A portable electronic device, for example a cellular telephone or a personal digital assistant, has an internal screen for the display of information, the electronic device also having an external screen arranged to receive information from the electronic device and being capable of displaying this information on an electro-optic medium. There is also provided a cellular telephone having a visual indicator comprising an electro-optic medium having at least two different display states, the electro-optic medium being arranged to change its display state when a call is received by the telephone.

The present invention relates to portable electronic apparatus, for example, a cellular telephone or a personal digital assistant (PDA) having an external screen for the display of information.
In another aspect, this invention relates a cellular telephone having a visual indicator arranged to indicate when a call is received.
The use of cellular telephones and other similar wireless telephones, for example direct satellite telephones (for convenience all such wireless telephones will hereinafter be referred to as "cell phones") is expanding rapidly throughout the world, and an increasing proportion of such phones are now equipped for wireless data access, either through the Internet or other data access systems, including E-mail systems. For example, traveling businesspeople require continuous access to their E-mail and often also need access to facsimiles and the resources available on the Internet or World Wide Web.
Unfortunately, because of the need for portability, the displays of most cell phones are inadequate for displaying anything more complicated than telephone numbers and brief textual E-mail messages. In particular, a typical cell phone display is wholly inadequate for displaying any reasonably complicated graphics, yet there are many occasions where field personnel urgently need access to corporate databases containing such graphics. For example, a technician encountering a faucet, refrigerator or television set of a type with which he is not familiar may require access to a database describing the type. At present, Internet access using cell phones is mainly confined to sites with special simple designs which can be viewed on a typical cell phone screen. Obviously, users would prefer the same Internet access which they have from their computers, and site owners would prefer to avoid the expense and inconvenience of maintaining separate sites for computer and cell phone use, especially in view of synchronizing such sites.
The problems with cell phone screens can only become worse as so-called "third generation" (3G) cell phones are developed. Such third generation phones, using special digital protocols, should provide data transfer at rates similar to those of broadband wired access, but will have no good way of displaying the large amounts of data they receive.
There is thus a clear need to equip cell phones with some type of auxiliary display which is substantially larger and has higher resolution than the display provided on the cell phone itself. One solution is to provide an interface between the cell phone and a portable computer, thus enabling text and graphics transmitted to the cell phone to be displayed on the computer screen, and such interfaces are well known in the art. However, the need for the portable computer greatly increases the traveling weight of the unit, and it may be inconvenient to connect the cell phone, the interface unit and the computer in the field. Furthermore, the liquid crystal display (LCD's) conventionally used portable computers are fragile and are likely to be damaged if they are thrown into a bag with a technician's tools or left where such tools might accidentally be dropped on them. Similar problems are encountered if one attempts to use an LCD monitor as the external display for a cell phone. Furthermore, the power requirements of personal computers or LCD monitors are so great that, unless a very large and heavy battery is used, the maximum time of operation on batteries of the external display will be substantially shorter than that of the cell phone.
Accordingly, there is a need for a cell phone to be equipped with an auxiliary display which is larger and has higher resolution than the display provided on the cell phone itself, but which is lighter, less complicated and less expensive than a personal computer or LCD monitor, and this invention seeks to provide a solution to this problem.
Essentially the same problems exists with PDA's, which have small screens inadequate for displaying web pages and other graphics, and, as more and more portable, hand-held electronic devices are developed, the problems of inadequate screens and/or excessive power consumption will be exacerbated.
Another problem with cell phones is that they often ring at embarrassing times. Users of cell phones have received considerable criticism because of the distraction and disruption which occurs when such phones ring in restaurants, cinemas, theaters or similar places of entertainment, public and business meetings, worship services and other types of meetings. Under such circumstances, the user of a cell phone needs some way to know when a call is received, without the inconvenience and embarrassment of an audible ring. In an attempt to avoid this problem, many cell phones are equipped with an indicator which vibrates when a call is received, and a switch to enable the user to select the ringing or vibrating indicator. However, such vibrating indicators give rise to other problems. They are usually satisfactory when the cell phone is carried on the user, for example on a belt or in a pocket. However, many women carry cell phones in a purse and may not notice the vibrating indicator. Furthermore, is the cell phone is removed from the purse and placed on a table, desk or similar hard surface, the surface may act as a sounding board, and when the vibrating indicator is activated, may generate a noise which is at least as distracting as a ringing indicator.
One approach to solving this problem is to provide a visual rather than audible warning of an incoming call. However, most conventional visual warning devices are ill-suited for use with cell phones. Conventional small incandescent bulbs, such as are use in flash lights, may prove too fragile when subjected to the handling to which cell phones are subjected, and may impose current demands larger than those conveniently supplied by cell phone batteries. A light emitting diode could be used as a visual indicator, but draws power continuously, thus reducing the operating time of the cell phone, and is only visible over a limited range of orientations. Also, a light emitting diode covers only a few square millimeters, and thus may not be visible when the phone is placed in certain positions relative to the user.
This invention seeks to provide a visual indicator for a cell phone which does not suffer from the aforementioned disadvantages.

Displays for portable electronic apparatus


A food mill including a container having a first flange and an opposing second flange, and a blade assembly removably connected to the container. The blade assembly includes a support arm having a first end defining a slot engageable with the first flange, and a second end including a latch. The latch is movable between a first condition, where the latch is disengaged from the second flange, and a second condition, where the latch is engaged with the second flange.

The present invention is directed to a food mill, and more specifically, to a food mill including a removable blade assembly.
Several kinds of different food processing equipment exist for preparing and cooking food items. One such food processor is a food mill which includes a container having one of a plurality of interchangeable blades which process one or more food items. Typically, food mills include a container having a handle and a blade which is positioned in the bottom of the container. The blade may have different sized openings. The food mill may include a plate which is biased toward the blade at the bottom of the food mill which may be connected to a handle that is rotatably connected to the food mill. A user rotates the handle which causes the plate to rotate and press against a food item placed in the food mill. The food item is pressed into and cut or sliced by the blade and the cut portion of the food item falls into a separate container, such as a bowl.
A blade assembly, and more specifically the handle, is held in position by a support bar which is connected to opposing sides of the food mill. Most conventional food mills have removable support arms which enable a user to remove the entire blade assembly for cleaning. It also allows the user to remove the blade assembly to place one or more food items in the container of the food mill. Typically, it is difficult to reinsert the blade assembly after one or more food items are placed in the food mill because the tension of the spring positioned between the plate and the support is high. Therefore a user has to struggle to reinsert the blade assembly and more specifically, position and connect the opposing ends of the support arms to the food mill.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved food mill having a removable blade assembly that is easily removable and reinsertable into the food mill for food cleaning and food processing.

Food mill including a removable blade assembly


A lead frame for a semiconductor device has a die flag and leads that surround the die flag. In order to decrease the distance or spacing between inner lead ends and the die flag, which allows for short bond wires for connecting the inner lead ends to a die mounted on the die flag, at least some of the leads are twisted along their lengths to be angled with respect to a die-flag plane. The pitch between such twisted leads can be reduced without resulting in physical contact between adjacent leads, enabling the leads to extend further towards the die flag.

The present invention relates generally to semiconductor devices and, more particularly, to a semiconductor device with twisted leads.
FIG. 1A shows a portion of a conventional lead frame 100 with die flag 101 and leads 102. Each lead 102 extends from the periphery 103 of the lead frame 100 towards the die flag 101 and terminates at an inner lead end 104. That is, the inner lead end 104 is proximate the die flag 101.
The leads 102 extend as close as possible to the die flag 101 to reduce the length of bond wire that has to be used to connect the leads to a die mounted on the die flag. As can be seen in the cross-sections shown in FIGS. 1B-1D taken respectively along lines 1B-1B, 1C-1C, and 1D-1D of FIG. 1A, in order to extend the leads 102 closer to the die flag 101, the widths of the leads 102 decrease as they approach the die flag 101 in order to prevent physical contact between adjacent ones of the leads 102. However, the widths of the leads 102 can be decreased only so much and still be able to accommodate a secure wire bond. Thus, the extent that the leads 102 can be extended towards the die flag 101 is limited. In order to allow for shorter bond wires lengths, it would be advantageous to be able to move the inner lead ends 104 closer to the die flag 101.


A card reader performing a wireless communication with a card includes a first pulse generation unit generating a first detection pulse for detecting the card, a second pulse generation unit generating a plurality of second detection pulses for detecting the card, or a plurality of communication pulses for communicating with the card, and a card detection unit for sensing a card being detected by the first detection pulse or the second detection pulses. In the case that the card is not sensed through the first detection pulse, the second pulse generation unit generates the second detection pulses using the communication pulses and senses the card using the second detection pulses.

Example embodiments of the inventive concepts relate to a card reader. For example, at least some example embodiments relate to a card reader and/or a method of operating the card reader.
A near field communication (NFC) is usually performed between a card and a reader. The card may be built in a mobile device such as a smart phone for a contactless electronic approval.
An NFC protocol is one field of conventional RFID (radio frequency identification) and can operate a terminal fitted with a tag as an active mode. As a result, the NFC protocol can perform not only a function as a tag but also a reader reading a tag, a writer inputting information into a tag and P2P between terminals.
An NFC protocol is prescribed by standard in ISO 18092 and can perform a near field communication using various frequency signals such as 125 kHz, 135 kHz, and 900 MHz besides 13.56 MHz. The NFC protocol can support a reader such as an ISO 14443 TYPEA (Mifare), a TYPEB, a TYPEF (felica) and an IOS 15693 TYPEV and a card such as a TYPEA, a TYPEB, a TYPEF, and a TYPEV.
Recently, a size of an antenna of a card reader using an NFC protocol may be reduced. By using a small size antenna, a distance that a card can be detected using a card detection pulse is reduced. Thus, the maximum wireless communication distance that a card can be detected may be reduced.

Card reader and method of operating the same


The subject of this invention is to provide a rubber reinforcing cord that can be suitably used as a reinforcing material of rubber materials such as tires, belts and hoses and is excellent in fatigue resistance. This invention is a rubber reinforcing cord, characterized in that a carbon fiber bundle having a breaking extension of 1.7% or more is impregnated with a resin composition containing a rubber latex, and that the initial gradient (dM/dy) at y=0 of the bending load Mxe2x80x94deflection y curve of the cord is 1000 N/m or less. This invention is a substantially twist-less rubber reinforcing cord, characterized in that a carbon fiber bundle having a breaking extension of 1.7% or more is impregnated with a resin composition containing a rubber latex, and that the number of twist of the cord is 10 per meter or less.

This invention relates to a rubber reinforcing cord suitably used as a reinforcing material of various rubber materials such as tires, belt and hoses, and also to a fiber reinforced rubber material reinforced by said rubber reinforcing cord.
Fiber reinforced rubber materials reinforced by rubber reinforcing cords are widely used as rubber materials such as tires, belts, hoses, etc. In general, in these rubber materials, a matrix containing a rubber is reinforced by a cord obtained by coating a twisted reinforcing fiber bundle with an adhesive to form the surface layer of the bundle.
Carbon fibers have high strength and high elastic modulus and also have excellent heat resistance and water resistance, but are poor in the fatigue resistance against such deformation as elongation and compression deformation and bending deformation. So, it has been considered that a fiber reinforced rubber material reinforced by a rubber reinforcing cord formed by carbon fibers is poor in durability.
As attempts to solve the problem, JP, 60-181369, A discloses a method of depositing a mixture consisting of an epoxy compound and a rubber latex on a carbon fiber bundle, and JP, 63-6165, A discloses a method of depositing a mixture consisting of a phenol derivative and a rubber latex on a carbon fiber bundle.
However, even these methods cannot satisfy the fatigue resistance required for such rubber materials as tires, belts and hoses, and any rubber reinforcing cord formed by carbon fibers having sufficient fatigue resistance has not be obtained yet.
To solve the above problem, this invention has the following constitution: A rubber reinforcing cord, characterized in that a carbon fiber bundle having a breaking extension of 1.7% or more is impregnated with a resin composition containing a rubber latex, and that the initial gradient (dM/dy) at y=0 of the bending load Mxe2x80x94deflection y curve of the cord is 1000 N/m or less.
To solve the above problem, this invention also has the following constitution: A substantially twist-less rubber reinforcing cord, characterized in that a carbon fiber bundle having a breaking extension of 1.7% or more is impregnated with a resin composition containing a rubber latex, and that the number of twist of the cord is 10 per meter or less.
The inventors found that a rubber enforcing cord, characterized in that a carbon fiber bundle having a breaking extension of more than a certain value is impregnated with a resin composition containing a rubber latex, and that the initial gradient of the bending load-deflection curve of the cord is less than a certain value or that the number of twist of the cord is less than a certain value can exhibit excellent fatigue resistance unexpectedly, to solve the above problems all at once.
In this invention, it is necessary that the breaking extension of the carbon fiber bundle is 1.7% or more. Preferable is 1.8% or more, and more preferable is 1.9% or more. If the breaking extension is less than 1.7%, the cord is likely to be broken when the rubber material is excessively deformed by an external force, and cannot be used for such applications as tires and belts.
In this invention, it is desirable that the rubber reinforcing cord is 1000 N/m or less or less in the initial gradient of the bending load-deflection curve used as an indicator of flexibility. Preferable is 900 N/m or less, and more preferable is 800 N/m. If the initial gradient is more than 1000 N/m, the cord is low in flexibility, and is likely to have stress concentration caused when the rubber material is repetitively deformed, and is insufficient in fatigue resistance.
In this invention, it is preferable that the rubber reinforcing cord is 10 per meter or less in the number of twist. Preferable are 7 per meter or less, and more preferable are 5 per meter or less. If the number of twist is more than 10 per meter, the abrasion between single fibers is likely to be caused in the cord when the rubber material is repetitively deformed, and the fatigue resistance may become insufficient.
The carbon fiber bundle used in this invention has a tensile strength of 4000 Mpa or more. Preferable is 4400 Mpa or more, and more preferable is 4800 Mpa or more. If the tensile strength is less than 4000 Mpa, the cord is likely to be broken when the rubber material is excessively loaded, and cannot be used for such applications as tires and belts.
It is desirable that the carbon fiber bundle used in this invention has 4000 or 20000 single fibers. A preferable range is 6000 to 18000, and a more preferable range is 8000 to 16000. If the number of single fibers is less than 4000, the reinforcing effect by the cord is insufficient, and the dimensional stability of the rubber material may become insufficient. If more than 20000, it can happen that the cord contains portions not impregnated with the resin composition, and that the rubber material becomes insufficient in fatigue resistance.
It is desirable that the carbon fiber bundle used in this invention is substantially circular in the cross sectional form of each single fiber. If the cross sectional form of each single fiber is not substantially circular and is of any other form such as ellipse, broad bean or three lobes, the abrasion between single fibers makes the cord likely to be broken, and the rubber material may become insufficient in fatigue resistance.
xe2x80x9cBeing substantially circularxe2x80x9d in the above description means that the deformation degree of the section defined by ratio (=R/r) of the radius (R) of the circumscribed circle of the section of the single fiber to the radius (r) of the inscribed circle is in a range of 1 to 1.1.
In this invention, in order to prevent the breaking of the cord or the separation at the cord-rubber interface due to the abrasion between single fibers caused when the rubber material is repetitively deformed, and also in order to improve the fatigue resistance, it is necessary that the carbon fiber bundle is impregnated with a resin composition containing a rubber latex as an essential ingredient.
In general, a rubber latex has a high polymer stably dispersed in water. So, for preventing the voids that impair the fatigue resistance of the cord, it is preferable that the water contained in the cord is removed by heating and drying after the carbon fiber bundle has been impregnated with a resin composition containing a rubber latex.
It is desirable that the resin composition content after drying is 20 to 50 wt % based on 100 wt % of the carbon fiber bundle. A preferable range is 25 to 45 wt %, and a more preferable range is 30 to 40 wt %. If the content is less than 20 wt %, the impregnation of the resin composition into the center portion of the fibre bundle becomes insufficient and the prevention of abrasion between single fibers may become imperfect, and the fatigue resistance of the cord may become insufficient. If more than 50 wt %, the heat resistance, water resistance and solvent resistance of the cord may become insufficient.
In this invention, the elastic modulus of the dried film of the rubber latex at 25xc2x0 C. (Gxe2x80x2) should be 0.4 MPa or less, preferably, 0.3 MPa or less, more preferably 0.2 MPa or less. If it is more than 0.4 MPa, the fatigue resistance of the fiber reinforced rubber material becomes insufficient.
Examples of the rubber latex are acrylate-butadiene rubber latexes, acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber latex, isoprene rubber latex, urethane rubber latex, chloroprene rubber latex, styrene-butadiene rubber latex, natural rubber latex, and vinylpyridine-styrene-butadiene rubber latex. Among them, vinylpyridine-styrene-butadiene rubber latex, styrene-butadiene rubber latex and acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber latex are especially effective for improving the fatigue resistance.
It is desirable that the rubber latex (including that of RFL) content is 40 to 80 wt % based on 100 wt % of the resin composition after drying. A preferable range is 45 to 75 wt %, and a more preferable range is 50 to 70 wt %. If the content is less than 40 wt %, the flexibility of the cord may become insufficient, and the fatigue resistance may become insufficient. If the content is more than 80 wt %, the cord may become excessively sticky, and the handling convenience may become insufficient.
In this invention, for improving the fatigue resistance, it is preferable to add an epoxy resin and an RFL adhesive (a mixture consisting of resorcinol-formaldehyde resin and a rubber latex) to the resin composition, together with the rubber latex.
The epoxy resins that can be used here include ethylene glycol diglycidyl ether, glycerol polyglycidyl ether, trimethylolpropane polyglycidyl ether, sorbitol polyglycidyl ether, hexanediol diglycidyl ether, polyethylene glycol diglycidyl ether, polypropylene glycol diglycidyl ether and neopentyl glycol diglycidyl ether. Among them, glycerol polyglycidyl ether, sorbitol polyglycidyl ether and ethylene glycol diglycidyl ether are especially effective for improving the fatigue resistance.
It is desirable that the epoxy resin content is 20 to 80 wt % based on 100 wt % of the resin composition after drying. A preferable range is 30 to 70 wt %, and a more preferable range is 40 to 60 wt %. If the content is less than 20 wt %, the adhesiveness at the cord/rubber interface may become insufficient. If the content is more than 80 wt %, the flexibility of the cord may become insufficient, and the fatigue resistance may become insufficient. An RFL adhesive can be produced, for example, by adding resorcinol and formalin into an aqueous solution containing an alkaline compound such as sodium hydroxide, allowing the mixture to stand at room temperature for several hours, for initially condensing resorcinol and formaldehyde, and adding a latex.
It is desirable that the RFL adhesive content is 10 to 40 wt % based on 100 wt % of the resin composition after drying. A preferable range is 15 to 35 wt %, and a more preferable range is 20 to 30 wt %. If the content is less than 10 wt %, the adhesiveness at the cord/rubber interface may become insufficient. If the content is more than 80 wt %, the flexibility of the cord may become insufficient, and the fatigue resistance may become insufficient.
In the fiber reinforced rubber material of this invention, a matrix containing a rubber is reinforced with said rubber reinforcing cord.
The rubbers that can be contained in the matrix include acrylic rubber, acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber, isoprene rubber, urethane rubber, ethylene-propylene rubber, epichlorohydrin rubber, chlorosulfonated polyethylene rubber, chloroprene rubber, silicone rubber, styrene-butadiene rubber, polysulfide rubber, natural rubber, butadiene rubber, butyl rubber and fluorine rubber.
The matrix can contain, as required, an inorganic filler such as carbon black or silica, organic filler such as chroman resin or phenol resin, and softener such as naphthene oil, in addition to the rubber contained as a main ingredient.
The rubber reinforcing cord of this invention can be produced, for example, as described below. That is, the carbon fiber bundle is passed through a treating solution tank containing a rubber latex and an epoxy resin and then a treating solution tank containing an RFL adhesive, and further through a heating and drying furnace, to remove the water in the cord.
The fiber reinforced rubber material of this invention can be produced, for example, as described below. That is, cords paralleled in the same direction are held on both sides between matrix sheets mainly containing a rubber, and the cord/rubber composite is heated and pressed in a press, to vulcanize the rubber for forming.
The fiber reinforced rubber matrix of this invention can be used for any of tires, belts and hoses, but is especially suitable for tires. In general, a tire consists of a tread portion and side wall portions respectively made of a rubber, and a belt portion, carcass portion and bead portion respectively made from cords and a rubber. The fiber reinforced rubber material of this invention can be used in any of the belt portion, carcass portion and bead portion, but is especially suitable for the belt portion.
The methods for evaluating the carbon fiber bundle and the rubber reinforcing cord of this invention are as follows.
Breaking extension and tensile strength of carbon fiber bundle
Measured according to the methods described in JIS R 7601 (corresponding to ISO 10618). In this case, the carbon fiber bundle was impregnated with a resin of the following composition, and heated for hardening at 130xc2x0 C. for 35 minutes, to make tensile test pieces.
Resin composition: 3,4-epoxycylohexylmethyl-3,4-epoxy-cyclohexane-carboxylate (100 parts by weight)/boron trifluoride monoethylamine (3 parts by weight)/acetone (4 parts by weight)
Sectional form of single fibers of carbon fiber bundle
The carbon fiber bundle was cut in the direction perpendicular to the fiber direction using a razor, and the section of a single fiber was photographed using a scanning electron microscope at 10,000 times at an accelerating voltage of 15 kV. On the sectional photo, a circumscribed circle and an inscribed circle were respectively drawn, and with the radius of the circumscribed circle as R and the radius of the inscribed circle as r, when the sectional deformation degree defined by the ratio (=R/r) was in a range of 1 to 1.1, it was judged that the sectional form of the single fiber was substantially circular.
Elastic modulus of dried film of rubber latex (Gxe2x80x2)
The rubber latex is dried at 140xc2x0 C. for 30 minutes and the elastic modulus of the dried film was measured by viscoelasticity tester. Viscoelasticity mesurement system expanded type xe2x80x9cARESxe2x80x9d (manufactured by Rhemetric Scientific Co.) was used.
Measuring method: The atmosphere was adjusted to 25xc2x0 C. and the film was sandwiched by two aluminum circular plates of 16 mm diameter and reciprocally rotated at a cycle of 3.14 rad/sec. The torque loaded to the circular plates was detected and converted to the elastic modulus.
Initial gradient of stress-strain curve of rubber reinforcing cord
Measured according to the method described in ASTM D 885-76. The rubber reinforcing cord was cut at a length of 1 m, and a metallic hook was fastened at one end while a 300 g weight was fastened at the other end. It was suspended in air for 72 hours, to be vertical, for obtaining a sample.
The sample was cut at a length of 2 cm, and the cut piece was placed on a jig at a span of 1 cm. A metallic hook was hooked at the center of the span, and was lowered at a speed of 2 cm/min in an environment of 25xc2x0 C. and 40% relative humidity, to obtain a bending curve-deflection curve. The gradient of the tangent was extrapolated to load 0 and was defined as the initial gradient of bending load-deflection curve.
Number of twist of rubber reinforcing cord
Measured according to the method described in JIS R 7601 (corresponding to ISO 10618). Both the ends of the cord were set at the clamps of a twist tester at a clamp distance of 500 mm. With one clamp fixed, the other clamp was rotated to count the number of revolutions till the twist was perfectly undone, and the number was doubled to obtain the number of twist (per meter) of the cord.
Fatigue resistance of rubber reinforcing cord
Measured according to the method described in JIS L 1017 (corresponding to ASTM D885-76). A rubber sheet was wound around a drum, and said rubber reinforcing cord was wound around it at intervals of 55 lines/10 cm. Furthermore, another identical rubber sheet was wound around it, and the three-layer rubber sheet/cord/rubber sheet laminate thus obtained was removed from the drum and placed around a mandrel, as a tube.
Furthermore, it was pressed in a press to vulcanize and form the rubber, for obtaining a fiber reinforced rubber material in which the axial direction of the rubber tube agreed with the direction of the cord (27 mm in outer diameter, 13 mm in inner diameter and 24 cm in length).
The fiber reinforced rubber material was bent by 90xc2x0 at the center, and air with a pressure of 0.3 MPa was fed into the tube, while both the ends of the tube were revolved at a speed of 850 rpm in the same direction in a 25xc2x0 C. atmosphere. The time taken till the tube was broken was used as the indicator of fatigue resistance. As can be seen from the results shown in Table 5, the rubber reinforcing cords of this invention are excellent in fatigue resistance.
Rubber sheet composition: Isoprene rubber (70 parts by weight)/butadiene rubber (30 parts by weight)/sulfur (2 parts by weight)/zinc oxide (5 parts by weight)/stearic acid (2 parts by weight)/dibenzothiazyl disulfide (1 part by weight)/carbon black (60 parts by weight)

Rubber reinforcing cord and fiber reinforced rubber material


A method, system, and architecture for providing a web conference system that efficiently provides a breakout room or multiple breakout rooms within a single web conference (also referred to herein interchangeably as a “meeting” or “virtual meeting”) is provided. In some embodiments, the web conference system architecture provides a web conference system that allows for the creation of breakout rooms within a single web conference, where each breakout room provides a named view onto each feature subsystem of the web conference, with or without separate permission levels on each view. Each breakout room may also provide a named view of the contents of the web conference, with or without separate permission levels on each view.

A common classroom technique is to divide students up into several small groups, each of which works on a separate problem. At a later point in time, the instructor brings the students back together to report on the findings and progress of the individual groups. Members of a project team may likewise be divided up into several small groups, where each group is assigned one or more tasks to perform and/or solve. Periodically, a project manager may bring the members of the project team back together to report on the work of the individual groups.
E-Learning and "virtual classroom" products allow each student to be at a separate computer system, such as a personal computer ("PC") and, instead of a classroom, meet in an online virtual space, often using web conferencing software, such as MICROSOFT's Live Meeting. While E-Learning and virtual classroom products may support the scenario of "breaking out" into smaller groups, current E-Learning and virtual classroom products that support this feature implement each "breakout room" as a separate, full-fledged web conference (or a meeting). Because each room (e.g., the "main room" and the "breakout rooms") is a full web conference, there is a certain amount of server (or service) overhead associated with each breakout room. Also, joining a breakout room may be a slow process, as it typically requires a new connection to a server. It may be difficult for an instructor (e.g., a presenter in the web conference) to quickly switch from one breakout room to another breakout room. Similarly, an instructor who wishes to observe every room must be connected to every room's web conference, with all the attendant client-side overhead. Likewise, a student (e.g., a participant in the web conference) who is both in the main room and in a breakout room requires separate web conference clients for each, which generally increases central processing unit ("CPU") and memory consumption on the student's PC. Moreover, it may be difficult or time consuming to send a file, document, or other piece of content from room to room.

Subsystem-scoping architecture for breakout rooms in a virtual space


E-fuse structures in back end of the line (BEOL) interconnects and methods of manufacture are provided. The method includes forming an interconnect via in a substrate in alignment with a first underlying metal wire and forming an e-fuse via in the substrate, exposing a second underlying metal wire. The method further includes forming a defect with the second underlying metal wire and filling the interconnect via with metal and in contact with the first underlying metal wire thereby forming an interconnect structure. The method further includes filling the e-fuse via with the metal and in contact with the defect and the second underlying metal wire thereby forming an e-fuse structure.

In advanced technologies, electronic fuses (e-fuses) have been implemented at the polysilicon (PC) level. During programming, a high current pulse of short duration is passed through the structure, which irreversibly migrates silicide on top of the PC level. This migration, in turn, causes a change in resistance and thus acts as a programmable fuse. However, as scaling progresses, it becomes harder to implement these e-fuses at the silicon level due to a drop in maximum allowable currents through a lower metal layer, M1. Also, the collateral damage associated with the blowing of the fuse is becoming more difficult to contain.
In a conventional metal fuse approach as shown, for example, in FIG. 19, a two-level structure is used in which the electron flow is from the interconnect structure (via) into the wire line. A high current would be applied between the I+ and I− connections to induce electromigration (EM) failure and the voltage across the structure would be measured using the V+ and V− connections. In such a structure, most of the failures should occur in the interconnect structure (via); however, some of these failures also occur in the wire line. The failures in the wire line, though, are less desirable since the cap layer, such as silicon nitride (Si3N4) or silicon carbide (SiC) may be compromised during the programming process. This lack of control over the failure location will lead to variability in the final resistance of the fuse structure after programming. Also, even if all failures occur in the interconnect structure (via), there can still be a large variability in the resistance of the fuse after the blow process, which may suggest that some of the vias did not fail completely.
Accordingly, there exists a need in the art to overcome the deficiencies and limitations described hereinabove.

E-fuse structures and methods of manufacture

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION


The present invention is a classification method and apparatus for classifying an input into one of a plurality of possible outputs. The invention is also a method and apparatus for adjusting a neuron encompassing a plurality of feature vectors. The invention characterizes the spatial distribution of the feature vectors. The invention then spatially adjusts the neuron in accordance with that characterization.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to classification methods and systems, and, in particular, to methods and systems for classifying optically acquired character images and to methods and systems for training such.
2. Statement of Related Art
In the field of package shipping, packages are routed from origins to destinations throughout the world according to destination addresses typed on shipping labels applied to these packages. In order to route packages, it is desirable to use automated optical character classification systems that can read those addresses. Such a classification system must be able to classify characters as quickly as possible. Conventional optical character classification systems using spherical neurons, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,326,259 (Cooper et al.), may be unable to execute the processing requirements presented by certain applications without a substantial investment in hardware.

Method and apparatus for input classification using a neural network


A sealing and dispensing cap for a carbonated drink container permits the container to be inverted with the cap disposed in a closed position to trap carbonating gases, whereupon the cap is disposed in an open position to dispense the carbonated drink. This cap prevents carbonated drink from going "flat" by preventing the escape of carbonating gases during drink dispensation.

The present invention generally relates to container sealing and dispensing means. More specifically, this invention relates to airtight caps for carbonated drink containers which permit selective dispensing of carbonated drink without removing the cap.
Carbonated drinks left open for an extended period of time tend to go "flat," i.e. the drinks lose their flavor and the "fizz" known for carbonated drinks. As the conventional carbonated drink container cap is removed and re-attached air enters the container and carbonating gases escape. By the time the container is nearly empty, the last portion of the drink is flat and tasteless. Thus, a preferred cap for a carbonated drink container provides airtight sealing means which can be selectively opened and closed without allowing air to enter or carbonating gases to escape the container.


A switching regulator includes a first switching regulator corresponding to a master channel, and a second switching regulator corresponding to a slave channel. The first switching regulator generates first output voltage Vout1 by a constant on-time system in which on-time is constant. On the other hand, the second switching regulator monitors a first switching signal and a second on-time control circuit determines on-time of a second switching signal in accordance with lapse time from the rising time of the first switching signal to the rising time of a second switching signal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a power supply apparatus and, more particularly, to a switching regulator.
2. Description of the Related Art
In various electronic devices, in order to supply a proper voltage to an electronic circuit internally used, a step-up-type or step-down-type DC/DC converter such as a switching regulator is widely used. Such a switching regulator has a switching regulator control circuit for generating a switching signal for controlling on/off of a switching element.
As a switching signal, a PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) signal having a constant frequency for turning on/off the switching element in accordance with a pulse width is widely used (refer to Patent Documents 1 and 2). In a constant frequency system using such a PWM signal, a period since a switching element is turned on until it is turned on next is made constant to a cycle time given by the inverse number of a switching frequency. Consequently, there is a problem that the system cannot follow a load fluctuation and a fluctuation in the input voltage higher than the switching frequency, and an output is accordingly unstable.
To address an application requesting high-speed load response, a system in which the pulse width of a switching signal, that is, on-time Ton is constant and a timing at which the switching signal becomes the high level or the frequency is changed (hereinafter, referred to as constant on-time system) is considered. The constant on-time system can respond to the load fluctuation and input voltage fluctuation at higher speed as compared with the constant frequency system.
[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2003-219638
[Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2003-319643
There is a case that an electronic device on which such a switching regulator is mounted needs a plurality of different voltages, and a step-down switching regulator is provided with a plurality of channels, drops the same input voltage at different dropping ratios, and outputs the dropped voltages. In this case, switching signals in a plurality of channels are turned on simultaneously. When switching elements of the channels are turned on simultaneously, an instantaneous value of input current supplied from an input power source for supplying input voltage suddenly increases. When fluctuations of the input current of the step-down switching regulator increase, the current capacitance of the input power source has to be increased or the capacitance of an input capacitor for smoothing has to be increased. Further, when the input current increases instantaneously, switching noise increases. It causes problems of erroneous operation of peripheral circuits and increase in EMI (Electro Magnetic Interference).
The problems will be considered with respect to switching regulators of two systems. The duty ratio "Duty" of the step-down switching regulator is given by the relation Vout/Vin(Duty=Vout/Vin) in a steady state. In the constant frequency system using the PWM signal, switching signals of a plurality of channels can be generated from a single oscillator, and the frequency of the plurality of switching signals can be the same irrespective of the duty ratio. Consequently, synchronization among the plurality of channels can be easily obtained, and the timing at which the switching signal is turned on can be easily shifted. On the other hand, in the case of a switching regulator of the constant on-time system, when the on-times Ton of switching signals in channels are set to be equal, the frequencies of the switching signals change as the duty ratio changes. It becomes difficult to obtain synchronization of the channels, and there is the possibility that a plurality of switching signals are turned on simultaneously. Therefore, in the case of using switching regulator of the constant on-time system in a plurality of channels, a problem of increase in the input current or EMI increases occurs.

Switching regulator control circuit, switching regulator using the circuit, and switching signal generating apparatus


A stabilizing jack for vehicles comprises a pair of legs advanceable between retracted and extended positions by a drive assembly including a drive screw having left and right hand threaded sections. The drive screw is mounted on a slide frame which is slidably mounted to a base frame securable to a vehicle. Each leg is pivotally secured at a first end thereof to a screw follower threadably secured to a respective threaded section of the drive screw. When the legs are extended on uneven ground, one leg will engage the ground before the other preventing that leg from further downward advancement but causing the drive assembly to drive the slide frame in an opposite direction while the other leg continues to advance downward until it engages the ground.

The present invention relates to stabilizing jacks for recreational vehicles adapted to raise the recreational vehicle relative to its suspension to provide stability to the vehicle when parked.
A wide variety of stabilizing jacks have been developed for use in stabilizing recreational vehicles, trailers and the like when parked by raising the vehicle relative to its suspension system to prevent rocking and swaying of the recreational vehicle as an occupant moves around in the vehicle. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,103,869 discloses a stabilizing system utilizing four separate jacks mounted in the corners of the vehicle with each jack having a separate gearmotor for extending and retracting the leg of the jack. Raising and lowering of the jacks is controlled by an electronic switching system to selectively raise and lower one jack at a time to stabilize and level the vehicle.
Although stabilizing systems such as that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,103,869 do conveniently allow the user to raise and lower all four jacks from one location, the need for a separate motor for each jack leg significantly increases the cost of the stabilizing system. In addition, raising and lowering each jack leg independently makes it difficult to properly stabilize the vehicle. For example, with the leg of one of the rear jacks lowered into contact with the ground, as the leg of the other rear jack is lowered into contact with the ground to the point that it pushes upward on the vehicle body, it also lifts the opposite jack leg slightly off of the ground. Using such a system it is difficult to ever get all four jack legs touching the ground at the same time to provide the desired stability.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,870,276 discloses a stabilizing jack for recreational vehicles having a pair of jack legs which are raised and lowered using a single motor. The jack legs are mounted on a frame such that the legs are simultaneously moved downwardly into a stabilizing position beneath the vehicle with an equal force on both of the legs and such that both of the legs strike the ground before further force is applied to either leg to raise the vehicle, such as when the stabilizer is extended on uneven terrain. However, the usefulness of the stabilizing jack as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,870,276 is severely limited because the motor for each set of legs is mounted so as to extend downward from the vehicle. In this position, the motor and the stabilizing jack system are prone to damage during transport of the recreational vehicle because of clearance problems. In addition the configuration of the ""276 patent limits the length of the legs such that the system may not be useable with current style coaches or trailers whose frames tend to sit higher off of the ground. The newer generation coaches sit higher off of the ground to accommodate slide out rooms and the like.
There remains a need for a relatively low cost stabilizing system which facilitates stabilizing of recreational vehicles and which may be driven by a motor.
The present invention comprises a stabilizing jack for vehicles having a pair of jack legs advanceable between retracted and extended or raised and lowered positions by a single drive assembly, wherein the drive assembly is mounted on a slide frame which is slidably mounted to a base frame. The base frame is securable to the frame of a vehicle such as a recreational vehicle to stabilize the vehicle when parked.
When the legs are lowered on uneven ground, one leg will engage the ground before the other preventing that leg from further downward advancement but causing the drive assembly to drive the slide frame in an opposite direction while the other leg continues to advance downward until it engages the ground. Once both legs engage the ground, the balanced forces acting through the legs prevents the slide frame from sliding relative to the base frame such that the legs push downward on the ground with equal pressure, pushing upward on the mounting frame and raising the vehicle.
In a preferred embodiment, the drive assembly comprises a drive screw having adjacent left and right hand threaded sections with a screw follower or trunnion secured to each threaded section. Each leg is pivotally secured at a first end thereof to one of the screw followers. Struts or leg braces are pivotally connected at one end to each leg, medially thereof, and are pivotally connected at opposite ends to the base frame at the ends closest the respective leg.
When the screw followers are positioned centrally relative to the drive screw or in close proximity to the transition between the left and right hand threaded sections, the legs are positioned in a retracted position relative to the slide frame and base frame. When the screw is rotated in a first direction, the screw followers advance outward relative to the screw, causing the legs to pivot downward or toward an extended position. When the screw is rotated in an opposite direction, the screw followers advance inward relative to the screw, causing the legs to pivot upward or toward the retracted position.
As the screw is rotated in the first direction and one leg engages the ground before the other, the engagement of that leg against the ground resists outward advancement of the screw follower attached to the leg at its upper end thereof relative to the ground, such that the screw and the slide frame advance in the opposite direction relative to the ground until the other leg touches the ground. Once both legs touch the ground, the equal and opposite forces acting on the slide frame generally prevent it from sliding relative to the base frame and the screw followers are forced outward against the resistance thereon, causing the base frame to push upward on the vehicle raising it relative to its suspension system.
The drive screw is preferably driven by a motor connected to the drive screw at one end thereof The motor is adapted to automatically shut off when the load thereon exceeds a selected amount, which occurs when the vehicle is raised sufficiently to stabilize the vehicle.

Stabilizing jack for recreational vehicles


Provided is a gain-clamped fiber amplifier for amplifying the magnitude of an input optical signal in an optical communication system. The gain-clamped fiber amplifier includes a first amplifier for amplifying a predetermined optical signal and a second amplifier for compensating for a noise figure characteristic of the first amplifier and for separating remaining pumping light whose intensity changes in accordance with an optical signal. Therefore, it is possible to improve the noise figure and dynamic range characteristics and the performance of the amplifier.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fiber amplifier for amplifying the magnitude of an input optical signal in an optical communication system, and more particularly, to a gain-clamped optical amplifier having uniform gain characteristics in spite of change in the magnitude of the input optical signal.
2. Discussion of Related Art
In general, an optical amplifier such as a semiconductor optical amplifier and a fiber amplifier is an optical device for amplifying the magnitude of an optical signal which must be used in order to compensate for optical loss generated in optical fiber for transmission or various optical devices in the fields of optical transmission and optical network.
However, according to the conventional optical amplifier, the degree of amplification varies with the magnitude of an input optical signal, such that communication quality deteriorates in the optical network. Therefore, in order to solve the problem, a gain-clamped fiber amplifier has been developed.
An all-optical gain-clamped fiber amplifier of optically clamping gain using laser resonance does not need a complicated signal processing process for clamping gain. When loss and gain generated by a cavity are the same, laser oscillation occurs. When the laser oscillation occurs, the magnitude of the population inversion of a gain medium is fixed.
Since the gain of the fiber amplifier is proportional to the magnitude of the population inversion and the length of the gain medium, when the laser oscillation occurs, the gain of the amplifier is clamped. When an optical signal is input to the fiber amplifier whose gain is clamped due to the laser oscillation, gain is maintained uniform regardless of the magnitude of the optical signal when the input optical signal is weak, and the laser oscillation stops and the gain-clamped characteristic of the fiber amplifier disappears when the magnitude of the input optical signal increases.
FIG. 1 illustrates an example of the conventional gain-clamped fiber amplifier that uses the laser oscillation.
Referring to FIG. 1, when optical fiber is used as a gain medium 1, pumping light is supplied from a laser diode (LD) 3 through a wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) optical coupler 2. An optical attenuator (ATT) 5, optical isolators (ISO) 6, and a backlit optical filter (BPF) 7 form a ring cavity for the laser oscillation by optical couplers 4 of input and output stages.
The backlit optical filter 7 controls the wavelength at which the laser oscillation occurs. The optical isolators 6 let oscillation performed in one direction in the ring cavity. The optical attenuator 5 controls the optical loss of the cavity to control the gain of the amplifier.
In the fiber amplifier structured as illustrated in FIG. 1, the magnitude of an input optical signal and the magnitude of a laser optical signal that oscillates inside are complementary to each other. That is, the magnitude of the laser oscillation light increases when the magnitude of the input optical signal is weak and the magnitude of the laser oscillation light is reduced when the magnitude of the input optical signal increases such that amplification ratio is maintained uniform even if the magnitude of the input optical signal changes to some extent. At this time, when the magnitude of the input optical signal increases to no less than a uniform level, the laser oscillation stops and the gain of the fiber amplifier is reduced like the gain of a common fiber amplifier.
However, according to a gain-clamped fiber amplifier that uses the laser oscillation, when the magnitude of the input optical signal changes, the magnitude of the amplified optical signal temporarily fluctuates due to relaxation oscillation due to the laser cavity. Temporary change in the magnitude of the optical signal affects the bit error rate of transmitted data. Also, since a relaxation oscillation frequency is determined in accordance with the characteristic of the gain medium and the length of the cavity, it is difficult to manufacture the fiber amplifier and light transmission speed and optical signal processing speed are restricted.

Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute


A method for enhancing the growth of a horticultural plant comprising applying to the surface of the horticultural plant an effective amount of an ultrafine, dry ground calcite. The applied ultrafine, dry ground calcite transmits about 95% or greater, and reflects about 5% or less, of light in the PAR and UV wavelengths.

The present invention relates to a method for enhancing growth in horticultural plants in sub-optimal light conditions by applying to the surface of the plant an effective amount of an ultrafine, dry ground, calcium carbonate derived from calcite. Ultrafine, dry ground, calcium carbonate derived from calcite has been found to exhibit high transmission and low reflectance of light in the photosynthetically active radiation ("PAR") and ultraviolet ("UV") wavelengths. It is generally accepted that PAR wavelengths are between 400 nm and 700 nm, and that UV wavelengths are between 10 nm and 400 nm. By "sub-optimal light conditions" is meant excess or insufficient sunlight for optimal photosynthesis.
At the higher end of sunlight exposure intensity excess sunlight can damage plant tissue through excess absorbence by the plant's photosynthetic pigments. When light intensity exceeds the light saturation point for photosynthesis, regardless of light type, photosynthetic pigments are damaged. Both the xanhophyll cycle and the antioxidant system of the plant provide some natural protective response to such photooxidative stress ("up-regulation"), but this natural up-regulation often does not provide enough protection against photooxidative damage. Damage to the oxygen evolving complex ("OEC") by high temperatures makes the photosystem II protein complex ("PSII") more sensitive to high light damage. Thus, the resulting damage caused by such excess sunlight causes a loss of chlorophyll production.
At the lower end of sunlight exposure intensity insufficient or low light intensity sunlight contributes to a loss of chlorophyll production.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,110,867 describes a method for providing enhanced photosynthesis of a horticultural crop "by increasing carbon dioxide assimilation." See the Reexamination Certificate issued under 35 U.S.C. 307 for this patent. The method comprises applying to the surface of the crops an effective amount of one or more "highly reflective" finely divided particulate material having a particle size of below about 3 microns. The useful particulate materials specified in this patent include calcium carbonate, mica, kaolin, bentonite, clays, pyrophyllite, silica, feldspar, sand, quartz, chalk, limestone, diatomaceous earth, baryle, aluminum trihydrate, titanium dioxide and mixtures thereof. These particulate materials are stated to be hydrophilic, but can be coated with a hydrophobic wetting agent to cause the hydrophilic core material to have a hydrophobic outer surface. However, as this patent admits, increasing the reflectivity of a plant's surface causes a reflection of PAR light which reduces photosynthesis. See column 1, lines 60-67.

Method for enhancing growth in horticultural plants


A catheter for a morphological duct is disclosed, comprising an inflatable sleeve surrounding the distal end of said catheter and connected to the proximal end of said catheter by at least one inflating conduit which can be connected to an inflating device and said inflatable sleeve may take on either a deflated state in which it is applied against said distal end of said catheter, or an inflated state in which it is applied by its external wall against the internal wall of said morphological duct, then forming an annular space between its internal wall and said distal end of said catheter.

The present invention relates to a catheter for a morphological duct capable of positioning an endoprosthesis, temporarily or permanently, inside said morphological duct.
More particularly, although not exclusively, the catheter according to the present invention is intended to end an operation performed with an expansion probe or laser radiation in a morphological duct blocked at least partially by an atheroma. The invention will be more particularly described hereafter with regard to such an application, which must however not be considered as limitative of the invention.
To unblock such a morphological duct, the distal end either of an expansion probe able to expand said atheroma radially or an optical fiber catheter able to conduct laser radiation for eliminating said atheroma is introduced into the morphological duct as far as said atheroma.
It has been noted that, following such radial expansion or such elimination by laser radiation, the wall of the morphological duct has, at the location of the eliminated atheroma, numerous rough portions or membranes favoring the formation of a new atheroma.


A method and apparatus are provided for allowing IP endpoints to communicate over a PSTN with improved signal quality. Watermarks are used in the handshaking between the end-points when a communication session is being established, the watermarks indicating that the endpoints are capable of VoIP. If the two end-points establish that they are each VoIP-capable then packet data is inserted into a TDM channel using a framing technique managed by the gateways, with the bearer data being native to the VoIP devices, avoiding the lossy conversion of packet-voice data to 64 kb/s PCM and back to packet data again, realizing that the other end-point will be able to decode the data. If an IP-enabled endpoint determines that the other endpoint is not IP-enabled, then the data is inserted into the TDM channel by the gateway after conversion to 64 kb/s PCM so that the resulting TDM stream remains compatible with the PSTN and non-IP endpoints.

Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services allow IP telephones to communicate with each other over the Internet. However, an IP telephone may also be used to communicate through with traditional telephones through the PSTN. In order to do this, a gateway is typically used to convert the voice data packets from the IP telephone to a TDM stream using a 64 kb/s PCM format so that it may traverse the PSTN and be received, and understood, by a traditional telephone.
Two IP telephones may also communicate over the PSTN if one calls the other one using a standard telephone number, such as an NPA-NXX number, and where such communication is enabled by a pair of IP/PSTN gateways. This type of PSTN mediated call may be required in cases where the IP capability or addressability of the other VoIP endpoint is not known, which is often the case where the administrative domains of the VoIP endpoints differ. If a VoIP endpoint does not know what type of phone is at the other end of the communication, it must assume that the other endpoint is a traditional telephone which requires normal 64 kb/s TDM communication through the PSTN, and so conversion from packet voice data to 64 kb/s PCM is employed. IP telephones will often use one of several standardized voice compression algorithms before packetization of the voice stream. These algorithms are known as "lossy" since each successive compression and decompression will result in increased latency and reduced voice quality. A call involving two IP telephones over the PSTN can then involve an initial compression of the voice stream, a decompression (to 64 kb/s PCM), and then a recompression by the distant gateway to the IP endpoint. This reduces the quality of the communication to below that which could be otherwise be achieved if the two IP telephones recognize that each other is capable of packet based communications, and could communicate directly in the packet domain without requiring translation to confines of 64 kb/s PCM voice.
A mechanism which allowed IP telephones to communicate directly with each other over the PSTN in the packet domain while still allowing interworking of IP telephones with the legacy PSTN would improve speech quality, and also enable support of functionality beyond simple voice.

Impairment reduction for tandem VoIP calls


A user equipment (UE) and a method for sidelink failure management are provided. The method includes receiving, from a source cell, a first message including a sidelink Radio Resource Control (RRC) configuration associated with a target cell; determining that a sidelink failure event associated with an associated sidelink destination UE occurs; and transmitting a sidelink failure report indicating the sidelink failure event to the target cell after performing a handover procedure to switch from the source cell to the target cell.

Abbreviations used in this disclosure include:
AbbreviationFull name3GPP3rd Generation Partnership Project5G5th GenerationACKAcknowledgementARQAutomatic Repeat RequestASAccess StratumBSBase StationBSRBuffer Status ReportBWPBandwidth PartCACarrier AggregationCS-RNTIConfigured Scheduling RNTICSIChannel State InformationCSI-RSChannel State Information Reference SignalDCDual ConnectivityDCIDownlink Control InformationDLDownlinkDRBData Radio BearerE-UTRA(N)Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access (Network)EN-DCE-UTRA NR Dual ConnectivityFRFrequency RangeHARQHybrid Automatic Repeat RequestIDIdentifierIEInformation ElementLCHLogical ChannelLCIDLogical Channel IDLTELong Term EvolutionMACMedium Access ControlMAC CEMAC Control ElementMCGMaster Cell GroupMIBMaster Information BlockMNMaster NodeNACKNegative AcknowledgementNASNon-Access StratumNE-DCNR - E-UTRA Dual ConnectivityNRNew RadioNWNetworkPCellPrimary CellPDCCHPhysical Downlink Control ChannelPDCPPacket Data Convergence ProtocolPDSCHPhysical Downlink Shared ChannelPDUProtocol Data UnitPHRPower HeadroomPHYPhysical (layer)PLMNPublic Land Mobile NetworkPRACHPhysical Random Access ChannelPUCCHPhysical Uplink Control ChannelPUSCHPhysical Uplink Shared ChannelQoSQuality of ServiceRARandom AccessRANRadio Access NetworkRARRandom Access ResponseRATRadio Access TechnologyRFRadio FrequencyRLCRadio Link ControlRNTIRadio Network Temporary IdentifierRRCRadio Resource ControlRSReference SignalRSRPReference Signal Received PowerRxReceptionSCCHSidelink Control ChannelSCellSecondary CellSCGSecondary Cell GroupSCSSubcarrier SpacingSDAPService Data Adaptation ProtocolSDUService Data UnitSISystem InformationSIBSystem Information BlockSLSidelinkSLRBSidelink Radio BearerSNSecondary NodeSRScheduling RequestSRBSignaling Radio BearerTSTechnical SpecificationTxTransmissionUEUser EquipmentULUplinkUSIMUniversal Subscriber Identity ModuleV2XVehicle-to-Everything
Various efforts have been made to improve different aspects of wireless communication for cellular wireless communication systems, such as 5G NR by improving data rate, latency, reliability, and mobility. The 5G NR system is designed to provide flexibility and configurability to optimize the network services and types, accommodating various use cases such as enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB), massive Machine-Type Communication (mMTC), and Ultra-Reliable and Low-Latency Communication (URLLC). However, as the demand for radio access continues to increase, there exists a need for further improvements in the art.

User equipment and method for sidelink failure management


The invention discloses a varnish coating device that utilizes an ordinary conventional digital stencil printing apparatus, such that anyone can easily apply a uniform film of a viscous coating onto a predetermined area of, for instance, covers and surfaces of printed products. The invention functions as a varnish coating device, in place of a drum unit, when a varnish coating unit is mounted on a mounting section of a printing apparatus main body. The varnish coating unit has: a coating roller that coats the surface of printed paper with a transparent varnish liquid and feeds out the paper; a supply device having a doctor roller that forms a liquid pool on the coating roller and that supplies varnish liquid to form a coating in a predetermined thickness over a predetermined area of the surface of the coating roller; a cradle that detachably supports a varnish container; and a pumping device.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a coating device and a coating unit in a stencil printing apparatus, and more particularly, to a coating device in a stencil printing apparatus in which the surface of a sheet printed using a stencil printing apparatus is coated with a viscous coating liquid such as a UV-curable varnish or the like, and to a coating unit that is mounted on a printing apparatus main body in place of a detachable printing drum unit.
2. Description of the Related Art
Known simple printing apparatuses include, for instance, digital heat-sensitive stencil printers (hereinafter, simply "stencil printing apparatuses") for digital heat-sensitive stencil printing. In such stencil printing apparatuses, a thermal head, having a plurality of small heat generators arranged in a main scanning direction, is brought into contact with a thermosensitive stencil master (hereinafter "master"), also called stencil paper, as the master is transported in a sub-scanning direction (master transport direction) that is perpendicular to the main scanning direction, while the heat generators are energized in pulses to thereby heat-melt punch the master in accordance with image information. The perforated master is wrapped around the outer peripheral face of a porous circular plate cylinder that is provided on the outer periphery of a printing drum, whereafter the outer peripheral face of the plate cylinder is pressed by a pressing means such as a press roller or the like, with printing paper (hereinafter also simply "paper"), as the medium to be printed, interposed therebetween. As a result, ink that is supplied to the inner peripheral face of the plate cylinder bleeds from the perforated portion of the plate cylinder and the perforated part of the master, whereupon the ink is transferred to the paper to yield a printed image. The printing drum is also referred to hereinafter as simply "drum".
The above stencil printing apparatuses, having low running costs and being operable at high speed, are extensively used for printing circulars, forms and the like in, for instance, the education market, but also in public offices, associations, hospitals and so forth, and for printing large runs of newspaper inserts, real estate advertisements, internal memos in private businesses and the like. That is because such inexpensive apparatuses enable easy printing by anyone at any time.
The printing paper used herein is ordinary paper or recycled paper, thus relatively inexpensive, the surface of which exhibits high ink penetration. This makes the images on the surface of the printed product look dull and drab. Also, the print image ink may dry apparently by penetrating into the fibers of the paper. Ordinarily, special fixing devices do not achieve complete fixing, and hence the resulting printed product is inferior from the viewpoint of storability, since rubbing thereof with the fingers may give rise to smears, while the printed product itself may become weakened if wet with water.
Known methods for imparting a stylish feel, as well as storability and abrasion resistance, to such printed products, include, for instance, lamination methods in which a transparent film is affixed to the surface of the printed product. Lamination, however, is time-consuming, and hence a low-productivity method, and is also problematic in that it requires a special device, called laminator, for heat fusion, and in that films are expensive.
Meanwhile, varnish coating devices are also known for imparting a stylish feel, as well as storability and abrasion resistance, to printed products. Varnish coating devices are dedicated devices for applying a transparent varnish on the surface of the printed product while the latter is being transported. Such devices are relatively bulky and expensive, and hence varnish coating was not something that could be done by anyone, readily and inexpensively.
Conventional varnish coaters are full-fledge coaters in which varnish is often applied over the entire surface of the printed product. These coaters are thus large equipment items that are used in printing establishments. Given that such equipment is large, expensive and requires trained personnel for its operation, no equipment has been known thus far that allows the user him/herself to coat with varnish an ordinary printed product, easily and quickly. Moreover, after coating the entire surface of the printed product with varnish, the periphery of the printed product is cut off. This requires an expensive dedicated paper cutter, which only printing establishments can afford.
Specifically, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2007-111873 (Prior Art 1) and 2006-76080 (Prior Art 2) disclose water-based varnish coating devices in large offset printing apparatuses.
Also, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2006-35816 (Prior Art 3) discloses a relatively small-size independent dedicated varnish coating device.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2004-313829 (Prior Art 4) discloses a varnish coating device and a printer, in which a UV-curable varnish is sprayed, by liquid spraying nozzles, onto a specific area of printing paper, followed by curing through UV irradiation.
Since the above-described digital stencil printing apparatuses enable easy printing by anyone, inexpensively and by way of a simple operation, they are also widely used by free operators for printing relatively small runs. Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2006-281711 (Prior Art 5) describes such a stencil printing apparatus, having a plurality of printing drum units that can be detachably mounted on the main body of the stencil printing apparatus, wherein a UV-radiating unit can be mounted in the place of a printing drum unit holding ordinary ink, when a printing drum unit holding a UV-curable ink is mounted upstream of a paper transport direction.
The water-based varnish coating devices disclosed in Prior Art 1 and Prior Art 2, however, are bulky and expensive, and hence not suitable for ordinary users. The varnish coating device of Prior Art 3 is relatively small, but is likewise expensive and unsuitable for ordinary users. Similarly, the varnish coating device of Prior Art 4 is costly and inappropriate for ordinary users.
Stencil printing apparatuses have involved heretofore mainly black printing on ordinary paper, plus occasional use for color printing in red or blue. The above-described drawbacks of inferior storability and poor aesthetics of the surface of printed products obtained in a stencil printing apparatus have become a stereotype, and hence the use of a stencil printing for varnish coating has been deemed unfeasible, or in other words, few considered the potential worth of using varnish coating.

Coating device and coating unit in a stencil printing apparatus


A hand-grip accessory includes a body having a deformably resilient cylindrical shape provided with open end portions and an axial bore formed therebetween. The body further has separable longitudinal edge portions adapting the body between expanded and equilibrium arrangements such that the apparatus can be nested about a dumbbell. The accessory further includes a mechanism for tethering the body to a user's wrist such that the apparatus can be maintained within a restricted spatial distance from the user during operating conditions. The tethering mechanism includes a lanyard having oppositely situated looped end portions securely coupled to the body and removably positional about the user's wrist respectively. One of the looped end portions has a fixed diameter while another of the looped end portions preferably includes a coupling slidably mated to the lanyard.

1. Technical Field
This invention relates to gripping apparatuses and, more particularly, to a hand-grip accessory for improving a weightlifter's grip and protecting his/her hands.
2. Prior Art
Maintaining a secure comfortable grip is extremely important when operating or using various hand held apparatuses. For example, a secure grip is particularly important when using weightlifting equipment, such as a weightlifting bar or dumbbells. A secure grip on the weightlifting bar or the handle of the dumbbell can facilitate the use of greater weight, or increase the number of repetitions made during a particular exercise. Additionally, a secure grip is necessary to avoid accidentally dropping the weightlifting bar or dumbbell, which could result in injury to the user or others, or damage to the exercise equipment.
One method used by weightlifters to provide a secure grip is to coat their hands with rosin. This will make the weightlifter's hands sticky and allow the weightlifter to grip the bar without slipping. However, rosin has a tendency to build up on the weightlifting equipment which necessitates periodically cleaning the equipment to remove the built-up rosin.
Weightlifting gloves are also used by weightlifters to provide a more secure grip on the weightlifting bar. Some gloves are padded to provide a limited amount cushioning in the palm area. However, use of weightlifting gloves increases sweating of the hands during exercising, which permeates the gloves. When the sweat dries, the gloves can become stiff and useless.
Another method used to provide a secure grip is to add a rough textured surface on the weightlifting bar. However, a rough textured surface can cause blistering or abrasions on the hands.
Some weightlifting equipment includes a cushioned surface permanently attached to the bar or handle area. However, placement of such a surface significantly increases the price of the weightlifting equipment. Further, the permanently placed surface cannot be removed and used on other weightlifting equipment or apparatuses.
Canvas strips have also been utilized to provide a secure grip on a weightlifting bar. A portion of a canvas strap, approximately 1.5 inches wide, is wrapped around the wrist, and the remaining portion is wrapped around the weightlifting bar. However, the strap must be unwrapped each time the user leaves the bar and rewrapped for the next use.
Accordingly, a need remains for a gripping apparatus to overcome the above-noted shortcomings. The present invention satisfies such a need by providing a hand-grip accessory that improves a weightlifter's grip on a bar or dumbbell and protects his/her hands. Such an accessory prevents a weightlifter from developing blisters or calluses while aiding performance.


A control apparatus for a heat pump hot water supply system of the indirect heating method is provided such that a change in heat transfer efficiency of a second heat exchanger is estimated by using either or both of a tank water temperature and a temperature of a second refrigerant flowing through a water circuit. When the heat transfer efficiency is determined to be high, an operation switching unit raises an output of a heat source device. When the heat transfer efficiency is determined to be low, the operation switching unit lowers the output of the heat source device.

FIG. 17 shows a conventional heat pump hot water supply system of an indirect heating method. In the conventional heat pump hot water supply system, a heat source device 20 having a heat pump refrigeration cycle for circulating a refrigerant as shown in FIG. 17 (indirect heating method) is connected with a water circuit 21 through a water heat exchanger 202 (acting as a condenser). FIG. 17 shows an example where the water heat exchanger 202 is contained in a housing of the heat source device 20. However, the water heat exchanger 202 may be connected with the heat source device 20 outside the housing of the heat source device 20. The water circuit 21 is configured such that hot water or an antifreeze solution heated by the refrigerant passing through the water heat exchanger 202 circulates in the water circuit 21. A circulation pump 24, a hot water storage tank 25, a radiator or fan coil unit 26, a floor heating appliance 27 and so on are connected to the water circuit 21 with pipes.
As methods of supplying heat to the hot water storage tank 25, a direct heating method and the indirect heating method shown in FIG. 17 are available.    (1) In the direct heating method, hot water to be used for hot water supply is directly heated by the water heat exchanger 202.    (2) In the indirect heating method, heat is supplied by heat exchange between the hot water or antifreeze solution heated by the water heat exchanger 202 and hot water to be used for hot water supply, the heat exchange being effected through a second heat exchanger 29 provided in or outside the hot water storage tank 25.
(Indirect Heating Method)
Referring to FIG. 17, the indirect heating method will be described. In the indirect heating method, as shown in FIG. 17, the hot water or antifreeze solution heated in the water heat exchanger 202 can be directly supplied to a radiation heating appliance such as the radiator or fan coil unit 26 or the floor heating appliance 27 and can be used for heating a room. In the indirect heating method, as shown in FIG. 17, heat supply channels are switched by a three-way valve 23. During a water heating operation in the hot water storage tank 25, the three-way valve 23 is set such that the water circuit 21 is switched to a channel in which the second heat exchanger 29 is placed. Channel switching may be effected by using a plurality of two-way valves. As a result of channel switching, the hot water heated in the water heat exchanger 202 flows into the second heat exchanger 29. The water temperature in the hot water storage tank 25 rises by a heat quantity heat-exchanged with this hot water that has flowed in. When a value measured by a tank water temperature sensor 35 provided in the hot water storage tank 25 or on a wall of the hot water storage tank 25 reaches a water heating temperature setting value, the water heating operation is finished. When a user starts using hot water supply, the hot water is discharged from an upper portion of the hot water storage tank 25. The discharged hot water is mixed with water. The mixed hot water is supplied to the user as the hot water at a specified temperature set by the user through a remote controller or the like. On the other hand, the water is supplied from a lower portion of the hot water storage tank 25. Thus, the inside of the hot water storage tank 25 is always fully filled with water.
(Direct Heating Method)
In a water heating operation by a conventional heat pump hot water supply system of a direct heating method (for example, Patent Document 1), operation at the beginning is performed at a compressor frequency computed in accordance with the temperature of hot water supplied from a hot water storage tank to a heat source device. Then, when operation of the heat source device has stabilized, a deviation of a hot water outlet temperature of the heat source device from a hot water outlet temperature setting value is computed and the amount of change in this deviation is computed. Then, based on the obtained deviation and amount of change in the deviation, a correction amount of the compressor frequency is obtained. The current operating frequency is corrected with the obtained correction amount, and operation is performed at the corrected compressor frequency. In the conventional heat pump hot water supply system of the direct heating method, the compressor frequency is controlled as described above. In the direct heating method, low-temperature water at a lower portion of the tank is always supplied to the heat source device, so that operation can be performed with stable heat exchange efficiency in the water heat exchanger 202.

Hot water supply system control apparatus and hot water supply system control program and hot water supply system operating method


A telecommunications network comprises a base station and a mobile station in use in call connection on at least one uplink channel for communicating user data. The base station is operative such that on receipt of a command to transfer to and/or add at least one other uplink channel for communicating user data, the at least one other uplink channel is allocated to the call connection after a predetermined period during which power level adjustment is undertaken to compensate for mobile station movement.

In current Third Generation Partnership Project 3GPP standards for mobile telecommunications such as Universal Mobile Telecommunications System UMTS, as shown in FIG. 1 when a radio network controller RNC requests a base station (Node B in UMTS terminology) to reconfigure its radio channel (bearer) to any particular mobile station (User Equipment in UMTS terminology, UE), the base station (Node B) will effect the reconfiguration only after it receives a Radio Link Reconfiguration Prepare message including configuration parameters as to the new uplink and downlink radio channels to be used, responds with a Radio Link Reconfiguration Ready message and then receives Radio Link Reconfiguration Commit message. The configuration parameters, i.e. which other new channels are to be used, are specified in the Radio Link Reconfiguration Prepare message. The radio link is, of course, synchronous, requiring both base station and mobile station to transmit and receive at expected times.
Importantly, as shown in FIG. 1, receipt of the Radio Link Reconfiguration Ready message by the base station results in the new radio data channels being allocated by the base station although not used until later. These significant resources are thus unused for a considerable time.
As also shown in FIG. 1, a Radio Bearer Reconfiguration message is then sent from the radio network controller RNC to the mobile station UE. Once reconfiguration is complete, a Radio Bearer Configuration Complete message is returned to the radio network controller RNC. Both the mobile station (UE) and base station (Node B) then start transmission with new channel configuration at a specified activation time denoted by a connection frame number CFN as part of the Radio Bearer Reconfiguration message.
Once the radio network controller RNC and a base station (Node B) making up the UMTS terrestrial radio access network UTRAN have performed these steps of instructing synchronous radio link reconfiguration, downlink transmission starts but both the mobile station (UE) and UMTS terrestrial radio access network UTRAN may need to re-run the so-called inner loop power control procedure described in the 3GPP UMTS standards due to the new radio channel configuration. This is to ensure that before user data is transmitted, the inner loop power control, which compensates for fluctuations due to mobile station movement and consequential fading, is properly set up and functioning. The time period required for inner loop power control can be up to 7 frames (70 ms). This time period is denoted Power Control Preamble (PCP) length, and is indicated to the mobile station in the Radio Bearer Reconfiguration message sent from the radio network controller RNC. As shown in FIG. 1, whilst the inner loop power control is running (in the PCP length period) no user data is transmitted uplink but the channel designated for transmission of user data uplink is reserved—i.e., allocated but not used. This means that the channels are committed by the base station (Node B) for at least the duration of the PCP length period doing nothing (i.e., not communicating user data), which is a waste of scarce radio resources.
In this text, uplink means from the mobile station to the base station, and downlink means from the base station to the mobile station.

Telecommunications network comprising a base station and a mobile station, and a method of transferring to and/or adding into a call connection at least one other uplink channel for user data


The present invention relates to a method for identification and/or diagnosis of REM sleep loss. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method for identification and/or diagnosis of REM sleep loss from blood samples.

Sleep and wakefulness are natural behavioural phenomena present across the species and across age. During sleep, the living being takes rest, recuperates from lost energy and feels afresh. Lack of sleep or lack of adequate sleep due to any reason, for instance, any disease, results in mental as well as physical fatigue.
Sleep has been classified into slow sleep, deep sleep and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. During slow sleep, the electroencephalogram (EEG), follows synchronized pattern while during REM sleep, the EEG is desynchronized. The REM sleep is unique in the sense that some of the signs during this phase are similar to those during wakefulness while others are similar to those during sleep. Irregular heart beat rate and respiration, periods of involuntary muscle jerks and movements and higher threshold for arousal further characterize the REM sleep. Periods of desynchronized sleep occupy about 20% of the sleeping time and dreams usually occur during this phase of sleep.
Sleep including REM sleep, can be assessed subjectively and behaviourally. However, in order to avoid subjectivity and for adequate quantification, continuous electrophysiological recordings of electroencephalogram (EEG), electrooculogram (EOG) and electromyogram (EMG) are done. One of the disadvantages of this approach is the need for fixing electrodes on the skull for recording EEG, in the muscles of the neck and eye for recording EMG and EOG, respectively. While it may be argued that these procedures are non-invasive, for recording in the humans, they suffer from a major disadvantage of requiring the subject to spend the night in the sleep lab. Even if the subject does not wish to spend the night in a sleep lab, an electrophysiological recording unit has to be moved to the bedside of the patient. Another major disadvantage is that the recording has to be carried out over the night and requires the presence of a trained nurse throughout. A huge quantity of paper recording—of the order of one third of a mile long—must be scored and evaluated by trained personnel. To avoid such drawbacks, prior art has attempted to conduct analysis with the help of computers with relevant software. Nevertheless, the overall elctrophysiological process of recording is quite cumbersome, time consuming and expensive and not readily adaptable to ambulatory or home based monitoring.
Behaviourally, REM sleep loss is reported to cause increased irritability, excitability, sexuality, loss of concentration and coordination, reduced memory consolidation and brain maturity etc. A significant number of early morning road and industry related accidents are attributed to sleep loss including REM sleep loss. Such loss may even lead to social misbehaviour including in work place leading to reduced efficiency and productivity. It has been reported that at any given time, about one third of the adult population is likely to complain of insomnia, while a small proportion complain of being excessively sleepy. The number of patients with sleep related problems have increased dramatically over the years and continues to increase.
Although polysomnography has an important role to play in this regard, its availability and application are very limited. Even a large sleep disorders center can only cater to the need of a relatively small number of patients as compared to the number of patients who are required to be tested. Also, polysomnography does not address all relevant aspects of a disorder. Hence, there is an urgent need to develop a simpler and quicker testing method to evaluate REM sleep loss/disturbance.

Method for identification and/or diagnosis of REM sleep loss from blood samples


An open drain driver, differential receiver circuit for transmitting logic signals generated by metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) logic circuits over a data bus that uses distributed termination impedances. The distributed termination impedance values are chosen to minimize the data bus settling time both when a driver in a given module drives a signal consisting of alternating logic levels, as well as when two different drivers drive a given logic level in succession. Each open drain driver includes a multiplexor, a flip flop, an inverter stage, and a driver transistor. The multiplexor selects either a data signal to be transmitted or a deasserted data value to be passed to the input of the flip flop. The flip flop also accepts a test input, which sets the flip flop to a known state. As a result, no additional delay is inserted in the critical path between the rising edge of a flip flop clock input signal and the driver output. The companion differential receiver receives a reference voltage which is separately generated on each module, to permit the use of distributed power supplies while still adjusting for variations which may exist in a termination voltage from module to module.

The switching speed of a computer bus often determines the overall system performance. For example, the computer may include multiple central processing units (CPU) module, multiple input/output (I/O) modules, and multiple memory modules. Each module communicates with the other modules via a bus, which is a set of parallel electrical signal paths. In a typical operation performed by the computer, a data word is read from the memory and then passed along the bus to the CPU for an arithmetic operation, and the CPU module then forwards the results of the operation back along the bus to the I/O module for output. The signal propagation characteristics of the bus, including both delay and settling time, thus determine the overall system speed, since the faster that data signals are transmitted and settled on the bus, the faster the system completes a particular task.
Perhaps the most common digital integrated circuit (IC) technology in use today is so-called complimentary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS). Historically, the designers of some electronic systems interconnect the CMOS circuits on several different modules without special consideration of the impedance presented by the bus signal paths. While this is not of particular concern where the logic switching speeds are several orders of magnitude less than the bus propagation delay, it does become a problem for high performance systems, which may require switching speeds of 50 MegaHertz (MHz) or more over a bus which is a foot or more in length.
A failure to either properly terminate bus connections or to properly match impedances typically manifests itself as an increase in settling time. This is because the resultant overshoot and ringing must be allowed to settle before a bus receiver circuit may properly detect the data bit transmitted by a bus driver circuit. As a result, an extra delay must be added to the system bus cycle time to insure that the data bit may be detected at the receiver.
The settling time can be reduced somewhat if each bus signal path is treated as a transmission line having certain delay and energy storage characteristics. For example, it is well known that a transmission line terminated in its characteristic impedance reduces the settling time. Settling time can also be minimized by using a "party-line" type bus, that is, a bus where the drivers have open drain (for MOS circuit technologies) or open collector (for bipolar circuit technologies) output transistors which are connected through a common termination resistor to a termination supply voltage. With such a bus, one of the logic levels is represented by a non-asserted state, where the open drain/collector transistors are turned off.
However, there remains some question as to the optimum way to properly terminate a high performance bus. In particular, terminating the bus at each end may require placing the termination impedances on a centerplane or backplane, where it may or may not be convenient to mount discrete components. Alternatively, the termination impedances may be placed in the two circuit board modules on the extremities of the bus, but this has the disadvantage of requiring special variants of the modules when they are used at the ends of the bus. Another difficulty occurs when the system design dictates that each module have its own termination supply voltage, which means that the end termination technique can be difficult to implement.
A distributed termination technique has been used, in some applications, where each bus path in each module is terminated in the characteristic impedance of the bus. The distributed termination technique works reasonably well, but is not without its own problems. In particular, each driver must supply enough current to drive all of the termination impedances connected to the bus. This is not of particular concern in a small system having only a few modules, but as the number of modules increases, the extra current drive requirements increase the bus settling time.
There are several other considerations which further complicate the design of a bus. Often times, it is necessary to provide a "tri-statable"driver which has a separate disable input that causes the driver to release, or deassert, the bus. To provide this function, an extra transistor stage must be added to the output circuit in the bus driver, which adds propagation delay.
Furthermore, it is often desirable to provide a control signal that permits the driver to be disabled, for system test purposes. This permits the system to be tested by selectively disabling the drivers, to determine if any particular driver is "stuck", or failing to release the bus when it should. This usually means that another stage of transistors must be placed in the critical delay path of the driver.
All of these considerations are exacerbated when the bus drivers and receivers must be designed using the transistors available on standard Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs) or gate arrays. The circuit designer is restricted in the number of transistors and the sizes available in such a situation.
What is needed is a distributed termination, bus driver/receiver circuit that minimizes bus propagation time. The circuit should provide an open drain output which may be disabled, as well as placed into a test state, without adding logic delays in the critical path of the driver. The design should be easily adaptable to standard gate arrays and ASICs by using only standard transistors.

Data bus using open drain drivers and differential receivers together with distributed termination impedances