A method and apparatus for providing a prepackaged mold compound for use in encapsulating integrated circuit die and leadframe assemblies. A piece of mold compound 71 is placed in a receptacle 91 in a bottom mold chase 83. The receptacle 91 is coupled to a group of die cavities 85 by runners 87. Leadframe strip assemblies containing leadframes, integrated circuit dies, and bond wires coupling the leadframes and dies are placed over the bottom mold chase 83 such that the integrated circuit dies are each centered over a bottom mold die cavity 85. A top mold chase 93 is placed over the bottom mold chase and the prepackaged mold compound 71. The prepackaged mold compound 71 is a piece of mold compound 73 packaged in a plastic film which has sealed edges 77. The edges are peelable seals, which are released during the molding process. The mold compound 73 is then forced through the seals during the molding process by the pressure applied by a plunger 101. The plunger 101 can be applied using variable speed and pressure to control the rate the mold compound 73 fills the cavities in the top and bottom mold chases, thereby avoiding voids in the completed packages and minimizing wire sweep of the bond wires of the integrated circuit assemblies.

In producing integrated circuits, it is desirable to provide packaged integrated circuits having plastic or resin packages which encapsulate the die and a portion of the lead frame and its leads. These packages have been produced a variety of ways, a few of which will be described here.
Conventional molding techniques take advantage of the physical characteristics of the mold compounds. For integrated circuit package molding applications, these compounds are typically thermoset compounds. These compounds consist of an epoxy novolac resin or similar material combined with a filler, such as alumina, and other materials to make the compound suitable for molding, such as accelerators, curing agents, fillers, and mold release agents.
Transfer molding operations have three stages which correspond to the three phases of viscosity. First there is a preheat stage required to move the mold compound from its hard initial state to the low viscosity state. Second is a transfer stage, where the compound is low in viscosity and easily transported and directed into cavities and runners. This transfer process must be rapid and be completed before the mold compound begins to set. Finally there is a cure stage that occurs following the transfer stage.
There are several critical requirements that must be met in a commercially successful package molding operation. For example, the cavities must be completely and uniformly filled, the so-called "balanced fill" requirement. Using conventional single plunger molds of the prior art, the balanced fill is difficult to perform uniformly across the large mold using the single pot and the long primary runners to transport the mold compound. A problem commonly observed in a single plunger, single pot mold operation using such a mold is an unacceptable void rate. Voids are areas within the mold cavity that are not filled with compound. These can be areas where the compound fails to flow or where air or other materials are trapped and cause hollow spaces in the packaged part. Voids can be produced if the transfer rate of the mold compound is too slow during the molding process or if air or moisture is trapped in one or more the cavities during the transfer stage.
A second critical requirement is that the wire sweep defect rate be minimized below an acceptable level. Wire sweep occurs as the mold compound enters the cavity through the gates. The mold compound is dense and pulls at the fine wires that couple the bond pads of the die to the leads of the lead frame. These wires will bend under the pressure due to the flow of mold compound. As an example, suppose that in a typical lead frame and die assembly for a high pin count device, an average wire sweep after packaging of less than 6% is specified. A straight line from the lead frame lead to the bond pad has a sweep of 0%. So if after assembly and mold any wires on a packaged unit are found to have more than 6% sweep, the unit is out of specification, and is considered to be a defective unit. Wire sweep is specified as a maximum allowable parameter and is of considerable concern in production of integrated circuits, because if the bond wires are moved too much, a wire short between two or more adjacent bond wires often occurs. Alternatively, bond wires sometimes break away. Either condition results in a faulty unit.
Although the wire sweep defect rate which is observed in the single plunger molding presses is adequate for producing low to moderate pin count DIP and flat quad packaged devices, as the device pin counts continue to increase and lead frames become finer in lead to lead pitch, the wire sweep parameter becomes increasingly critical. While it is possible to build 200 pin flat quad devices using these techniques, as the pin count goes towards 400 pins and beyond, the pitch between leads will become smaller, and the prior art transfer molding presses using a single mold pot will no longer be economically suitable, due to the low yield and high wire sweep defect rates.
A further disadvantage with a single plunger mold and pellet compound arrangement is that the performance in the two critical areas are inversely dependent on each other. That is, in attempting to perfect the molding process using a single plunger mold, it has been observed that steps taken to reduce wire sweep defects typically increase the void rate, and vice versa. In other words, if the wire sweep defect rate is lowered the void rate tends to increase. The wire sweep rate can be lowered, for example, by slowing the transfer rate of the mold compound into the cavities. This tends to increase the void rate. Voids can be reduced by increasing the flow rate into the cavities, but this will tend to increase the wire sweep defect rate.
It has been further observed that the wire sweep and void problems tend to be more severe as the number of cavities and the distance of runners increases. Nonuniform fill can occur along a lengthy runner having many cavities. The cavity closest to the pot will have a faster fill rate than the others. The cavity farthest from the pot will tend to fill at the end of the transfer period, and the rate will be lower because a lot of the compound has been diverted to other cavities and because the compound is starting to harden. As a result, difficult and time consuming fine tuning of each mold press is required to establish an operation mode which will fill all of the cavities at an acceptable rate, during the low viscosity period, without increasing wire sweep defects to an unacceptable level, particularly for those cavities closest to and farthest from the mold pot.
Further, the use of the thermoset molding compound results in a process where the sprue, flash or waste that remains in the pot, the runners and between the devices themselves cannot be reused. Thermoset materials can only be used once in a molding operation, so the excess material must be discarded. Thus the sprue and waste left in the long runners and in the mold pot cannot be recycled, making waste particularly costly.
Also, the conventional molding compound acts as a strong abrasive. During molding, the mold compound is forced out of the mold pot and into the primary runners. The abrasive nature of the mold compound results in rapid wear of the mold pot and the runners, and the plunger or ram itself. This results in expensive rework or replacement of the mold chases and plungers on a frequent basis.
An alternative prior art approach for reducing the problems known to the single plunger molding presses of the prior art is to construct a multipellet, multiplunger mold station to replace the single plunger system.
In a multiplunger molding operation, each of the many mold pots receives a so called "mini-pellet" of mold compound. Each mold pot serves only a few cavities, typically one or two cavities. The press is a more complex press than that of the single plunger mold, and has a plunger for each of the mold pots. The plungers may operate from the top or from underneath the mold.
The individual plungers are used to start the transfer process, the cavities fill with mold compound as the plunger is pushed into the mold pot, and the transfer phase is completed in a few seconds.
The multiplunger mold process has some advantages over the single pot molding process. The use of the smaller pellets and the shorter runs eliminate the long runners and nonuniform fill times associated with a single plunger press. The pellets used are smaller and therefore do not require preheating, as the mold platens can provide sufficient heat to transition the mini-pellets into the low viscosity state. The wire sweep defect rate can be lowered by providing exact control of the plunger or ram insertion rate, so that the fill is done at a speed which prevents voids while minimizing wire sweep problems.
An automated multiplunger press controller can be added that can individually vary the operation of each plunger, if necessary, to obtain optimal results.
The nonuniform fill and wire sweep problems associated with the cavities nearest and farthest from the single center pot of the single plunger mold presses are reduced or eliminated. Mold compound waste is reduced by the shorter runners.
The disadvantages of the multiplunger molding process are primarily that it requires the use of the mini-pellets. The mini-pellet form of the molding compound is far more expensive than per kilogram than the single large pellets used by the single transfer mold. Also, the multiplunger molding station is extremely expensive to manufacture, operate and maintain. The automation of a press with so many plungers is more complex and expensive than the single mold press.
In addition to the added costs, the multiplunger molding station has a lower parts per hour throughput than for a conventional single pot mold press. The multiple plunger molding system requires complex control and loading and unloading mechanisms. The result is that each station has lower overall throughput than a single plunger mold station, although tighter process control can be achieved. Because the throughput is lowered, additional stations are needed to maintain the same relative level of productivity. High productivity is required to keep the unit costs low. The need for additional expensive and complex molding stations increases the cost disadvantages for the multiplunger molding systems.
Both single plunger and multiplunger mold presses have other disadvantages that are common. The mold compound is an abrasive material. The mold pot and the primary runners receive an abrasive force each time the press is operated. These areas wear quickly and the expensive mold chases must be replaced periodically as a result.
Also, both processes require pelletized mold compound. This material is fairly difficult to produce in the large form, and even more expensive to produce in the minipellet form. The compound is extruded into a rod, which is powdered, and the powder is then pelletized. This is an expensive and complex manufacturing process.
Both pellets and mini-pellets are subject to contamination by moisture and air. It is necessary to perform the molding process under pressure to elimiate trapped air and prevent the formation of voids. Moisture can become trapped in either form of pellet. Moisture contamination of the molding compound can result in additional voids and scrapped devices. Moisture contamination also contributes to package cracking during cure and afterwards to early failure of devices.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,098,626, issued Mar. 24, 1992, and entitled "Method for Packing a Measured Quantity of Thermosetting Resin And Operating a Mold for Encapsulating a Component", and herein incorporated by reference, provides another alternative wherein the mold compound is packaged in individually sealed units. These units each contain liquid mold compound in a quantity needed for a single cavity or pair of cavities for integrated circuit packages. Each package is a bag or tube containing liquid mold compound and ending in a bulge or sprout. During molding the bulge or sprout is placed at the end of a runner which feeds a cavity. As the molding process begins, the sprout is cut and the mold compound is pressed out of the bag into the cavity by individual, multiple plungers.
The '626 patent approach is similar to a conventional multiplunger mold system in that small quantities of mold compound, each of which are individually loaded, are provided. The patent provides a moisture and contamination free packaging system which can be used with an automated loading system. However, like the mini-pellets, many of these bags are required for each run. The abrasion problems are reduced, because the pots and plungers are protected by the packaging. Also, improved uniform fill and reduced wire sweep are possible. But the throughput problems and increased expense for each molding station remain, and the costs for each press are increased further by the added complexity. Also, the packaging of the mold compound in small quantities each in an individual package may lead to an expensive raw material for molding.
Accordingly, a need thus exists for a mold compound and molding system which eliminates the problems of the prior art transfer molding systems while retaining a high throughput rate, low raw material costs, and which is simple to operate, maintain, and uses molding stations that are relatively inexpensive to build. The new system should be compatible with existing single pot transfer mold presses to allow a retrofitting of existing integrated circuit assembly lines. The system should reduce waste of mold compound and reduce the abrasive impact of the mold compound on the equipment used. The new molding system should provide uniform cavity fill and reduced wire sweep defect rates.
The new molding compound should be free of impurities, air and moisture to reduce void and package cracking problems. It should be in a form that is compatible with automatic loading and unloading systems. It should be premeasured and have excellent storage durability. It should be economically competitive with the pellets and mini-pellets of the prior art. The invention described herein addresses these needs.

Method for manufacturing prepackaged molding compound for component encapsulation


The present invention provides a low-melt nickel-based alloy powder applied in an activated diffusion brazing repair on gas turbine components. In one embodiment, and by way of example only, the low-melt alloy powder comprises between about 6.7% and about 9.2% by weight Cr, between about 9.7% and about 10.3% by weight Co, between about 3.7% and about 4.7% by weight W, between about 3.3% and about 6.3% by weight Ta, between about 3.6% and about 5.2% by weight Al, between about 1.3% and about 4.0% by weight Hf, between about 0.02% and about 0.06% by weight C, between about 1.0% and about 3.2% by weight B, and Ni. Optionally, the low-melt alloy powder may include between about 1.4% and about 3.2% by weight Re.

Turbine engines are used as the primary power source for various kinds of aircrafts. The engines may also serve as auxiliary power sources that drive air compressors, hydraulic pumps, and industrial gas turbine (IGT) power generation. Further, the power from turbine engines may be used for stationary power supplies such as backup electrical generators for hospitals and the like.
Most turbine engines generally follow the same basic power generation procedure. Compressed air is mixed with fuel and burned, and the expanding hot combustion gases are directed against stationary turbine vanes in the engine. The vanes turn the high velocity gas flow partially sideways to impinge on the turbine blades mounted on a rotatable turbine disk. The force of the impinging gas causes the turbine disk to spin at high speed. Jet propulsion engines use the power created by the rotating turbine disk to draw more air into the engine and the high velocity combustion gas is passed out of the gas turbine aft end to create forward thrust. Other engines use this power to turn one or more propellers, electrical generators, or other devices.
Because fuel efficiency increases as engine operating temperatures increase, turbine engine blades and vanes are typically fabricated from high-temperature materials such as nickel-based and cobalt-based superalloys. However, although nickel-based superalloys have good high temperature properties and many other advantages, they are susceptible to corrosion, oxidation, thermal fatigue and erosion damage in the high temperature environment during turbine engine operation. In such cases, the turbine nozzle guide vanes may need to be repaired, such as, by a brazing process.
Brazing processes typically employ a braze alloy mixture that includes a high-melt alloy and a low-melt alloy. The high-melt alloy usually is substantially similar to or better than the component alloy being repaired. The low-melt alloy typically comprises a braze alloy powder that has a lower melting temperature than the high-melt alloy and a relatively small amount of gamma prime and solid solution strengthening alloying elements, which contribute to elevated-temperature properties in brazing repaired components. When the braze alloy mixture is applied to a repair area on the turbine component and subjected to heat in a vacuum furnace, the mixture melts and heals cracks or buildup materials on the repair area. However, it has been found that because currently known braze alloys contain a relatively small amount of gamma prime and solid solution strengthening elements, the metallurgical integrity and performance of the repaired components may be inferior to the metallurgical integrity of the base materials under circumstances in which the repaired components are subjected to the elevated temperatures and high-stress loads during engine operation.
Hence, there is a need for improved materials for repairing turbine engine components such as the turbine nozzles and vanes. There is a particular need for repair materials that will improve a turbine component's durability, and for efficient and cost effective methods of repairing the components using such materials.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Activated diffusion brazing alloys and repair process


A condiment grinder apparatus which includes a pair of condiment grinders each of which are to dispense a different condiment. The dispensing of both condiments are from the same end surface of the condiment grinder. Operation of one condiment grinder is by turning an actuator in a clockwise direction and operation of the second condiment grinder is by turning of the actuator in a counterclockwise direction.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention is related to grinders and more particularly to a condiment grinder for grinding of condiments such as salt, pepper, paprika and so forth with the grinder to be usable within the kitchen and on a dining table.
2. Description of the Related Art
Dispensers for condiments, such as salt and pepper, are in exceedingly common usage. Most frequently, these dispensers require that the condiment be pulverized before it be placed within the dispenser. This pulverizing of the condiment prior to usage causes the condiment to lose some of its flavor because of the normal length of time that occurs from the pulverization until usage of the condiment. A substantially increased amount of flavor can be obtained from the condiment if it is pulverized precisely just prior to consuming of the food to which the condiment has been applied.
In the past, there have been designed condiment grinders, such as a pepper grinder and a salt grinder, that are capable of being used to pulverize the condiment just prior to consuming of the food. It is normal that each condiment grinder is located on the dining table so that the condiment grinder is available for usage to each of the diners when desired. It would be desirable to instead of having two separate condiment grinders if somehow the two grinders could be constructed into one unit thereby eliminating the need of having two separate devices and where one device could be utilized to dispense two separate condiments, such as salt and pepper.
In one embodiment of this invention there is disclosed a condiment grinder apparatus in the form of an elongated cylindrical housing which has an upper end and a lower end. A first condiment grinder is rotatably mounted at the lower end of the housing. A first condiment storage chamber, which is located between the upper end and lower end, connects to the first condiment grinder. A second condiment grinder is also mounted in the cylindrical housing and is located at the lower end and there is also a second condiment storage chamber located between the upper end and the lower end which is adapted to feed condiment to the second condiment grinder. During operation of the first condiment grinder, the second condiment grinder is not operable and vice versa.
In another embodiment of this invention, there is disclosed a condiment grinder wherein the axes of rotation of both the first condiment grinder and the second condiment grinder are coinciding.
In a further embodiment of this invention, the first condiment storage chamber is located alongside the second condiment storage chamber.
In another embodiment of this invention, the first condiment storage chamber is defined as being identical in size to the second condiment storage chamber.
In another embodiment of this invention, the cylindrical housing of the condiment grinder apparatus includes a manually rotatable activator located at the upper end. Rotation of this activator causes operation of both the first condiment grinder and the second condiment grinder.
In a further embodiment of this invention, the activator, when rotated in one direction, causes operation of the first condiment grinder and rotation in an opposite direction causes operation of the second condiment grinder.
In yet a further embodiment of this invention, the first condiment grinder is directly attached to a shaft as is also the activator and rotation of the activator in the one direction causes rotation of the shaft and rotation of the first condiment grinder.
In a still further embodiment of this invention, the shaft is defined as having an upper ratchet gear mounted thereon with this upper ratchet gear to connect to a middle ratchet gear. Rotation of the activator in the opposite direction causes the upper ratchet gear to engage with the middle ratchet gear and cause rotation of the second condiment grinder.
In a still further embodiment of this invention, there is a lower ratchet gear which is attached to the cylindrical housing. The middle ratchet gear is to engage with the lower ratchet gear during rotation of the activator in the one direction which fixes the second grinder to the cylindrical housing.
In yet another embodiment of this invention, there is defined a condiment grinder apparatus wherein the second condiment grinder is concentrically located about the first condiment grinder.
In a still further embodiment of this invention, there is defined the activator being separable from the cylindrical housing in order to gain access into the first condiment storage chamber and second condiment storage chamber for the purpose of supplying condiments into these chambers.
In yet a still further embodiment of this invention, there is incorporated a spring in conjunction with the ratchet gears with this spring functioning to exert a continuous bias tending to connect together these ratchet gears.
In yet a still further embodiment of this invention, there is defined a condiment grinder apparatus which includes a plug mounted in conjunction with the activator. The plug is defined as being attached to the shaft. When the plug is disconnected from the shaft, the activator is defined as being separable from the cylindrical housing.
In yet a still further embodiment of this invention, the plug is to be movable between a retracted position and an extended position. With the plug in the retracted position, the plug is locatable substantially flush with the upper end of the cylindrical housing and does not provide access to the plug to operate the plug to disconnect the plug from the shaft. With the plug in the extended position, the plug can be manually operated to disconnect such from the shaft and permit disengagement of the activator from the cylindrical housing.
A primary objective of the present invention is to construct a condiment grinder which can be operated to dispense two different condiments.
Another objective of the present invention is to construct a condiment grinder where the two different condiments are dispensable from one end of the condiment grinder.
Another objective of the present invention is to construct a condiment grinder apparatus where the condiment storage compartments are locate side-by-side in where the outer wall of the storage compartments constructed of a transparent plastic material so that the amount of condiment contained within each storage chamber can be readily observed thereby making known to the user when it is time to refill any one of the storage chambers with condiment.
Another objective of the present invention is to construct a condiment grinder apparatus which is operable to dispense both condiments by using a single activator.


Method of making transistors having ultrashallow source and drain junction with reduced gate overlap may comprise forming a first gate electrode (124) separated from a first active area (126) of a semiconductor layer (112) by a first gate insulator (130). A second gate electrode (140) may be formed substantially perpendicular to the first gate electrode (124) and separated from a second active area (142) of the semiconductor layer by a second gate insulator (146). A masking layer (160) may be formed over the semiconductor layer (112) and expose a source and a drain section (162 and 164) of the first active area (126) and a source and a drain section (166 and 168) of the second active area (142). Dopants may be implanted from a first direction substantially parallel to the first gate electrode (124) into the source and drain sections (166 and 168) of the first active area (126). The dopants are implanted in the first direction at an angle at which the masking layer (160) blocks entry of the dopants into the source and drain sections (166 and 168) of the second active area (142). Dopants may be implanted from a second direction substantially parallel to the second gate electrode (140) and perpendicular to the first direction into the source and drain sections (166 and 168) of the second active area (142). The dopants are implanted in the second direction at an angle at which the masking layer (160) blocks entry of the dopants into the source and drain sections (162 and 164) of the first active area (126).

Modern electronic equipment such as televisions, telephones, radios and computers are generally constructed of solid state devices. Solid state devices are preferred in electronic equipment because they are extremely small and relatively inexpensive. Additionally, solid state devices are very reliable because they have no moving parts, they are based on the movement of charge carriers.
Solid state devices include transistors, capacitors, resistors and the like. Transistors typically include source and drain regions separated by a channel region. A gate controls the flow of current from the source region to the drain region through the channel region.
Increasingly, transistors and other solid state devices are made smaller to reduce the size of electronic equipment. For transistors, the smaller size compels a narrow gate which can lead to short-channel effects between the source and drain regions. Implant channeling of dopants from the source and drain regions to under the gate further shortens the channel and degrades the performance of the transistor.

Transistor having ultrashallow source and drain junctions with reduced gate overlap and method


The invention encompasses a bone screw for use in the human body including a shaft having a threaded region along at least a portion of its length and a screw head including a locking mechanism to secure the screw, for example to a bone plate. In certain embodiments, the thread has an outer diameter dimensioned to pass through the screw hole in the implant. The screw head is configured to cooperatively engage at least a portion of the screw hole of the implant so as to prevent the screw from coming out of the implant and avoided soft tissue damage and other complications associated with unintended screw removal.

Many surgical procedures require securing an implant to bone, for example, to vertebrae along the spine. Orthopedic fixation devices are frequently coupled to bone by the use of fasteners such as screws, threaded bolts, or pins. For example, bone plates can be secured to bone with bone screws, inserted through plate holes.
Securing the screws to the plate provides a fixed angle relationship between the plate and screw and reduces the incidence of loosening. Current techniques involve a locking screw that has threading on an outer surface of its head that matches with corresponding threading on the surface of a plate hole to lock the screw to the plate. Bone plates having threaded holes for accommodating locking screws are used with such screws.
For example, as a screw is being inserted into bone through the bushing and plate hole, a threaded tapered head of the screw engages a threaded internal surface of the bushing to expand the bushing against the wall of the plate hole, thereby friction locking the screw at the desired angular orientation with respect to the plate.
These multi-component traditional plate assemblies can be cumbersome and tedious to manipulate during surgery to achieve the most desirable angle for directing the bone screw into the patient.
The inventors have developed bone screws with locking mechanisms to provide retention of the screws with a bone plate and/or with the bone to prevent movement or unintended removal of the screw from the plate.

Locking bone screws and methods of use thereof


Genomic and complimentary DNA encoding the human A.sub.1 adenosine receptor are disclosed, along with vectors and host cells containing the same, oligonucleotides and antisense oligonucleotides directed to the same (particularly antisense oligonucleotides directed to an intron/exon junction), and methods of using the foregoing.

Adenosine is found in all living cells and can be released under appropriate conditions, such as ischemia or anoxia, where it can then act upon adenosine receptors to produce a variety of physiological effects. Adenosine receptors are now known to be integral membrane proteins which bind extracellular adenosine, thereby initiating a transmembrane signal via specific guanine nucleotide binding proteins known as G-proteins to modulate a variety of second messenger systems, including adenylyl cyclase, potassium channels, calcium channels and phospholipase C. See G. Stiles, Clin. Res. 38, 10-18 (1990); G. Stiles, J. Biol. Chem. 267, 6451-6454 (1992).
Adenosine receptors control a variety of important physiological effects including regulation of heart rate and contractility, regulation of smooth muscle tone in both blood vessels and the gastrointestinal tract, regulation of neurotransmitter release in brain, induction of sedation in the brain and regulation of platelet function. Although much biochemical and pharmacological information has become available on the two main types of adenosine receptors (known respectively as A.sub.1 and A.sub.2) which inhibit and stimulate adenylyl cyclase, much less information is available about their structure at the RNA and DNA level.
Adenosine receptors can be defined by an agonist potency series which, for the A.sub.1 receptor, is R-PIA>NECA >S-PIA, and which for the A.sub.2 receptor is NECA>R-PIA>S-PIA. See R. Olsson and J. Pearson, Physiol. Rev. 70, 761-845 (1990). Very recently we have found evidence for a unique A.sub.1 adenosine receptor which is expressed in the bovine brain which has a different potency series such that R-PIA is >S-PIA which is >NECA. We have cloned and sequenced this receptor and have begun studies on site-directed mutagenesis to understand the ligand binding site. See M. Olah et al., J. Biol. Chem. 267, 10764-10770 (1992). In addition, we have found a new receptor previously not suspected, which we have termed the A.sub.3 adenosine receptor. This receptor has likewise been cloned, sequenced and expressed. See F. Zhou et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, in press (1992).

DNA encoding the human A1 adenosine receptor


A data processing system including an arrangement for modifying the usual priority arbitration of an input/output channel controller (IOCC) used in granting direct memory access (DMA) service among contending peripheral devices sharing a common peripheral bus. The IOCC includes logic for conditioning the established priority arbitration scheme based upon the data status of the data buffers. If the higher priority requesting device requires a data transfer between the system memory and the IOCC prior to performing an operation directly between the IOCC and the peripheral device, the priority will instead be granted to a lower priority peripheral device that does not require a system memory access operation.

Data processing systems typically accomplish the support of a variable number of human or process peripheral devices, including displays, keyboards and external data storage in the form of hard drive or other magnetic disc devices, through standardized I/O electrical channels commonly referred to as buses. The use of a peripheral bus as a common arrangement for connecting the peripheral devices or peripheral parts of a computer system to the processor has provided for system flexibility and has facilitated the adaptability of new peripheral devices and other system enhancements to existing computers. However, performance of these integrated computer systems is limited in one respect by the inability of the relatively simple, low cost peripheral bus to handle concurrent operations as the number of discrete peripherals and their functions increase. Overcommitment of the peripheral bus can lead to the exclusion of operation requests, overload and system failure. Systems in which many devices share a common bus therefore typically utilize schemes for allocating access to the bus under conditions during which a plurality of associated devices may concurrently request access. For example, see U.S. Pat. No. 4,817,037 entitled "Data Processing System With Overlap Bus Cycle Operations." A variety of priority arbitration schemes are known in the art. See IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin, Vol. 17, No. 4, September 1974, entitled "Scheduling an Input/Output Channel Allowing for Committed and/or Uncommitted Device Allocation Requests" and IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin, Vol. 26, No. 2, July 1983, entitled "Selective Processing Enablement for I/O Interruptions".
The function of controlling peripheral devices and allocating channel priority can place significant operational demand on a system, and especially where the speed of operation of the processor is greatly increased relative to that of the peripheral devices, overall efficiency of the data processing system may suffer. As a result, it has been preferred that these control functions be separated from the main processor and assigned to an input/output channel controller (IOCC) which provides the main control interface with the peripheral bus to which any number of different peripheral devices may be attached. The IOCC may be programmed with an appropriate priority arbitration scheme to allocate bus access in accordance with the priority criteria desired.
System efficiency is also greatly improved by giving the IOCC the ability to access memory autonomously without using processor instructions. Direct memory access (DMA) allows an input/output data path or channel to be established between the peripheral devices and system memory, whereby the processor can independently execute instructions or perform operations utilizing other portions of the system memory.
Channel or data buffers are included in the IOCC to enhance DMA performance when there is a mismatch between the amount of information that can be transmitted per cycle between the system memory and the IOCC across an internal bus, and the amount of information that can be transmitted between the IOCC and the peripheral devices across the peripheral bus. For example, an IOCC data buffer with four, one byte locations can be used to accumulate data one or two bytes at a time from a peripheral device over an 8/16-bit peripheral bus into thirty-two (32) bit wide quantities. The contents of the data buffer can then be transferred in a single DMA write, i.e. store, operation through a larger thirty-two (32) bit internal bus to the system memory. When performing DMA read, i.e. load operations from system memory to a peripheral, thirty two bits of information are fetched from the system memory into the data buffer in one operation through the internal bus. The data is then transferred from the buffer one or two bytes at a time to the peripheral device. By reducing the number of cycles or transactions necessary to transfer data between the system memory and the IOCC in both the read and write modes, the data buffer minimizes processor lockout that occurs to handle these transactions, thereby increasing the overall efficiency of the data processing system. More than one data buffer may be provided in the IOCC, each serving as a temporary data storage location for a separate peripheral device. The use of multiple data buffers generally is known and described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,699,530.
A problem associated with data transfer between multiple peripheral devices and system memory in a buffered DMA environment is that a transaction requiring movement of data across both the peripheral bus and the internal bus between the data buffers and the system memory by the IOCC is a relatively slow operation compared to the normal peripheral channel data operations taking place across the peripheral bus. The result is that any DMA transaction which requires a system memory access will be slower than one which operates completely out of the data buffers. The length of the transaction is increased by the need to perform two channel arbitrations; the first to gain control of the peripheral bus and the second to gain control of the internal bus. Valuable peripheral bus bandwidth is thereby wasted for DMA transactions that include a lengthy system memory operation on the data buffer while a faster transaction for a lower priority peripheral device must wait for access to the peripheral bus.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved data processing system in which direct memory access between a number of peripheral devices sharing a common peripheral bus and a system memory device is accomplished by an input/output channel controller (IOCC) having data buffers.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a data processing system of the above type in which a method and apparatus is provided for enhancing DMA performance by optimizing the transaction availability of the peripheral bus.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a data processing system of the above type in which the established priority arbitration scheme for granting access to the peripheral bus among contending peripheral devices is conditioned according to the data status of the data buffer to be accessed.

Apparatus for conditioning priority arbitration

International Business Machines Corporation


A method for corrugating a metal foil (11), which together with a longitudinally flat foil (12) is intended to form a foil package pervious to liquid or gas, where the folds are made with a very small fold radius by rolling in at least two steps between rollers (42, 43) disposed in pairs, the fold radius (51) being large and the fold height (52) low in a first step, and after the final step, the fold radius (53) is less than 10%, preferably 2 to 5% of the fold distance (55), and the fold height (54) is greater than after the first step.

Winding corrugated and flat thin metal foils together in a cylindrical package for use in rotating heat exchangers, exhaust gas purifiers or sound dampers is previously known. A plurality of longitudinal ducts will be formed between the corrugated and the flat foil, allowing a stream of gas or liquid to flow through the ducts. These applications have the common feature of aiming at achieving a large contact area between the foil and the flow, with the front surface limited. In addition, it is desirable to keep the pressure drop over the foil body low, partly in order to reduce the need for pump action, and partly to avoid damages that might break the foil package. Conventional techniques for retaining a foil package are point welding, soldering or transverse folds, as described in EP 604,868, U.S. Pat. No. 4,719,680 and WO93/02792.
The foil package is usually equipped with various layer coatings, for instance active layers of platinum metal with carriers in exhaust gas purifiers, or hygroscopic layers in heat exchangers. In this conjunction, another aim is to be able to add such layers with as even a thickness as possible, and without agglomerations at the duct angles, since locally thicker layers restrict the flow-through area and entail unnecessary consumption of layer material, which often is expensive.
In conventional applications, the foil folds have a relatively great radius or contact surface with the flat foil, and in that case the flow will not contact these surfaces. The purpose of the present invention is to provide a corrugated metal foil so as to increase the flow-through area, reduce the flow resistance and cut the material consumption for layer coating.
In accordance with the present invention, a method for corrugating a metal foil is disclosed, in which an originally flat metal foil is rolled in at least two steps between fluted rollers disposed in pairs. In a first step, the roller grooves have a radius at their top which accounts for 10% or more of the distance between the groove tops. In a final step, the roller grooves have a radius at their top which is smaller than the radius in the first step.

Method for corrugating a metal foil and packages of such foil


A fiber optic cable having both water blocking and flame retardant properties that is particularly useful for indoor or indoor/outdoor applications. In one embodiment, the fiber optic cable includes at least one buffer tube, at least one optical fiber disposed within the buffer tube, a composite tape surrounding the buffer tube that comprises a layer formed of an inherently flame retardant material and at least one coating a water swellable material, and a jacket surrounding the composite tape. The fiber optic cable can also include a water blocking element disposed within the buffer tube. The water swellable coatings of the composite tape and the water blocking element within the buffer tube therefore inhibit water migration along the length of the cable, while the flame retardant layer of the composite tape provides fire resistance. In another aspect, a dry fiber optic cable that includes a buffer tube comprised of an inherently flame retardant material, at least one optical fiber disposed within the buffer tube, a first tape comprised of a water swellable material that at least partially surrounds the at least one optical fiber, at least one roving extending lengthwise along the buffer tube and having a coating comprised of a water swellable material, and a jacket surrounding the buffer tube and the at least one roving. As such, the buffer tube provides flame retardant properties, while the first tape and the water swellable coating of the at least one roving inhibit water migration along the length of the cable.

The present invention relates generally to fiber optic cables and, more particularly, to fiber optic cables, such as indoor/outdoor cables, that have both water blocking and flame retardant properties.
Fiber optic cable generally must have different properties and meet different requirements depending upon the intended application of the cable. For example, fiber optic cable that is intended for outdoor use generally includes water blocking elements to prevent the infiltration of water and, in instances in which water does penetrate the cable, to mitigate the effects of the water. In contrast, fiber optic cables that are intended for indoor use do not generally have to be designed to be water blocking, but are commonly required to be flame retardant. Moreover, some fiber optic cables are intended for indoor/outdoor use and, as such, must have both water blocking and flame retardant properties.
A fiber optic cable generally includes one or more buffer tubes, one or more optical fibers disposed within each buffer tube and an outer jacket surrounding the buffer tube(s). Fiber optic cables that are intended for outdoor or indoor/outdoor use must also include elements to prevent or mitigate the effects of water that may infiltrate either the space between the outer jacket and the buffer tube(s) or the interior of the buffer tube(s). In this regard, fiber optic cables that are intended for outdoor or indoor/outdoor use include water blocking elements to prevent the longitudinal migration of water through the fiber optic cable such that any water that might infiltrate the cable does not reach the cable closures, connectors or other electro-optical equipment to which the fiber optic cable is connected and which may be damaged by exposure to water.
In order to prevent water migration through the interior of a fiber optic cable, a fiber optic cable typically includes a grease-like filling compound that fills the interior passageways defined by the cable. In particular, the grease-like filling compound typically fills the buffer tube(s) as well as any space between the buffer tube(s) and the outer jacket. However, use of a grease-like filling compound presents a number of disadvantages. For example, the grease-like filling compound is relatively messy and complicates splicing or other connection of the optical fibers of the fiber optic cable. In this regard, the grease-like filling compound must be removed from the end portions of the optical fibers and the optical fibers must be cleaned prior to installation, splicing or other connection of the optical fibers. As will be apparent, cleaning of the grease-like filling compound from the optical fibers is a time-consuming process requiring chemical solvents which, in turn, creates additional problems relating to their subsequent disposal.
In an attempt to overcome at least some of the disadvantages associated with the use of grease-like filling compounds, dry fiber optic cables have been developed that do not include grease-like filling compounds and, instead, include other types of water blocking elements including water swellable yarns and tapes. These water swellable elements generally include water swellable particles that swell upon exposure to water so as to form a blockage in the cable that prevents the further longitudinal migration of the water through the cable. Typically, the water swellable particles are formed of a superabsorbent polymer. As known to those skilled in the art, superabsorbent polymers are partially cross-linked polymers that absorb many times their own weight in water and swell considerably without dissolving. Examples of superabsorbent polymers are acrylate, urethane or cellulosic-based superabsorbent materials. By way of example, a water swellable tape often includes a plurality of water swellable particles sandwiched between a pair of nonwoven fabric layers. Alternatively, a water swellable yarn can be coated or impregnated with water swellable particles.
In order to prevent water migration through a buffer tube, optical fibers within the buffer tube can be wrapped with a water swellable tape or yarn. Likewise, to prevent water migration between the outer jacket and the buffer tube(s), the buffer tube(s) can be wrapped with a water swellable tape or yarn. While effective in preventing water migration through a cable, the water swellable tapes or yarns that are wrapped about the buffer tube(s) in order to prevent water migration between the outer jacket and the buffer tube(s) may disadvantageously increase the size of the fiber optic cable.
While water exposure and the prevention of water migration is not a substantial concern, indoor cables must be designed to be flame retardant. As such, indoor cables, as well as indoor/outdoor cables, can include a tape formed of a flame retardant material, such as mica, that is wrapped about the buffer tube(s) prior to extruding the outer jacket thereover. Moreover, indoor cables can include an outer jacket formed of a flame retardant plastic material.
Due to their use in both interior and exterior applications, indoor/outdoor cables must generally include both water blocking and flame retardant properties. Within a buffer tube, an indoor/outdoor cable generally includes a grease-like filling compound in order to prevent water migration therethrough. Moreover, wrapped about the buffer tube(s) in the space between the buffer tube(s) and the outer jacket, an indoor/outdoor cable generally includes a tape formed of a flame retardant material, such as mica, sandwiched between a pair of water swellable tapes. The flame retardant tape will provide the necessary flame retardant properties, while the water swellable tapes prevent water migration along the length of the fiber optic cable in the space between the outer jacket and the buffer tube(s). Unfortunately, the grease-like filling compound complicates installation and splicing of the fiber optic cable, while the water swellable tapes disadvantageously increase the overall size of the fiber optic cable. Moreover, the cable elements required to provide both water blocking and flame retardant properties for an indoor/outdoor cable increase the number of cable components which, in turn, increases the complexity of the fabrication process as well as the resulting cost of the fiber optic cable. Thus, it would be advantageous to provide a fiber optic cable having both water blocking and flame retardant properties, such as for use in indoor/outdoor applications, which was craft-friendly and which reduced the number of cable components which, in turn, may reduce the size and cost of the fiber optic cable.
An improved fiber optic cable having both water blocking and flame retardant properties is therefore provided. As such, the fiber optic cable is particularly useful for indoor/outdoor applications. According to one aspect of the invention, the fiber optic cable includes a buffer tube, at least one optical fiber disposed within the buffer tube, a composite tape surrounding the buffer tube that comprises a layer formed of a flame retardant material and a first coating that is formed of a water swellable material and that is disposed on one surface of the flame retardant layer, and a jacket surrounding the composite tape. In the preferred embodiment, the composite tape further comprises a second coating formed of a water swellable material that is disposed on the opposite surface of the flame retardant layer from the first coating. Advantageously, the water swellable coatings of the composite tape prevent water migration between the jacket and the buffer tube while the flame retardant layer of the composite tape provides fire resistance.
The fiber optic cable can also include a water blocking element disposed within the buffer tube for preventing water migration through the buffer tube. In one embodiment, for example, the fiber optic cable includes a filling compound disposed within the buffer tube and surrounding the at least one optical fiber. Alternatively, the fiber optic cable can include a tape comprised of a water swellable material that at least partially surrounds the at least one optical fiber.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a dry fiber optic cable is provided that includes a buffer tube comprised of a flame retardant material, at least one optical fiber disposed within the buffer tube, a first tape comprised of a water swellable material that at least partially surrounds the at least one optical fiber, at least one roving extending lengthwise along the buffer tube and having a coating comprised of a water swellable material, and a jacket surrounding the buffer tube and the at least one roving. As such, the buffer tube provides flame retardant properties. In addition, the first water swellable tape prevents water migration through the buffer tube, while the water swellable coating of the at least one roving prevents water migration between the jacket and the buffer tube. According to either aspect of the present invention, the fiber optic cable advantageously provides both flame retardant and water blocking properties and is therefore especially well suited for indoor/outdoor applications.

Fiber optic cable having water blocking and flame retardant properties


This invention relates to a process for cracking hydrocarbon feedstock comprising a mixture of ethane and propane by (a) subjecting the feedstock to a fractionation process so as to separate the feedstock into an ethane rich stream and a propane rich stream, (b) steam cracking each of these streams separately under optimum cracking conditions for each stream in separate furnaces, (c) recovering the ethylene so formed in said crackers and (d) recycling the residual uncracked ethane and propane from the cracked products to the respective ethane rich and propane rich feedstreams being fed to the steam cracker. The process enables yields of ethylene to be increased.

Methods of cracking saturated hydrocarbon feedstocks including naphthenes are well known. One of the sources of the feedstock for this steam cracking process is from a crude oil distillate. Generally, the crude oil distillate is fractionated and the lower boiling components are compressed initially and then de-compressed when a gaseous fraction comprising predominantly C1-C4 saturated hydrocarbons is released. These gases are then usually separated into a fraction comprising C1-C3 hydrocarbons predominating in ethane and propane with significant amounts of methane, and C4 hydrocarbons comprising predominantly butanes. The C1-C3 fraction is fed directly to a steam cracker in order to generate valuable ethylene and small amounts of propylene. This was usually done in the belief that normally, when cracking mixtures of paraffinic hydrocarbons, the conversion of the easier to crack component in the mixture is suppressed and the conversion of the harder to crack component is enhanced. Furthermore, the amount of ethane (sourced usually from `dry gas`, fresh ethane and recycled ethane) in such feedstock is variable due to the difficulty in storing the same when compared with the availability of propane which can be readily stored (sourced usually from LPG), and since it is not feasible to shut down a bank of crackers when the ethane availability is low. Therefore, ethane and propane have always been cracked as a mixed feedstock.
Recent studies have shown that contrary to the conventionally understood `rules`, the presence of propane in a mixed feedstock comprising propane and ethane significantly suppresses the cracking of ethane in such mixed feedstock thereby not only reducing the amount of ethylene formed in the process but also increasing the amount of ethane which has to be recycled in the process.

Steam cracking of ethane-rich and propane-rich streams


A pathway control system, implementing control and setting for a communication pathway between wireless communication devices each implementing wired communication and wireless communication and each equipped with an AMR function, detects communication speed with respect to uplink wireless communication and downlink wireless communication in each wireless communication device, thus determining which one of uplink wireless communication and downlink wireless communication undergoes communication failure. It carries out adaptive modulation control on uplink wireless communication or downlink wireless communication, which undergoes communication failure, calculates new communication speed, and carries out STP pathway control based on new communication speed. Irrespective of a reduction of line speed due to activation of an AMR function, it is possible to automatically switch to redundant pathways by way of STP pathway control; it is possible to prevent momentary disconnection of wireless communication; and it is possible to maintain an adequate capacity for communication pathways.

Wireless communication lines, connecting between a plurality of wireless communication devices, are each configured of a primary line and an overhead bit, wherein they may be degraded in wireless communication quality due to a reduction of a reception level via fading when an overhead bit includes a supervisory control line (i.e. an SV line). Patent Literature 1 discloses a wireless communication device having an adaptive modulation rate function (i.e. an AMR function: Adaptive Modulation Rate) which detects degradation of wireless communication quality so as to switch modulation to low-rate modulation, thus preventing line disconnection.
It is possible to adopt a wired network as a primary line, wherein due to the property of a wired network, congestion may occur due to the occurrence of a loop connection via a primary line. To prevent this problem, various devices (e.g. hubs, switches) configuring a network may adopt pathway control using STP (Spanning Tree Protocol) or RSTP (Rapid Spanning-Tree Protocol) so as to terminate redundant pathways, thus preventing a loop connection. There exists a technology defined by the Ethernet OAM (Operations, Administration, and Maintenance; IEEE802.1ag)/ITU-T Y.1731 such as ERP (Ethernet Ring Protection), wherein this technology needs a manual operation to perform an STP operation and is therefore limited in applied usage.
Patent Literature 2 discloses a technology for fixedly controlling communication pathways according to GMPLS (Generalized Multi-Protocol Label Switching). This technology needs to implement various device settings by manually designing networks, including auxiliary pathways, in advance.
Patent Literature 3 discloses a technology which aims to maintain predetermined data transmission speed and transmission quality even when wireless communication lines are degrading rapidly and which selects auxiliary lines so as to switch to a modulation scheme with low multiplicity, thus modulating and transmitting data signals.

STP pathway control system applied to wireless communication device having AMR function


A state detection sensor includes a housing and a position sensing component mounted in the housing. The position sensing component is being configured to provide position data in response to detecting the presence or position of vehicle structure relative to the sensor. The state detection sensor also includes an analog input component mounted in the housing. The analog input component is configured to provide external analog sensor data in response to an analog signal received from an external analog sensor to which the analog input component can be operatively connected. The state detection sensor further includes a component configured to communicate the position data and the external analog sensor data via a serial bus.

Vehicle safety systems include various sensors for detecting vehicle and/or occupant conditions. The vehicle safety system can utilize this vehicle and/or occupant condition information determined via the sensors for a variety purposes. The vehicle/occupant condition information can be used to alert vehicle occupants of certain conditions (e.g., a "seatbelt unbuckled" warning) or to tailor the actuation of vehicle occupant protection devices, such as airbags, seatbelt pre-tensioners, etc. As such, the sensors can include seatbelt buckle latch sensors, vehicle passenger presence detection (PPD) sensors (e.g., seat bottom pressure/weight sensors), and seat position sensors (e.g., seat track position sensors (STPS)).
A known system is illustrated schematically in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle safety system 10 includes an electronic controller unit (ECU) 12 configured to communicate with a variety of sensors for sensing vehicle/occupant conditions. The ECU 12 can, for example, be a controller that is configured to control the actuation of vehicle instrumentation, vehicle alerts/warnings, or vehicle occupant safety devices, such as airbags and seatbelts, based on information received from the illustrated sensors and other sensors (not shown) such as crash sensors.
For the system 10 of FIG. 1, the number (N) of sensors can correspond to the number of seats or seating positions in the vehicle, and thus are numbered 1, 2, . . . N in FIG. 1. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that, for certain vehicles, the number and types of sensors included may change depending on the seat position in the vehicle. For example, in most vehicles, rear seats are not adjustable fore and aft and thus may not include a seat track position sensor.
The sensors of the system 10 can include buckle sensors 20, passenger presence detector (PPD) sensors 30, and seat track position sensors (STPS) 40. The system 10 can include other sensors (not shown), such as seat recline sensors and seat weight sensors. As shown, the sensors 20, 30, 40 of the typical system 10 are individually wired and require at least two wires. As a result, wiring harness(es) 50 can become large/bulky, heavy, complicated, and difficult to work with and to install. Additionally, since the system 10, including the ECU 12, is often housed in the vehicle center tunnel, and because space in the center tunnel is at a premium, it is becoming increasingly desirable to reduce the size, weight, and bulk of the wiring harness(es) 50.

Vehicle safety system with smart detection sensors


A corner unit for a feed conveying system includes a housing and a wheel. The housing defines a cavity and a track. The track is configured to receive a material conveying string. The wheel is disposed at least partially within the cavity of the housing and is configured to rotate within the cavity. The housing includes a plurality of ridges protruding into the cavity. The wheel includes a central hub, an outer rim, and one or more spokes extending from a first end coupled to the central hub to a second end coupled to the outer rim. At least one of the one or more spokes is swept such that, when the wheel is rotated in a first direction, the second end trails the first end such that rotation of the wheel in the first direction sweeps material that enters the cavity from the cavity and into the track.

A chain disk system is a material conveying system commonly used to distribute material from a loading point to one or more unloading points. A typical use of such a system is to distribute feed throughout a swine housing facility. Other names used for such systems include tubular drag, chain and puck, and drag chain conveyor. Such systems can include tubing, a link chain with over-molded plastic disks, corner units, a material entrance hopper, and a drive unit. The chain is typically a loop that is connected end to end. Material enters the system through a hopper and is moved inside the tubes by disks connected to the chain. The chain can traverse corners via the corner units that typically include a wheel that rotates to carry the tension load of the chain. The material exits the system by dropping out of holes in the tube. The chain is driven by a rotating sprocket inside the drive unit. In some implementations, the tubing and corner units are configured such that each section of tubing is generally horizontal. In other implementations, the tubing and corner units can be configured in such a way that one or more sections of tubing are oriented vertically.
FIG. 1A shows a typical corner unit 10. The corner unit 10 includes a housing 12, an axle 14, and a wheel 16 configured to guide a chain disk 18. As shown in FIG. 1B, the chain disk includes a plurality of disks 18b coupled in series by chain links 18a. The chain disk 18 is configured into a long loop within the chain disk system and moves the feed through the chain disk system and guides the feed through the corner unit 10. In prior art corner units, as the chain disk 18 rotates around the wheel 16, the feed material can spill into the wheel cavity 20 of the corner unit's housing 12. This feed is thereby removed from the feed material flow. The feed in the wheel cavity 20 typically gets trapped inside the cavity 20 until the corner unit 10 is taken apart and cleaned. If not removed frequently, the trapped feed can grow mold, thereby creating a risk to the biosecurity of the facility (e.g., a swine farm). The feed trapped inside the cavity 20 can also inhibit the rotation of the wheel 16 and cause excessive wear and load on the chain disk system. The extent and rate of feed buildup inside the cavity 20 can vary depending on the orientation of the corner unit. For example, in implementations in which corner units are oriented vertically, as shown in FIG. 3, corner units in the positions of corner units 112-1 and 112-2 may be particularly susceptible to entrapped material.

Corner unit for material conveying system


A device for automatically reading checks, wherein a scanner includes a reading unit for reading an identification code on the check, and a reading unit for taking an image of the surface of the check, and the device also includes a central processing unit receiving the digitized image of the check, and for defining an the image, on the basis of the identification code, at least two subimages respectively containing the numeric amount and the alphabetic amount of the check. The device also provides for binary-coding the subimages to automatically read the numeric and alphabetic amounts in the binary-coded subimages, and for correlating the two amounts to elect a final amount, which is displayed on a video of the processing unit together with the image of the check.

The present invention relates to an automatic check reading device.
As is known, checks (bank checks, banker's drafts, etc.) comprise a rectangular form bearing various printed data (name of the issuing bank, serial number, etc.) and a number of separate blank spaces to be filled in by the user, and which comprise a first space numeric field) in which to indicate the numeric amount of the check, a second space (alphabetic field) in which to indicate the alphabetic amount of the check, both of which entries may be handwritten or typed, and a third space (signature field) for the user's signature. Along the bottom edge, Italian checks at present also comprise an identification code in magnetic ink (CMC7 code) containing data relative to the check number, the bank identification (ABI) code, and the issuing branch identification (CAB) code, and which is readable automatically and magnetically by a read unit, which supplies the coded data to a central, e.g. bank, processing unit.
Known reading systems are capable of automatically reading the identification code, but not the alphabetic amount written by the user.


A radiation shielding syringe carrier comprising a top cap, a main body and a needle shield, all formed from a radiation dense material. The main body preferably includes a syringe shield shaped to be threadably engaged to the bottom of the carrier. Preferably a separate top cap and shipping cap are provided.

Radiopharmaceuticals are radioactive materials that are widely used in the diagnosis and treatment of various diseases and body disorders. Radiopharmaceuticals are typically injected into the body of a patient by means of a hypodermic syringe. The repeated exposure to radioactive materials may over time present serious health hazards to the person dosing and administering the injection. This hazard is a result of radiation emanating from radioactive material which is to be injected.
One of the exposure risks occurs during the dosing procedure occurs when a specialized dose is prepared from a larger storage container of the radiopharmaceuticals by drawing the dose from the storage container into a syringe and while manipulating the syringe to prepare it for injecting and injecting into the patient. For example, the technician's upper extremities can receive a significant dose of radiation during the time the syringe is unshielded.
Accordingly, what is needed is an apparatus, preferably an entirely self contained and shielded apparatus, that may be used to prepare doses of radiopharmaceutical medicines into syringes without requiring a technician to directly touch or be involved in the dosing procedure. What is further needed is a sub structure of such an apparatus that can receive a syringe and perform all the necessary operations to remove the dose from a larger storage container without the need for manual intervention from a technician.


A method of generating a treatment plan for treating a patient with radiotherapy, the method includes obtaining a plurality of sample plans, which are generated by use of a knowledge base comprising historical treatment plans and patient data. The method also includes performing a multi-criteria optimization based on the plurality of sample plans to construct a Pareto frontier, where the plurality of sample plans are evaluated with at least two objectives measuring qualities of the plurality of sample plans such that treatment plans on the constructed Pareto frontier are Pareto optimal with respect to the objectives. The method further includes identifying a treatment plan by use of the constructed Pareto frontier.

Radiation therapy treatment plan development generally employs medical imaging, such as X-ray, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), or the like. Typically, a series of two-dimensional patient images, each representing a two-dimensional cross-sectional "slice" of the patient anatomy, are used to reconstruct a three-dimensional representation of a volume of interest (VOI), or structure of interest, from the patient anatomy.
The VOI typically includes one or more organs of interest, often including a planning target volume (PTV), such as a malignant growth or an organ including malignant tissue targeted for radiation therapy; a relatively healthy organ at risk (OAR) in the vicinity of a malignant growth at risk of radiation therapy exposure; or a larger portion of the patient anatomy that includes a combination of one or more PTVs along with one or more OARs. The objective of the radiation therapy treatment plan development typically aims to irradiate as much of the PTV as near the prescription dose as possible, while attempting to minimize irradiation of nearby OARs.
The resulting radiation therapy treatment plans are used during medical procedures to selectively expose precise areas of the body, such as malignant tumors, to specific doses of radiation in order to destroy the undesirable tissues. During the development of a patient-specific radiation therapy treatment plan, information generally is extracted from the three-dimensional model to determine parameters such as the shape, volume, location, and orientation of one or more PTVs along with one or more OARs.
Some radiotherapy planning tools take into account additional factors having a significant impact on the effectiveness of the radiation dose by consulting with a knowledge base which records patient geometric data together with previously administered treatment plans. The knowledge base further analyzes the relations between patient geometries and a variety of plan quality metrics, e.g., dose volume histogram (DVH), distance to target histogram (DTH), etc. An estimation model targeting specific treatment regions can be trained by the above described analysis, and a treatment plan can be predicted for a new patient with differing geometry by use of the estimation model.
Some other radiotherapy planning tools utilize a multiple criteria optimization (MCO) based approach to explore a multitude of treatment plans pertaining to a range of trade-offs between the PTV coverage and different OAR sparing options corresponding to a variety of plan quality metrics. However, even an approximated MCO approach, populated with a lesser number of initial treatment plans, still requires a large amount of computation in order to construct a Pareto frontier, not to mention that oftentimes, the sample treatment plans are randomly selected without sufficient clinical relevance with regard to the VOIs of a particular treatment plan.

Knowledge based multi-criteria optimization for radiotherapy treatment planning


A multiple clutch assembly for use in the power train of a motor vehicle between a prime mover and a change-speed transmission. A hub is coupled to a pumping device for an operating fluid. The pumping device is located radially outwardly of two coaxial, interfitted input shafts of the transmission. Each of the transmission shafts is associated with a discrete one of two clutches. The placing of the pump radially outwardly of the input shafts of the transmission contributes to simplicity and lower cost of the multiple clutch assembly.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a multiple clutch assembly or assemblies, especially to improvements in so-called duplex or dual clutches, which can be utilized in the power train of a motor vehicle between the prime mover (such as an internal combustion engine) and the transmission. The clutch assembly has a hub that is coupled to a pump for an operating fluid (e.g., oil). In addition, the clutch assembly has a first clutch associated with a first input shaft of the transmission, and a second clutch associated with a second input shaft of the transmission.
2. Description of the Related Art
A dual or duplex clutch is disclosed in German Patent Publication No. 100 04 190 A1. That clutch also operates in the power train of a motor vehicle and also employs a first clutch which is arranged to transmit torque from the prime mover to a first input shaft of the transmission, and a second clutch which serves to transmit torque between the prime mover and a second input shaft of the transmission. In addition, the known multiple clutch arrangement has a hub which serves as an input element or section and is provided with an internal gear that serves to connect the hub with a drive shaft of a pump. The two transmission input shafts are hollow and receive the drive shaft of the pump. The aforementioned hub of the clutch assembly is coupled to the drive shaft of the pump and is disposed at the side of the clutch assembly that confronts the driving unit.

LuK Lamellen und Kupplungsbau Beteiligungs KG


An add-on safety lock that blocks lever rotation by bracing the lever against a fulcrum point at the handle shaft and nearby door structure.

The present invention relates to mechanisms for securing doors from being opened by small children, and in particular, to a device suitable for doors with lever-type door handles.
Architectural doors may have a latch mechanism holding the door closed and operated by means of a doorknob. Particularly for interior doors, the latch mechanism may be without a lock, and therefore readily opened by anyone turning the doorknob.
Parents with small children who wish to secure a door, for example, a door leading to stairs or other hazards, may make use of an add-on "safety lock" that prevents the child from opening the door. A commonly available safety lock for standard doorknobs covers the doorknob with a loosely fitting shell which rotates freely around the doorknob. A child grasping the shell can turn only the shell and not the contained knob. An adult with greater hand strength may compress the shell against the doorknob so as to enable rotation of the doorknob through the shell. This type of safety lock differentiates between adults and children in part by hand strength and requires that the doorknob be rotationally symmetric.
In recent years, such symmetric doorknobs have given way to lever handles which can be easier for the infirm and handicapped to actuate. A safety lock using a rotating shell design does not work with such lever handle systems, which are not rotationally symmetric, and have a wide variety of lever sizes.
Nevertheless, it is often desired to secure doors having such lever handles from opening by small children, and in fact, lever handles may in some cases be easier for small children to open, to the extent that the child may be drawn to reach up and hang upon the lever.


A calibration frame for calibrating a reference system for vehicle measurement has setting elements, which enable a precise spatial orientation of the calibration frame, and multiple defined points of support, which are designed to accommodate a reference system carrier. In one specific embodiment, the points of support are designed in such a way that the reference system carrier is situatable on the points of support in at least two different orientations. In a second specific embodiment, a leveling element is provided which indicates the spatial orientation of the calibration frame in relation to the earth's gravitation field.

For a vehicle standing on a measuring station, a vehicle measuring device which has two measuring units, each of the two measuring units having a reference system, is described in PCT Application No. WO 2010/028946 A1. This vehicle measuring device is designed to determine the horizontal and the vertical positions of each of the two measuring units and the relative position of the measuring units to one another.
To obtain accurate results for the vehicle measurement, reference systems are to be calibrated before the measurements are carried out.

Method and device for calibrating a reference system for vehicle measurement


A foldable support structure serving as a work surface having apertures that may differ diametrically for support of containerized articles, such as beverages. The foldable support structure has three hinged planar sections with the center section having the aforementioned apertures and the left and right sections incorporating means for fixedly engaging each other. Mating straps extend substantially from a hinged joint and from a section base whereby said foldable support can be suspended from a structure, such as a motor vehicle seat. Tongue and slots positioned on opposing section ends provide means for selectively varying the pitch of the work surface. The device can be used as a free standing table for bed or beach having selectively engageable locking mechanisms positioned on the four corners of the center section and normally in a disengaged position so that the left and right sections are free to move to a user selective engagement between tab and slot.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to supports and, more specifically, to a foldable support structure serving as a worksurface having apertures that may differ diametrically for support of containerized articles, such as beverages. The foldable support structure has three hinged planar sections with the center section having the aforementioned apertures and the left and right sections incorporating means for fixedly engaging each other. Mating straps extend substantially from a hinged joint and from a section base whereby said foldable support can be suspended from a structure, such as a motor vehicle seat. Tongue and slots positioned on opposing section ends provide means for selectively varying the pitch of the worksurface.
Furthermore, the device can be used as a free standing table for bed or beach having selectively engageable locking mechanisms positioned on the four corners of the center section and normally in a disengaged position so that the left and right sections are free to move to a user selective engagement between tongue and slot.
To be used as a table the left and right sections are moved to a right angle position relative to the middle section and the locking mechanisms are slidably moved toward the interior whereupon the slots on the underside of the locking mechanism engage the left and right sections respectively in a locked position until selectively released.
Additionally, the present invention provides for one or more appropriately sized optional pockets fixed to the exterior of the left and/or right adjustable sections whereby magazines can be stored therein.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are other worksurface devices designed for supports. Typical of these is U.S. Pat. No. 1,277,781 issued to Trammell on Sep. 3, 1918.
Another patent was issued to Bell, et al. on Apr. 10, 1956 as U.S. Pat. No. 2,741,521. Yet another U.S. Pat. No. 2,898,170 was issued to Antonius on Aug. 4, 1959 and still yet another was issued on Apr. 24, 1962 to Sawle III as U.S. Pat. No. 3,031,242.
Another patent was issued to Miller on Sep. 13, 1988 as U.S. Pat. No. 4,770,107. Yet another U.S. Pat. No. 5,551,616 was issued to Stitt, et al. on Sep. 3, 1996. Another was issued to Sutton on Sep. 16, 1997 as U.S. Pat. No. 5,667,272 and still yet another was issued on Oct. 26, 1999 to White as U.S. Pat. No. 5,973,917.
Another patent was issued to White on Jul. 30, 2002 as U.S. Pat. No. 6,426,869. Yet another U.S. Pat. No. 6,796,473 was issued to Purpura on Sep. 28, 2004. Another was issued to Baxter on Jun. 5, 1985 as U.K. Patent No. GB2148703 and still yet another was issued on Mar. 31, 1994 to Stamper as International Patent Application No. WO 94/06647.


A method in which a data access request by a user to access data of a destination server, such as the data that needs to be updated when a login and/or password is changed, is provided consistently. The destination servers are redundant, and instead of directing the access request directly to one of the redundant destination servers, an intermediate level of servers is provided that selects one of the destination servers to serve the data access request. This selection is made so that the data access request from a particular source may be directed to the same destination server. The data access request includes data that is unique to the source and/or to the user, and the selection is made in dependence on the result of a transformation, such as a hash function, performed on the unique data. Since the redundant destination servers may each identically serve the data access request, the data access request can be routed to any destination server without any change in the processing of the request.

In recent years, computer networks have grown both in size and in the number of services that a network can provide. The services provided by a computer network are accessible by end users if they have required access for the desired service. To the end user, the fact that there are multiple servers on the network is usually transparent. Login information for a user may be contained on at least one of a number of servers within the network. Typically, within most networks, user information propagates over time from one server to another to ensure that critical information is uniform throughout the network. Therefore when a user logs-in to the network it is important for the end user computer terminal to authenticate the user against the most current user information before granting access.
In a large network when a user changes some of their information, such as a login password, it is important to store this modified information somewhere within the network such that when re-authentication is required this information is readily accessible to grant the end user access. Usually within a network the passwords are stored on one of the servers within the network and typically this information is stored on a server that is in direct communication with the client terminal.
For example an end user modifies their login password, the end user password is now updated and saved on a first server in direct communication with the client terminal. The user now moves to another location within the network and logs-in on a different client terminal connected to a different second server within the network. After logging-in the second server initiates the user verification process. After the verification process the user is declined access to the network, and a message appears that the user password is invalid. The user now re-types their login information using their old password and now gains access to the network.
In this scenario the user password was initially only changed on the first server in direct communication with the client terminal; the information has not had enough time to be propagated through the network, resulting in the user being declined access by using their new password, and still having access with the old password. In order for the new user password to work on all the servers the user must wait for the updated password information to propagate through all the servers within the network before obtaining access to their account.
Of course it would be possible for the end user to utilize both passwords while logging-in to the network while the updated password propagates through the system. However using two passwords for a certain amount of time is disadvantageous and in some cases prohibitive for obtaining full network services. For instance, in a large organization there are external peripheral devices, like printers, hooked up to the servers on the network. Because of billing issues the printer requires a user ID and password before processing any print jobs. The user now wishes to print; however, their password has not yet propagated through to the printer server. Therefore, at the client terminal the new user password may work for the first server; however, when this server sends the print job to the printer server the print job will be rejected because of an invalid user password. For the end user this makes the network services inaccessible since at random the user may be prompted that their password is invalid. This dual password disadvantage means that users will change their passwords less frequently thereby possibly compromising network security.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a computer network which allows the user to change their personal profile (i.e. password) from any client terminal on the network, such that when the user logs-in to the network from any other client terminal their personal profile information will always be retrieved from a same server, thereby eliminating the need for having two different user passwords stored on the network.

Method of providing an access request to a same server based on a unique identifier


A customizable hazardous material containment system including a plurality of rectangular fluid-capturing liners which are secured together via a plurality of overlapping side flanges which extend around the perimeter of the liners, the side-flange liner connection allowing for non-linear implementations of a hazardous material containment system. A drain port can be incorporated into the liner. The system can also be used as a secondary or tertiary hazardous material containment system.

Work sites need to be protected from hazardous waste material discharge. Cleaning up hazardous waste material is labor intensive and expensive. The current practice typically involves lining the work site area with heavy polymer material. Tarps or other temporary barriers do not provide a complete solution to capturing all hazardous waste material for proper disposal, particularly with larger equipment, such as fueling systems, portable generator sets, and the like which may cause such materials to slide around, tear or otherwise create gaps in the lining material through which hazardous materials may leak into the environment.


An apparatus for sorting fragile objects has a grading structure connected to a base. The grading structure is movable in first and second substantially horizontal directions with respect to the base. A displacement mechanism imparts reciprocating, substantially horizontal movement of predetermined frequency and amplitude to at least part of the grading structure to thereby move the objects in the first substantially horizontal direction along the grading structure. A displacement controller variably controls the frequency and amplitude of the reciprocating horizontal movement. The frequency of movement in the first substantially horizontal direction is controlled independently of the frequency of movement in the second substantially horizontal direction.

An important factor in marketing and purchasing produce is uniformity in size and quality. Food producers typically find it more economical to pack and ship a uniform grade of produce, and consumers expect a certain grade of produce for a given price. To accomplish the grading operation, a food crop is typically sorted by size after the crop is harvested. Automation of this process has been somewhat successful, as many machines have been developed to grade fruits and vegetables by size. One particular machine design shakes the produce along sloped diverging rods. When the distance between the rods exceeds the size of the produce, the produce falls between the rods. The distance the produce travels along the rods before falling indicates the size of the produce. Sorting machines of this type are preferred because of the simplicity of the design.
However, such sorting machines have several limitations. Sloped rods may cause the produce to roll along the rods and bruise adjacent produce. If the rods are horizontal, a vertical component has been added to the movement of the rods so that the produce will move along the diverging rods. This is also undesirable because vertical shaking can also cause bruising. In addition, known graders shake the produce by employing a rotating eccentric shaft or cam mechanism to impart periodic oscillation to the rods. Since the amplitude and acceleration of the oscillatory motion are functions of the shape of the eccentric or cam, the only way to vary the shaking motion of the produce is to vary the speed of the periodic oscillation. Too low of a speed limits the amount of produce that can be sorted by the grader in a given time, and too high of a speed risks damaging the produce.


Within a mail transfer agent of a message transfer system, a message is received and if the recipient entity resolves to a number of recipients exceeding a specified quantity, the original message is not processed. Instead, at least two messages are created, with each of the created messages addressed to a subset of the original set of recipients. The created messages are returned to the calling module for processing.

While the flow of messages through a delivery system seems simple: a message flows in, the message flows out, in practice, message delivery is often more difficult than it may at first glance appear. One type of message delivery is e-mail, electronic mail exchanged via communication between computers over a network. There are a number of commercially available e-mail systems including Microsoft's Exchange, IBM's Lotus Notes, Sendmail, Postfix and others.
The delivery of e-mail generally requires the use of a Mail User Agent (MUA), a client program that enables a user to send and receive e-mail, a Mail Transfer Agent (MTA), a server program that enables e-mail transfers from one machine to another and a Mail Delivery Agent (MDA), a program used by the MTA to put mail content into a user's mailbox or to transport e-mail to another MTA, and possibly a Mail Retrieval Agent (MRA), a program or service that fetches mail content from a mailbox on a remote server and passes it to an MUA. In some Message Transfer Systems an MTA does not actually deliver e-mail: it prepares a message (e.g. by insuring that the envelope is acceptable to the receiving server) and calls an MDA to physically transport the message. SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) is a protocol commonly used for sending and receiving e-mail.
SMTP has the capability to transport e-mail across networks. A network may consist of mutually-TCP-accessible hosts on the public Internet, mutually-TCP-accessible hosts on a firewall-isolated TCP/IP Intranet, or hosts in some other LAN or WAN environment utilizing a non-TCP transport-level protocol. Using SMTP, a process can transfer e-mail to another process on the same network or to some other network via a relay or gateway process accessible to both networks. Thus, an e-mail message may pass through a number of intermediate relay or gateway hosts on its path from sender to ultimate recipient. SMTP is independent of the particular transmission subsystem, requiring only a reliable ordered data stream channel.
In common usage, the two hosts participating in an SMTP transaction are described as the "SMTP-sender" or the "SMTP client" and "SMTP-receiver" or "SMTP server". A given host may act both as server and client in a relay situation. The responsibility of an SMTP client is to transfer an e-mail message to one or more SMTP servers, or report its failure to do so. To transfer an e-mail message to an SMTP server, an SMTP client determines the address of an appropriate host running an SMTP server by resolving a destination domain name, and establishes a two-way transmission channel to that SMTP server. The SMTP client normally initiates an e-mail transaction consisting of a series of commands. The commands specify the originator and destination of the e-mail and the mail content (including any headers or other structure). SMTP replies are sent from the SMTP server to the SMTP client in response to the commands. The SMTP server that receives the transaction may be either the ultimate destination or an intermediate relay (that is, e-mail message transfer can occur in a single connection between the original SMTP-sender and the final SMTP-recipient, or can occur in a series of hops through intermediary systems).
SMTP servers and clients act as MTAs. MUAs are normally thought of as the sources and targets of mail. At the source, an MUA might collect mail to be transmitted from a user and hand it off to an MTA; the final (delivery) MTA would be thought of as handing the mail off to an MUA (or at least transferring responsibility to it, e.g., by depositing the message in a "message store" via an MDA).
SMTP transports an e-mail message. A message includes an envelope and content. The SMTP envelope is sent as a series of SMTP protocol units including an originator address (to which error reports should be directed); one or more recipient addresses; and optional protocol extension material. An address is a character string identifying a user from whom mail is sent or to whom mail will be sent or a location into which mail will be deposited. A mailbox refers to the mail depository. The two terms mailbox and address are typically used interchangeably unless the distinction between the location in which mail is placed (the mailbox) and a reference to it (the address) is important. The SMTP mail content is sent in the SMTP DATA protocol unit: that is, the material transmitted after a DATA command is accepted and before the "end of data" indication is transmitted is referred to as message content or mail data. Message content includes message headers and a possibly-structured message body. Headers typically include subject (typically used for a summary of the contents of the message), the e-mail address of the sender, the e-mail address of the receiver, and local time and date when the message was sent. The body is the text message itself (the letter, to analogize with traditional mail), and may include a signature block at the end.
When the recipient of an e-mail message resolves to a plurality of recipients, as in the case of an e-mail addressed to a distribution list (mailing list, group, or alias), the address is expanded, that is, a copy of the message is forwarded or redistributed to each mailbox in the expanded list. Thus, receipt of a single e-mail message sent to "ALL EMPLOYEES" of a very large company may result in the explosion of that e-mail into tens, hundreds, thousands or even more messages to be delivered, potentially causing the messaging system to be overwhelmed by the number of messages to be sent. Alternatively, receipt of the message may result in a single e-mail addressed to a very large number of recipients. While sending a single message is efficient, if the single message is addressed to a very large number of recipients, system resources (such as memory, for example) may be overtaxed, potentially causing system slowdown or even failure. It would be helpful if there were a way to expand messages in a reasonably efficient, predictable way that does not overtax system resources.
There exists in the marketplace a demand for extensibility of e-mail systems. Users may, for example, want to have their e-mail evaluated by anti-spam software, anti-virus software or to be handled according to a set of policy rules and so on. It would be helpful if there were a way to provide users with extensibility so that a generic message transfer system could be customized to meet a company's particular needs without re-writing the message transfer software. It would also be helpful if there were a way to enable a single e-mail addressed to a number of recipients to be treated differently for some recipients as specified, for example, by a set of policy rules reflected in the coding of external modules that could "plug in" to the generic message transfer system. It would be helpful to provide these enhancements while protecting the users from potential deleterious effects that arise because of existing features in message delivery systems such as distribution list processing.
Sometimes a problem is detected as a message is being processed by an MTA. For example, the set of assumptions valid when the message was received by the MTA may have changed, system configuration may have changed, or some error condition may have occurred. Known systems attempt to keep track of the progress of the message, try to correct the problem as well as possible and resume processing from that point. This approach often leads to unpredictable and incorrect results. It would be helpful if there were a more predictable solution that is likely to result in successful delivery more often.

Bifurcation of messages in an extensible message transfer system