Disclosed is a braze bar carrier system for utilization in holding and maintaining the alignment of a plurality of components in an apparatus during a brazing process. The braze bar carrier system includes a graphite insert that prevents the brazing flux from wetting the braze bar carrier system thereby preventing brazing filler material from adhering to the carrier system. The graphite insert is readily removable and replaceable. Use of the graphite insert dramatically reduces the number of scrap and damaged assemblies in a brazing operation.

Heat exchangers such as condensers, radiators, evaporators, heater cores, and coolers made of aluminum or aluminum alloy or other metals are widely used today. These heat exchangers generally include perforated fins brazed to the external surface of tubes and plates that form the structure of the heat exchanger. The tubes are usually extruded, welded, or folded and the fins are usually made from coils of sheet stock.
Brazing is a process that involves the joining of components into an apparatus using a brazing filler material whose melting point is lower than that of the components. The brazing process is typically used to join components that are either metals or alloys. Typically the brazing filler material is placed adjacent to or in between the components to be joined or it is clad to one of the components, the components are assembled into the apparatus, and the assembled apparatus is then heated to a temperature where the brazing filler material melts but not the components. Upon cooling, the brazing filler material forms a metallurgical bond between the surfaces of the components.
Prior to assembly into heat exchangers the tubes and plates are typically coated or plated with a corrosion protector using known techniques such as twin-wire arc thermal spraying. Zinc or zinc-aluminum alloys are generally used as a corrosion protector, but any known corrosion inhibitor may be used. The tubes are typically prepared prior to assembly to carry the brazing filler or cladding material that fills the joints between the tube and fins during brazing. The brazing filler is typically applied to thin sheet stock as a cladding layer in the form of an overlayed sheet that is rolled and bonded to the aluminum tube stock. The cladding comprises a material or materials known in the art to be capable of melting at a temperature lower than the heat exchanger components such as an aluminum-silicon alloy so that, during brazing, the cladding will form brazed joints. The use of such clad brazing sheets is well known. Other methods of applying the cladding material include spraying it on or dipping one of the components into a cladding solution.
Prior to brazing of aluminum heat exchangers, tube cladding and plate surfaces must be cleaned and de-oxidized. Removal of the oxidation layer is necessary to form strong joints. This is generally accomplished using a material commonly known as flux that chemically cleans and de-oxidizes the surfaces and protects the aluminum from further oxidation. Typical brazing fluxes contain chlorides and/or fluorides and the flux material typically melts at a lower temperature than that of the brazing filler material. Once molten, the brazing flux material works to dissolve the hard shell of metal oxides on the two surfaces, which enhances the wetting and flow of the molten brazing filler material, thereby allowing it to be drawn freely by capillary force between the joints of the components to be brazed. The composition of the brazing filler material is determined by the composition of the surfaces to be joined as is known by ordinary skill in the art. Likewise, there are numerous brazing flux materials that are available and the particular one utilized depends on the identity of the components to be brazed.
In current manufacturing processes, typically the brazing filler material is applied to one of the surfaces to be joined and the components are pre-assembled into the apparatus. A braze bar carrier system is typically used to hold the components together and in alignment during application of the flux material and during passage through the brazing furnace. After pre-assembly the entire apparatus and carrier system is often dipped in a water-flux slurry or such a water-flux slurry is sprayed onto the entire assembly. Alternatively, the flux material is applied to the entire apparatus via a static dry powder process. As discussed above, the flux is actually only required at the localized areas where the two surfaces are being joined. The entire fluxed apparatus and carrier system are then passed into a brazing furnace where the brazing flux material and filler become liquid and flow between the parts. Once cooled the cladding fuses the parts of the apparatus together.
Prior art carrier systems often comprise brazing trays, frames or bars. Typically these components are formed from stainless steel tubing, turned on edge. The brazing carrier systems are often coated with various paints or other coatings like boron-nitride or green stop off. These coatings are designed to serve as a barrier between the stainless steel surface and the brazing flux material. As these coating materials wear off flux that lands on the stainless steel surface starts to wet the surface thereby allowing the brazing cladding material to braze the trays, frames, and bars to the components being joined. When this occurs this can cause holes and damage to the apparatus when the carrier system parts are removed from the apparatus. This results in quality and scrap problems. In addition, with frequent use these coating materials must typically be reapplied to the carrier system parts on a monthly basis. Thus, it would be advantageous to develop a carrier system that avoided or eliminated the problem of brazing of the carrier system onto the apparatus being carried.
One prior art solution is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,199,742. In this patent a special tooling base is made of graphite to provide for a controlled co-efficient of thermal expansion between the tooling base and the part being brazed. The disclosed tooling utilizes a series of slip sheets having lubricants such as stop-off compounds and others to prevent sticking of the component being brazed to the tooling. The part to be assembled is received on the slip sheet which is placed on the graphite tooling base. Additional slip sheets are placed on top of the apparatus to be brazed each of the slip sheets including lubricants such as stop-off. Finally pressure is applied to the parts to be brazed in the form of a pan filled with heavy metal pellets. While this disclosure provides some protection of the tooling by utilization of the slip sheets it still requires additional components that need to be replaced and can be subject to wear leading to scrap parts prior to their replacement. In addition, the complicated arrangements of slip sheets can make assembly of the unit difficult. An earlier solution to the problem of adherence of the fixtures to the components being brazed is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,549,238. In this patent the brazing tray surface in contact with the parts to be brazed comprises a layer of ceramic material. The ceramic material provides a non-stick surface for preventing flux from adhering to the brazing tray. The difficulty with this solution is it can be hard to coat various materials uniformly with a ceramic coating and such coating is fragile and subject to wear. In addition, the non-stick coating cannot be easily replaced and in fact the entire tray must be scraped once the coating has become worn.
Thus there exists a need to provide a brazing fixture having a non-stick surface that is easily replaced and subject to less wear than those found in the prior art.


Problems In a recording medium such as DVD, for example, when groups having the same title or the same song and different numbers of channels are recorded, all the groups are reproduced, further, when a DVD author mistakes, contents which are not needed to be reproduced are reproduced.

Nowadays, a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc) is often used as a medium on which data such as audio and video is recorded. In the DVD, data is divided to a plurality of groups (or titles) to be recorded. In each group, a plurality of tracks (or chapters) is provided. The contents such as audio and video in each group are divided to a plurality of tracks in the group to be recorded.
Further, in a DVD-Audio or the like, the audio is allowed to be recorded multi-channel other than conventional two-channel, and allowed to be reproduced with a higher sound quality and a higher realistic sensation (for example, see Patent Document 1).
[Patent Document 1] Japanese Published Patent Application No. 2004-103207

Recording medium reproducing device, a method for reproducing a recording medium, a program for reproducing a recording medium, and a recording medium

Abstract: Means for Solving Problems In a case of DVD-Audio, a condition for reproducing a group having at least one track (a group having the longest reproducing time, a group having the largest number of tracks, a group having the largest data capacity) is set, and only the group which matches the condition is reproduced. In a case of DVD-Video, a title can be used instead of the group. In a case of CD, a folder is used instead of the group.


A drive pulse for emitting and turning-off a light emitting element is output, the level difference or the level ratio between the light emission zero point detection signal from a light receiving element having received the light from the light emitting element and a putting-off zero point detection signal from the light receiving element when the light emitting element is put off is calculated, and the level difference or the level ratio is compared with a preset level to thereby determine the abnormality of the light emitting element, the light receiving element and a peripheral circuit. With this arrangement, even if the ratio of noise light occupied in the zero point output is reduced, whether detecting elements and the peripheral circuit are good or bad and whether the elements are abnormally polluted or not can be reliably tested without the effect of the dispersion of the detecting elements and the change of an ambient temperature, whereby the reliability of a smoke detector is improved.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a photoelectric smoke detector used to a disaster monitoring system for notifying the occurrence of a fire by collecting smoke density data, and more specifically, to a photoelectric smoke detector for determining the abnormality of a light emitting element, a light receiving element, a test light emitting element and the like by the comparison of the level difference between a zero point detection signal when the light emitting element is emitted and a zero point detection signal when the light emitting element is turned-off with a preset level difference, and the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
Nowadays, there have been widely used smoke detectors for detecting the occurrence of smoke in a monitored area and taking precautions against the possible spread of a fire. A photoelectric smoke detector is proposed as one of such smoke detectors.
A light emitting element and a light receiving element are disposed in the photoelectric smoke detector so that the optical axes thereof intersect with each other. An amount of the light received by the light receiving element when no smoke is generated is set to a zero point level. However, even if no smoke is generated, since the light generated by the light emitting element partly enters the light receiving element (which is referred to as noise light), the zero point level is not be perfect zero but has a positive value.
When smoke is generated, since the light scattered by the particles of the smoke is detected by the light receiving element, the amount of the light received by the light receiving element is increased from the zero point level. The photoelectric smoke detector detects the generation of smoke by detecting an increase of the amount of the light received by the light receiving element.
Conventionally, this type of the photoelectric smoke detector monitors the abnormality of light emitting elements, test light emitting elements and light receiving elements disposed therein as to the short circuit, release, deterioration and pollution thereof as well as carries out a test for confirming whether a peripheral circuit operates normally or not in order to ensure the detecting operation of the smoke detector when a fire happens.
Although the confirmation test includes a manual test effected by the use of a simple tester and an automatic test, when a lot of the photoelectric smoke detectors are deployed, the automatic test often being carried out because it is difficult to carry out the time-consuming manual test.
When a lot of the photoelectric smoke detectors are disposed in a disaster monitoring system, the automatic test is carried out using a control panel for receiving signals detected by the many photoelectric smoke detectors. More specifically, the control panel effects a polling control to send test commands to the respective photoelectric smoke detectors so that light is emitted by the light emitting elements. Then, whether the light emitted by the light emitting elements are properly received by the light receiving elements or not is confirmed to thereby test whether the light emitting elements, light receiving elements and a peripheral circuit disposed in the photoelectric smoke detector function normally or not. The operation of the light emitting elements, light receiving elements and the peripheral circuit disposed in the photoelectric smoke detectors is tested as described above.
In the above automatic test of the photoelectric smoke detector light from, the light emitting element is first emitted to obtain the aforesaid zero point level in the existence of noise light. Actually, the zero point level includes noise signals generated by the light receiving elements and amplifying circuit of the received lights in the respective photoelectric smoke detectors in addition to the noise light and the noise signals vary greatly by the change of an ambient temperature.
FIG. 9(A) shows the zero point levels of the photoelectric smoke detector when the ambient temperature is 0.degree. C., 25.degree. C. and 50.degree. C. As described above, the zero point level is at the signal level obtained by adding a photoelectric conversion signal (shown by the shaded portion) which is the output signal of noise light generated by the emission of the light emitting element to the noise signal of the light receiving elements and the amplifying circuit of received lights. Among these signals, the level of the noise signal is increased as the ambient temperature increases to 0.degree. C., 25.degree. C. and 50.degree. C., whereas, the level of the photoelectric conversion signal is unchanged.
Normal operation can be confirmed by setting a normal range between threshold values a, b on the both sides of the zero point level at the ambient temperature of 25.degree. C. In this case, the normal operation can be confirmed from that both the zero point levels at 0.degree. C. and 50.degree. C. which are obtained by the test emission of the light emitting element are within the normal range of the threshold values a, b.
On the contrary, when the light emitting element and the like operates abnormally, the abnormal operation can be determined from that the photoelectric conversion signal shown by the shaded portion becomes zero and the zero point level is below the threshold value a at any of 0.degree. C., 25.degree. C. and 50.degree. C.
However, the following problems arise when normal operation and abnormal operation are determined by the conventional test emission in the photoelectric smoke detector. First, S/N ratio is recently increased by sufficiently reducing the level of noise light resulting from light emission effected in the state of no smoke by the improvement of the smoke detecting structure of the photoelectric smoke detector. For example, the level of the photoelectric conversion signal as the output signal of noise light occupied in the zero point level is relatively reduced as compared with the level of an electric noise signal as shown in FIG. 9(B).
Consequently, when the normal range is set to a narrow area between the threshold values a', b' on the both sides of the zero point level at the ambient temperature of 25.degree. C. likewise the case of FIG. 9(A), since the zero point level at 0.degree. C. obtained by the test light emission of the light emitting element is below the threshold value a', the operation of the photoelectric smoke detector is erroneously determined abnormal, whereas erroneous determination is also made as to the zero point level at 50.degree. C. which exceeds the threshold value b', thus it is difficult to make correct determination.
On the contrary, when the normal range is increased as shown in FIG. 9(C), even if the light emitting element and the like are made abnormal and the photoelectric conversion signal shown by the shaded portions are made zero, the zero point levels at the ambient temperatures 25.degree. C., 50.degree. C. are not below the threshold value a" and within the normal range, even if the light emitting element and the like operate abnormally, they are erroneously determined to operate normally. As described above, it is difficult to determine normal operation and abnormal operation simply depending upon whether the zero point level is within a predetermined range or not.
Although it is contemplated to determine normal operation by setting threshold values at respective temperatures, its arrangement is made complex because the circumferential temperatures of the respective detecting elements must be measured.
As described above, when the level of the photoelectric conversion signal compared with the level of an electric noise signal. is lowered, there arises a problem as to whether the light emitting element, the light receiving element and the peripheral circuit are normal or abnormal can in fact be determined by the test operation carried out based on the zero point output whose normal range is set by the threshold values.

Photoelectric smoke detector and disaster monitoring system using the photoelectric smoke detector


The present invention relates to providing a designer with the tools for the manipulation of differential gloss in halftoned images. A special mask layer is provided for the rendering of desired glossmark image data. The desired glossmark image data is used to select between two halftones with anisotropic structure characteristics which are significantly different in orientation while remaining identical in density. This selection is made for each corresponding portion of primary image data. In this way, a halftone image of the primary image is generated with glossmarks imbedded therein which will display differential gloss without the need for special toners or paper.

The present invention relates generally the gloss inherent in the hardcopy of image data be it pictorial or text as generated by graphic design artists. More particularly, this invention relates to halftoned image data and the control of differential gloss when that halftone image data is printed into hardcopy for the graphic arts.
There is an ever constant desire and need within the advertising and graphic arts to provide printed matter, be it posters, brochures, or magazines, in new and fresh ways which will appeal to the eye anew. One such approach is to provide gloss image overlays or glossmarks. However, heretofore such a technique has not proven popular. This is basically because either the client is unwilling to pay extra for the effect or the additional required processing has been too onerous to schedule or otherwise reliably juggle within the industry. The hurdles are essentially the need for special toners or paper or both, combined with any special handling issues.
There has been a need for a printer that can print a page that will provide localized gloss control. One method, described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,210,346 and 5,695,220, is to use a particular white toner and a particular white paper that are designed to have different diffused light characteristics at different angles. Of course, this system requires special, matched paper and toner.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,108,512 to Hanna, the invention described discloses a system for producing non-copyable prints. In a xerographic printer, text is printed using clear toner. Thus, the only optical difference between toner and non-toner portions of the page is in the reflectivity. The plastic toner will reflect more light than the paper. A human reader can now read the image by holding the page at such an angle that the eye will intercept the reflected light from the toner, producing a contrast between the lighter appearing toner and the darker appearing paper. However, a copier scanner is always set up to avoid reflected light, by supplying light at an oblique angle and reading at a right angle. In this case, the diffused light is approximately equal for both toned and untoned surfaces, the scanner will detect no difference and the copier will not be able to copy the original.
All of the above are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety for their teaching.
Therefore, as discussed above, there exists a need within the marketing, advertising and graphics art industries for an arrangement and methodology which will enable gloss control and allow manipulation for glossmarks without requiring special toners/inks or paper/substrates or special handling. Thus, it would be desirable to solve this and other deficiencies and disadvantages as discussed above with an improved methodology for the manipulation of perceived gloss in graphic art documents and product.
The present invention relates to a method for a designer to provide glossmarks in a halftone image comprising the steps of providing a unique mask level with desired glossmark data and providing primary image data. This is then followed by using the unique mask level data to toggle the selection of either a first halftone having a first anisotropic structure orientation or a second halftone having a second anisotropic structure orientation different from that of the first halftone, where the first halftone is used for at least some portion of the primary image data and the second halftone is used for the remaining portion of the primary image data in rendering the halftone image.
In particular, the present invention relates to a method for a designer to provide glossmarks in a halftone image comprising the steps of providing a unique mask level with desired glossmark data and providing primary image data. This is then followed by using the unique mask level data to toggle the selection of either a first halftone having a first anisotropic structure orientation or a second halftone different from that of the first halftone, where the first halftone is used for at least some portion of the primary image data and the second halftone is used for the remaining portion of the primary image data in rendering the halftone image.
The present invention also relates to a method for a designer to provide glossmarks in a halftone image comprising the steps of providing a unique mask level with desired glossmark data and providing primary image data. This is then followed by using the unique mask level data to toggle the selection of either a first halftone having a first anisotropic structure orientation, or a second halftone having a second anisotropic structure orientation different from that of the first halftone, or a third halftone having a structure different from both the first halftone and the second halftone, where the first halftone is used for at least some portion of the primary image data, and the second halftone is used for another portion of the primary image data, and the third halftone is used for the remaining portion of the primary image data in rendering the halftone image.

Application of glossmarks for graphics enhancement


The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for managing power in a computer system. A filter driver can be equipped with a packet monitoring function or the like detects whether devices mounted in the computer system are in the idle state. If a device is in the idle state, the power mode of the corresponding device is varied to the power down mode, independent of the system power mode state that has been set up by the operation system in the computer system. In this manner, power supplied to devices in the idle state is reduced, and it becomes possible to have a more efficient control over the load of the computer system. Overall, preferred embodiments according to the present invention can be very advantageously used for developing and expanding the computer system more simply by adding the filter driver into the system, without changing a device driver in the computer system.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a computer system mounted with a plurality of devices, and more particularly, to an apparatus and a method for managing power in a computer system.
2. Background of the Related Art
FIG. 1 illustrates a configuration of an apparatus for managing power in computer system. In the following description, the 'power down mode' refers to all kinds of power modes (i.e. standby, suspend, or power off etc.) except for the power on mode (e.g., normal operation mode). The computer system includes an operation system 10, a device driver 20, a bus driver 30, and devices 40. A power mode for respective devices 40, including a network adaptor, a display adaptor, a mouse, a monitor, a disk drive, a digital camera, a scanner, and a sound card, is collectively determined in accordance with a system power mode that is set up by the operation system 10.
For instance, suppose that the operation system 10 sets up the system power mode to the power down mode. Then, the device driver 20 sets up a power mode for a device it has been operating and controlling to the power down mode. On the other hand, if the operation system 10 sets up the system power mode to an operating mode, the device driver 20 sets up the power mode for the device it has been operating and controlling to the operating mode and supplies power in a normal manner. Thus, the device driver 20 varies the power mode of the device corresponding to the system power mode set up by the operation system 10 to either the operating mode (e.g., D0) or the power down mode (e.g., D1, D2, D3).
For example, the operation system 10 can generate an I/O Request Packet (IRP) that corresponds to the system power mode it has set up, and output the IRP to the device driver 20. Then, the device driver 20 identifies the IRP and generates a Device Power Mode Packet (DPMP) for enabling the power mode of an object (e.g., corresponding) device 40 to the operating mode or the power down mode and outputs the DPMP to the very top end of a driver stack to notify every driver that the device power mode has been changed.
In response to the DPMP, the device 40 operates its hardware and varies the power mode to the power down mode or the operating mode, and transmits the power mode packet to a bus driver 30. The bus driver 30 changes a bus-power mode to the power down mode when every device under a corresponding bus (e.g. PCI, USB, IEEE1394 and the like) is in the power down mode. Hence, when the operation system 10 sets up the system power mode to the power down mode, the power mode of each device changes to the power down mode. In other words, the entire computer system now enters into the power down mode.
As described above, the related art has various disadvantages. In the related art, the power mode for each device is collectively set up in accordance with the system power mode. In other words, once a current system power mode is in the operating mode, every device is in the operating mode. Accordingly, although some of devices might be in an idle state for a prescribed period of time, the power mode for those devices is all in the operating mode. In so doing, a lot of power was consumed unnecessarily and system loading is done ineffectively.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Apparatus and method for managing power in computer system


An arrangement using sensing coils for obtaining flux rate of change information in a magnetic circuit. The arrangement can be used for vibration attenuation in a magnetic forcer system. Active (electric powered) circuitry is used to implement closed loop control of flux rate. The control loop is "broadband" since a broad range of vibration frequencies are attenuated. The arrangement can be applied to magnetic forcer/suspension systems in which vibrations due to magnetic mechanical/magnetic runouts, system mechanical resonances, or external vibration sources are present. The arrangement is particularly applicable for systems with a large number of varying vibration frequencies.

This invention relates to an arrangement for obtaining flux rate of change information in a magnetic circuit such as may be used for vibration attenuation in a magnetic forcer system.
Passive arrangements for the purpose described include spring/mass systems, mechanical dampers and hybrid viscoelastic devices. Active arrangements may be open or closed loop and may include forcer elements or drive elements such as piezoceramic elements, pneumatic/hydraulic drives, or electromagnetic devices which, when used in conjunction with appropriate sensing elements, can be used to actively accomplish the aforenoted vibration attenuation.
In an active open loop configuration, a command matching the vibration to be attenuated as a function of time is applied to the forcer element. This configuration works well when the vibration dynamics can be modeled accurately. Alternatively, an active closed loop arrangement can be employed, whereby the vibration is sensed and the sensed information is used to adjust a command matching the vibration.
The present invention is similar to the above described active closed loop arrangement which uses "Hall Effect" devices to measure magnetic flux within an air gap. These devices are operative so that presence of a magnetic field of a proper orientation induces a small voltage in a semiconductor device. The Hall Effect arrangement uses flux as the sensed parameter for vibration attenuation. The present invention, on the other hand, uses flux rate for this purpose.
Accordingly, it is the object of the present invention to use a closed loop or feedback arrangement for sensing flux rate of change in a magnetic circuit.

Active broadband magnetic flux rate feedback sensing arrangement


A climate controlled seat assembly includes an outer frame and one or more layers of fabric. A panel member attached to the opposite side of the frame defines an inner space located between the panel member and the fabric. One or more channels attached to or formed, in part, by the panel member are in fluid communication with an opening in the panel member and a plurality of orifices located on the channels. Air from a fluid module or other device enters the channels and is discharged through the orifices in the direction of the fabric. The air passes through the fabric and reaches an occupant situated on the seating assembly.

1. Field of the Invention
This application relates to climate control, and more specifically, to climate control of a seat assembly.
2. Description of the Related Art
Temperature modified air for environmental control of living or working space is typically provided to relatively extensive areas, such as entire buildings, selected offices, or suites of rooms within a building. In the case of enclosed areas, such as homes, offices, libraries and the like, the interior space is typically cooled or heated as a unit. There are many situations, however, in which more selective or restrictive air temperature modification is desirable. For example, it is often desirable to provide an individualized climate control for a seat assembly so that substantially instantaneous heating or cooling can be achieved. For example, a chair situated within a hot, poorly-ventilated environment can be uncomfortable to the occupant, especially if the occupant intends to use the chair for extended time periods. Furthermore, even with normal air-conditioning, on a hot day, the seat occupant's back and other pressure points may remain sweaty while seated. In the winter time, it is highly desirable to have the ability to quickly warm the seat of the occupant to facilitate the occupant's comfort, especially where heating units are unlikely to warm the indoor space as quickly. Therefore, a need exists to provide a climate-controlled seat assembly for use in various indoor and/or outdoor environments.


An apparatus for receiving messages defined by data packets having respective header and payload portions where each header portion includes a channel representation regarding a channel associated with the data packet and an end of message representation representing whether or not the data packet is a final data packet in the message and where each payload portion includes information pertaining to the message. The apparatus includes data memory for storing the payload portions of the data packets, list memory, a header processor for receiving the header portion of the data packet and for providing status signals indicative of the channel representation and the end of message representation, and a reassembly processor programmed to maintain in the list memory a pointer list of address pointers to unused blocks of data memory and a link list of address pointers associated with each channel.

This invention relates to reassembly of data packets into messages, in an Asynchronous Transfer Mode communications system.
Asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) network interfaces are becoming popular, especially in networks which support data transfer rates in excess of 1.544 Mbits per second in North America and 2.0 Mbits per second in Europe. It is well known that the asynchronous mode of transmitting and switching information in a network provides the advantages of mixing data, voice and video on the same medium.
In an ATM transmission, a transmitting network node represents a message as a plurality of data packets. Different messages may have different lengths and, therefore, different numbers of data packets. For example, a carriage return message would have a smaller length than a message representing a frame of video.
Each data packet includes 53 octets or bytes, 48 of which represent data and the remaining 5 of which represent control information including a message identification and an end of message status. These 53 octets are transmitted over an ATM network by a Physical Layer Interface (PHY) which receives signals from a host computer via an interface known as a Universal Test and Operations Physical Layer Interface for ATM (UTOPIA) and which creates the physical signals used on the network to effect data and handshaking functions. The physical signals may include optical signals for transmission over a fibre optic cable.
At a receiving node on the ATM network, a similar physical layer interface receives physical signals from the above and other transmitters and produces system-level physical signals in the UTOPIA format. Such signals include data signals which represent the 53-octet ATM data packets originally transmitted from each transmitter. However, it is possible, and in a busy network probable, that a 53-octet ATM data packet from another transmitter may be received before a next data packet from the original transmitter is received. Thus, the receiver receives a succession of data packets where each data packet may be from a different transmitter. The receiver then has the task of re-assembling into a contiguous sequence, all data packets of each respective message.
One method of data packet reassembly is disclosed in a data sheet for a 155 Mb/s ATM Segmentation & Reassembly "SAR" Controller for the PCI local Bus, published October 1995 by Integrated Device Technology, Inc. of Santa Clara, Calif., USA. This method involves the use of a relatively small free buffer, of a fixed length, typically less than 128 octets, to receive at least initial cells of a given data packet. If the message includes a large number of data packets, the small free buffer can become full in which case, relatively large free buffers, of a fixed length, typically 4K octets, are appended to the small free buffer to accommodate the remainder of the packets in the message. However, memory is wasted in this approach because, for example, since each data packet includes 53 octets, 3 data packets will require the use of one small buffer and one large buffer which will cause approximately 3K of the large 4 buffer to be left unused. This can be wasteful of memory, particularly where the receiving node is expected to received a large number of data packets on a large number of channels. The present invention addresses these problems.

Method and apparatus for reassembly of data packets into messages in an asynchronous transfer mode communications system


An apparatus and method for interrupt processing are provided, in which an interrupt is latched in a synchronous system in order to process the interrupt of a code division multiple access switching apparatus. An interrupt of higher priority order is processed by arbitrarily designating the priority order of the interrupt, and then an interrupt of lower priority order is processed in order, regardless of the priority order, thereby being used in a control system of the code division multiple access switching apparatus to which an interrupt having no priority order is applied.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for interrupt processing, and more particularly to an apparatus and method for interrupt processing in which an interrupt is latched in a synchronous system in order to process the interrupt of a code division multiple access, (CDMA) switching apparatus and an interrupt of higher priority order is processed by arbitrarily designating the priority order of the interrupt, and then, an interrupt of lower priority order is processed in order regardless of the priority order.
2. Description of Related Art
As shown in FIG. 1, a conventional interrupt processing apparatus comprises an interrupt input portion 1 for inputting a plurality of interrupts, an interrupt controller 2 for selectively outputting an interrupt of higher priority order from a plurality of interrupts input concurrently from interrupt input portion 1, and an interrupt processor 3 for processing the interrupt selected at interrupt controller 2.
In the conventional interrupt processing apparatus of this configuration, when a new interrupt is input to interrupt input portion 1, the priority order of the newly input interrupt is compared with that of the interrupt currently in action at interrupt controller 2. If the priority order of the newly input interrupt is lower than that of the interrupt in action, the currently acting interrupt continues. In the reverse case, the interrupt in action is halted and the new interrupt of higher priority order is processed at interrupt processor 3.
However, the conventional interrupt processing apparatus of this configuration operates only to interrupt requests of a higher level, so that the apparatus cannot be applied to a control system in a code division multiple access, (CDMA) switching apparatus to which an interrupt having no priority order is applied.
An interrupt processing apparatus is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,197,083. The technology disclosed therein relates to an art in which a higher priority order interrupt input halts a currently operating interrupt and then the interrupt of higher priority order is carried out. Accordingly, the technology cannot be applied to a code division multiple access apparatus to which an interrupt having no priority order is applied.

Apparatus and method for interrupt processing in a code division multiple access switching apparatus

Hyundai Electronics Industries Co., Ltd.


An aspherical lens includes a light entrance plane configured to receive light emitted from a light source and a light exit plane configured to radiate the light received by the light entrance plane. The light exit plane includes semispherical convex portions disposed on an upper surface of the aspherical lens, a concavely depressed portion comprising an overlapping region where the semispherical convex portions partially overlap each other at a central axis, a side portion connected with the semispherical convex portions, and an upper surface of each of the semispherical convex portions having a first flat portion.

1. Field
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention relate to a lens for light emitting diodes (LEDs) and, more particularly, to an aspherical LED lens and a light emitting device is including the same.
2. Discussion of the Background
A LED refers to a semiconductor device that has a p-n junction and emits light upon recombination of electrons and holes in the p-n junction based on a potential difference formed therein. An LED may be composed of compound semiconductors such as GaN, GaAs, GaP, GaAs1-xPx, Ga1-xAlxAs, InP, In1-xGaxP, etc., and has generally been used for display lamps or devices for displaying simple information such as numerals. In recent years, with the development of technologies such as information display technology and semiconductor technology, LEDs may be used not only for flat panel displays such as liquid crystal display devices, but also for general lighting.
LEDs may have advantages, such as superior energy efficiency to and longer lifespan than existing light sources, no discharge of harmful ultraviolet (UV) light, and environmental friendliness, and are thus increasingly a focus of attention as a light source that can replace existing cold cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFL).
However, when LEDs are applied to a light source for a backlight unit of a display device, a panel disposed directly on the LEDs may have high illumination but a region between the LEDs may have low illumination due to point light source characteristics of the LEDs, whereby the entirety of the panel may have uneven illumination. Further, when the LEDs are applied to a street lamp, for example, only a region directly below the street lamp may be bright, and a road surface between street lamps may be dark, causing pedestrian or driver inconvenience.
Specifically, a conventional LED will be described herein with reference to an example wherein a semispherical LED lens is employed as a light source for a backlight unit.
FIG. 1 is a side sectional view of a light emitting device 100 including a conventional semispherical LED lens, FIG. 2 is a graph depicting an orientation angle curve of light emitted from the light emitting device 100, and FIG. 3 is a graph depicting illumination on a panel of a display device according to arrangement of the light emitting devices 100 when the light emitting devices 100 are used as a light source for the backlight unit.
As shown in FIG. 1, the conventional light emitting device 100 includes an LED chip 2 and a semispherical LED lens 4 which adjust an angle of light emitted from the LED chip 2. Although not shown in the drawings, the light emitting device 100 may further include a fluorescent material deposited on the LED chip 2 to generate white light.
Referring to FIG. 2, since light emitted from the light emitting device 100 as shown in FIG. 1 is focused on the center of the lens 4 due to the semispherical structure of the lens 4, the light may have a symmetrical pattern of orientation angles such that illumination increases towards a central axis of the lens and gradually decreases towards right and left sides thereof.
Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 3, when the light emitting devices 100 including the semispherical LED lenses are linearly arranged in the backlight unit of the display device, illumination on a panel above the light emitting devices 100 may be uneven, and bright and dark areas may be repeatedly formed on the panel.

Aspherical LED lens and light emitting device including the same


A semiconductor integrated circuit has a CAM structure based on nonvolatile memories which is used for forming a flexible CAM of large scale integration. The circuit includes a first memory cell for defining the electrical connection or the nonconnection between a first data line and a match line, a second memory cell for defining the electrical nonconnection or the connection between a second data line and the match line, and a selective transistor for making or breaking the connection between each of the first and the second data lines and the match line. The threshold voltage of the selective transistor has a predetermined value incorporated during the fabrication process. The semiconductor integrated circuit can electrically connect a selective word line connected to a gate electrode of the selective transistor to the match line and has a tri-state buffer for making the potential of the selective word line float. The threshold voltage of each nonvolatile memory is set at a predetermined voltage. The semiconductor integrated circuit is capable of retrieving data from a plurality of memory cells at high speed without mutual interference and is able to provide an associative memory unit for use as a high-speed, large capacity data base.

The present invention relates to CAM (Content Addressable Memory) and more particularly to a semiconductor integrated circuit having a CAM structure comprising newly formed cells based on a nonvolatile memory element.
Heretofore, fully parallel CAMs (Content Addressable Memories), which are also called associative memories, have been widely known as semiconductor memory circuits having the functions of performing the match (or coincident) detection of between retrieval data and stored data concurrently in terms of all bits and outputting the match address of stored data or stored data (see "Design of CMOS VLSI," pp 176-177, edited by Tetsuya Iizuka and supervised by Takuo Sugano, Baifukan, 1989).
However, the bitwise configuration of a typical conventional CAM comprising SRAM cells and exclusive NOR circuits has made it impossible to provide CAM having a large-sized cell and consequently a capacity at a level fit for practical use.
In many IC cards that have recently been commercialized as personal data bases, for instance, no CAM has been arranged as stated above. In such an IC card, an arrangement has been made to find out data for the intended purpose by sequentially retrieving data one after another from ROM (Read Only Memory) in which the data are prestored. For this reason, the greater the number of data becomes, as in language dictionaries such as Japanese and English-Japanese dictionaries, the more it requires time to retrieve data. In other words, what has high-speed, flexible retrieval functions is still nonexistent.
If all data are made retrievable at a time as in the case of CAM, not by retrieving data one by one with the aid of software from the conventional ROM and the like in the prior art as stated above, data retrieval from the IC card equipped with a large memory capacity may be implemented with flexibility at high speed.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,701,980 (October 1972) and Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 194196/1989, for instance, suggest the possibility of large capacity associative memories. The former U.S. patent is based on DRAM having a CAM cell structure with ordinary 2-bit memories as one set, whereas the latter is based on an EPROM nonvolatile memory, also forming CAM having one set of ordinary 2-bit EPROM memories. Consequently, both can be subjected to integration larger in scale than that of CAM based on SRAM.
Notwithstanding, what is based on DRAM disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,701,980 still poses a problem in view of its area size. In the case of the associative memory based on EPROM as a nonvolatile memory, which is disclosed in Japanese Patent laid-open No. 194196/1989, flexible write/read is impossible in that EPROM with two bits as one set is structurally employed to make ground lines for common use match lines and that no attentive consideration has been given to particulars of retrieval operation.


A network device includes a memory and a packet forwarding engine. The memory stores a multicast list table, tag descriptor data and layer 2 (L2) encapsulation data. The packet forwarding engine receives a first pointer to an entry in the multicast list table, the entry including a second pointer to the tag descriptor data. The packet forwarding engine utilizes the second pointer to retrieve the tag descriptor data, the tag descriptor data including a third pointer to the encapsulation data. The packet forwarding engine constructs a packet header utilizing the retrieved encapsulation data and appends the packet header to a packet payload for forwarding out of the packet forwarding engine.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to data routing systems, and more particularly, to systems and methods for improving memory utilization during packet forwarding in data routing systems.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventional networks typically include routers that route packets from one or more sources to one or more destinations. A packet is a format in which data can be transmitted through a network. A router is a switching device that receives packets containing data or control information at input ports and, based on destination or other information included in the packets, routes the packets through output ports to the destinations or intermediary destinations. Conventional routers determine the proper output port for a particular packet by evaluating header information included in the packet.
Conventional routers include packet forwarding engines and switch fabrics for receiving and forwarding incoming packets to their intended destinations. To forward incoming packets from an input port to an output port, routers typically must perform complex data manipulation actions. Such data manipulation actions include storing and retrieving encapsulation data required for constructing outgoing packet headers and forwarding outgoing packets. Conventionally, the encapsulation data utilized in packet forwarding is stored in memory, such as SRAM. Unfortunately, SRAM density has not increased to keep up with the steadily increasing memory demands of the router. Thus, as the memory demands of the router increase, the need for improved data structures for preserving memory space has become very important.
Therefore, there exists a need for improved data structures and memory utilization mechanisms in router packet forwarding processes that can conserve memory space and, thereby, reduce memory demands on router memory.

Systems and methods for memory utilization during packet forwarding


A camera which includes a camera body includes a main body and a mirror box fixed to the main body. The mirror box and the main body are made of a first material having a first thermal expansion coefficient and a second material having a second thermal expansion coefficient, respectively, the second thermal expansion coefficient being smaller than the first thermal expansion coefficient. The mirror box is fixed to the main body by at least two fixing devices symmetrically disposed with respect to an optical axis.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a camera in which a camera body thereof is composed of a main body and a mirror box fixed to the main body, and more specifically relates to such a camera in which the mirror box is made of a material having a relatively high thermal expansion coefficient.
2. Description of the Related Art
An SLR camera system in which a camera body is composed of a main body and a mirror box, which are molded independently of each other, is known in the art. In the camera body of this type of SLR camera system, the mirror box which accommodates a reflecting mirror such as a quick-return mirror or a pellicle mirror and is generally equipped with components such as a lens mount, a shutter charge mechanism and a viewfinder optical system, thus required to be formed in a complicated shape, is often die-cast in aluminum or made of a glass fiber reinforced plastic (GFRP). On the other hand, the main body is generally composed of metal plates such as stamped metal plates, so that the mirror box, which is made by joining these metal plates together, is integrated into the main body to constitute the camera body. With the camera body having such a two-piece structure, the mirror box, which is a complex-shaped portion of the camera body, can be easily made while the required strength of the camera body can be easily ensured by the main body.
In such a camera in which the camera body is composed of a combinations of parts made of different materials, the mirror box having a high thermal expansion coefficient (especially the mirror box which is die-cast in aluminum or made of a glass fiber reinforced plastic) is distorted by a variation in ambient temperature by a greater amount than the main body. Such thermal distortion occurs unevenly because the mirror box is fixed to the main body only at finite number of points to thereby cause a variation in amount of thermal distortion of the mirror box at different portions thereof, or because there is a difference in amount of thermal distortion between the portions of the mirror box which are different in direction of resin flow at the process of molding the mirror box in the case where the mirror box is molded of resin. If such a difference in amount of thermal distortion occurs, high-quality images (tightly focused images) cannot be obtained due to such reasons as the mounting surface of the lens mount on the camera body to which a photographing lens is detachably attached becoming nonparallel to a focal plane (a film surface or an imaging surface of an image pick-up device), the axial position of the focal plane (or back focal distance) varying, an image formed on a picture plane partly becoming out-of-focus, and defocusing occurring in the entire area of the picture plane.
Specifically, in a digital camera such as disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No.2003-69886 in which the imaging surface of the image pick-up device such as a CCD image sensor lies in a focal plane, on which an object image is formed through the photographing lens, the mirror box is easily distorted by heat produced by the image pick-up device when the image pick-up device operates. Moreover, in such a digital camera, the positioning accuracy required for the imaging surface of the image pick-up device is so rigorous that requirements for focusing on the image pick-up device cannot be satisfied by merely controlling the amount of thermal distortion by a certain degree, which makes it difficult to obtain high-quality images.
To minimize such thermal distortion, one option would be to make the mirror box out of a material having a low thermal expansion coefficient. However, it is difficult to obtain a material of which a component having a complicated shape such as a mirror box can be easily molded as a light-weight component, and which has a low thermal expansion coefficient.


An eye treatment apparatus having a guide device structured to guide a nozzle of an applicator to a position in front of an eye is provided. The guide device includes a guide surface and a stop. The guide surface is easily accessible. That is, the nozzle of an applicator may be moved, generally laterally, into contact with the guide surface. The nozzle may then slide over the guide surface to the stop. The stop is positioned so that the nozzle is disposed centrally in front of the eye.

1. Field of the Invention
This disclosure relates to an eye treatment apparatus and, more specifically, an eye treatment apparatus having a guide surface structured to guide a nozzle of an applicator to a position in front of an eye.
2. Background Information
Many eye medications are applied directly to the eye. Commonly, medications are disposed in a liquid solution that is applied to the eye in drops. Other liquid medications may be applied to the eye as a mist or a spray. To accomplish such an application, the user must position the nozzle of the applicator in front of the eye. For eye drops, this is accomplished by tilting the head back and positioning the applicator over the eye. As used herein, "in front of" the eye includes "over" the eye.
Given the natural instinct to avoid anything, even liquids, contacting the eye, many users have difficulty positioning and applying such medications. For example, some people close the other eye, the one not receiving medication, leaving the user without a sense of depth perception during application of the medication. Some people have an aversion to anything close to their eye and, as such, hold the applicator far from the eye. Such difficulties are compounded when additional factors are added. For example, the elderly or those with various other conditions may have difficulty holding their arms steady. Further, conditions such as glaucoma, which may affect both eyes, may prevent the user from determining when the applicator is directly in front of the eye.
Attempts to provide a guide device typically provided a nozzle mount structured to accept the nozzle of a bottle or the tip of an eyedropper. The nozzle mounts included an unobstructed passage for the medication, but also included the mounting device that extended about the opening. The nozzle mounts were disposed on frames that could be mounted on the user's nose or simulated eyeglass frames. Such nozzle mounts, while effective, substantially blocked the user's view. Even when such devices were made of transparent materials, the thickness and/or curvature of the device would interfere with the passage of light to the user's eye. That is, the nozzle mount would refract or block light passing through the nozzle mount. Thus, the user would typically only wear the device when medicine was being applied; or, if the user continued to wear the device, the user's field of view was blocked or distorted.


An I/O circuit is disclosed for tolerating a high voltage input without incurring a leakage current. An ESD current bypass module is coupled between a power supply node and a circuit pad. A high voltage tolerant charge module is used for disabling the ESD current bypass module when the circuit pad receives a high voltage input that is higher than a voltage at the power supply node. In addition, a high voltage tolerant discharge module may be included for alleviating the ESD current bypass module from a voltage overstress when the circuit pad receives a low voltage input that is lower than the voltage at the power supply node.

The present invention generally relates to an input/output (I/O) circuit, and more particularly to an ElectroStatic Discharge (ESD) current bypass module in an I/O circuit that tolerates a high voltage input.
FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional ESD current bypass circuit 10. A pad 11 is electrically connected to an internal circuit 12 via a node 16. A first diode 14 is connected between the node 16 and an I/O power supply 13 having a reference voltage Vdd. A second diode 15 is connected between ground and the node 16. The first diode 14 and second diode 15 clamp the voltage level between the pad 11 and the internal circuit 12 to a certain range. In a normal operation mode, an input signal that falls in this voltage range travels directly from the pad 11 to the internal circuit 12. In an ESD event, an ESD current input from the pad 11 would have a voltage level exceeding the clamped voltage range, and dissipate via the first diode 14 to the I/O power supply 13 or via the second diode 15 to ground. Thus, the internal circuit 12 is protected from such high voltage input due to the ESD event.
One problem of the conventional ESD current bypass circuit 10 is that it cannot operate normally when an operational signal input from the pad 11 has a voltage level Vpad higher than Vdd. If Vpad is higher than Vdd, the first diode 14 will be forward biased and a leakage current will occur between the node 16 and the I/O power supply 13. This would cause Vpad dropping to a lower voltage level, and therefore distort the input signal. As it happens often that high voltage devices and low voltage devices are used in the same integrated circuit, the low voltage devices may be exposed to high voltage signals. The low voltage device may not accommodate the high voltage signals. As such, the problems of leakage current and signal distortion become increasingly troublesome.
FIG. 2 illustrates another conventional ESD current bypass circuit 20. A pad 21 is connected to an internal circuit 24 via a node 30. A PMOS transistor 22 is connected between the node 30 and an I/O power supply 29 having a voltage Vdd. A PMOS transistor 25 is connected between the I/O power supply 29 and the gate of the PMOS transistor 22. A PMOS transistor 26 that is used as a capacitor is connected between the I/O power supply 29 and ground via a resistor RP. An NMOS transistor 23 is connected between the node 30 and ground. An NMOS transistor 27 is connected between ground and the gate of the transistor 23. An NMOs transistor 28 that is used as a capacitor is connected between ground and Vdd via a resistor RN.
The conventional ESD current bypass circuit 20 also has the problems of leakage current and signal distortion, when an operational signal input from the pad 21 has a voltage level Vpad higher than Vdd. For example, assuming Vpad is 5.0 V and Vdd is 3.3 V, the voltage level on wire pp1 is 0.0 V as it is connected to ground. Thus, the PMOS transistor 25 conducts, and wire pp2 has a voltage level of 3.3V, the same as Vdd. For the PMOS transistor 22, the voltage difference between its gate and source is −1.7 V (3.3 V–5.0 V) and the voltage difference between the gate and drain is 0.0 V. The PMOS transistor 22 cannot be completely turned off and there would be leakage current between the node 30 and I/O power supply 29. This would distort the 5.0 V signal input from the pad 21.
In addition, the ESD current bypass circuit 20 has the problem of voltage overstress on the gate oxide of the NMOS transistor 23. Since the voltage level of the gate of transistor 23 constantly remains at 0 V, no matter whether the signal input from the pad 21 is a high voltage or low voltage signal. Due to the voltage overstress, the gate oxide may fail over a period of time. This causes potential reliability issues.
What is needed is an ESD bypass I/O circuit that tolerates high voltage signals and is less susceptible to voltage overstress issues.


A movable radiographing apparatus has a wireless communication function and includes a radiation generating unit including a radiation source, an arm portion configured to support the radiation generating unit, a support pillar configured to support the arm portion, and a moving unit configured to support the support pillar and including a GUI to be operated by the user. The movable radiographing apparatus further includes a connector unit to and from which an external antenna for wireless communication is attachable and detachable, wherein the connector unit is provided on at least one of the radiation generating unit, the arm portion, the support pillar, and the moving unit.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a wirelessly communicable movable radiographing apparatus and a movable radiation generating apparatus.
Description of the Related Art
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 2011-83649 and 2011-56170 disclose movable radiographing apparatuses. A mobile radiographing apparatus is used for patients who have difficulty in moving or cannot be moved in hospitals. A movable radiation generating apparatus is used in home medical treatment for patients who have difficulty in visiting a hospital, emergency medical treatment outside a hospital, for example. Further, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-224579 discusses a wirelessly communicable flat panel detector (FPD) which is advantageously used with mobile radiographing apparatuses for used for patients who have difficulty in moving. Furthermore, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-17816 discusses a movable radiographing apparatus for stable wireless communication in a case where a wirelessly communicable FPD is used in the movable radiographing apparatus. "Stable wireless communication" is wireless communication in which wireless communication between the movable radiographing apparatus and the FPD is reliable and efficient without wireless communication being often disconnected or data transfer speed of the wireless communication being decreased.
Various solutions purported to achieve stable wireless communication have been proposed. For example, a plurality of antennas is provided at predetermined positions within or on a surface of a movable radiographing apparatus. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-17816 discusses such a configuration in which a plurality of antennas is provided under a display and/or near a bottom of a base unit. In this configuration, however, the positions and orientation of the antennas are limited (fixed). Thus, although the configuration can include a plurality of antennas, it is difficult to ensure stable wireless communication at all times. Thus, non stable wireless communication can occur not only in movable radiographing apparatuses but also in movable radiation generating apparatuses depending on the environment where these are used.

Movable radiographing apparatus and movable radiation generating apparatus having wireless communication


A chromium and ferricyanide free aqueous cleaner/deoxidizer for aluminum and titanium and their alloys contains strong acid, fluoride ions, aryl quaternary ammonium ions, and di-anionic functional substituted compounds containing at least two aryl groups per molecule. Excellent cleaning and deoxidizing with substantially no etching is achieved.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to inhibitors, compositions, and processes for deoxidizing and/or cleaning surfaces of aluminum and titanium and their alloys that contain at least 45% by weight of aluminum or titanium. "Deoxidizing" is to be understood herein as the removal from the surface of metals of oxide films and other adherent inorganic materials that would reduce adhesion to subsequently applied protective coatings such as conversion coatings and/or paints and the like, and "cleaning" means removal of all other foreign materials, especially organic soils and poorly adherent inorganic substances such as metal dust and the like, that would reduce adhesion to such subsequently applied protective coatings.
2. Statement of Related Art
With most deoxidizing agents, especially acidic aqueous liquid compositions with substantial free fluoride ion activity, which are probably the most effective chemical class of cleaners and deoxidizers for aluminum and titanium now known, there is a perceptible but controlled etching or dissolution of the underlying aluminum or titanium while the deoxidizing agent is in contact with it. Such etching is often harmless or even desirable, as when it improves the smoothness of the metal surface being treated. In some instances, however, particularly where very narrow dimensional tolerances on the substrate need to be maintained, effective cleaning and deoxidizing with little or no etching is desirable, but heretofore has been very difficult to obtain.

Acid cleaning/deoxidizing aluminum and titanium without substantial etching


Channel elements at a cell site in wireless network are managed by reserving a portion of the channel elements for handling certain types of calls for which the reserved channel elements are capable of handling. At least some of the non-reserved channel elements will typically lack the capabilities of the reserved channel elements, due to there being previous generation or older technology. For example, in a cell cite having both 3G and 2G channel elements, a percentage of the 3G channel elements, such as 15 percent, are reserved for certain types of calls, such as 3G data call origination and 3G voice hand-ins. These are types of calls that the 2G channel elements do not support. The remaining 3G channel elements are not reserved. If the non-reserved channel elements are fully utilized, the reserved channel elements may, or may not, be released for general usage so as to prevent a blocking of calls, depending on quality of service considerations for the site. The reservation of channel elements can be via a configuration parameter issued from a central management entity to base station controllers, on either a system-wide basis, or on a targeted basis to particular base station controllers.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to wireless communication networks and methods, and more particularly to a method of maximizing the utilization of channel element resources in a base transceiver station by reserving a percentage of next-generation channel elements for certain types of calls that cannot be performed by previous generation channel elements. The benefit of the invention is more efficient utilization of resources. It also enables the delay of purchase of next generation channel elements, and thereby allows substantial capital expenditures to be deferred.
2. Description of Related Art
In a typical cellular wireless communication system (wireless telecommunications network), an area is divided geographically into a number of cell sites, each defined by a radio frequency (RF) radiation pattern from a respective base station. The base stations of the cells are then coupled to a switching system that provides connectivity to a transport network and/or to a signaling network. When a wireless client station, such as a cellular telephone, personal digital assistant, pager, or appropriately equipped portable computer, for instance, is positioned in a cell, the client station may then communicate via an RF air interface with the base station of the cell. Consequently, a communication path can be established between the client station and the network, via the air interface, the base station and the switching system.
As a general matter, each base station (or, more generally, cell site) in the system will include a number of channel element cards that pass communications between the air interface and the switching system. Each channel element card may support transmission of communications on a number of air interface communication channels (e.g., air interface channels, whether traffic channels or control channels) at once. In turn, a wireline trunk (e.g., a T1 line) or other link will typically couple a group of channel element cards with the switching system, transporting multiple communications at once between the cell site and the switching system.
The switching system, in turn, will then typically function to control operation of the various base transceiver stations e.g., (i) controlling handoff as mobile client stations move between base stations, and (ii) controlling allocation of air interface resources. Additionally, the switching system usually functions as a transcoder, to convert the protocol of communications being passed between the air interface and downstream network elements. For instance, in a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) network, the air interface may carry voice signals as Enhanced Variable Rate Codec (EVRC) encoded data, while the transport network may carry voice signals as Pulse Code Modulation (PCM) encoded data. In such a network, the switching system may include a mechanism to convert between EVRC and PCM, so as to allow voice communications to pass seamlessly between the air interface and the transport network. Other examples are possible as well.
Generally speaking, the switching system may include a number of handler modules that will function to handle cell site communications, such as to perform the protocol conversion function noted above for instance. The handler cards may then be coupled to a switching processor, which functions to route communications between the handler cards and the transport network and/or signaling network. Current state of the art is this area is reflected in the following documents, all incorporated by reference herein: Ko, U.S. Pat. No. 6,144,856; Bohlman et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,144,646; Chheda et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,151,512; Antonio et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,519,456; Dolan et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,377,572. and Choi, U.S. Pat. No. 6,278,882.
Thus, in operation, communications may pass from client stations over the air interface and through cell site channel element cards, over a T1 line to the switching system. At the switching system, the communications may then pass through handler cards to the switching processor, which may then route the communications onto a transport or signaling network. Similarly, communications may pass from a network to the switching processor and in turn through protocol handler cards and over a T1 line to a cell site. At the cell site, channel element cards may then pass the communications along to the air interface, for transmission to client stations.
As wireless networking technology advances, next-generation channel elements are rolled out in base transceiver stations from time to time by channel element vendors, such as Lucent and Motorola. The next generation channel elements are installed in cell sites side by side with other channel elements of the previous generation. For example, 70 per percent of the channel elements of a particular cell site may be second generation ("2G") channel elements, and the remaining 30 percent may be third generation ("3G") channel elements.
The 3G channel elements are backwards compatible with the 2G channel elements. However, there are certain types of calls that are supported by the 3G channel elements but which are not supported by the 2G channel elements. These include 3G data calls and 3G voice hand-ins.
The present inventors have observed a marked increase in the utilization of 3G channel elements. This increase is greater than expected. Simultaneously, usage of 2G channel elements is decreasing at a rate greater than expected. As a result, without management of this phenomenon, many sites are utilizing their 3G channel elements inefficiently, by basically using 3G channel elements for functions that can be performed by 2G channel elements. In many cases, cell sites are essentially running out of 3G channel element capacity when they need it, for example for increased 3G data calls or 3G voice call hand ins. (Hand-ins of 3G voice calls can be downgraded to 2G and use a 2G channel element with a success rate of greater than 95 percent, but still this could be improved as up to 5% of the calls are dropped in this scenario.) In particular, using current techniques, if all the 3G channel elements are currently fully utilized by 2G calls and a 3G data call is originated in the cell site, the call will be blocked, while 2G channel elements, which could have handled the calls, sit idly by.
The present invention addresses this problem and provides methods and apparatus for proactively managing the utilization of the channel element resources to more efficiently use the previous and next generation equipment.

Reserving channel elements to maximize utilization of resources and prevent blocking of calls


Some demonstrative embodiments include an apparatus, method and/or system of terminating a docking session between a mobile device and a docking device. For example, a mobile device may include a radio to communicate over a docking session via a wireless communication link between the mobile device and a wireless docking device; and an event classifier to determine a classification of an event of connectivity loss of the wireless communication link as an intentional disconnection or an unintentional disconnection, based on a comparison between at least one acceleration metric of the mobile device and at least one acceleration threshold, and to send to the wireless docking device an indication of the classification of the event of connectivity loss.

Mobile devices are becoming smaller and smaller, and typically have decreasingly smaller screens and less Input/Output (IO) ports from generation to generation.
Docking stations are commonly used nowadays to extend the IO port array of the mobile devices, and provide a convenient means for a mobile device to hook up to a static variety of peripheral devices ("peripherals"), such as displays, monitors, external storage devices, external Hard Disk Drives (HDD), a mouse, keyboards, webcams, communication devices, and the like.
A docking device (also referred to as "docking station") may typically be placed on a table, while being permanently connected to the peripherals, and a user of the mobile device may connect the mobile device to the docking station ("dock") to utilize the peripherals.
A wireless docking device is a docking device, in which the user may connect the mobile device to the wireless docking device in a wireless manner via a wireless communication link.
A connectivity loss of the wireless communication link may occur, for example, if the user of the mobile device moves the mobile device from the docking device or when the wireless communication link is obstructed.

Apparatus, system and method of terminating a docking session between a mobile device and a docking device


A communication apparatus is used to share information via a communication network. The communication apparatus includes: a housing; a moving unit provided to be movable relatively with respect to the housing; a light projecting unit that projects light modulated based on image information, is provided in one of the housing or the moving unit, and includes a projector lens; and an image input unit that is to input an image, is provided in the other of the housing or the moving unit, and includes an image capturing lens. The moving unit is capable of moving relatively with respect to the housing between a covering position at which the projector lens and the image capturing lens are covered and an exposing position at which the projector lens and the image capturing lens are exposed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a communication apparatus, and more specifically to a communication apparatus used to share information in a conference and the like via a communication network.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, video conferences and audio conferences via a communication network (e.g., an Internet connection and a telephone line) have been conducted while sharing information among a plurality of groups with a plurality of communication apparatuses.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2009-186553 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2002-262250, for example, disclose such a communication apparatus provided with a projector including a projector lens that projects light modulated based on image information and with an image capturing device including an image capturing lens to input an image.
A projector is typically provided with a protective cap that protects a projector lens, and an image capturing device is provided with a protective cap that protects a camera lens.
Before use of a communication apparatus, it is necessary to remove protective caps from a projector lens and a camera lens. Furthermore, after use of the communication apparatus, it is necessary to attach the protective caps to the projector lens and the camera lens. In other words, it takes time to expose or cover the projector lens and the camera lens.


A machine that performs the steps of cleaning, rinsing and drying required prior to further processing in the course of conventional semiconductor fabrication in a single, hermetically and thermally insulated, process chamber. The machine consists of functionally compartmentalized sections connected to the process chamber for each specific function, comprising a cleaning-solution storage and circulation section, a rinsing fluid storage and circulation section, and a vacuum drying section. After enclosing the semiconductor product hermetically in the process chamber, a cleaning solution from an internal holding source is heated and circulated through it for the cleansing step, followed by purified water to rinse the cleaning fluid off the surface of the semiconductor material. A vacuum is then applied to completely remove any residue of rinsing water left on the wafers. Control options permit a user to adapt the wash-rinse-dry cycles to the specifications of the chemicals being used for the particular products being processed.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to the general field of equipment for cleaning wafers, finished semiconductors and related components in the electronic industry. In particular, it provides a new and improved machine that allows the steps of cleaning, rinsing and drying to be carried out in the same chamber within the apparatus of a single work station.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Wet processing in the semiconductor industry requires washing of the semiconductor components to either interrupt and neutralize the action of the etching agents or to remove other residues. This is typically carried out manually or automatically is several stages whereby unit carriers are exposed to a neutralizing/washing chemical, rinsed and dried in different holding tanks. These stages require the units to be handled and moved from tank to tank, where each function is carried out. This procedure is costly because of the repeated manipulation of the product and because of the space requirements for housing and operating multiple-station equipment.
The neutralizing agents currently used consist of aqueous solutions of highly effective cleaning chemicals, such as the product sold by the Altos Group, Inc. of Glendale, Ariz., under the trademark "AQ-1534," which have replaced the toxic and environmentally undesirable chloro-fluoro-carbons originally used in the semiconductor industry. After rinsing with purified water, such as water produced by deionization or reverse osmosis, the semiconductors in the units need to be dried before proceeding to the next process phases of manufacturing. Typically, drying may be accomplished by blowing a heated inert gas or air into the container holding the wafers (air knife drying) to cause the vaporization of all water residue remaining on them. This process is expensive and inefficient because of the energy used to heat and blow the drying medium, and sometimes it is ineffective because of the difficulty of removing moisture from wet surfaces in contact with fixturing. In addition, the moisture removal is difficult to quantify and control to a constant level within acceptable product specifications.
Other drying processes rely on the hygroscopic properties of alcohols to extract moisture from the rinsed wafers. The semiconductor wafers are rinsed in alcohol and then dried, relying on the high volatility of the alcohol to obtain complete removal of the alcohol-water mixture. Because of the azeotropic properties of the alcohols normally used, though, complete water removal is hard to achieve. Moreover, the process is inherently dangerous because of alcohols' flammability and wasteful because used alcohol solutions must be discarded at significant environmental burden and production cost.
Therefore, there remains a need for a single-station piece of equipment that utilizes non-toxic aqueous cleaning solutions and purified water to clean and rinse semiconductor components, and that causes the material to dry inexpensively, effectively and efficiently, wherein all steps are carried out sequentially in a single compact machine. The present invention is directed at fulfilling all of these functions in the same machine by providing a cleaning system, a purified water rinsing system, and a vacuum drying system all connected to the same process chamber.

Single-chamber cleaning, rinsing and drying apparatus and method therefor


A method whereby a customer may purchase footwear through a remote communication channel, and be assured that the purchased footwear will properly fit upon delivery. The customer purchases footwear by designating the last that is used to construct the footwear. A customer may identify a particular last based upon careful measurement of the customer's feet. A customer may also identify a last based upon previous experience with footwear constructed using the last.

Consistently obtaining footwear that fits properly has long been a problem for footwear customers. Similarly, footwear manufacturers have long sought to ensure that customers receive properly fitting footwear, in order to maintain their customers' satisfaction. Even with modern technology, however, this goal has proven elusive. One problem with sizing footwear is that different models of footwear are typically manufactured using different lasts. Even if two different models of footwear are made by the same manufacturer and are labeled as the same size, they may still have different shapes. Thus, a customer who may be comfortable with the fit of a first model of footwear in, for example, a size 9 length and a size D width may not enjoy the fit of a second, different model of footwear having the same length and width sizes. For that second model of footwear, the customer may instead find that a size 8½ length and size E width provides the most comfortable fit.
Because of this inconsistency in the sizing of footwear, many potential footwear customers are reluctant to buy footwear without trying it on first to ensure a proper fit. These customers will not purchase footwear through the mail, by telephone, over the Internet, or through any other form of remote communication. Unfortunately, shoe manufacturers cannot make their footwear physically available in all possible models and sizes to all potential customers. For footwear manufactures that offer even a small range of footwear models, the cost of providing a sample of each model in each size to every footwear retailer would be prohibitively expensive. Further, most footwear retailers would not have the space to store and display a sample of each footwear model in each available size for more than a handful of footwear manufacturers. As a result, most shoe manufactures lose an unknown number of potential footwear sales each year, simply because customers cannot physically try on a desired model of footwear before purchase. Moreover, many of those customers who do purchase footwear remotely receive footwear that does not properly fit, and are dissatisfied with their purchases.


A disk-shaped rewritable information recording medium having at a first recording layer and a second recording layer is disclosed. The information recording medium includes a first data area situated in the first recording layer, the first data area having a plurality of addresses allocated thereto, the plural addresses continuously increasing in a first direction, a second data area situated in the second recording layer, the second data area having a plurality of addresses allocated thereto, the plural addresses continuously increasing in a second direction opposite to the first direction, and a management information area having an area for recording end recorded area information thereto, the end recorded area information including information for identifying an area in the second data area having data that corresponds to an end position of the second data area.

Along with the advances of digital technology and improvement of data compression technology in recent years, optical disks such as DVDs (Digital Versatile Disk) are receiving greater attention as information recording media for recording information including, for example, music, movies, and photographs (hereinafter referred to as "contents"). Furthermore, more optical disk apparatuses are being used as information recording apparatuses for recording contents to disks as the price of the optical disk is becoming lower. It is to be noted that apparatuses for accessing information recording media are collectively referred to as "drive apparatuses".
As for recordable optical disks (also referred to as "recording type disk") that are commercially sold, there is a write-once type disk (write-once-read-many optical disk) to which information can be written only once (e.g., DVD+R, DVD-R) and a rewritable type disk (e.g., DVD+RW, DVD-RW).
Furthermore, the recording capacity of recording type disks is expected to further increase along with an increase in the amount of information contained in the contents. Furthermore, as a measure for increasing the amount of information recordable on a recording type disk, vigorous research and development being made on a recording type disk having multiple recording layers (hereinafter referred to as "multilayer recording type disk") and an apparatus for handling the multilayer recording type disk (See, for example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 8-96406).
It is to be noted that a single-sided dual layer DVD-ROM (DVD-ROM having two layers on one side of the disk) is being commercially sold as a read only memory disk having two recording layers. In the single-sided dual layer DVD-ROM, information on each recording layer is reproduced by irradiating a laser beam from one side and matching the focal point of the laser beam to each recording layer. That is, with the single-sided dual layer DVD-ROM, information can be reproduced without having to turn over (flip over) the disk. In the single-sided dual layer DVD-ROM, data is required to be recorded on both first and second recording layers (for example, Layer 0, Layer 1) of the disk. For example, supposing that Layer 0 is a recorded layer having data recorded thereto and Layer 1 is an unrecorded layer having no data recorded thereto, address information may be obtained and an address error may occur in a case where vibration or the like during a seek operation or a reproduction operation causes the laser beam to focus on Layer 1. Therefore, without having data recorded to both layers, the Dual Layer DVD-ROM will be determined to be a defective disk and may be unable to continue reproduction of data.
Meanwhile, since conventional drive apparatuses corresponding to a read only memory type optical disk are widely used, it is important that the contents recorded to the multilayer recording type disk can also be reproduced with a conventional drive apparatus. That is, the contents recorded to a recording type disk are required to be logically compatible with the conventional read only memory optical disk.
Therefore, in a case where a multilayer recording type disk is expected to be reproduced with a conventional drive apparatus, some kind of data is to be recorded in the unrecorded area (area where no contents are recorded) of the disk so that all of the multiple recording layers of disks have data recorded thereto. However, in a case where the amount of information contained in the contents is little with respect to the recording capacity of the multilayer recording type disk, a vast amount of time is required for recording dummy data in the unrecorded area of the disk. This may lead to degrading of recording performance. The degrading of recording performance may occur particularly with a rewritable multilayer recording type disk that conducts a formatting process in the background. Since contents can be recorded before a formatting process is actually completed, the rewritable multilayer recording type disk will have an undesired coexistence of a recorded area (area to which the contents are recorded), a dummy data area (area to which dummy data is recorded), and an unrecorded area (area to which no data is recorded) after the contents are recorded to the disk. Furthermore, in a process of providing logical compatibility with a read only memory optical disk, there is a risk that dummy data recorded to the disk in the formatting process may be overwritten. This results in further degrading of recording performance.

Information recording medium, recording method, data structure, information recording apparatus, program, and recording medium


Novel .alpha.-pyrones are described. The .alpha.-pyrones are useful in a method for controlling .alpha.-pyrone responsive states in a mammal. The method includes administering to a mammal a therapeutically effective amount of an .alpha.-pyrone such that control of .alpha.-pyrone responsive states in a mammal occurs. .alpha.-Pyrone responsive states can be associated with undesirable cell proliferation such as bacteria or cancer. Packaged pharmaceuticals and pharmaceutical compositions including the novel .alpha.-pyrones are also described.

Methods and compositions for inhibiting the growth of aberrant cells are desirable in a variety of situations, for example, to suppress the growth of pathogenic microorganisms infecting a host subject or to suppress the growth of cancer cells in a host subject. Various types of agents for inhibiting aberrant cell growth have been developed. For example, to inhibit the growth of bacterial cells, natural antibiotics (chemical substances produced by microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi and actinomycetes) have been identified and characterized. Synthetic antibiotics, such as sulfonamides and quinolones, have also been developed. Growth of mammalian cells (e.g., malignant cells) can be inhibited by a variety of toxic compounds or therapies, such as nucleoside analogs, metal-containing drugs or radiation treatment, which interfere with normal cellular metabolism.
Transformation, or malignant transformation, of cells results in changes in their growth characteristics and can cause them to form tumors in the infected animals. For example, aberrant cells can be associated with changes in growth control, cell morphology, membrane characteristics, protein secretion and gene expression. Although aberrant cell transformation can occur spontaneously, it can be caused by a chemical or irradiation or may result from infection by a tumor virus. Little is known about the underlying molecular events.
DNA ligase is an enzyme which is involved in DNA replication, repair and recombination. DNA ligase acts by joining single and doubled stranded DNA with the formation of phosphodiesters bonds. For example, eurkaryotic DNA ligases react with ATP, thereby forming covalent enzyme-AMP intermediates. The enzymes then transfer the AMP group to the 5' end of the DNA to complete the joining reaction. DNA ligase joining activity has been implicated in the proliferation of aberrant cell growth, such as in bacteria and in mammalian cancer.
Although known growth inhibitory agents have been used successfully to suppress the growth of cells to ameliorate certain disease states, there are limitations to their use. For example, the widespread use of antibiotics has increasingly led to the problem of resistant pathogens whose growth can no longer be inhibited by known antibiotics. The appearance of multi-drug resistant pathogens has prompted a search for new classes of antibiotics which are structurally and/or functionally different from existing drugs. Drugs having new mechanisms of action could be effective against resistant microorganisms, where conventional drugs can no longer be used. Chemotherapeutic agents for suppressing the growth of mammalian cells (e.g., malignant cells) also have limitations. Chemotherapeutic agents often have deleterious side effects and/or show only limited efficacy.

.alpha.-pyrones for treating .alpha.-pyrone responsive states