Apparatus and program product for designing vertical parallel plate (VPP) capacitor structures in which the capacitor plates in different conductive layers of the capacitor stack have a different physical spacing. The methodology optimizes the physical spacing of the plates in each conductive layer to achieve a targeted electrostatic discharge protection level and, thereby, supply electrostatic discharge robustness.

Capacitors are extensively used for storing an electrical charge in filters, analog-to-digital converters, memory devices, control applications, and many other types of integrated circuits. Capacitors, which generally include conductive plates separated by an insulator, have a capacitance contingent upon a number of parameters, such as plate area, the spacing between the conductive plates, and the dielectric constant of the insulator. A common capacitor construction is a vertical parallel plate capacitor (VPP), which includes a stack of conductive plates with adjacent plates in the stack separated by an insulator.
VPP capacitors may be fabricated when the stacked metallization layers of a multi-level interconnect structure are formed by back end of line (BEOL) processing. Although copper metallurgy is frequently used in lower metallization layers of the interconnect structure to increase signal propagation speed, aluminum metallurgy is preferred in upper metallization layers to promote solder and wire bonding. Consequently, the stacked plates of VPP capacitors may have either an aluminum metallurgy or a copper metallurgy correlated with the specific metallization layer in the interconnect structure. Virtue of the BEOL processing, each copper plate is clad along its sidewalls and bottom surface by a barrier layer containing one or more refractory metals. In contrast, each aluminum plate is clad on only its top and bottom surfaces by a barrier layer containing one or more refractory metals.
Circuitry elements in an integrated circuit, such as VPP capacitors, are susceptible to damage from excessively high voltages or currents generated by electrostatic discharge (ESD) events. ESD events may be caused by contact with the human body, by machinery such as manufacturing or test equipment, or in electrically active environments, as may be experiences in many consumer applications. In particular, the sudden and momentary discharge of an ESD event between adjacent aluminum plates or adjacent copper plates in a VPP capacitor can cause damage.
Under ESD testing and during ESD events in an operating device, aluminum plates have been observed to be more prone to damage and failure than copper plates. Generally, ESD-promoted failure may occur by crack initiation and propagation in the dielectric material bordering the conductive plate followed by melting and flow of the aluminum or copper from the plate into the crack. Aluminum plates, which are confined by refractory metal cladding on the top and bottom surfaces, fail by a lateral cracking mechanism, which promotes shorting of adjacent plates in a metallization layer. In contrast, copper plates are confined by refractory metal cladding on the sidewalls and bottom surface and, consequently, fail in a vertical direction. Hence, copper plates have an intrinsically higher resistance to ESD-promoted failure.
A methodology is needed for designing vertical parallel plate capacitors that exhibit increased resistance to ESD-promoted failures.

Methodology for automated design of vertical parallel plate capacitors

International Business Machines Corporation


A recording apparatus in which a recording head for effecting recording on a recording medium can be carried on a carriage movable with a reading unit for performing an original reading operation carried thereon, including a white flat plate member removable provided at a location opposed to the reading unit and along an area in which the carriage is moved. A reading unit for use in a recording apparatus in which a recording head unit for effecting recording on a recording medium and the reading unit for reading the image of an original are selectively interchangeable relative to a reciprocally movable carrier, including original image reading means constituting a predetermined reading optical path entering and reflected by the surface of the original to read the image of the original, and a movable member having reference correction means for reading moved to a position on the reading optical path corresponding to the surface of the original when the carrier is in a predetermined position.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a removably mountable reading unit and a recording apparatus on which the reading unit is mountable.
2. Related Background Art
In a conventional serial printer, recording is effected with an ink ribbon cassette of the heat transfer type, the wire dot type or the daisy wheel type or a head cartridge of the ink jet type placed on a carriage reciprocally movable in a direction along a recording medium and differing from the conveyance direction of the recording medium.
There is also a reading printer which functions as a reading apparatus by a reading unit having the reading function, instead of an ink ribbon cassette, being carried on a carriage.
Generally a reading printer is designed such that light is applied from a light source mounted on a reading unit to the surface of an original and a reflected image from the surface of the original is read by a reading sensor by way of a lens or the like, and is so contrived that a carriage is serially reciprocated and each time one line is read, the original is conveyed, whereby the content of one page is read.
In the conventional reading printer described above, during the reading operation from OHP paper, when a light transmitting plastic sheet or thin paper is used, it has sometimes been the case that the unevenness, aperture, color or the like of a printer body such as a platen which is a recording base for paper during recording is read through such original.
Also, it has sometimes been the case that when the platen is stained by the adherence of ink or the like during recording, paper is stained during reading, or when as in the above-described case, the reading operation from OHP paper or thin paper is performed, the stains on the platen are read through such original.

Reading unit and recording apparatus on which the reading unit is mountable


Systems and methods are provided for refining a design cycle for an integrated circuit. An integrated circuit design is generated. A plurality of non-critical paths within the integrated circuit design are identified. A set of at least one of the plurality of non-critical paths is modified to produce a modified design in which the sensitivity of each of the set of non-critical paths to at least one parameter is enhanced. Each parameter is either a design parameter or a process parameter. An integrated circuit is fabricated according to the modified design. The fabricated integrated circuit is evaluated to measure a set of timing data representing each of the plurality of non-critical paths. The value of the parameter is determined from the measured set of timing data.

A typical IC design cycle involves numerous steps ranging generally from initial feasibility studies, functional verification and circuit design through fabrication, packaging and data sheet generation. It is frequently cost effective to conduct tests throughout the design cycle to ensure that the design and the resulting wafers meet certain quality parameters. Various types of testing thus are performed at different stages of the design and fabrication process. An in-line parametric test is an electrical test performed on test pattern structures located on wafers, such as arranged at specific locations on the wafer. The test structures can be utilized to assess film thickness or linewidths as well as to ascertain an indication of leakage current or breakdown voltages or other parameters of transistor devices.
Many different IC failures can also be detected by employing fault models. For example, automatic test pattern generators can be employed to generate patterns that are used to test semiconductor devices after manufacture, and in some cases to assist with determining the cause of failure. The efficacy of the test pattern can be influenced by the fault model under consideration, the type of circuit under test (full scan, synchronous sequential, or asynchronous sequential), the level of abstraction used to represent the circuit under test (gate, register-transistor, switch), and the required test quality. However, many existing testing methods tend to focus on defect-driven yield issues.

Test method and system for characterizing and/or refining an IC design cycle


In one an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, an engine includes a drive shaft; an electric machine including a stator assembly and a rotor assembly, the rotor assembly rotatable relative to the stator assembly; and an electrical break, the drive shaft coupled to the rotor assembly through the electrical break.

At least one known gas turbine engine includes, in serial flow arrangement, a compressor for compressing air flowing through the engine, a combustor for mixing fuel with the compressed air such that the mixture may be ignited, and a turbine for extracting power from the ignited fuel-air mixture and providing such power to, e.g., the compressor.
In certain configurations, the gas turbine engine including the above turbomachinery may be used to drive an electric generator. For example, the gas turbine engine may be an auxiliary power unit (APU) of an aircraft, the APU including an electric generator for generating electrical power for various systems of the aircraft. Depending on the size of the APU, a relatively high voltage electrical power may be generated. Although the components handling the high voltage electrical power may include insulation to contain such power, over time the insulation may wear down or deteriorate. In such a case, the high voltage electrical power may arc and conduct through the electric generator to the turbomachinery of the APU, causing damage to the turbomachinery of the APU.
Accordingly, one or more features for a gas turbine engine with an electric machine for reducing a risk of electrical power conducting through the engine and damaging the engine would be useful.


An image processing apparatus includes a reading unit configured to read an image formed on a sheet, an erasing unit configured to erase the image formed on the sheet, and a controller configured to determine whether or not the image on the sheet as read by the reading unit is formed of an erasable material and prevent the sheet that is determined to have an image formed of the non-erasable material from being conveyed to the erasing unit.

Conventionally, there is an image forming apparatus such as an MFP (Multi Function Peripheral) that forms an image on a sheet. Further, there is an erasing apparatus that can erase an image formed on a sheet with an erasable coloring agent such as a toner or ink containing leuco dye so that the sheet can be reused.
An erasable coloring agent can be decolorized when heated to a sufficiently high temperature (e.g. about 150 degrees centigrade). This temperature should be higher than a temperature to fix an image with the erasing color agent on a sheet. The aforementioned erasing of the image formed on the sheet may be hereinafter referred to as 'color erasing'. Reuse of sheets after color erasing saves sheets and is beneficial to the environment.
However, a sheet printed with a conventional non-erasable toner may be mistakenly set in the erasing apparatus. When such a sheet is supplied to the erasing apparatus, the sheet may be jammed, when erasing is attempted, due to the conventional non-erasable toner being melted and the sheet being adhered to a press roller or other heat source, or a sheet peeling claw, of the erasing apparatus.

Image processing apparatus and method for operating the same


A plastic tube and a method and apparatus for forming it in which a strip of relatively thin plastic sheet material is cut from a roll of the material and wound around a mandrel. Overlapping ends of the strip are sealed to form the tube. The edge of the strip is inwardly bent to form an inwardly extending lip. When used in the manufacture of a capacitor, the tube is placed in a can on top of the disc of insulating material and a capacitor roll is placed in the tube. The edge of the sheet material can be pre-creased so that when folded inwardly, darts of the material form the lip.

In the manufacture of electrical capacitors, layers of a metallic material separated by a layer of a dielectric material are wound in a roll. The capacitor roll is placed in a tube which is usually of paper, such as Kraft paper with a typical thickness of 0.015", and which is spiral wound. After the paper tube is formed, the periphery of one of its ends is bent inwardly to provide a mounting lip for the capacitor roll so it will not become displaced from the tube. The tube with the capacitor roll therein is placed within a metal outer housing, or can, with the lip end facing toward the bottom of the can. The capacitor is then impregnated with dielectric fluid and oil and the can is thereafter sealed.
While a spiral wound paper tube is satisfactory, it is relatively costly and inconvenient to use. For example, different size tubes may require different manufacturing procedures. Also, if a large quantity of tubes have to be stored, substantial space may be required. Further, due to the thickness of the spiral wound paper forming the tube, the inwardly bent lip is rather bulky and increases the vertical height of the tube. This extra height creates difficulty during automatic assembly.

Plastic tube and method and apparatus for manufacturing


A memory structure is disclosed. The memory structure comprises a phase change material layer, a first electrode, a second electrode, and conductive spacers. The second electrode and the first electrode are electrically connected to an upper surface and a lower surface of the phase change material layer respectively. The conductive spacers are separated from each other and on side surfaces of the phase change material layer.

Technical Field
The disclosure relates to a memory structure, and particularly to a phase change memory (PCM) structure.
Description of the Related Art
Phase-change based memory materials, such as chalcogenide-based materials and similar materials, can be caused to change phase between an amorphous phase and a crystalline phase by application of electrical current at levels suitable for implementation in integrated circuits. In comparison with the crystalline phase, the amorphous phase is characterized by a higher electrical resistivity which can be readily sensed to indicate data. These properties may cause the chalcogenide-based materials suitable for serving as programmable resistive material to form nonvolatile memory circuits, which can be read and written with random access, e.g a phase-change memory devices.
A phase-change memory device can be read and written with random access by the transformations between the amorphous phase and the crystalline phase occurring on the chalcogenide-based materials disposed in the active area of the phase-change memory device. For example, the phase of the chalcogenide-based materials (phase-change materials) disposed in the active area of the phase-change memory device may be transformed from the amorphous phase to the crystalline phase when a low-voltage electric pulse is applied to the active area of the memory cells, whereby the resistance states of the memory cells involved in the phase-change memory device may be transformed either from an initial state or from a high resistance state to a low resistance state. The process of transforming resistance state form high to low is referred as a set process. Alternatively, the low resistance state of the memory cells may be transformed to the high resistance state again by applying a high-voltage electric pulse to the active area of the memory cells in order to transform the crystalline phase of the chalcogenide-based materials to the amorphous phase. The process of transforming resistance state form low to high is referred as a reset process.
However after a plurality numbers of read, set and reset operations are carried out, degradations of the phase-change materials may occur due to the electrical energy applied to the phase-change materials during the set/reset operations, the operation temperature and/or the arrangement of the memory cells. Such that the electrical properties, such as resistance state, relationship between the resistance and the current etc., of the phase-change material may shifted from an initial state.


In an emulation device comprising an emulation unit having a debugging function and a probe for use in connecting the emulation unit with a target system, the probe comprises a cable assembly for use in connecting it to the emulation unit and a probe connector having an analog circuit to emulate at least a part of functions of the target system. A power supply and a ground for the analog circuit are connected to an external system via a first power supply line and a first ground line, respectively, that are independent of the cable assembly.

The present invention relates to an emulation device comprising an emulation unit having a debugging function and a probe having a function to emulate at least a part of functions of a target system. More specifically, the present invention relates to an improvement of such an emulation device that has an analog circuit in the probe.
Emulation devices of the type described are used for an application system with a microcomputer that is to be designated as a target system to debug hardware and software of the target system under the control of a control device. The emulation device comprises an emulation unit and a probe. The probe has a relatively long cable assembly for use in connecting it to the emulation unit. The cable assembly is provided with a probe connector at an end thereof. The probe connector has an integrated circuit for use in emulating peripheral functions of the microcomputer. This integrated circuit is called a peripheral evaluation chip and has digital and analog circuits. The peripheral evaluation chip is connected to the emulation unit and the target system via a power supply line and a ground line contained in the cable assembly.
The emulation unit comprises a plurality of integrated circuits (ICs) such as large-scale integrated circuits (LSIs). The emulation unit is thus affected by instantaneous change in an internal signal in ICs as well as by the impedance of the power supply line and the ground line. As a result, power supply noise may be generated on the power supply line and the ground line. In addition, the cable assembly may serve as an antenna because it is relatively long. This may cause electro-magnetically induced noise on the cable assembly. Such power supply noise or electro-magnetically induced noise affects the peripheral evaluation chip through the power supply line and the ground line. If it happens, the analog circuit contained in the peripheral evaluation chip may be operated in a wrong or false manner.

Emulation device with no fear of faulty operation due to noise


Device for detecting a pressure force exerted by a human muscle. If a sensor measures that a defined force is exceeded, a signal is emitted. This signal is used to indicate to the relevant person that he needs to modify his behavior. To determine the teaching effect of this signal, it is proposed for these signals to be stored in a memory and for the stored values to read out after a certain time and compared with more recent signals. The device can be used, inter alia, in a writing instrument which measures both the gripping force on the writing instrument and the writing pressure.

The present invention relates to a device for detecting a force exerted by a human muscle.
A device of this type is known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,429,140. This document describes a glove having sensors which generate signals which are transmitted to a computer. All the signals from the sensors are stored and processed in the computer.


An advanced tire mold has been developed which offers the advantages of reducing the level of whiskers on the surface of the tire, reduces sticking to the mold, and which facilitates enhanced gas removal. This tire mold includes a mold segment having an inner side for contacting the uncured tire, an outer side opposite to the inner side, and a plurality of vent passages which allow gas to pass from the inner side of the mold segment to the outer side of the mold segment, the vent passages comprising vent slots, wherein each vent slots have an inlet at the inner side of the mold segment, and wherein the vent slots taper from the inlets to the outer side of the mold segment. This tire mold can be comprised of multiple mold segments which can be utilized in a tire curing press.

The majority of pneumatic tires are molded in curing presses in which non-vulcanized tires (green tires) are pressed by bladders against a mold to provide the tire with its final shape. During this step of the manufacturing process gases need to be removed from the tire and its surface in order to avoid bubbles and other unwanted irregularities caused by gas inclusions. It is known in the art to use circular vent openings in the tire mold in order to allow gases to escape out of the tire mold. During this venting process, rubber also flows into the vent openings which results in cylindrical protrusions on the outer surface of the cured tire. These protrusions on the fully manufactured tire are sometimes referred to as "whiskers" and are frequently removed for the sake of improved optical appearance and/or for uniform shape and properties. Such a removal is frequently done manually or requires further automated manufacturing steps, thereby resulting in increased costs. During conventional molding procedures rubber sometimes gets stuck in the vent holes of the mold and needs to be manually removed which again results in the additional cost associated with the cleaning procedure. Even worse, clogged vent holes can prevent entrapped gas from properly being vented from the mold which can result in the uncured rubber not properly filling the mold which ultimately result in tire uniformity issues. Additionally, entrapped gas situated between the uncured tire and the mold can adversely affect heat transfer which can result in the tire not being cured uniformly and again can cause problems with the uniformity of the tire. Even though tire venting technology has improved over the decades there still remains a long felt need for further improvements in tire mold and vent technology.


A milling cutter for chip removing machining includes a milling cutter body with a number of insert pockets in connection with an end of the milling cutter body. An opposite end of the milling cutter body is adapted to cooperate with a tool attachment. An indexable cutting insert is secured in the cutting insert seats, each indexable cutting insert having two substantially identical main surfaces. Two side surfaces and two end surfaces extend between the main surfaces, each main surface including two cutting insert corners, each cutting insert corner including major cutting edge and a minor cutting edge. Parts of each main surface include rake faces. Parts of each side surface and each end surface include clearance surfaces. The cutting insert has a height between the end surfaces and each main surface includes an associated support surface. A perpendicular distance of each main cutting edge to a plane that coincides with the support surface facing away from the main cutting edge increases in a direction from the cutting corner to a crest in the area of a half height of the indexable cutting insert.

The present invention relates to a milling cutter for chip removing machining and an indexable cutting insert according to the preambles of the appended independent claims.
A generally rectangular milling insert is previously known that has two active cutting insert corners, which are provided diagonally opposed on the main surface of the cutting insert. The main cutting edges extend along the long sides of the cutting insert and consequently the minor cutting edges extend along the short sides of the milling insert. Since the milling insert has two active cutting insert corners it is indexable twice.
A milling cutter is also previously known which comprises a milling cutter body that is provided with a number of indexable cutting inserts. Each indexable cutting insert comprises four main cutting edges and one minor cutting edge associated with each major cutting edge. In mounted position in the milling cutter body the indexable cutting insert has a positive axial rake angle and a positive radial rake angle. The indexable cutting insert is generally screw shaped along the extension of the main cutting edge.
It is desirable to provide a milling cutter of the above-captioned defined type and an indexable cutting insert adapted to this, the milling cutter being able to machine right-angled corners in a work piece to great cutting depths.
It is also desirable to develop the indexable cutting insert according to the present invention in such a manner that it becomes indexable four times during its life.
It is also desirable to develop the indexable cutting inserts according to the present invention such that a stable localization of the indexable cutting insert in the milling cutter body is made possible.
According to an aspect of the present invention, a milling cutter for chip removing machining comprises a milling cutter body with at least one insert pocket associated with an end of the milling cutter body, wherein an opposite end of the milling cutter body is shaped to cooperate with a tool attachment, an indexable cutting insert being secured in each cutting insert pocket, wherein each indexable cutting insert has two substantially identical main surfaces, wherein two side surfaces and two end surfaces extend between the main surfaces, each main surface comprising two cutting insert corners, each cutting insert corner comprising a main cutting edge and a minor cutting edge, wherein a part of each main surface comprises rake faces, wherein a part of each side surface and each end surface comprises clearance surfaces, the cutting insert having a height between the end surfaces, each main surface comprising an associated support surface, wherein a perpendicular distance from each main cutting edge on either one of the two main surfaces to a plane that coincides with the support surface on the other one of the two main surfaces increases in direction from the cutting corner defined by the main cutting edge to a crest proximate a half height of the indexable cutting insert.
According to another aspect of the present invention, an indexable cutting insert has two substantially identical main surfaces, wherein two side surfaces and two end surfaces extend between the main surfaces, each main surface comprising two cutting insert corners, each cutting insert corner comprising a main cutting edge and a minor cutting edge, wherein a part of each main surface comprises a rake face, wherein a part of each side surface and each end surface comprises a clearance surface, the cutting insert having a height between the end surfaces, each main surface comprising an associated support surface, wherein a perpendicular distance from each main cutting edge on either one of the two main surfaces to a plane that coincides with the support surface on the other one of the two main surfaces increases in a direction from the cutting corner defined by the main cutting edge to a crest proximate a half height of the indexable cutting insert.

Milling cutter and an indexable milling insert


A perforating system and method for wellbore perforating. The system comprises a perforating string having a perforating gun with shaped charges, a communication module for receiving detonation signals, and a controller associated with each perforating gun. The module receives surface signals for gun detonation and wirelessly transmits the signals to selected guns via the associated controllers.

1. Field of the Invention
The disclosure herein relates generally to the field of oil and gas production. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for initiating detonation of a perforating using wireless transmission.
2. Description of Related Art
Perforating systems are used for the purpose, among others, of making hydraulic communication passages, called perforations, in wellbores drilled through earth formations so that predetermined zones of the earth formations can be hydraulically connected to the wellbore. Perforations are needed because wellbores are typically completed by coaxially inserting a pipe or casing into the wellbore, and the casing is retained in the wellbore by pumping cement into the annular space between the wellbore and the casing. The cemented casing is provided in the wellbore for the specific purpose of hydraulically isolating from each other the various earth formations penetrated by the wellbore. As is known, hydrocarbon-bearing strata, such as reservoirs, exist within these formations. The wellbores typically intersect these reservoirs.
Perforating systems are used for perforating through the cement and casing into the surrounding subterranean formation. These systems typically comprise one or more perforating guns strung together, these strings of guns can sometimes surpass a thousand feet of perforating length. Included with the perforating guns are shaped charges that typically include a charge case, a liner, and a quantity of high explosive inserted between the liner and the charge case. When the high explosive is detonated, the force of the detonation collapses the liner and ejects it from one end of the charge at very high velocity in a pattern called a "jet". The jet penetrates the casing, the cement and a quantity of the formation thereby forming a perforation in the formation that enables fluid communication between the wellbore and its surrounding formation.
FIG. 1 is a side partial cutaway view of a perforating system 5 comprising a perforating string 7 suspended within a wellbore 25. The perforating string 7 comprises a series of perforating guns 13 axially connected to one another by connecting subs 15. Tubing 9 is shown attached to the perforating string 7 and is a raising/lowering means for the perforating guns 13. The tubing 9 can also provide communication between the perforating string 7 and a surface truck 11. In some instances wireline is used in place of the tubing 9. The surface truck 11 typically includes a winch type device for disposal and retrieval of a perforating string 7 or instrument string in and out of the well. Also included within the surface truck 11 is an interface enabling surface personnel to transmit commands and receive data to and from the perforating string 7. The communicated data between the surface and the string 7 is generally provided along or by means of the tubing 9. The perforating string 7 of FIG. 1 is shown disposed in a deviated portion of the wellbore 25. For the purposes of illustration, perforations 21 are shown that extend from the wellbore 25, through the casing 17 that lines the wellbore 25, and into the surrounding formation 19.
The shaped charges are initiated by sending a signal from the surface to the perforating string 7 through the tubing 9. The signal is then received by a firing head 14 disposed on the upper portion of the perforating string 7. The firing head 14 transfers the firing signal to an initiator which then detonates an associated detonating cord. Typically the initiator is a type electrical blasting cap, an electrically-activated exploding bridge wire ("EBW") initiator, an electrically activated exploding-foil initiator ("EFI") or a percussively-activated explosive initiator. The explosive-filled tube is generally referred to as "detonating cord". A type of detonating cord known in the art is sold by the Ensign-Bickford Company under the trade name PRIMACORD®. A resulting detonation wave passes along the length of the detonating cord that in turn initiates detonation of the connected shaped charges.
FIG. 2 shows an example of a section of a perforating gun 13 being detonated within a wellbore 25. As shown, the perforating gun 13 includes shaped charges 16 having a connected detonation cord 18. Some of the shaped charges 16 have been detonated thereby producing perforations 21 extending into the corresponding formation 19. A portion of the detonating cord 18 is missing proximate to the shaped charges having already been detonated demonstrating how the cord has been consumed by the detonating pressure wave. Thus, it is illustrated how the sequential detonation of adjacent shaped charges takes place in a particular perforating gun producing perforations extending through a casing 17 and to the corresponding formation 19.


In an optical head for optical beacon, a prism 5 is arranged immediately after light emitting elements 1 of an optical head 10 in light radiating directions of the light emitting elements 1, so that the paths along which light rays travel immediately after the radiation can be curved by the prism 5. As a result of this configuration, if the index of refraction of a material of which the prism 5 is made and the angle of a slope of the prism 5 are set to proper values, the light rays can be injected from the prism 5 to an optical head 10 on the side of a light receiving element 2 in arbitrary directions. Further, a surface 21 of a body 13 in which a transmission window 14 is formed is so shaped as to be inclined backward with respect to the travelling direction of an automobile from an upper edge a to a lower edge b. An image of the surface 21 of the body 13 in which the transmission window 14 is formed is not mirrored on a windshield glass 20 as long as the image is that of a surface portion below the upper edge a excluding the upper edge a. Other part of the body 13 than the surface 21 in which the transmission window 14 is formed is subjected to a surface treatment for preventing the mirroring of an image.

The invention relates to optical beacon systems that implement communication using optical signals, and more particularly to an improved optical head structure installed within an automobile.
An optical beacon is a type of communication system between automobiles and roads using rays of light in the near infrared region. The optical beacon is also a bidirectional communication system that transmits traffic information such as traffic jam and parking area information from the road side to the automobile side and that transmits IDs specific to individual automobiles and the like from the automobile side to the road side.
While beacons include radio beacons using electric waves, optical beacons use light as their transmission medium and space propagation light as their carrier wave, and implements communication by modulating such carrier wave.
An optical beacon uses a light emitting element and a light receiving element as elements in place of an antenna, and receives optical signals from the road side by the light receiving element and transmits optical signals from the automobile side to the road side by the light emitting element. Incidentally, the wavelength of light used is in the near infrared region around 850 nm. While a combination of the light emitting element and the light receiving element or a collective body consisting of a light emitting element and a light receiving element is called an optical beacon antenna, they will hereinafter be referred to simply as the "optical beacon".
By the way, this optical beacon has the basic function of receiving light and emitting light. Therefore, when an optical beacon is enclosed with a body, a transmission window must be formed in the body in order to ensure transmission of light. FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing a body 13 of an optical beacon 10 having such a transmission window 14.
FIG. 9 shows a conventional example of an optical head 10 of an optical beacon (hereinafter referred to simply as the "optical head 10") used for automobiles. As shown in FIG. 9, this optical head 10 has a light emitting section 11 and a light receiving section 12 mounted on a single board 3. The light emitting section 11 has an array of light emitting elements 1 that are constructed of LEDs (light-emitting diodes), and the light receiving section 12 has a large area light receiving element 2 constructed of a PD (photodiode). In FIG. 9, reference numeral 13 denotes a body and 14, a transmission window for transmission and reception of light.
As shown in FIG. 10, this mounting board 3 is disposed so as to be inclined at an angle corresponding to an optimal directive angle of the optical head 10 with respect to the upper surface of a substantially horizontal installation surface within an automobile, e.g., the upper surface of an instrument panel so that the transmission and reception efficiency of the light emitting elements 1 and the light receiving element 2 (hereinafter referred to simply as the "optical element" collectively whenever applicable) is optimized. In general, the optimal directive angle of the optical head 10 is set to, e.g., 43.degree..+-.10.degree. with respect to a horizontal plane.
Further, the reason why the LEDs are arrayed is not only to increase the sum total of energy but also to make a fine adjustment of the directive angle as a whole by individually setting the mounting angles of the respective LEDs as shown in FIG. 10. In FIG. 10, the arrows indicate light emitting directions.
While the light emitting elements 1 and the light receiving element 2 are arranged on a single board 3 in the example shown in FIG. 9, they may not necessarily be arranged in such a manner. The light emitting elements 1 and the light receiving element 2 may be arranged in any mode as long as such mode allows rays of light to be transmitted and received through the transmission window 14 formed in a surface 21 of the body 13 confronting the windshield glass surface when the light emitting elements 1 and the light receiving element 2 are accommodated in the body 13 such as shown in FIG. 10.
A road-side optical beacon unit 52 and an automobile-side optical beacon unit 51 are arranged as shown in FIG. 11, respectively, and the directive angle of the antenna of the automobile-side unit 51 is required to be set to 43.degree..+-.10.degree. with respect to a horizontal plane. If the body 13 of the optical beacon 10 is to be arranged inside the automobile room, the optical beacon 10 can most advantageously keep this directive angle when placed on the upper surface of an instrument panel 23 that confronts a windshield glass 20 such as shown in FIG. 12. Almost all the body 13 of the optical beacons 10 are disposed on the upper surface of the instrument panel 23 that is substantially horizontal.
In this case, a problem arises. That is, when an additionally arranged part such as the body 13 is disposed on the upper surface of the instrument panel 23, a reflected image a'b' of (the surface 21 of) the body 13 is mirrored on the windshield glass 20 to thereby disturb the view of a driver D. As generally taken measures to this problem, light is scattered by, e.g., embossing the surface of the body 13 in order to control the reflectance of the surface of the body 13, or the surface pattern of the body 13 is made analogous to that of the instrument panel 23 in order to give continuity to the instrument panel 23, or the number of partings is reduced, etc.
However, since the region occupied by the transmission window 14 for light transmits light, no surface treatments such as described above can be given to this region. Therefore, a reflected image of this region is, in any way, formed on the windshield glass 20 to thereby disturb the view of the driver D.
Furthermore, the above-mentioned conventional optical head 10 has addressed the following problems.
While the mounting board 3 of the optical element must be mounted so as to be inclined with respect to the horizontal surface as described above, the control board 4 and the mounting board 3 must be arranged under different layout systems spacewise as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, taking into consideration ease with which to operate the control board for controlling the optical element. In this case, the control board 4 and the mounting board 3 are usually formed to be separate pieces.
If these boards 3, 4 are formed into separate pieces, connecting means for connecting these boards 3, 4 mechanically and electrically must be provided separately as well, which in turn complicates the general configuration of the optical head 10 and addresses manufacturing and managing problems.
The arrangement in which the LEDs are arrayed with each LED being inclined at a certain angle addresses a serious problem that the number of manufacturing steps is increased and that management is complicated. Further, if the LEDs must be rearrayed for adjustment of their directive angles after mounted, the LEDs may likely be mechanically deformed due to vibrations or the like during the operation or may likely break connecting electric wires.
Since the PD with a large area not only is expensive but also has a large capacity, its speed of response is low. Further, shot noise increases with increasing area, which in turn impairs S/N ratio.

Harness System Technologies Research Ltd.


A deskewing circuit configured to receive a main clock signal wherein data bits are misaligned with respect to the main clock signal. A multiphase clock generator coupled to the main clock to generate N/2 clock phases on the rising edge of the main clock and N/2 clock phases on the falling edge. A plurality of n samplers to generate a first set of N/2 sampled signals on the positive phases and a second set of N/2 sampled signals on the negative phases. A corresponding plurality of n phase selectors to determine which phase is the best for each set of sampled signals and generate the two selected signals corresponding to that phase. A control logic block configured to receive a corresponding plurality of n first control signals. A data bus gathering all said selected signals for further processing, wherein said selected signals are aligned with said reference clock but misaligned with respect to each other.

At high frequency transmission rates, when bits are transferred in parallel on the same bus, for example at the interface between a telecom chip and a network processor, a misalignment of the bits often occurs. This misalignment, commonly referred to as the "skew", is often due to transmission path differences, but can also result from other factors such as impedance mismatches or delays in the clock signals. When bits are transferred in parallel at high speed, they go through different paths, and therefore have different arrival times.
FIG. 1 shows a telecommunication system 10 comprised of a source (emitter) 11 and a sink (receiver) 12 that exchanges bits via a network 13, typically a bus comprised of a plurality of transmission lines. This illustrates the skew that can occur on a set of bits transmitted in parallel vis a vis a clock signal. As shown in FIG. 1, the slight misalignment that can be noticed at the output of the source 11 is significantly increased after the network 13 before it is applied to the sink 12. To be able to retrieve the bits in a correct order, a deskewing/alignment mechanism must be implemented as shown in FIG. 2.
Referring to FIG. 2, a deskewing and alignment block 14 is placed inside the sink 13 in a front end position to achieve this result before the aligned bits are processed in the functional logic block 15 as is standard. As a result, in a telecom IC chip, the deskewing/alignment function is performed between the input/output terminals (I/O's) and the functional logic of the chip.
For example, the Frame Based ATM level 4 or the SPI4 phase 2 protocols recommended respectively by the ATM and OIF forums, state that deskewing is only mandatory if the transmission lines (or links) are running at more than 350 MHz, but not for the lower frequencies (the standard transmission range starts at 310 MHz). When the bits are received in accordance with these protocols, a training sequence is sent inband periodically. The 20-word training pattern consists of 10 repeated training control words followed by 10 repeated training data words, wherein the training data word "1111000000000000" is orthogonal to the training control word "0000111111111111". It is applied to a 17 bit-width data bus, 1 control bit being associated to each set of 16 bits.
In this context, the role of the deskewing/alignment block 14 is to suppress the skew and properly realign the data and control bits on the main clock. To that end, it analyses the border between the training control words and the training data words to determine the delay which must be added to each transmission line of the data bus to realign the bits. This delay defined during the training period is then applied to inband data bits.
As illustrated in FIG. 3, which schematically shows the block diagram architecture of the deskewing and alignment block 14 of FIG. 2, the deskewing/alignment function is usually performed in two separate blocks: the deskewing block and the alignment block, respectively referenced 17 and 18. The received main clock signal tdclk, the 16 data bits tdat and the single control bit tctl are applied to the deskewing block 17 as inputs. Note that the data and control bits are applied via a bus having a width of 17 bits on each edge of the main clock (double edge clock).
In turn, the deskewing block 17 generates an internal reference clock signal (ref_clk), 2*16 data bits (bit_tdat) and 2*1 control bits (bit_tctl), that are sent to the alignment block 18. Said data and control bits are aligned with said reference clock but misaligned with respect to each other. Finally, the alignment block 18 processes these bits and generates 2*16 data bits (tdat_desk) and 2*1 control bits (tctl_desk) that are still aligned with said main clock and are now also aligned with each other.
After reset, the source continuously sends training patterns until enough valid parity values are received. Each control word and especially each training control word includes a parity field which is a diagonal interleaved parity computed on all the data which have been received after the previous control word. The parity values will not be correct until the deskewing is properly done.
It is therefore desirable to have a deskewing/alignment block combination which renders the functional logic block totally skew insensitive on the totality of said standard transmission range. It is also desirable to avoid the need of switching between two telecom systems or operating modes depending on whether the transmission frequency is lower or higher than 350 MHz. It is further desirable to have a deskewing/alignment block combination that performs an automatic discrimination between the data sequences and the training sequences that are periodically sent inband. Finally, it is still further desirable that there is no interaction between the deskewing/alignment block combination and the functional logic block.

Circuit for bit skew suppression in high speed multichannel data transmission


A differential amplifier unit and a feedback unit are provided. The differential amplifier unit includes first and second transistors and first to fourth loads. Each of the first and second transistors is provided with a current input end, a current output end connected to a lower potential power source and a control end. The first and second loads are cascade connected between a higher potential power source and the current input end of the first transistor. The third and fourth loads are cascade connected between the higher potential power source and the current input end of the second transistor. The feedback unit generates first and second feedback currents based on first and second output voltages. The feedback unit inputs the first and second feedback currents to a third node connecting the first and second loads and a fourth node connecting the third and fourth loads.

Differential amplifiers, such as amplifiers or comparators, are widely used to amplify inputted signals and to output amplified signals. The differential amplifiers are employed in an input and output units of electronic appliances for consumer use or communication use. A differential amplifier is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication JP2000-278053 (page 9, FIG. 10). Recently, with development of miniaturization of a semiconductor device, speeding up of a semiconductor integrated circuit has advanced. High speed operation is also required for amplifiers and comparators having a differential amplifier composed of a semiconductor integrated circuit respectively.
In order to achieve higher speed operation, gate lengths of a semiconductor device such as a MOS transistor composing a differential amplifier are formed shorter. In the case, shortening gate lengths causes a problem that a DC offset voltage of a differential amplifier circuit increases due to variations in gate length or in threshold voltage, which arises due to fluctuation of the process condition in manufacturing MOS transistors. In addition, when a feedback voltage is inputted to the differential amplifier circuit to reduce the DC offset voltage, inputting feedback voltage caused a problem that input and output impedance of the differential amplifier circuit can not be large.


Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), a naturally occurring, relatively short, single chain polypeptide, is prepared by growing methylotrophic yeast transformants containing in their genome at least one copy of a DNA sequence operably encoding IGF-1, in operational association with a DNA sequence encoding the S. cerevisiae alpha mating factor pre-pro sequence (including the proteolytic processing site: lys-arg), both under the regulation of a promoter region of a gene of a methylotrophic yeast, under conditions allowing expression of said DNA sequences, and secretion of IGF-1 into the culture medium.. Also disclosed are novel DNA fragments and novel recombinant yeast strains which are useful in the practice of the present invention.

Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) is a polypeptide of 70 amino acids with a molecular weight of 7648 daltons. This single chain protein has three intrachain disulfide bridges. These disulfide bonds, along with numerous hydrogen bonds and hydrophilic interactions, maintain the compact tertiary structure of this molecule. However, Meng et al. [see J. Chrom., 443: 183 (1988)] have shown that, upon reduction and reoxidation, IGF-1 can refold in a variety of ways, forming as many as 15 monomeric configurations. Consequently, attempts to produce this peptide by recombinant means in E. coli host expression systems provides a complicated mixture of product forms which must be purified for further use [see Grossgian and Friers in Gene, 18: 199 (1985)].
Insulin-like growth factor-1 belongs to a heterogeneous family of peptides which share some of the biological and chemical properties of insulin, but which are antigenically distinct from insulin. Currently available experimental evidence suggests that IGF-1 promotes growth by mediating the effects of growth hormone. Thus, such processes as skeletal growth, cell replication and other growth related processes are affected by IGF-1 levels.
Physiological concentrations of IGF-1 have been shown to be influenced by such conditions as thyroid disease, diabetes and malnutrition [see Preece, in Horm. Blood, 4: 108 (1983)]. IGF-1 has also been shown to act synergistically with other growth factors, for example, in accelerating the healing of soft and mesenchymal tissue wounds [see Lynch et al., in J. Clin. Periodontol., 16: 545 (1989) and Lynch et al., in Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 84: 7696 (1987)], and in enhancing the growth of mammalian cells in serum-free tissue culture medium [see Burleigh and Meng, in American Biotech. Lab., 4: 48 (1986)].
Considering the many clinical and research applications of IGF-1, a ready supply of IGF-1, such as that which would result from fermentation of IGF-1 expressing recombinant organisms, will be of great value to the medical and biotechnology fields.
Since isolation from natural sources is technically difficult, expensive, and time consuming, recent efforts have centered on the development of efficient recombinant methods for the production of IGF-1.
Of the hosts widely used for the production of heterologous proteins, probably E. coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Baker's yeast) are the best understood. However, E. coli does not possess the ability to produce disulfide bonds in proteins, thus proteins such as IGF-1 frequently are not stable in the presence of endogenous bacterial proteases, and tend to aggregate into inactive complexes. As a result of this inability to produce disulfide bonds, IGF-1 produced in E. coli has to be extracted and then the disulfide bonds have to be formed by oxidation. This results in a complicated mixture of 15 different forms of IGF-1, which must be separated. Consequently, the yield of purified product is very low (Grossgian and Friers, supra). Furthermore, in order to produce in E. coli IGF-1 molecules which contain the authentic N-terminal amino acid, i.e., glycine, and not the initiating methionine present on the primary translation product, it is necessary to express IGF-1 in E. coli as a fusion protein. Cleavage of mature IGF-1 from the initially produced fusion protein necessitates an additional step in the production process.
Yeasts can offer clear advantages over bacteria in the production of heterologous proteins, which include their ability to secrete heterologous proteins into the culture medium. Secretion of proteins from cells is generally superior to production of proteins in the cytoplasm. Secreted products are obtained in a higher degree of initial purity; and further purification of the secreted products is made easier by the absence of cellular debris. In the case of sulfhydryl-rich proteins, there is another compelling reason for the development of eukaryotic hosts capable of secreting such proteins into the culture medium: their correct tertiary structure is produced and maintained via disulfide bonds. This is because the secretory pathway of the cell and the extracellular medium are oxidizing environments which can support disulfide bond formation [Smith, et al., Science, 229: 1219 (1985)]; whereas, in contrast, the cytoplasm is a reducing environment in which disulfide bonds cannot form. Upon cell breakage, too rapid formation of disulfide linkages can result in random disulfide bond formation. Consequently, production of sulfhydryl-rich proteins, such as IGF-1, containing appropriately formed disulfide bonds, can potentially be best achieved by transit through the secretory pathway.
Gellerfors et al., in J. Biol. Chem., 264: 11444-11449 (1989), describe the production of IGF-1 in S. cerevisiae under the control of the S. cerevisiae actin promoter. The IGF-1 product is encoded by autonomously replicating plasmid-borne DNA. In a similar study, Bayne et al., in Gene, 66: 235-244 (1988), describe the production of IGF-1 in S. cerevisiae under the control of the S. cerevisiae alpha mating factor promoter. The latter authors report yields of IGF-1 which are quite low, with production of only about 2 mg of IGF-1 per liter of fermentation broth being reported.
In view of the problems usually encountered with up-scaling the production of heterologous proteins in autonomous plasmid-based yeast systems, such as S. cerevisiae, and the difficulties observed in reported work in S. cerevisiae, no motivation is provided by the art for one to further pursue the production of IGF-1 in S. cerevisiae.
To overcome the major problems associated with the expression of recombinant gene products in S. cerevisiae (e.g., loss of selection for plasmid maintenance and problems concerning plasmid distribution, copy number and stability in fermentors operated at high cell density), a yeast expression system based on methylotrophic yeast, such as for example, Pichia pastoris, has been developed. A key feature of this unique system lies with the promoter employed to drive heterologous gene expression. This promoter, which is derived from a methanol-responsive gene of a methylotrophic yeast, is frequently highly expressed and tightly regulated (see, e.g., European Patent Application No. 85113737.2, published Jun. 4, 1986, under No. 0 183 071, now issued in the United States as U.S. Pat. No. 4,855,231). Another key feature of expression systems based on methylotrophic yeast is the ability of expression cassettes to stably integrate into the genome of the methylotrophic yeast host, thus significantly decreasing the chance of vector loss.
Although the methylotrophic yeast, P. pastoris, has been used successfully for the production of various heterologous proteins, e.g., hepatitis B surface antigen [Cregg et al., Bio/Technology 5, 479 (1987)], lysozyme and invertase [Digan et al., Developments in Industrial Microbiology 29: 59 (1988); Tschopp et al., Bio/Technology 5: 1305 (1987)], endeavors to produce other heterologous gene products in Pichia, especially by secretion, have given mixed results. At the present level of understanding of methylotrophic yeast expression systems, it is unpredictable whether a given gene can be expressed to an appreciable level in such yeast or whether the yeast host will tolerate the presence of the recombinant gene product in its cells. Further, it is especially difficult to foresee if a particular protein will be secreted by the methylotrophic yeast host, and if it is, at what efficiency. Even for the non-methylotrophic yeast, S. cerevisiae, which has been considerably more extensively studied than P. pastoris, the mechanism of protein secretion is not well defined and understood.

Production of insulin-like growth factor-1 in methylotrophic yeast cells

The Salk Institute Biotechnology/Industrial Assoc, Inc.


An inflatable air beam having a laceloop assembly affixed thereto, a structure utilizing same and a method of constructing a structure is provided. In the structure, the fabric is laced to a structural support, typically, an air beam to position and properly tension the fabric thereon. The laceloop assembly includes spaced apart adjacent laceloops that are interconnected to secure the fabric panel to the structural support. In practicing the method, the laceloops are passed through fabric panels and through adjacent laceloops to interconnect the adjacent laceloops and secure the fabric panels to the structural support.

An inflatable tubular beam, also known as an air beam or air tube, is a structural support element having a pre-shaped structure, e.g., a cylindrical tube, of flexible material which is inflated to develop its rigidity. Air beams are particularly useful in situations where light weight and/or compact storage capability of the uninflated element are desired.
Inflated air beams can take various shapes and forms. Arched air beams are used, inter alia, in rapidly deployable shelters. Due to the light weight and compactness of the inflatable beams, such shelters are more conveniently transported, more quickly erected, and require less labor than conventional rigid structures.
It is known in the prior art to produce an inflatable curved or arched tubular beam or air beam by providing a gas-impermeable elastomeric or polymer film tubular lining or air bladder inside a fiber reinforced outer sleeve, such as a braided sleeve. When used in a tent or other structure, the tent fabric is positioned over these air beams to form the interior space of the tent or structure.
As with tents that use rigid support members, it is important to tension the tent fabric on the supports to prevent or reduce ponding (the collection of water on the fabric), excessive flutter of the fabric during windy conditions, etc. Unfortunately, unlike when rigid support structures are used, problems in getting the tent fabric to stay aligned on the air beams and maintaining proper tension exist. Current methods to tension the fabric on the air beam structures requires the user to pull the fabric from each end. However, because users typically only put tension on the fabric by pulling along the lace lines, where adjacent panels of material are laced together, this method is problematic and does not adequately secure the fabric to the air beam.
Current assembly methods require laying separate fabric panels between the air beams, pulling two panels of tent fabric together over one beam and lacing the two panels together. As the two panels are being laced together, the joined panels are buckled to the air beam using web and buckles attached to both the fabric sections and beams. As discussed previously, the present inventors have identified this method of assembly to be problematic as it prevents properly tensioning the tent fabric and aligning the tent fabric relative to the air beams.
In view of the above, there exists a need in the art for an improved structural support for supporting fabric panels for forming structures that enables improved positioning and/or tensioning of the tent fabric that overcomes the problems existing in the art. The apparatus and method of the present invention provides such a structural support and method of securing fabric panels to the structural support.

Catapult air beam with permanently affixed laceloops


A refrigerator including a home bar is provided. The refrigerator may include a latch assembly that releasably couples a door of the home bar to a door of the refrigerator to selectively provide access to an interior of the home bar without opening the main refrigerator door. The latch assembly may include a holder provided in one of the home bar door or the main refrigerator door, and a latch provided in the other of the home bar door or the main door. The latch may be selectively coupled to the holder to lock and unlock the home bar door. The latch locks the holder by changing elastic rotation of the latch in one direction into elastic restoring rotation in a second, reverse direction as the holder is moved forward into the latch. The latch unlocks the holder as the holder is moved farther forward, and the latch and the holder are decoupled from each other while the latch is elastically rotated in response to backward motion of the holder out of the latch.

1. Field
This relates to a home appliance, an in particular, to a latch assembly for a home appliance.
2. Background
A refrigerator may provide cold air to one or more storage compartments formed therein using a refrigerant system to preserve items stored therein at lower than normal temperatures. Such a refrigerator may include a case for defining an exterior appearance thereof and a refrigerator door hingedly coupled to a front of the case to selectively open and close the one or more compartments provided in the case.

Latch assembly and refrigerator or home appliance including the same


The present invention provides an Alternating Current/Direct Current (AC/DC) converter employing measures not only against residual voltage but also to reduce power consumption. The AC/DC converter receives an Alternating Current (AC) voltage through a concentric plug and converts the AC voltage into a Direct Current (DC) voltage. A discharge path is disposed on a path from a discharge terminal to a ground terminal. A detection circuit compares a wave detection voltage with a predetermined threshold voltage, and enables the discharge path to be turned on when the wave detection voltage is continuously lower than the threshold voltage for a predetermined detection time.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an Alternating Current/Direct Current (AC/DC) converter for converting a commercial Alternating Current (AC) voltage into a Direct Current (DC) voltage.
2. Description of the Related Art
Electronic apparatus, such as personal computers, television sets, and video recorders, operate by using an external AC voltage as power. An electronic apparatus of this kind has an AC/DC converter built in for performing AC/DC conversion on a commercial AC voltage, or an external power adapter (AC power adapter) including the AC/DC converter.
FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram illustrating the structure of a power adapter 100r on which the inventors' research was based. The power adapter 100r of FIG. 1 is an AC/DC converter for converting an AC voltage VAC into a DC voltage VDC, which includes a concentric plug 102, a discharge resistor R1, a filter circuit 10, a rectifier and smoothing circuit 20, a Direct Current/Direct Current (DC/DC) converter 30r, and an apparatus side connector 106.
When inserted into a socket 2 of an insertion connector for wiring, the concentric plug 102 receives the commercial AC voltage VAC. The filter circuit 10 removes noise of the commercial AC voltage VAC. A diode bridge circuit 22 of the rectifier and smoothing circuit 20 performs full-wave rectification on the AC voltage VAC of the filter circuit 10. A smoothing capacitor C21 of the rectifier and smoothing circuit 20 smooths the voltage rectified by the diode bridge circuit 22.
The DC/DC converter 30r converts a voltage level of a smoothed DC voltage VIN. The DC voltage VDC stabilized at a certain voltage level by the DC/DC converter 30r is supplied to an electronic apparatus 1 through the apparatus side connector 106. The discharge resistor R1, the filter circuit 10, the diode bridge circuit 22, the smoothing capacitor C21, and the DC/DC converter 30r are built in a frame body 104 of the power adapter 100r. The connection between the frame body 104 and the concentric plug 102 and the connection between the frame body 104 and the apparatus side connector 106 are achieved respectively through cables.

AC/DC converter, and AC power adapter and electronic apparatus using the same


A modular light housing apparatus for removably holding a light assembly includes a light transmissible portion and a cover portion. The cover portion is releasably coupled to the light transmissible portion and the light transmissible portion has a mounting region and a light compartment configured for transmitting light from the apparatus. Wire passages are provided between the mounting region and the light compartment, which is defined by a frame. The frame has a plurality of wire conduits, each near one of the wire passages. The wire conduits each have a conduit opening opposite one of the wire passages. The cover portion has a light mount for holding the light source, and the wires travel through the wire passages, wire conduits, and conduit openings to engage a light source.

In the fields of commercial and residential lighting, light fixtures serve a wide variety of functions. Practical functions include, for example, streetlights that allow cars to be driven safely at night. Aesthetic functions include mood lighting that provide spaces a desired ambiance. There are myriad light source options, all with their respective uses and effects.
However, for users to enjoy the full range of possible light sources, they currently must spend time and money removing existing light fixtures and replacing them with new fixtures whenever they want a design change. This is because conventional light fixtures typically come with a light source assembly integrated into a light housing, such that one cannot be separated from the other. Thus, users wanting to change a light source from one type to another, or from one size to another, have no choice but to replace an entire light fixture. For example, switching from a fluorescent lamp to an LED bulb may require replacing a pin socket with a screw socket, including different wiring or circuitry to handle new electrical requirements (e.g., voltage, amperage, circuit load, etc.). In such situations, changing a light source often requires changing an entire light source assembly. Because conventional light fixtures do not allow users to change out only a light source assembly, the entire light fixture is replaced instead.
Another issue with light fixtures known in the art that cannot be dissembled or reassembled is that if part of the light source assembly or housing is damaged, the user must again remove and replace the entire light fixture even if one of the two is still operational and does not need replacement. This can be a wasteful and often expensive process.
Finally, regarding the placement of light fixtures, current solar-powered light fixtures with solar panels built into the housing must be placed in areas that receive ample sunlight during the day, otherwise they will not store enough energy to produce light at night. This severely limits light placement options since it rules out all areas that are shaded during the day, even if they would be perfect for illuminating at night.
Therefore, there is currently a need in the market for a modular light fixture that can be reconfigured to accommodate light source assemblies of varying types and sizes without changing any of the light fixture's other components or configurations. There is also a need to provide a light source that can be replaced separately from its housing if one or the other is damaged. There is also a need for providing placement flexibility to solar-powered light fixtures.


To provide a destination prediction apparatus which can predict a destination of a user by using a carried item carried by the user, the destination prediction apparatus according to the present invention includes: a position information detection unit which detects a present position of a mobile terminal; a carried item detection unit which detects the carried item of the user; a history accumulation unit which accumulates a history of date and time information detected by a clock unit, position information detected by the position information detection unit, and information of the carried item of the user detected by the carried item detection unit; a carry frequency judgment unit which calculates a frequency at which the carried item is carried; a causal relationship extraction unit which calculates an infrequently carried item and a related point; a destination prediction unit which predicts the destination using the position information, the carried item information, and a position causal relationship extracted by the causal relationship extraction unit; and the clock unit which detects the date and time information.

(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a destination prediction apparatus which predicts a destination of a user, and is particularly applicable to a destination prediction apparatus used in a mobile terminal device.
(2) Description of the Related Art
As a conventional destination prediction apparatus that uses a mobile terminal and predicts a destination of a user, there is, for example, a method which predicts a future destination of the user, as shown in FIG. 1, by accumulating activity of the user in a position log 14 of a communications provider; breaking down the accumulated activity of the user into discrete units of activity; and acquiring a personal activity pattern by modeling the activity of the user as a series of these units of activity (see Patent Reference 1: Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2000-293540). In this method, an activity history of an individual is detected, so, for example, when the user has moved from intersection A to intersection B, the destination of the user is his/her workplace. In this manner, it is possible to predict the destination of the user.
In addition, there is a method in which starting/stopping an engine is used as a trigger in a car navigation device; a departure area is judged when the engine is started, a target area is judged when the engine is stopped, a history of the departure area and target area is acquired, and the destination is predicted.

Destination prediction apparatus and destination prediction method

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


The present invention provides a seat formed by bonding a trim cover to a foam pad, in which a sewing part of a trim cover can be bonded to a foam pad even when the trim cover is of leather. In a seat formed by bonding a trim cover to a foam pad, the trim cover includes a sewing part where plural trim covers are sewn up, raw material that is impregnated with an adhesive is sewn to the sewing part, and the foam pad and the raw material having been sewn are bonded to each other by the adhesive.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a seat that is formed by bonding skin material to a foam pad.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a seat for a vehicle and the like, there has been proposed a seat in which a decorative belt (also known as an accent line) having a belt shape is added to the seat and the design in appearance is considered.
As a prior art of the present technical field, there is JP-A No. 2017-030698 for example. In JP-A No. 2017-030698, there is disclosed a vehicular seat including a cushion seat or a seat back formed by covering the surface of a urethane pad with a trim cover, in which the trim cover is formed by sewing up plural trim covers and a sewn portion of the trim cover is bonded to a recess of the urethane pad by an adhesive along the shape of the recess.


Various implementations directed to determining three-dimensional (3D) rock properties using cross well seismic are provided. In one implementation, a method may include receiving 3D seismic data acquired in a seismic survey of a region of interest. The method may also include receiving cross well seismic data acquired in a cross well seismic survey of the region of interest. The method may further include determining a first set of rock properties of the region of interest based on the cross well seismic data. The method may additionally include determining one or more variograms based on the first set of rock properties. The method may also include determining one or more 3D rock properties of the region of interest based on the one or more variograms and the 3D seismic data.

In a seismic survey, a plurality of seismic sources, such as explosives, vibrators, air guns, and/or the like, may be sequentially activated near the surface of the earth or in a wellbore to generate energy (i.e., seismic waves) which may propagate into and through the earth. The seismic waves may be reflected back by geological formations within the earth, and the resultant seismic wavefield may be sampled by a plurality of seismic receivers, such as geophones, hydrophones and the like. Each receiver may be configured to acquire seismic data at the receiver's location, normally in the form of a seismogram representing the value of some characteristic of the seismic wavefield against time. The acquired seismograms or seismic data may be transmitted wirelessly or over electrical or optical cables to a recorder system. The recorder system may then store, analyze, and/or transmit the seismic data. This data may be used to generate an image of subsurface formations in the earth and may also be used to detect the possible presence of hydrocarbons, changes in the subsurface formations and the like.
In one scenario, three-dimensional (3D) surface seismic data may be generated and recorded by the receivers, where the 3D surface seismic data may represent a set of sound vibrations propagating in three dimensions within the earth (i.e., along x, y, and z axes). Such 3D surface seismic may be used to locate prospective reef development. Reef tops may mark an interface from shale to limestone that may creates a high-reflectivity event in the seismic wavefield. However, in some scenarios, 3D surface seismic images may have less resolution than images derived from other seismic data, such as by borehole seismic data.

Three-dimensional rock properties using cross well seismic


A method and system for communication between wireless networks connected through a wired network in a coordinator-based wireless network environment are provided. According to the method for communication, a wired/wireless relay device that attempts to associate with an initial coordinator-based wireless network notifies a coordinator of information indicating that it acts as a relay device. The coordinator sends the information to wireless network devices within an appropriate coordinator-based wireless network, and each of the wireless network devices transmits data to be transmitted to a device within a different coordinator-based wireless network to the relay device. When the relay device sends the data to a relay device in a coordinator-based wireless network a destination wireless network device belongs to through a wired network, the relay device in the same coordinator-based wireless network as the destination wireless network device sends the data to the destination wireless network device.

1. Field of the Invention
Apparatuses and methods consistent with the present invention relate to wireless networking, and more particularly, to communication between wireless networks in a coordinator-based wireless environment through connection to a wired network.
2. Description of the Related Art
With the advancement in communication and network technologies, a wired network environment using wired media such as coaxial or optical cables is evolving into a wireless one using wireless signals in various frequency bands. In line with the transition from wired to wireless technology, a computing device that contains a wireless interface module, enables mobility, and perform specific functions by processing various information (hereinafter "a wireless network device") is being developed and wireless technologies that enable effective communication between wireless network devices on a wireless network are emerging.
There are two major architectures of wireless networks: infrastructure and ad-hoc networks.
The infrastructure network contains an access point (AP) 110 as shown in FIG. 1 whereas the ad-hoc network does not require an AP for communication as shown in FIG. 2.
In an infrastructure mode, an AP 110 not only connects a wireless network to a wired network but also provides communication among wireless network devices within a wireless network. Thus, all data traffic in the infrastructure network is relayed through the AP 110.
In an ad-hoc mode, wireless network devices within a single wireless network can directly communicate with one another without using an AP.
Such ad-hoc wireless networks can be further classified into two types based on the presence of a coordinator. In one type of wireless network, which is called a "coordinator-based wireless network", a randomly selected wireless network device acts as a coordinator that assigns time ("channel time") to other wireless network devices within the same wireless network for data transmission, and then the other wireless network devices are allowed to transmit data only at the assigned channel time. As compared to the coordinator-based wireless network, which is called a "coordinator-free wireless network", the other type of wireless network allows all network devices to transmit data at any time desired without using a coordinator.
The coordinator-based wireless network is a single independent coordinator-centered network. When there are multiple coordinator-based wireless networks within a certain area, each network has a unique ID to distinguish itself from others.
Thus, while wireless network devices can transmit data to and/or receive data from other network devices during channel time assigned by the coordinator on a coordinator-based wireless network where they belong, they are not allowed to communicate with wireless network devices belonging to another coordinator-based wireless network.
For example, in a home network system containing three coordinator-based wireless networks as shown in FIG. 3, it is assumed that a wireless network-1 310, a wireless network-2 320, and a wireless network-3 330 are built in a first-floor living room, a second-floor schoolroom, and a first-floor bedroom, respectively.
If a user desires to watch movies stored on a media server 315 in the living room using a portable moving picture player 325 in the schoolroom, then the user cannot watch movies since there is no way to communicate between the wireless network-1 310 and the wireless network-2 320. Thus, to see the movies, the user has to go downstairs to the living room.
This problem may arise due to restriction on range of radio waves, absence of information on another coordinator-based wireless network, and channel time allocation.
Thus, there is a need to construct a new network topology for data transmission and reception between wireless network devices belonging to different coordinator-based wireless networks.

Method and system for communication between coordinator-based wireless networks


An endless belt conveyor including an independently supported first support pulley vertically and laterally displaced from a second support pulley. An endless belt including bulk material carrying compartments entrained around the first and second support pulleys and which is engaged by the full width of said support pulleys. The endless belt includes a radius of curvature near the top of the vertical run of a predetermined size such that the bulk material carried in the endless belt is not expel due to centrifugal force. A portion of the endless belt entrained over the first support pulley has a radius of curvature of a predetermined size such that the material carried in the endless belt is expelled due to centrifugal force.

It is well known in the industry to use a pocket conveyor to convey loose bulk material such as coal, stone, sand, grain, etc., when the material must be conveyed vertically or at very steep angles. One type of pocket conveyor for this use utilizes a flexible side wall type of rubber belting. This type of belt consists of a flat, reinforced rubber, base belt to which side walls constructed of corrugated shaped reinforced rubber are attached and between the two side walls, cross-flights or cleats are attached at regular intervals along the length of the belt to form troughs or pockets where the bulk material can be deposited.
The common method used to construct a steep angle or vertical conveyor of this type requires the flexible side wall belt to be bent around a series of pulleys or deflection wheels as shown in the prior art design illustrated in FIG. 1. When the belt must be bent in a direction that allows the bottom of the flat base belt to contact the pulley, a cylindrical-shaped pulley that extends across the full width of the base belt can be used; however, if the belt must be bent in the opposite direction, deflection wheels that contact the external surface of the base belt, only on the portion of the base belt that extends beyond the outside width of the side walls are used. The two deflection wheels are attached to a common shaft and the shaft is supported by bearings located outside each of the deflection wheels. The outside diameter of the deflection wheels must be large enough to allow the connection shaft to pass across the side walls that assist in forming the pockets that carry the bulk material. Therefore, in these prior art arrangements, the width of the flat base belt must be sufficiently wide to allow a portion of the base belt to extend laterally beyond the width of the two side walls. In these prior art constructions, the base belt extended laterally beyond the width of the two side walls approximately 10 to 18 inches. As a consequence, a portion of the width of the base belt is not utilized in cooperation with the sidewalls in forming the pockets or troughs.
In addition, when the belt must be bent around deflection wheels to redirect the belt, the maximum allowable belt tension is much less than when the belt is bent around a full-width cylinder shaped pulley. This is due to the fact that if the belt is bent around the deflection wheels, the total belt tension stress is concentrated near the edges of the base belt. On the other hand, if the belt is bent around a full width cylindrical pulley, the total belt tension stress is evenly distributed across the full-width of the base belt. Moreover, when the belt is bent around deflection wheels, the possibility exists that the belt will collapse down between the two deflection wheels if the belt tension exceeds the lateral strength of the belt. This may cause severe belt damage, or total destruction of the belt as well as loss of operation of the conveyor.
In addition, conventional vertical conveyors that are used to carry bulk material have a section of the flexible side wall belt travelling in a horizontal direction where the material is loaded onto the belt at the bottom of the lift, and another section of the belt travelling in a horizontal direction where the material is discharged at the top of the lift. This arrangement requires the belt to be bent around both full-width cylinder pulleys and deflection wheels. The maximum lift that can be achieved with this type of conveyor for any given belt strength is usually limited by the maximum belt tension sustainable where the belt wraps around the deflection wheels at the top of the lift. This tension is created by the weight of the vertical portion of the belt suspended from the deflection wheels at the top of the lift. Consequently, the length of the endless conveyor belt in prior art devices was considerably limited.
There is a growing need for vertical conveyors with very high lifts, often exceeding 600 feet, and the weight of this type of belt can be as much as 75 pounds per foot. Therefore, the resulting belt tension at the location of the deflection wheels at the top of the lift often can exceed 45,000 pounds. This belt tension approaches a load range where there is no belt available that has sufficient cross strength to operate properly. Another disadvantage of many prior art vertical conveyors is that they require support structure to be constructed over the entire length of the vertical run of the belt. When high vertical runs are required, it is generally time consuming and economically inefficient to construct a support structure for the conveyor that spans the entire vertical run.
In view of the above, there remains a need for a steep angle or vertical conveyor capable of traversing significantly high vertical runs that does not require the use of deflection wheels nor intermediate support structure.
There is also a need for a vertical conveyor system that can utilize the full tensile strength of the belt wherein all bends in the belt can be supported with full width cylindrical pulleys, therefore achieving a greater vertical lift. In addition, there is a need for the vertical conveyor system capable of traversing significant vertical runs that uses a less expensive base belt due in part to the fact that the overall width of the conveyor can be less than a conveyor system that requires deflection wheels. In addition, because the tension created by the belt is distributed over the entire width of the belt due to its full contact with the pulley, stronger and generally more expensive belts are not required.