A device for applying medication fluid on mucus membrane in interior of body cavities has a manually actuatable pump element mountable on a medication supply container for discharging a medication fluid and having an outlet, an insertion tube having one end connected with the outlet and provided with a through going longitudinal opening, a distributor body connected with an opposite end of the insertion tube and having an outer shape and a volume to correspond to a body cavity to be treated, the distributor body having a plurality of outlet openings distributed over its outer surface and communicating through an interior of the distributor body with the insertion tube so that a medication fluid supplied under pressure is a discharged from the outlet openings over an outer surface of the distributor body.

The present invention relates to a device for applying medication fluids on a mucus membrane in inner body cavities, in particular in oral, vaginal, and anal regions, for all prophylactic and therapeutical applications of fluids.
When such body zones are treated, it is extremely important that the treatment be performed in a simple and inexpensive manner both in private places as well as in medical practices and hospitals. A further important point is that the medication fluids must be applied uninterruptedly and completely so as to cover the whole mucus membrane region even with small dosages.
For a special therapy, for example in vaginal region, an extensive wetting of the region to be treated is extremely important. For example, sexually transmitted infections in vaginal regions are treated by gynecologists with special chemotherapeutic media. The gynecologist can apply medication fluids during such treatment on wads, spraying heads or by rinsing. Moreover, it is often desirable to provide an accompanying application by patients themselves, which can be repeated in non-stationary conditions. For such a self-application there are no available devices.
The device for rinsing the vaginal region is known, which has a bellows vessel with an insertion tube screwed in it and provided with several openings on its tip. With this device, it is possible to perform rinsing, or in other words application of great quantities of fluid on the corresponding mucus membrane region. However, it is not possible to apply small doses with simultaneous complete distribution on the respective region. A further disadvantage is that since only great fluid quantities can be utilized and they must be then discharged to a greater part, the application can be performed only with special provisions, for example in a bath tub which is not filled with water, so as to allow discharge of excessive preparation.
Furthermore, with known devices a single rinsing is only available, since, after introduction of the insertion tube in the vaginal region and compression of the bellows container it is not always guaranteed that before removal of the device a return suction affect occurs by unauthorized expansion of the bellows container. This can lead to entry of the body fluid into the device and a repeated use of the device without preceding sterilization, which of course is highly undesirable.

Device for applying medication fluid on mucus membrane in body cavities


A carrier tape (10) for electronic components or devices (44) includes a tape body (12) and a plurality of pockets (14) formed in the tape body (12). Each of the pockets (14) includes a sidewall (18) and a base portion (20). The base portion (20) joins the sidewall (18) at an edge portion (22). A protrusion (24) is formed in the base portion (20) of the pocket (14). The protrusion (24) is configured to maintain a separation between the edge portion (22) and a surface on which the pocket (14) rests.

The present invention relates to the handling of electronic components and more particularly to a carrier tape for electronic components.
It is known to ship electronic components in carrier tapes. A problem that often arises when electronic components are shipped in conventional carrier tapes is mechanical damage to the leads of the components during transportation or as a result of mishandling.
Consequently, a need exists for a carrier tape that is capable of transporting electronic components more securely and that provides greater protection against damage resulting from mishandling.


A jet aircraft engine having an improved turbine section with curved intake manifolds to direct combustion gasses from the engine's combustion chamber into the turbine housing on a chordal flow path through the turbine generally perpendicular to the turbine rotor's axis of rotation. The turbine rotor has a number of radially extending turbine blades for transmitting energy from the combustion gasses to shaft work to drive the engine's fan and compressor. Exhaust manifolds can also be provided, directing the flow of exhaust gasses from the turbine to the engine's intake, and having noise and emissions control capability.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a jet aircraft engine having an improved turbine section. The invention relates more specifically to a gas turbine jet aircraft engine and a turbine section for a jet aircraft engine wherein the blades of the turbine rotor extend radially outwardly from the rotor's axis of rotation, and wherein curved manifolds are provided for directing combustion gases from the engine's combustion chamber through the turbine housing along a chordal flowpath generally perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the turbine rotor.
2. Description of Related Art
Gas-turbine jet aircraft engines were first developed in the 1920's and 1930's by Whittle. In its most basic form, the gas-turbine engine comprises an air intake, a compressor to compress the airflow from the intake, a combustion chamber where fuel is introduced to the compressed airflow and the fuel/air mixture is combusted to create a flow of hot, high-pressure combustion gasses, and a turbine to convert energy from the combustion gasses to shaft power to drive the compressor. The spent gasses exiting the turbine are expelled to the atmosphere through a nozzle or jetpipe to generate propulsive thrust. Typically, these components are arranged in axial alignment so that the working fluid passes generally linearly through the engine, from the intake to the exhaust.
A further development to gas-turbine jet aircraft engines is the turbofan engine, shown in typical form in FIG. 1. The majority of the thrust provided by a turbofan engine 10 is generated by the fan 12, which is rotationally driven by a shaft 14 within a fan cowl 16. A core cowling 18 mounted behind the fan 12 and coaxially with the fan cowl 16 forms the intake 20 for the airflow through the engine's power-generating core. This airflow first enters a compressor 22, which is typically a multistage axial compressor. Each stage of the compressor 22 typically comprises a rotating ring of rotor blades 24 within a stator ring 26. The compressor typically is driven by the drive shaft 14 coupled to the engine's turbine. Compressed air exiting the compressor 22 enters a combustion chamber 30, where fuel is introduced to form a compressed air/fuel mixture. This mixture is combusted to generate hot, high-pressure combustion gasses which are exhausted from the combustion chamber 30 to the engine's turbine section 34.
The turbine section of known gas-turbine aircraft engines commonly comprises one or more fan-like axial flow turbine rotors 36, each comprising a plurality of angularly or helically mounted turbine blades 38. Each turbine stage extracts energy from the exhaust airflow as the airflow passes axially through the blades of the turbine rotors 36. The turbine rotors, in turn, drive the shaft which powers the fan 12 and the compressor 22. Air discharged from the turbine section 34 exits the engine exhaust 40. An informative summary of existing aircraft turbine technology, and of gas-turbine aircraft engines in general, is provided by Bill Gunston, The Development of Jet and Turbine Aero Engines, pp. 39-48 (1995).
Radial flow turbines are also known, wherein high-pressure combustion gasses exiting the combustion chamber are introduced to the outer periphery of the turbine rotor and directed radially inwardly, to be discharged from a central region of the turbine. These radial flow turbines typically comprise a turbine rotor having a number of turbine blades extending in a generally spiral pattern, from adjacent the rotor's central region to the rotor's outer diameter.
Existing axial and radial flow turbines have been found, by their nature, to suffer a number of drawbacks. For example, in order to permit the high pressure combustion gasses to pass axially or radially through the turbine, a significant portion of the rotor's surface area must be open to airflow between adjacent turbine blades. Although modern multistage jet aircraft engine turbines provide greatly improved efficiencies in transferring energy from the combustion gasses to the engine's driveshaft as compared to earlier turbines, a considerable amount of energy is lost through the turbine exhaust due to the open nature of the airflow through the turbine. This lost energy results in lower horsepower-to-fuel consumption and horsepower-to-weight ratios than could be achieved were the turbine capable of more efficient energy recovery.
The open flow of combustion gasses through known axial and radial flow turbines also has been found to generate undesirable levels of noise. Moreover, because the spent combustion gasses typically exhaust through an open jetpipe downstream of the turbine, existing turbine construction has hindered efforts to provide noise and emissions control to the exhaust sections of existing jet engines. For example, the large cross-sectional area of typical jetpipes effectively prevents the utilization of known available catalytic converter or muffler equipment in the treatment of the engine's exhaust. In addition, the back-pressure which such devices typically generate would adversely affect the efficiency of known varieties of turbines.
In recent years, considerable development effort has been directed to improving the performance and efficiency of gas turbine aircraft engines. Michael Valenti, Upgrading Jet in Turbine Technology, MECHANICAL ENGINEERING, December 1995. These development efforts, however, have been primarily directed to refining existing axial or radial flow gas turbine engine geometries and improved materials of construction for conventional gas turbine engines.
Thus it can be seen that a need exists for a gas turbine jet aircraft engine comprising an improved turbine section allowing more efficient conversion of energy from the high pressure combustion gasses exiting the combustion chamber to drive the engine's driveshaft. A need also exists for a jet aircraft engine having an improved turbine enabling increased horsepower-to-fuel consumption performance. A need further exists for a jet aircraft engine turbine which generates less noise than previously existing turbines, and which permits the incorporation of noise and emissions control equipment into the engine.
It is to the provision of a jet aircraft engine and a turbine for a jet aircraft engine meeting these and other needs that the present invention is primarily directed.

Jet engine having radial turbine blades and flow-directing turbine manifolds


A dietary supplement is provided which includes at least one triglyceride-based edible fat and between 3% and 50% by weight of triglyceride recrystallized phytosterols. The dietary supplement can be in the form of a capsule, pill or wafer. Additionally, the dietary supplement can be combined with protein, vitamins, minerals, or combinations thereof.

The present invention relates to prepared foods, such as fried snack foods, fortified with non-esterified phytosterols delivered in fats or oils that are essentially free of emulsifiers and the like, and to the utility of such phytosterols for stabilizing heated fats and oils against oxidation, as well as to the surprising bioavailability of triglyceride-recrystallized phytosterols in such foods, for decreasing plasma cholesterol levels in mammals.
It has been a widely held belief that to obtain appreciable benefit from phytosterols, i.e., either plant sterols, stanols, or combinations thereof [including beta-sitosterol, beta-sitostanol, campesterol, campestanol, stigmasterol, stigmastanol, brassicasterol, brassicastanol, clionasterol and clionastanol (collectively termed phytosterol or phytosterols)] for lowering plasma cholesterol, the phytosterol should be dissolved in an edible oil or other solvent so that it can enter micelles in the small intestine to inhibit the absorption of cholesterol.
This belief has been supported by early research carried out in the 1950s through the 1970s showing that large doses of phytosterols in their solid form, i.e., coarse powders, were required to achieve meaningful decreases in plasma cholesterol levels. For example, in 1956, Faquhar et al., (Circulation, 14, 77-82, 1956) showed that doses of 12-18 g per day of beta sitosterol (provided in divided doses) were required to achieve a 15-20% lowering of serum cholesterol in males with atherosclerosis. In another study, 9 g per day (3 g t.i.d.) of soybean-derived phytosterols were required to lower plasma cholesterol approximately 9% (Kucchodkar et al., Atherosclerosis, 23, 239-248, 1976). In yet another study, 3-9 g per day of tall oil-derived phytosterols were required to lower plasma cholesterol approximately 12% (Lees et al., Atherosclerosis, 28: 325-333, 1977). In a recent study, 1.7 g per day of finely powdered tall oil-derived phytosterols were sufficient to lower total plasma cholesterol by 9% and LDL-cholesterol by about 15% (Jones et al., Am J. Clin Nutr, 69: 1144-1150, 1999).
It has been generally appreciated that phytosterols such as alpha and beta sitosterol, stigmasterol, campesterol, and the corresponding saturated (chemically reduced or hydrogenated) "stanol" species, are insoluble in water, and only slightly soluble in edible oils. Accordingly, to promote the solubilization of phytosterols, and their efficacy in lowering plasma cholesterol, U.S. Pat. No. 6,025,348 by Goto et al. describes the incorporation of at least 15% and as much as 70% by weight or more of a polyhydric alcohol/fatty acid ester (including glycerol fatty acid esters containing at least two esterified and at least one unesterified hydroxyl group such as diacylglycerols or diglycerides), into a fat. Between 1.2% and 4.7% by weight of phytosterol is incorporated into the polyhydric alcohol/fatty acid ester containing fat composition.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,139,897 by Goto et al. describes an oil or fat composition containing 80% or more diacylglycerol and up to 20% phytosterol. The high proportion of diacylglycerol assures solubility or dispersal of the phytosterol to provide a cholesterol-lowering fat substitute.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,998,396 by Nakano et al., describes an edible oil containing a phytosterol, vitamin E, and an emulsifier rendering the phytosterol soluble in both the vitamin E and the edible oil.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,419,925 by Seiden et al. describes a reduced calorie fat composition based upon a substantially non-digestible polyol fatty acid polyester plus reduced calorie medium chain triglycerides and other reduced calorie fats or noncaloric fat replacements including plant sterol esters that are soluble in such fat compositions. Free fatty acids, vitamin E and tocotrienol have each been utilized by other inventors to promote the solubilization of phytosterols in fats and oils, with the expectation that the cholesterol lowering properties of various phytosterols would be improved.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,244,887 by Straub describes the preparation of a cholesterol-lowering food additive composition with plant stanols, including: (i) an edible carrier such as an oil, monoglyceride, diglyceride, triglyceride, tocopherol, alcohol or polyol, (ii) an antioxidant and (iii) a dispersant or detergent-like material such as lecithin, or other phospholipids, sodium lauryl sulfate, a fatty acid, salts of fatty acids, or a fatty acid ester. Straub cites research showing that 1.5 grams per day of a stanol mixture derived from soybean sterols lowered blood cholesterol by 15% after 4 weeks of therapy, and believes that these stanols are preferred to sterols based upon less stanol absorption from the G.I. tract and better heat stability in air than sterols.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,932,562 by Ostlund, Jr. describes an aqueous micellar mixture of plant sterol and lecithin (in a 1:1 to 1:10 mole ratio) which has been dried to a water soluble powder and which is useful as a food additive for reducing cholesterol absorption.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,195,084 by Ong describes a taste-stabilized pharmaceutical suspension of sitosterols to reduce hypercholesterolemia, in which the suspension includes the plant sterol, a chelator such as calcium disodium EDTA, a surfactant and other ingredients to assure suspension and dispersal of the phytosterol.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,881,005 by Thakkar et al. describes a pharmaceutical dispersible powder for oral administration in which sitosterols are combined with any one of a variety of excipients, and any one of a variety of pharmaceutically acceptable surfactants.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,267,963 by Akashe et al. describes a plant sterol/emulsifier complex that has a lower melting temperature than the plant sterol alone. The complex, e.g., a co-crystallized monoglyceride and plant sterol mixture, is said to facilitate incorporation of the sterol into food products without adversely affecting the texture of the food products.
As indicated above, it has been widely believed that increasing the solubility of phytosterols in fat increases their bioavailability and reduces the dose required to achieve a specified degree of cholesterol reduction. Thus, U.S. Pat. No. 5,502,045 by Miettinen et al., describes the preparation and use of the plant stanol, beta sitostanol, in the form of a fatty acid ester which is readily soluble in an edible oil, to reduce the serum cholesterol level in humans. This technology has been utilized in manufacturing the margarine product marketed under the tradename Benecol®.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,031,118 and 6,106,886 by van Amerongen et al. describe similar stanol fatty acid esters but provide different and reportedly improved chemical methods for their preparation. Plant sterols (from soybean oil) have also been interesterified with fatty acid esters to produce the margarine marketed under the tradename Take Control®. Clinical studies suggest that with mildly hypercholesterolemic individuals, dietary intake of between 1.5 and 3 grams per day of the free phytosterol (provided in a fatty acid esterified form) is required to decrease plasma cholesterol approximately 15%.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,932,562 by Ostlund, Jr. points out that cholesterol is absorbed from an intestinal micellar phase containing bile salts and phospholipids which is in equilibrium with an oil phase inside the intestine. Prior to recent experiments, delivery of phytosterol as a solid powder or aqueous suspension was thought to not be preferred because of the limited rate and extent of solubility in intestinal liquid phases. In fact, at least two earlier human studies showed that as much as 9-18 grams of sitosterol per day were required to decrease the plasma cholesterol level by approximately 15% when the sitosterol was provided in a coarse powdered (rather than soluble) form. Yet, esterification of phytosterols, coupled with the use of edible oils to deliver these sterols is not always practical, e.g., in formulating fat-free foods. It is in this context that Ostlund, Jr. provides a water-dispersible mixture of plant sterol and lecithin.
Using a finely milled powdered form of free phytosterols (from tall oil) suspended in a margarine (not fully dissolved or recrystallized in fat), Jones et al. have described cholesterol reduction in hypercholesterolemic humans (Jones et al., Am J Clin Nutr 69:1144-1150, 1999) and other mammals (Ntanios et al., Atherosclerosis, 138:101-110, 1998; Ntanios et al., Biochim Biophys Acta, 1390:237-244, 1998). In these studies, the efficacy based on cholesterol reduction appears to be equal to that of phytosterol and stanol esters reported by others.
Still another method of producing a fine suspension of microparticulate phytosterols in fat and water has been described by Yliruusi et al. in PCT International Publication Number WO 99/43218. The method involves first heating and dissolving beta-sitosterol in a fat or oil, and then precipitating the phytosterol with water to form a homogenous microcrystalline suspension. While this process appears more cost-effective than grinding, emulsification of fat with water causes any fat to become susceptible to oxidation and necessitates refrigeration.
The production of microparticulate phytosterols described in the prior art involves increased cost and inconvenience, e.g., the use of grinding, and can result in a mixed emulsified product that is more susceptible to oxidation and rancidity, particularly when an aqueous fat-phytosterol emulsion is involved. In fact, there are limitations and disadvantages inherent in most of the above prior methods of phytosterol preparation and delivery. These methods have included grinding, formation of fat and water mixed phytosterol emulsions, chemical modification of phytosterols, e.g., esterification, and mixing of phytosterols with substantial amounts of specialized solubilizing and dispersing agents.
A recent review article entitled "Therapeutic potential of plant sterols and stanols" (Plat et al., Current Opinion in Lipidology, 11:571-576, 2000) has summarized the results of a number of independent clinical studies in which human plasma cholesterol levels were monitored before and after ingestion of food products enriched with plant sterols and sterol esters (approximately 2-2.5 g per day). The authors conclude that LDL cholesterol levels decreased significantly, i.e., an average of 10-14%.
The description above is provided to assist the understanding of the reader, and does not constitute an admission that the cited references are prior art to the present invention.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Prepared foods containing triglyceride-recrystallized non-esterified phytosterols


In an in-line type fluid pressure sensor for determining the fluid pressure in flow of a fluid circulated through a fluid flow circuit employed in a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, an inner wall surface located particularly in a downstream side connection port (6) of a body member (1) of the sensor is moderately inclined in contour in longitudinal section, which makes it possible for the fluid to flow through a fluid introduction portion (9a) of the body member (1) in a smooth manner without standing in flow in the fluid introduction portion (9a). Due to this, in such a fluid introduction portion (9a), there is not any fear of occurrence of the fluid flow standing phenomenon or problem at all. This makes it possible for the in-line type fluid pressure sensor to realize a precise measurement of the fluid pressure in flow of the fluid circulated through the fluid flow circuit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an in-line type fluid pressure sensor, and more particularly to an in-line type fluid pressure sensor, which is connected in-line in a fluid flow circuit of a chemically corrosive fluid or liquid to determine the pressure of the corrosive liquid in flow circulated through the fluid flow circuit.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, an etching process of a semiconductor substrate is conducted using a chemical in liquid form, for example such as a liquid chemical comprising a hydrofluoric acid (HF) solution or the like. In order to supply such liquid chemical to the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus in a smooth manner, an in-line type fluid pressure sensor is incorporated in a liquid chemical's circulation circuit of the apparatus.
In view of harshness in corrosive action of the above liquid chemical, it is required for the in-line type fluid pressure sensor to protect its own fluid pressure receiving surface from such harsh corrosive action of the liquid chemical since the fluid pressure receiving surface of the fluid pressure sensor is exposed to the liquid chemical in operation. Due to this, heretofore various types of a protective or isolation member have been proposed and arranged in the fluid pressure sensor to meet the above requirement. More specifically, such an isolation member thus arranged in the fluid pressure sensor functions to prevent the pressure receiving surface of the sensor from making direct contact with the liquid chemical.
In general, the in-line type fluid pressure sensor is provided with an fluid introduction portion for introducing the object or fluid to be measured therein, wherein the fluid pressure receiving surface of the sensor is disposed in an inner end area of the fluid introduction portion of the sensor and brought into contact with the liquid chemical through the protective or isolation member. For example, the fluid introduction portion of the pressure sensor is constructed of: a hollow portion such as one disclosed in FIG. 3 of Japanese Utility Model Registration No. 2547038; or, a lip such as one disclosed in FIG. 4 of Published Japanese translations of PCT international publication for patent application No. Hei 11-512827 (published: Nov. 2, 1999).
As is clear from these FIGS. 3 and 4 of the prior art an inner wall of the fluid introduction portion of the conventional in-line type fluid pressure sensor is so formed as to be perpendicular to a direction in which the fluid flows in construction; and, the fluid flow circuit, in which the fluid pressure sensor is incorporated, has its fluid flow passage enlarged in cross-sectional area at the site of the fluid introduction portion of the fluid pressure sensor. Due to this, the fluid flow circulating through the circuit tends to stand in flow at the site of the fluid introduction portion of the pressure sensor. Such standing phenomenon in the fluid flow appearing in the fluid introduction portion of the sensor substantially makes it impossible for the in-line type fluid pressure sensor to realize a precise measurement of the fluid pressure in flow of the fluid circulated through the fluid flow circuit.
The other in-line types of conventional fluid pressure sensors are disclosed in the following prior arts, for example: Englund et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 5,693,887, which discloses a non-contaminating pressure sensor module having an isolation member; Englund et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 5,852,244, which discloses a non-contaminating pressure transducer module having an isolation member; Ducci et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 5,869,766, which also discloses a non-contaminating pressure transducer module having an isolation member; Imai in U.S. Pat. No. 6,622,564, which discloses a fluid pressure sensor provided with a diaphragm under which any standing phenomenon of the fluid flow is not observed; Okawa in U.S. Pat. No. 6,640,639, which discloses a fluid pressure sensor provided with a fluid pressure measuring portion composed of a resin; Schnell in U.S. Pat. No. 4,192,192, which discloses a diaphragm seal assembly for use with a fluid pressure responsive instrument; and, Sell et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 4,177,496, which discloses a capacitive type fluid pressure sensor or transducer comprising a pair of thin discs made from an insulator.
As described above, it is difficult for the conventional in-line type fluid pressure sensor to realize a precise fluid pressure measurement of the fluid at the site of the fluid introduction portion of the sensor since the conventional fluid pressure sensor suffers from the fluid flow standing phenomenon or problem appearing at the site of the fluid introduction portion of the fluid pressure sensor.


A composite manufacturing system moves a multi-fiber tow through a processing space. A resin particle source provides particles to the space. This source may include an airstream entrained with particles which is discharged into the space through an orifice; the airstream diverging as it enters the space. An electrode is disposed in the space to electrostatically charge the particles and facilitate deposition of the charged particles on the tow. In one embodiment, the electrode includes a corona wire disposed proximate to the tow to provide a generally cylindrical charging region. An electric field useful to direct deposition of the particles may be generated by appropriately shaping a wire electrode and orienting it in a predetermined manner relative to the tow. After the particles are deposited, a fixation unit may be used to at least partially melt the deposited particles. A processing stage may be included which has a pair of surfaces configured to heat and compress the tow therebetween. Multiple post-deposition processing stages to heat and compress the tow may be employed to improve resin impregnation among fibers of the tow.

The present invention relates to a method and system for the production of resin coated fibers.
Composite materials are enjoying a steady and significant increase in popularity across many different products and industries. Fiber-reinforced resin composites have gained an increasing market share for high performance parts used in various industries, as for example automotive and aircraft components. Generally, such composites are formed from a "prepreg" that includes carbon or glass fibers impregnated with a polymeric resin. The impregnated fibers are wound or layered against rigid mold surfaces and cured into structural parts. Sometimes the fibers are woven or braided to enhance various properties of the composite.
A "towpreg" is one type of composite prepreg which is formed by impregnating long continuous bundles of reinforcing fibers called "tows." Tows of carbon or glass filaments are commercially available and may vary widely in the number of filaments per tow. Many matrix resins are also available; however, two kinds of matrix resin systems are of particular interest: thermoset and thermoplastic polymers.
A thermoset resin usually reacts in the presence of heat or a catalyst to produce a 3-dimensional structure that cannot be reshaped. Epoxies and certain polyimides are examples of thermosetting resins used in composite technology. Generally, thermoset materials have a relatively low viscosity during fiber impregnation.
In contrast, thermoplastic materials often have a significantly higher viscosity, typically 10.sup.3 -10.sup.7 times greater than thermoset resins. This relatively higher viscosity makes fiber impregnation with thermoplastic resins more difficult compared to typical thermoset resins. However, unlike thermoset resins, a thermoplastic resin retains its two-dimensional structure in the presence of heat and pressure. As a result, thermoplastic resins can be softened or melted many times, thus allowing for reshaping. Poly(aryl) ether ketone ketone (PEKK), Polyether-etherketone (PEEK), and ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) are examples of high performance thermoplastics used in forming composites. Thermoplastic matrix composites are drawing increased interest, in part due to their excellent toughness, impact and chemical resistance, and potential for shorter processing times when compared with their thermoset counterparts. Unfortunately, the high melt viscosities of thermoplastic polymers hinder the uniform impregnation of the composite fiber with resin during component manufacture. For thermoplastic composite materials to expand beyond their current high performance and niche markets, cost-effective processes must be developed that rapidly and uniformly impregnate fibers with resin and permit greater control over resin content.
Fiber towpregs can be produced by a number of impregnation methods including hot melt, solution, emulsion, slurry, surface polymerization, fiber commingling, film interleaving, and dry powder techniques. Among these techniques, dry powder processing is emerging as an attractive method for achieving a low-cost manufacturing process. Dry powder processes deposit polymeric resin particles directly on the fibers and then fix the powder particles onto the fibers to form a towpreg. The significant advantages of dry powder techniques are the elimination of solvents, the reduction in stress on the fibers, and the improved reclamation of unused resin powder. Avoidance of solvents and recovery of unused powder reduces environmental hazards and provides significant economic advantages as well. Various dry powder processes are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,742,106 to Price, 4,614,678 to Ganga, 5,057,338 to Baucom et al., 5,094,883 to Muzzy et al., 5,123,373 to Iyer et al., and 5,370,911 to Throne et al.
One dry powder process for impregnating glass or carbon fibers uses a spray gun to direct polymer powder particles entrained in an airstream onto a continuous fiber tow. Prior to discharge from the gun, the powder is directed past a point source corona field to electrostatically charge the particles. After charging, the particle laden airstream is expelled through a nozzle at a relatively high rate of speed. Generally, the powder mass flow rate from the spray system needs to be high to propel particles over a significant area of the tow. As the expelled particles near the surface of the tow, an electrostatic attraction between the charged particles and the tow causes some of the particles to adhere to the tow fibers. Unfortunately, the high powder velocity needed to effectively distribute particles over the tow often inadvertently removes previously deposited powder, which limits powder coating thickness and uniformity. Also, the momentum of rapidly moving particles may overcome electrostatic attraction to the grounded fibers, causing the particles to miss the tow.
One attempt to solve these problems might be to increase the strength of the electric field by moving the gun closer to the tow. However, the closer the gun is to the tow, the more severe the airstream removal. Powder flow through a nozzle creates a fan-shaped pattern emanating from the nozzle exit. Moving the gun closer to the tow often results in a narrower powder distribution with more difficulty coating the tow. Recognizing these limitations, one focus has been to find an optimal combination of spray gun parameters for a given resin/fiber configuration. Such parameters may include the distance from the tow, the discharge velocity, the discharge spray pattern, and electrostatic charging voltage. Even with optimization, electrostatic spray gun deposition still fails to provide the coating thickness and uniformity sought for many fiber-reinforced resin applications. Moreover, the process remains relatively slow and uneconomical for many products that would otherwise potentially benefit from the availability of less expensive composites. Furthermore, coating multiple tows generally requires multiple guns, complicating the deposition system and increasing the difficulty of obtaining a uniform deposition.
Another limitation of many powder deposition systems is that it is often difficult to uniformly impregnate the fibers with the resin after deposition. The presence of voids in the fiber/resin matrix generally weakens the composite structure and undermines reliance on various standard parameters such as resin volume fraction and fiber mass fraction of the composite. In one attempt to improve impregnation, the deposited particles may be melted and the tow pulled through a die that tapers to a fixed cross-section to "squeeze out" voids, but the pulling speed is usually quite limited to avoid damaging tow fibers. Also, a fixed die generally needs to be custom machined and hardened to withstand abrasion from the fibers, which makes it expensive. In addition, the entire mass of the die is heated, consuming significant energy.
Thus, a need remains for techniques to improve fiber tow composite manufacture. The present invention satisfies this need and provides other significant advantages.

Method and apparatus for composite manufacture


On a motor vehicle seat, a tray on back of the backrest may be pivoted around a horizontal transverse axis that is fixed to the rest from a contact position in which it lies against the back, into a horizontal position. An additional tray is likewise articulated on the back, with a horizontal transverse axis that is firmly attached to the rest, and it, too, may be pivoted from a position of contact into a horizontal position. The transverse axes run adjacent to various longitudinal edges of the various trays.

The invention pertains to a motor vehicle seat with a tray that may be pivoted on the back of a backrest.
A motor vehicle seat of the type that may be presumed to be known (EP 05 28 142 A1) exhibits a single collapsible tray on the back of its backrest, which pivots around a horizontal transverse axis. This tray cannot be embodied in any arbitrary size. Even in instances of generous spatial dimensions in the motor vehicle, the tray cannot be embodied so as to be arbitrarily large because the burden imposed upon its bearing point: by the long arms, effective arms of a lever, would require a reinforced structure of the rest, and attachment elements that were rendered rigid.
Taking this state of the art as a point of departure, it is the underlying task of the invention, in the case of the motor vehicle seat which may be presumed to be known, to increase the usable surface area of the tray without having to accept great loads upon the bearing points as a part of the bargain.
The resolution of this task is accomplished by the characteristics described herein.
The sub-division of the tray""s surfaces on several planes, each with its own points of articulation on the backrest, permits an enlargement of the tray""s usable surfaces when compared with a single-piece embodiment, without necessitating an increase of the stresses imposed upon the load-bearing points and upon the tray itself. Such a tray can thus be constructed in a manner that is relatively sparing of weight and that, in addition, requires no reinforcement of the structure of the backrest.
In a particularly preferred embodiments of the invention, the concentration of the holding depressions on one tray renders it possible to configure the other tray so as to be completely flat so that it lends itself particularly well as a rest for paper, while it is being written upon, without disturbing edges. As a result of the positioning of the upper tray on support rods that bridge any free space between the back of the backrest and the longitudinal edge of the tray, which is turned toward it, objects, even if they protrude upward to a great degree, can be placed upon the lower tray.
In what follows, two preferred embodiments of the invention are described in detail and by virtue of the drawings


A method for communicating the content of a live data stream to a receiver using a plurality of channels comprising two encoder channels used to encode the live data content prior to transmission. Initially a plurality of segments of a live data stream are received, wherein each segment contains segment data. A forward error correction algorithm is applied to each segment's data, thereby producing FEC-encoded segment data. The FEC-encoded segment data is contained within an FEC-encoded block, resulting in a corresponding plurality of FEC-encoded blocks being generated. Each FEC-encoded block is copied to a sub-channel on both a first encoder channel and a second encoder channel, resulting in a plurality of FEC-encoder blocks residing on the first and second encoder channels. The first and second encoder channels differ in the number of sub-channels they contain (interleaving depth), and accordingly the arrangement of the FEC-encoded blocks in the first and second encoder channels are different. A first cross-section of the FEC-encoded segment data contained within the FEC-encoded blocks resident in the first encoder channel is added to a first transmit block T0. Similarly, A first cross-section of the FEC-encoded segment data contained within the FEC-encoded blocks resident in the second encoder channel is added to a second transmit block T1. The first and second transmit blocks are then communicated to the receiver.

"Streaming" is a broad term for the delivery of time-ordered data such that the beginning will be consumed (e.g., fed into another system for display) before the end is completely delivered. The distinguishing characteristic of streaming is that the data contains desired consumption times relative to the consumption of the beginning of the stream. For example, a desired consumption time for video streaming may be of the following form: the millionth byte is used to generate the three-hundredth frame of a 30 frame per second video stream and thus should be received within 10 seconds of the consumption of the first byte.
Live streaming is streaming that is characterized by a relatively short delay between the instant at which data enters the transmitting unit and the instant at which the transmitted data is affected by this data. The content of a live stream may include audio, video, stock ticker data, database updates, telemetry, delta or change propagation data and many other types of data.
The term "live streaming" can apply to data that is not "live" in the common-language sense of being generated contemporaneously with the data communication. For example, it is clear that a system that sends digitized video of a sporting event to a receiver that displays the video with short delay is a live streaming system. But one may also apply live streaming techniques to a recorded movie; from the point of view of the streaming transmitter, the information from the movie playout device is a live stream.
A reliable live streaming system accurately reproduces at a one or more receiver the content of a live data stream that is present at a transmitter, most of the time, despite the loss of some of the transmitted data. The most common methods for reliable communication of non-streaming data on computer networks include the use of the TCP and IP protocols. The use of TCP/IP has significant disadvantages for live streaming, especially if a single transmitter is communicating with a large number of receivers. With TCP/IP, the sender is virtually connected to each receiver with an independent, variable-rate, reliable, byte-granularity channel. The variable-rate property is problematic for satisfying the delivery deadlines of live streaming, and the fact that each connection is independent means that some resources of the transmitter are consumed in linear proportion to the number of receivers. For these reasons, it is often preferable for the reliability mechanisms to be based on forward error correction (FEC) codes rather than retransmission of lost data.
A live streaming system has several important performance measures, including the loss protection, protection period, and startup time. Loss protection is defined as the fraction of the live stream data that can be lost over a specified period of time without interrupting the timely reconstruction of the live data stream at the receiver. The protection period is defined as the period of time over which the loss fraction is measured (the loss fraction may be higher for shorter periods of time). The startup time is generally defined as the time from the beginning of reception of data until the uninterrupted reconstruction of the live data stream can begin.
Unfortunately, current systems which employ FEC for live streaming are severely limited in the combinations of these performance measures that can be achieved, in the degree of variation in these performance measures that can be achieved during the reception of a live stream, and in the degree of variation in these performance measures for different receivers that are receiving the same live data stream. What is therefore needed is a system and method for communicating the content of a live data stream with improved parameters, such as high reliability, short startup time, and an extended protection period.

System and method for reliably communicating the content of a live data stream


Techniques for adaptive backchannel equalization. A total equalization value is determined over a preselected training period. A total balance equalization value is determined over the preselected training period. A transmitter equalization coefficient is determined based on the total equalization value and the total balance equalization value. Data is transmitted over a serial link using the transmitter equalization coefficient.

High-speed serial input/output (I/O) interfaces have recently been targeting 8-10 Gbit speeds. Providing reliable data communications at these speeds is often complex and challenging as inter-symbol interference (ISI), random and deterministic jitter, crosstalk and supply noise can severely degrade the signal, which results in challenges to recover the signal on the receiver side. In the PCIe, (Generation 3) specification, for example, an interactive back channel equalization protocol is defined. This protocol allows link partners to exchange information and allocates a time window for each receiver to adjust its link partner's transmitter settings. However, the protocol does not specify a method for the receiver to adapt, but the transmitter side of the link partner must respond to its request.
Current solutions for utilizing link equalization require every platform and add-in card to be characterized and configured individually for reliable operation. This combined with individual platform customization represents a huge logistics challenge for electrical validation.


A semiconductor integrated circuit device includes a logic circuit to perform a predetermined process, a clock generator to supply a clock signal to the logic circuit, and a speed controller to control the operation speed of the logic circuit. The clock generator changes the frequency of the clock signal by a frequency control signal during a time when the logic circuit is operating, and the speed controller controls the operating speed of the logic circuit in accordance with a change in the clock signal.

In an integrated circuit using CMOS transistors, characteristics fluctuation exists due to variations in transistor dimension caused by a fabrication process and a change in the environment, such as temperature or supply voltage, during operation.
As described in "1994 symposium on VLSI technology digest of technical papers" (June, 1994), pp. 13 to 14, as an MOS transistor becomes finer, fluctuation in basic parameters, such as a threshold value due to the characteristics fluctuation caused by a fabrication process, becomes larger.
FIG. 12 schematically shows delay of a CMOS circuit with respect to the device feature size of a MOS transistor and the range of variation. In designing a CMOS integrated circuit, the worst delay in FIG. 12 has to be considered. By an increase in the range of variation, even if the device becomes finer, high-speed operation is limited by the worst delay. If the delay of the CMOS circuit can be made "typical" or "best" by suppressing the characteristics fluctuation, the high processing speed of the circuit can be promoted.
As a method of suppressing the characteristics fluctuation by improving the circuit, in Nikkei Electronics 7–28 (1997), pp. 113 to 126, a technique is described as follows: A leakage current of a monitor is measured and a substrate bias is changed so that the current becomes a constant value. Delay of a replica is also measured. A change in delay is detected, and the supply voltage is changed, thereby suppressing the characteristics fluctuation.
According to the technique described in Nikkei Electronics 7–28 (1997), pp. 113 to 126, the substrate bias is controlled so that the leakage current of the MOS transistor when the gate voltage is 0V becomes a constant value. Since the leakage current of the MOS transistor increases as the temperature rises, the threshold has to be increased by applying the substrate bias. In this case, there is a drawback such that the ON current of the MOS transistor conspicuously decreases by deterioration in mobility and increase in the threshold due to the temperature rise, and as a result, the processing speed of the circuit decreases. A filter having an inductance and a capacitance is formed outside of the chip and used to generate a supply voltage for delay control. Since it takes a few μ seconds until an output voltage of the filter is stabilized, stabilization time of a control signal is long, and the signal tends to be unstable. Consequently, control accuracy cannot be raised. When the capacitance and the inductance used for the filter are formed on the same chip on which a circuit to be controlled is also mounted, the fact that they occupy a large area becomes a problem.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application No. 4-247653 discloses a concept such that a delay detector is provided to suppress delay variations of a gate circuit and the substrate bias of the gate circuit is controlled on the basis of the detection result.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application No. 5-152935 also discloses a concept such that the substrate bias is controlled by using a capacitive filter and a charge pump to suppress device variations, thereby improving the yield.
Further, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application No. 8-274620 discloses a concept such that the delay amount of a circuit is detected by using a reference clock signal and the substrate bias of the circuit is controlled on the basis of the detection result.


An attenuator module having a substrate; a attenuator disposed on one surface of the substrate, the attenuator having an input terminal at one end of the attenuator and an output terminal at an opposite end of the attenuator; an electrical conductor disposed on an opposite surface of the substrate; and an electrically conductive via passing from the output terminal through the substrate to the electrical conductor disposed on the opposite surface of the substrate.

As is known in the art, many microelectronic circuits, particularly circuits that include amplifiers, as shown in FIG. 1A, sometimes during the design and fabrication process the installation of an attenuator, such as a broadband T-shaped attenuator as shown in FIGS. 1C-1E is sometimes required at some point along the signal path (sometimes referred to as the strip conductor or signal line, FIG. 1A) of a microstrip microwave transmission line. More particularly, the microstrip microwave transmission line includes the signal line separated from a circuit ground plane conductor by a substrate, as shown in FIG. 1A, and is used to interconnect a pair of amplifiers. It should be understood that if the microwave transmission line were a coplanar waveguide (CPW) microwave transmission line having the signal line disposed on the upper surface of a substrate and disposed between, and coplanar with, a pair of ground plane conductors, at least one of the coplanar ground plane conductors would be connected to the circuit ground plane with a conductive via passing through the substrate between the coplanar ground plane conductor of the CPW and the circuit ground plane conductor on the bottom surface of the substrate.
The attenuator has a pair of series resistive elements, disposed on an upper surface of a substrate, serially connected between an input pad and an output pad, and a shunt resistive element, also disposed on the upper surface of the substrate, connected between a junction between the pair of serially connected resistive elements and a shunt element pad. The shunt element pad is connected to an attenuator ground plane conductor disposed on the bottom surface of the attenuator substrate through a conductive via, as shown in FIGS. 1C-1E. The shunt element pad must be connected to the circuit ground plane conductor (which also serves as a DC ground connection) shown in FIG. 1B and therefore, the shunt elements pad, being connected to DC ground, must not be connected to the downstream amplifier input. Thus, as shown in FIG. 1B, when mounting the T-shaped attenuator to the signal line, FIG. 1B in order to prevent the shunt resistive element from being connected to the input of the downstream amplifier and also to enable the shunt element pad to be connected to the circuit ground plane conductor, a gap is formed in the signal line where an attenuator is to be installed, as shown in FIG. 1B. Thus, a via is formed through the substrate in a region between the signal line under the attenuator to the underlying circuit ground plane conductor, as shown in FIG. 1B. It would be describable to optimize the optimal point along the signal line for installation of the attenuator. Thus, using this gap approach the signal line has been permanently changed and thereby making installation of the attenuator at a different position along the signal line difficult. To put it another way, after creation of the gap and installation of the attenuator, testing may determine that the attenuator has not been installed at the optimum position. This gap approach has, however, permanently changed the signal line thereby making difficult to go back and change the position of the gap along the signal line where the attenuator is to be re-installed in order to obtain optimal performance. This results in costly amplifier rework and often means the replaced amplifiers have to be handpicked to make sure the signal level is corrected. This can make a major impact on a production line.


Disclosed herein are a high-density recording medium and a method and apparatus for controlling data playback thereof. Playback control information, such as channel bit length information, is recorded in a burst cutting area (BCA) of a high-density optical disc in a wobble type. When the high-density optical disc is reproduced, the playback control information is detected in a push-pull signal detection mode and the optimum data playback operation corresponding to the recording capacity of the optical disc is performed on the basis of the detected playback control information. Alternatively, bit error rates (BERs) are calculated while a plurality of predetermined bit detection modes are sequentially performed, one of the bit detection modes corresponding to the smallest one of the calculated BERs is selected and the data playback operation is performed in the selected bit detection mode. Therefore, it is possible to perform a data playback operation optimal to the recording capacity of a BD-ROM (Blu-ray Disc-ROM) even through disc information (DI) is recorded in a PIC (Permanent Information & Control data) zone of the BD-ROM in a recording format necessitating a decoding process and the recording capacity is any of different values such as 23 Gbytes, 25 Gbytes, 27 Gbytes, etc.

The recent rapid progress in standardization of a new high-density optical disc, for example, a BD-RE (Blu-ray Disc-Rewritable), capable of recording high-quality video data and high-quality audio data for a lengthy period of time has led to anticipation that the associated products will be developed and commercially available.
The BD-RE has, as shown in FIG. 1, a clamping area, transition area, burst cutting area (BCA) and lead-in area defined sequentially at the inner periphery thereof, and a data area and lead-out area defined respectively at the intermediate portion and outer periphery thereof.
The lead-in area is partitioned into a first protection zone Protection zone 1, a PIC (Permanent Information & Control data) zone, a second protection zone Protection zone 2, an information 2 zone Info 2, an optimum power control (OPC) zone, etc. Whereas the first protection zone and PIC zone are pre-recorded areas where data is pre-recorded in advance, the remaining zones of the lead-in area, the data area and the lead-out area are rewritable areas where new data is rewritten.
High frequency modulated (HFM) grooves are formed in the PIC zone, in which main information of the disc to be permanently preserved is stored. These HFM grooves are modulated by a bi-phase modulation method to store disc information (DI), as shown in FIG. 2.
That is, HFM grooves are modulated in the radial direction with a rather high bandwidth signal, to create a data channel for replicated information with sufficient capacity and data rate.
In this modulation method, a bit with value 0 is represented by a transition at the start of the bit cell and a bit with value 1 is represented by a transition at the start and in the middle of the bit cell. The modulated bits are recorded on the disc by a deviation of the groove from its average centerline as indicated in FIG. 2. The length of each bit cell shall be 36T, where T corresponds to the length of a channel bit in the rewritable data areas.
The disc information (DI) contains, as shown in FIG. 3, channel bit length information with a size of 1 byte, which is detected based on a push-pull signal. Four bits b7 to b4 of the channel bit length information are reserved bits having values of '0000', and the remaining four bits b3 to b0 represent the channel bit length of main data such as an A/V stream.
For example, the remaining four bits b3 to b0 represent that the channel bit length of the main data is 80 nm and the recording capacity of the optical disc is 23 Gbytes if they are '0000', that the channel bit length is 74.5 nm and the recording capacity is 25 Gbytes if they are '0001',and that the channel bit length is 69 nm and the recording capacity is 27 Gbytes if they are '0010'.
In this connection, an optical disc device selects a partial response maximum likelihood (PRML) corresponding to the recording capacity of the BD-RE with reference to the channel bit length information contained in the Disc Information and performs a bit detection mode appropriate to the selected PRML, so as to normally perform a data playback operation.
Meanwhile, the standardization of a new high-density optical disc, as well as the BD-RE, is recently under discussion among the associated companies. The new high-density optical disc may be, for example, a BD-ROM, which has, as shown in FIG. 4, an inner area, clamping area, transition area, information area and rim area.
The information area includes a BCA, and a PIC zone in which disc information (DI) is recorded. This DI is recorded in the PIC zone in a straight pit type that is the same recording format as that of main data recorded in a data zone.
The DI recorded in the straight pit type must be subjected to a decoding process since it is detected in a radio frequency (RF) signal detection mode, not in a push-pull signal detection mode. However, there is a problem in that an error occurs in the data playback operation if channel bit length information recorded in the DI is not normally detected in the early stage of the data recording/playback operation.
Also, because the DI only can be read after full start-up of the drive, it takes a time to start recording or playback of data.

High-density recording medium and method and apparatus for controlling data playback thereof


A method for estimating communications channels includes determining, by a first device, channel significance information from a transmitting device, the channel significance information including information about communications channels carrying signals that are potentially significant interferers to the first device operating within range of the transmitting device, and estimating, by the first device, channel parameters of the communications channels identified as potentially significant interferers in accordance with the channel significance information. The method also includes transmitting, by the first device, the estimated channel parameters to one of the transmitting device and a controlling device.

There is a desire to implement multi-cell/sector cooperation (e.g., coordinated multipoint (CoMP)) to provide additional capacity and additional coverage in wireless systems. CoMP, as well as other techniques, is expected to significantly increase available bandwidth in fourth generation (4G) and beyond communications systems. However, CoMP and the other techniques require knowledge of communications channels between transmitter(s) and receiver(s).
Generally, pilot sequences or simply pilots are signals transmitted by a transmission point (TP), such as an enhanced NodeB (eNB), also commonly referred to as a NodeB, base station, communications controller, controller, a cell, a remote radio head (RRH), and the like, to help a receiver, such as a user equipment (UE), also commonly referred to as mobile stations, mobiles, subscribers, terminals, users, and the like, estimate a communications channel between the eNB and the UE. Typically, pilots should be short since communications overhead increases rapidly with pilot length.

System and method for channel estimation in a wireless communications system


Embodiments of the present invention provide a system and method of command tracking that eliminates, or at least substantially reduces, the shortcomings of prior art systems and methods for command tracking. More particularly, embodiments of the present invention provide a system and method in which a command is assigned a unique identification. State information for the command (e.g., has the command been completed, has all the data associated with the command been received and other state information) can be associated with the unique identification and recorded. According to one embodiment, the state information can be stored in various tables that correspond to particular data transport protocols and/or devices. Because the state information for the command is associated with the unique identification in the tables, state information for the same command can be identified, even if the command changes data transport protocols.

In storage area networks, routers process commands between hosts and target devices. Typically, the hosts are connected to the router by a first data transport medium (e.g., fibre channel transport medium) and the target devices are connected to the hosts by a second data transport medium (e.g., a SCSI transport medium). This presents problems in being able to understand the flow of information through the router as the manner in which information is transported changes. Because the flow of information in the router is not well understood, it is often difficult to assess the cause of an error or other issue, particularly when the issue only manifests itself under heavy loads with data flowing to multiple hosts/devices at a time.
Typically, in prior systems, insufficient information is maintained to track a command through a router. In order to determine the source of an error associated with a command, the conditions under which the error occurred (including hardware, software and load conditions) must be replicated. The router must then be monitored to determine the cause of the error, assuming the error reoccurs in the replicated conditions. Replication of the conditions under which an error occurred can be time consuming and costly.
To the extent that information that can aid in diagnosing errors or other issues associated with commands is maintained, it is typically kept in a chronological log that records each status message as it occurs. When the list becomes too long, the oldest entries in the list are overwritten. In attempting to resolve an issue, a system administrator must typically print out the list to determine when errors occurred. However, it is often difficult to associate status messages with particular commands from such a list or to determine if an error is the result of issues at the host-side or target-side of a device.


An electrical connector includes an insulative housing and a plurality of first terminals secured in the housing. The insulative housing includes a base with a front face, a tongue portion extending forwardly from the front face of the base and a plurality of passageways located on a first side face of the insulating housing. The passageways extend from the tongue portion to the base across the front face of the base. The passageways communicate with an exterior through the first side face along a whole length thereof. The plurality of first terminals are received and retained in the passageways. Each first terminal includes a contact portion located on the tongue portion and exposing to the first side face of the tongue portion, a retention portion located on the base portion and a tail portion.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrical connector, and more particularly to an electrical connector with improved terminals assembled to a insulative housing from top to bottom so as to avoid moving backward of the terminals during mating with a corresponding connector.
2. Description of the Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 6,832,934 issued on Dec. 21, 2004 discloses a Serial ATA electrical connector. The connector comprises an insulative housing defining a rear surface and a plurality of terminals secured in the housing. The housing comprises a base and a pair of mating tongues extending forwardly from the base. Each terminal comprises a horizontal retention portion, a contact portion extending forwardly from a front end of the retention portion and a tail portion extending rearward from a rear end of the retention portion. The terminals are assembled to the housing from the rear surface of the housing. When the connector mates with a mating connector, the terminals might move backward.
In view of the above, a new electrical connector that overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages is desired.

Electrical connector with improved terminals assembled to insulative housing from top to bottom


The invention relates to a device for reproducing an image of a poorly accessible location, for example in a living body, comprising a substantially cylindrical image pick-up unit to be arranged at the location and an image display means connected to the image pick-up unit, wherein the image pick-up unit is provided with indication means for indicating the rotation position of the image pick-up unit on its axis relative to the horizontal. As a result of these steps it is possible to give an indication of the horizontal, or for example the vertical, on the image reproduced on the image display means, so that the orientation of the displayed image is known, or by processing the displayed image or by turning the image display means such that the orientation of the displayed image corresponds with the actual orientation. Dangerous situations, for instance during performance of an operation, can herewith be avoided.

The invention relates to a device for reproducing an image of a poorly accessible location, for example in a living body, comprising a substantially cylindrical image pick-up unit to be arranged at the location and an image display means connected to the image pick-up unit.
Such devices, generally known in for example medical technology, are used for instance to reproduce images from inaccessible places of a living body. Such image pick-up units are herein pushed into the often narrow channels in a body, which channels may for example be formed by veins or arteries or intestines for example, so that the dimensions of such an image pick-up unit have to be very small, for example with a transverse dimension in the order of magnitude of a few millimetres.

TV camera with rotational orientation correction


The present invention relates to a light-diffusing ink composition and to a light guide panel and display unit using same, wherein the light-diffusing ink composition comprises: an ink binder made of one or more selected from a group consisting of acrylic resin and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) copolymer; polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) particles for forming a crystal optical pattern; and a solvent for ink. According to the present invention, light from a light source is converted into a crystal optical pattern and outputted, thus producing aesthetic and sensuous light, and lighting with an aesthetic design can be achieved by means of the light guide panel using the composition.

In general, a light guide panel is a part for receiving light from a light source and emitting light in the form of surface light having uniform brightness, and constitutes a backlight unit (BLU) of a liquid crystal display (LCD).
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, when a light guide member 4 used in manufacture of the light guide panel, for example, a light guide plate or a light guide film made of plastic, glass or the like is carved to form a pattern 8 of scratches or dots on a surface of the light guide member by laser machining, the pattern 8 scatters/refracts/reflects light emitted from the light source 3, thereby allowing the light guide panel to emit illumination light in the form of surface light.
However, since the light guide panel manufactured by laser machining simply emits light from the light source in the form of surface light with the same color as the light emitted from the light source 3, the surface light becomes monotonous and is not aesthetically pleasing.
Recently, a light guide panel has developed to scatter/reflect light emitted from the light source 3 by printing a light-diffusing ink on the light guide member 4 and forming a pattern 8 of dots on the surface of the light guide member 4. However, such a light guide panel using the light-diffusing ink simply scatters/reflects light of the light source at a portion on which the light-diffusing ink is printed, with the same color and uniform brightness, whereby the light guide panel itself cannot output aesthetically pleasing light. Although the light-diffusing ink generally improves brightness, there is a limit in application of the light guide panel to various fields besides the backlight unit.
In other words, a conventional light guide panel and, more particularly, the light guide member 4 has been applied to a backlight unit that uniformly illuminates a substrate of a liquid crystal display, or that is placed behind an image sheet 2 having a certain image, for example, a photo or picture sheet for a billboard or decoration board and illuminates a certain portion of the image sheet 2 with the same color as the light emitted from the light source 3.
Accordingly, the present inventor has developed a light-diffusing ink composition and a light guide panel using the same, which can convert light from a light source into aesthetic and sensuous light, and a light guide panel including a light-diffusing ink image and outputting an optical pattern image.

Light-diffusing ink composition and light guide panel using same


A wireless communication device may have several contact buttons, including, for example, a Mom button, a Dad button and a Home button. The device may also have a Send button and an End button. A child may press one of the contact buttons, then dial Send, and a call will be placed to the specifically denoted contact. Accordingly, a child may easily and efficiently use the present invention to quickly wirelessly communicate with another person, without the confusion of extraneous buttons. The wireless communication device also includes a system and method for emergency dialing. Emergency dialing is effected by pressing an emergency call button and the Send button. In this manner, accidental dialing of an emergency number is avoided. The wireless device can be remotely programmed such that a parent or other person may remotely program the numbers called when the contact buttons are pressed. Accordingly, if a parent or other person plan to change locations, the device may be remotely reprogrammed with a different contact number for that parent. The wireless communication device may be reprogrammed via a telephone call from a remote location or from a computer via the Internet.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to wireless communication devices and, more particularly, to a method and system for wireless communication that may be used by children.
2. Description of Related Art
Increasingly, the use of wireless communication devices has become popular as wireless communication technology has provided for improved wireless communication devices at relatively lower prices. Presently, a wide variety of cellular phones and other wireless devices are available for use by consumers.
With regard to cellular phones, these devices typically include a large number of advanced and high-tech features that provide for a wide range of functionality for a large number of users. People regularly use cellular phones to chat with friends, to keep in contact with business associates while away from the office and in emergency situations.
Parents often find it convenient for their children to have cellular phones. Specifically, in a variety of emergency or other situations, children may use a cellular phone to call home or call their parents for assistance. Such situations typically include, for example, when a child becomes lost, needs to be picked up from school, or otherwise needs the assistance of a parent or someone from home. Presently available cellular phones, however, have certain deficiencies when used by children, and most particularly when used by smaller children.
One such deficiency is that many children have difficulty remembering phone numbers and/or have difficulty pressing the correct buttons (often eleven or more) in the correct order to properly initiate a call. This difficulty is typically increased if the child is panicked or otherwise nervous or scared. While many phones have preset speed dial numbers that allow for the dialing of a particular number with a single keystroke, the presence of a relatively large number of keys on the phone often makes these speed dials difficult for children to use. This situation is typically exacerbated by the presence of additional function keys on the cellular phone such as up arrow, down arrow, "#", "*" and others. In addition, the speed dial function is typically a secondary function for a button, and consequently, the speed dial keys are typically not labeled with anything other than a number or symbol, which is not related to the speed dial function. Accordingly, the name of the individual or place that the speed dial is calling is not readily apparent. In addition, while some cellular phones allow a person to scroll a cursor up and down an LCD or similar display with alphanumeric names, this type of scrolling function is also often difficult and cumbersome for children to use.
Another such deficiency is that some cellular phones incorporate emergency calling buttons that connect to a designated emergency call number (e.g. 911) with the press of a single button. Thus, a child may accidentally or through curiosity call the designated emergency number.
Furthermore, speed dial keys on cellular phones must typically be programmed from the phone itself. Accordingly, it is not possible for a parent to change a contact number while positioned at a location remote from the child and the cellular phone. Consequently, it is not possible for the parent to change locations and contact phone numbers when at a location remote from the child and cell phone.
In addition, the size, shape and layout of present cell phones make them cumbersome and awkward for use by children. Many of the phones are too large for use by children. Others are relatively small, but possess a shape that is difficult for a child to hold and/or use.
As an alternative to the above-discussed devices, there have been produced wireless devices that include a single "panic button" and allow a child (or typically an elderly person) to press the single button and wirelessly alert a central station that a problem exists. Deficiencies also exist, however, with these types of devices when used by children.
One such deficiency is that these "panic button" devices typically do not allow a child to initiate voice communications with personnel at the central station. As a consequence, a child may only wish to press the "panic button" in the face of an extreme emergency situation, such as an accident, and not in other cases when it otherwise might be convenient such as to get picked up from school. In addition, because the child cannot have voice communications with the central station (or with a parent), a "false alarm" or other erroneous push of the panic button cannot easily be mitigated and a full response will ensue nevertheless.
Another deficiency of the "panic button" systems is that the phone number to be dialed is typically hard programmed into the device, and reprogramming of the number to be called may not be easily accomplished. In addition, only a single number may typically be dialed when the "panic button" is depressed. As such, a need exists for an improved method and system for wireless communication.

Method and system for emergency dialing of a wireless communication device


A spring comprises a continuous wire member formed into a plurality of coils along a central axis. Each of the plurality of coils comprises a plurality of straight portions extending between bend portions each extending from one of the straight portions. The plurality of coils form a first spring body and a second spring body, each spring body comprising at least three coils and having a first end and a second end with the first end of the second spring body connected to the second end of the first spring body. In an unloaded state the first spring body has a first unique pitch distance between bend portions of each pair of adjacent coils and the first unique pitch distance decreases from the first end of the first spring body to the second end of the first spring body, and the second spring body has a second unique pitch distance between bend portions of each pair of adjacent coils and the second unique pitch distance increases from the first end of the second spring body to the second end of the second spring body.

Many firearms use a magazine to store and feed ammunition. Magazines are available in a variety of shapes and sizes, with the detachable box magazine being most common. A detachable box magazine can be loaded or unloaded when detached from the corresponding firearm. As necessary, one magazine can be detached from the firearm and replaced with another loaded magazine.
A basic box magazine commonly comprises a body into which the ammunition is loaded, a feed mechanism, which includes a compression spring with a follower, a spring plate and a floorplate. Ammunition is loaded into the magazine, above the follower, compressing the spring. As ammunition is used, the spring provides an expansive force between the floorplate and the follower, raising the ammunition within the magazine.
The maximum capacity of ammunition able to be loaded into a magazine is determined by the space therein. The total space within the magazine is set by the geometry of the cartridge and internal volume of the magazine body and is limited by the height of the compressed state of the follower spring. The solid height for compression springs is the point at which the wires in the spring are in contact, and additional force will not compress the spring further. The free length of the magazine spring is the height of the spring in the uncompressed state, when no force is applied. The spring free length must be sized to the magazine such that the spring provides sufficient force to load all of the rounds of ammunition into the attached firearm.
Typically, a magazine spring is in the form of a stacked coil. When compressed, the solid height is set by the number of coils and the diameter of those coils. To allow for the maximum number of ammunition rounds within a magazine, it is desirable to have the smallest solid height possible, while still maintaining the desired free length and spring force to feed the final round into the firearm.
With a typical stacked coil compression spring, the spring rate is linear such that the force the spring exerts on an object is directly proportional to the distance that the spring travels. Therefore, when a compression spring is in the fully compressed position at solid height, it exerts a maximum amount of force. In some cases, the amount of force exerted when the spring is at solid height can impede the action of loading the ammunition into the firearm due to excessive force. This can also result in firearm malfunctions as the force exerted by the spring decreases as it extends back to the installed height of the spring. In such cases, to reduce loading complications, the operator may choose to not fully load the magazine to the point where the follower spring is at solid height, thereby reducing the number of rounds available for use.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,397,453 to Seecamp describes a self-telescoping cartridge magazine spring having two sizes of coils, evenly distributed at the free length such that there is a consistent pitch between coils. While this design reduces the solid height compared to typical follower springs, such design is still limited by the number of coils as such coils will stack on each other. Additionally, fixed pitch between coils does not result in the desired variable spring rate to ensure a constant spring force, but increases the force compared to traditional stacked coil magazine springs.


Embodiments of the present invention relate to the technical field of automatic testing of a graphical user interface in the technical field of software testing. Embodiments of the invention provide a method for automatically generating a test script for a graphical user interface. This method comprises defining information of each component in a tested graphical user interface, writing a test case file, and generating a file of combined values of components, and adding an operation type to each component in each file of combined values. The method further comprises determining a sequence of operations in each of the files of combined values, and generating a test script. This method reduces the tester's workload when manually programming test scripts and facilitates maintenance of test scripts.

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a software test. Further embodiments of the present invention automatically generate a test script for a graphical user interface.
When using the prior art automation test tools to perform an automation test on a graphical user interface (GUI), testers need to manually program the corresponding test scripts according to the requirement of the test case. These automation test tools per se are only capable of automatically running these programmed test scripts. For example, the Windows-based automation test tool Winrunner and the Linux-based automation test tool Xrunner both belong to these types of automation test tools. Such automation test tools have the problems. First, it is difficult to program the test scripts manually. Different automation test tools have different programming styles and grammars, so testers have to be familiar with how to program qualified test scripts. Moreover, different test cases need to include different test scripts. Second, it is difficult to maintain the test scripts. Once the tested graphical user interface changes, all the test scripts will have to be manually modified.

Method and apparatus for automatically generating a test script for a graphical user interface

GE Medical Systems Global Technology, LLC


The following invention concerns a method for investigating cytosine methylation by means of DNA repair enzymes. Here, the DNA is first converted so that unmethylated cytosines are converted to uracil, while 5-methylcytosine remains unchanged. Then the DNA is hybridized to oligonucleotides, whereby hybrids will be formed with or without erroneous base pairings, in each case depending on the methylation status of the DNA. Following this, the erroneously paired hybrids will be cleaved by repair enzymes. Then the methylation status of the DNA can be determined in different ways. The method according to the invention is particularly suitable for the diagnosis and prognosis of cancer disorders and other diseases associated with a change of the methylation status as well as for predicting undesired drug effects.

The present invention concerns a method for the detection of 5-methylcytosine in DNA. 5-Methylcytosine is the most frequent covalently modified base in the DNA of eukaryotic cells. It plays an important biological role, among other things, in the regulation of transcription, in genetic imprinting and in tumorigenesis (for review: Millar et al.: Five not four: History and significance of the fifth base. In: The Epigenome, S. Beck and A. Olek (eds.), Wiley-VCH Publishers, Weinheim 2003, pp. 3-20). The identification of 5-methylcytosine as a component of genetic information is thus of considerable interest. The detection of methylation is difficult, since cytosine and 5-methylcytosine have the same base pairing behavior. Many of the conventional detection methods based on hybridization thus cannot distinguish between cytosine and methylcytosine. In addition, the methylation information is completely lost in a PCR amplification.
The conventional methods for methylation analysis operate essentially according to two different principles. In the first, methylation-specific restriction enzymes are used, and in the second, a selective chemical conversion of unmethylated cytosines to uracil occurs (e.g. by means of bisulfite treatment, see, e.g.: DE 101 54 317 A1; DE 100 29 915 A1). The DNA that has been pretreated enzymatically or chemically is then amplified and can be analyzed in different ways (for review: WO 02/072880 pp. 1 ff). Methods which can detect methylation in a sensitive and quantitative manner are of great interest. This is true due to the important role of cytosine methylation in the development of cancer, particularly with respect to diagnostic applications. Of particular importance are methods which permit detection of deviant methylation patterns in body fluids, e.g., in serum. Unlike unstable RNA, DNA is often encountered in body fluids. The DNA concentration in blood is in fact increased in destructive pathological processes such as cancer disorders. The diagnosis of cancer by means of a methylation analysis of tumor DNA found in body fluids is thus possible and has in fact been described many times (see e.g.: Palmisano et al.: Predicting lung cancer by detecting aberrant promoter methylation in sputum. Cancer Res. 2000 Nov. 1; 60(21):5954-8). A particular problem however, consists of the fact that in body fluids, in addition to the DNA with the methylation pattern typical of disease there is also a large quantity of DNA of identical sequence but of another methylation pattern to be found. The diagnostic methods must thus be able to detect small quantities of particularly methylated DNA against an intense background of DNA of the same sequence but of another methylation pattern (hereinafter also referred to as 'background DNA').
The conventional methods for methylation analysis solve this problem only to a limited extent. Usually the chemically pretreated DNA is amplified by means of a PCR method. A selective amplification of only methylated (or in the opposite approach, of only unmethylated) DNA is assured by the use of methylation-specific primers or blockers. The use of methylation-specific primers is known as a "methylation-sensitive PCR" ("MSP"; Herman et al.: Methylation-specific PCR: a novel PCR assay for methylation status of CpG islands. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 1996 Sep. 3; 93(18):9821-6). A comparably sensitive method is the so-called "HeavyMethyl" method. Here, a specific amplification of only the originally methylated (or unmethylated) DNA is obtained by use of methylation-specific blocker oligomers (for review: WO 02/072880). Both MSP and the "HeavyMethyl" method can be applied as quantifiable real-time variants. These make possible the detection of the methylation status of a few positions directly in the course of the PCR without the need for a subsequent analysis of the products ("MethyLight"—WO 00/70090; U.S. Pat. No. 6,331,393). One such embodiment is the "Taqman" method. This technique uses probe molecules which bear a fluorescent-dye/quencher pair. The probes hybridize in a sequence-specific manner to the amplificates and are decomposed in the course of the next amplification cycle by the exonuclease activity of the polymerase. A detectable fluorescent signal arises due to the separation of quencher and dye (see, e.g., Eads et al.: MethyLight: a high-throughput assay to measure DNA methylation. Nucleic Acids Res. 2000 Apr. 15; 28(8):E32).
Another MethyLight embodiment is the so-called Lightcycler method. In this case, two different probes are utilized, which hybridize to the amplificate in the direct vicinity of one another, and then produce a detectable signal via fluorescence-resonance energy transfer (FRET).
The applicability of this method for a sensitive and specific detection of methylated DNA against a large background of unmethylated DNA is of course limited. The danger exists that false-positive results will occur by means of a nonspecific amplification of background DNA. In order to increase the specificity of the amplification, it is thus necessary to use primers or blocker sequences, in which several methylation-specific positions are contained. These sequence requirements, in turn, limit the applicability of the method.
Based on the particular biological and medical importance of cytosine methylation and due to the above-mentioned disadvantages of the prior art, there is a great technical need for the development of high-performance methods for methylation analysis. Such a method is described in the following.
According to the invention, the DNA to be investigated is first chemically pretreated, after which it is hybridized to oligonucleotide probes and then reacted with DNA repair enzymes. One embodiment of the invention permits a specific decomposition of background DNA. A selective amplification of only the DNA whose methylation status will be detected, is thereby facilitated. A very sensitive and very specific analysis of methylation is thus enabled. The field of application of the method according to the invention is thus broader than that of the methodologies already known (see above). Methylation-specific primer or blocker sequences are not necessary to the same extent.
Another embodiment of the method according to the invention utilizes hybridization and the application of DNA repair enzymes, not for the decomposition of background DNA, but directly for the detection of the methylation status. A similar method for mutation analysis is described under the name "Midas" (Bazar et al.: Mutation identification DNA analysis system (MIDAS) for detection of known mutations. Electrophoresis. 1999 June; 20(6):1141-8; U.S. Pat. No. 5,656,430). In this case, an oligonucleotide is hybridized to the DNA to be investigated. An erroneous base pairing is formed at the mutation to be detected, which is then recognized by a mismatch repair enzyme. The probe is cleaved at this site, and the fragments can be detected by different methods. If an excess of probe is used, then the process can be reiterated. Another similar method for mutation analysis has been described by Zhang et al. (An amplification and ligation-based method to scan for unknown mutations in DNA. Hum Mutat. 2002 August; 20(2):139-47). Here, the DNA to be investigated is first amplified by means of a PCR. Then the amplificates are cross-hybridized with the formation of erroneous base pairings. After this, breaks in the single strand are introduced by reaction with repair enzymes. Finally, primers are ligated specifically to the cleaved DNA, by means of which the mutation can be specifically detected.
The application of these two methods to methylation analysis is described for the first time below. Based on the particular biological and medical importance of cytosine methylation and due to the disadvantages of the known methods, the discovery of this advantageous new technology represents an important technical advance.
All patents, patent applications and publications referred to or cited herein, or from which a claim for benefit of priority has been made, are incorporated by reference in their entirety to the extent they are not inconsistent with the explicit teachings of this specification.

Method for investigating cytosine methylation in DNA by means of DNA repair enzymes


An exposure apparatus includes a first optical unit configured to condense light from a light source, a catoptric integrator configured to form plural secondary light sources using light from the first optical unit, the catoptric integrator including plural cylindrical reflection surfaces having the same generatrix direction, an aperture stop arranged perpendicular to the generatrix direction, and a second optical unit configured to superpose light from each secondary light source onto an illumination surface, wherein the catoptric integrator includes plural integrator parts each having plural cylindrical reflection surfaces, and the plural integrator parts are arranged in a direction perpendicular to the generatrix direction and to an arrangement direction of the cylindrical reflection surfaces and located at an incident side of the aperture stop.

The present invention relates to an exposure apparatus.
In order to meet the recent resolution improvement requirement, a projection exposure apparatus is proposed which projects a mask pattern onto a wafer using the extreme ultraviolet ("EUV") light having a wavelength between 10 nm and 20 nm, and is referred to as a "EUV exposure apparatus" hereinafter.
A conventional illumination optical system applicable to the EUV exposure apparatus arranges an aperture stop having a semicircular aperture on a corrugated integrator for good illuminations with the small number of mirrors and no relay optical system. See, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. ("JP") 2005-141158. The corrugated integrator is an integrator having plural cylindrical reflection surfaces having the same generatrix direction.
It is known that high-quality imaging with a projection optical system requires a restrained distortion of an effective light source of the illumination optical system viewed from each position on an illumination surface that is a target plane to be illuminated.
The illumination optical system disclosed in JP 2005-141158 sufficiently restrains the distortion of the effective light source for the prior art those days, but this inventor has studied and discovered that the illumination optical system in JP 2005-141158 still contains a remaining distortion that is not negligible.
The distorted effective light source of the illumination optical system in JP 2005-141158 results from partial shielding of the collimated light by the aperture stop before it forms the secondary light source. This phenomenon will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.
FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of an arrangement of the aperture stop 15 and the integrator 11 in JP 2005-141158. An area 12 illuminated by collimated light CL on the integrator 11 narrows at an exit side of the aperture stop 15. FIG. 2 is a top view of the integrator 11 shown in FIG. 1. In order to obtain an effective light source having a regular circle at an end 21 in an arc illumination surface 20, the collimated light CL needs to be irradiated onto an area 13 shown by a dotted line.
At an incident side of the aperture stop 15, i.e., the lower half area in the top view of FIG. 1, the area 13 overlaps the area 12 and secures an area necessary for a regular circle of the effective light source. The aperture stop 15 shields the unnecessary light outside the area 13. The lower half area of the aperture stop 15 in FIG. 2 corresponds to the lower half area of the effective light source in FIG. 2, and the lower half area of the effective light source 22 has a semicircle with no distortion.
On the other hand, the exit side of the aperture stop 15, i.e., the upper half area in the top view of FIG. 2 contains a non-overlap area between the areas 13 and 12 and causes a shift from the regular circle of the effective light source. The area in the area 13 which receives no light causes an effective light source 22 to have a shape out of round. The unnecessary light outside the area 13 is not shielded because there is no subsequent stop, and the effective light source 22 has a shape that projects from the regular circle.
The configuration of the illumination optical system disclosed in JP 2005-141158 thus remains a slight distortion in the effective light source, and cannot meet a higher imaging characteristic requirement.