An N-screen computer display system is described that includes N panels having N screens capable of displaying a cursor. The system also includes a cursor repositioning component having N screen selectors associated with the N screens. Each of the N screen selectors can be activated to reposition the cursor such that if a particular one of the N screen selectors is activated, the cursor is repositioned to a location on a particular screen associated with the particular one of the N screen selectors. Also described is a cursor location identifier to identify the location of a cursor in a computer display system.

One problem that can arise when working on a computer is that the user may lose track of the position of the cursor. This problem is exacerbated on computer systems having more than one screen. One crude way of locating the cursor is to jiggle the mouse that controls the cursor in the hope of finding the cursor. This technique leaves much to be desired, since even with this approach, the cursor can still blend into the background, making it difficult to locate.
An associated problem that can arise when using a multiple screen computer system is that a lot of inconvenient mouse motion is required to move the cursor from one screen to the other. For example, in a horizontal three-screen configuration, it is likely that several mouse strokes are needed to move the cursor across the full width of the three screens.


Tire building drum and tire building method, capable of assembling tire component members with high accuracy. A tire building drum is used, which includes at least one core body, which is disposed at an axial inside of a pair of bead lock means, and which comprises a plurality of sheets of rigid support members disposed in a toroidal shape and adapted to be displaced and thereby expanded or contracted. Bead cores are locked by the bead lock means, respectively, and a center portion of a carcass band is bulged while displacing the bead lock means close to each other. Back side portions of the carcass band are folded to radial outsides around the bead cores, respectively. The core body is then radially expanded to the maximum diameter while locking the bead cores, and tire component members are assembled onto the radially expanded core body.

In molding a green tire, there has been conventionally conducted a method comprising the steps of: providing a cylindrical carcass band or green case on a shaping drum; bulging a center portion of the carcass band or green case into a toroidal shape; and uniting it to a belt/tread band established by bonding tire component members such as a belt member and a tread rubber separately on a belt/tread forming drum.
However, in such a conventional method, the belt/tread band is once detached from the belt/tread forming drum, gripped from radially outside, moved to the shaping drum, and this gripping is released there so as to move the belt/tread band onto the shaping drum, with the result that the steps are made complicated and the tread band is gripped and released many times, thereby causing a problem of a deteriorated accuracy of relative positions between the carcass band or green case and the belt/tread band. To deal with it, there has been proposed a method for directly assembling tire component members to a carcass band on a building drum, as disclosed in JP-2002-326288A.
The above proposal is capable of solving the complexity of steps. However, in assembling tire component members, side portions of a carcass band are once folded back to radial outsides around bead cores, respectively, a center portion of the toroidally bulged carcass band is then supported from a radial inside by a core device in a state where the bead cores are not locked to a building drum, and tire component members are assembled onto the core device. This fails to attain a relative positional relationship between the assembled tire component members and bead cores with high accuracy, thereby still failing to solve the above problem in this point.
The present invention has been conceived in view of such a problem, and it is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a tire building drum and a tire building method capable of assembling tire component members directly onto a building drum having a carcass band provided thereon and capable of assembling the tire component members with high precision, in molding a tire by folding back side portions of the carcass band to radial outsides around bead cores, respectively.


An internally meshing planetary gear structure is the type having a first and second supporting blocks. The supporting blocks are rigidly connected to each other by carrier pins passing through inserting-fit holes formed on externally toothed gears. Also, the end surfaces of the carrier pins are exposed on a counter-member mounting surface of the first supporting block positioned on the counter-member side, and thus screw holes for screwing counter-member fixing bolts are formed on the end surfaces. With this arrangement, it is possible to enlarge the actual usable area of a counter-member mounting surface of the first supporting block and hence to increase the number of counter-member fixing bolts.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an internally meshing planetary gear structure suitable for a reduction gear or a step-up gear, and particularly, for a reduction gear or a step-up gear requiring a high output with the small size.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The conventional internally meshing planetary gear structures have disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-open No. sho 60-260737, U.S. Pat. No. 3,129,611 and the like. In such a gear structure, a casing is provided, and the tip of a main rotational shaft is inserted into the casing. A first supporting and second supporting blocks are disposed around the main rotational shaft in an axially spaced apart manner. Also, the above supporting blocks are rotatably supported by the casing through respective bearings and rigidly connected with each other. A plurality of eccentric body shafts are disposed along a circumference coaxial to the main rotational shaft. The above eccentric body shafts are supported at both the ends thereof by the first and second supporting shafts, and are rotated in an interlocking relation with the rotation of the main rotational shaft. Eccentric bodies are provided at the approximately axially central portions of the eccentric body shafts, respectively. Externally toothed gears are provided between the first and second supporting blocks, and eccentrically rotated around to the main rotational shaft through the eccentric bodies provided on the eccentric body shafts, respectively. An internal gear is fixed on the casing for internally meshing with the above externally toothed gears.
FIGS. 5 and 6 shows the conventional internally meshing planetary gear structure of this type.
In these figures, numeral 1 designates a cylindrical casing. The casing 1 has an external flange 2. The tip of an input shaft (main rotational shaft) 3 rotated by a motor (not shown) is inserted into the central portion of the casing 1.
In the casing 1, a first supporting block 4 and a second supporting block 5 are oppositely disposed in an axially spaced apart manner. These first and second supporting blocks 4 and 5 are rotatably supported around the internal periphery of the casing 1 through bearings 6a and 6b.
The second supporting block 5 (in the right side in FIG. 5) has a projection 7 (see FIG. 6) having a complex shape and projecting to the first supporting block 4 (in the left side in FIG. 5). Both the supporting blocks 4 and 5 are rigidly connected to each other by bolts 29 and pins 30 through the projection 7 having such a complex shape, thus constituting a carrier as a whole.
Also, in the casing 1, three eccentric body shafts 8 are disposed in parallel to the input shaft 3. These eccentric body shafts 8 are circumferentially spaced at equal intervals on a circumference coaxial to the input shaft 3. Both ends of each eccentric body shaft 8 are rotatably supported in eccentric body shaft bearing holes 10a and 10b of the first and second supporting blocks 4 and 5 through eccentric body shaft bearings 9a and 9b, respectively.
The end portion of each eccentric body shaft 8 on the first supporting block 4 side projects outwardly from the portion supported by the eccentric body shaft bearing 9a. Three transmission gear units 13 are mounted on the projecting portion through splines 12. In this case, the transmission gear units 13 are respectively constituted of a pair of gears for preventing backlash.
The first and second supporting blocks 4 and 5 are formed with center holes 14 and 15 at the radial centers thereof, respectively. The above input shaft 3 passes through the center holes 14 and 15. A pinion 16 meshing with the transmission gear units 13 fixed on each eccentric body shaft 8 is fixed at the tip of the input shaft 3. Accordingly, the rotation of the input shaft 3 is equally distributed to three eccentric body shafts 8 through the pinion 16 and the transmission gear units 13.
In this case, the teeth number of the each transmission gear unit 13 is specified to be larger than that of the pinion 16. Consequently, the rotation of each eccentric body shaft 8 is reduced in correspondence with the gear ratio between the transmission gear unit 13 and the pinion 16.
Two eccentric bodies 17a and 17b are axially lined-up at the approximately axially central portion of each eccentric body shaft 8. These eccentric bodies 17a and 17b are phase-shifted by 180.degree. to each other.
On the other hand, two disk-like externally toothed gears 18a and 18b, each having an outside diameter slightly smaller than the inside diameter of the casing 1, are axially lined-up between the first and second supporting blocks 4 and 5. Each of the externally toothed gears 18a and 18b is provided with three eccentric body bearings holes 19a and 19b, through which the above eccentric body shafts 8 pass respectively. The above eccentric bodies 17a and 17b are fitted to the eccentric body shaft bearing holes 19a and 19b through eccentric body bearings 20a and 20b, respectively. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 6, the externally toothed gears 18a and 18b are supported in the state where the center Og thereof is eccentric to the rotational center Of of the input shaft 3 by a distance <e>. Thus, these externally toothed gears 18a and 18b are rotated in a rolling (swaying) manner by one rotation around the rotational center Of of the input shaft 3 for each rotation of the eccentric body shaft 8.
As the above eccentric body bearings 20a and 20b, needle bearings are here used. These eccentric body bearings 20a and 20b are axially positioned by stopper plates 21 and 23, and a flange 22 provided on the eccentric body shaft 8.
Each of the above externally toothed gears 18a and 18b has circular arc or trochoid shaped external teeth 24. An internal gear 25 meshing with the externally toothed gears 18a and 18b is disposed on the outer peripheral side of the externally toothed gears 18a and 18b. The internal gear 25 is formed integrally with the casing 1 around the inner periphery of the casing 1. This internal gear 25 has internal teeth constituted of outer pins 26. In addition, the outer pins 26 are secured by a pin pressing ring 27 from the inside for preventing the outer pins 26 from slipping off.
As shown in FIG. 6, insertion openings (inserting-fit holes) 28a and 28b, each having a complex curved contour, are formed at the central portions of the external gears 18a and 18b, respectively. The projection 7 of the second supporting block 5 passes through these insertion openings 28a and 28b. Thus, in the state where the end surface of the projection 7 is closely contacted with the inner end surface of the first supporting block 4, the first and second supporting blocks 4 and 5 are rigidly connected to each other by the bolts 29 and the pins 30, thereby constituting an integral carrier.
The projection 7 is intended to mutually transmit the rotational forces applied on the first and second supporting blocks 4 and 5. The insertion openings 28a and 28b of the externally toothed gears 18a and 18b has a size and a shape enough to prevent the interference with the projection 7 even in rolling (swaying) of the externally toothed gears 18a and 18b.
Now, the function of the gear structure will be described.
First, it is here assumed that the casing 1 is fixed, and the rotational output is taken from the carrier constituted of the first and second supporting blocks 4 and 5.
As the input shaft 3 is rotated, three eccentric body shafts 8 are rotated at an equal speed in the same direction (reversed to the rotational direction of the input shaft 3) through the pinion 16 and the transmission gear units 13. As described above, two eccentric bodies 17a and 17b are provided on each of three eccentric body shafts 8. Accordingly, the eccentric bodies 17a and 17b are eccentrically rotated at an equal speed in the same direction, so that two of externally toothed gears 18a and 18b are rotated in a rolling (swaying) manner around the input shaft 3.
In this case, since the casing 1 is fixed, that is, the internal gear 25 is fixed, the externally toothed gears 18a and 18b are rolled while internally meshing with the internal gear 25 in the state where the free rotation is restricted. For example, assuming that the teeth number of the externally toothed gears 18a and 18b are specified at N, and the teeth number of the internal gear 25 is specified at (N+1), the tooth difference is one. Accordingly, the externally toothed gears 18a and 18b are shifted (rotated on its axis) by one tooth with respect to the internal gear 25 for each rotation of the eccentric body shafts 8.
This shifting, that is, the rotations of the externally toothed gears 18a and 18b are transmitted to the first and second supporting blocks 4 and 5 through the eccentric body shafts 8. Since the supporting blocks 4 and 5 are integrated with each other through the projection 7, the rotational forces respectively transmitted to the supporting blocks 4 and 5 are combined, and taken from the supporting block 4 or 5 on the output side. In addition, the supporting blocks 4 and 5 are reduced at -1/N rotation for one rotation of the eccentric body shafts 8.
In the above, the function has been described assuming that the casing 1 is fixed and the output is taken from the side of the supporting block 4 or 5. However, the output may be taken from the casing 1 side, with the supporting blocks 4 and 5 being fixed. In this case, a counter-member is connected to the external flange 2 provided on the casing 1. With this arrangement, the reduced output is taken from the casing 1 side at the identical speed and in the reverse rotation to the case being taken from the side of the above supporting block 4 or 5.
Thus, the reduced rotational output may be taken from the side of the supporting block 4 or 5, with the casing 1 side being fixed, or may be taken from the casing 1 side, with the supporting blocks 4 and 4 being fixed. The above two types of the gear structures are adapted for reduction gears. In terms of the type of taking the output, the former is called as a carrier rotation type and the latter is called as a casing rotation type.
The conventional structure shown in FIG. 5 is assumed as the casing rotation type. Accordingly, a cover 31 is provided to the opening portion of the casing 1 on the side of the transmission gear units 13.
Incidentally, the gear structure of the casing rotation type or the carrier rotation type can be used as a step-up gear by reversing a relationship between the input and the output.
Next, the conventional gear structure of the carrier rotation type will be briefly described with reference to FIG. 7.
In the carrier rotation type, generally, an output shaft is provided integrally with the supporting block which is on the opposite side to the input shaft. Thus, the reduced rotational output is taken from the output shaft. However, in the conventional structure, the counter-member P on the output side is directly connected to the first supporting block 4. In this gear structure, the reduction mechanism is almost similar to that shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, except that the projection 7 for connecting both the supporting blocks 4 and 5 to each other is provided not on the second supporting block 5 but on the first supporting block 4, and the cover 31 is omitted. The main difference lies in that screw holes 32 are formed on the outer surface of the first supporting block 4, and thus the counter-member P is mounted by screwing bolts 33 in these screw holes 32.
In the above two gear structures, for connecting the first and second supporting blocks 4 and 5 to each other, there is used the projection 7 formed integrally with the first supporting block 4 or the second supporting block 5. However, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,129,611, carrier pins (cage bars) are used in place of the projection 7 for connection. In each of the carrier pins, both ends thereof are rigidly fixed on the first and second supporting blocks (disks) for connecting both the supporting blocks, thus constituting a carrier (cage).
By the way, as shown in FIG. 7, in the case that the counter-member P is directly fixed on the supporting block 4 by the bolts 33 for taking the output from the supporting block 4, the number of the fixing bolts 33 must be increased for taking the high rotational force. Notwithstanding, if the type of taking the output in the above manner is adapted to the above-described gear structure of connecting the supporting blocks with the above carrier pins, it is difficult to secure a large number of the screw holes for screwing bolts because of the obstruction due to the presence of the carrier pins.
Namely, when the first and second supporting blocks are connected with the carrier pins, the space for forming the screw holes is reduced. Consequently, it becomes difficult to increase the number of the screw holes. Particularly, in the gear structure of disposing a plurality of the eccentric body shafts and of rotating them with respective transmission gear units, it becomes further difficult to secure the space for forming the screw holes because of the presence of the eccentric body shafts and the transmission gear units. Accordingly, it is limited to increase the number of the screw holes, which makes it impossible to increase the number of the bolts and hence to increase the transmission torque.
Also, in each of the above gear structures, eccentric body bearings 20a and 20b are interposed between the outer peripheries of the eccentric bodies 17a and 17b and the inner peripheries of the eccentric body bearing holes 19a and 19b of the externally toothed gears 18a and 18b, respectively.
In the conventional gear structure shown in FIG. 5 or 7, the stopper plate 21, the flange 22 and the stopper plate 23 are used for carrying out the axially positioning of the eccentric body bearings 20a and 20b. Accordingly, there is arisen a problem of lengthening the axial dimension of the machine by the spaces therefor, and increasing the cost for fabricating the stopper plates.
Also, in the gear structure of U.S. Pat. No. 3,129,611, the outer ring of the eccentric body bearing is press-fitted in the bearing hole formed on the externally toothed gear for restricting the axial movement of the bearing. However, it is difficult to remove the bearing, which deteriorates the disassembling performance.

Internally meshing planetary gear structure


A subject of the present invention is to provide an antenna unit and a portable radio device capable of attaining a wider bandwidth and a lower SAR.

The mobile radio communication system recently spreads. In the portable radio device, or the like, for example, the user anticipates further reduction in size, weight and cost of the device. Also, the portable radio device capable of meeting a plurality of communication systems that make transmission/reception in a plurality of different frequency bands is now investigated. Thus, the user expects the device to handle the frequency bands of a plurality of communication systems by one antenna unit. As a result, a smaller size, a lower cost attained by the reduction in the number of articles and the assembling man-hours, or a wider frequency characteristic to be secured, and so forth are required of the antenna unit that is incorporated into the portable radio device. However, normally the antenna unit tends to have a narrower bandwidth commonly when the size of such antenna unit is reduced smaller.
Meanwhile, as the antenna unit used in the portable radio device in the prior art, e.g., the mobile phone, the antenna unit shown in FIG. 1 is known. In this case, FIG. 1 is an appearance view of the antenna unit showing the state that a whip antenna 202 is pulled out from a conventional mobile phone 200.
This mobile phone 200 has a telescopic antenna unit. The whip antenna 202 starts operation when such whip antenna 202 is pulled out from a housing 201. Also, a helical antenna 203 starts operation when the whip antenna 202 is pushed into the housing 201.
Meanwhile, according to this telescopic antenna unit, the helical antenna 203 of this antenna unit is always protruded from the housing 201 of the mobile phone 200 to the outside, and thus the presence of such protruded portion causes inconvenience to the user upon carrying and operating the phone. In particular, the small-size mobile phone 200 is often put into the user's breast pocket. For this reason, it is possible that the antenna may hit on various things during carried in the rocket, and a physical strength of the antenna cannot be satisfactorily maintained.
Therefore, in order to overcome disadvantages such as troublesome, incomplete physical strength, and the like, the built-in antenna unit whose antenna element is built in the interior of the main body of the portable radio device is known, as disclosed in JP-A-2000-349526, for example.
However, since this built-in antenna unit is arranged in vicinity of the liquid crystal screen, the board, the speaker, etc. which are constituting the portable radio device, such antenna unit is easily affected by these parts. It is known that normally such antenna unit operates in the narrower bandwidth.
For this reason, in many cases the wider bandwidth is realized by providing the matching circuit to the preceding stage of the feeding portion and then adjusting the impedance matching.
However, in the case where the wider bandwidth is realized by the matching circuit, a space in which the matching circuit is mounted must be kept on the printed board in the housing. Thus, there is a possibility that an increase in the mounting space on the printed board and an increase in the number of articles are brought about.
Also, normally the telescopic antenna unit in the prior art is constructed such that such device is unbalancedly fed to flow the antenna current through the housing of the portable radio device. In such unbalanced antenna unit, it is known that the antenna gain is degraded by the influence of the user's hand, and so on when the user holds the portable radio device to use.
Also, this portable radio device is regulated by the law based on SAR (Specific Absorption Rate), and it is requested to suppress the SAR value below a predetermined value. In such portable radio device, normally the state in which the user puts the portable radio device to his or her ear to contact closely to the head of the human body and speaks upon the phone, and so forth, for example, are considered as "the state in which the SAR value is increased". Thus, according to the regulation by the law, further reduction in the SAR value is driven by necessity.
Therefore, as approaches of reducing the SAR value during the speaking in the prior art, three approaches described in the following are considered, for example.
First, it is known that the SAR value can be reduced by increasing an air clearance between the antenna unit and the head of the human body. Since normally the earpiece portion comes closest to the ear during the speaking, mainly a distance between the earpiece portion and the ear should be extended herein. However, in order to increase this air clearance, the antenna element must be positioned away from the head of the human body during the speaking by enlarging the housing of the portable radio device, for example. Thus, there is a possibility of causing an increase of the device in size.
Second, it is known that the SAR value can be reduced by reducing a set value of the maximum sending power. However, there is a possibility that the communication quality in the weak electric field area cannot be kept when the set value is reduced.
Third, as disclosed in JP-A-11-307144, the SAR value can be reduced by increasing an air clearance between a peak point of the antenna current (a point at which the largest antenna current is generated) and the head of the human body. This approach is available in the configuration in which the peak point is separated away from the head of the human body during the speaking. However, in the antenna unit having the configuration set forth in this publication, the peak point of the antenna current is only one and thus the peak point comes close to the head of the human body according to a mode of use of the user. Thus, there is a possibility of increasing the SAR value.
Here, the SAR value as the object of the law regulation is the numerical value used when the radio wave is radiated from the antenna unit provided to the portable radio device. Since there is no need to take account of such value upon receiving the radio wave, only the transmission band should be checked.
Next, FIG. 2 is an explanatory view showing the radiation directivity when a parasitic element 213 is brought close to an antenna element 212.
In FIG. 2, the antenna element 212 is a monopole antenna whose effective length is a half wavelength (λ/2) of a transmitted wavelength (λ), and is fed from a feeding portion 214. In contrast, the parasitic element 213 is formed of a wire, or the like, for example, whose length is shorter than the half wavelength (λ/2), and is arranged in the proximity of the antenna element 212.
In the case of an antenna unit 210 having such configuration, it is known that the parasitic element 213 operates as a waveguide element and thus the radiation directivity of the antenna unit 210 becomes strong in the +X direction rather than the −X direction.
As explained above, normally the bandwidth of the above conventional antenna unit is liable to become narrower when the reduction of the antenna unit in size is advanced.
Also, in the case of the above conventional telescopic antenna unit, there are the problems that the protrusion of the antenna unit from the portable radio device causes inconvenience upon carrying and operating the phone, and in addition the physical strength cannot be kept.
Also, since the above conventional built-in antenna unit disclosed in above JP-A-2000-349526 is arranged in vicinity of the liquid crystal screen, the board, the speaker, etc. constituting the portable radio device, normally the bandwidth tends to become narrow.
Also, in the above conventional unbalanced antenna unit, there is the problem that the antenna gain is degraded by the influence of the user's hand when the user holds the portable radio device to use.
Also, in the above conventional portable radio device, the increase in size of the device is brought about when the air clearance between the antenna unit and the head of the human body is increased during the speaking state to reduce the SAR value.
Also, in the above conventional portable radio device, there is the disadvantage that the communication quality is degraded in the weak electric field area when the set value of the maximum sending power is decreased to reduce the SAR value.
Here, current distributions 222 to 252 and current peak points 221 to 251 in respective antennas of a half-wave monopole antenna 220, a one-wave monopole antenna 230, a half-wave dipole antenna 240, and a one-wave dipole antenna 250 will be explained with reference to FIGS. 3(A) to (D) hereunder.
As shown in these Figures, it is appreciated in these monopole antennas and dipole antennas that, in the case of the half wavelength, the current peak points 221 to 251 are positioned in one center point of the antenna element respectively and, in the case of the one wavelength, the current peak points are scattered into two points respectively.
On the contrary, in the antenna unit set forth in above JP-A-11-307144, there are the problems that the peak point of the antenna current is only at one location, and the peak point comes close to the head of the human body according to change in the using situation of the user, and thus the SAR value is apt to increase.
Therefore, the present invention has been made in light of above circumstances, and it is an object of the present invention to provide an antenna unit and a portable radio device capable of realizing a wider band and realizing a good antenna performance by controlling the radiation directivity and in addition reducing SAR.

Antenna unit and portable radio system comprising antenna unit

Abstract: In the present invention, an antenna element (12) that has an effective length corresponding to a half wavelength of a transmitting frequency and a parasitic element (13) that has an effective length corresponding to a half wavelength of a receiving frequency are provided, an antenna current is induced in the antenna element (12) at the transmitting frequency upon transmitting a radio wave in a predetermined transmitting frequency band, and another antenna current is induced in the parasitic element (13) by a spatial coupling between the antenna element (12) and the parasitic element (13) at the receiving frequency upon receiving the radio wave in a predetermined receiving frequency band, whereby peak points in an antenna current distribution are scattered into two points. Accordingly, a wider bandwidth can be obtained without addition of a matching circuit and also expansion of a parts packaging space on a board and reduction in the number of packaged parts can be achieved.

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


Methods and apparatus for frequency offset estimation and correction prior to preamble detection of DSSS signals. An integrated circuit is disclosed including a receiver circuit having an input coupled to receive a DSSS signal, the receiver circuit configured to sample the DSSS signal and to output a sequence of digital samples; carrier frequency offset estimation logic configured to perform a carrier frequency offset estimation on the digital samples; carrier frequency correction logic configured to correct the carrier frequency of the sequence of digital samples using the carrier frequency offset estimation and to output a sequence of corrected digital samples; offset quadrature phase shift keying (O-QPSK) demodulation logic configured to perform demodulation on the corrected digital samples and further configured to output symbols corresponding to the corrected digital samples; and preamble identification configured to identify and detect a preamble sequence in the symbols. Additional methods and apparatus are disclosed.

DSSS networks are used in implementing over the air systems. In one example, a smart utility network (SUN) is a low rate (5 kb/s to 1 Mb/s), low power, wireless communications technology that is specifically designed to be used in utility metering applications, such as for transmitting electric, gas, or water usage data from the one or more meters on the customer premises to a data collection point operated for the utility. The data collection point can then be connected to a central office for the utility by a similar or a different interface, which can be a high speed "backhaul" such as an optical fiber, copper wire, or other high speed wired connection to a network including the central office.
In the prior known solutions, different physical layers (PHYs) can be used for communication in over the air networks such as SUN including frequency shift keying (FSK), direct sequence spread spectrum (DSSS), and orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM). In an example DSSS communications system that is a closed utility network, the devices that are allowed into the network can be controlled by the utility or the network operator. Note that while some of the examples discussed herein for illustration include the operation of smart utility networks, the arrangements disclosed as aspects of the present application are not so limited and can be applied and used in conjunction with DSSS communications networks, generally.
A relevant standard has been promulgated by the IEEE, referred to as IEEE standard number 802.15.4g, entitled "Low-Rate Wireless Personal Area Networks (LR-WPANs)" issued Apr. 27, 2012 by the IEEE Computer Society and sponsored by the LAN/MAN Standards Committee. This standard identifies physical layer (PHY) specifications for low data rate, wireless, smart metering utility networks (SUN). The standard is intended to provide a globally used standard that facilitates very large scale process control applications such as a utility smart-grid network that are capable of supporting large, geographically diverse networks with minimal infrastructure and containing potentially millions of fixed endpoints. Note that arrangements of the present application is not limited to particular environment, including the SUN applications, but the various arrangements that form aspects of the present application are applicable to such applications.
FIG. 1 is an illustration of a portion of a 100 kchip/sec DSSS physical layer packet as defined by the IEEE 802.15.4g specification. In a DSSS communication system, a "chip" refers to a single electrical pulse with duration equal to 1/chip second rate. For example, in a 100 Kchip rate system, the chip duration would be 1/100,000=10 uS. The DSSS packet 100 in FIG. 1 includes fields such as a synchronization header (SHR) 110, physical layer header (PHR) 112 and a physical layer service data unit (PSDU) 114. Each SHR contains a preamble 120 and a start frame delimiter (SFD) 122 that can be utilized by the receiver for detecting the DSSS packet. For the 100 kchip/s mode, the preamble 120 contains 32 bits that are spread with a spreading code of 32 to form a string of 1024 chips (32 bits×32 spread) as indicated 130, 132. The SFD 122 contains 16 bits that are also spread with spreading code of 32. An aspect of the current application provides methods and apparatus that will improve the detection of the preamble 120.
In the example communications systems described herein, phase shift keying is used to modulate data. In phase shift keying (PSK), digital modulation is used to transmit data by modulating the phase of a reference signal or carrier. In quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK), four points on a constellation diagram are used that are equispaced around a circle, providing four phases. Accordingly 2 bits can be used to indicate the quadrature phase. In the examples described here, offset QPSK or O-QPSK modulation is used. In O-QPSK, the two portions, the in-phase and quadrature components or I and Q components of a symbol, are transmitted with an offset between them. In this fashion only one bit of a two bit coding scheme changes at a given time and thus reception errors that could occur in the reception of the symbols due to noise or interference can be reduced.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram depicting a standardized transmitter of the prior art for DSSS packets, as defined by the IEEE 802.15.4g specification. The chip timing for the Offset Quadrature Phase Shift Key (O-QPSK) modulator 210 is shown in FIG. 1. Transmitted data is coded, spread and concatenated at 202 before being coupled to the O-QPSK modulator 210. The O-QPSK modulator 210 contains a local oscillator 282 that is designed to oscillate at the same prescribed frequency as the receiver's local oscillator and serves to generate the transmitter's carrier frequency. The receiver has the same frequency for demodulation of received signals.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram depicting a prior art system 300 performing the detection of DSSS preambles using differential sequences. In FIG. 3, the receiver/sampler 302 is coupled to the O-QPSK demodulator 380. Within the demodulator 380, a local oscillator 382 is designed to oscillate at the same prescribed frequency as the transmitter's local oscillator (shown in FIG. 2, above). The O-QPSK demodulator 380 is coupled to, for example, a chip differential block 312 which is coupled to an accumulation block 314. The accumulation block 314 is coupled to a correlation block 316 which produces an output 318, indicating that the preamble has been found. The flow 312-316 is illustrated for the first sample. Similar processing occurs for each subsequent timing signal as they arrive as illustrated by the 3 flows 322-326 for 2nd sample, 332-336 for 3rd sample and 342-346 for 4th sample.
In this example 300, 4× over sampling is used to sample the signal in block 302 at 4 discrete times. The 4 signal samples arrive sequentially at the rate of one sample per oversample clock. The processing of each of the signal samples is illustrated by the series of 3 blocks 312, 314, 316. The processing in each of the blocks (312, 314 and 316) is completed within 1 oversampled clock period. Although the processing flow for each of the 4 timing samples is depicted in 300, in the actual receiver, there may only be a single instance of each block since the sampled signal arrives and is processed sequentially through the blocks. Alternatively, more blocks can be used.
In operation, as shown in FIG. 3, a DSSS signal is received from an antenna, for example, and sampled at 4× the chip rate in block 302. The I/Q signals 303 are passed to the O-QPSK demodulator 380 where the I/Q signals are down-converted utilizing the receiver's local oscillator 382 as the carrier frequency. The differential chip values for the first phase are calculated in block 312 and accumulated together with prior data in block 314. After accumulation, each sample can be correlated in block 316 to a known chip spreading value and the result can be compared to a threshold value. When the threshold value is exceeded, that result indicates that a preamble has been located (in block 318). In one approach a single signal sample can be used to detect a preamble location in the sequence, however, processing of additional signal samples 322-342 improves the success of preamble detection and improves the performance of the system by detecting the preamble using the corrected carrier frequency. The use of the arrangements can enable preamble detection even in environments with low signal to noise (SNR) characteristics, including environments with interfering devices.
An example DSSS signal preamble detection system is described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US 2013/0202014A1, entitled "DSSS Preamble Detection for Smart Utility Networks," to Timothy Mark Schmidl, which is co-owned with the present application, and which application is hereby incorporated in its entirety herein by reference.
The DSSS receivers can be used in a utility network. For example, utility meters are typically installed for each house in a residential neighborhood. The meter data can be transmitted wirelessly via a RF transmission and be received and read by either a mobile or fixed point collection device called a reader. Some meters will broadcast periodically so the reader is simply a receiver. In other instances, the customer premises meter's transmitter remains in a sleeping state waiting for a transmission or poll message from the reader. The reader's transmission makes the meter "wake up" and transmit the accumulated data which is then received by the reader.
Mobile readers can be vehicle mounted or carried in person by a meter reader or otherwise deployed. For the safest and fastest data collection, the mobile readers prefer to stay on public thoroughfares, so that there is no need to enter the customer's property. This allows utility meter data collection under circumstances where the meter cannot be seen, when the customer is not home, the property has dangerous conditions such as construction or dogs present or some other impediment that makes physically reading the meter data difficult. The RF meter data collection occurs by maneuvering the mobile reader close enough to the meter to enable the signal to be read. At the end of a route or meter reading session, the mobile reader returns to a central office or base location and the meter readings are transferred for processing.
Mobile readers are very common and a meter reader simply checks out a reader prior to collecting data on a route. Because the meters are used in this fashion, there is an opportunity for a different physical reader being used along a given route at different reading times. Each of the readers includes a DSSS receiver that performs the preamble detection process as described above, including having a different a local oscillator which can be oscillating at a different frequency from the prior readers used to read the meters on a route.
A characteristic feature of utility networks is that the customer meters often have a long life span, such as 20 years, and across an established utility area there are typically many generations of customer meters deployed. Within these meters, the local oscillators are initially designed to have the same frequency, however because of component tolerances, temperature, aging and other imperfections, the local oscillator frequency of the transmitters can drift from the intended frequency resulting in a large carrier frequency offset between the transmitter/receiver pair. This carrier frequency offset characteristic makes preamble detection more difficult for the DSSS receiver by causing a continuous rotation in the signal constellation, thus slowing down the process of reading meters sometime requiring either multiple passes, entering the customer premises to obtain the meter reading and eventually replacing the meter. The preamble detection can also be performed in a low signal to noise ratio environment, where the signal is compromised by various interference or noise sources. Carrier frequency offset in a low SNR environment can cause prior known approaches to preamble detection to fail or to cause the need for repeated attempts. While these problems are presented in a utility meter example above, carrier frequency offset between receivers and transmitters can occur in other DSSS communications systems and the arrangements of the present application apply to DSSS systems generally, as well as to SUN applications. Generally, the arrangements of the present application improve performance in DSSS signaling systems where carrier frequency offset can occur between a transmitter and a receiver.
FIG. 4 depicts in a block diagram a communications network 400 with a fixed receiver 482 with several smart meters and their local oscillators. In FIG. 4, a utility 410, such as gas, water or electricity, is available through an area where customers are provided with smart meters (420, 430, 440, 450) each having the capability to measure the consumption of the utility, and to transmit that information using the DSSS coding and a local oscillator (422, 432, 442, 452) set to a prescribed frequency. A fixed meter reader 480 is depicted with a DSSS receiver and local oscillator 482 set to a prescribed frequency. The reader 480 is connected to a link 412 which transfers collected data back to a billing center or central office. The link 412 could be implemented as copper, fiber, or wireless method and can be referred to as a "backhaul." Fixed readers 480 are typically mounted on pole tops and can be connected to the main office by various methods including copper, fiber optics or wirelessly 412. Fixed readers offer the utility lower recurring costs since the meter readings occur automatically without the need for an employee to either walk or drive the route to collect readings. Imperfections in the local oscillators in the devices (422, 432, 442, 452 and 482) cause a carrier frequency offset. The carrier frequency offset results in difficulty for the DSSS receiver in the fixed meter 480 to detect the preamble needed receive the DSSS header sent by the smart meters (420, 430, 440, 450). This degradation in preamble detection can reduce the number of meters a fixed reader can service in a fixed period. In other situations, the data may have to be collected by a mobile reader placed closer to the customer premises, causing additional expense.
Improvements in the reception of DSSS signals having carrier frequency offset, or reduction of carrier frequency offset in received signals which will improve the preamble detection in DSSS systems, are therefore needed in order to address the deficiencies and the disadvantages of the prior known approaches. In the SUN application, improvements which will extend the utility meters useable lifetime and improve a meter reader's ability to capture meter data are desirable.

Methods and apparatus for frequency offset estimation and correction prior to preamble detection of direct sequence spread spectrum (DSSS) signals


A rapamycin analog with an antioxidant moiety or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or prodrug thereof, is an immunomodulatory agent and is useful in the treatment of restenosis and immune and autoimmune diseases. Also disclosed are cancer-, fungal growth-, restenosis-, post-transplant tissue rejection- and immune- and autoimmune disease- inhibiting compositions and a method of inhibiting cancer, fungal growth, restenosois, post-transplant tissue rejection, and immune and autoimmune disease in a mammal. One particular preferred application of such antioxidant moiety containing rapamycin analog is in medicated devices wherein the stability and resistance to oxidative processes are essential to the success of rapamycin containing combination devices.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to novel chemical compounds having an antioxidant moiety and having immunomodulatory activity and synthetic intermediates useful for the preparation of the novel compounds, and in particular to macrolide immunomodulators. More particularly, the present invention relates to semisynthetic analogs of rapamycin having an antioxidant moiety, means for their preparation, pharmaceutical compositions containing such compounds, and methods of treatment employing the same.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
The compound cyclosporine (cyclosporin A) has found wide use since its introduction in the fields of organ transplantation and immunomodulation, and has brought about a significant increase in the success rate for transplantation procedures. Recently, several classes of macrocyclic compounds having potent immunomodulatory activity have been discovered. Okuhara et al., in European Patent Application No. 184, 162, published Jun. 11, 1986, discloses a number of macrocyclic compounds isolated from the genus Streptomyces, including the immunosuppressant FK-506, a 23-membered macrocyclic lactone, which was isolated from a strain of S. tsukubaensis.
Other related natural products, such as FR-900520 and FR-900523, which differ from FK-506 in their alkyl substituent at C-21, have been isolated from S. hygroscopicus yakushimnaensis. Another analog, FR-900525, produced by S. tsukubaensis, differs from FK-506 in the replacement of a pipecolic acid moiety with a proline group. Unsatisfactory side-effects associated with cyclosporine and FK-506, such as nephrotoxicity, have led to a continued search for immunosuppressant compounds having improved efficacy and safety, including an immunosupressive agent which is effective topically, but ineffective systemically (U.S. Pat. No. 5,457,111).
Rapamycin, as illustrated in FIG. 1, is a macrocyclic triene antibiotic produced by Streptomyces hygroscopicus, which was found to have antifungal activity, particularly against Candida albicans, both in vitro and in vivo (C. Vezina et al., J. Antibiot. 1975, 28, 721; S. N. Sehgal et al., J. Antibiot. 1975, 28, 727; H. A. Baker et al., J. Antibiot. 1978, 31, 539; U.S. Pat. No. 3,929,992; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,993,749).
FIG. 1 illustrates a rapamycin structure as produced from a fermentation process.
Rapamycin alone (U.S. Pat. No. 4,885,171) or in combination with picibanil (U.S. Pat. No. 4,401,653) has been shown to have antitumor activity. In 1977, rapamycin was also shown to be effective as an immunosuppressant in the experimental allergic encephalomyelitis model, a model for multiple sclerosis; in the adjuvant arthritis model, a model for rheumatoid arthritis; and was shown to effectively inhibit the formation of IgE-like antibodies (R. Martel et al., Can. J. Physiol. Pharmacol., 1977, 55, 48).
The immunosuppressive effects of rapamycin have also been disclosed in FASEB, 1989, 3, 3411, as has its ability to prolong survival time of organ grafts in histoincompatible rodents (R. Morris, Med. Sci. Res., 1989, 17, 877). The ability of rapamycin to inhibit T-cell activation was disclosed by M. Strauch (FASEB, 1989, 3, 3411). These and other biological effects of rapamycin are reviewed in Transplantation Reviews, 1992, 6, 39-87.
Mono-ester and di-ester derivatives of rapamycin (esterification at positions 31 and 42) have been shown to be useful as antifungal agents (U.S. Pat. No. 4,316,885) and as water soluble prodrugs of rapamycin (U.S. Pat. No. 4,650,803).
Fermentation and purification of rapamycin and 30-demethoxy rapamycin have been described in the literature (C. Vezina et al. J. Antibiot. (Tokyo), 1975, 28 (10), 721; S. N. Sehgal et al., J. Antibiot. (Tokyo), 1975, 28(10), 727; 1983, 36(4), 351; N. L. Pavia et al., J. Natural Products, 1991, 54(1), 167-177).
Numerous chemical modifications of rapamycin have been attempted. These include the preparation of mono- and di-ester derivatives of rapamycin (WO 92/05179), 27-oximes of rapamycin (EPO 467606); 42-oxo analog of rapamycin (U.S. Pat. No. 5,023,262); bicyclic rapamycins (U.S. Pat. No. 5,120,725); rapamycin dimers (U.S. Pat. No. 5,120,727); silyl ethers of rapamycin (U.S. Pat. No. 5,120,842); and arylsulfonates and sulfamates (U.S. Pat. No. 5,177,203). Rapamycin was recently synthesized in its naturally occurring enantiomeric form (K. C. Nicolaou et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc., 1993, 115, 4419-4420; S. L. Schreiber, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 1993, 115, 7906-7907; S. J. Danishefsky, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 1993, 115, 9345-9346.
It has been known that rapamycin, like FK-506, binds to FKBP-12 (Siekierka, J. J.; Hung, S. H. Y.; Poe, M.; Lin, C. S.; Sigal, N. H. Nature, 1989, 341, 755-757; Harding, M. W.; Galat, A.; Uehling, D. E.; Schreiber, S. L. Nature 1989, 341, 758-760; Dumont, F. J.; Melino, M. R.; Staruch, M. J.; Koprak, S. L.; Fischer, P. A.; Sigal, N. H. J. Immunol. 1990, 144, 1418-1424; Bierer, B. E.; Schreiber, S. L.; Burakoff, S. J. Eur. J. Immunol. 1991, 21, 439-445; Fretz, H.; Albers, M. W.; Galat, A.; Standaert, R. F.; Lane, W. S.; Burakoff, S. J.; Bierer, B. E.; Schreiber, S. L. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1991, 113, 1409-1411). Recently it has been discovered that the rapamycin/FKBP-12 complex binds to yet another protein, which is distinct from calcineurin, the protein that the FK-506/FKBP-12 complex inhibits (Brown, E. J.; Albers, M. W.; Shin, T. B.; Ichikawa, K.; Keith, C. T.; Lane, W. S.; Schreiber, S. L. Nature 1994, 369, 756-758; Sabatini, D. M.; Erdjument-Bromage, H.; Lui, M.; Tempest, P.; Snyder, S. H. Cell, 1994, 78, 35-43).
One recent example of a rapamycin analog is a tetrazole containing rapamycin analog (U.S. Pat. No. 6,015,815). The tetrazole heterocyclic ring is used to replace the hydroxyl group to effect the analog.
Although some of these modified compounds exhibit immunosuppressive activity, anti-restenotic activities in suppressing the migration and growth of vascular smooth muscles, especially when used in a stent coating, the need remains for rapamycin analogs which possess potentially enhanced resistance to oxidative forces and better stability in a formulation. One way to achieve the potentially enhanced antioxidant property is through a conjugation of one or more known antioxidant functional groups to the side chain of a rapamycin.

Rapamycin analogs containing an antioxidant moiety


A system for measuring phase attributes of high voltage electrical lines comprises a single high voltage probe. The probe comprises a sensing element for selectively measuring voltage of a high voltage electrical line. A processing circuit detects zero crossings of the measured voltage, applies a time tag to the zero crossings, and stores samples of the amplitude and time tagged zero crossings. A memory stores samples of the amplitude and time tagged zero crossings for a plurality of high voltage electrical lines. A processor is operatively associated with the memory for determining phase relationships between the plurality of high voltage electrical lines.

Electrical power distribution systems often include overhead electrical power distribution lines mounted upon poles by a wide variety of mounting structure. Other distribution systems include underground distribution lines in which protected cables run under the ground surface. High voltage phasing meters are designed for use as safety tools by maintenance line workers to verify the status voltage and phase of the grid lines, phase angle between the lines and also phase sequencing. Even though feeder circuits in utility lines are intended to be well balanced in the initial deployment, one of the phases may turn out to be more heavily loaded than others. This leads to load imbalances.
Conventional high voltage phasing meters comprise high resistance reference and meter probes connected in series with a calibrated panel meter to read the voltage across the phase-to-phase or phase-to-ground terminals. They are designed for use as safety tools by high voltage line maintenance workers to verify the status of the line or equipment as nominal, induced or de-energized. Known devices for providing such measurements include contact type and non-contact cordless type. With contact type a reference probe or transmitter and a meter probe or receiver are connected in series with a cable as the loop is closed with load terminals. With the non-contact type each probe has a meter and the probes close the circuit through wireless means.
Presently, a variety of other phasing meters are being used. These include wireless phasing meters, GPS phasing tools and remote phase ID systems. A wireless phasing meter comprises a reference probe and a meter probe. Phase indication and readings are displayed in the meter housing. The operator has to use both of the probes on the lines and read the display while connected to the lines. There is no data storage facility and the display must be read instantaneously. Further, only trained personnel could interpret the phase sequence.
A GPS phasing tool consists of a meter probe, a field unit and a base unit. The base unit is installed at a remote location, such as a substation. The field unit consists of the meter probe with a signal processing system to compute the phase attributes of the power lines corresponding to the reference phase. This tool depends on the GPS base reference in the base station and uses a GPS receiver as a dedicated reference. The system depends on GSM/GPRS for phase sequencing. There is no facility for remote monitoring of phase sequence data.
A phase ID system has a field unit and a base unit. The field unit has a high voltage probe with a GPS receiver and a stable clock generator and wireless transceiver. A base unit consists of a GPS receiver and a send unit connected to a server. GPS timing systems are used to obtain snapshot phase measurements at an unknown field location and at a known reference location at the same instant of time. These two measurements are compared at the base station to determine the phase attribute at the unknown field location.
The disclosed system and method provides improvements over the known solutions discussed above.

System and method for measuring phase attributes of electrical grid system and equipment using a smart probe


The present disclosure describes methods, systems, and computer program products providing an integrated development environment for client/server environments. One computer-implemented method includes reading a derived business application data model (BADM) associated with a business application into an integrated development environment (IDE), defining a client application data model (CADM) for a client application, defining at least one data mapping rule (DMR) to map at least data translations between the BADM and the CADM, developing the client application based upon at least the CADM, developing at least one web service based upon the BADM, CADM, and the at least one DMR, generating the client application and the at least one web service, and deploying the client application, the at least one web service, and the at least one DMR.

Business application environments are changing rapidly due to developments in software, hardware, and networking technology as well as adoption of various engineering and development standards. For example, the adopted hypertext markup language (HTML) standard, HTML 5.x, and the ubiquitous use of smartphone and other mobile devices has resulted engineering efforts to retool business applications to support mobile device client user interfaces and form factors. Advancing server technology has also resulted in updates to server platforms that provide both analytical and business applications to clients of various types and in increasing numbers. As business application environments are typically distributed and heterogeneous, developers must necessarily be skilled in multiple hardware, software, and/or networking platforms and/or technologies in order to design, develop, and/or support the business application environments. For example, a typical business application environment is made up of a business application, a business application facade, and client applications, each with particular technologies and associated skill sets, knowledge of which are necessary to develop and maintain the business application environment. The heterogeneous nature of the business application environment results in an increased total cost of development and total cost of ownership for an organization.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Integrated development environment for heterogeneous client/server environments


Provided is a plasma film-firming apparatus including: a chamber configured to accommodate a substrate therein; a substrate pedestal configured to disposed the substrate thereon within the chamber; a gas supply mechanism configured to supply a gas including a film-forming gas into the chamber; an exhaust mechanism configured to exhaust an inside of the chamber; and a plasma generating unit configured to generate plasma in the chamber. The substrate pedestal includes a pedestal body having a smaller diameter than that of the substrate and including a placement surface, and an annular adjustment member disposed outside the pedestal body. The adjustment member is replaceably installed. A plurality of adjustment members having various steps are provided at a position outside the substrate as the adjustment member, and among the plurality of adjustment members, an adjustment member is selected and used according to a processing condition of a plasma processing.

In a semiconductor device manufacturing process, various films are formed as, for example, an insulation film, a protective film, and an electrode film. As a method of forming the films, plasma chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is known, which excites a film-forming gas by plasma so as to deposit a predetermined film on a substrate.
For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2009-246129 discloses forming a silicon nitride film on a semiconductor wafer by plasma CVD using microwave plasma by disposing the semiconductor wafer as a substrate on a susceptor provided in a chamber, supplying, as a film-forming gas, a silicon raw material gas and a nitrogen-containing gas into the chamber, and further supplying a plasma generating gas (diluted gas).
Meanwhile, it has been known that that when a plasma processing is performed, the condition of plasma on the outermost periphery of a substrate is different from that on the other portions of the substrate and as a result, the processing rate in the outermost periphery of the substrate is different from that in the other portions (see, International Publication No. WO2009/008474).
Therefore, in a plasma film-forming processing such as, for example, plasma CVD, in-plane film-thickness uniformity is secured in the related art by controlling the flow of the film-forming gas or the plasma generating gas (diluted gas), or controlling the distribution of plasma.

Plasma film-forming apparatus and substrate pedestal


A non-volatile memory cell and a non-volatile memory device are provided. The non-volatile memory cell includes a latch structure, a first read/write circuit, a first memristor, a second read/write circuit and a second memristor. The first read/write circuit controls a writing operation of the first memristor. The second read/write circuit controls a writing operation of the second memristor. When a restore operation is performed, the data in the latch structure is restored by using the resistance difference between the first memristor and the second memristor. The non-volatile device of the invention combines the advantages of fast memory unit and non-volatile memory, and it may work at a high speed and retain data when powered off.

Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a memory structure. More particularly, the present invention relates to a non-volatile memory structure and related circuits.
Description of Related Art
Memory is an important component in a computer, and many different memory structures have been developed for different applications. For example, the memory structures include dynamic random access memory (DRAM), static random-access memory (SRAM), read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, etc.
Among the memory structures, the ROM and the flash memory belong to non-volatile memory which can retain data when powered off. In general, these two types of non-volatile memory are relatively stable and have less power consumption when storing data, but they are not easy to overwrite and have slower read/write speeds.
Volatile memories such as DRAM and SRAM are generally taken as the main memory incorporated with a central processing unit (CPU) because they have faster read/write speeds. The advantages of DRAM are simple structure (only a transistor and a capacitor are required), high storage density, and lower cost per unit of capacity. In practical, the capacitor of DRAM is periodically charged, and thus it has a disadvantage of higher power consumption.
Compared with DRAM, SRAM retains the stored data without periodically charging the capacitor when powered on. In addition, SRAM generally has faster read speed (higher than DRAM) and very low power consumption. When powered off, the data stored in a conventional SRAM is lost. The conventional SRAM composed of six transistors still has some issues. For example, when a static noise margin (SNM) of the memory cell is not enough, a storage node is vulnerable to the noise from an external bit line, and thus the original stored data is damaged when it is read. Therefore, there is still much to improve for the conventional SRAM.
Along with the trend of thin and light for mobile devices, the space for the electrical device is extremely limited, and the issue of the power consumption gets people's attentions even more. A suitable memory which is capable of providing higher data stability and faster reading speed, and is additionally capable of solving the problems existing in the conventional SRAM is required.

Non-volatile memory cell and non-volatile memory device

Ningbo Advanced Memory Technology Corporation


An optical transmission device of the invention has an optical transmitter unit 1 in which a light emitting element and a light receiving element are sealed with resin by transfer molding, and a holder 2 which holds the optical transmitter unit 1 being contained therein and which holds an optical plug being fitted therein with an optical fiber cable fixed to the optical plug. The holder 2 holds the optical plug that has been inserted from a direction generally at right angles to optical axes of the optical transmitter unit 1. The optical transmission device can easily be mounted on a printed board without necessity of a dead area for insertion/extraction of optical plug and can be small in size and thickness.

The present invention relates to an optical transmission device and particularly to an optical transmission device suitable for interconnection in a portable electronic equipment that is small in size and elevation and that is indispensably adapted to surface mount.
Conventionally, optical transmission devices that use optical fiber cables as transmission media have a structure in which a fit position is determined and held by a plurality of outline surfaces of an optical plug. As examples of prior arts, optical transmission devices that are applied also to portable electronic equipment of consumer appliances will be described hereinbelow. In addition, reference will be made to a stacking-type electrical connector and an optical/electrical hybrid type plug connector.
Listed as a first prior art is an optical audio connector shown in FIGS. 6 through 8 (see JP H06-140106 A, for example). FIG. 6 shows a general view of an optical audio connector 100 and an optical plug 103, FIG. 7 shows a sectional view of the optical audio connector 100, and FIG. 8 shows a sectional view of the optical plug 103.
As shown in FIG. 7, a light emitting device 101 (or a light receiving device) is housed in a holder 104 in which a mechanism for holding the optical plug 103 fitted therein is provided. In the holder 104 is provided a hole 105 (shown in FIG. 6) for holding the optical plug 103 fit therein in a direction of an optical axis of the light emitting device 101. In this mechanism, the optical plug 103 is inserted into the hole 105 in the optical audio connector 100 in the direction of the optical axis of the light emitting device 101, so that the optical plug 103 is fitted and held in a specified position. On this occasion, protrusions 106 (shown in FIG. 8) provided on side surfaces of the optical plug 103 are guided into grooves 107 provided on inner side surfaces of the hole 105 (shown in FIG. 6) in the holder 104, so that positioning in a vertical direction and in a direction of the side surfaces is established. Besides, recesses 108 (shown in FIG. 8) provided in distal end part of the optical plug 103 are guided on and collide with protrusions 109 provided on a bottom surfaces in the hole 105 of the holder 104, so that positioning in a direction of depth thereof is established. Furthermore, protrusions 110 (shown in FIG. 8) provided on top and bottom surfaces of the optical plug 103 are fitted and held in pits 111 provided on top and bottom surfaces inside the hole 105 of the holder 104. In order to fit and hold the optical plug 103 in the holder 104, therefore, the holder 104 has to be provided so as to cover the top and bottom surfaces and both the side surfaces of the optical plug 103.
Listed as a second prior art is an optical connector for portable audio equipment shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 (see JP H06-140106 A, for example). FIG. 9 shows a sectional view of the optical connector 200 for portable audio equipment and FIG. 10 shows an external view of an optical plug.
As shown in FIG. 9, a light emitting device 201 (or a light receiving device) is housed in a holder 204 in which a mechanism for holding the optical plug 203 fitted therein is provided. In the holder 204 is provided a hole 205 for holding the optical plug 203 fitted therein in a direction of an optical axis. In this mechanism, the optical plug 203 is inserted into the hole 205 in the direction of the optical axis of the light emitting device 201, so that the optical plug 203 is fitted and held in a specified position. On this occasion, tapered part 206 provided at distal end of the optical plug 203 is guided into cone-like guide part 207 provided in the holder 204, so that positioning in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis is established. In addition, a step 208 provided at root of the optical plug 203 collides with a wall 209 of the holder 204 in which the hole 205 is provided, so that positioning in the direction of the optical axis is established. Furthermore, constricted part 210 of the optical plug 203 is pressed and held by metal pieces 211 that have spring ability and that are provided in the hole 205 of the holder 204. In order to fit and hold the optical plug 203 in the holder 204, therefore, the holder 204 has to be provided so as to cover the tapered distal end part 206 of the optical plug 203 and a whole volume of the plug 203.
Listed as a third prior art is a stacking-type electrical connector shown in FIGS. 11A and 11B (see JP H07-16381 U, for example).
In the stacking-type electrical connector, as shown in FIG. 11A, paired contacts are rubbed by fitting against each other so as to acquire electrical contact. Contacts 301 on one side of the paired contacts are each bifurcated into plate-like distal end parts having elasticity in a direction of thickness thereof, and contacts 302 on the other side are shaped so as to fit in inside of the bifurcated parts.
A branch 344 in the bifurcated part of the contact 301 on one side has electrical contact part 345 on inside of the bifurcated part and is thereby brought into electrical contact with the contact 302 on the other side. Between the other branch 346 in the bifurcated part of the contact 301 and the contact 302 on the other side is provided a lock mechanism composed of a combination of a protrusion 303 and a recess 304 into which the protrusion 303 is to fall.
In the stacking-type electrical connector, as shown in FIG. 11B, the protrusion 303 can be prevented from easily slipping out of the recess 304, by a structure in which the bifurcated contact 301 on one side elastically pinches the contact 302 on the other side and in which the protrusion 303 falls into the recess 304.
Listed as a fourth prior art is an optical/electrical hybrid type plug connector shown in FIGS. 12 and 13 (see LP 2002-182070 A, for example).
As shown in FIG. 12, a connector 510 has a receptacle 505 into which two plugs 500 can be connected. As shown in FIG. 13, the plug 500 is composed of a fiber support device 502 for supporting an optical fiber extending through a front opening of an insulator housing 501, a cantilever latch 503 provided on upper part of the insulator housing 501, and metal blades 504 provided on bottom surface side of the insulator housing 501.
The cantilever latch 503 is a mechanism that lockably meshes with the receptacle 505 to be connected thereto. The optical/electrical hybrid type plug connector is suitable for high-density panel mounting because the cantilever latch 503 is placed on top of the insulator housing 501 and because electrical connection device 504 is placed on the bottom surface side of the insulator housing 501. Such a structure prevents interference of the latching structure with left and right sides of the plug connector. In fact, this jack structure has receptacles that are spaced (arranged) at small interval and that can be used for high-density application, because only minimum spaces are required between side surfaces thereof.
In the receptacle 505 are provided a hole 506 for holding the fiber support device 502 provided in the plug, terminals 507 to which the metal blades 504 are to be electrically connected, and lock holes 508 for holding the cantilever latch 503 fitted therein.
The fit of the plug connector is achieved by movement of the fiber in the axial direction. The plug connector is designed so that the fiber support device 502 enters the receptacle 505 before electrical plug components (504, 507) are engaged, and thus an LC type optical plug that does not have the metal blades 504 can also be fitted in and held by the receptacle.
As described above, the first and second prior arts require the holder that is configured so as to cover an outside shape of the optical plug. Such a configuration is a great restriction on size reduction and requires the optical plug to be inevitably moved in the direction of the optical axis of the optical fiber when the optical plug is inserted into or extracted from the holder. Thus an area larger than the optical plug in length is required on a printed board in order that the optical plug is inserted into or extracted from the holder, and any components cannot be placed at all in the area. Therefore, the optical transmission devices of the first and second prior arts are not suitable for portable electronic equipment, which has been being decreased in size and thickness.
In the third prior art, electrical connection and fitting can be achieved by a small and thin configuration, whereas the prior art provides a mechanism only for implementing electrical contacts and does not provide a mechanism for precisely positioning the plug connector necessary for optical connection, a mechanism for holding the plug connector with a fit, and the like.
The fourth prior art provides the optical/electrical hybrid plug connector, which has a structure having the metal blades for electrical contacts provided in a part of the optical plug, and the plug is inserted in the direction of the optical axis of the optical fiber as in the first and second prior arts. Therefore, the fourth prior art is not suitable for portable electronic equipment, which has been being decreased in size and thickness.

Optical transmission device and electronic equipment with use thereof


A deposition is gradually formed by molding a product main body, removing a defect periphery including a defect generated on a surface to be treated of the product main body by molding so that a recess portion is formed on the surface to be treated of the product main body, employing a molded electrode composed of a molded body molded from a powder of a metal or the molded body processed with a heat treatment, and generating a pulsing electric discharge between the recess portion periphery including the recess portion and the molded electrode in an electrically insulating liquid or gas so that a material of the molded electrode or a reaction substance of the material carries out deposition and such at the recess portion periphery by energy of the electric discharge.

A series of steps for producing a metal product such as a cylinder and a series of steps for joining a pair of metal components respectively having beveling portions respectively include a step of forming a weld deposition.
More specifically, in a case of producing the metal product, first, a product main body is molded by means of casting for example. Then, a defect caused by molding is generated on a surface to be treated of the product main body. Next, a peripheral portion of the defect including the defect is removed by grinding so that a recess portion is formed on the portion to be treated of the product main body. Further, a weld deposition is formed at a recess portion periphery including the recess portion by means of welding.
Moreover, in a case of joining the pair of the metal components, first, a recess portion is defined by a beveling portion of one of the metal components and another beveling portion of the other of the metal components by means of butting the pair of the metal components. Then, a weld deposition is formed at a recess portion periphery including the recess portion by means of welding.

Metal product producing method, metal product, metal component connecting method, and connection structure

Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries Co., Ltd.


A data processing system is provided including an arithmetic logic unit 20, 22, 24 receiving input operands from M X-bit registers to produce output data words stored within N Y-bit registers, where M/N=3, 8.ltoreq.Y-X.ltoreq.16 and 3X=2Y. This arrangement is particularly suited for digital signal processing and in situations where each input operand is used a plurality of times before a new input operand is loaded in its place in a register.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of data processing systems. More particularly, this invention relates to data processing systems including registers for holding input operand data words and output data words from an arithmetic logic unit within said data processing apparatus.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is known to provide data processing systems incorporating registers for holding the data to be manipulated and the result data. The greater the number of data processing registers available then the more data can be stored in registers with fewer reads from or writes to cache and main memory being necessary. The disadvantage of simply providing ever larger numbers of registers is that the circuit size increases resulting in an increase in complexity and cost and the bit space required to specify an individual register increases making the program instructions less dense.
A further consideration is the bit size of each register. Once again, increasing the size of the registers enable them to store and manipulate a larger amount of data but has the disadvantage of increased complexity and cost together with increased power consumption through the need to continuously write and read the full register width even if the data word being manipulated is considerably narrower.


A universal pot lid handling device is described. The device can include an elongated handle portion and a clamping portion slidably coupled to the handle portion. The handle portion can include a fixed jaw at a distal end thereof and the clamping portion can include a moveable jaw. The fixed jaw and the moveable jaw can have opposing, longitudinally extending gripping portions. The fixed jaw and the moveable jaw can include spacing portions and the gripping portions of the fixed jaw and the moveable jaw can extend from the respective spacing portions. The clamping portion can include a longitudinally extending guide and the handle portion can include a receiving portion adapted to receive the guide.

Cooking vessels, such as saucepans, frying pans, pots, etc. are often covered with a lid during cooking in order to reduce the amount of heat and moisture escaping from the interior of the vessel. This causes food to be cooked faster, reduces the overall energy used during cooking, and holds in moisture to prevent food from drying out. However, lids for cooking vessels often comprise a metal saucer connected to a metal or plastic handle. These commonly used cooking vessel lids can be very dangerous to grab during cooking because the saucer and handle elements are thermally conductive and contacting the lid after it has been on top of a cooking vessel for an extended period of time can cause burns to the user's hands. In addition, steam escaping from the vessel or condensation dripping from the underside of the lid, can also burn the user.
As a solution to this problem, people commonly use a dishtowel or oven mitt to protect their hand when removing a lid from a cooking vessel. While this practice may sometimes prevent a user from burning his or her hands, it can introduce new problems, such as accidentally dropping a portion of a dishtowel into the food being cooked, or accidentally dropping a portion of the dishtowel onto the stove, which may cause the dishtowel to catch on fire. Also, dishtowels and oven mitts are not always clean which presents a sanitary concern should the towel or mitt touch the food or even the chef's hands.

Universal pot lid handling device and method


An image processing apparatus processes an input color image, combines the input color image with the processed color image in a ratio that varies from picture element to picture element according to the hue of the picture element, and outputs the combined image. The output image can accordingly be selectively processed to give desired qualities in suitable degrees to particular hues.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to image data processing in apparatus involved in full-color printing, such as a printer, video printer, or scanner, or in display apparatus such as a monitor, and more particularly to an image processing apparatus and method that process image data represented by data for a plurality of colors according to the requirements of a particular device or particular usage conditions.
2. Description of the Related Art
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2002-41025 describes a conventional image processing apparatus and method that provides means of selectively smoothing input image data, means of discriminating between light parts and dark parts of the input image data and selecting the smoothing process that is carried out on light parts adjacent to dark parts, and means of displaying the selectively smoothed image data.
When image data represented by data for a plurality of colors are input and output or displayed, image processing is carried out for a variety of purposes. Specific examples of such image processing include modifying the spatial or temporal frequency characteristics of the image data and changing the contrast of the image data. With conventional apparatus and methods, these processes are carried out uniformly on the color data of all hues, without making use of hue information. A consequent problem is that it has not been possible to confine the image processing to specific hues, or to perform image processing with different processing characteristics on different hues.

Image processing apparatus and image processing method


This invention relates to a device for coupling lengths of metal pipe, too hard or to thin for cutting a screw, by inserting a screwed socket in one end of the pipe to be joined with another, expanding that part of the pipe, and joining it airtight with another coupling.. A metal pipe coupling of the present invention has a screw section and a tightening section, and is shaped so as to be suitable to the way of coupling metal pipes by insertion of one end of a metal pipe in the coupling, expanding the fastening section of the metal pipe so that the joining of the outside circumference of the pipe and the inside circumference of the coupling should be airtight, and thereafter by joining with another joining material.

This invention relates to a metal pipe coupling, and to be more precise, to a device for coupling lengths of metal pipe, too hard or too thin for cutting a screw, by inserting a screwed socket in one end of the pipe, expanding that part of the pipe, and joining it airtight with another coupling.
In prior art, according to the most widely adopted method of coupling lengths of metal pipe, a screw is cut in the end of a pipe and is screwed up with another pipe in the end of which also a corresponding screw is cut. Otherwise, in case the inside diameter of the pipe is large enough, or in case the pipe is for use under high pressure for special purposes, coupling with the use of flanges or the like is adopted.
The most common joint materials for coupling metal pipes are nipples, angles, tees, crosses, unions, or reducers, and in all cases of joint pipes a screw meeting the one in the joining material has to be cut in the end of the pipe which is to be coupled with another.
But in case a pipe is of metal extremely hard or too thin coupling by ordinary, conventional methods proves very difficult.
It is practically impossible to cut a screw with the use of die stocks or the like in case the pipe is of too hard metal, and even if it is any possible the screw cutting will cost too much time and money, resulting in lower productivity, lower yield as a matter of course. In case the metal of the pipe is very thin, the screws, if cut at all despite the practical impossibility, will leave the thickness of the metal at the part where a screw is cut too thin for it to bear a slightest pressure.

1128-28 Whakok-dong, Kangeso-gu, Seoul 157-010


In general, techniques are described that allow an abrasive manufacturing process to achieve a controlled performance parameter, e.g., an amount of material removal, without requiring the use of feedback controls within the abrasive manufacturing process. For example, a system includes a machine to abrade a workpiece with an abrasive article, and a controller to control the application of the abrasive article to the workpiece by the machine to achieve a substantially constant cut rate for the abrasive article. The controller controls one or more process variables in accordance with an open-loop mathematical model that relates the cut rate of the abrasive article to an application force of the abrasive article to achieve controlled material removal. For example, a constant rate of cut can be achieved or a fixed amount of material can be removed while abrading one or more workpiece in accordance with the model.

An abrasive manufacturing process involves the application of an abrasive article to a workpiece to polish, grind, or otherwise remove material from the workpiece. In many processes it is desirable to control the amount of material removed from a workpiece. It is, for example, often desirable to remove material at a constant rate, i.e., to achieve a constant rate of cut with the abrasive article. That is, it is often desirable to remove a relatively constant amount of material from the workpiece over a period of time. In other cases, it is desirable to remove a fixed amount of material from a workpiece. In either case, it is desirable to control the amount of material removed even as the abrasive article wears.
One common way for controlling the amount of material removed from a workpiece is to force the abrasive article into the workpiece at a constant rate. In other words, a machine may be used within the process to physically move the abrasive article into the workpiece at predefined increments. These machines often tend to be heavy, rigid machines that are expensive to construct and maintain. Moreover, such machines are limited to well-defined workpiece geometries, and can easily damage a workpiece. The workpiece may be damaged, for example, if the machine unexpectedly contacts the workpiece while rapidly advancing the abrasive article.
Other abrasive manufacturing processes make use of feedback controls, either manual or automated, to control the amount of material removed from a workpiece. For example, some abrading machines incorporate sensors to measure an amount of material removed from the workpiece, and may adjust process variables, e.g., an application force of the abrasive article, coolant flow, an abrasion time, a velocity of the abrasive article relative to the workpiece, and the like, based on the measurements. Alternatively, an operator may measure the abraded workpiece or the removed material, and make manual adjustments to one or more process variables based on the measurements in an attempt to achieve a constant rate of cut of the workpiece.
In general, the use of manual measurements and adjustments is prone to error, and can easily lead to the production of unacceptable workpieces. The use of feedback loops and automated controls, however, can add significant expense to an abrasive manufacturing process. Moreover, such systems may be limited to particular types of workpieces, and may not easily be used on different types of workpieces.

Modeling an abrasive process to achieve controlled material removal


Various techniques for patterning a substrate are disclosed. Specifically, implantation of the first species into an anti-reflective coating layer is contemplated to reduce stress in the layer that may be generated during the exposure stage or development stage. During these steps, the resist layer or the resist structure may under mechanical changes (e.g. shrinkage) while it is in contact with the anti-reflective layer. Such changes may introduce stress in the anti-reflective layer, which may contribute to excessive line edge roughness (LER) or line width roughness (LWR). By implanting the first species before, during, or after these steps, the stress in the anti-reflective layer may be avoided or compensated, and excessive LER or LWR may be avoided or reduced.

Patterning process is one of many processes used in manufacturing electronic devices, including integrated circuit (IC) devices. It is a process used to form features on a substrate, on which the devices are formed. One of the patterning processes used is photo-lithography. In this process, a layer of photoresist is deposited on a substrate. Thereafter, a mask having with an aperture arranged in a desired pattern is disposed is positioned between the substrate and a light source. The radiation from the light source is then directed toward the substrate, and the pattern of the aperture in the mask is imaged on the photoresist. Thereafter, the photoresist is exposed to a developer solution, such as tetramethyl ammonium hydroxide. As the radiation exposure causes the photoresist to become soluble to the developer solution, the portion of the photoresist exposed to the radiation is dissolved and removed from the substrate. Meanwhile, another portion not exposed to the radiation may remain insoluble and remain on the substrate as the resist structures. The remaining resist structures, which may correspond to the aperture pattern of the mask, may be baked and further hardened. These resist structures may be used as a mask for subsequent, for example, etching process, and the features corresponding to the resist structures may form on the substrate.
With increased demand for smaller devices with more complex circuitry, the feature size requirement has become more stringent. Unfortunately, limitations in the scaling of the photolithography systems can no longer meet the device scaling requirements. For example, it has been found that the conventional photolithography may result in resist structures with excessive line edge roughness (LER) or line width roughness (LWR), instead of smooth well defined resist structures. If present, LER or LWR from the resist structures is transferred to the substrate below during the etching process, and these defects may be transferred onto the substrate. Such defects may result in device degradation usually in transistor or parametric stability. Depending on the design, short, medium or long range roughness will have detrimental impact on the device.
Accordingly, a new process that limits or reduces the LER and LWR in photolithographic process is needed.

Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates, Inc.


A transmission for a vehicle may include an input shaft connected to a power source, an output shaft disposed in parallel with the input shaft, a synchromesh type shift mechanism including at least two pairs of external gear pairs and a synchronous device which may be installed on the input shaft and the output shaft, and a clutch device provided on a power transfer path connected from the input shaft to the output shaft through the external gear pair and configured to connect the synchronous device in parallel with the power transfer path.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a transmission for a vehicle, and more particularly, to a structure of a transmission which may be used for an electric vehicle, or the like.
Description of Related Art
Since an electric vehicle according to the related art typically includes only a simple decelerator, it has a configuration which simply decelerates power generated from a motor and provides it to a driving wheel. However, in order to recently satisfy a wide range of usage demand of the electric vehicle, it is requested to provide more improved power performance.
In order to improve the power performance of the electric vehicle, it has been attempted to mount a transmission capable of providing at least two shift ratio instead of the simple decelerator. For a simple configuration and high power transfer efficiency, synchromesh type shift mechanism which is mainly used for a manual transmission vehicle according to the related art has been considered.
However, since the synchromesh type shift mechanism necessarily involves a torque interruption process in which the power transferred to the driving wheel is interrupted during a process of releasing a previous shift stage and performing a shift to the next shift stage when performing the shift, thereby causing a shift shock.
The information disclosed in this Background of the Invention section is only for enhancement of understanding of the general background of the invention and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information forms the prior art already known to a person skilled in the art.