of the conduit and extends parallel to a longitudinal axis of the body. A space is defined between the sealing lip and the body to form a pocket for enhancing the sealing of the sealing lip with respect to the conduit. The length of the sealing lip substantially prevents the lip from folding over on itself in response to a change in the direction of movement of the pig scraper in the conduit.

In modern coating units for the series coating of construction parts, pig scrapers are used in order to remove coating agent from coating agent conduits. Coating agent residues, which stick to the inside wall of coating agent conduits, must be removed after coating operations. For example, the coating unit can be a paint unit for an automotive assembly line. A first set of automotive parts can be painted a first color by the coating unit. A second set of automotive parts can be painted a second color by the coating unit after the pig scraper has removed the first paint residue from the coating agent conduits of the coating unit.
A pig scraper is disclosed in EP 0405075B1, which consists of a basic body which can be inserted into a coating agent conduit. The basic body includes a sealing lip which essentially extends radially from the basic body and is located on a jacket surface of the basic body. During operation, the sealing lip fits tightly against the inside wall of the coating agent conduit to be cleaned. The pig scraper scrapes off coating residue sticking to the inside wall of the coating agent conduit and this way builds up an axial isolation path.
One disadvantage of pig scrapers currently known in the art is that the sealing lip can fold over in the axial direction of the body of the pig scraper when the direction of movement of the pig scraper is changed. When the lip of the pig scraper folds over, a portion of the lip is subjected to excessive deformation forces. As a result, the life of the pig scraper is shortened.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


Remotely sensed spectral image data are used to develop a Vegetation Index file which represents spatial variations of actual crop vigor throughout an area that is under cultivation. The latter information is processed to place it in a format that can be used by personnel to correlate and calibrate it with actually observed crop conditions existing at control points within the area. Based on the results, personnel formulate a prescription request, which is forwarded to a central processing site, where the prescription is prepared. The latter is returned to a mobile application means that directly applies inputs to the field at a spatially variable rate.

The present invention is directed to a method and apparatus for promoting uniform healthy development of a growing crop by providing a variable rate application of agricultural chemicals, including fertilizer and pesticides, such as insecticides, fungicides and herbicides, to a crop. In particular, the invention provides a method for achieving optimized crop development using a minimum necessary amount of agricultural inputs, adapted specifically to spatial variations in crop vigor.
Systems for variable rate application of fertilizer to a field which is under cultivation are known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,220,876 discloses a variable rate fertilizer spreading apparatus that uses a soil map, (which may be acquired, for example, from an aerial infrared photograph), in order to determine the amount of fertilizer that is to be applied at each location within the field. For this purpose, a map is prepared (referred to as a "fertilizer map"), which shows a spatially distributed desired fertilizer level throughout the field, as well as a "status" map which shows corresponding existing fertilizer distribution throughout the field. The desired distribution of fertilizer as recorded in the "fertilizer map" is prepared in advance, based on determined physical characteristics of the field itself, including field topography, soil type, drainage, sun exposure, and the like. In order to provide for application of the proper amount of fertilizer to achieve the desired distribution, an "Expert System" utilizes artificial intelligence to perform the necessary calculations, based on the fertilizer map, the status map, the soil type and the types of chemicals that are being applied.
In a prescription forming control system disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,919,242, a navigation controller controls the delivery rate of agricultural products by an applicator vehicle, as a function of the global position of the vehicle, based on digital maps which divide a field into "zones", according for example to soil types. Several different products are delivered at differing rates depending on the soil content and the types of crops that are being cultivated. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,913,915 also discloses a multidispensing rate applicator for agricultural products in which a computerized control system stores a digital soil map containing information concerning the location of types of soils, topographic features, nutrient levels, soil compaction, drainage and the like. A map coordinate system allows for variable input control from side to side relative to the movement of the applicator system.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,199,000BI provides a precision farming method in which seeding, cultivating and/or harvesting operations are controlled using GPS technology in conjunction with a digital map of an agricultural field, which may be created using satellite, aircraft or other overhead imagery. High resolution photographs acquired in this manner are used to generate the digital map. According to this disclosure, relevant information can then be stored in the map (location of irrigation systems, previous planting locations of other crops and the like), and used to determine, for example, the location at which new crops/seeds should be planted.
Similar systems, in which soil characteristic maps are used to control automated agricultural machines are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,236,907 B1; 6,336,066 BI and 6,141,614.
Each of the above prior art systems is based on the premise that the likely development of a crop planted in a particular field (and therefore the amount of nutrients which should be added in order to achieve optimum plant growth) can be calculated based on physical soil and field conditions, such as the type of soil, topography, drainage, existing nutrient levels, compaction, etc. Accordingly, such information concerning soil and field conditions is stored in the form of a map or maps, which are then used to determine an optimum distribution of fertilizer or the like, based on complex, in some cases proprietary, algorithms. (See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,220,876 at Column 8, lines 58 et seq.).
Such systems share the common deficiency that they reflect only the soil and other physical field characteristics, and in some instance the type of crop being cultivated. While these may be reasonable prognosticators of likely crop development, they do not and cannot take into account or adjust for actual crop growth due, for example, to the effects of weather, diseases, insects and the like. Nor can they take into account the effects of weather on the materials themselves after they have been applied—such as for example due to heavy rains and attendant runoff. They are also generally incapable of generating time variable dynamic crop prescriptions based on actual crop development throughout the growing season.

Method and system for spatially variable rate application of agricultural chemicals based on remotely sensed vegetation data


Apparatus for redundancy circuit protection includes a controller (20), a plurality of circuits (22) coupled to the controller (20), and a redundancy switch (50) coupled between the plurality of circuits (22) and a network. The redundancy switch (50) is adapted for connecting or disconnecting selected ones of the plurality of circuits (22) to or from the network. In addition, a predetermined number of spare circuits (52) with similar functionality as the plurality of circuits (22) are coupled to the high density bank control unit (20), so that the redundancy switch (50) may connect or disconnect selected ones of the predetermined number of spare circuits (52) to the network and establish a transmission path from the controller (20) through the selected spare circuits (52) to the network.

Usage and demand for modern telecommunication systems continue to soar as users demand more sophisticated communication services and bandwidth while relying on the instant availability of these communication systems. Increasingly, communication systems are used to provide all types of information including voice, video, and data.
Modern telecommunications networks include a number of components, such as subscriber loop equipment that communicate, manipulate, and process information in a variety of ways. The subscriber loop equipment connect the telecommunications service customers to the central office, so that their calls may be processed and routed. As with other components of the telecommunications network, the requirement for reliability and fault tolerance is also applicable to the subscriber loop equipment.

Apparatus and method for circuit protection


Disclosed herein, among other things, are apparatus and methods for detecting and switching battery polarity in a battery charger. In various embodiments, a method includes grounding a first terminal of a battery inserted in a charger and sensing a bipolar voltage from a second terminal of the battery. The bipolar voltage is converted to a reduced unipolar voltage for sensing by an input to a microcontroller. A low resistance analog switch connects the battery to a charging circuit. The switch state of the analog switch is controlled using an output of the microcontroller, to present the proper battery polarity to the charging circuit based on the unipolar voltage. The battery is charged using the charging circuit, in various embodiments.

Some electronic devices use rechargeable batteries that require periodic charging to maintain proper device performance. Battery rechargers typically require a battery to be inserted into the recharger in a single specific physical orientation to provide the correct polarity for recharging the battery. Existing solutions rely on either mechanical features to restrict the user from inserting the battery the wrong way or visible markings to instruct the user on proper insertion. However, these solutions are troublesome in the case of relatively small battery cells. Mechanical features can be defeated by forceful insertion, which can prevent battery charging or even cause damage to the battery or charger. Visible markings are often difficult to see, particularly if small and not high in contrast, and are ineffective for people with visual impairments.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for improved apparatus and methods for detecting and switching battery polarity in a battery charger.

Detecting and switching battery polarity in a battery charger


A double shower device comprises a water inlet pipe, a first water separator, a first shower bar, a second shower bar, and a second water separator. The first water separator comprises a first water inlet end connected to the water inlet pipe, a first chamber connected to the first water inlet end, and a block member disposed in the first chamber to be moved vertically. The second water separator is connected to one end of the second shower bar opposite to the first water separator, and comprises a second water inlet end connected to the second shower bar, a second chamber connected to the second water inlet end, and a valve member disposed in the second chamber. The valve member comprises an open state and a close state for moving the block member downward and upward respectively to force a water flow to flow downward and upward respectively.

Bathing and shower can wash away a whole day of worry and tiredness, and people would be revitalized with refreshment and energy. Therefore, appliances or devices of bathing and shower have potential markets. Moreover, as the price of land is increasingly high, shower devices that are less space-consuming become more popular among the users.
Related manufacturers have focused on the business opportunities by introducing various different shower devices. Nowadays, shower bars with the water inlet located at the lower end are commonly used in the shower devices, but the shower bars are only suitable for the shower faucets mounted on the wall or the shower panels with the water inlet located at the lower end. When water can only discharged from the wall-mounted shower faucets with the water inlet located at the upper end, it is generally required to alter the pipes that are embedded into the wall if people want to transform the function from a single shower to a double shower for discharging water, which requires long construction time and causes environmental pollution.
In order to solve the aforementioned problem that the water inlet end can only be disposed at a low position, the prior art, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 9,506,230 B2, which relates to a wall-mounted shower system comprising at least one bracket and connected to at least one conduit and at least one adapting piece. In addition, the bracket is designed to accommodate an adapting piece and provide a sealing component between the bracket and the adapting piece. The sealing component allows relative movement between the bracket and the adapting piece. The adapting piece is further connected to a wall by a first connecting component, and the bracket is connected to the wall by a second connecting component. The bracket and the adapting piece form at least one conduit path between the wall connection and the conduit of the shower system during assembling. However, the conventional technique is a tube-in-tube structure, and the so-called tube-in-tube structure is relatively complicated, so that the processing precision is high, thereby the cost is increased. Moreover, the conventional shower system is assembled in a fixed manner, that is, the shower bar fails to be retractably adjusted, which may cause inconvenience in usage. Other prior arts with similar concept are mentioned in U.S. Pat. No. 9,677,256 B2, and U.S. Pat. No. 9,410,309 B2, which are not described herein since the technical contents mentioned by these conventional techniques are similar.
As mentioned above, even though the prior arts have barely overcome the dilemma that the water inlet end is only disposed at a low position, the complicated structures and high cost are still required to be improved. Therefore, there is still great room for improvement in the existing shower devices, and it is necessary to provide a shower device which is simple in structure, low in cost, and can overcome the problem that the water inlet end is only disposed at a low position.


An electrically optimized and structurally protected micro via structure for high speed signals in multilayer interconnection substrates is provided. The via structure eliminates the overlap of a contact with the reference planes to thereby reduce the via capacitance and thus, the via impedance mismatch in the via structure. As a result, the via structure is electrically optimized. The via structure further comprises one or more floating support members placed in close proximity to the via within a via clearance area between the via and the reference planes. The floating support members are “floating” in the sense that they are not in electrical contact with either the via or the reference planes. Thus, they are not provided for purposes of signal propagation but only for structural support. The floating support members may be connected to one another by way of one or more microvia structures.

1. Technical Field
The present application relates generally to an improved integrated circuit device package. More specifically, the present application is directed to an electrically optimized and structurally protected via structure for high speed signals in multilayer interconnection substrates, such as printed circuit boards, multilayer ceramic packages, and multilayer organic packages.
2. Description of Related Art
Current multilayer interconnection substrates, such as multilayer organic packages or multilayer ceramic packages, and printed circuit board (PCB) constructions require one or more external conductive layers, e.g., circuitry and/or pads for mounting components thereon, and, given today's increased functional demands, a plurality of internal conductive planes, e.g., signal, power and/or ground. To provide effective interconnections between components and the multilayer interconnection substrate's conductive circuitry and pads, the use of through holes has been adopted wherein several such holes are passed through the multilayer interconnection substrate and electrically coupled in a selective manner to internal and external conductive elements. Such holes typically include a conductor, such as copper, which may fill or at least layer the hole. The conductor in turn contacts circuitry and pads of selective layers of the multilayer interconnection substrate, which also are typically formed of a copper material.
The term "through hole" or simply "hole" as used herein is meant to include both conductive and non-conductive apertures which may extend entirely through the multilayer interconnection substrate, or only partly there-through, including between two or more internal layers without being externally exposed. Such "through holes" or "holes" are often referred to as "vias" in the art and thus, the term "via" will be used hereafter in the present description.
In modern multilayer interconnection substrate technologies, a problem exists with the via structures in that there typically is an impedance mismatch between the transmission line and the via structure. Such mismatch occurs due to capacitive affects in the via structure, as described hereafter. Such impedance mismatch causes signals to not be propagated through the via structure correctly. There is greater signal reflection at portions of the via structure where there is greater impedance mismatch and less signal reflection at portions of the via structure where there is less impedance mismatch. Thus, it is important to match the impedance across the via structure as much as possible, i.e. within a tolerable error.
FIGS. 1A and 1B are exemplary cross-sectional diagrams of a known via arrangement in a multilayer interconnection substrate, e.g., printed circuit board, multilayer organic package, or multilayer ceramic package. In this via arrangement there is a significant amount of impedance mismatch, as discussed hereafter with regard to FIGS. 1A and 1B.
As shown in FIG. 1A, the multilayer interconnection substrate 100 includes a plurality of layers 110-170 and a via structure 180 that passes through each of the layers. The layer 140 is a core layer of the multilayer interconnection substrate 100 with layers 110-130 and 150-170 being build up layers. A ball grid array (BGA) pad 190 is provided on one external surface of the multilayer interconnection substrate 100.
As shown in FIG. 1A, the layers 110-130 are signal layers, or signal planes, in which signal transmission lines may be provided. Layers 150-170 are reference layers or reference planes that provide either voltage or ground connections. Typically, layers 150-170 alternate between voltage and ground reference planes. The via structure 180 comprises a plurality of microvias 182 provided at each layer and a plated through hole (PTH) 184. The microvia 182 are coupled to one another and to the PTH 184 to thereby provide a conductive pathway from one layer to another of the multilayer interconnection substrate 100. A signal transmission line 195 may be placed in contact with the via structure 180 to thereby permit passing of the signal from one layer of the multilayer interconnection substrate 100 to another or to an externally mounted integrated circuit device via BGA pad 190. The BGA pad is a necessarily large feature to accommodate a large solder ball that serves as the interconnect between the IC package and the next-level circuitry, typically a printed circuit board.
With reference now to FIG. 1B, a simplified cross section illustrating a conventional via structure is provided to illustrate the affects of the structure on via impedance. As shown in FIG. 1B, signal current is passed along the signal transmission line 195 and through the via structure 180 to the BGA pad 190. The via structure 180 has an inductance Lvia. In addition, the via structure 180 has a capacitance Cvia due to the overlap of the BGA pad 190 and one or more reference planes, e.g., voltage and/or ground layers or planes. The impedance of the via structure 180 may be calculated using the following relationship:Zvia=sqrt(Lvia/Cvia)where Zvia is the via structure 180 impedance, Lvia is the total inductance through the via structure 180, and Cvia is the total capacitance between the via structure 180 and a reference plane.
The value for Lvia is determined by the signal to ground via pitch. The value for Cvia is determined primarily by the overlap area between the BGA pad 190 and a reference plane. Cvia may be approximated using the following relationship:Cvia≈∈(S/d)
where ∈ is a dielectric constant, d is a dielectric thickness between the BGA pad 190 and the reference plane, and S is an overlap area between the BGA pad 190 and the reference plane.
The via structure 180 in FIGS. 1A and 1B has a significant mismatch of the impedance value for the via Zvia. For example, if a target impedance value is 100 ohms, this impedance may be achieved at the signal transmission line 195 since there is a minimal capacitive affect at this point in the via structure 180. However, at the BGA pad 190, due to the capacitive affect, i.e. Cvia, between the BGA pad 190 and the reference plane 170, using the equation for Zvia above, since the capacitance is greater at this point in the via structure 180, the impedance is significantly less. Thus, there is a mismatch in the impedance of the via structure 180 causing greater reflection at certain points of the structure than at other points.
It can be seen from the above that the via impedance Zvia may be controlled by controlling the amount of overlap of the BGA pad 190 and the reference plane, i.e. controlling the overlap area S and thus, the via capacitance Cvia. By decreasing the capacitance Cvia, the mismatch in the impedance Zvia is reduced.
In order to control the via impedance Zvia, and thereby reduce the mismatch in impedance, an alternative via structure has been developed that minimizes the overlap area between the BGA pad and the reference plane. FIG. 2 is an exemplary diagram illustrating this known alternative via structure. As shown in FIG. 2, the via structure is virtually identical to the structure shown in FIG. 1A with the exception that there is a large clearance hole provided between the reference planes 250-270, i.e. ground and voltage reference planes, and the BGA pad 290. As a result, there is no overlap between the BGA pad 290 and the reference plane 270 and hence, the via capacitance Cvia is reduced.
A problem exists in this alternative via structure, however, in that the structure becomes mechanically weak due to the large areas 202 and 205 of dielectric material where no metal material is provided. In the structure shown in FIG. 1A, because there is an overlap of metal structures, i.e. the BGA pad 190 and the metal reference layers 150-170, the structure is mechanically strong with regard to forces that may be exerted on the multilayer interconnection substrate 100, such as when placing external integrated circuit devices in contact with the BGA pad 190 and/or placing the multilayer interconnection substrate 100 on a printed circuit board. In addition, the structural stability at the BGA pad 190 is critical since most of the mechanical forces resulting from thermal cycling of the interconnect between the package and board ensue from the BGA ball located at this connection point. However, with the alternative structure shown in FIG. 2, the lack of metal in areas 202 and 205 makes the overall structure susceptible to fracture when a force is applied to the multilayer interconnection substrate 200.

Electrically optimized and structurally protected via structure for high speed signals


A differential amplifier is constituted of first emitter-follower transistors, second emitter-follower transistors, and amplification transistors whose bases are alternately connected to the emitters of the second emitter-follower transistors and whose collectors are connected to the emitters of the first emitter-follower transistors, as well as emitter resistors and constant current sources, whereby it is possible to reduce distortions of output signals in response to large-amplitude input signals, thus ensuring high-speed operation. It is possible to further incorporate base-grounded transistors and diodes, by which substantially the same collector-emitter voltage is applied to the emitter-follower transistors and amplification transistors, thus achieving the same power consumption and the same temperature variations with respect to these transistors. This reduces the nonlinear amplification error due to temperature differences of transistors, thus achieving flat gain characteristics in broad ranges of frequencies.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to differential amplifiers that amplify voltage differences between input signals.
The present application claims priority on Japanese Patent Application No. 2007-226646 and Japanese Patent Application No. 2008-193864, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various types of differential amplifiers have been disclosed in various documents such as Patent Document 1.                Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2000-261261
Patent Document 1 discloses a differential amplifier (serving as a bistable multivibrator or a transconductance amplifier) that is designed to suppress nonlinear errors. With reference to FIG. 3 of Patent Document 1, a pair of amplification transistors 1 and 2 are alternately connected with a pair of emitter-follower transistors 11 and 12, wherein emitter resistors 3 and 4 are connected to the emitters of the amplification transistors 1 and 2, while the collectors of the emitter-follower transistors 11 and 12 serve as open collector output terminals.
The output current (Iout1-Iout2) of the differential amplifier is represented by the following equation (in which RE designates the resistance of the emitter resistor), which does not include any terms representing the nonlinearity of transistors; hence, the differential amplifier has a superior linearity over a broad range of the input voltage (Vin1-Vin2).
            Iout                                      1        -          Iout                                      2        =                    Vin                                                  1            -              Vin                                                  2              RE
With reference to FIG. 5 of Patent Document 1, a differential amplification circuit including amplification transistors 1 and 2 is interconnected with four current mirror circuits 21 to 24 forming a power transmission circuit (or a signal transmission circuit), thus solving drawbacks such as the operational instability of the differential amplifier.
In the amplification transistors 1 and 2 included in the differential amplifier shown in FIG. 3 of Patent Document 1, the emitter-collector voltage VCE is set identical to the base-emitter voltage VBE when no input voltage is applied thereto, whereby the amplification transistors may be easily saturated in operation when an input voltage is applied thereto. That is, the aforementioned differential amplifier suffers from a problem in that the output signal may be easily distorted as the input voltage increases.
The differential amplifier shown in FIG. 5 of Patent Document 1 is designed to solve the aforementioned problem; however, due to the complex constitution of the power transmission circuit and the relatively long propagation path thereof, it is very difficult to achieve high-speed operation.
In differential amplifiers, base-emitter voltages VBE of transistors have temperature dependencies, and transistors may differ from each other in heating conditions due to different power consumptions thereof. For this reason, it may be very difficult to adequately reduce gain errors and nonlinear amplification errors in broad ranges of frequencies. In other words, it is very difficult for differential amplifiers to possess flat gain characteristics in broad ranges of frequencies.


A system for thermally processing solid fuel to produce pyrolysis gases, syngas, tar, char, and/or torrefied products, which includes a bulk solids pump having a curved passage to move a feedstock therein and wherein the pump includes a spool supported for rotational movement. A sleeve shaped chamber or chambers surround all or a portion of at least an axial extent of said curved passage to permit containment of heated gases to heat solid fuel within the curved passage to thermally process the feedstock within the pump.

For many years now fixed bed gasifiers have been employed to produce syngas for running internal combustion engines and other means of power production. Fixed bed gasifiers act as a whole with each process tied into what is occurring with the other processes. Thus, it is difficult to separate the respective steps so that each process can be isolated from the other processes making control more difficult.
Conventional fixed bed gasifiers rely on gravity to move the solid fuel through the zones of gasification. Gravity feed is not conducive to handling solids because of the tendency of solid fuels toward bridging, tunneling, and clogging if the solid fuel is not the correct size, shape, density or moisture content. The applicant's prior patent refers to a solids pump such as a bulk solids pump manufactured and distributed by K-Tron Company of Pitman, N.J., USA. The pump is known for its ability to provide precise volumetric feeding of free flowing bulk materials, e.g. pellets and granules. The bulk solids pump feeder has a rotating spool that creates a product lock-up zone conveying the material smoothly from storage hopper located above a consolidation zone to an outlet. True, linear mass flow of particles is achieved. This principle is referred to herein as lock-up transport.
Bulk solids pumps employ one or more specially designed rotating spools which create curved passages. Incoming material is captured in the curved passage and rotated to discharge. While within the curved passage the material 'locks-up' and acts as a solid mass. Approaching discharge, inter-particle forces relax and discharge occurs by cascade at the material's natural angle of repose, or by the material being forced out by a barrier placed inside the curved passage which directs the locked-up material out of the curved passage.
The bulk solids pump principle is best explained as consisting of four sequential zones: (1) consolidation, (2) rotation, (3) relaxation and (4) discharge wherein in the first zone material enters the pump and consolidates as particles settle and come into contact with one another and the sides of the curved passage and at the end of the first zone the material is fully constrained by the curved passage, and inter-particle and surface contact forces produce the lock-up condition and wherein in the second zone the material rotates as a solid mass and as the material moves through the second zone to the third zone the material is approaching an unconstrained discharge where inter-particle forces fall, the material relaxes and regains its natural flowability and discharge of the material occurs in a fourth zone where passage rotation causes the material to cascade from the pump.
Fixed bed gasifiers rely on gravity to move fuel through the process steps of heating, pyrolysis, reduction and gasification. This limits the residence time in each of the processes because the position of the feedstock is not controlled and limits the residence depth because of the fixed contours of the apparatus and therefore fixed depth that a process can have.
The aspect ratios of fixed bed gasifiers are limiting. For example, the throat of an Imbert style gasifier is restricted to certain ratios of nozzle size and spacing to throat opening. Operating outside these constraints leads to incomplete gasification, tunneling and increased tar production and/or dilution of the gas energy density. For example the depth of the reduction zone is entangled with the amount of heat that can be created in the throat of the gasifer, which is limited by the fixed contours of the gasifier. Once this heat is exhausted by the endothermic reactions occurring in the reduction zone no more reduction reactions are favored.
The aspect ratio of an Imbert or downdraft gasifier, that is the ratio of the cross sectional area of the gasifier to its length needs to be larger compared with the apparatus in accordance with the present invention in order to support gravity feed. Because of this it is difficult to transfer waste heat back into the process where it is needed to improve efficiency. This leads to energy waste as the waste heat is dumped to the environment. In addition, Imbert or downdraft gasifiers are batch run machines requiring periodic cleaning and reloading.
The Imbert or downdraft machines require a portion of the feedstock to be burnt to create heat for heating and driving the endothermic processes of reduction and tar cracking. This combustion process introduces extra amounts of N2 into the syngas stream if the oxidant is air which dilutes the energy density of the syngas. The apparatus in accordance with the present invention uses waste heat or syngas combustion to drive the processes and these heat sources can remain external to the syngas quality itself.
Downdraft machines and other machines that rely on gravity for solid fuel feeding can only provide a limited amount of feedstock heating because of the aspect ratio and gravity dependent feedstock solid fuel feed issues presented above.
The applicant's prior patent describes advantageous apparatus and methods for improved delivery of solid fuel to a gasifier. It is now apparent that the prior art does not show various improvements that expand the possible processes that can be completed in such solids pumps More specifically, various structural changes in the pump enable recycling of process heat and or process gases to increase the efficiency of processes including torrefaction, pyrolysis, combustion, reduction and or gasification within the solids pump.
From the above, it is therefore seen that there exists a need in the art to overcome the deficiencies and limitations described herein and above.

Solid fuel burner-gasifier methods and apparatus


An optical connector with memory function comprises memory function for storing respective identification information in order to readily and exactly perform separate control of respective control steps and further to obtain convenient handling of connectors. The optical connector with memory function 3 of the present invention is characterized by a memory function capable of untouchably performing, from outside thereof, writing-in and reading-out of necessary information. The memory function has a structure mounted on or mountable on the outer construction of a housing accommodating therein the optical connection portion of an optical connector plug in the optical connector with memory function.

On many conventional optical connectors, a label or a tape, on which optional letters or bar codes are recorded, is pasted for individual control information. In other examples, grouped control information, such as lot numbers or manufactured dates, is recorded.
In case of controlling production steps or mounting and wiring steps of optical connectors in these conditions, such control operations are usually performed by the use of computers. In this case, mistake such as erroneous understanding or erroneous inputting of control information shall be occasionally occurred, if letters are employed as the control information, since an operator performs the inputting operations in reading of the letters of control information.
On the other hand, in a case where the control information of bar code is recorded, read-in operations are essential before and after a working operation step, while erroneous understanding or erroneous inputting of control information is especially reduced. Accordingly, if the read-in operation is overlooked at a working operation step, reliable control of this working operation step cannot be performed.
Moreover, when the control information is recorded on a label or a tape, each of the label and the tape has to have an appropriate size for recognizing the control information. In this case where optical connectors carrying control information of these label and tape are accumulated on a distributing board in a real application circumstance, the label itself becomes considerable obstacle for freely manipulation so that the convenience of operation using the control information of this type is disturbed.
Furthermore, if material of the label and the tape is of paper, the label and the tape may be damaged, so that the control information cannot be recognized and then controlled.

Tokyo Communications Equipment Co., Ltd.


Toner fusing members with improved properties are formed with an outer layer comprising a melamine-cured block polyurethane coating composition. Such a (A-B).sub.n' block polyurethane is formed by polycondensation of a diisocyanate, an organopolysiloxane diol and a C.sub.2-20 diol.

In certain electrostatographic imaging and recording processes, for instance, in electrophotographic copying processes, an electrostatic latent image formed on a photoconductive surface is developed with a thermoplastic toner powder which is thereafter fused to a substrate. The fusing member can be a roll, belt or any surface having a suitable shape for fixing thermoplastic toner powder images to a substrate. The fusing step commonly consists of passing the substrate, such as a sheet of paper on which toner powder is distributed in an imagewise pattern, through the nip of a pair of rolls. At least one of the rolls is heated and in the case where the fusing member is a heated roll, a smooth resilient surface is bonded either directly or indirectly to the core of the roll. Where the fusing member is in the form of a belt it is preferably a flexible endless belt having a smooth, hardened outer surface which passes around the heated roller. A persistent problem in this operation is the tendency of the toner to adhere not only to the paper but also to the fusing surface which contacts it, when the toner is heated during passage through the rolls. Any toner remaining adhered to the member can cause a false offset image to appear on the next sheet that passes through the rolls and can also degrade the fusing performance of the member. Another problem may occur as a result of continued heating causing degradation of the member which results in an uneven surface and defective patterns in thermally fixed images.
Toner fusing rolls are composed of a cylindrical core which may contain a heat source in its interior, and a covering layer bonded directly or indirectly on the surface of the core. A thin layer of a suitable primer is advantageously coated on the surface of the core in order to improve bonding of the layer. Roll coverings are commonly made of fluorocarbon polymers or silicone polymers, such as poly(dimethylsiloxane) polymers, of low surface energy which minimizes adherence of toner to the roll. Frequently release oils composed of, for example, poly(dimethylsiloxanes) are also applied to the roll surface to prevent adherence of toner to the roll. Such release oils may interact with the roll surface upon repeated use and in time cause swelling, softening and degradation of the roll. Silicone rubber covering layers which are insufficiently resistant to release oils and cleaning solvents are also susceptible to delamination of the roll cover after repeated heating and cooling cycles.
Toner fusing belts are composed of a continuous flexible material having superior resistance to heat and a specified finishing surface. The belt substrate can be metallic or polymeric. The surface of the belt is composed of a thinly coated, low surface energy polymer such as a fluorocarbon or a silicone resin. There is a need for coating compositions which adhere strongly to the belt and form a hard, tough surface which is resistant to wear and cracking. The surface should also be resistant to cleaning solvents and fluids.
In electrostatographic imaging processes dry developers can be used to form an image on a receiving surface such as a sheet of paper. Dry developers usually comprise a toner powder and carrier particles. Carrier particles and toner particles have different triboelectric values. As the developer mixture is agitated the particles rub together and the toner and carrier particles acquire opposite electric charges and cling together. In the subsequent development step the somewhat higher opposite charge of the electrostatic latent image draws the colored toner from the carrier and develops the image. Frequently, various addenda are used to improve the properties of the toner and carrier particles.
Toners comprise, as a major component, the binder, and as minor components a colorant and a charge control agent. The binder can be any resin which has properties suitable for dry toners. Many such resins are known but thermoplastic resins which are fixable by fusing are especially useful. When a dry toner powder image is transferred from one surface to another defects in the image can occur. It is known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,758,491 that by the addition of low surface energy liquid or solid addenda, especially polymers containing organopolysiloxane segments, many of these defects can be alleviated.
Carrier particles comprise magnetizable irregular particles which are usually coated with a film of a polymeric material which helps develop the triboelectric charge and aids the transfer of the toner. The coating material must adhere well to the carrier particle because the toner charge declines as the polymer wears off. Polymers with low surface energy properties are especially useful for coating carrier particles.
Polymers, also, are composed of various types. For example, one type is a block copolymer. Block copolymers are macromolecules comprised of chemically dissimilar, terminally connected segments. Their sequential arrangement can vary from A-B structures, containing two segments only, to A-B-A block copolymers with three segments, to multiblock -(A-B)-.sub.n ' systems possessing many segments. ##STR1## See Noshaz et al, Block Copolymers, Academic Press, New York (1977).

Polysiloxane containing polyurethane and coated articles useful as toner fusing members


5-Deaza-10-oxo- and 5-deaza-10-thio-5,6,7,8-tetrahydrofolic acid derivatives are provided as agents useful for treating susceptible neoplasms in mammals. Pharmaceutical formulations and intermediates are also provided.

The folic acid antimetabolites aminopterin and amethopterin (also known as 10-methylaminopterin or methotrexate) are antineoplastic agents. These compounds inhibit enzymatic conversions involving metabolic derivatives of folic acid. Amethopterin, for example, inhibits dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR), an enzyme necessary for the regeneration of tetrahydrofolate from dihydrofolate which is formed during the conversion of 2-deoxyuridylate to thymidylate by the enzyme thymidylate synthetase.
Other derivatives of folic acid and aminopterin have been synthesized and tested as antimetabolites. Among these are compounds in which a methylene or methylidene group occupies a position in the molecule normally occupied by an imino or nitrilo group, respectively. These derivatives have varying degrees of antimetabolic activity. 10-Deazaaminopterin is highly active (Sirotnak et al., Cancer Treat. Rep., 62: 1047 (1978)) and 5-deazaaminopterin has activity similar to that of amethopterin (Taylor et al., J. Org. Chem., 48: 4842 (1983)). 8,10-Dideazaaminopterin is reported to be antimetabolically active (U.S. Pat. No. 4,460,591) and 5,8,10-trideazaaminopterin exhibits activity against mouse L1210 leukemia (Yan et al., J. Heterocycl. Chem., 16: 541 (1979)). 10-Deazafolic acid, on the other hand, shows no significant activity (Struck et al., J. Med. Chem., 14: 693 (1971)) and 5-deazafolic acid is only weakly cytotoxic. 8,10-Dideazafolic acid is only marginally effective as a dihydrofolate reductase inhibitor (De Graw et al., "Chemistry and Biology of Pteridines", Elsevier, 229 (1979)) and 5,8,10-trideazafolic acid also shows only marginal activity against mouse L1210 leukemia (Oatis et al., J. Med. Chem., 20: 1393 (1977)). 5,10-Dideazaaminopterin and 5,10-dideaza-5,6,7,8-tetrahydroaminopterin, and the corresponding 5,10-dideazafolic acid derivatives are reported by Taylor et al., J. Med. Chem., 28, No. 7: 914 (1985).
Additional derivatives of folic acid and aminopterin include: 10-oxafolic acid and 7,8-dihydro-10-oxafolic acid which are not effective inhibitors of DCM resistant Lactobacillus casei dihydrofolate reductase; 10oxaaminopterin and 7,8-dihydro-10-thiofolic acid, which are potent DHFR inhibitors (Nair et al., J. Med. Chem., 19, No. 6: 825 (1976)); 10-thiafolic acid, a moderate DHFR inhibitor; and a very potent dihydrofolate reductase inhibitor, 10-thiaaminopterin (Kim et al., J. Med. Chem., 18, No. 8: 776 (1975)).
This invention provides novel folic acid derivatives, their composition and use. In particular, this invention concerns 5-deaza-10-oxo- and 5-deaza-10-thio-5,6,7,8-tetrahydrofolic acid, intermediates for their preparation, pharmaceutical formulations containing the named compounds, and their use for the treatment of susceptible neoplasms.

5-deaza-10-oxo- and 5-deaza-10-thio-5,6,7,8-tetrahydrofolic acids


A user measures a length of a target using a mobile terminal and measure a length, irrespective of time and place. The mobile terminal and the target are photographed together in front of the mirror, and a size of the target is estimated using a ratio of the pictured size versus the actual size of the mobile terminal. The actual size of the target is calculated by adjusting the estimated length with an error associated with a difference between a distance from the mirror to the mobile terminal and a distance from the mirror to the target, and thus, a length is more accurately measured. In addition, the error associated with the distance is corrected based on the photographed picture and data stored in a database and thus, a separate distance measurement sensor for correcting the distance is not required and the cost may be reduced.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and system for measuring a length using a mobile terminal, and more particularly, to a method and system for measuring a length using a mobile terminal that measures a length of a target of measurement.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Rapidly increased use of a mobile terminal enables continuous development of various functions that may be utilized for the real life using the mobility of the mobile terminal. Among those functions, various length measuring methods using the mobile terminal have been provided.
According to Korean Patent No. 10-0652685, the disclosure provides a method of calculating the actual length of a target of measurement based on the distance to the target of measurement, obtained using a distance measurement sensor, and an image of the target of measurement photographed using a camera.
However, a general mobile terminal does not include a sensor for measuring a distance, such as, a ultrasonic sensor, a infrared sensor, and the like, and thus, the user of the general mobile terminal cannot utilize the described function. In addition, the sensor, such as the ultrasonic sensor, the infrared sensor, and the like is expensive and thus, when the expensive sensor is installed in the mobile terminal, the price of the mobile terminal may be increased.

Method and system for measuring length, using mobile terminal