A method and apparatus for enabling use of multiple digital rights management scenarios (DRM). Unencrypted data representing digital content is examined to identify at least segments of content for encryption. The identified segments of content are duplicated and then encrypted using a first encryption method associated with a first DRM to produce first encrypted segments. Duplicates are encrypted using a second encryption method associated with a second DRM to produce second encrypted segments. A set of pointers are generated that point to the first and second encrypted segments content. A file is then created containing first and second encrypted segments of content, pointers and unencrypted content along with DRM rights data to produce a selectively encrypted multiple DRM enabled file.

In traditional distribution of audio and/or video content such as music and movies, rights to copyrighted works are managed by the ownership of the physical medium containing the work. Ownership of the medium provides a limited barrier to unauthorized use. While piracy was and is prevalent with such traditional "packaged media", the problems are dramatically multiplied in an environment of digital distribution of content. The owners of the content have devised various ways to help protect such content that have been collectively termed digital rights management (DRM). DRM encompasses not only the numerous encryption schemes that have been employed to protect the content, but also encompasses the various arrangements for permitting use of the content that have been created, as well as the monitoring and tracking of the rights to the content.
Several forms of DRM are currently in place in the marketplace. Perhaps the most dominant DRM forms a part of the Microsoft Windows® operating system's Media Player, and is referred to as "Reciprocal". Another widely used DRM arrangement is built into the Real Networks' Real Player®. Currently the DRM solutions from Microsoft is tightly coupled with the compression algorithm. DRM solutions usually execute on personal computer (PC) platforms. Consequently, the DRM solutions are designed to detect software tampering, and thus efforts are made to obfuscate the operation of the executing software.
The above two examples of DRM are but two of an ever growing and evolving field of technology. Further DRM incarnations can be anticipated on a continuing basis to provide greater protection for the content against those who would illegally pirate the content.
Unfortunately, due to the multiple types of DRM that are available, customers may have to either acquire multiple sets of software (or plug-ins) that support the various DRM scenarios, or limit consumption of content to those DRMs which they wish to support on their computer.

Content distribution for multiple digital rights management


An optical transmission system includes: a first optical transmitting unit for transmitting a first optical signal having a first wavelength; a second optical transmitting unit for transmitting a second optical signal having a second wavelength; an output adjustment unit for acquiring the first optical signal and the second optical signal, adjusting signal intensities of the acquired optical signals, and outputting the optical signals; a multiplexer for multiplexing the first optical signal and the second optical signal that have been subjected to signal intensity adjustment and outputting a multiplexed signal; an amplifier for amplifying the multiplexed signal; a first optical receiving unit for receiving the amplified first optical signal; and a second optical receiving unit for receiving the amplified second optical signal. The output adjustment unit adjusts the signal intensities of the first optical signal and the second optical signal such that the signal intensity of the first optical signal received by the first optical receiving unit is larger than or equal to a first predetermined value, and the signal intensity of the second optical signal received by the second optical receiving unit is larger than or equal to a second predetermined value.

An FTTH (Fiber to the Home) CATV (cable television) system is known as a network system for distributing videos to subscribers' houses, for example. FIG. 7 shows an example of a network configuration of a conventional FTTH CATV system. As shown in FIG. 7, the conventional FTTH CATV system includes, for example, a headend, an optical transmitting unit, relay amplifiers, an access amplifier, and an optical receiving unit installed in each subscriber's house.
The headend receives a radio wave that carries a video signal transmitted from a broadcasting station via a transmission tower on the ground, an artificial satellite, or the like, and adjusts, e.g. amplifies the received radio wave. The headend then outputs an electrical signal based on this video signal to the optical transmitting unit. The optical transmitting unit converts the acquired electrical signal to an optical signal, and sends out this optical signal to an optical transmission path, which is constituted by an optical fiber. The optical transmission path is divided into a relay network (hereinafter "relay NW") section and an access network (hereinafter "access NW") section. The relay NW is a communication network that connects the optical transmitting unit to the access NW. In the relay NW, multiple amplifiers (hereinafter "relay amplifiers") are provided in the case where, for example, the transmission distance is long. Each of the relay amplifiers sends out an amplified optical signal to another downstream relay amplifier or to a device in the access NW section, or splits an optical signal using an optical coupler and sends out the split optical signals to both another downstream relay amplifier and a device in the access NW section. Meanwhile, the access NW is a communication network that connects the relay NW to each of the optical receiving units that terminate optical signals. Commonly, a PON (Passive Optical Network) configuration is applied to the access NW in order to distribute optical signals output from the relay NW to optical receiving units installed in a plurality of subscribers' houses. Furthermore, there may be cases where an amplifier (hereinafter "access amplifier") is also used in the access NW for the purpose of compensating loss caused by distribution of optical signals using the PON configuration, loss due to the relay amplifiers splitting optical signals, and the like, as shown in FIG. 7.
In the conventional FTTH CATV system that has the above-described network configuration, for example, an FM (Frequency Modulation) batch conversion method is used as an optical transmission method (see NPL 1). The optical transmitting unit receives a frequency-multiplexed electrical signal of multi-channel videos that is output from the headend, and collectively converts this electrical signal to a single-channel broadband FM signal. Furthermore, the optical transmitting unit converts the converted FM signal to an optical signal with a single wavelength λ by means of intensity modulation, and sends out the optical signal to the optical transmission path. Meanwhile, the optical receiving unit, upon receiving this optical signal with the wavelength λ, converts the optical signal to a broadband FM signal by conversion to an electrical signal and demodulates the signal. Thus, the optical receiving unit can extract the frequency-multiplexed electrical signal of the multi-channel videos from the received optical signal.
Conventionally, in this country, distribution of multi-channel videos is realized by the above-described network configuration and optical transmission method. Videos distributed include BS (broadcasting satellites) broadcasts, 110-degree CS (Communication Satellites) broadcasts, terrestrial digital broadcasts, and so on, which are distributed from artificial satellites to the ground using right circular polarization. Furthermore, BS broadcasts (intermediate frequency: 2224 to 2681 [MHz]) and 110-degree CS broadcasts (intermediate frequency: 2748 to 3224 [MHz]), which are distributed from artificial satellites to the ground using left circular polarization, have started as new 4K/8K satellite broadcasts since December 2018. The intermediate frequencies used in the new 4K/8K satellite broadcasts differ from the intermediate frequencies that are used in the existing broadcasts. For this reason, if existing broadcasting equipment does not support the intermediate frequencies of the new 4K/8K satellite broadcasts, distribution and viewing of the new 4K/8K satellite broadcasts cannot be realized by only using the existing broadcasting equipment.
To address this, as one method for further realizing distribution and viewing of the new 4K/8K satellite broadcasts in addition to distribution and viewing of the existing broadcasts, a method can be considered in which a relay NW that supports the new 4K/8K satellite broadcasts and host equipment for this relay NW are installed separately from the existing broadcasting equipment. FIG. 8 shows an example of a network configuration in the case of using this method. As shown in FIG. 8, in this network configuration, a headend, an optical transmitting unit, relay amplifiers, and a WDM (Wavelength Division Multiplexing) filter that support the new 4K/8K satellite broadcasts are newly installed in addition to the network configuration shown in FIG. 7. The WDM filter multiplexes an optical signal output from a relay amplifier for the existing broadcasts and an optical signal output from a relay amplifier that supports the new 4K/8K satellite broadcasts, and sends out the multiplexed optical signal (hereinafter "multiplexed signal") to the existing access amplifier. Here, it is assumed that the wavelength of an output beam that is output from the relay amplifier for the existing broadcasts is a wavelength λ1, the wavelength of an optical beam that is output from the relay amplifier that supports the new 4K/8K satellite broadcasts is a wavelength λ2, and the wavelength λ1 and the wavelength λ2 are different wavelengths. Here, there may be cases where the optical receiving unit for the existing broadcasts can receive the optical signal with the wavelength λ1 but cannot receive the optical signal with the wavelength λ2. In such cases, to enable viewers to watch the new 4K/8K satellite broadcasts, an optical receiving unit capable of receiving the optical signal with the wavelength λ2 needs to be newly installed. Note that, if an optical receiving unit capable of receiving optical signal with the wavelength λ1 as well as the optical signal with the wavelength λ2 is used as the newly-installed optical receiving unit, the viewer can watch both the existing broadcasts and the new 4K/8K satellite broadcasts by only using the newly-installed optical receiving unit. In addition, according to the above network configuration, the network equipment for the existing broadcasts can also be used for the new 4K/8K satellite broadcasts, and thus, the device installation cost required to realize distribution and viewing of the new 4K/8K satellite broadcasts can be reduced.
Amplifiers that are commonly used in optical communication include an optical fiber amplifier such as an EDFA (Erbium-Doped Fiber Amplifier), for example. The optical fiber amplifier has characteristics that, even if optical signals with different wavelengths are input, as in the case of an access amplifier in a network configuration shown in FIG. 8, for example, the optical fiber amplifier can collectively amplify the optical signals as-is. Also, even if the input level of the optical signals input to the optical fiber amplifier varies, an optical fiber amplifier equipped with an APC (Automatic Power Control) function can perform control to maintain the output level of the optical signals at a constant level if the variation is within an allowable range. However, if an input optical signal is a multiplexed signal of a plurality of optical signals with different wavelengths, this APC function only performs control to make the output level of this multiplexed signal constant. That is to say, if, for example, an optical signal input to the access amplifier is a multiplexed signal of an optical signal with a wavelength λ1 and act optical signal with a wavelength λ2, as shown in FIG. 8, the APC function only performs control to make the optical level of this multiplexed signal constant, and does not perform control to separately make the output level of the optical signal with the wavelength λ1 and the optical signal with the wavelength λ2 constant.
As mentioned above, it is assumed in the network configuration that supports the new 4K/8K satellite broadcasts shown in FIG. 8 that the access amplifier in the network configuration for the existing broadcasts shown in FIG. 7 is used. Thus, the output level of the multiplexed signal output from the access amplifier shown in FIG. 8 is equal to the output level of the optical signal output from the access amplifier in FIG. 7. Also, as for the host equipment for the access amplifier as well, it is assumed that the network equipment in the network configuration shown in FIG. 7 is also used in the network configuration shown in FIG. 8. Thus, the input level corresponding to the optical signal with the wavelength λ1, of the input level of the multiplexed signal input to the access amplifier in the network configuration shown in FIG. 8, is equal to the input level of the optical signal with the wavelength λ1 input to the access amplifier in the network configuration shown in FIG. 7. Consequently, the output level corresponding to the optical signal with the wavelength λ1 (for the existing broadcasts), of the output level of the optical signal (multiplexed signal) output from the access amplifier in the network configuration in FIG. 8, necessarily takes a smaller value than the value of the output level of the optical signal (for the existing broadcasts) output from the access amplifier in the network configuration shown in FIG. 7.
Also, the input level corresponding to the optical signal with the wavelength λ1 and the input level corresponding to the optical signal with the wavelength λ2 that are included in the input level of the multiplexed signal input to the access amplifier in the network configuration shown in FIG. 8 are not always constant, and may temporally vary. Even if these input levels thus vary, if the total value of these input levels (i.e. the input level of the multiplexed signal) is within the allowable range on the specifications of the access amplifier, the access amplifier can keep the output level of the optical signals (multiplexed signal) constant. However, as a result of the ratio between the input level corresponding to the optical signal with the wavelength λ1 and the input level corresponding to the optical signal with the wavelength λ2 included in the input level of the multiplexed signal input to the access amplifier varying with the aforementioned variation of the input levels, the ratio between the respective output levels corresponding to the optical signal with the wavelength λ1 and the optical signal with the wavelength λ2 included in the multiplexed signal output from the access amplifier also varies similarly. For this reason, even if the total value of the respective input levels of the optical signals is within the allowable range on the specifications of the access amplifier, there is a possibility that at least one of the output level corresponding to the optical signal with the wavelength λ1 and the optical level of the optical signal with the wavelength λ2 decreases to an output level with which the optical signal cannot be received by an optical receiving unit installed in a subscriber's house, for example.

Optical transmission system and output adjustment apparatus

NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE CORPORATION


The present invention is directed to a surgical drill guide. The drill guide may include a first drill guide body having a distal end for placement substantially adjacent a bone, a second drill guide body slidable with respect to the first drill guide body and having a proximal end for contacting a portion of a drill bit, a handle associated with at least one of the first drill guide body and the second drill guide body, and a detent mechanism for releasably retaining the position of the first drill guide body with respect to the second drill guide body in predefined increments. Additionally or alternatively, the drill guide may include a locking member movable between a first position where it substantially prevents sliding of the second drill guide body with respect to the first drill guide body, and a second position where it permits sliding of the second drill guide body with respect to the first drill guide body. The locking member may be resiliently biased to the first position. Other features for improving the drill guide are disclosed and claimed as well.

It is well known to drill holes in bones in order to accommodate fastening devices used to anchor implants within a patient's body. For instance, pedicle screws have been used to anchor instrumentation systems to the spinal column of patients for correcting a variety of spinal disorders. One commonly used technique for inserting a pedicle screw into the bone includes the preparation of a pilot hole through the pedicle before inserting the screw therein. Typically, the selection of the insertion point is made based on the anatomy of the vertebra. Once the insertion point has been selected, a drill guide may be used to guide the drill bit along the proper axis, and/or to set the depth to which the drill bit penetrates the bone. Conventional drill guides generally include a handle having an adjustable length sleeve attached thereto. When used in conjunction with a drill bit having a fixed stop, the length of the sleeve may control the depth to which the drill penetrates the bone (and the depth of the consequent hole). Known drill guides, however, may include one or more drawbacks. For example, it may be necessary to rotate or screw an inner sleeve within an outer sleeve (or other member) to adjust the hole depth. This process can be timely, and may require removing the drill guide from the incision in order to make subsequent adjustments. Known drill guides may also lack any type of incremental adjustment of the hole depth, which may also add to the time required for the adjustment process. In addition, with known drill guides, one or more parts necessary to adjust the hole depth may be located in the patient, thus requiring the drill guide to be removed from the incision in order to adjust the hole depth. Further, known drill guides are often complicated to adjust. Thus, there remains a need in the art for surgical drill guides that provide quick and easy adjustment of the hole depth, allow for such adjustment from outside of the patient, can be left in place during adjustment of the hole depth, and are ergonomic, aesthetically pleasing, and easy to use.


An apparatus and method for optically analyzing tissue in a subject directs coherent light and ultrasound at the subject along parallel propagation paths. The ultrasound causes a Doppler shift in the light emerging from the subject, this shift being related to certain tissue characteristics. The light emerging from the subject is detected and a corresponding signal is supplied to an evaluation stage which absolutely or relatively calculates the intensity of those parts of the detected light which proceeded through tissue not charged by ultrasound and those parts of the detected light which proceeded through tissue charged by ultrasound.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a tissue-optical measuring arrangement for the examination of a living subject with visible, NIR or IR light. The wavelength of the visible light lies between 380 and 780 nm, that of NIR light (near infrared light) lies between 780 nm and 1.5 .mu.m and that of IR light (infrared light) lies between 1.5 .mu.m and 1 mm. It is particularly the range from 1.5 .mu.m through 15 .mu.m that is of significance in the present invention given the employment of IR light.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many optical properties of tissue such as, for example, the absorption, the scattering (dispersion) and the spectral properties can be identified by exposing the tissue to light of the aforementioned wavelength ranges and analyzing the transmitted and/or reflected light. For example, it is possible to identify tissue modifications in mammary diagnostics or to acquire information about the blood supply of the brain in pediatrics and/or neurology by detecting light of the aforementioned wavelength ranges into the respective subject, for example a mammary gland or a skull, detecting the light emerging from the subject and interpreting the information acquired in this way in a suitable way. It is thereby advantageous that these are usually non-invasive procedures. Further details can be derived, for example, from the publications "Cerebral Oxygenation Measuring System NIR-100" (Tentative Data), Hamamatsu Photonics K.K., System Division, September 1987; "INVOS-In Vivo Optical Spectroscopy", Somanetics Corporation, USA; and "Cerebral Monitoring in Newborn Infants by Magnetic Resonance and Near Infrared Spectroscopy", D. T. Delpy et al., Departments of Medical Physics and Bioengineering, Pediatrics and Physiology, University College London.
Unfortunately, the light emerging from the subject that is to be detected in such procedures, which can be back-scattered (diffusely reflected) light or transmitted, dispersed, light contains information about the entire region of the subject illuminated with the incoming light. The measurement is thus not location-selective. This means that one does not known what path the detected light took in the subject and/or cannot determine from what depth of the subject the detected light was reflected. Additionally, in the case of detecting the back-scattered light, most of the light back-scattered from the surface of the subject and the surface-proximate regions thereof must also be measured. This leads to a poor signal-to-noise ratio of the measurement, so that smaller regions which deviate in terms of their optical properties from the surrounding tissue such as, for example, nascent tumors, cannot be recognized. This also applies in the case of detection of the light transmitted through the subject, since the signal-to-noise ratio deteriorates with increasing thickness of the subject to the point that the results are unusable.
Heretofore, essentially only one method has been fundamentally suitable for employment in vivo that offered an incipient solution to these problems. This method, described in the article "Estimation of Optical Pathlength through Tissue from Direct Time of Flight Measurement", D. T. Delpy et al., Phys. Med. Biol., 1988, vol. 33, No. 12, pp. 1433-1442, is based on the "time of flight" measuring principle using a pulsed laser as a light source and an ultra-fast streak camera as the detector means. The pulse duration of the laser is typically less than 1 picosecond. The cronological resolution of the streak camera lies on the order of magnitude of approximately 2 picoseconds. Since the light is back-scattered from the subject to be examined in different depths, or penetrates the subject on different paths, the individual parts of the back-scattered or transmitted light have different arrival times at the streak camera. The detected light parts can thus be selected and detected according to arrival time and, thus, according to the depth in the subject from which they were back-scattered, or the path which they took through the subject. A time of flight measuring system having an adequate chronological resolution and, thus, an adequate topical resolution, however, is expensive.

Measuring arrangement for tissue-optical examination of a subject with visible, NIR or IR light


A method of performing pattern transfer includes the steps of: applying liquid to a substrate, while performing relative movement of the substrate and a liquid ejection head having a plurality of nozzles, by performing ejection and deposition of a plurality of droplets of the liquid from the nozzles onto the substrate in a state where a shape of each of the droplets upon the deposition is not a single circular shape and each of the droplets does not combine with adjacent another of the droplets on the substrate; and curing the liquid that has been applied to the substrate in the applying step while pressing a pattern forming surface of a stamper having a prescribed projection-recess pattern against the liquid.

With the development of increasingly fine and higher levels of integration in semiconductor integrated circuits in recent years, a so-called nano-imprinting method is known as technology for forming a fine structure on a substrate, in which a fine pattern is transferred by applying a resist (e.g., UV-curable resin) onto a substrate, curing the resist by irradiation of UV light in a state where a stamper formed with a desired projection-recess pattern to be transferred is pressed against the resist, and separating the stamper from the resist on the substrate.
In the nano-imprinting method described in PTL 1, inkjet technology is used for applying a resist onto a substrate. In this technology, when ejecting droplets of liquid or resist solution from the nozzles of an inkjet head to dispose the droplets on a substrate, the distance between the droplets and the volume of the droplets are adjusted in accordance with the pattern shape of the stamper, in such a manner that a resin layer is formed to a uniform thin thickness (residual film) after imprinting or pattern transfer.


A filter catalyst is for purifying exhaust gases, and comprises a honeycomb structure, a catalytic layer and a fibrous layer. The honeycomb structure comprises inlet cells clogged on a downstream side of a flow of the exhaust gases, outlet cells neighboring the inlet cells, and clogged on an upstream side of the flow of the exhaust gases, and cellular walls demarcating the inlet cells and the outlet cells, and having pores. The catalytic layer is formed on a surface of the cellular walls and an inner surface of the pores, and includes a porous oxide and a catalytic ingredient loaded on the porous oxide. The fibrous layer is formed on the outermost surface of the cellular walls of the inlet cells at least, and includes entangled fibrous substances composed of a heat-resistant material. The filter catalyst inhibits the pressure loss from increasing and upgrades the oxidizing rate of PMs greatly.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a filter catalyst for purifying exhaust gases, such as those emitted from diesel engines and including particulates.
2. Description of the Related Art
Regarding gasoline engines, harmful components in the exhaust gases have been reduced securely by the strict regulations on the exhaust gases and the technological developments capable of coping with the strict regulations. However, regarding diesel engines, the regulations and the technological developments have been advanced less compared to those of gasoline engines because of the unique circumstances that the harmful components are emitted as particulates (i.e., particulate materials, such as carbonaceous fine particles, sulfuric fine particles like sulfates, and high-molecular-weight hydrocarbon fine particles, hereinafter collectively referred to as "PMs").
As exhaust gas-purifying apparatuses having been developed so far for diesel engines, the following have been known. For example, the exhaust gas-purifying apparatuses can be roughly divided into trapping (or wall-flow) exhaust gas-purifying apparatuses and open (or straight-flow) exhaust gas-purifying apparatuses. Among these, clogged honeycomb structures made from ceramic (i.e., diesel PMs filters, hereinafter referred to as "DPFs") have been known as one of the trapping exhaust gas-purifying apparatuses. In the DPFs, the honeycomb structures are clogged at the opposite openings of cells in a checkered manner alternately, for instance. The DPFs comprise inlet cells clogged on the downstream side of the flow of exhaust gases, outlet cells neighboring the inlet cells and clogged on the upstream side of the flow of the exhaust gases, and cellular walls demarcating the inlet cells and the outlet cells. The DPFs inhibit the emission of PMs by filtering the exhaust gases with the pores of the cellular walls to collect PMs.
In the DPFs, however, the pressure loss increases as PMs deposit thereon. Accordingly, it is needed to regularly remove deposited PMs to recover the DPFs by certain means. Hence, when the pressure loss increases, deposited PMs have been burned with burners or electric heaters conventionally, thereby recovering the DPFs. However, in this case, the greater the deposition of PMs is, the higher the temperature increases in burning deposited PMs. Consequently, there might arise cases that the DPFs are damaged by thermal stress resulting from such burning.
Hence, as set forth in Japanese Examined Patent Publication (KOKOKU) No. 7-106,290, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (KOKAI) No. 9-94,434 and Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (KOKAI) No. 2001-79,391, continuously regenerative DPFs have been developed recently. For example, in the continuously regenerative DPF disclosed in Japanese Examined Patent Publication (KOKOKU) No. 7-106,290, a coating layer comprising alumina is formed on the surface of the cellular walls of the DPF, and a catalytic ingredient such as platinum (Pt) is loaded on the coating layer. In accordance with the continuously regenerative DPFs, since the collected PMs are oxidized and burned by the catalytic reaction of the catalytic ingredient, it is possible to regenerate the DPFs by burning PMs simultaneously with or successively after collecting PMs. Moreover, since the catalytic reaction occurs at relatively low temperatures, and since PMs can be burned when they are collected less, the continuously regenerative DPFs produce an advantage that the thermal stress affecting the DPFs is so less that the DPFs are inhibited from being damaged.
Moreover, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (KOKAI) No. 9-94,434 discloses a continuously regenerative DPF in which a coating layer with a catalytic ingredient loaded is formed not only on the cellular walls but also in the pores of the cellular walls. When the catalytic ingredient is further loaded in the pores, the contact probability of PMs to the catalytic ingredient increases, and it is possible to oxidize and burn PMs collected in the pores. In addition, the publication describes an NOx absorbent to be further loaded on the coating layer. With such an arrangement, NOx absorbed onto the NOx absorbent are released as NO2 at high temperatures, and accordingly it is possible to further facilitate the oxidation of PMs by the resulting NO2.
However, it has been found out that a part of PMs in exhaust gases agglomerate while flowing from an exhaust manifold to the continuously regenerative DPF. Then, PMs have grown granularly to a particle diameter of from 1 to 10 μm or even more than 10 μm. The thus grown PMs are less likely to come into the pores of the cellular walls so that they have deposited on the surface of the cellular walls. Accordingly, it comes to be more difficult for PMs to come into the pores. As a result, the deposition of PMs on the cellular walls has enlarged sharply to increase the pressure loss. Moreover, the contact probability of PMs to the catalytic ingredient loaded inside the cellular walls has dropped sharply to remarkably lower the oxidizing rate of PMs.

Filter catalyst for purifying exhaust gases


An electrical connector assembly includes an electrical connector and a tool. The electrical connector includes a contact having a compliant jog section disposed between first and second ends of the contact. The tool is required to press-fit the connector to an electrical device without deforming the compliant jog section of the contact.

Electrical connectors provide signal and power connection between electronic devices using signal and power contacts supported within a connector housing. For example, computers and other electronic devices often include a plurality of interconnected printed circuit boards (PCBs) connected by electrical connectors. It is common for a computer to have a motherboard and one or more other boards that execute or perform specialized operations or tasks. These specialized boards are often referred to as daughter cards. The connectors connecting these PCBs provide for the transfer of power and/or control signals between the PCBs.
A connector which includes a housing and contacts is attached to a first PCB, such as a daughter card, by connecting one end of the contacts on a first side of the connector housing to electrical contacts on a surface of the first circuit board. Often, this connection is made by soldering so as to permanently attach the connector to the first PCB. The connector is then attached to a second PCB, which may be a motherboard, by press-fitting leads of the contacts on a second side of the connector into plated through holes of the second PCB. In such a manner, the connector provides an electrical connection, as well as a physical connection, between the two circuit boards. Since the connector is attached by a removable press-fit connection with the second PCB, the first PCB along with the connector, may be removed from the second PCB and reused.
It some circumstances, it may be desirable to provide a security measure to prohibit or deter removing a first PCB from a second PCB, for example, to prohibit the first PCB from being reused. At this time, no practical system or method has been developed to render inoperative a first PCB when removed from a second PCB.
Furthermore, no practical method has been developed to render unusable a connector attached to a first electrical device when removed from a second electrical device or another connector attached to another electrical device.
Therefore, there is an unmet need to provide an electrical connector which is rendered unusable upon separation from an electrical device or another connector to which the connector has been previously joined.

Single use security module mezannine connector


A product having reduced friction and improved abrasion resistance comprises a formed resin containing at least one fluorine-containing polymer which is exposed to an ionizing radiation. The formed resin may include from 1 to 100 weight percent of the fluorine-containing polymer in the form of powder, and from 99 to 0 percent of a high molecule polymer which is not exposed to the ionizing radiation. The fluorine-containing polymer is preferably exposed to the ionizing radiation for a total dose of from 1 KGy to 10 MGy in the absence of oxygen at a temperature not lower than the melting point of a starting fluorine-containing polymer.

A fluorine-containing polymer or resin is a material having improved resistance to chemicals and heat. It has been used extensively as both an industrial and a consumer resin. The conventional fluorine-containing polymer, however, may not be used in an environment of frictional motion due to abrasion or creep deformation of the material. To overcome these shortcomings, a certain filler has been added to the conventional fluorine-containing polymer. Such filler, however, impairs preferable inherent characteristics of the fluorine-containing resin. As a result, it has had limited uses according to circumstances and has not always been satisfactory.

Product having reduced friction and improved abrasion resistance


A base station antenna includes a reflector having a plurality of pairs of opposed faces, a connector port, a plurality of radiating elements mounted to extend outwardly from the respective faces of the reflector, where each of the radiating elements is coupled to the connector port, and a plurality of RF lenses, each RF lens mounted outwardly of a respective one of the radiating elements and associated with the respective radiating element. The number of radiating elements coupled to the connector port is equal to the number of faces on the reflector.

Cellular communications systems are well known in the art. In a typical cellular communications system, a geographic area is divided into a series of regions that are referred to as "cells," and each cell is served by a base station. Typically, a cell may serve users who are within a distance of, for example, 2-20 kilometers from the base station. The base station may include baseband equipment, radios and antennas that are configured to provide two-way radio frequency ("RF") communications with fixed and mobile subscribers ("users") that are positioned throughout the cell. The antennas are often mounted on a tower, with the radiation beam ("antenna beam") that is generated by each antenna directed outwardly. Typically, a base station antenna includes one or more phase-controlled arrays of radiating elements, with the radiating elements arranged in one or more vertical columns when the antenna is mounted for use. Herein, "vertical" refers to a direction that is perpendicular relative to the plane defined by the horizon.
In order to increase capacity, cellular operators have, in recent years, been deploying so-called "small cell" cellular base stations. A small cell base station refers to a low-power base station that may operate in the licensed and/or unlicensed frequency spectrum that has a smaller range than a typical "macro cell" base station. A small cell base station may be designed to serve users who are within a small geographic region (e.g., an area having a radius of tens or hundreds of meters). Small cells may be used, for example, to provide cellular coverage to high traffic areas within a macro cell, which allows the macro cell base station to offload much or all of the traffic in the vicinity of the small cell base station. Small cell base stations typically employ an antenna that provides full 360 degree coverage in the azimuth plane and a suitable beamwidth in the elevation plane to cover the designed area of the small cell.
FIG. 1A is a schematic diagram of a conventional small cell base station 10. As shown in FIG. 1A, the base station 10 includes an antenna 20 that may be mounted on a raised structure 30. The antenna 20 may be designed to have an omnidirectional antenna pattern in the azimuth plane for at least some of the frequency bands served by the base station antenna, meaning that at least one antenna beam generated by the antenna 20 may extend through a full 360 degree circle in the azimuth plane.
As is further shown in FIG. 1A, the small cell base station 10 also includes base station equipment such as baseband units 40 and radios 42. A single baseband unit 40 and a single radio 42 are shown in FIG. 1A to simplify the drawing, but it will be appreciated that more than one baseband unit 40 and/or radio 42 may be provided. Additionally, while the radio 42 is shown as being co-located with the baseband unit 40 at the bottom of the antenna tower 30, it will be appreciated that in other cases the radio 42 may be a remote radio head that is mounted on the antenna tower 30 adjacent the antenna 20. The baseband unit 40 may receive data from another source such as, for example, a backhaul network (not shown) and may process this data and provide a data stream to the radio 42. The radio 42 may generate RF signals that include the data encoded therein and may amplify and deliver these RF signals to the antenna 20 for transmission via a cabling connection 44. The base station 10 of FIG. 1A will typically include various other equipment (not shown) such as, for example, a power supply, back-up batteries, a power bus and the like.
FIG. 1B is a composite of several views of an antenna beam 60 having an omnidirectional pattern in the azimuth plane that may be generated by the antenna 20. FIG. 1B includes a perspective three-dimensional view of the antenna beam 60 (labelled "3D pattern") as well as plots of the azimuth and elevation patterns thereof. The azimuth pattern is generated by taking a horizontal cross-section through the middle of the three dimensional antenna beam 60, and the elevation pattern is generated by taking a vertical cross-section through the middle of the three dimensional beam 60. As can be seen, the antenna beam 60 extends through a full 360 degrees in the azimuth plane, and the antenna beam 60 may have a nearly constant gain in all directions in the azimuth plane. In the elevation plane, the antenna beam 60 has a high gain at elevation angles close to the horizon (e.g., elevation angles between −10° and 10°), but the gain drops off dramatically at larger elevation angles above and below the horizon. The antenna beam 60 thus is omnidirectional in the azimuth plane and directional in the elevation plane.

Lensed base station antennas that generate antenna beams having omnidirectional azimuth patterns


A board game includes a game board over which game pieces move across squares identifying different categories of questions. The game also includes a timer, dice, a dice thrower, and several categories of question cards.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to board games and more particularly pertains to a board game which tests both the luck and mental talent of an individual.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Playing board games is one of the most popular past times in the nation. Each year, millions of people participate in the simulated struggles, contests and outright warfare that inventive board games offer. Parties, overnight trips, and rainy afternoons make perfect occasions for playing board games where pitting luck and skill against an opponent can provide entertainment for hours. Some of the contemporary games offered today enjoy unparalleled prominence because they offer a unique combination of fresh topics and imaginative plots.
There are a large number of U.S. patents directed to board games. A typical example is to be found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,900,031 issued to Wohl which discloses a board game in which the players travel around a peripheral path on the board. There are two stacks of cards, one containing first name initials and the other containing last name initials. The player must name a famous person having the first and last name initials. When the player does so, he is awarded a point. Play continues for a specified period of time, and the winner is determined by the total number of points.
There is also a game commonly sold under the trademark "Trivial Pursuit." In this game, players travel around a board by rolling die. Each space is associated with a particular category. For example, in the Silver Screen Edition, the categories are settings, titles, off screen, on screen, production and portrayals. Upon landing on a space, the player is asked a question. If answered correctly, the player roles again. There is only one headquarter space for each category. When the player lands on a headquarter space, and answers the question correctly, he receives a wedge, thereby fulfilling his obligations for that category. When all six wedges for all categories are obtained, the player then must move to the center of the board, and answer the question correctly to win.
The above mentioned games have a very limited number of possible answers. In this respect, the game according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of amusement.
As such, it can be appreciated that there exists a continuing need for new and improved games which can be used for amusement. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.


A side looking sonar transducer having a plurality of active elements forming an elongated active radiating, or receiving surface wherein the active elements at the ends of the transducer have a lesser depression angle than the active elements at the middle. This arrangement provides an energy distribution which allows for a greater depth of focus.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention in general relates to transducers, and particularly to a side looking sonar transducer which transmits acoustic energy to, or receives reflected acoustic energy from, a narrow strip on a target area such as the sea bottom.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In side looking sonar systems an elongated transducer is generally mounted on a carrier vehicle which travels either on or below the water surface along a course line. Acoustic energy is propagated in a very narrow fan shaped beam pattern toward a target area, the sea bottom, by the transducer and energy reflected from the bottom or objects on the bottom is picked up by a similar receiver transducer. As the carrier vehicle continues along its course line an indicating apparatus such as a storage tube or paper recorder, portrays a picture of the bottom in accordance with each reflected transmitted signal The resultant display is similar to a picture on a television screen in that the entire picture is made up of a plurality of parallel sweeps with each sweep being the portrayal of a reflected transmitted signal.
One type of side looking sonar transducer has been developed wherein the transducer is of a curved elongated configuration and the carrier vehicle travels at a relatively low altitude above the bottom, for example twenty feet.
The curved transducer has a radiating surface arranged on the arc of a circle whose radius is the design altitude and acoustic energy is focussed along a line of focus on the sea bottom. The curvature of the arc approximately matches the wave front curvature of the reflected acoustic energy and any variation in the design altitude results in defocussing and a consequent degradation of the display.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a focussed side looking sonar transducer that provides for a greater depth of focus than transducers of the prior art.
Another type of side looking sonar transducer is the straight line configuration. This type is not focussed along a line of focus and can tolerate relatively large altitude excursions. The resolution of the desired target area relatively close to the transducer is however limited by the width of the transducer.
It is a further object to provide a straight line side looking sonar transducer that effectively increases the depth of field of the display, that is, increases the resolution for target areas relatively close to the transducer.


In a resin composite, polyolefine grains are dispersed in a polyamide matrix. Each of the polyolefine grains has a core made of an unmodified polyolefine and a shell made of another polyolefine that is modified. In one embodiment, the core is made of a crystalline polypropylene resin (C), and the shell is made of modified copolymer (B) having ethylene units and .alpha.-olefine units. The modified copolymer (B) may have the .alpha.-olefine units as a major component. The resin composite has 30 to 80 percents by weight of polyamide (A), 1 to 30 percents by weight of the modified copolymer (B), and 19 to 69 percents by weight of the crystalline polypropylene resin (C) wherein the sum of the polyamide, the modified copolymer, and the crystalline propylene resin is 100 percents by weight. In another embodiment, the core is made of an unmodified copolymer (E) having ethylene units and .alpha.-olefine units, and the shell is made of a modified crystalline polypropylene resin (D). The copolymer may have the ethylene units as a major component. The resin composite has 30 to 80 percents by weight of the polyamide (A), 5 to 50 percents by weight of the modified crystalline polypropylene resin (D), and 5 to 65 percents by weight of the copolymer (E) wherein the sum of the polyamide, the modified crystalline polypropylene resin, and the copolymer is 100 percents by weight. The unmodified crystalline polypropylene resin (C) is modified with at least one of .alpha.,.beta.-unsaturated caboxylic acid and .alpha.,.beta.-unsaturated caboxylate to give the modified crystalline polypropylene resin (D). The resin composite has both the properties possessed by polyamide and the properties possessed by polyolefine in good balance, and further has properties that are not sufficiently possessed by the polyamide or polyolefine, specifically, low warpage upon molding, good dimensional stability and good impact resistance.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a thermoplastic resin composite, particularly a resin composite comprising a polyamide and polyolefines, which is low in water absorption and superior in dimensional stability, rigidity, toughness and moldability. The thermoplastic resin composite of the present invention finds wide applications in mechanical parts, automobile parts, electric or electronic parts, etc.
2. Description of Related Art
Polyamide resins, being well balanced in mechanical properties, heat resistance, chemical resistance and moldability, find wide applications in electrical or electronic parts, automobile parts, etc. However, the polyamide resins are prone to absorb moisture. Upon the absorption, the polyamide resins show large dimensional change and large reduction in mechanical properties such as bending strength, modulus of elasticity and the like. Accordingly, the polyamide resins are not suitable in parts requiring dimensional accuracy, and their improvement is desired.
On the other hand, polypropylene is lightweight, low in water absorption, superior in melt flowability, and low in cost, and is used in a large amount in automobile parts and electrical parts. However, polypropylene has insufficient heat resistance, strength and rigidity. Polypropylene tends to crystallize and has a large mold shrinkage coefficient so that upon molding, dimensional accuracy is limited. Hence, polypropylene may per se have limited applications.
In order to improve the dimensional change of polyamide caused by water absorption, it was proposed to introduce a monomer unit into the main chain of polyamide by copolymerization, and the monomer units consisting of an aromatic dicarboxylic acid, an aromatic diamine or a salt thereof by copolymerization. Alternatively, a polyamide may be blended with a polymer having low water absorption. The polymer having low water absorption includes crystalline resins and synthetic rubbers, which may be made of one of polypropylene modified by an unsaturated carboxylic acid or a derivative thereof, ethylene, and a copolymer having the propylene units and ethylene units.
For example, Japanese Patent Application Kokai (Laid-Open) No. 12546/1967 discloses a thermoplastic resin composition comprising 50-99% by weight of a polyamide and 50-1% by weight of an unsaturated carboxylic acid-olefine copolymer, which has improved compatibility. The resin composition has excellent mechanical properties, particularly excellent rupture property but does not satisfy all of low water absorption, rigidity and heat resistance.
Japanese Patent Publication No. 30945/1970 discloses a method of manufacturing a resin composition comprising an olefine polymer, a polyamide and/or a polyester, and a polyolefine modified with at least one of acids, esters, amides, acid anhydrides and epoxy group. The resin composition has satisfactory dispersion and is suitable for use in fibers. However, upon injection molding or extrusion, the composition shrinks, thereby the molded article having inferior dimensional accuracy and insufficient impact resistance.
Japanese Patent Application Kokai (Laid-Open) No. 262853/1985 discloses a polyamide resin composition comprising a polyamide and a modified ethylene-propylene block copolymer, which has low water absorption. In the resin composition, the water absorption of polyamide is reduced to a certain extent without significantly sacrificing its rigidity and heat resistance. However, the water absorption level of the resin composition is still insufficient.
Japanese Patent Application Kokai (Laid-Open) No. 223250/1987 discloses a resin composition obtained by kneading a crystalline polyolefine with a polyamide and an unsaturated carboxylic acid derivative and further kneading the resulting modified polyolefine with a polyamide and a polyolefine. The resin composition has low water absorption, excellent tensile strength and excellent surface gloss. The resin composition, however, does not satisfy both of rigidity and impact resistance.
Japanese Patent Application Kokai (Laid-Open) No. 223251/1987 discloses a resin composition having excellent impact resistance, obtained by adding, to the above resin composition, an ethylene-.alpha.-olefine copolymer of low crystallinity. The resin composition has improved water absorption, but has low rigidity and does not satisfy both of low water absorption and mechanical properties.
The above-mentioned Japanese Patent Application Kokai (Laid-Open) No. 223250/1987 also discloses a resin composition comprising a crystalline polyolefine, a polyamide and a small amount of a crystalline polyolefine modified by an unsaturated carboxylic acid. The resin composition, however, does not satisfy all of low water absorption, rigidity and impact resistance.
Japanese Patent Application Kokai (Laid-Open) No. 51458/1989 discloses a polyamide resin composition comprising a polyamide resin, a crystalline polypropylene modified by unsaturated carboxylic acid and an ethylene-.alpha.-olefine copolymer modified by an unsaturated carboxylic acid. The polyamide resin composition gives a small dimensional change upon water absorption and has excellent rigidity and impact resistance. The polyamide resin composition, being rich in the polyamide component, has excellent mechanical properties, but is still insufficient in water absorption and does not fully satisfy both of low water absorption and mechanical properties.
Japanese Patent Application Kokai (Laid-Open) No. 87652/1989 discloses a polypropylene resin composition having excellent impact resistance, comprising a partially modified crystalline propylene-ethylene block copolymer, a polyamide and a modified ethylene-.alpha.-olefine copolymer. The composition contains a polypropylene as a matrix and a polyamide as a dispersed phase, thereby having improved heat resistance and mechanical properties as compared with the polypropylene. However, the compositions has significantly inferior rigidity and heat resistance as compared with the polyamide.
Japanese Patent Application Kokai (Laid-Open) No. 146942/1989 discloses compositions each comprising 40-60% by weight of a modified polyolefine copolymer grafted with an unsaturated carboxylic acid or a derivative thereof and 60-40% by weight of a polyamide. In these compositions, the incorporation of the modified polyolefine of relatively high molecular weight having an melt flow rate of 2.0 g or less per 10 minutes improves the rigidity, water resistance and weld strength. However, the compositions do not improve impact resistance; the mold shrinkage coefficient is high; the dimensional stability upon molding is low; and the melt does not sufficiently flow.
Japanese Patent Application Kokai (Laid-Open) No. 91560/1991 discloses a polyamide resin composition comprising 100 parts by weight of polyamide, 1-100 parts by weight of a modified polyolefine, 5-250 parts by weight of a polypropylene resin, 0.01-3.0 parts by weight of an organic heat stabilizer and 0.1-5.0 parts by weight of a particular carbon black. The polyamide resin composition does not age much upon heating. The polyamide resin composition, however, has insufficient impact resistance and dimensional stability upon molding.
Japanese Patent Application Kokai (Laid-Open) No. 109452/1991 discloses a resin composition comprising 10-89.9 parts by weight of a polypropylene resin, 10-89.9 parts by weight of a polyamide, 0.1-5 parts by weight of an unsaturated carboxylic acid-modified polyolefine, 0-30 parts by weight of an impact improver and 0-60 parts by weight of a reinforcing agent, wherein the resin composition is 100 parts by weight. The resin composition shows excellent toughness, rigidity and heat deformation stability, but has insufficient melt flowability during molding and insufficient lightweightness.
Japanese Patent Application Kokai (Laid-Open) No. 115342/1991 discloses a resin composition comprising 94-50% by weight of a polypropylene, 1-40% by weight of a modified polyolefine and 5-40% by weight of a polyamide, wherein the ratio of the melt viscosity of the polyamide to the melt viscosity of the polypropylene is 1 or more. The resin composition has improved heat resistance as compared with the polypropylene, but has no sufficient improvement in dimensional stability upon molding and rigidity.
Japanese Patent Application Kokai (Laid-Open) No. 146552/1991 discloses a resin composition comprising 40-80% by weight of a polyamide, 1-40% by weight of a modified polyolefine and 20-60% by weight of a polypropylene. The resin composition shows excellent coating property by having a melt viscosity ratio .eta..sub.pp /.eta..sub.PA of 0.75 or more at a shear rate of 3,500 sec.sup.-1 at the molding temperature, but is insufficient in impact resistance and dimensional stability upon molding.
Japanese Patent Application Kokai (Laid-Open) No. 207735/1991 discloses a resin composition comprising a polyamide, a polyolefine and a modified polyolefine. The modified polyolefine having a tensile yield strength of 300 kg/cm.sup.2 or more improves mechanical properties, particularly, weld strength of a molded article made of the resin composition. However, the resin composition has high shrinkage coefficient upon solidification during molding, thereby the molded article having insufficient dimensional stability and rigidity.
Japanese Patent Publication No. 44108/1980 discloses a multi-phase thermoplastic resin composition having a polyamide matrix and particles dispersed therein. The particles are made of a polymer having at least one residue selected from ethylene, carbonyl compounds, .alpha.,.beta.-unsaturated carboxylic acids and derivatives thereof, unsaturated epoxides, carboxylic acids and derivatives thereof, acrylic acid esters, monomers having aromatic side chains and unsaturated carbon-carbon monomers. The resin composition has excellent impact resistance and modulus of bending elasticity. However, the resin composition is insufficient in low water absorption; the resin composition does not have both mechanical properties and dimensional stability upon water absorption.
Japanese Patent Application Kokai (Laid-Open) No. 9661/1980 discloses a thermoplastic resin composition having flexibility, comprising (a) a modified ethylene copolymer grafted with 0.05-1.5% by weight of an .alpha.,.beta.-unsaturated carboxylic acid or a derivative thereof and (b) a polyamide at a ratio of 2/3:1 to 6:1. The thermoplastic resin composition has improved flexibility and impact resistance but has reduced rigidity and elongation upon rupture.
Japanese Patent Application Kokai (Laid-Open) No. 123158/1979 discloses a polyolefine resin composition comprising: a polyolefine resin, including an unsaturated carboxylic acid-added polyolefine resin; a nitrogen-containing resin; and a filler. The polyolefine resin is superior in mechanical properties, heat resistance and coating property. The resin composition has improved bending strength, heat deformation temperature and coating property. However, the resin composition has problem in rigidity, toughness, lightweightness and dimensional stability.
Japanese Patent Application Kokai (Laid-Open) No. 232135/1984 discloses a polyolefine resin composition superior in dyeing property, comprising a modified polyolefine, a polyamide and a crystalline polyolefine, wherein the amount of the olefine units is 70% by weight or more of the total. The incorporation of a large amount of polyolefines improves, upon injection molding, mechanical strength, rigidity, heat resistance, etc. However, the extent of improvement is limited.
Japanese Patent Application Kokai (Laid-Open) No. 118735/1985 discloses a resin composition with both mechanical properties and low water absorption, comprising a polyamide and a modified polyolefine. The resin composition, however, is insufficient in balance between rigidity and low water absorption.
Japanese Patent Application Kokai (Laid-Open) No. 8246/1982 discloses a resin composition comprising a polyamide, a polyolefine having a crystallinity of 40% or more and a modified polyolefine obtained by modifying an ethylene-.alpha.-olefine copolymer having a crystallinity of 35% or less with an .alpha.,.beta.-unsaturated carboxylic acid or a derivative thereof. The resin composition has improved impact resistance and appearance, but has no sufficient balance between rigidity and low water absorption.
Japanese Patent Application Kokai (Laid-Open) No. 149940/1984 (Japanese Patent Publication No. 42109/1990) and Japanese Patent Application Kokai (Laid-Open) No. 110740/-1985 (Japanese Patent Publication No. 42379/1990) disclose a polypropylene composition comprising a polypropylene, a polyamide and a modified propylene-.alpha.-olefine copolymer, which has excellent rigidity, impact resistance, gloss and heat resistance. The resin composition has a polypropylene matrix, thereby considerably low rigidity expressed by modulus of bending elasticity, as compared with a polyamide matrix.
As described above, conventional polyamide resin compositions are not well balanced between the properties possessed by a polyamide and the properties possessed by a polyolefine. The polyamide has favorable properties such as the mechanical properties, heat resistance and moldability, and the polyolefine has favorable properties such as the lightweightness and low water absorption. Neither the polyamide nor the polyolefine has low warpage upon molding, good dimensional stability and good impact resistance.

Resin composite containing polyamide matrix and polyolefine grains dispersed therein


This drawing holder nut wrench is made up of a rounded hand grip, a socket body, a socket, and a way to limit torque. The torque is limited by the small size of the hand grip. The hand grip has smoothly rounded projections on it to give a comfortable grip and a shallow mortise in its top shaped to match and aligned with the socket beneath it. The mortise reveals the orientation of the socket beneath without having to turn the wrench over to look at the socket itself. The socket has a generally elongated hexagonal cross section and is a straight sided hole cut upwardly into the bottom of the socket body.

1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to nut wrenches, specifically to those used to manipulate wingnuts and drawing holder nuts by hand in an office setting.
2. Description of Prior Art
Wing nuts have been used extensively in the past as a direct interface between mechanical threaded members and the people who use them eliminating the need for other tools. This often comes up in Engineering and Architectural offices where drawing holders need tightening and wingnuts are provided to make the human hand an adequate tool to do the job. The intended design is sufficient to tighten most drawing holders to hold ten to fifteen "blue print" drawings, but many orifice applications require holding as many as 100 to 200 drawings in one drawing holder! This has given rise to a variety of wingnut and drawing holder nut wrenches that in some measure fill the need to provide sufficient tightening to hold the desired number of prints in each print holder. This is further complicated by the introduction of large paper copy machines that can produce large drawings on "plain paper"; which has a much lower coefficient of friction. The reintroduction of tools into the drawing holder picture somewhat defeats the purpose of the wingnuts, but they can still be tightened enough to hold the drawings from moving until the tool can be used to provide full tightening.
U.S. Pat. No. Des. 260,473 issued to B. W. Rust provided a wrench with enough leverage to tighten and twist off or strip the threads of most drawing holder bolts and had the additional disadvantage that it could slip under the wing nut when it was partially loosened.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,685,360 issued to Gaylord W. McCurdy solved the problem of the wrench slipping under the nut, but still gives generally a long lever-arm enabling the user to twist off or strip the threads of most drawing holder bolts with relative ease.
Both of these wrenches can easily scratch the print holders as they tighten them and both leave the socket and wing nut exposed while being used. This style of tool also gives the appearance of being part of a mechanics operation and is somewhat incongruous in the office setting.

Torque limiting drawing holder nut wrench


A plasma processing apparatus includes in a processing chamber, a sample stage, a bell jar, a coil antenna, a Faraday shield, and a gas ring member located below a skirt portion of the bell jar and above the sample stage. The gas ring member supplies a process gas to a plasma generating space inside the bell jar from a gas port disposed on an inner surface of the gas ring member. A ring shaped plate is disposed near a periphery of the Faraday shield and having an inner surface facing and covering along the inner surface of the gas ring member and being spaced from the inner surface of the gas ring member so as to delimit a gap therebetween.

The present invention relates to a plasma processing apparatus and a plasma processing method; and, more particularly, it relates to a plasma processing apparatus and a plasma processing method with which it is possible to suppress the occurrence of obstacles caused by reaction products.
Materials to be etched, which are used in the field of semiconductor device production, can include volatile materials, such as Si, Al and SiO2, for example, for a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) or logic circuit IC. Further, non-volatile materials, such as Fe, have been adopted for a FRAM (Ferroelectric Random Access Memory) or a MRAM (Magnetic Random Access Memory).
The non-volatile materials are difficult to etch since the melting point of the reaction products that are formed during etching is high. Further, since the vapor pressure of the reaction products after etching is low and the deposition coefficient to the inner walls of the vacuum vessels (vacuum processing chamber) is high, the inner walls of the vacuum vessels tend to become covered with deposits of the reaction products, even after processing only a small amount of samples (several to several hundreds of sheets). Further, when they have peeled and fallen, the deposits form obstacles.
When the reaction products are deposited, the coupling state between induction antennas and plasmas in the reactor changes so as to vary, with time, the etching rate or the uniformness thereof, as well as the vertical etching property, the deposition states of the reaction products on the etching side wall, etc.
Since examples of the non-volatile materials include Fe, NiFe, PtMn, and IrMn as ferromagnetic or anti-ferromagnetic materials used for MRMA or magnetic heads, as well as Pt, Ir, Au, Ta, and Ru as noble metal materials used for capacitor portions or gate portions in a DRAM, capacitor portions in a MRAM and TMR (Tunneling Magneto Resistive) elements in a MRAM. In addition, they can also include Al2O3, HfO3, and Ta2O3 as highly dielectric materials, and PZT (Lead Titanate Zirconate), BST (Barium Strontium Titanate) and SBT (Strontium Bismuth tantalate).
Further, also in the field of semiconductor device production, a technique of forming Si, SiO2 or SiN films by a plasma CVD method has frequently been adopted in the steps for production of semiconductor devices. According to this technique, a polymerizable gas, such as monosilane, is injected into plasmas to form films on a wafer. In this process, a great amount of polymer films are deposited on the inner wall of a reactor, other than on the wafers, thereby to inhibit the mass production stability. That is, when polymer film is deposited to an excessive thickness on the inner wall of the reactor, the polymer film peels and falls from the surface of the inner wall and adheres on the wafer as obstacles in the same manner as described previously. Accordingly, it is necessary to conduct plasma cleaning by using a violent special gas, such as NF3, or to conduct manual cleaning after opening the reactor.
In addition, in the field of semiconductor device production, a SiO2 plasma dry etching step is used frequently. In the type of etching, a fluoro carbon, such as C4F8, C5F8, CO, CF4 and CHF3, is used as an etching gas. Reaction products that are formed by reaction of such gas in the plasmas contain a great amount of free radicals, such as C, CF, C2F2; and, when the free radicals are deposited on the inner wall of the reactor, they cause obstacles to be created, as in the case described previously. Further, when the free radicals are evaporated again in the plasmas, they change the chemical composition of the plasmas so as to cause the wafer etching rate to vary with time.
An induction type plasma processing apparatus, in which coiled antennas are disposed on the outer circumference of a vacuum vessel, or a plasma processing apparatus in which a microwaves are introduced into the vacuum vessel, have been known as existent plasma processing apparatuses. In any of the processing apparatuses described above, since countermeasures for the preventing formation of deposited matter on the inner wall of the vacuum vessel, in the case of etching a non-volatile material, are not completely effective, a manual cleaning operation, which involves opening the vacuum vessel to the atmosphere, needs to be conducted repeatedly. Since manual cleaning requires as much as 6 to 12 hours from the start of the cleaning to the start of the processing for the next sample, this lowers the operation efficiency of the apparatus.
For example, Japanese Patent Laid-open Nos. 10-275694, 11-74098 and 2000-323298 disclose a plasma processing apparatus in which plasmas are generated by an induction method in a processing vessel, a Faraday shield is formed between induction antennas disposed on the outer circumference of the vacuum vessel and the plasmas, and an RF power source is connected to the Faraday shield to supply electric power, thereby reducing the deposition of reaction products on the inner wall of the vacuum vessel, or enabling cleaning of the inner wall of the vacuum vessel.
This apparatus is effective for the portions of the vacuum vessel that are formed of a non-conductive material, such as ceramics or quartzes and the portions that effective electric fields due to the Faraday shield can reach. However, the apparatus is not effective for other portions that are formed of non-conductive materials or conductive materials.
As has been described above, when reaction products are deposited excessively on the inner wall of the vacuum vessel, deposited films tend to peel and fall from the surface of the inner wall and adhere as obstacles on the wafer. Further, in the plasma processing apparatus using induction antennas, the coupling state between the induction antennas and the plasmas in the reaction vessel is changed so as to vary the etching rate and the uniformness thereof, as well as the vertical etching property, and the deposition state of the reaction products on the etching side wall. Further, when the inner wall of the vacuum vessel is cleaned, since it takes much time until the start of the processing for the next sample, the operation efficiency of the apparatus is lowered. Further, in the plasma processing apparatus in which it is intended to decrease the adhesion of reaction products on the inner wall of the vacuum vessel, or to enable cleaning of the inner wall of the vacuum vessel by providing a Faraday shield between the induction antennas disposed on the outer circumference of the vacuum vessel and the plasmas and connecting the RF power source to the Faraday shield to supply electric power thereto, the range of the desired effect is limited.


When encoding, data bits in a CRC code word are received for every bit by a dividing circuit where the CRC code word is divided by a generation polynomial and a remainder is output from parallel data output terminals. The remainder is added to a CRC intrinsic value and "0" information in the adder. The addition result is a CRC code in a CRC code word for transmission. When a code error is detected, data bits in a CRC code word and a CRC code are received for every bit by the dividing circuit, where they are divided by the generation polynomial and a remainder is output from the respective parallel data terminals. The remainder data is added to the CRC intrinsic value in the adder, and the result is further processed by a logical sum circuit. The logical sum is output as a CRC flag. The present invention provides a CRC code generation circuit for generating a CRC code in a CRC code word at high speed as well as a code error detection circuit for detecting a code error in a CRC code word at high speed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a CRC circuit used in CD-ROM MODE 1 or CD-ROM MODE 2, for example, in the field of communication or storage media etc. More specifically, the present invention relates to a CRC circuit for generating a CRC (Cyclic Redundancy Check) code or an EDC (Error Detection Code) code (hereinafter, these codes are referred to by a general term as an error detection code (CRC code)) and detecting an error by using the CRC code.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A CRC code word used in the CD-ROM MODE 1 consists of a fixed pattern for synchronization, data following this pattern, and an error detection code (CRC code) which is added to the fixed pattern and the data. Japanese Patent publication No. 4-81896 discloses a decode error detection circuit for detecting a code error, in which the CRC code word mentioned above is regarded as one block.
The error detection circuit disclosed in the above-mentioned reference comprises a dividing circuit consisting of a shift register to which data in a CRC code word and CRC code are inputted, a NOR circuit which receives a result output from the dividing circuit and outputs a signal indicating "no error" when all the bits in the result from the dividing circuit are "0" and a signal indicating "error" when even one bit is "1", and an initial setting circuit for setting the initial state of a register constituting the dividing circuit to the same state as that is obtained when the fixed pattern of the CRC code is inputted sequentially.

CRC code generation circuit for generating a CRC code and a code error detection circuit for detecting a code error in a CRC code word


A barcode scanner with configurable video modes which enhances readability of a wide range of barcode types. The barcode scanner includes a video circuit, and a configuration circuit for altering operating characteristics of the video circuit during a scanning operation for reading a plurality of different types of barcodes.

The video front end circuitry of a barcode scanner is tuned to respond to less-than-perfect signals coming from the laser spot crossing over a barcode label. Barcode label characteristics can vary. For example, barcode density or frequency and print quality may vary. Print quality is affected by overprinting or underprinting, speckles between transitions which create noise, and print intensity or contrast.
A barcode scanner might have several channels where the video circuit in each channel is tuned to optimize the reading with regards to any of the variables previously mentioned. Less expensive barcode scanners with fewer or only one video channel cannot easily be optimized to read different types of barcodes. A barcode scanner with only one video channel has a static circuit which cannot be optimized to read all barcodes that vary widely.
It would be desirable to provide a barcode scanner with configurable video modes in a barcode scanner.

Barcode scanner with configurable video modes


In the case of conventional toothbrushes whose bristles have all needlelike tapering tips, the bristles near the tips become too thin and too flexible. In the case of toothbrushes whose bristle ends are all round or hemispherical, it is difficult to get into the spaces between teeth or boundary spaces between teeth and gums.. Thus, it is difficult for conventional toothbrushes to clean up in every nook and corner in the mount. A toothbrush comprising a block head having brush portion, a handle and a neck portion connecting the block head with the handle, wherein a part of the tufts of the brush portion are made up of filament with polygonal cross section, and the rest of the tufts are made up of sheath-core structural filament whose core material is covered with sheath material such that the filaments are circular in cross-section, with the sheath material being concentric to the core material.

Toothbrushing has become an established custom for public people in everyday lives in recent years. Toothbrushing aims to prevent dental caries, periodontitis and foul breath and to massage gums, and is widely accomplished by using a toothbrush. Toothbrushes are used to remove plaque adhered to teeth as well as food residue between teeth and to massage gums as well. For conventional toothbrush filaments, mainly monofilament made of uniform resin with round cross-sectional shape has been used. Concerning tip shape of such monofilaments, hemispherical or tapering shape is known. Further, toothbrushes are known which use filaments with only one tip shape or two or more tip shapes for individual tufts which are embedded in tuft holes on the blockhead of the toothbrush.
Further, many kinds of toothbrushes have been further developed, for example, there are toothbrushes designed to remove effectively plaque adhered to tooth surfaces, surfaces between teeth, those between teeth and gums, on molars and so forth or food residue. Toothbrush bristles have been designed in various shapes such as flat cut, angular cut (Japanese Laid-open Utility Model 106522/87), mountain shape cut (Japanese Laid-open Utility Model 82023/91), different level double surface cut, etc. Since filament materials which will not hurt teeth or gums and can effectively remove plaque are preferred for toothbrushes, nylon resins are generally used as filament material of bristles. However toothbrushes are known which use polybutylene terephthalate alone or two materials jointly (Japanese Laid-open Utility Model 81355/77, Japanese Laid-open Utility Model 31837/83) as the bristle material. Toothbrushes are known which use bristles with the same diameter or with two or more diameters (Japanese Laid-open Utility Model 121431/89). Toothbrushes are known in which the filament tips have hemispherical (Japanese Laid-open Utility Model 97923/86) or tapering shapes (Japanese Laid-open Utility Model 31837/83).
As public interest in oral care grows strong in recent years, a number of toothbrushes have been developed, as shown above, to remove effectively plaque which will cause carious teeth or periodontitis. However in the case of toothbrushes whose bristles have all needle like tapering tips to remove plaque adhered to the surface between teeth and gums, because the bristles near tips becomes too thin and too flexible, the bristle tips lose their stiffness necessary to remove plaque sufficiently, and the purpose of toothbrushes to prevent periodontitis cannot be attained after all.
On the other hand, toothbrushes whose bristle ends are round or hemispherical are suitable to clean flat surfaces of teeth or to massage gums. However, it is difficult for such toothbrushes to remove plaque between teeth or in boundary spaces between teeth and gums because the bristle tips are too thick to enter such boundary spaces and reach the plaque therein. That is, it is difficult for conventional toothbrushes having bristles with the same tip shape or those having different tip shapes to clean up in every nook and corner in the mouth.


A load coupling apparatus for a wheeled vehicle includes load linkage members that pivotally suspend the vehicle and load weight below the axles of the vehicle, allowing limited relative displacement of the axles and the load in the direction of vehicle travel. The load is displaced by moving the axles in the desired direction of travel, whereafter the suspended load follows the axles in a swinging motion as the effects of gravity overcome the load inertia. The effort required to initiate movement of the load is significantly reduced due to the relative displacement of the axles and the load, and the mechanical advantage afforded by the load linkage members. Once in motion, the load continues to track the axles in the direction of travel, providing continued reduction in motive effort even when the load reaches a constant forward speed.

The conventional approach to movement of a load by a wheeled vehicle, whether by road or rail, is to place the full weight of the load (including the vehicle frame and engine, if any) directly on the wheel axles. Although suspension system components such as springs and dampers are often used to isolate the load from the axle, the load and the various components of the vehicle are moved in unison in the direction of travel. This means that the motive power source, whether in the form of an internal combustion engine, an electric or hydraulic motor, or even manual labor, must expend sufficient energy to initiate movement of the entire weight of the vehicle and load. Various efforts have been made in the transportation industry to improve energy conversion efficiency and reduce frictional losses such as rolling resistance, but the improvements continue to be incremental in nature, and the overall rates of fuel consumption and combustion emission production remain unacceptably high. Accordingly, what is needed is a way of moving wheeled vehicles and their loads with reduced effort, leading to corresponding reductions in fuel consumption and combustion emission production.

Load coupling apparatus for a wheeled vehicle


A strike practice assembly includes a striking arm, a framework for supporting said striking arm and providing a rotational axis therefor, and, optionally, one or more elastic band members that can be configured to resiliently return said striking arm to a pre-strike position after being struck.

Practitioners of martial arts, boxing and related disciplines often times utilize padded surfaces to practices strikes, such as kicks and punches. Such padded surfaces may be in the form of heavy bags, focus mitts, speed bags and other equipment which can be mounted, e.g., on a wall or worn by an opponent or helper.

Systems and methods for practicing strikes


Aspects of the invention pertain to transmitting packet data across a computer network. The packets may be sent via one or more distinct routes from a source to a destination. Each route may employ multiple routers disposed along the network. Non-colliding routes are determined by transmitting pairs of probe packets along the routes. A first probe packet has a maximal length, and a second probe packet has a minimal length. Depending on the order of arrival of the probe packets, the system determines whether two transport layer ports at the destination device collide. If there is a collision, then the system searches for a set of non-colliding ports. Once the non-colliding ports are determined, application data may be sent as packets along the different routes to those ports.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to routing data in computer networks. More particularly, the invention pertains to identifying multiple paths between source and destination nodes in computer networks.
2. Description of Related Art
With a networked computer, it is possible to increase the communication bandwidth or the availability of network connectivity by using multiple interfaces concurrently to aggregate bandwidth. One strategy of bandwidth aggregation is known as Link Aggregation ("LAG"). Another is known as Equal Cost Multiple Path ("ECMP").
Such strategies allow router or switch nodes in the network to load balance traffic across multiple outgoing links. The outgoing link of a packet is often determined based on the hash value of information (source IP address, destination IP address, source port, destination port) in the packet header. A node may maximize its application throughput to a destination by identifying a set of port pairs (source port, destination port) to send traffic across multiple paths available to the destination.
However, specific implementations of such bandwidth allocation, e.g., the use of hashing functions on switches/routers, are often proprietary. Furthermore, the results of such hashing functions may depend on the seed value of individual switches. It is not feasible for a source node to determine a priori if port pairs are to be hashed to different paths to a destination node, especially in wide area network where end hosts have little knowledge of network topologies and router/switch configurations in between them.
In contrast, the invention provides non-proprietary systems and methods that identify and employ multiple paths between network nodes.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

System and method for identifying multiple paths between network nodes


Slope-compensated current mode DC-DC converters. Example embodiments are methods of operating a slope-compensated current mode DC-DC converter including asserting a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal in a switching period to couple an input voltage to the inductor; sensing an inductor current through an inductor to generate a sensed current signal; generating a slope compensation signal having a peak amplitude during the switching period; generating a slope offset signal based on a sum of a predefined threshold with a product of a duty cycle of the PWM signal and the peak amplitude; and de-asserting the PWM signal during the switching period based on the sensed current signal and the slope offset signal.

Peak current limit protection is commonly used with DC-DC converters to prevent damage that can result from excessive current. Conventional peak current limitation causes an output current to be halted when current exceeds a peak value. However, conventional peak current limitation can result in instability and subharmonic regulation, especially with duty ratios exceeding 50%. Slope compensation may be used to address some of the issues with conventional peak current limitation. However, conventional slope compensation can result in reduced accuracy, especially at relatively high duty ratios.

Peak current limit in a slope-compensated current mode DC-DC converter

SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC


Methods and systems are provided for determining degradation of a particulate filter in an exhaust conduit. In one example, a method may include diverting exhaust gas to a secondary soot sensor assembly downstream of a first filter, comprising a second filter and determining degradation based on time intervals between subsequent filter regenerations of the second filter in the secondary soot sensor assembly.

Engine combustion may generate particulate matter (PM) (such as soot and aerosols) that can be exhausted to the atmosphere. To enable emissions compliance, particulate matter filters, such as diesel particulate filters (DPFs) or gasoline particulate filters (GPFs) may be included in the engine exhaust, to filter out exhaust PMs before releasing the exhaust to the atmosphere. In addition, one or more soot sensors may be used to diagnose the DPFs and such soot sensors may be coupled upstream and/or downstream of the DPF.
As such, various types of soot sensors have been developed to sense soot production and release. One example approach shown by Paterson in U.S. Pat. No. 8,310,249 discloses soot sensors that collect particulate matter on charged electrodes. The soot sensor comprises opposed electrodes separated by an insulator with a gap in between to prevent current flow. When soot particles start to accumulate on the sensor, a bridge is created between the electrodes allowing for current to flow. The change in current is used as an indication for soot deposition. In addition to electrode-based sensors, pressure-based soot sensors have also been developed. For example, as described by Sun et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 8,209,962, differential pressure across a particulate filter may be used for monitoring filter performance. Therein, when the differential pressure is less than a threshold, a leak in the particulate filter may be determined.
However, the inventors herein have recognized potential disadvantages with the above approaches. As one example, non-uniform or low soot deposit on the surface can occur due to biased flow distribution across the sensor surface, resulting in inaccurate voltage and current readings across the gap. Additionally, it may be difficult to reach sensor regeneration temperatures due to large flow impingement on the surface in some sensor designs. Further still, the sensors may become contaminated due to impingement of large diesel particulates or water droplets on the surface of sensor electrodes. Contamination of the sensor and interference in sensor results may also be caused by the large diesel particulates or water droplets infiltrating into the inner protection tube of the sensors.
The inventors herein have identified an approach by which the issues described above may be at least partly addressed. One example method includes: flowing exhaust gas from downstream of a first filter into each of a first venturi tube coupled inside an exhaust pipe and a second venturi tube coupled in a passage external to the exhaust pipe, the passage including a second filter coupled to an electric circuit; and indicating degradation of the first filter based on an interval between successive regenerations of the second filter. The first filter is a larger diesel or gasoline particulate matter filter having a higher soot capacity, and the second filter is a smaller metal filter having a lower soot capacity. In this way, DPF diagnostics may be performed with higher accuracy and reliability without the results being corrupted by flow and soot loading distribution or impingement of water droplets.
As an example, exhaust gas may be diverted from a main exhaust pipe, downstream of a DPF, into an exhaust bypass parallel to the main exhaust pipe, outside of the main exhaust pipe via an inlet pipe. The inlet pipe may include perforations that allow water droplets and aggregated particulates to be trapped and released into the tailpipe. Downstream of the inlet pipe, the exhaust passage may be fitted with a first, larger venturi tube. In addition, the exhaust bypass may also be fitted with a second, smaller venturi tube (that is, having a smaller cross section compared to the first venturi tube). Downstream of the second venturi tube, the exhaust bypass may be fitted with a metal particle filter (MPF) and an electric circuit may be coupled to the filter. After passing through the MPF, exhaust is returned to the main exhaust pipe at a location downstream of the first venturi tube via an outlet pipe. As exhaust gas diverted from the main exhaust pipe is received iii the exhaust bypass, exhaust PMs, such as soot, may be deposited on the MPF therein, while exhaust containing soot flows unobstructed through the first venturi tube in the exhaust pipe. Exhaust flow rates are calculated based on the geometry of the systems and pressure drops through respective venturi tubes of the exhaust pipe and the exhaust bypass. A ratio of the exhaust flow rates through the first and second venturi tubes may be used to infer a soot loading of the MPF downstream of the second venturi and initiate regeneration of the MPF by closing the electric circuit coupled thereto. Further, a time interval elapsed between successive regenerations of the MPF may be monitored. As such, if the DPF in the exhaust pipe becomes degraded (such as due to age or durability issues), an increasing amount of soot may escape from the DPF, and travel onto the MPF. As a result, the MPF may have to be cleaned more frequently. Thus, based on a decrease in the time interval elapsed between successive regenerations of the metal filter in the exhaust bypass, degradation of an upstream DPF may be determined, and appropriate actions may be taken.
In this way, by diverting a portion of exhaust gas from an exhaust pipe to a soot sensor with a metal filter, located downstream of a diesel particulate filter, degradation of a particulate filter can be detected based on an amount of soot leaking from the particulate filter onto the metal filter. The technical effect of trapping soot particles on the metal filter selectively included in the exhaust bypass downstream of a venturi tube, is that a ratio of exhaust flow rates between the venturi tubes in the exhaust pipe and the exhaust bypass can be advantageously used to learn the soot load of the metal filter. As such, this reduces the need for multiple sensors and venturi tubes for soot load estimation. The technical effect of trapping aggregated particulates and water droplets in an inlet pipe of the soot sensor, and redirecting them to the exhaust tailpipe, is that impingement of aggregated particulates and water droplets on the soot sensor is reduced, allowing for more accurate and reliable soot detection. By relying on a time interval between successive regenerations of the metal filter to detect DPF degradation, is that the diagnostics may be rendered more sensitive and less affected by variations in soot loading distribution on the metal filter. Overall, accuracy and reliability of soot sensing and diagnosing of an exhaust particulate filter is increased, enabling higher emissions compliance.
It should be understood that the summary above is provided to introduce in simplified form a selection of concepts that are further described in the detailed description. It is not meant to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, the scope of which is defined uniquely by the claims that follow the detailed description. Furthermore, the claimed subject matter is not limited to implementations that solve any disadvantages noted above or in any part of this disclosure.

Method and system for particulate filter leakage detection